“I thought you were saving us a table?”
I smile. “I did. See? I left my beer here.” I pick it up and take a swig. I look around at everyone. “Piper, Preston, Riley, nice to see you again.”
“Thanks for the invite,” Piper says, stirring her pink drink.
I nod and open my mouth to tell her no problem, but the jukebox gets shut off and the crowd suddenly goes wild. I turn around and see my girl on stage. Her face is still flushed from the things we did outside and her eyes are glistening with excitement.
“Yes! Let’s go to the front!” Riley says, standing up.
Preston grabs ahold of her and pulls her back. “Are you crazy? You’re very pregnant. You’re not jumping in a mosh pit!”
“It’s not a mosh pit. Come on!” She tries tugging him forward, but he holds strong, pulling her back into his arms.
“No, I want you back here with me where it’s safe. I don’t need you getting knocked down and trampled. I’d tear this place apart.” He kisses her softly on the forehead and that seems to work. She melts into him and I can’t help but feel a little jealous. I wish Luna and I were free to be a couple, but that’s just not possible right now. I have big hopes for the future though.
Piper and Calvin stand and sway as I sit down, scooting into the corner of the booth so I can see Luna through the crowd of people. She rocks out on the guitar—singing her heart out while moving back and forth across the stage so everyone in the audience gets a good view of her. She walks to one end of the stage, where she winks and flirts with the audience, then skips to the other end, putting on the same show for that side of the room. People are eating her up—like always—and I can’t help but feel proud of her, excited knowing that at least half of these guys are wishing they could take her home tonight, and it’s my bed she’ll be sharing.
Piper and Riley are now up dancing around in our small space, so Calvin sits across from me to give his wife more room to dance. He looks at me and shakes his head. “You’re a dead man, you know that?”
I laugh. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re in love. I can see it written all over your face right now. You really think you’re going to be able to let go of her in six months?” he scoffs.
I shrug. “I’ll do whatever I’ve gotta do to keep her as long as possible. I know I’m setting myself up for failure, but it’s going to be a hell of a ride getting there.”
He takes a sip and shrugs, letting the subject fall, but I can’t help but think about what he said. Am I in love with Luna? I love watching her perform. I love spending time with her. I love being buried deep inside her. But am I in love with her? It would explain why I felt as shitty as I did the month I had to live without her. But the thought has never crossed my mind. If that’s the case, is she in love with me too since she claims our time apart was really hard for her as well? We’ve never even come close to uttering those words to each other. In fact, Luna has always played it cool around me. She doesn’t get clingy. She doesn’t demand my time or attention. Until last night, she never came to me—I’d always gone to her. She’s not your typical woman. If possible, she’s even harder to read.
The band plays several songs before taking a break, at which point Preston and the girls pile into the booth.
“I can’t believe how good this band is!” Riley says, voice full of excitement.
“They’re going on tour soon. We’ll have to buy tickets,” I respond.
“Is that the girl you were seeing, Daniel?” Piper asks.
I look over at Calvin. “Couldn’t keep a secret, could you?”
He shrugs. “Hey, telling my wife secrets doesn’t count,” he argues.
I admit it. “Yes, that’s the girl I was seeing. Not anymore,” I lie, not wanting more people than necessary to know.
Riley glances toward the stage and back to me. “Too bad. She’s hot and about to be famous! That purple hair . . . I’m so jealous.”
Preston snorts. “I like your hair just as it is. Please don’t die your hair purple.”
I laugh and Riley rolls her eyes.
“So, how are you two liking country life?” I ask, wanting to fill the silence created by the lack of music.
“I grew up there, so I’m used to it. This one, not so much,” Preston says, motioning toward Riley.
She holds up her hands, showing us her palms. “I love living there. I just forget that you can’t run out at 2 a.m. to get pizza or coffee or tacos. I’ve lived in the city for too long. I’m spoiled.”
I laugh. I’m also too used to city life. I’d never make it in the country. Once you live in the city, you almost forget that some places don’t stay open all night. I’ve bought groceries at midnight before. I’ve gotten out of bed with a taco craving. And everything is always right there at your disposal.
“What do you guys do there? I mean, there are at least a few restaurants and bars, right?”
Riley nods. “Well, right now, we’re so busy with unpacking and preparing for the baby that we don’t have much time to get bored anyway. And once our place is done, we’ll have to help Calvin and Piper with theirs. We’ve been talking about getting horses too, because we have stables. And Piper wants goats for some reason.” She rolls her eyes and I look over at Piper.
“Have you seen them dressed up in pajamas? It’s adorable! I don’t know who wouldn’t want them!”
I look over at Cal. “You’re going to have your hands full.”
He nods and his eyes go wide. “Don’t I know it,” he says, tipping back his drink.
The band takes the stage again and just like that, the girls are back up and dancing. Calvin goes to dance with his wife and Preston joins his. I’m now sitting all alone and feeling a bit left out. I guess I’d better get used to it. It’s going to be this way as long as I’m with Luna, and it will be this way after she leaves.
I look up and her eyes lock on mine. She smiles and winks, licking her lips before belting out another verse. She’s so beautiful up there that it steals the air from my lungs. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter how alone I’m feeling right now, because I know that later tonight, I won’t be feeling this way. She’ll fix it all.
Nine
Luna
The band is on fire tonight and the crowd is eating it up. I’m absorbing their energy and using it to fuel the music. I sing every last song in our repertoire, and by the time we’re wrapping up, my fingertips are numb from sliding across the strings of my guitar. I say goodbye to the crowd and make my way backstage to grab my things.
“Luna. Drink?” Van asks.
I grab my purse and pull it over my shoulder. “Not tonight. I have to work at the store tomorrow, followed by a guitar lesson. Plus I’ve been working on a song and the next line is itching to get out.”
“A new song, huh? What’s it about?”
I shrug. “It’s not for the band. It’s just something that’s bugging me and needs to get out of my head. I’ll catch up with you at the label tomorrow?”