news?”
“We’re going on tour.”
“Excuse me?”
“Opening for Outlaw Rovers. That was Dillon. The management person is calling tomorrow.” She waited for the explosion, the excitement, the joy. Instead, they all looked at her blankly. David finally spoke, his voice almost a snarl.
“He’s hiring you?”
Justine’s enthusiasm rapidly drained away, replaced instead with outrage. “No. His management is booking us .”
There was a long silent moment as Justine glared at David and David glared at her. Eddie and Paolo glanced nervously back and forth between them, waiting to see who would start shouting or throwing things first. Instead, David let out a humorless laugh and shook his head.
“Well, that’s… convenient.”
There was silence again, but this time it was so loaded the air in the room nearly crackled with it. She stood up, eyes still fixed on David, who had raised his head again to meet her stare.
“If you have something to say, David, you’d better just say it.”
His jaw worked, his dark eyes shadowed by his heavy brows, as he debated. Finally, he spoke. “I’m not sure I’m okay with you getting us gigs on your back.”
Blind rage welled up in her chest. How dare he? In an instant, she reached back and grabbed her hairbrush. In another, it shot across the room, hitting the wall behind David with a crack.
“You son of a bitch!”
She had cleared half the space between them, hands curled into claws, face hard with fury, when Eddie threw himself in front of her and Paolo grabbed her arms from behind. David stood up so fast that the armchair he’d been sitting in flew backwards.
“Dave, that was way fucking out of line,” Eddie said over his shoulder. He planted his hands on Justine’s shoulders to hold her back.
“Justine, take a deep breath,” Paolo murmured.
“It’s out of line for me to want to succeed based on our talent and not on her looks?”
“It’s out of line because it’s not true, you asshole!” she screamed over Eddie’s head. “I’m not sleeping with him, not that it’s any business of yours. He came to our shows and he liked what he heard. I’m sorry if you’re so threatened by me that you’d spit in the face of a great opportunity.”
“She’s right, David,” Eddie said. “This is the best offer we’ve ever had. Those guys have a top ten single right now. The exposure would be amazing.”
“That’s not the kind of music I want to make.”
“Nobody said you have to play with the guys,” Paolo pointed out. “We play our stuff in front of their crowds. What’s the problem with it?”
“So you’re both okay with this? Getting a gig because of her and this guy?”
Justine threw her arms in the air. “He’s a friend . We talk about music.”
David started to object, but Eddie held up a hand to cut him off. “Like you said, Justine, it’s none of our business one way or another.”
David’s jaw twitched as he gritted his teeth and his eyes bored into hers. Justine refused to back down. “Well, I’m fucking outvoted then,” he growled.
“This is good news, Dave. A national tour with a top ten band. Can you just be happy?”
“Guess I have no choice.” He turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
“Fucking asshole!” Justine shouted at the door.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Eddie said. “He’s got some stuff he’s dealing with. And you know how success scares him.”
She had to chuckle, despite the anger still making her hands shake. Her face was still hot with rage. She exhaled, trying to let it go, but her pulse was pounding. Deciding to make light of it, she chuckled. “What the hell will he do when we get signed and our album sells a million copies?”
Eddie and Paolo laughed. Justine closed her eyes and blew out a long, shaky breath.
“Eddie’s right, Justine. This is great news, no matter what Dave says.”
“Thanks guys. I was really excited and then…”
“That’s Dave. Ruining
“We’re going on tour.”
“Excuse me?”
“Opening for Outlaw Rovers. That was Dillon. The management person is calling tomorrow.” She waited for the explosion, the excitement, the joy. Instead, they all looked at her blankly. David finally spoke, his voice almost a snarl.
“He’s hiring you?”
Justine’s enthusiasm rapidly drained away, replaced instead with outrage. “No. His management is booking us .”
There was a long silent moment as Justine glared at David and David glared at her. Eddie and Paolo glanced nervously back and forth between them, waiting to see who would start shouting or throwing things first. Instead, David let out a humorless laugh and shook his head.
“Well, that’s… convenient.”
There was silence again, but this time it was so loaded the air in the room nearly crackled with it. She stood up, eyes still fixed on David, who had raised his head again to meet her stare.
“If you have something to say, David, you’d better just say it.”
His jaw worked, his dark eyes shadowed by his heavy brows, as he debated. Finally, he spoke. “I’m not sure I’m okay with you getting us gigs on your back.”
Blind rage welled up in her chest. How dare he? In an instant, she reached back and grabbed her hairbrush. In another, it shot across the room, hitting the wall behind David with a crack.
“You son of a bitch!”
She had cleared half the space between them, hands curled into claws, face hard with fury, when Eddie threw himself in front of her and Paolo grabbed her arms from behind. David stood up so fast that the armchair he’d been sitting in flew backwards.
“Dave, that was way fucking out of line,” Eddie said over his shoulder. He planted his hands on Justine’s shoulders to hold her back.
“Justine, take a deep breath,” Paolo murmured.
“It’s out of line for me to want to succeed based on our talent and not on her looks?”
“It’s out of line because it’s not true, you asshole!” she screamed over Eddie’s head. “I’m not sleeping with him, not that it’s any business of yours. He came to our shows and he liked what he heard. I’m sorry if you’re so threatened by me that you’d spit in the face of a great opportunity.”
“She’s right, David,” Eddie said. “This is the best offer we’ve ever had. Those guys have a top ten single right now. The exposure would be amazing.”
“That’s not the kind of music I want to make.”
“Nobody said you have to play with the guys,” Paolo pointed out. “We play our stuff in front of their crowds. What’s the problem with it?”
“So you’re both okay with this? Getting a gig because of her and this guy?”
Justine threw her arms in the air. “He’s a friend . We talk about music.”
David started to object, but Eddie held up a hand to cut him off. “Like you said, Justine, it’s none of our business one way or another.”
David’s jaw twitched as he gritted his teeth and his eyes bored into hers. Justine refused to back down. “Well, I’m fucking outvoted then,” he growled.
“This is good news, Dave. A national tour with a top ten band. Can you just be happy?”
“Guess I have no choice.” He turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
“Fucking asshole!” Justine shouted at the door.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Eddie said. “He’s got some stuff he’s dealing with. And you know how success scares him.”
She had to chuckle, despite the anger still making her hands shake. Her face was still hot with rage. She exhaled, trying to let it go, but her pulse was pounding. Deciding to make light of it, she chuckled. “What the hell will he do when we get signed and our album sells a million copies?”
Eddie and Paolo laughed. Justine closed her eyes and blew out a long, shaky breath.
“Eddie’s right, Justine. This is great news, no matter what Dave says.”
“Thanks guys. I was really excited and then…”
“That’s Dave. Ruining
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