Page 6 of New Year's Faye

He’d gotten me wasted, left me at home to sleep it off, then presented my ideas as his own to the presenter thus winning the account that should have been mine. As a result, I’d been seen as flakey and unreliable.

I’d lost my job a few months later.

"Come on, Faye," Sam’s warm breath brushed the shell of my ear. "Don’t let him steal more of your joy. You can do this."

I took the shot glass.

"To The Wild Ones," I said, raising it high. "And to..." I hesitated.

"To unplanned moments," Sam said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “And memories we’ll never forget.”

"To the memories!" the band echoed.

I blanched, shooting Sam a look when he chuckled at my discomfort.

The tequila warmed my blood as the party kicked into full swing. We made our way through the streets to a small dive bar the band had rented out for those who had worked on the concert. Our roadies and crew poured into the tiny venue, taking advantage of the free food and booze on offer.

I squeezed myself into a miniscule booth with Sam, laughing as Justice commandeered the sound system, turning our private afterparty into what he called a "proper celebration."

"Ten bucks says he tries to stage dive onto one of the couches within the hour," Sam murmured, pouring me a glass of water.

I accepted it gratefully. "Twenty says he tries to convince Radley to let him crowd surf on the cleaning crew first."

Sam's laugh rumbled deep in his chest. "This is why you're my favourite."

A warm tingle raced down my spine to pool in my belly at his words. A spark of something igniting as our thighs brushed.

That is the tequila talking.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself to tease him back. "Because I enable your gambling habit?"

"Because you know our boy better than he knows himself." He nudged my shoulder with his. "Speaking of which..."

I followed his gaze to where Justice was climbing onto a chair, shirt already missing.

"I got it." I moved out of the booth, straightening my dress as I put my game face on. "Justice! What's our rule about staying clothed at industry events?"

"But it's just us!" He wobbled precariously.

"And the cleanup crew, three security guards, roadies, and—" I squinted at the corner. "Is that the venue owner's daughter recording this?"

Justice's eyes widened as he scrambled down.

Sam's familiar chuckle hit my ear as his hand pressed against my lower back. He leaned down to whisper in my ear, "And that's why you're the real rock star here."

"Hardly." But I leaned into his touch, just slightly. Just enough. "Someone has to keep you lot from trending for the wrong reasons."

"Hey, my trends are always tasteful."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "The Great Pants Incident of 2019?"

"That was one time!"

"The Dolphin Debacle?"

"Those charges were dropped."

"The Valentine's Day?—"

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