Page 154 of Five Summers

“So, Poppy, I had no clue you could sing like that,” Ace comments. “Why didn’t you ever perform at school?”

“I don’t know. I guess I was already getting noticed for all the wrong reasons with Jade. I didn’t want to attract any more attention to myself, I suppose,” Poppy responds.

“Who taught you to sing like that?” Nate inquires.

“My dad,” Poppy responds. “He was in a band.”

“Oh yeah, I remember Xander mentioning that when you gave him the guitar,” Ace recalls, bringing up the previous conversation about Poppy’s father being in a band. The mention of the guitar exchange seems to tie everything together in their discussion.

As the car arrives at the hotel, I hand Poppy her phone. Before any of us can even unbuckle our seatbelts, Reg promptly opens the door and steps out. Ace looks at me briefly before shifting his focus to Theo and Nate.

"I bet the mess still isn't fixed," says Ace. “The asshole just doesn’t have the balls to tell us.”

“Yeah, but at least he’s not bugging us,” Theo says, trying to find a silver lining and acknowledging the break from that difficult asshole.

I slide across the seat and step out. The rest of the band patiently waits for Poppy to exit. Together, we make our way through the side entrance, where a kind staff member holds the heavy doors open for us. Once inside, we head towards the elevators.

As we walk forward, I notice Poppy fidgeting and tugging on the bottom of her shirt, clearly anxious about the attention we’re receiving. This behavior is familiar to me, as it stems from the many times when Jade used to criticize her appearance, which always made her feel uneasy. I wish she could understand that none of that matters anymore. She is truly beautiful, and I will remind her of that every single day for the rest of our lives.

Jade’s hurtful words, which were nothing but fucking lies, have left a lasting impact on Poppy. I can see how she still gets super nervous when people stare at her, still carrying all those emotional scars.

A groupie, or to be more precise, a cougar who really should know better, approaches us. Neil quickly steps forward, blocking her path. Theo abruptly halts, causing Ace to slam into his back. I can't help but smirk when I hear him complain in his usual grumpy way.

Partaking in flirtatious encounters with anyone who comes his way is a regular part of Theo’s routine. The rest of us rarely give much thought to the groupies, unless we’re in the mood for a bit of fun. Or in my case, when I sought to escape the thoughts of Poppy and find solace in the haze of alcohol and getting my dick sucked.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” Theo says, approaching the middle-aged woman. “What’s your name?”

Neil stays behind, while the other three security guards come with us as we continue walking to the elevator.

“Does Theo always act like that?” Poppy asks, glancing over her shoulder to see what he’s doing.

“Seriously, every single time,” Nate replies, shaking his head. “He shamelessly flirts with everyone.”

The elevator doors slide open, and we all step inside. Nate holds his arm out, preventing the doors from closing as we wait for Theo.

“Hurry up, asshole,” Ace mutters under his breath.

“Let’s just go,” I add impatiently, tired of always waiting for Theo to catch up.

Nate withdraws his hand, causing the doors to close. However, before they shut completely, we catch a glimpse of Theo turning to join us. Regrettably, it’s too late; the doors are already closing, and no one makes an effort to prevent them from shutting.

“You do realize I’ll never hear the end of it now,” says Nate.

"Just tell the idiot to cut it out with the flirting," Ace says, casually slipping his hands into his pockets. “We’ll have a band meeting in my room tonight after the show.”

“I already have something planned,” I tell him, taking out my phone.

“Yeah, man. Theo is pretty keen to hook up with a groupie tonight. You know how he is,” Nate says.

“Well, tomorrow, meet me in my room at…” We all wait as he checks his phone. “Noon. We have nothing on then. We have a few things to discuss.”

Quickly, I tap into my contacts and bring up Kit’s number. I type out the following text:

Xander: Hey. Can you sort out a car for me after the show tonight? I need Neil to be there. Can you also see if a burger place can stay open late? I don't care how much it costs.

I slip my phone back into my pocket, determined to make things right with Poppy. We’ve never really had a proper date; most of our time together was spent at her place. The only exception was that one time at a burger joint in a not-so-great part of town. I knew it wasn’t the best choice, but it was all I could afford back then. While I would love to take Poppy to a fancy restaurant, I know that’s not her style. I remember that she enjoys a good burger and a laid-back atmosphere. That’s exactly what I want too - to share a meal, relax, and have a meaningful conversation, just like we used to. Tonight, my goal is to address any unresolved issues because there’s no way I’m letting her slip away again.

My phone pings and I quickly check the message.

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