Private Show (The Private Series) (16 page)

What the hell was Tess doing at Chatz? When Charles the bartender called to let me know I was surprised. He didn’t tell me much, just that she was there for a few minutes, and when he went to go look for her on his break she was gone.

I log in to the chatroom to look for any trace of her being there and I find nothing. I don’t think she was there to pick someone up. I mean, yeah I was busy tonight, but that doesn’t mean she would go screw another guy. Right?

What are you up to?

I don’t get an instant response so I wait… and wait like a teen girl waiting for her boy crush to call her. Finally I get something back,
Hey, sorry took me so long, I was at Chatz.
Well, at least she is honest.

What were you doing there? Tired of me already?

Nah, never. I was picking up Erin actually. Saving her from herself.

Did you succeed?

Mission accomplished. She is home and in bed.

Nice…What are you doing?

Thinking about you…

Fuck.

Good thoughts I hope.
A few minutes pass.
Where’d my Punky go?

Then I get a picture message. Fuck me. It’s half a body shot of her torso, hip and upper thigh. She is leaning against her easel. I bite down on my lip to stop a groan. I am now extremely fucking hard. How can she do this to me? Fine, two can play at this game. I remove my boxers and I set a timer app that I have on my phone so I can step away. I step over to the coffeemaker and stand sideways so nothing is in view, but make it look like I am drinking her coffee.

Not only will this hopefully turn her on, but make her jealous that I am drinking the coffee without her. The timer goes off and the photo is taken. I write
Coffee?
and hit send.

No fair!
she replies.

How is my pic not fair? You sent me a fucking hot pic and make me nearly come in my shorts.
I can’t help but laugh; I can just see her face right now! I bet her mouth is gaped open and smiling.

Oh fine. Look I have to do an assignment for class…I can’t wait for the show tomorrow!

Me too baby. Have a good night and get your rest. I will see you tomorrow. I love you.

“I love you too. Night X.

Just as I am about to set my phone on the counter, I get one more text. What can’t stop thinking about me?

Then I look at the screen. Shit.

By the time I got home I had, had enough of Ben’s pasts popping up, but to hear it from Erin? Are you kidding me? The one person I thought that I could trust the most. When? When, did this happen? Why couldn’t she tell me? Shit, I guess if I was her I wouldn’t tell me either. I decide to ride this out.

I took a couple shots of rum and played it cool with Ben last night.

I wake up with excitement and dread about the show tonight with Ben. This is it. This is where I get to prove it to myself that I can do this myself and that I can kick ass.

Normally I drag my ass to my coffee maker, but this morning I practically skip to it. Before I can get it started, my phone rings. It’s Erin.

I answer. “Hello Tipsy McStagger, how are you this morning?”

I hear a grumble come from the other end, “Please tell me that you are the one who brought me home?”

“Who else would you think?”
Wasn’t Ben…

“Well, you should know me by now; any guy could have brought me home, took advantage and snuck out. But considering my hoo-ha isn’t sore from a night full of drunken poundings I can only assume ‘twas you.”

Damn right it was me. And apparently you and him have quite a bit in common
.

“Yes, it was me, and you are welcome. There was this total asshat trying to take you home, telling me you promised him last night that you were going to leave with him and have sex. I ended up telling him off and dragged you out of there, which by the way you should not sing publicly.” I joke at the end.

“Well first of all, I typically do leave with a guy every time I hit up Chatz, I told you that from day one. But I guess I was seriously hammered and I am thankful you came to my rescue. Second, I was drunk. When I am drunk I am a fabulous singer, you have no idea what you are talking about.”

We get a good laugh out as we talk about the show tonight. I make coffee and sit on my bed oozing about my excitement. Erin, being the best friend she is supposed to be, gives me a total ego boost on how awesome I am going to be. I hope she is right.

“So are you busy this afternoon?” I ask.

“Yeah, I have a class. What about you? Don’t you have an art class today?”

“Nope. Maybe I will call James and see if he wants to go out for lunch.”

“You know I would love to meet this bear of a brother you have. He sounds hot.”
Really? You need to get in the pants of another guy in my life?

I make a gagging noise. “OK, ew! But yeah we will all have to get together sometime soon.”

“OK, chica, have a good day and I can’t wait to hear the details of your night, love ya!”

“Will do, love ya too.”

Moments later, I call James and we agree to meet on his lunch break.

“So, how is work going?” I ask James.

“Great, gaining new clients and working on some new projects for local restaurants and condos. How about you, Tessy?”

Just as I am about to answer, the waitress at our favorite dive diner presents me with the mother of all milkshakes and I can feel my eyes dilate with excitement.

James waits till I take a large sip. “Your show is tonight isn’t it?”

I bounce in my seat. “Yes sir.”

“Yeah, you don’t seem excited at all,” he says sarcastically.

I take a greedy bite out of my burger as soon as the waitress sets it down. I barely notice the thirty-something waitress lingering her double Ds against my brother’s shoulder as she set down his food. My eyes meet James; his look of horror shifts to amusement. When she finally walks away she looks back at my brother and winks.

We burst out laughing. Hell, I even put my food down to wipe the tears streaming down my eyes. James is rubbing his face with his large hands; he takes in a large breath attempting to calm his laughter.

“Yikes.” I push out through another fit of giggles. “Does that happen all the time?”

“Yes and no. Normally they are a little younger, but this, this was a new one.” He pinches his eyes and looks over his shoulder to find the busty waitress staring at him. He quickly turns around and takes big bite out of his Philly steak.

“So speaking of girls, seeing anyone special?”

Shrugging, he sets down his strawberry milkshake, “I don’t know. I mean I hardly have time to really date, but I have hooked up once or twice with this one girl.”

Raising my eyebrows, “You just messing around? That doesn’t seem your style.”

“Well, like I said I hardly have the time to build anything meaningful right now. But I am hoping this girl can understand that, because she is hot as hell and has a smart mouth on her and I am loving it.” He has stars in his eyes talking about her.

He wipes his mouth. “Yeah, she is pretty freaking sweet. Her name is…” and the flirtatious waitress saunters over and lays the bill down and runs her ridiculously long red nail up his arm. He cringes; I burst out laughing. She gives me the look of death.

“Something wrong, pink?” she spits.

Just as James is about to speak I beat him to it. “Look, hunny. First of all, I am his girlfriend, what gives you the right to assume that you can touch him? What, a girl like me couldn’t get a guy like him? Huh? At least I don’t go around prowling younger men. Cougar.”

She scoffs and storms off, clacking her heels on the stained linoleum.

“Ready to go, girlfriend?” James tries to keep from laughing.

I put my arm in his and we walk out the door, laughing our asses off.

Battery charged, lens cleaned, extra media cards and battery, and I am set by the time Ben picks me up. He greets with a hug and a kiss and maybe a little more, but we don’t have time for that, and so I distract him by asking about the band we’re covering tonight.

“Oh, a little band called Sick Puppies.”

And I think I just peed my pants. “I get to meet the Sick Puppies and be up front taking their photos on stage?”

“Yes ma’am.”

That’s all it takes for me to scream! I love this band more than pretty much any other in the world. Well, them along with Shinedown and Maroon 5. “Oh, please tell me they are performing a set list with their new album tracks!”

He just nods and I grab my camera bag and jacket.

Things went down at the show like they did at the Maroon 5 concert. I got to be in the room with Ben while he interviewed the band. I loved photographing them and they are total sweethearts, true human beings.

I was lining up a shot during the end of the interview and I caught Ben winking at me. I couldn’t help but let out a little giggle and Emma noticed. She smiled at me and I think I just fan-girled over my one and only girl crush. I haven’t swung that way, nor do I ever have intentions of doing so, but damn she has it all.