Page 9 of More To Us

Chapter Three

Austin

There's a big banner over the bar with our name on it. Dylan has a friend who works at a print shop and makes all kinds of promo stuff for us for a really cheap price.

I love seeing that banner. It makes me feel like we're a real band. A band that could actually be something more than just some guys who like playing music together in their free time. We've never talked about it, but I think we should make a demo and send it out to record companies, just to see if anything would happen. It might not, but what the hell? Why not try? We're popular here in Chicago, so why couldn't we be popular elsewhere?

"I love Vandyl!" some girl yells as she looks up at the sign. She's drunk and spilling her drink as her hands wave around. Her friend is just as drunk and yells, "Vandyl!"

Vandyl is the name of our band. It's a combination of Van and Dylan. They started the band and named it before I joined. They needed a guitarist so they put an ad online and that's how I found them. We clicked right away and the rest is history.

"Austin," the bartender says. I turn and see him holding a bottle of water.

I take it from him. "Thanks. What do I owe you?"

"It's on the house. Good luck tonight." He gives me a nod, then goes to take drink orders.

The band always gets free drinks, but I still offer to pay because I don't like to assume. I always stick with water. Van and Dylan do too. We agreed when we formed the band that there's no getting drunk before or during a show. And there's no drugs, period. I'm not hanging around that shit, or around people who are into that, and luckily Van and Dylan feel the same way. They both get drunk after a show, but that's it. Just alcohol, no drugs.

There's a back room at the bar where we can hang out before we play, but as I'm heading over there, I stop when I see a girl. It's her face that catches my eye. She's pretty, but not in that done-up kind of way, like most of the girls here. This girl isn't wearing much makeup, or maybe she's not wearing any at all. It's hard to tell from where I'm at. She has a slight smile on her face as she makes her way through the crowd. She seems to be heading for a table, her eyes focused on it. I wonder if she's with someone. Maybe that's what the smile's for. He's probably waiting for her.

The people in front of me move, allowing me a better look at the girl. Now I can see her body, and damn, she's hot. This girl works out. I can see the definition in her arms. But it's not too much. Some of the girls at the gym work out to the point that they have almost no body fat, leaving them with all muscle. No womanly curves, no softness.

This girl has curves, and yet she still has muscle. My eyes linger on her breasts, and when I lower them, I can see her lean torso. She's wearing a tight black t-shirt and jeans that hug her round ass. Shit, she's got a perfect body.

Boyfriend or not, I gotta go say hello to this girl. I reach her just as she approaches the table she was eyeing. Some guys sit down there and her face falls.

"You want that table?" I ask, pointing to it.

"What?" She steps back, like I startled her.

"Did you want that table?"

She stares at me and I stare back. I can't help it. Her face is even prettier up close, and she has these big, deep brown eyes.

"Um, yeah," she says, "but I'll just find another one."

I step up to the table and talk to the guys. "Hey, do you guys mind moving? I was holding this table for a friend."

They nod at me in that way that says they know who I am and are fans.

"No problem," the one guy says. They get up and leave.

I hold out a chair for the girl. "It's all yours."

"Thank you." She smiles, and this time it's a full smile. She has a beautiful smile.

She sits down and I take the seat next to hers. I have a few minutes before I have to go meet up with Van and Dylan.

"So are you waiting for someone?" I ask.

"Yeah. My friend and her boyfriend."

She didn't mention having a boyfriend of her own. Maybe she doesn't.

Her eyes do a quick glance of my body before returning to my face. I'm used to it. I spend hours in the gym and it shows, so I'm used to girls checking me out. But I don't spend all those hours in the gym to get girls. Working out is just something I like to do. I like the way it makes me feel. And I do a job that requires physical labor, so staying in shape makes me less likely to get injured.

"I'm Austin," I tell her, but I'm sure she already knows that. If she's here to see the band, she knows who I am.

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