Page 24 of Ballads of Lines Blurred

“I know what they are and don’t like them.”

“You’re experiencing them for a love interest,” he continued like I hadn’t spoken. “We’re all very proud of you. Now go talk to him.” Hale started shoving me toward the door.

“I need to take a piss and get back to my post.”

“Don’t worry about that. Dex said to let your filler music play for a while longer. The members will be fine. I’ll shake my dick more than normal when I go on.”

“I don’t need to hear that and it’s not filler music.”

“Whatever. No one cares. Go talk to Slater. You know how Dex gets when someone he cares about is upset.”

Groaning, I said, “Yeah, I do. He likes to meddle.”

“Yes, he’s Mr. Self-Proclaimed Matchmaker. He doesn’t know Slater well enough, but he knows us. Last he saw, you were holding Slater’s hand and getting close to him. Now fix what’s going on between you two.”

“There isn’t anything going on. We had one date that ended without an inkling of more.”

“Uh huh, sure.” He shoved me down the hallway toward the main floor.

Turning, I swatted at him. “Stop pushing me, asshole.”

He made a shooing motion. If I didn’t go out there, he wouldn’t leave me alone. It would be a matter of minutes before Dexen did the same thing. I really didn’t want to deal with him. He was a great boss, but he didn’t belong in my personal life. Not that I had one.

Scrubbing my hands over my face, I groaned again. Loudly. Apparently, dramatics ran in the family. So much for taking a leak. I nodded at Hal, who was guarding this part of the room tonight, before zeroing in on the rock star himself.

Fuck my life. What did they think I was going to do? Slater was upset over Cody, which made me upset for them both.

I ran my finger along the collar of my shirt, suddenly feeling like it was choking the hell out of me.

Feelings, I heard my brother say in my head.

“God dammit,” I grumbled low.

Slater was easy to spot, cloaked in darkness. My eyes adjusted the moment I was out there, no longer faced with the bright lights pointed at the stage. A glass sat in front of him with sweat dripping down the side. Slater ran a finger along it, his body slouched in the seat. I sighed inwardly, because I didn’t want him to hear me.

His eyes lifted to mine as I approached. Instead of asking if he minded if I sat, I pulled a chair out and parked my ass without a word. He went back to looking at the stage, except there was no one there. Just my music running while we had an intermission.

Filler music. Assholes.

I was out of my depth, unsure of what to say or ask. The last time I saw Slater, he was a mess. A different kind than I was currently. I was like a smoothie whirling around a blender, full of energy but spinning in a circle, not sure what to do or where to go. Slater was the orange juice that sat next to the smoothie, doing nothing except waiting for its turn to be consumed.

Oh my god, what the fuck was I thinking right now? Smoothies and orange juice? Jesus.

“What’s going on, rock star?” I asked, going with my normal lighthearted tone, hoping it did the trick and got him to talk. It also took my mind off smoothies.

His gaze flicked to me before going back to the stage. Not a single word.

Okay. I rose from my chair and moved it until it was touching his, facing the same direction he was, side by side. I sat in it again and stared ahead, just like him. “What am I missing?”

“What?” One word. I’d take it.

“You’re staring at something. What is it? Because I fail to see what’s so interesting, it pulls your attention from me.” I wasn’t typically overly cocky. Whatever it took to get him to talk, I’d do. Except blow him under the table. I’d like to keep my job, thank you very much.

“Go back to work, Milo.”

“Now, where’s the fun in that? Besides, if I go back to work before getting you in a better mood, Dexen will be on my ass and then he’ll be on yours. He takes being a mother hen to a new level. So, either you talk to me or to Dex. Personally, I’d choose me. I’m single, sexy, and know what it feels like to have your hot breath coasting over my skin.” That one time he whispered to me… I shivered in my seat at the memory of it.

The corner of his lips kicked up in a half smile. Did he not know how absolutely stunning he was? “I’d choose you over Dexen any day.”

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