Page 6 of Legal

“And she knows her stuff,” Perry said, winking. “Jills also sings. She’s amazing.”

“Oh?”

“Not for a long time.” I flipped up my badge. “Thanks for the invite.”

“You’re welcome.” He tugged Perry against him. “Where’s your scrumptious boyfriend hiding?” I couldn’t help noticing how his hair gleamed under the lights. I should ask about his conditioner too.

Perry stuck out her bottom lip. “At work. What about yours?”

“We broke up.”

“Kenny?” He nodded. “Oh, no, what happened? You guys were together forever.”

He shrugged. “Life.” Perry grabbed his hand, and he smiled. “You two want anything?”

“Yes,” she said, rubbing her stomach.

“I’ll just take some water.”

Perry cocked her head at me. “Seriously? Ah, did I mention it’s free? Pick something top shelf.”

“I had a pretzel while I was waiting for you.” And I was not in the mood to go another alcohol-induced round in the wind tunnel.

The three of us drifted to the bar as he pointed out a few guys along the way. A dozen more people had filled in the area while we were chatting. “That’s Will, bass guitar and keyboards. Cleo, fucking magician with a drumstick. Looks like Chase isn’t here yet. He’s our backup acoustic.” We earned some waves as we sidled up to the food table. “Not everyone here’s associated with us.” He laughed. “We’re not that popular yet. We share this space with some of the other acts.”

While Perry heaped her plate, I looked around to see if I recognized anyone. Other bands were here? I felt so out of the loop with the locals. The bartender handed me a bottle of water, and for a split second, I mulled over substituting it with a beer. If I had enough hydration in me, I was probably good to go, but something told me to stick with my original choice.

“Oooh, lookie,” Perry said, shoving a martini glass in my face filled with brown liquid. “Chocolate cupcake.” She took a sip. “Mmm… I couldn’t resist, but I’ll only have the one. Promise.” She handed it to me. “Try some?”

I took a small taste and shuddered. It had the flavor of a chocolate cupcake all right, if it were also blended up with a chocolate soda and a pound of additional sugar. “Go nuts.” I gave her back the drink. “I’ll be the designated driver.”

“You sure?”

I nodded. “I’m done for the night. As long as I don’t need to carry you to the car, it’s all good. Have whatever you want.” Perry loved frou-frou drinks—the sweeter, the better.

“Promise.” She crossed her heart. “I wonder if they can make me an apple pie.”

“Youdoknow you’re drinking eighty proof, not selecting things from the dessert cart, right?”

She gulped from her glass. “Who says it can’t be both? Hey, let’s grab a table before they’re all taken.” Perry yanked on Stu’s arm, who had just finished flirting with some Goth boy.

“You two go ahead. I’ll join you in a bit.” The sound of aggressive female vocals caught my attention. “I want to check this out for a while.”

I went to the edge of the roof and leaned over the rail; I had the perfect view of the stage from there. Plus, I could enjoy the show and still have room to move, unlike the people below either squashed on the benches or pressed together dancing on the tables. At one time, that was part of the appeal, but not so much anymore. I still appreciated a great band, but I also liked breathing.

I glanced behind me to see Perry and Stu laughing hysterically. It was good to give them time to catch up. I returned my focus forward and zeroed into my zone, letting the rhythm wash over me. Driven rock with enough angst to pull me in and hold me. I swayed my hips and took it in.

“She’s good.”

The voice startled me, jerking my head sideways. A fresh-faced man who looked vaguely familiar had parked himself beside me and placed his hands on the rail. I nodded in agreement. “She reminds me of Alanis Morissette.” The memories of that show flooded back to me, and I started spinning numbers in my head. I was seventeen. Really? God, it felt like a lifetime ago.

“Lyrics or music?”

“Both.”

“I was just debating this very thing with someone the other day. So, what connects you the deepest, stirs up your emotions more?”

“Excuse me?” I stared at the guy, not sure what he was all waxing poetic about. Maybe he didn’t have a clue either. “Are you high?”

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