Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
It wasn’t like me to invite a stranger for a drink and whisk him to an exclusive bar in the sky to show him a different side of the city just for fun. Honestly, I didn’t really like people that much. But from the moment Justin stepped onstage at Carmine’s, I’d been intrigued.
He was a bundle of every contradiction known to man. Nervous and awkward, then cocky and self-righteous. And something magical happened when he smiled at the crowd and promised to sing a song they wouldn’t forget. His guitar-playing was weak at best, but he had star power. He didn’t have room to jump around and ignite the masses with over-the-top charismatic displays. He’d relied on his words and his passionate vocals. And damn, had he delivered. I was impressed. Hell, Sebastian was impressed. I sent my friend a quick text before slipping my cell back into my pocket and plotting my exit strategy.
One drink and then I’d call a taxi for Justin. I didn’t want to take him home because I didn’t want to know where he lived, and I certainly didn’t want him to know where I lived. This was only okay if we knew as little about each other as possible. I didn’t want to be Justin’s champion or mentor or the guy who might introduce him to a bigger name. I wanted the anonymity he’d suggested earlier, and I wanted to give him his too.
Of course, I had an advantage. I knew who he was, and thanks to Carmine and Seb, I’d heard about the scandal with the ex and the drummer. Honestly, the whole story confused me. He seemed to be friendly with the drummer, but he hated the guitarist from the other band. Not that it mattered. I didn’t care about the gossip surrounding him. I was interested in him. And for an hour or so, we could just be two guys who might be mildly attracted to each other but weren’t going to do anything about it. Except have a cocktail.
“Here you go.”
Justin smiled and thanked me. “These guys are good. They should be playing where they’re appreciated. No one’s paying any attention here.”
“When you love what you do, you play wherever you can. Isn’t that why you were at Carmine’s tonight?” I asked.
“I guess,” he replied before looking around the bar area. “Every seat is taken unless one of us is willing to hang a cheek off the edge of the sofa over there.”
I shook my head. “Let’s go outside. There are plenty of space heaters. You’ll be fine.”
Giant sliding doors opened onto the rooftop deck. It was blessedly quiet outside. No deejay in the middle of the week in January. No raucous crowds. Our only company was a small group huddled under a canopy on the other side of the pool. And they were far enough away that we couldn’t overhear their conversation. I chose two comfy-looking lounge chairs near the glass and steel balcony under a portable heater. Our chairs faced the view and made it feel like it was just us, high above the city of angels.
“This is beautiful. So many lights.” Justin flopped gracelessly onto one of the chairs and sipped his drink. “Good G and T too. The bartender in me is very particular about these things.”
“That makes sense.” I set my drink on a side table and sat on the chair next to his, under a space heater. “Do you want to switch, Jus—”
He snickered at my contrite grimace. “You don’t have to avoid my name. I know you know it. In spite of my best intentions, I’m pretty much an open book. It’s a curse. What else did you want to know?”
Talk about a loaded question. But I’d made a mental agreement allowing myself an hour with him, so I figured I should stick to professional inquiries. “Are you planning on going solo?”
My question seemed to surprise him. He shook his head vehemently. “No way. I need musicians who’re better than me to back me up. Tegan’s the best drummer out there, and Johnny’s awesome on electric guitar. We’ve been playing dumps and dive bars for a few months now under JTJ when we can get friends to fill in on bass.”
“JTJ?”
“Our initials. Once we lock down a full-time bassist, we can get more official. Waiting around for the stars to align has been frustrating. At first it was necessary because of all the fucking drama with Xena and Dec and…whatever. I hoped the invitation from Carmine tonight was a sign we’d all moved on. Sadly, I don’t think that’s the case. The truth is, I forced a situation because I wanted a chance. We were so unprepared, it wasn’t funny. Tegan’s a great drummer but a wonky bassist. We needed Johnny.” He sighed heavily and jumped to his feet.