drug. The sun peeked over a distant mountain, spilling bright yellow ribbons across the green valley.
He kicked a stray rock into the parking lot, cursing Madison under his breath. She was just a girl. A warm cunt. For three weeks, Madison had stayed on their bus and slept by his side—only to leave a note on his pillow one morning:
It’s been a blast, but I have to leave. Good luck with the rest of the tour.
He’d fallen hard and fast for the pretty blonde, and he’d thought she cared about him. Her easygoing, sweet nature—not to mention her willingness to entertain his darkest desires in the bedroom—had been his salvation in the midst of the stressful tour. Now it was impossible not to be bitter, especially after Andy discovered his wallet short a couple hundred dollars. No one knew about that part of his misfortune though, not even Rich. Leave it to Andy to be hung up on a girl who’d robbed him.
He didn’t want Madison back. He merely wished he’d never met the girl in the first place. The on-the-road-with-groupies situation made him uneasy. Sure, he liked sex as much as the next guy, but he wasn’t as casual about it as the rest of his bandmates. He preferred to possess one woman and to wear the pants in any relationship he entered. Being a tad old-fashioned and being a drummer in a metal band made for strange bedfellows.
His stomach churned. This wasn’t for him. He should leave the band after the tour ended.
The money he’d earned from record sales and concerts would last years, so he figured he’d have plenty of time to come up with Plan B. One thing was for certain: Andy wanted his life to change. All he had to do was survive the next few weeks, and then he could cut himself loose from the band. The guys would give him hell—but in the end they’d understand.
The first sip of the coffee Rich brought him tasted sweet and bitter and strong. Just the way Andy liked it.
* * *
Alice Grove sped away from Salisbury University toward the little house she shared with her brother, knowing the place was all hers for the summer. Rich was busy following his boy band around the country. She smiled at the thought of how angry he became when she called Soul Smashers a boy band. Really, they were a metal band. Rich needed to lighten up.
The house was as she’d left it, clean and empty. Sometimes she considered getting a dog for company, but she never made it halfway to the pet store without making a U-turn. Long-term commitments scared the hell out of her. Any of her previous boyfriends could attest to that. A school counselor once said it was because her parents died unexpectedly, although Alice chose not to ponder the reason any further.
She sighed and tossed her backpack on the floor. She was fine alone. One more semester and she’d have her degree. One more semester and she wouldn’t have to depend on Rich for money.
Alice had just finished her last summer class. With only three classes left and an internship during the fall, she would be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in no time. Finding a job after that would be a piece of cake—she hoped.
She found the answering machine blinking red in the kitchen. From force of habit, Alice pulled her cell phone from her purse. Four missed calls from Rich. Of course. She smiled and wondered what her uptight brother wanted this time. Three weeks ago he’d wanted her to overnight his favorite blue sweater to a random town in Maine. “Are all the clothing stores in Maine out of blue sweaters?” she’d asked teasingly. But Rich hadn’t laughed. He hadn’t laughed in years, not since their parents died in a car accident. In the end she’d shipped his stupid blue sweater to Maine, wishing her brother would rediscover his sense of humor.
Just as Alice reached for the phone, it rang. “Hello?”
“Alice! I’ve been calling you all freaking day. Thanks for returning my message.” It was Rich, complete with his perpetual foul
He kicked a stray rock into the parking lot, cursing Madison under his breath. She was just a girl. A warm cunt. For three weeks, Madison had stayed on their bus and slept by his side—only to leave a note on his pillow one morning:
It’s been a blast, but I have to leave. Good luck with the rest of the tour.
He’d fallen hard and fast for the pretty blonde, and he’d thought she cared about him. Her easygoing, sweet nature—not to mention her willingness to entertain his darkest desires in the bedroom—had been his salvation in the midst of the stressful tour. Now it was impossible not to be bitter, especially after Andy discovered his wallet short a couple hundred dollars. No one knew about that part of his misfortune though, not even Rich. Leave it to Andy to be hung up on a girl who’d robbed him.
He didn’t want Madison back. He merely wished he’d never met the girl in the first place. The on-the-road-with-groupies situation made him uneasy. Sure, he liked sex as much as the next guy, but he wasn’t as casual about it as the rest of his bandmates. He preferred to possess one woman and to wear the pants in any relationship he entered. Being a tad old-fashioned and being a drummer in a metal band made for strange bedfellows.
His stomach churned. This wasn’t for him. He should leave the band after the tour ended.
The money he’d earned from record sales and concerts would last years, so he figured he’d have plenty of time to come up with Plan B. One thing was for certain: Andy wanted his life to change. All he had to do was survive the next few weeks, and then he could cut himself loose from the band. The guys would give him hell—but in the end they’d understand.
The first sip of the coffee Rich brought him tasted sweet and bitter and strong. Just the way Andy liked it.
* * *
Alice Grove sped away from Salisbury University toward the little house she shared with her brother, knowing the place was all hers for the summer. Rich was busy following his boy band around the country. She smiled at the thought of how angry he became when she called Soul Smashers a boy band. Really, they were a metal band. Rich needed to lighten up.
The house was as she’d left it, clean and empty. Sometimes she considered getting a dog for company, but she never made it halfway to the pet store without making a U-turn. Long-term commitments scared the hell out of her. Any of her previous boyfriends could attest to that. A school counselor once said it was because her parents died unexpectedly, although Alice chose not to ponder the reason any further.
She sighed and tossed her backpack on the floor. She was fine alone. One more semester and she’d have her degree. One more semester and she wouldn’t have to depend on Rich for money.
Alice had just finished her last summer class. With only three classes left and an internship during the fall, she would be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in no time. Finding a job after that would be a piece of cake—she hoped.
She found the answering machine blinking red in the kitchen. From force of habit, Alice pulled her cell phone from her purse. Four missed calls from Rich. Of course. She smiled and wondered what her uptight brother wanted this time. Three weeks ago he’d wanted her to overnight his favorite blue sweater to a random town in Maine. “Are all the clothing stores in Maine out of blue sweaters?” she’d asked teasingly. But Rich hadn’t laughed. He hadn’t laughed in years, not since their parents died in a car accident. In the end she’d shipped his stupid blue sweater to Maine, wishing her brother would rediscover his sense of humor.
Just as Alice reached for the phone, it rang. “Hello?”
“Alice! I’ve been calling you all freaking day. Thanks for returning my message.” It was Rich, complete with his perpetual foul
Similar Books
