Page 68 of Another Postcard

“Thanks, Simon,” I responded dryly. “Just what every woman wants to hear.”

“No worries. We’ll pack some meat back on these bones.” He picked me up into a bear hug, then set me down and grinned. “I’m seriously glad you’re back, B. Levi’s been a real motherfuckering bastard while you’ve been gone.”

“Hey, Brooklynn,” Matteo beamed at me as he walked up and swept me up into a hug, spinning me around before putting my feet back on the ground.

I put an arm around each man’s waist and squeezed them to me. “I missed you guys too.”

“Brooklynn!” Kristi practically skipped over and threw her arms around me. Sasha sauntered up behind her, grinning broadly. “Welcome back, babe.”

Emma was hanging back, biting a nail and looking on with anxiousness. “Hey, Emma,” I greeted her with a warm smile. “It’s great to see you.”

She smiled back tentatively and walked forward. “Welcome back. Um, I’m —I’m so sorry you…”

I shook my head and patted her shoulder. “Emma, I hope you haven’t been letting this eat at you. How could you have possibly known? You aren’t in any way responsible for what happened.”

“I’m still sorry.”

“Okay. Unnecessary apology accepted.”

“Brilliant.” She hugged me and stepped back.

I heard a door shut and my eyes lifted, expecting to see Levi, but it was Cooper and he was watching me almost as warily as Emma had been. Ah, Levi must have warned him about spilling the beans on the contract. Noah walked in next and came to a stop, immediately adopting a sad puppy look. Ugh, I fell for that every time and he knew it, the bastard.

“You two,” I said firmly doing the “FBI” double-finger point. They looked to each other and I could see their silent exchange, both wondering if they could escape. “You’ll have to face me eventually boys, might as well get it over with.”

They both shrugged in grudging agreement and approached me. When they got close enough, I stepped over and whacked each of them once on the backs of their heads. “Next time you try and pull shit like that with me, I aim lower and use the heel of my stiletto boot. Am I making myself heard?”

Noah grinned. “So noted.” Then he hugged me. “Welcome back. We missed you.”

Then it was Cooper’s turn. “I’m just the label’s mouthpiece,” he tried to argue with a laugh.

“Then I’d invest in a really sturdy cup,” Sasha quipped. “Probably a good idea, you know, just in general.”

The rest of the crew filtered in a few at a time and soon, it felt like I’d never been gone. With one notable exception. Levi was nowhere to be found. I tried not to let it hurt and failed miserably.

40

Levi

Ilether have her reunion with everyone uninterrupted, wanting her to be comfortable and at ease. Staying away sucked, but I was playing the long game and I hoped I’d be rounding the eighteenth hole sooner than later.That came out dirtier than intended. Sort of.

As the time for curtain approached, I was standing in the wings letting a tech attach my wireless mic when Brooklynn walked in. Suddenly, I could breathe with more freedom and my heart beat harder. Other parts of me hardened in happiness too, but I ignored them. It was definitely not the time.

Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, hanging long and straight down her back. It highlighted the structure of her face, showing off some of her most beautiful features, clearly declaring her Native American heritage. Long feathered earrings dangled to her shoulders, which were bared by a red, strapless top. Her ass looked amazing in her leather pants and her black, stiletto boots brought back fantastic memories of fucking her with nothing but those on. Fuck, I needed to get some control over myself or I’d be going on stage with a fucking chub.

I grabbed a cold bottle of water and chugged it down, feeling only marginally better when it was gone. Wandering around backstage, I focused on getting pumped and did a few vocal exercises to make sure I remained loose. Then, it was time to go on. At the last second, Sasha grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. “You’re not planning on singing her a song, right? Because that’s just too fucking cheesy man, and so not the way to Brooklynn’s heart.”

I rolled my eyes. “First of all, I think I know Brooklynn better than anyone else and second, I’m not a complete fucking idiot, Sasha.”

She grunted. I wasn’t sure if that was an agreement or not. “Good, now get your ass out there.”

“How are you guys doing tonight?” I shouted as I walked on stage with Sasha. She smacked my ass and jogged over to her instruments. “Are you ready for us?” They clapped, screamed, whistled, and made all kinds of noises of approval.

“Tonight is a celebration. We picked up a lost band member on our way here, how about you guys show her how glad you are that she’s back!” The audience’s response to Brooklynn as she walked on stage was phenomenal. The roar of approval nearly took the roof off the joint. “Let’s do this!”

We launched into a fan favorite and the show was off, barreling down a familiar path. It felt like coming home, having all of us on stage together, again.

I couldn’t keep my eyes from constantly straying to Brooklynn. She was so fucking gorgeous. Seeing her come back to life on stage made every moment of hell worth it. I made sure to have Noah ask her if she was comfortable performing “The Road to Forever,” before suggesting it during the concert. The audience went fucking ballistic. This would only be the second time she’d performed it live, but the first one was all over the internet and the reception from the fans had been overwhelmingly positive.

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