of Diesel. Of course, being the front man, Dom
always got the most press, especially with his killer good looks and sensual
singing voice.
“This here is Johnny-boy, our bass player,” Dom says
playfully, ribbing a baby-faced guy in the gut. The guy grins at me, he tosses
his blonde hair from his face, and I notice he has two adorable dimples. He
looks way too sweet to be in this band.
“Hi, Annie,” he says. He shakes my hand, and I don’t dare
ask how he already knows my name.
“Johnny here is the pretty boy and our little brother, so we
have to take good care of him for his mommy,” Dom teases.
“Fuck off,” Johnny says, grinning wildly.
“This is Avery,” Dom continues, motioning to the brooding
guy by the drums. Avery’s dark features break into a friendly smile and he waves
at me.
I wave back.
“We’ve heard lots about you,” he says, emphasizing
the word lots.
Dom shoots him a look that shuts him right up.
“And lastly, this is Jenner, our keyboard player.”
Jenner jumps up to shake my hand. I take in his long
scraggly brown hair and kind brown eyes.
“Jenner’s an interesting name,” I say, trying to make
conversation.
The other guys snicker.
“What?” Did I miss something?
“Well, Jenner is actually his last name,” Dom explains.
“Oh. Well I like it.”
Avery snorts and Jenner smacks the back of his head.
“What? What am I missing?”
“Don’t you want to know his first name?” Dom asks.
“Shut up, Dom,” Jenner says, going back to his keyboards.
“Ashleigh!” Avery calls out gleefully. The guys start
laughing like a bunch of fifteen-year old boys.
“Yeah, yeah, so fucking funny,” Jenner says dryly, playing a
quick melody.
“I kind of like it.”
“Thank you, see.” Jenner says, flashing me a killer smile.
Wow. He looks totally different when he smiles. “It’s a family name, but it
sounds a little too pussy for a rock band.”
“Whatever, I like it.”
“Thanks, but you can still call me Jenner.”
The guys start banging out one of the new songs, and Dom
steers me away. I can’t believe how friendly the rest of the band seems, and
I’m having a hard time concentrating with Dom’s hand pressed against the small
of back.
Damn, how can his skin feel so hot through my shirt? Or
maybe it’s just me?
“Let’s meet the other backup singers,” he says softly. He
leads the way toward the group of women, when all the sudden his phone starts
buzzing in his pocket. He stops, and frowns.
“It’s my mom. I have to take this. Just go on over and
introduce yourself. They’re expecting you.”
He leaves me standing there as he answers the phone and
walks away. He doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who takes calls from his
mom during rehearsal, but maybe they’re closer than I realize. I feel like my
stomach is going to drop out as I make my way over to the two women by the
piano.
“Hi,” I say quietly, and they turn around to survey me. “I’m
Annie.”
One of the girls is short and curvy with wild, curly red
hair and she smiles at me before beckoning me closer.
“Hi, I’m Liz. This is Mel.”
Mel smiles at me but doesn’t make eye contact. Instead she
gives me a quick once-over, probably judging my outfit. I get the strange
feeling that she doesn’t like me already. Instead of saying hello, she just
gives me a limp wave. I’m already intimidated, and Mel’s standoffish greeting
doesn’t help. She’s long and leggy, dressed in skintight black jeans and a
tight green blouse, and she stands confidently in a pair of four inch black
heels. Her straight, jet-black hair hangs down to her waist. Her skin is a warm
olive tone, and I notice her high cheekbones, strong jaw, and her stunning pale
green eyes.
I feel mousy in comparison.
Mel turns her back to me and begins to talk to Liz, rudely
leaving me out of the conversation. Thankfully Liz opens her body towards me
and beckons for me to come closer.
“We were just going over some of
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