jugular as it pulsed.
She managed not to cough, watery eyes challenging me after she slammed the drink down harder than I even had. “Well,” I murmured, gliding my fingers over the top of my damp drink, “Guess you showed me."
Lola went red from chin to hairline. It was a sweet treat after the beer.
“Stop teasing her.” Brenda draped herself into the chair beside Lola. The vodka tonic in her slender fingers was already halfway gone. As professional as she was, I'd never known her to curb her love of booze. She knew too well that she had a whole day to sober up before the next show.
The red-head reached out, lifting Lola's beer and taking a quick sip. I gave her a pointed look. “She's right. It's pretty strong,” she said, ignoring my frown.
“I believed her.” The beer had warmed my blood. That was good, it helped melt the crisp shard of irritation caused by Brenda breaking into my moment. “You don't need to protect her, that won't really help her 'blossoming rock star' image.”
Brenda rolled her eyes, but it was Lola who spoke first. “Drez is right, I'm fine. Besides, I'm sick enough of my brother acting like he always needs to protect me. I can handle myself.”
Right, her brother. I fixed my attention on Brenda. She just perched her plump lips on the rim of her drink. “About that," I said slowly. "Sean Cooper, he's really your older brother?”
“Sure.” Lola hesitated, glancing between me and my manager. “Why, is that a problem?”
It could be. “No,” I said, taking a pull from my glass. “If Brenda didn't think it was, then no.” She knew, there was no way she didn't realize when she took her name down.
The ice clinked in Brenda's suddenly empty glass. She pushed it aside, making it obvious for the waitress that she needed a refill. “I didn't think it was, and I still don't.” She leaned towards Lola. “Drez is just being paranoid.”
“About what? What's wrong with my brother?”
“Nothing,” Brenda said quickly. She scrunched her nose at me, and I knew she hated that the topic was coming up at all.
But it had to.
Looking over at Porter and Colt, I made sure they weren't listening. They were busy laughing over something or other, deep in their own glasses. “Lola,” I started, wondering how much she did or didn't know, “Your brother doesn't have the best history with me.”
“I didn't think he had any history.” Lola craned forward, confusion twisting her features. “The most Sean ever said about you to me was telling me to lower your music when I was blasting it.”
That made me smile. “He really never told you about how he auditioned for my band two years back?”
Lola's fingers were wet from clutching her glass. “He what? I—why wouldn't he tell me that?”
It was Brenda who spoke first. “Drez, stop. You said if I thought it was fine, then it was fine. It doesn't matter what Sean did, he's not holding some grudge against you.”
My mind tickled, recalling how Sean had knocked over one of my amps after I'd told him the bad news. I knew what hatred looked like. I'd dealt with it my whole life. Could a guy like that let a grudge go so easily? Johnny's face swam behind my eyeballs. “Why are you so sure?” I asked.
She propped her cheek on her fist. “Because he came to me this morning, asking me to consider our friend Lola here for the open slot. Why would he send us help if he was still mad?”
My fingers slid to my jeans, seeking the shape of my cigarette pack for comfort. “He came to fucking see you this morning?” The hard ball that was my guts only got worse when I saw Lola biting her lower lip. An awful idea hit me. “Did you tell him to do that for you, Lola?”
She shook her head quickly, sensing the distrust wafting off of me. I was sure she had to feel it. I was boiling with a sensation of betrayal. Had this all been orchestrated without my knowledge somehow?
Lola said, “I didn't know about the audition until Sean told me. He did
She managed not to cough, watery eyes challenging me after she slammed the drink down harder than I even had. “Well,” I murmured, gliding my fingers over the top of my damp drink, “Guess you showed me."
Lola went red from chin to hairline. It was a sweet treat after the beer.
“Stop teasing her.” Brenda draped herself into the chair beside Lola. The vodka tonic in her slender fingers was already halfway gone. As professional as she was, I'd never known her to curb her love of booze. She knew too well that she had a whole day to sober up before the next show.
The red-head reached out, lifting Lola's beer and taking a quick sip. I gave her a pointed look. “She's right. It's pretty strong,” she said, ignoring my frown.
“I believed her.” The beer had warmed my blood. That was good, it helped melt the crisp shard of irritation caused by Brenda breaking into my moment. “You don't need to protect her, that won't really help her 'blossoming rock star' image.”
Brenda rolled her eyes, but it was Lola who spoke first. “Drez is right, I'm fine. Besides, I'm sick enough of my brother acting like he always needs to protect me. I can handle myself.”
Right, her brother. I fixed my attention on Brenda. She just perched her plump lips on the rim of her drink. “About that," I said slowly. "Sean Cooper, he's really your older brother?”
“Sure.” Lola hesitated, glancing between me and my manager. “Why, is that a problem?”
It could be. “No,” I said, taking a pull from my glass. “If Brenda didn't think it was, then no.” She knew, there was no way she didn't realize when she took her name down.
The ice clinked in Brenda's suddenly empty glass. She pushed it aside, making it obvious for the waitress that she needed a refill. “I didn't think it was, and I still don't.” She leaned towards Lola. “Drez is just being paranoid.”
“About what? What's wrong with my brother?”
“Nothing,” Brenda said quickly. She scrunched her nose at me, and I knew she hated that the topic was coming up at all.
But it had to.
Looking over at Porter and Colt, I made sure they weren't listening. They were busy laughing over something or other, deep in their own glasses. “Lola,” I started, wondering how much she did or didn't know, “Your brother doesn't have the best history with me.”
“I didn't think he had any history.” Lola craned forward, confusion twisting her features. “The most Sean ever said about you to me was telling me to lower your music when I was blasting it.”
That made me smile. “He really never told you about how he auditioned for my band two years back?”
Lola's fingers were wet from clutching her glass. “He what? I—why wouldn't he tell me that?”
It was Brenda who spoke first. “Drez, stop. You said if I thought it was fine, then it was fine. It doesn't matter what Sean did, he's not holding some grudge against you.”
My mind tickled, recalling how Sean had knocked over one of my amps after I'd told him the bad news. I knew what hatred looked like. I'd dealt with it my whole life. Could a guy like that let a grudge go so easily? Johnny's face swam behind my eyeballs. “Why are you so sure?” I asked.
She propped her cheek on her fist. “Because he came to me this morning, asking me to consider our friend Lola here for the open slot. Why would he send us help if he was still mad?”
My fingers slid to my jeans, seeking the shape of my cigarette pack for comfort. “He came to fucking see you this morning?” The hard ball that was my guts only got worse when I saw Lola biting her lower lip. An awful idea hit me. “Did you tell him to do that for you, Lola?”
She shook her head quickly, sensing the distrust wafting off of me. I was sure she had to feel it. I was boiling with a sensation of betrayal. Had this all been orchestrated without my knowledge somehow?
Lola said, “I didn't know about the audition until Sean told me. He did
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