Page 15 of Filthy Sweet

“You’re my guest,” I tell him. “Of course they’ll want you there.”

Owen slumps back into his seat. “Holy shit.” He looks down at himself. “But I’m just in, like, normal clothes.”

I laugh. “They’ll probably be in sweatpants.”

“I know my brother met them one time, but I didn’t think I ever would.”

“See?” I say. “Doesn’t this feel better than hiding at home?”

Owen adjusts his glasses, then laughs. “Yeah. I guess it does.”

I grunt. “Good.”

“So you’re close with the band, huh?”

“I ‘discovered’ the lead,” I say, making scare quotes with my fingers. “Mare. I couldn’t even get a label to take her for years.”

“But her band is huge.”

“Now they are. They’ve got a unique sound and style, and not everyone appreciates that at first. My label rejected her three times before I finally convinced them to sign her.”

“How’d you do it?”

I chuckle, still a little proud of myself. “I stole Phoenix Sunset from another label, then went to Heavy Weather and told them they could only have Phoenix if they signed Mare and gave me a full-time job, too.”

“Wow. And you were right—she’s great.”

“I’ve got a good ear.”

“But how did you get Phoenix Sunset to go with you?”

I shift in my seat. “Maybe another time.” I frown. “And don’t mention that part about the label rejecting them to anyone, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh,” Owen says softly. “I won’t.”

We pull up to the studio, a squat building made of gray stone with a simple wooden sign. “We’re here.”

Owen straightens up. “What do I do? Should I just observe? I don’t have to talk.”

I laugh. “Hell yes you should talk. And eat waffles. Outside of that, don’t stress it.” I reach across him to push the door open. “Now, come on. Let’s introduce you to some rock stars.”

I stroll into the studio, Owen by my side. Any other industry space right now, and I’d put my defenses up. I’d project a wall ofdon’t fucking talk to meand keep it there until the attention from my photo scandals blows over. But Kissing Dirt is my baby, the first band I nurtured from empty bar shows to rock hits, and I know that everyone here is truly on my team.

“Fox, you made it!” Mare stands straight up as we walk into the lounge space, a big open room with couches and instruments scattered around. She’s recently shaved her head and, since I last saw her, dyed her eyebrows green, too. “Wasn’t sure if you’d show.”

I nod to the rest of the band to say hello. “Why wouldn’t I show?”

“Just because it’s been a while since you disappeared on us.” She gestures to the drummer. “Robbie thinks you go on benders. I think you’re just chasing tail.”

The band laughs, and I nod to Owen, ignoring that topic entirely. “This is my friend. Owen.” I lower my voice but keep it loud enough so that Mare can still hear. “See? I told you she’d be in sweatpants.”

Mare laughs and throws her arms around Owen, taking him in a hug. “Wow,” she says, then looks at me. “Fox, you have friends?”

Owen laughs, too, and when he steps back, I see that he’s got a big grin on his face. “Nice to meet you.”

And that is enough to turn my day around. Doing something that makes Owen happy just feels right.

Must be because he’s as close to family as I’ve really got, being Reggie’s brother. I’m not family to Owen, but in a way, he is that to me.

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