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The Bad Boys of Summer Anthology(190)

By:Selena Laurence


Once we got inside, my arms around her for comfort led to kisses for comfort, which led to my bed and sex to stop her tears as I tried my damnedest to prove to her that she didn’t need to be that sad. Or maybe I was really trying to prove to myself that I didn’t need to be that sad.

Afterwards, I swore I would never lose control like that again. Now, I look at Mel as she photographs me signing CDs for fans and I wonder if I’m going to be able to keep that promise, because she makes me want to give up control in a way no one ever has before.

Mel makes me feel, for the first time in months, that there’s hope in my world. It’s like she can leach the darkness out of me, out of my past. I want to be in her orbit, feel her warmth, touch her light. I shouldn’t though. I know this. Dark swallows the light, and I’ll no doubt swallow Mel whole with the black soul I’m carting around.

I’ve finished the last autograph and the security guys are hustling the stragglers out the door so that Hard Rock can get back to business as usual when Mike appears at my side.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” he mutters as he follows my gaze to where Mel is standing packing up her gear.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask, not even bothering to keep the irritation out of my voice.

“Tammy 2.0,” he answers.

“Mike, quit being such a dick and just say whatever bullshit you’ve come to dump.” I start to stack leftover CDs on the table behind me, needing somewhere to put my hands other than in Mike’s face.

“You’re a taker, Joss. You take things, you take opportunities, you take people. I can tell you want Mel, and I’m sure you’ll try to take her just like you did—” His voice fades and he clears his throat.

“Just like I did what?” I say, narrowing my eyes.

“Just like you always take anything you want without worrying about whether it belongs to someone else. Mel doesn’t deserve the Joss Jamison special, and I’m going to be watching out for her. Just keep that in mind.”

I turn to face him and step forward. “You know, you really need to get that fucking giant chip off your shoulder, dude. Not only does it make you a dick, but it’s starting to affect your guitar work. You’re sounding a little…ordinary.” I pick the one thing I know matters to him, his music. He’s so jealous he’s determined to find fault with everything I do, even befriending Mel. I don’t know any way to fight back except to hit below the belt. It works.

“You’re an ass, Joss,” he hisses.

“Likewise, brotha’,” I reply. He turns and stomps off. I feel a headache start up and can’t wait to get back to the hotel where I can be alone. And in control.





Chapter Ten

Mel



I wake up at nine a.m. on day four and have to haul ass so I can get down to the auditorium by ten when the crew starts setting up. Today is the opening concert, and I’ve got freelance photographers coming in. I’ve scheduled certain days to have freelancers there so we get a wider range of shots. I can’t be everywhere at once, and if we want to really convey the feel of the live concerts through still photographs, we need several cameras in several locations. The band gave me carte blanche to hire freelancers in most of the tour cities, so I’m overseeing them all.

When I step into the elevator at nine forty-five a.m., Mike is already in the car with a security guy. I briefly wonder why he needs to have security with him to go downstairs for breakfast or whatever.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I ask.

He gives me a big wolfish smile. “It’s goin’, Little D. How ‘bout with you?”

It’s funny, but out of all the guys in Lush, I actually think Mike is the most stereotypical rock star. I know Joss works at fitting the image, but there’s always something about him that says he has depths that haven’t been plumbed by the rock world. Mike is a classic lead rock guitarist. A little reckless, a little damaged, and a lot full of himself.

“I’m heading over to the auditorium to get some pictures. What are you doing up so early? Kind of ruins your hard-partying image, doesn’t it?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, well, I needed sleep more than a party last night, and I want to go over some things with the crew before we do soundcheck later. You want a ride to the auditorium? We could break in the back seat of the limo together.” He wiggles his eyebrows lasciviously, but before I can respond, the elevator doors open and we are greeted by screaming.

The elevator is smack in the middle of the lobby opposite the large glass front doors, and there are women on the sidewalk outside the lobby. Those who are pressed against the glass can see the elevator opening and they go nuts when they catch a glimpse of Mike. The rest, behind them, get the obvious message that something is going down and start screaming as well. It’s deafening, especially when the front doors open and a poor unsuspecting older couple is hurriedly ushered inside by the security team lined up to keep the throng of horny women from coming in.

Mike smiles and waves out the windows as he walks to the front desk. I quickly lift my iPhone and start to snap photos of the whole scene.

“C’mon, Little D. I’ll get our car brought around back so we don’t have to drag you through the mob. They might hurt you to get at me.”

He grins. I roll my eyes.

“I do love my job,” he sings to himself as he waits for the concierge to take care of the car arrangements.

Five minutes later I’m being hustled into a big black car by two security guys and Mike. I hope it hasn’t been a mistake to agree to ride with him when he slaps my ass as I climb in the back seat. I sit down and say, “Hands off, killer.”

“You wound me, Little D.”

I snort. “You have to have a heart to be wounded.”

He laughs. “You want to stop at Starbucks?”

“God, yes,” I moan gratefully.



Mike and I are actually having a fantastic time when we arrive at the auditorium. He hits on me. I reject him. He thinks that’s funny. It works for us, and I think maybe we can get to be friends. I know the minute I take his advances seriously he’ll use me and throw me out like yesterday’s garbage. Luckily he is very much not my type, so we’re both safe.

We’re walking into the auditorium and Mike’s telling me a story about a groupie who managed to get into his hotel room and laid herself out on his bed wearing nothing but bacon since she’d heard it was his favorite. I am laughing so hard my coffee is about to come out my nose when suddenly Mike stops talking mid-sentence. I turn around and see him backed up against the wall, Joss’s hand pressed against his chest. They’re saying something to one another but it’s being snarled quietly so I can’t hear what it is.

I stop moving, stop laughing, stop everything, afraid that if I do the wrong thing, one of them will hit the other.

“Yeah, I think you’re a little confused about what’s your territory and what isn’t,” Mike says as he pushes Joss back and steps away from the wall.

Joss stands stiffly, hands fisted at his side as Mike moves around him.

“Oh, but I forgot, you think everything’s your territory, don’t you? Even if it means shitting on your buddies to claim it.” He turns to me and grimaces. “See ya later, Little D. Thanks for starting my morning off right.” Then he throws a triumphant look Joss’s way and stomps off.

I stand, looking at Joss, who is staring at the floor, breathing heavily. When he finally lifts his eyes, I see that torment again, the deep, dark pain I first noticed in the photos I took of him. He lifts a hand to me as if he’s going to explain, but as sorry as I feel for whatever he’s going through, I’m also a little freaked out. Who attacks his coworker when he walks into work first thing in the morning? It makes him look a bit insane.

“Uh, what was that about, Joss?” I ask.

He runs a hand through his hair, looking even more tortured. God, this guy is killing me. I want to heal him so badly, but I’m not sure if that’s in my own best interests. Tammy’s words of warning ring through my head.

“You know what? Never mind. I’ve got to get to work. I’m going to pretend all of that never happened, and maybe I’ll catch up with you later.” He swallows and nods his head in response before I walk away.





Chapter Eleven

Joss



I watch her walk away from me, her gorgeous hair swinging in rhythm with her long legs. She’s got on a summer dress and cowboy boots, and I think leather has never looked so good on any human being before.

I sit down heavily on the concrete floor and lean against the wall I had Mike pinned to minutes before. I really fucked up. Seriously fucked up.

The last few days I’ve spent time with one of the most beautiful, engaging, sexy, and damn fun women I’ve ever known. She makes me feel again. Makes me forget the clusterfuck my life has been for the last twelve months. All I could think about this morning was that, for the first time in so long, I was happy to wake up, excited to start my day. Then she walked in with Mike, laughing and talking to him the same way she laughs and talks to me. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t stand to watch it the way I’ve watched her sister with Walsh. I snapped, I lost control, and now she probably thinks I’m fucking crazy. Who can blame her?