Page 84 of Reverb
Mish was a live wire who desperately wanted privacy, David, and a good fuck. She made do with water to quench her thirst.
As the adrenaline and joy wore off, the tightness in her body and mind returned, that unsafe feeling, and that voice—that damn voice over that damned phone line.
“Fuck,” she said under her breath. Thankfully, no one heard.
She went about changing and cleaning herself up enough to head back to the bus. Ray perched on a rotating stool and spun himself around. “We should go out tonight. There’s that club we can get into now, and I hear it’s karaoke night.”
Adrian held up his hands. “Not it this time!”
Mish said nothing. Usually she loved going out, wanted to tonight. But her mood was tanking fast. ’Cause she’d have to figure out what to wear, and what if that got her another call at another radio station or another email or...
This time, thefuckcame out louder.
“Mish?” Ray stood and crossed the room.
She held up a hand. “Sorry, kiddo. I’m—thinking too much.”
“We can nix the idea. Not gonna leave you out of anything.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze.
There it was, the other issue. Her problems trickling out to the others. “No, the club sounds great. I want to go. I—god. I’m a mess.”
“You’re not.” He glanced at Zavier, and something seemed to pass between them. Those two were so often in sync. Ray focused on Mish again. “Not any more than the rest of us.”
Yeah, they’d all had their moments, but she hated spinning out of control. Then again, Ray’d been at that point not so long ago. “Let’s go. I can do this.”
Ray nodded, and over his shoulder, Zavier slipped out the door. “You change your mind, let us know? We’ve got your back.”
“I know you do, sweetheart.”
They all did. All the important people in her life. Still, Mish felt like she was letting everyone down by not being able to shove this shithead situation into the back of her mind and enjoy their rise to fame and the love of their fans.
And David. Then again, she wouldn’t have known David if not for the shithead.
Mish rubbed her forehead and got back to cleaning herself up. She’d go. Find an outfit that wasn’t...so fucking controversial, or maybe throw every caution to the wind. She could do this. Even if she hated the thought of stepping out into public right now.
Chapter Seventeen
David was surprised when Zavier tracked him down after the show. He’d stayed to watch Two Times Strong, and also to recover from the dizzying effect of watching Mish with Twisted Wishes. He’d okayed it with Ray and Marcella—security was so tight even he, with a freaking crew badge and all-access pass and the right damn colored bracelet, had a hard time getting backstage.
He downed half a bottle of water he’d claimed from security and upbraided himself for becoming so distracted during the show. He had to stop watching her on stage, because doing so wasn’t going to let him see any threat to her should one appear. He was consumed by Mish and the band when they performed, like everyone else in the audience.
But sometime after Twisted Wishes left and before Two Times Strong came on stage, Zavier slipped out from backstage and wandered up the aisle toward David like he wasn’t a fucking big-name rock star.
Fans stopped in their tracks. Venue security did a double take.
David met him halfway down the aisle. “What the hell are you doing?” His voice pitched up a notch, which should have annoyed him, but didn’t because fucking Zavier Demos was walking around in public at a music festival and he was going to start a riot.
“I came to talk to you.” Zavier’s eyes were hidden by sunglasses, but his smile was full of that devilish charm he was known for.
“You can’t just—” David gestured with his hands. “You’ll start a scene.”
“Nah.” He clapped David on the shoulder. “I’ve got security with me.” Now there was laughter in his voice.
David dropped the volume of his own. “Oh, fuck you.” Didn’t put any heat into it.
“Not your type, I think. Besides, turns out with Ray I’m hopelessly monogamous, which is a strange thing, indeed.”
That was a train of thought David decided not to follow. He led Zavier up to the soundboard—there were techs there, but also added guards who would keep fans away. They moved away from the techs so no one could overhear, especially with the music that was playing from the pavilion speakers.
