All that emo stuff back at the hotel seemed a million miles away. Tucked into a booth with Dillon’s thigh pressed alongside hers, his arm slung across the back of her seat, she was right where she wanted to be.
It took only minutes for word to spread that Outlaw Rovers was in the house. One by one, heads turned towards them, and the room filled with eager, curious whispers. Justine ignored prying female eyes, slamming back another drink and turning to listen to Dillon and Rocky’s conversation.
“I fucking hate this song,” Rocky groaned as the music changed and a techno beat filtered through the bar.
“Shut up! I love this!” Justine howled with outrage. Well, the truth was, she sort of loved it. She couldn’t stand the vapid former American Idol who sang it, but the song was insidious, making her hum along even while she hated herself for doing it.
“Justine.” Rocky gave her a deadpan stare. “Please don’t tell me you’re serious with that shit. This might just be the end of our friendship.”
“Yeah, it will be if you keep being a rock snob. You know how I feel about that.”
They all snickered at her subtle dig at David.
“I like it, too,” Dillon chimed in.
Rocky slammed his hand down on the table hard enough to make his beer jump. “Traitor!”
“Screw you, man,” Dillon laughed. “The hook is good, it’s just the bubble gum vocal you hate. A good voice could rock that song.”
Rocky say back in disgust. “Ain’t no way this song would ever rock.”
Justine sat up straight and cleared her throat. “Is that a dare?”
Rocky’s lips curled up in a lazy smile, the metal rings glinting red in the light. He’d look like a lord of the underworld if she didn’t know him so well.
“That’s a challenge, little girl.”
“I like the sound of this!” Ash shouted.
She smiled back at Rocky, feeling absolutely fearless. She knew it was mostly liquor, but she didn’t care. For the moment, she had the whole table in the palm of her hand. Ash stood up and reached a hand across the table to her.
“I think that’s your cue to take the stage, Princess.”
“You sure about this, Justine?” Dillon murmured at her shoulder.
She looked down at him as she stood. “Our taste in music has been challenged, Dillon. Of course I’m sure.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Then please proceed.”
She took Ash’s hand and stepped up on the seat, her heel unsteady on the cushion. Ash tightened his grip, tugging her up. Another step and her feet were on the glossy black tabletop. Rocky and Paolo applauded and JD let out a wolf whistle.
“Dillon, count me in on our song?”
His long fingers began to tap the tabletop. “Don’t screw this up, Juss. My musical integrity is on the line here.”
“Your musical integrity? I’m the one about to sing this song standing on a damned table in a bar. I’ll do it proud.”
“You always do.”
“Gimme another shot.”
“Give the woman another drink!” Ash shouted and JD passed his shot up to her. A deep breath, a swallow of fire and she came in on the chorus. At first she closed her eyes, but then she opened them and found Dillon at her feet. He was leaning back in the booth, arms spread across the seat back, his smile as big as she’d ever seen it. She could feel his delight like he’d touched her. She let it light her up, igniting everything she had to stifle when she sang with Failsafe. The power, the sound, everything she knew she could do. It felt amazing.
After the chorus, the hook she and Dillon had defended, she took it up an octave, showing off and ending on a wailing high note. The table erupted in applause. The whole bar erupted in applause. The boys were screaming and pounding the table. With a tiny curtsy, she reached out her palm to Rocky. He gave a theatrical shrug and slapped it hard, acknowledging her triumph.
“We’re covering that song tomorrow night,” he told her.
He helped her back down from her perch, laughing
It took only minutes for word to spread that Outlaw Rovers was in the house. One by one, heads turned towards them, and the room filled with eager, curious whispers. Justine ignored prying female eyes, slamming back another drink and turning to listen to Dillon and Rocky’s conversation.
“I fucking hate this song,” Rocky groaned as the music changed and a techno beat filtered through the bar.
“Shut up! I love this!” Justine howled with outrage. Well, the truth was, she sort of loved it. She couldn’t stand the vapid former American Idol who sang it, but the song was insidious, making her hum along even while she hated herself for doing it.
“Justine.” Rocky gave her a deadpan stare. “Please don’t tell me you’re serious with that shit. This might just be the end of our friendship.”
“Yeah, it will be if you keep being a rock snob. You know how I feel about that.”
They all snickered at her subtle dig at David.
“I like it, too,” Dillon chimed in.
Rocky slammed his hand down on the table hard enough to make his beer jump. “Traitor!”
“Screw you, man,” Dillon laughed. “The hook is good, it’s just the bubble gum vocal you hate. A good voice could rock that song.”
Rocky say back in disgust. “Ain’t no way this song would ever rock.”
Justine sat up straight and cleared her throat. “Is that a dare?”
Rocky’s lips curled up in a lazy smile, the metal rings glinting red in the light. He’d look like a lord of the underworld if she didn’t know him so well.
“That’s a challenge, little girl.”
“I like the sound of this!” Ash shouted.
She smiled back at Rocky, feeling absolutely fearless. She knew it was mostly liquor, but she didn’t care. For the moment, she had the whole table in the palm of her hand. Ash stood up and reached a hand across the table to her.
“I think that’s your cue to take the stage, Princess.”
“You sure about this, Justine?” Dillon murmured at her shoulder.
She looked down at him as she stood. “Our taste in music has been challenged, Dillon. Of course I’m sure.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Then please proceed.”
She took Ash’s hand and stepped up on the seat, her heel unsteady on the cushion. Ash tightened his grip, tugging her up. Another step and her feet were on the glossy black tabletop. Rocky and Paolo applauded and JD let out a wolf whistle.
“Dillon, count me in on our song?”
His long fingers began to tap the tabletop. “Don’t screw this up, Juss. My musical integrity is on the line here.”
“Your musical integrity? I’m the one about to sing this song standing on a damned table in a bar. I’ll do it proud.”
“You always do.”
“Gimme another shot.”
“Give the woman another drink!” Ash shouted and JD passed his shot up to her. A deep breath, a swallow of fire and she came in on the chorus. At first she closed her eyes, but then she opened them and found Dillon at her feet. He was leaning back in the booth, arms spread across the seat back, his smile as big as she’d ever seen it. She could feel his delight like he’d touched her. She let it light her up, igniting everything she had to stifle when she sang with Failsafe. The power, the sound, everything she knew she could do. It felt amazing.
After the chorus, the hook she and Dillon had defended, she took it up an octave, showing off and ending on a wailing high note. The table erupted in applause. The whole bar erupted in applause. The boys were screaming and pounding the table. With a tiny curtsy, she reached out her palm to Rocky. He gave a theatrical shrug and slapped it hard, acknowledging her triumph.
“We’re covering that song tomorrow night,” he told her.
He helped her back down from her perch, laughing
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