“It’s been a heck of a long time,” I say.
“Man, you look like a hockey player now,” he laughs. I’ve definitely put on weight and muscle mass since arriving at Westfall.
“And you’re all famous now,” I respond, since he’s been opening for all kinds of huge bands across the country.
“Yeah, but I tend to like gigs like this. Small and intimate.” He blinks and looks over at Poppy.
“Sorry, this is my friend, Poppy,” I say to Cain.
He cocks his head to the side and checks out Poppy. “Friend, huh? Nice to meet you, Poppy,” he says, extending his hand to shake hers; his voice is pure seduction. Poppy reaches to shake his hand but Caine takes it and presses a kiss to the back of it. Of course, he was always a ladies’ man and chicks couldn’t resist the whole rocker look he had going.
“Nice to meet you too,” Poppy says and she’s blushing.
Cain invites us to sit with him for a bit.
“So how is college treating you?” Cain asks.
“Can’t complain,” I say.
“Funny how we both made it out of that shithole,” Cain laughs and then he takes a cigarette in his mouth and lights it. He offers Poppy a cigarette too and she declines. “I’m not even going to offer you.”
“Ha ha.” I fake laugh. “This douchebag started smoking when we were twelve,” I explain to Poppy.
“And this douchebag never smoked with me,” Cain snickers and then his face falls. “How is Logan?”
“Graduating this year,” I say. “Hoping he’s going to get recruited to a Division 1 team but his asthma has been shit.” Reason why I never smoked. Having a little brother with severe asthma was enough to keep me away from cigarettes, even though most kids around us smoked. At least Caine wouldn’t smoke in the garage when I had Logan with me.
“Shit. Is there something I can do? I’ve got some money now,” Cain offers. It’s super nice of him but I’m not taking handouts.
“We’ll be okay,” I assure him.
Caine frowns and when I look over at Poppy her perfect lips are turned down too.
“Stop being so fucking depressing and tell me what life is like on the road,” I urge Cain to lighten the mood.
Cain gives Poppy a sheepish look. “Booze, chicks, drugs, and rock and roll. How about you? Any prospect for drafting to the NHL?”
“Hoping yeah.” I nod.
“That’s why I’m here. I’m writing a story on Declan for the Westfall paper,” Poppy explains. “But this guy won’t give me anything he actually wants me to use.”
Cain smirks. “Tell them that he’s basically dedicated his entire life to hockey. While kids in our neighborhood were selling drugs to buy food, this guy was training himself to play. He had very little help along the way. He’s a self-made man. It’s pretty incredible.”
“Don’t start with the self-made bullshit,” I say to Cain. “You taught yourself how to play that guitar. We had a need to get away from a dark life. That’s where the dedication came from.”
“And there was Sal.”
“Yeah, Sal that crazy fucker,” I say, thinking of the man who gave me so much.
“Who’s Sal?” Poppy asks.
“Don’t bother asking, love, not something we discuss. Just someone we remember out of respect,” Cain says to her. “Anyway, we fought to escape the life we were living. This asshole got a full scholarship to one of the top universities in our country, and I’m going to keep going until I make a platinum record.” Cain stands. “I’ve got to head out for the show. Would you guys like to stay backstage?”
I look at Poppy and she nods her head frantically. “That sounds amazing.”
Cain laughs. “You’ve got it.”
“Thanks, man.” I shake his hand and he asks some guy, who I am guessing is some sort of assistant, to come and guide us to the side of the stage.
“It was really good to see you,” he says, shaking my hand. I shake his and he pulls me in to him. “Glad to see you’ve overcome some of your demons.” He side-eyes Poppy.
“It’s not like that,” I deny.
“So you’re lying to yourself now too,” he chuckles. If anyone truly knows me in this world it’s Cain, but right now he is way off the mark. He takes off and Poppy and I stand off to the side of the stage.
The place has really filled up. I notice some guys from the team here too since they’re taller than most of the crowd.
The concert starts and Poppy gets really excited. “Thanks so much for bringing me. I’ve never been to a live concert before, let alone backstage.”
“My pleasure.” I grin since her excitement is rubbing off on me. “I used to watch him sing all the time and he’s damn good. I always knew he would make it big.”
“Those things he said about you were really nice.”
“About that. . .can you run things by me before including it in the story? Definitely don’t mention the part about my little brother, Logan. If the schools find out he has a health problem, it could really screw his chances of getting a full scholarship to a Division 1 team, and without that scholarship, he isn’t making it out of Detroit.”
“I understand but isn’t there a way he can get his asthma under control?” she asks.
“Our mother has never had proper health insurance. The meds cost a fortune. That’s why I need to draft by the end of this year. Problem is Logan needs those meds like yesterday.”
“I’m so sorry, Declan. I know what it’s like not to have proper medical insurance. I grew up with a single mom who didn’t make enough money. I know how important a full ride is. I’m here purely on academic scholarships and grants. Without them I never would’ve made it here.”
The music starts and Poppy starts to move. I like watching her. She’s like a refreshing open book. She lays everything out on the line and I appreciate that more than she knows. Growing up, my mom had a revolving door of men coming through our place. They would use her and be on their way and she would let them. Some of them stuck around for longer. Others came and went. What I saw growing up was the opposite of healthy and I know it affects me to this day. Maybe that’s why I don’t have endless hookups like the other guys on the team. It turns me off.
Cain comes alive on stage and his music just gets to you. I find myself dancing alongside Poppy. She picks up the words to his songs and begins singing out loud. Her carefree attitude is addictive. There’s no alcohol involved and things with her feel light. They feel good and real and when Cain sings a slow song, I offer her my hand and we dance slow, our bodies brushing against each other gently. She smells like a fresh rain shower and something sweet I can’t place. After the show we say a quick goodbye to Cain, who has to leave on a bus for New York City.
Poppy and I head out to the bar. Tonight they have a DJ with dance music playing and the guys from the team stay and hang out. I ask Poppy if she wants to stay and we stay on the opposite side of the dance floor, out of the way, so no one from the team spots us. I usually make an effort not to hang out with chicks in public because the ones who do hang around us are bunnies, and I have zero interest in taking them to bed. I’ve learned that giving them the slightest attention leads to expectations I’m not willing to fulfill. Keeping Poppy out of sight is completely necessary. One, because if the bunnies notice her, they will wonder what the fuck is going on. And two, I don’t want to bring unnecessary attention on this girl. She seems low-key and not into hockey players at all. The guys from the team can have dirty mouths and be very forward, and for some reason I want to keep Poppy away from that scene.