Page 42 of Soul Food

He didn’t answer as the doors swallowed him from my view.

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“You got a thing for me, don’t ya Ruth?” Liam said playfully as Pete set his guitar down and shared an ill-behaved glance with him. They had finished up and somehow caught a whiff of Jayne and I back here stalking them. “Admit it, that’s why you’re always here watching us play.”

“Caught me red-handed.” I popped a peppermint in my mouth as I closed my notebook on my lap.

“What’s that?” Liam pointed toward it.

“Oh,” I shook my head. “Words.”

Liam burst out in a light chuckle. “Funny, but really.”

“Say..” I flicked my ponytail across my shoulder, leaning forward. “How would you guys feel about making music with me? Give me a sound to write lyrics for.” Lyrics tumbled from my heart easily most of the time, I’d never had a problem with words. Making sounds, creating music? Now that was entirely different. Often when I wrote lyrics, I’d either hum in my head or sing aloud as I wrote, but that was as far as I got with creating sounds. I couldn’t play an instrument, but I knew what I wanted inside my head. I just needed someone else to create it. I tried band in the sixth grade but the only thing my teacher offered us was a flute and I blew so bad. I wished I was kidding. I genuinely tried to get better, and it didn’t help that our band teacher would call me out and make me try solo, which was horrible since I sucked so bad. It made me give up. I loved music, but instruments weren’t my calling. Singing and songwriting were.

Liam looked back at Pete and Steve with raised eyebrows and a seemingly surprised yet pleased grin before he faced me again. “Ruth, we thought you’d never ask.” He tapped his wrist with a pen. “What kind of sound are you looking for?”

“Something different. For me.” I held his gaze, letting my musing thoughts creep in as I gave them my idea. “I’m thinking something sensual, yet rough and loud—like you guys. I got to admit, I’m feeling your sound. I’m on the verge of loving it, actually.”

Pete was definitely happy, his lips were almost at his ears as he looked to Liam who was watching me with gratitude lining his pretty boy face. “You’re laid back, Ruth, I like that. Not what you’d expect.” Liam rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“You judge what you see and hear?” I quirked an eyebrow at him.

He shook his head. “Not at all, but you aren’t the first celebrity we’ve encountered. Fame can go to the head.” Now he was shrugging as if to say,just saying.

I sighed in agreement. “I’ve seen plenty of that firsthand too.”

“Your voice isn’t the only thing beautiful about you,” Steve piped in, and I gave him an unladylike snort. “Makes wanting to sing with you that much easier.”

I tilted my head and studied the three of them. “You guys wanted to work with me already?” The sly leers that crept over their features might have frightened anyone else, but I found them adorable. “And here I thought you guys might take some time to come around to working with a rapper.”

“What? Since we’re a rock band, we don’t appreciate other genres of music?” Pete asked me before he got dramatic. “Oh, however do you sit here and listen to us practice every evening, Miss Rapper?” I rolled my eyes as they all mimed each other dramatically with the same gestures, like they were in sync with each other. He had me there, so I’d let their teasing go.

Jayne’s phone rang about that time and instead of answering it, she swore and ignored the call. “That’s the eighth time.”

“She talks.” Liam watched Jayne with hawk eyes. She peered up at him with squinted ones.

“Who keeps calling?” I asked Jayne so she could tear her gaze away from Liam. Even as she faced me, his eyes were eating my tiny PA up. I couldn’t blame him. She was gorgeous as hell, I’d eye-fuck her too if I was into chicks.

“Liz,” Jayne said quietly as she lowered her gaze.

I frowned. “Why are you only telling me now?”

She shrugged. “She’s persistent, I’ll give her that, but I hoped I could get her off your back without having to bother you.” She took a deep breath then gave me one of her tired, droopy grins. “Even if you deny it, I saw how much she gets to you.”

“I’m fine.” I nudged her shoulder. “I’m the Dark Goddess, remember? I’m Liz’s proclaimed downfall, am I right?”

Jayne snorted. “Well, Dark Goddess, how do you want to handle this?”

Pulling her in melodramatically like I was about to reveal some big secret, I told her, “Let’s keep ignoring her.”

Her head fell back as she cackled. “That’s what I thought.”

Yeah, I was twenty-eight. I wasn’t put together enough in life to not ignore someone, apparently, instead of handling the situation,butI was old enough to ignore people that caused me headaches. It was all according to how you viewed it.

“You’re pretty when you giggle like that.” Pete told Jayne, and I could practically see her escaping into her shell. She stopped completely and averted her gaze from everyone.

Steve pointed his nose in the air and took a big whiff. “You smell really good too.” When he lowered his chin and eyed her with a lusty smolder, I couldn’t keep the opened mouth shock off my face. “You smell great too, of course.” He made sure to let me know.

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