Stage Dive: Lick Part 23

"Trust me, you're finding it a bit cool." His gaze fell to my chest and understanding dawned on me. The dress was made from some light, gauzy fabric. Gorgeous, but not so subtle in certain ways. And obviously my bra wasn't helping at all.

"Oh," I said.

"Mm. And I'm over there, trying to talk business with Adrian, but I can't. I'm totally f.u.c.king distracted because I love your rack."

"Excellent." I put an arm over my chest as subtly as possible.

"They're so pretty and they fill my hands just right. It's like we were made for one another, you know?"

"David." I grinned like the h.o.r.n.y, lovesick fool I was.

"Sometimes there's this almost-smile on your face. And I wonder what you're thinking, standing over here watching everything."

"Nothing in particular, just taking it all in. Looking forward to seeing you play."

"Are you now?"

"Of course I am. I can't wait."

He kissed me lightly on the lips. "After I'm finished we'll get out of here, yeah? Head off somewhere, just you and me. We can do whatever you feel like. Go for a drive or get something to eat, maybe."

"Just us?"

"Absolutely. Whatever you want."

"It all sounds good."

His graze dipped back to my chest. "You're still a little cold. I could warm you up. Where do you stand on me copping a feel in public?"

"That's a no." I turned my face to take a sip of the water. Arctic air or no, I needed cooling down.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Come on. With great b.r.e.a.s.t.s come great responsibility." He took my hand and led me through the crowd of party people as I laughed. He didn't stop for anyone.

There was a small room attached to the back with a rack of garment bags and some make-up scattered around. Mirrors on the walls, a big bouquet of flowers, and a sofa that was very much occupied. Jimmy sat there in another dapper suit, legs spread with a woman kneeling between them. Her face was in his lap, head bobbing. No prizes for guessing what they were up to. The red of her dress clued me in to her ident.i.ty, though I could have lived a long and happy life never knowing. Kaetrin's dark hair was wrapped tight around Jimmy's fist. In his other hand he held a bottle of whiskey. Two neat white lines of powder sat on the coffee table along with a small silver straw.

Holy c.r.a.p. So this was the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Suddenly my palms felt sweaty. But this wasn't what David was into. This wasn't him. I knew that.

"Ev," Jimmy said in a husky voice, a sleazy, slow smile spreading across his face. "Looking good, darlin'."

I snapped my mouth shut.

"Come on." David's hands clutched my shoulders, turning me away from the scene. He was livid, his mouth a bitter line.

"What, not going to say hi to Kaetrin, Dave? That's a bit harsh. Thought you two were good friends."

"f.u.c.k off, Jimmy."

Behind us Jimmy groaned long and loud as the show on the couch reached its obvious conclusion. My husband slammed the door shut. The party continued on, music pumping out of the sound system, gla.s.ses clinking and lots of loud conversation. We were out of there, but David stared off into the middle distance, oblivious to everything, it seemed. His face was lined with tension.

"David?"

"Five minutes," yelled Adrian, clapping his hands high in the air. "Show time. Let's go."

David's eyelids blinked rapidly as if he was waking up in the middle of a bad dream.

The atmosphere in the room was suddenly charged with excitement. The crowd cheered and Jimmy staggered on out with Kaetrin in tow. More cheering and shouts of encouragement for the band to take to the stage, along with some knowing laughter over Jimmy and the girl's re-appearance.

"Let's do this!" shouted Jimmy, shaking hands and clapping people on the back as he moved through the room. "Come on, Davie."

My husband's shoulders hiked up. "Martha."

The woman sauntered over, her face a careful mask. "What can I do for you?"

"Look after Ev while I'm on stage."

"Sure."

"Look, I've got to go but I'll be right back," he said to me.

"Of course. Go."

With a final kiss to my forehead he went, shoulders hunched in protectively. I had the maddest impulse to go after him. To stop him. To do something. Mal joined him at the door and slung an arm around his neck. David didn't look back. The bulk of the people followed them. I stood alone, watching the exodus. He'd been right, the room was cold. I clutched his jacket around me tighter, letting the scent of him soothe me. Everything was fine. If I kept telling myself that, sooner or later it would become true. Even the bits I didn't understand would work out. I had to have faith. And d.a.m.n it, I did have faith. But my smile was long gone.

Martha watched me, her immaculate expression never altering.

After a moment, her red lips parted. "I've known David a very long time."

"That's nice," I said, refusing to be cowed by her cool gaze.

"Yes. He's enormously talented and driven. It makes him intense about things, pa.s.sionate."

I said nothing.

"Sometimes he gets carried away. It doesn't mean anything." Martha stared at my ring. With an elegant motion she tucked her dark hair back behind her ear. Above a beautifully set cl.u.s.ter of dark red stones sat a single, small, winking diamond. Little more than a chip, it didn't really seem to fit Martha's expensive veneer. "When you're ready I'll show you where you can watch the show from."

The sensation of spiraling that had started when David walked away from me became stronger. Beside me, Martha waited patiently, not saying a word, for which I was grateful. She'd said more than enough already. Only the clutter of red stones hung from her other ear. Paranoia wasn't pretty. Could this be the mate to the diamond earring David wore? No. That made no sense.

Lots of people wore tiny diamond solitaire earrings. Even millionaires.

I pushed my water aside, forcing a smile. "Shall we go?"

Watching the show was amazing. Martha took me to a spot to the side of the stage, behind the curtains, but it still felt like I was right in the thick of things. And things were loud and thrilling. Music thrummed through my chest, making my heart race. The music was a great distraction from my worries about the earring. David and I needed to talk. I'd been all for waiting until he felt comfortable enough to tell me things, but my questions were getting out of hand. I didn't want to be second-guessing him in this way. We needed honesty.

With a guitar in his hands, David was a G.o.d. Little wonder people wors.h.i.+ped him. His hands moved over the strings of his electric guitar with absolute precision, his concentration total. The muscles flexing in his forearms made his tattoos come to life. I stood in awe of him, mouth agape. There were other people on stage too, but David held me spellbound. I'd only seen the private side of him, who he was when he was with me. This seemed to be almost another ent.i.ty. A stranger. My husband had taken a back seat to the performer. The rock star. It was actually a little daunting. But in that moment, his pa.s.sion made perfect sense to me. His talent was such a gift.

They played five songs, then it was announced another big-name artist would take to the stage. All four of the band members exited by the other side. Martha had disappeared on me. Hard to be upset about that, despite backstage being a maze of hallways and dressing rooms. The woman was a monster. I was better off alone.

I made my way back on my own, taking tiny, delicate steps because my stupid shoes were killing me. Blisters lined my toes where the strap cut across, rubbing away at my skin. Didn't matter, my joy would not be dimmed. The memory of the music stayed with me. The way David had looked all caught up in the performance, both exciting and unknown. Talk about a rush.

I smiled and swore, quietly, ignoring my poor feet and winding my way through the mix of roadies, sound technicians, make-up artists and general hangers-on.

"Child bride." Mal smacked a noisy kiss on my cheek. "I'm heading to a club. You guys coming or taking off back to your love nest?"

"I don't know. Just let me find David. That was amazing by the way. You guys were brilliant."

"Glad you liked it. Don't tell David I carried the show, though. He's so precious about that sort of thing."

"My lips are sealed."

He laughed. "He's better with you, you know? Artistic types have a bad habit of disappearing up their own a.s.ses. He's smiled more in the last few days with you than I've seen him do in the last five years put together. You're good for him."

"Really?"

Mal grinned. "Really. You tell him I'm going to Charlotte's. See you there later, maybe."

"Okay."

Mal took off and I made my way toward the band's dressing room through the even bigger and better crush of people a.s.sembled. Inside the dressing room, however, things were quiet. Jimmy and Adrian had stood huddled out in the hallway, deep in conversation as I pa.s.sed on by. Definitely not stopping. Sam and a second security person nodded to me as I pa.s.sed.

The door to the back room where Jimmy had been busy earlier stood partly open. David's voice carried to me, clear as day, despite the noise outside. It was like I was becoming tuned in to him on some cosmic level. Scary but exhilarating at the same time. I couldn't wait to get out of here with him and do whatever. Go meet Mal or take off on our own. I didn't mind, so long as we were together.

I just wanted to be with him.

The sound of Martha's raised voice from within the same room decreased my happy.

"Don't," someone said from behind me, halting me at the door.

I turned to face the fourth member of the band: Ben. I remembered him now from some show Lauren had made me sit through years ago. He played ba.s.s and he made Sam the bodyguard look like a cute, fluffy kitten. Short dark hair and the neck of a bull. Attractive in a strange, serial-killer kind of way. Though it might have just been the way he looked at me, blue eyes dead serious and jaw rigid. Another one on drugs, perhaps. To me, he felt nothing but bad.

"Let them sort it out," he said, voice low. His gaze darted to the partially open doorway. "You don't know what they were like when they were together."

"What?" I edged back a bit and he noticed, taking a step to the side to get closer to the door. Trying to maneuver me to the outer.

Ben just looked at me, his thick arm barring the way. "Mal said you're nice and I'm sure you are. But she's my sister. David and her have always been crazy about each other, ever since we were kids."

"I don't understand." I flinched, my head shaking.

"I know."

"Move, Ben."

"I'm sorry. Can't do that."

Fact was, he didn't need to. I held his gaze, making sure I had his full attention. Then I balanced my weight on one of my hooker heels, using the other to kick the door open. Since it had never been fully closed, it swung inward with ease.

David stood with his back partially turned toward us. Martha's hands were in his hair, holding him to her. Their mouths were mushed together. It was a hard, ugly kiss. Or maybe that was just the way it looked from the outside.

I didn't feel anything. Seeing that should have been big, but it wasn't. It made me small and it shut me down inside. If anything, it felt almost oddly inevitable. The pieces had all been there. I'd been so stupid, trying not to see this. Thinking everything would be fine.

A noise escaped my throat and David broke away from her. He looked over his shoulder at me.

"Ev," he said, face drawn and eyes bright.

My heart must have given up. Blood wasn't flowing. How bizarre. My hands and feet were ice cold. I shook my head. I had nothing. I took a step back and he flung out a hand to me.

"Don't," he said.

"David." Martha gave him a hazardous smile. No other word for it. Her hand stroked over his arm as if she could sink her nails into him at any time. I guessed she could.

David came toward me. I took several hasty steps back, stumbling in my heels. He stopped and stared at me like I was a stranger.

"Baby, this is nothing," he said. He reached for me again. I held my arms tight to my chest, guarding myself from harm. Too late.

"It was her? She's the high school sweetheart?"

The familiar old muscle in his jaw went pop. "That was a long time ago. It doesn't matter."

"Jesus, David."

"It has nothing to do with us."

The more he spoke, the colder I felt. I did my best to ignore Ben and Martha hovering in the background.

David swore. "Come on, we're getting out of here."

I shook my head slowly. He grabbed my arms, stopping me from retreating any further. "What the f.u.c.k are you doing, Evelyn?"

"What are you doing, David? What have you done?"

"Nothing," he said, teeth gritted. "I haven't done a d.a.m.n thing. You said you trusted me."

"Why do you both still wear the earrings if it's nothing?"

His hand flew to his ear, covering the offending items. "It's not like that."

"Why does she still work for you?"

"You said you trusted me," he repeated.

"Why keep the house in Monterey all these years?"

"No," he said and then stopped.

I stared at him, incredulous. "No? That's it? That's not enough. Was I supposed to just not see all this? Ignore it?"

"You don't understand."