17
did. And I never really stopped.”
18
“I like that story. When I was growing up—Oh my god, what
19
is that?”
20
“Abalone.”
21
“Wow. Love it.” He fi nished chewing and went in for a few
22
more bites. She loved to watch people eat. Especially Damien.
23
He had started off wary but had taken up the challenge.
24
He sipped his wine. “This is also awesome. Anyway, we
25
rarely went out to dinner when I was growing up. We didn’t
26
often have much extra money. My mom’s a great cook, but we’re
27
a meat- and- potatoes family. I never really went to fancy places, 28S
not until we hit it big and label people started to take us to
29N
lunch.”
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“I love meat and potatoes. My favorite meal of my mom’s is
01
meatloaf. Also, small hole-in- the- wall places can really be great 02
fi nds. Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten has been from some
03
three- table place in a strip mall.”
04
Another course arrived and she had to clasp her hands on
05
her lap to keep from rubbing them together with glee.
06
“You’re really happy right now, aren’t you?”
07
“I am. This is . . . it’s special. I’m blown away. Taste this.”
08
She held her fork out and he leaned in to take a bite. “I hope
09
you’re not weirded out that I like to share.” She really did hope
10
not, because she wanted to grab some of what was on his plate.
11
“Hell no. I like it.” He indicated his plate and she hoped she
12
didn’t look like a hungry animal when she forked up some of
13
his food.
14
It was hours later when they walked outside. He hailed a cab
15
and she leaned into his side, despite the August heat.
16
“It’s a beautiful thing to watch you around food.”
17
She tipped her head back. “Yeah?”
18
He nodded. “Oh yeah. You enjoy it like nothing I’ve ever seen.
19
You get this light in your eyes. Pure joy. Sensual. Really, really
20
hot. Thanks for sharing this with me.”
21
“Thank you for coming with me. And for not complaining
22
when I ate off your plate.”
23
He kissed the top of her head. “Anytime.”
24
Two women approached. “Oh my god, you’re Damien Hur-
25
ley!” They giggled and he smiled at them.
26
“I am. How are you two ladies this fi ne evening?”
27
“You’re so hot. Would you sign an autograph?” She started
S28
digging in her purse, unsteady on her feet.
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
“So are you staying in town? We have tickets to see you
02
tomorrow night. Can we come backstage? We’d totally make it
03
worth your while, if you know what I mean.”
04
He chuckled.
05
They ignored Mary totally. One of them even sort of edged
06
in front of her. She stepped back, shocked at the behavior.
07
He looked back to her. “Hey, don’t go anywhere.”
08
Damien saw the look on her face, knew she was pissed. He
09
felt bad— it had been a pretty fucking stellar night up until that 10
point.
11
A cab rolled up and the doorman opened the door. She shot
12
him a look over her shoulder and got in. “Looks like you’re busy.
13
I can go back on my own if you’d like.”
14
“Gotta run. Have a good night, ladies, and enjoy the show.”
15
He hurried, disentangling himself from their grabbing hands
16
and slid into the cab.
17
Mary stared straight ahead as they pulled away from the curb.
18
“I’m sorry about that.”
19
“Yeah, I could tell.” There was enough ice in her voice to
20
make him shiver.
21
“Look, it happens. What am I supposed to do? Be rude?”
22
“Um, in case it’s escaped your notice, you
were
rude. To me.
23
I don’t give one tiny drop of fuck about two drunken skanks
24
offering you a three- way for a backstage pass. You gotta do
25
what you gotta do, but don’t cry to me about being rude when
26
you were to me.”
27
The cabbie met his eyes in the rearview for a moment, shar-
28S
ing one of those sympathetic guy glances.
29N
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Damien had considered her pretty easygoing, but Mary
01
Whaley had a temper on her. He should have guessed given the
02
way she was in bed, but wow, she was pissed and he was prob-
03
ably going to hell because it made him hot for her to see it.
04
He took a deep breath. “You’re right. It happens so often I
05
guess I just sort of get immune to how it affects everyone around
06
me. Don’t let this ruin what has been one of the best nights of
07
the entire year. Please?”
08
He took her hand and she gave him one slowly raised brow.
09
“How do you do that? I can manage a single brow raise, but
10
the slow draw up, I can’t do it.” He managed to give her his
11
most charming smile.
12
“It
was
a lovely evening. Until that. Look, I get it. We aren’t 13
married or anything, but we were on a date. I don’t own you. I
14
just expect to not have some fl oozy push me out of the way while
15
she offers up her sexual services.”
16
He nodded. “You’re totally right. Can I tell you that the over-
17
whelming majority of my fans are awesome and respectful? And
18
I was raised right, I’ll have you know. We’re on a date and you
19
deserve respect.”
20
“Hm.”
21
He knew she’d forgiven him, thank goodness. But the way
22
she’d so casually tossed out that they were just on a date and
23
nothing more rattled around at the back of his mind. She was
24
so much more than just some woman he had fun with.
25
“How about we go up on the roof and look at the stars?
26
There’s a pretty garden and places to lounge around.”
27
She fi nally smiled. “All right then.”
S28
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
• • •
03
On the roof it was quieter, but the sounds of the city still rose to 04
greet them. The air was warm, the sky was clear and even the
05
lights from all around them couldn’t totally kill the stars high
06
above.
07
He got them both drinks and steered her to a padded chaise
08
he’d sighted as they got outside. It was in a quiet little corner so 09
he could have her all to himself.
10
She sat, taking her shoes off and tucking her legs up under
11
her body.
12
“What is this again?” he asked her. She’d been the one to tell
13
him what to order back at the bar.
14
“They call it the Skyline. When I make them I just call them
15
ginger lime fi zzes. It’s fi zzy water with ginger and lime juice. I 16
steep my ginger in the fi zzy water in a little muslin bag. Don’t
17
know how they do it here. But it’s quite tasty.”
18
He clinked his glass to hers and they settled back.
19
“I’m so full. Like to- the- brim, I-need-to-unbutton-my- jeans-
20
and- take-a-nap full.”
21
He laughed. “Exactly. Or as my dad calls it, Thanksgiving
22
full.” He put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned in to
23
his body.
24
“Are you ready for tomorrow’s show?”
25
“I am. This is a special venue for us. We played here the fi rst
26
time our CD hit Billboard at number one. The crowds are always
27
good to us, always rambunctious and noisy. It feeds your
28S
energy.”
29N
“Is it as amazing as it seems to have them sing the words to
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the song? I go to see Pearl Jam at least twice every tour and from
01
the audience perspective, it gives me chills to be singing along
02
and have Ed get quiet and let the crowd fi nish the words.”
03
“I don’t even know if I could do justice to what it’s like.
04
You’re fl attered that they like you enough to pay to come to a
05
show. They gotta deal with traffi c and parking and then every-
06
thing costs so much. But they come. They spend their hard-
07
earned money and time and they come to the show. And then
08
they sing along. It’s . . . I don’t even know. Astonishing. Hum-
09
bling. Our fans kick ass. They’ve been so loyal from day one.
10
We meet our fan club folks in every city when we roll through
11
and love ’em.”
12
He liked that her questions showed how much she really
13
thought about things. She was insightful as well as beautiful.
14
“It’s a slog sometimes. The road I mean. You’re in a different
15
hotel every night, or the bus. And the toilet is always breaking
16
down and you don’t have much privacy. You get sick of every-
17
one. The food is utter shit most of the time. So you roll into the
18
next town and you set up and then you walk out on that stage
19
and it all comes back to me. When I sit behind my kit and I look
20
out over that audience and they’re cheering and they’ve made
21
signs and they throw stuff on stage and yell out their favorites
22
and yeah, sing along and it’s the most powerful reminder of just
23
how lucky I am. The exhaustion fades and the joy of making
24
music with my brothers comes back and I remember I’m so for-
25
tunate to have this life.”
26
“That’s lovely. I’m so glad you have that. I can’t imagine the
27
pressure you must be under sometimes. I know some of it through
S28
Gillian about Adrian and this chance he took making this double
N29
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01
album and all that. But it’s got to be so much more than what
02
she can tell me. I admire that you do what you do.”
03
“Thank you. Thank you for coming out here. And for dinner
04
and for being you. I’m really glad to be here with you right now.”
05
In fact, he couldn’t think of a single place he’d rather be than
06
right there with her at his side as they stared up at the stars.
07
He was, indeed, a really lucky man.
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
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21
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28S
29N
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01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
8
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
S
16
he had her special access badge on and stood just left of
17
the stage, watching Damien play drums. The crowd
18
screamed so loud she wasn’t sure how Adrian avoided
19
losing his hearing.
20
Sweet Hollow Ranch was up fi rst, opening for Adrian. They
21
were pretty damned successful in their own right, so she knew
22
this mini tour was more because they all liked each other and
23
had fun playing together.