Damn her body, and damn the way he made her forget things…
With each step she took, she worked her way through the crowd, scanning the many faces for Jonah’s. None proved to be a match, nor did she notice his bandmates anywhere. Of course, spotting one of them would be like spotting a blind date. She had no clue what to look for.
Aside from a quick view of the singer’s back, and the bass guitarist’s profile, she hadn’t paid much attention. They could have been sitting beside her at the bar and she wouldn’t have known the difference.
She rounded the corner of the bar and entered the hall. A few people huddled near the front but cleared a path as she proceeded toward them. At least there wasn’t a line to the ladies’ room, nor were there any signs of Jonah.
Perhaps he and his bandmates had gone to the other side of the club, where the pool tables were located. She could only hope for as much at this point because if he were somewhere lurking, she’d never give Ally the drama-free escape route she promised.
Stopping in front of the door, she gazed past the men’s room to the back door twenty feet away. It was possible that her friend had snuck outside to get some air. If she weren’t in the restroom, it would be the next place Cassie checked.
The hinges squeaked when she pushed open the door and went inside. Powder-scented air freshener mixed with what smelled like sweet pea body spray. She’d know the latter scent anywhere. It’s what her sister wore, as did one of the girls at the studio. And if she wasn’t mistaken, both had given her sweet pea candles for Christmas gifts.
As the door brushed closed, the noise in the hall faded. Voices continued to hum from the stalls, as did a few giggles. Judging by the familiarity of the sound, it was the same girls who’d entered just before she went to pay the tab.
She ignored what they were saying and listened to her heels clicking against the tile. Each step brought her closer to the vanity where Ally would be waiting. She had to be there. It’s the last place Cassie saw her, and she hadn’t noticed her anywhere else in the club.
When nothing but mirrors and sinks filled her vision, her heart began pounding. Where could Ally be? She specifically told her to wait five minutes before she came to the bar. Perhaps her friend had gotten sick and ran into a stall.
A quick spin brought her back to the entrance room—and smack dab into another woman.
“Oh! Pardon me.”
She grabbed for the woman’s arm in an attempt to steady her, but it didn’t stop either of them from stumbling into the wall near the first stall. Heat rose in Cassie’s cheeks over her carelessness. She owed the woman an apology, even met the stranger’s eyes to offer one. Then she noticed the face staring back at her.
“Cori?”
“Cassie?” Her little sister scrunched her brows as tightly as Cassie’s felt. “Hey there. Why are you in such a hurry? You nearly took me out.”
“Sorry. I was looking for Ally. You haven’t seen her, have you?” She watched Cori shake her head and did her best not to reveal her disappointment. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Same as you. Drinking. Dancing. Flirting…”
Cassie shifted her attention to the girl beside her sister, half expecting to see her best friend, Mariah. They were a lot like she and Ally—friends since childhood. But it wasn’t Mariah or anyone else she recognized.
Her sister must have noticed her ogling her friend because she cleared her voice and pointed in the girl’s direction. “I don’t think you’ve met my friend, Laura, have you?” Cori waited until she shook her head before she continued. “We met last year. Her dorm room is across from Mariah’s and mine.
“Nice to meet you.” Cassie offered her a smile and turned back to her sister. “Where’s Mariah? I thought you two were going out?”
“She couldn’t make it. Boyfriend drama.”
There was a natural instinct to follow her sister and ask more questions. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn’t used to Cori hanging out in the same places she did. Or maybe she was just being a typical big sister. Whatever the reason, it left her with an urge to protect her baby sister from all the terrible things in the world. Yet there was still Ally to find, hopefully before Jonah did.
“Hey, Cor, I gotta go. I need to find Ally and head out.”
Her sister backed away from the sink. Beads of water dripped from her hands as she grabbed a few towels from the dispenser. “Okay. I’ll be by your house sometime this weekend.”
“Sounds good. See you then.” Cassie turned toward the door, but the pit in her stomach wouldn’t let her leave without saying one more thing. “Hey Cor. Please be careful tonight. Make sure you and Laura watch your drinks. I know you’re tough as nails, but it doesn’t take long for someone to slip you something.”
Rolling her eyes at the suggestion, Cori looked as though she wanted to beg Cassie to quit acting like their mother. They’d received similar speeches from both their parents on several occasions.
Instead, Cori wadded the hand towels, threw them into the trash, and refaced the door where Cassie stood. “Cass, I love you babe, but this isn’t my first time out. You don’t have to worry about me. I won’t do anything you wouldn’t do.”
The response did little to ease Cassie’s mind. She didn’t doubt it was intentional on her sister’s part. Cori knew a few of her dirty secrets. In truth, both had info on the other. Nothing damaging, but certain things they preferred not to share with anyone else.
As if she’d read Cassie’s very thoughts, laughter erupted from Cori’s direction. “Would you go already? Seriously, sis, relax. I’ll be safe.”
“Okay fine. I won’t preach.” Cassie gripped the door handle but gazed back at her sister one more time. “But if you can’t be safe, use a rain jacket. I’m not ready to be an aunt.”
CHAPTER SIX
Theo worked his way through the crowd of people standing in the side room that housed the pool tables. Nearly half the crowd came in search of him not long after he announced the band was breaking. He couldn’t count how many people offered to buy him a drink, but most wanted nothing more than to praise him for the performance.
As egotistical as it sounded, he enjoyed the attention. Saying otherwise would be a lie, but he knew it wasn’t his sole purpose for pursuing his dream. Who cared what anyone else thought.
He passed the pool tables, moved across the dance floor, and submerged into a new crowd of people near the bar. Like the others, they said nice things that inflated his ego, but all he wanted was to grab a beer, maybe a shot of tequila, and then bullshit with Jesse at the bar.
Thirty-minute breaks flew by when he spent half the time chatting with people. After the show, it was game on, but breaks were coveted time slots. He regretted not following Jesse when he left the stage. His bass guitarist headed straight for the bar. Had he done the same, he would have saved time and avoided the first mob of well-wishers.
Instead, he’d taken his guitar to its stand along with Jonah’s. He wasn’t sure what caused his brother to shove the other guitar in his direction or rush off stage. With the way he sprinted toward the restrooms, Theo didn’t want to know.
Forcing himself to grin once more, the last person to pat his back turned back to what Theo assumed were his friends. It provided him with the space he wanted, as well as a direct path to the bar where Jesse waited. His friend had a beer in one hand, a shot in the other, and being the awesome friend that he was, he had the same drinks waiting atop the bar for Theo.
“Damn, man. Have I ever told you how fucking awesome you are?”
Jesse chuckled and lifted his shot glass in the air. “Yeah, but I’ll still drink to that.”
He tilted his head toward Theo’s shot and waited for him to raise his as well. Theo didn’t hesitate. He pinched the glass between his fingers before raising it in the same fashion as his friend. “To awesome friends and chasing dreams.”
“Ditto, bro.”
Jesse’s glass clinked against Theo’s. Then b
oth pressed their respective glass to their lips, draining it of its bitter content. That same content burned its way down Theo’s throat. His lips puckered, his eyes closed, and the rush of heat that followed made him shiver.
Damn, he loved tequila shots.
After setting his shot glass back on the bar, he grabbed his beer and placed the bottle to his lips. The ice-cold liquid eased the burn the tequila left in its wake. He chugged half the bottle before pulling it away and glancing in Jesse’s direction.
“Thirsty?” his friend asked.
He grunted as he motioned toward the stage. “You get under those lights, sing song after song, and see how much you drink.”
“Touché.”
Out of all the venues they’d played in, Theo’s biggest complaint was the lighting. Though some never bothered him, most left him feeling like a day-old pizza under a heat lamp in a convenience store. At least the lights were mounted high enough in this club. Otherwise, he’d be battling a wicked headache, as well as a dry throat.
“Holy shit, dude,” Jesse began as he sat up straight. “You still haven’t told me about those chicks you were talking to. Damn, they’re smokin’ hot.”
Theo didn’t bother hiding the smile on his lips, nor did he rush to give Jesse all the details. He took a swig of his beer and surveyed the bar, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful bombshell he’d chatted with two minutes prior to show time.
When he didn’t spot her right away, he refocused on his friend. “The redhead is Cee-Cee. Her friend is Elle. They’re gorgeous, built, and willing to go wherever we want when the show is over.”
A deep chuckle resonated from Jesse’s mouth. He twisted his head from side to side, ogling Theo the entire time. “You smooth-talkin’ son of bitch. I don’t know how the hell do you do it. Must be a gift.”
Shrugging at Jesse’s response, Theo finished his beer and set the empty bottle on the bar. It clinked against his shot glass as he refaced his friend. “Must be, man. I don’t know. I’m just me.”
Jesse crossed his hands over his heart and batted his lashes as he leaned closer to Theo. “And that’s why you’re my hero, bro.”
“Man, get out of here.” Theo pushed Jesse back and laughed. His friend always could make him laugh. While he might be able to sweet-talk the ladies, Jesse won them over with his wit. Theo envied that about him.
As Jesse ordered another round, Theo surveyed the bar again, taking his time to study some of the faces. Allen had slipped out the side door to grab a smoke, which explained why he hadn’t joined them. But where in the hell was his brother?
“Did you talk to Jonah before he bolted?”
Jesse rocked his head side to side while taking a drink from the new beer the bartender had brought. He swallowed hard, wiped his mouth, and looked Theo in the eyes. “It was brief. He said something about needing to get some air.”
“Figures… You know what coming back here does to him.”
“Yeah, it gives him a bad case of Ally-itis. Common symptoms are mood swings, confusion, and a set of swollen gnads. Your brother needs to find him a piece or jack off.”
Laughter roared from Theo’s chest. He high-fived his friend and both took another drink of their beers. As much as he enjoyed making jokes at his brother’s expense, part of him felt for Jonah. Love was a bitch, or so he’d heard.
“Guess I better go track him down. We have about fifteen minutes before we do the second half of the set. Wanna come with me?”
“Nah, I’m good.” Jesse tipped his beer backward, took a long drink, then set the empty bottle down. “Think I’ll order another shot and bum a cigarette off Allen.”
“I thought you quit.”
“Yeah, well, drinking makes me crave it. Guess we all have our vices. See you in a few?”
Nodding at Jesse, Theo eased away from the bar and made his way toward the back of the club. Might as well hit up the men’s room first. It wouldn’t take long to pop inside and see if Jonah was there. If not, the back door was close. The exit sign above the archway said as much.
The metal door cooled his hands when he opened it and entered. It closed back as he went further in and examined the stalls and urinals. There was no sign of anyone, much less his brother.
Jonah had to be outside like Jesse mentioned. His brother wouldn’t leave him right before the second half of a set. Doing so would be bad for his career as much as Theo’s, considering he was the one to set up this gig.
Now was not the time to think negatively.
Swift steps had him opening the door and entering the hall. The back door came into view just as he ran into something warm and firm. Only it wasn’t a thing. It was a person.
The minor collision forced him to make an abrupt stop. He teetered on his toes in order to keep from knocking the person to the ground. Once he regained his balance, he caught a glimpse of a woman passing by, a woman he’d carelessly bumped into. Their impact caused her to stumble a little to the right, but it didn’t slow her gait.
“Excuse me,” she mumbled and continued toward the door.
“My bad, darlin’.”
He stared in silence, disbelieving that she’d barely acknowledged him. There weren’t many women he could say that about. If this chick weren’t in such a hurry to get outside, he assumed she would have at least spared him a glance.
Still watching her retreating figure, he walked backwards, unable to look away from her curves. Something about the way her hips swayed when she walked made his pulse quicken. Maybe it was just her body. The rear view was mighty fine. Bet the front view was just as awesome.
Once she disappeared behind the door, he came to another stop. What the hell was he doing anyway? He was supposed to be going outside too, not heading back toward the bar.
Damn women…
Try as he may, females always managed to distract him, especially redheads. The ones he’d encountered were full of fire and passion, two qualities he loved in a woman.
Yet the more he thought about the rich, red locks this chick had, the tighter his gut twisted. He’d seen his share of redheads, but not many with a shade that vibrant. In truth, he could only think of one person.
“It can’t be,” he mumbled to himself.
Much like his brother, this city was getting to him. It began with memories. Now his mind was playing tricks. If being in Savannah for two days was already messing with him, he’d lose his mind before he left in a couple weeks.
Regardless of whether or not he’d lost the love of his life like Jonah, he still had memories that haunted him. And most of those memories centered on the one thing he always wanted—the one thing he never had an opportunity to claim.
A chance with Cassie Clarke.
* * *
The deafening sound of Cassie’s heartbeat increased the minute she opened the back door and strode outside. Her upper arm ached from the impact she incurred with the gentleman leaving the men’s room. The least she could have done is look at him when she excused herself, but she had little time to spare.
Once she spotted Ally, a wave a relief washed over her. “God, there you are! What are you doing out here? I thought you were going to wait in the bathroom for five minutes?”
Ally glared in her direction. Her cheeks turned crimson, as though Cassie had just said the most embarrassing thing ever. But it wasn’t until Cassie followed her friend’s gaze that she understood Ally’s reaction.
A soft gasp escaped her lips when she noticed a tall figure standing a few feet away. It was the one person Ally said she wanted to avoid—Jonah McCabe.
Hells bells. She’d failed at her mission to help Ally escape unnoticed. Now she’d have to do damage control. Hopefully, Ally wasn’t upset with her for not running interference. She’d come back to the restroom earlier than she’d planned.
As Jonah and Ally continued staring at one another, nothing about their body language seemed unusual, nor did their conversation appear to be stressing Ally. In fact, the mood seemed cozy.
The slight grin on Jonah’s face said he was enjoying his present company. Had Ally reconsidered talking to him? It sure as hell appeared that way.
Turning back in Ally’s direction, Cassie fought to hide the smile forming on her lips. She pressed them tighter, and then relaxed them as she cleared her throat. “Oh… Am I interrupting?”
Tension thickened the air. It consisted of anxiety, awkwardness, and a six-year-old longing that hadn’t faded in the least. It couldn’t have. The spark in Jonah’s eyes, the one he always got when Ally was near, still remained. And Ally’s reaction to seeing him said everything about how she felt, no matter how much she tried to hide it.
“You’re not interrupting.” Ally answered. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
Cassie wrinkled her nose as her brows drew together. “Late?”
“We were supposed to meet up five minutes ago.” Ally grumbled as she tapped her watch.
Cassie peeked at Jonah, but he didn’t notice her. He was too attuned to Ally’s every movement. For Pete’s sake, why did they pretend not to want each other? They needed to hook up already.
Inching closer to her friend, Cassie reached forward and wrapped her hand around Ally’s wrist. Her brows rose again when she pointed to the watch and asked, “You timed yourself on this thing after you were late for the comedy show?”
Ally grew quiet. She stared at the watch, running her finger over the face. Poor thing. Her mother was still interfering with her life. It was the watch she’d purchased that aided in tonight’s turn of events. Boy, would Paula be pissed if she knew the gift she gave her daughter reunited her with the one person she wanted out of Ally’s life.
“How long before the cab gets here?”
The sudden subject change came out of nowhere. Cassie parted her lips to answer, but Jonah didn’t give her a chance. He pushed off the wall, drawing their attention back to him. The spark Cassie noticed earlier dulled with disappointment.
“You’re leaving already? It’s still early.”
“I have somewhere to be in the morning,” Ally answered. “I need sleep.”