Page 10 of Falling for the Guy Next Door

“Should I come home?”

“And do what? You’ve got a good paying job right now, and your band gigs will help pay some of these bills. There just isn’t anything for you out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“Listen, I’ve got to get back on stage in five minutes. I need to gulp some water and eat something. Leave a message if you hear anything, otherwise I’ll call you on the next break.”

“All right, Nash. Knock ‘em dead, eh? Still being followed by your bevy of groupies? Of course you are. Some things never change. I’ll call if I hear anything.”

“Thanks. And Beck, just say the word, and I’ll fly home.”

“Let’s hope that’s not necessary. Someone’s got to make money. Bye. Love ya.”

“Love ya.”

Ronnie came inside and grabbed a bottle of water. I guzzled mine in a few seconds and opened a second one. “It’s hot out there,” I said.

“I’ll say, and I’m sitting at the back of the stage, away from the lights. Someone needs to invent stage lights that cool the air,” she suggested.

“I’ll get right on that,” Seth said as he came from the front of the bar. He was holding a beer.

“Where’s Bosco?” I asked. “We go back on in five.”

“Last I saw, he was flirting with a hot doll, probably trying to get her number. She was a looker with copper hair. Shiny like a new penny.”

I sat up and choked on a gulp of water. Ronnie reached over and smacked my back. “Just learn how to drink from a bottle?” she quipped.

I ignored her comment. I was too interested in Bosco’s copper-haired friend. “Was she wearing a short denim skirt and cowboy boots?”

Seth rubbed his chin. “Come to think of it, yeah. Great pair of legs.”

Ronnie rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s it then, she’s obviously relationship material. She’s got great legs.”

Bosco returned right then with a sour look on his face.

Seth laughed. “I guess we don’t need to ask if he got her number.”

Bosco grumbled something under his breath as he grabbed a water. “She claimed that she just broke up with someone, and she wasn’t ready to make any friends.”

Seth laughed again. “Uh, did you explain that you were interested in skipping the friend stage?”

I kicked the bottom of Seth’s shoe. Hearing the two of them talk about her that way made me mad.

“Ouch, why are you so grumpy?”

I shook my head. “Not grumpy. Trying to rest before we go back on stage.”

Bosco tossed several bar napkins at me, and they fluttered down to my feet. “Unsolicited phone numbers handed to me on my way back. One of those belongs to the friend of the woman I was talking to. I think her name is Emily. She’s cute. Not sure if she’s your type though.” Bosco was still angry about not getting the phone number he wanted. He tilted his head at me. “Exactly whatisyour type? You haven’t dated anyone steadily since high school and even then, it wasn’t for longer than a few months.”

Ronnie patted my shoulder. “Nash is holding out for the right person.”

“That’s not it,” Seth said. We all looked at him. Seth was always big on trying to analyze us.

Seth shrugged and stood up. “Why stick with one flower when you can have an entire bouquet?”

We laughed. Ronnie the hardest. “That was a Seth classic,” she said between laughs. “I’m going to collect a whole book of them and publish it once we’re rich and famous. It’ll be titledStuff Seth Says.”

“Real original.” Seth rolled his eyes. “Think it’s time to get back on stage. Our adoring fans are waiting.”

“You mean Nash’s adoring fans,” Bosco said angrily. He wasn’t going to let go of his failed attempt easily. I, for one, was glad his usual strategy didn’t work on his latest target.

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