Page 65 of More Than a Spark

“Damn, I sort of feel like a real rockstar.” My gaze found Ryder’s. Who’d have thought after all these years playing dive bars and then finally getting our first gig in a casino, we’d be here?

Devin jogged into the room, out of breath. “Shit, sorry everyone. I hit some traffic coming in from the bakery. I think there was a game downtown or something.” He brushed his red bangs away from his dark-lined and shadowed blue eyes.

“No worries, man.” Axel wound an arm around Devin’s shoulders. “Look at this place.” He waved his arm around them.

“Holy fuck.” Devin’s jaw fell open and he stared around the venue. “This is going to be so awesome.”

“Yeah, we’re going to kill it tonight.” With a quick snort, Axel shook Devin from the side and Devin giggled.

* * *

After settingup the gear and running a quick sound check, I waited at one of the bars with Ryder for Hazel to get here. He’d been texting her while we set up to let her know to come early and eat with us. The rest of the band was already in the green room, pretending to be more important than we really were. But, they were having fun with it.

I picked up my beer and took a sip. This place buzzed with energy, like the ghosts of gigs past were caught inside the venue and were waiting to flood into our crowd. “So, tomorrow morning we have brunch with your dad.”

A few people meandered into the bar area and ordered drinks, their gazes catching on me, then quickly looking away. Was I getting noticed for being in the band?

Ryder twisted to me on his dark leather barstool. “Yeah, we’ll talk to him a little more about our dinner with Mom. I’m sure he’ll have some good advice for us.”

“What advice do you need now?” Hazel appeared from behind a server who was standing behind Ryder, and waved, a broad smile stretching across her face. She wore a flirty black dress and sparkly high heels.

“Oh, hey, sis.” Ryder jumped off his stool and offered it to her.

“Hi, Hazel.” I opened my arm and she fell into my side, giving me a hug. I’d grown up with her, too, but hadn’t kept in touch the way I had with Ryder, for obvious reasons.

“Milo, you look adorable as usual.” She stepped back and looked me over from head to toe. “I can see how Ryder turned gay for you.”

“Stop it.” Rolling his eyes, Ryder stepped to my side. “So, the band is all in the green room getting ready to have dinner.”

“Okay, but let me get a drink first?” She hitched herself up into Ryder’s vacated stool and flagged down a bartender, then ordered a white wine.

Ryder wrapped his arm around me, then kissed my head. “Two out of three of my favorite people all in one place.” He rested his cheek on my head, and I leaned into his side.

“Let me guess who the third is, your dad?” My heart warmed. If there was family to have as in-laws someday, it would be theirs. I parted my lips. Holy hell, I was in crazy deep with him to be thinking that way. But hadn’t I always, deep down inside?

“Fuck.” Ryder freed me and stepped back, then rubbed his chin. “Oh, shit.”

“What? Hazel scanned the area around her.

My gaze chased Hazel’s. A young man with short dark hair, gelled at the top, and muscled, strode toward us with another, thinner young man, but blond. The muscled man’s gaze was firmly fixed on Ryder and a smirk grew over his lips. He stopped and eyed Ryder, then me. “Dude, didn’t know you um…” He waved his hand between me and Ryder. “Are you dating the guy in the band?”

Ryder dipped his head and ran his palm over the back of his hair. “Um, not dating exactly.” He flashed a glance my way. “Milo, meet Russ. The recruit I’ve been working with at the academy.”

“Oh.” I stared at Russ. He worked with Ryder. He saw me and Ryder being more than friendly, didn’t he? What the hell should I do? I held my hand out. “Nice to meet you, Russ. I play the keyboard.”

“Yeah, I heard.” Russ shook my hand, then tagged his friend in the chest. “My man Matteo here saw you guys at the Yucca Taphouse and begged me to come tonight.”

“Begged? You wanted to see them and couldn’t get into the other shows.” Matteo huffed a laugh, then held his hand out to me. “Nice to meet you, Milo.”

I shook his hand. “Same.” They seemed like nice enough guys.

“Yeah, well, Matteo’s twenty-one and I’ll be twenty in a month, so…” Russ faced Ryder. “Is this the person you were talking to on the phone the other day?”

I held my breath. Was Ryder ready to come out with a guy he worked with?

“Uh, yeah.” Ryder’s face flushed pink, then he grabbed my hand and kissed my cheek. “Fuck it. I was telling the truth the other day. I don’t have a girlfriend. I have a boyfriend.”

Russ’ brows snapped up. “Oh.” A grin crept over his lips. “Milo, you’re a lucky man. Ryder is probably one of the best guys I know in the academy. He’s teaching me everything and puts up with my stupidity.”

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