come to rehearsal?” he asks, still ignoring my avoidance techniques.
“Because you and your brother are jerks. I don’t want to be in a band with either of you .”
“Why? What did he do?” he asks, moving to the side as other patrons come to the bar and order.
I focus on them for long enough to take their orders and pour their drinks. Slapping down their change in front of them as I turn my attention back to Marcus.
“It was both of you. You and your stupid flirting. Him and his stupid anger issues. I just don’t need this shit in my life. I have a job. I don’t need the band.”
“What? Working in a bar?” he says, gesturing his arms at my place of work. “Yeah. I can see you’re really talented.”
“It pays the bills. There’s no shame in that,” I retort.
“Naomi, we’ve got this great offer for a gig and we need you. Is there somewhere we can talk – please?”
Placing my hands on my hips, I glare at him. At his handsome face, and his pleading eyes. Then I look around at the nightclub. At the patrons milling about drinking, at the two girls who are the only dancers on the floor. Then I return my gaze to Marcus. The life he offers is so alluring. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to get past all of the emotional baggage that seems to be coming with it.
I walk over to Kylie and ask her to keep an eye on things for me, before beckoning Marcus to follow me into the staff room with a flick of my head .
“This is cosy,” he smiles as he enters the tiny room and looks around. “Do you think your friend thinks we’re in here doing…”
I don’t give him the chance to finish, instead spinning around and pointing an accusatory finger at him. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that Aramis was your brother?” I demand.
“What?” he laughs, stepping back, only managing to press himself against the door of the two metre square room.
“Aramis. You know? The name Theo used to call himself when he was all Goth boy in high school. Why didn’t you ever say he was your brother?”
“Um, because it was embarrassing. As if I was going to admit that the freaky Goth guy was my brother. I mean – Goth wasn’t even fashionable then. He was like – the only one. No one knew he was my brother. I hid it from everyone.”
“Well you’ve made me look like a fool!”
“Really? How did I do that?”
“By not telling me! I had no idea!”
“Well, I thought you did. You’re the one who was making out with him at that party. You got him to take all of his makeup off and I’m sure he told you his name, because you were rambling to me that you met my brother when I found you.”
“ I don’t even remember that party! All I know is that I got completely wasted and slept with a guy I swore I’d never sleep with because he dumps the girls he screws. And now, because of that, your brother hates me, and he doesn’t want me in the band.”
“What ? He said that?”
“Yes, he told me he’s angry with me for not remembering making out with him, and he’s angry with you for sleeping with me.”
“Shit, he’s still going on about that?”
“Yeah. I think we pissed him off.”
“Um… about that night. You might have your story a bit messed up,” he tells me, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck.
“Really? How did I do that? I woke up next to you – naked, and then you gave me the ‘ let’s be friends’ speech.”
“No I didn’t”
“Yes, you did”
“No, I was actually trying to tell you not to worry – that we didn’t sleep together. But you were in such a hurry to get out of there that you refused to listen to me. You cut me off, said we were cool and that you knew – so I thought you did know.”
“Wait? We didn’t sleep together?”
“No, ” he laughs, before lowering his tone and stepping closer to me. “Not that I didn’t want to. But, I would never do that to you. You were always more to me than that.”
My breath catches as I look up into his
“Because you and your brother are jerks. I don’t want to be in a band with either of you .”
“Why? What did he do?” he asks, moving to the side as other patrons come to the bar and order.
I focus on them for long enough to take their orders and pour their drinks. Slapping down their change in front of them as I turn my attention back to Marcus.
“It was both of you. You and your stupid flirting. Him and his stupid anger issues. I just don’t need this shit in my life. I have a job. I don’t need the band.”
“What? Working in a bar?” he says, gesturing his arms at my place of work. “Yeah. I can see you’re really talented.”
“It pays the bills. There’s no shame in that,” I retort.
“Naomi, we’ve got this great offer for a gig and we need you. Is there somewhere we can talk – please?”
Placing my hands on my hips, I glare at him. At his handsome face, and his pleading eyes. Then I look around at the nightclub. At the patrons milling about drinking, at the two girls who are the only dancers on the floor. Then I return my gaze to Marcus. The life he offers is so alluring. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to get past all of the emotional baggage that seems to be coming with it.
I walk over to Kylie and ask her to keep an eye on things for me, before beckoning Marcus to follow me into the staff room with a flick of my head .
“This is cosy,” he smiles as he enters the tiny room and looks around. “Do you think your friend thinks we’re in here doing…”
I don’t give him the chance to finish, instead spinning around and pointing an accusatory finger at him. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that Aramis was your brother?” I demand.
“What?” he laughs, stepping back, only managing to press himself against the door of the two metre square room.
“Aramis. You know? The name Theo used to call himself when he was all Goth boy in high school. Why didn’t you ever say he was your brother?”
“Um, because it was embarrassing. As if I was going to admit that the freaky Goth guy was my brother. I mean – Goth wasn’t even fashionable then. He was like – the only one. No one knew he was my brother. I hid it from everyone.”
“Well you’ve made me look like a fool!”
“Really? How did I do that?”
“By not telling me! I had no idea!”
“Well, I thought you did. You’re the one who was making out with him at that party. You got him to take all of his makeup off and I’m sure he told you his name, because you were rambling to me that you met my brother when I found you.”
“ I don’t even remember that party! All I know is that I got completely wasted and slept with a guy I swore I’d never sleep with because he dumps the girls he screws. And now, because of that, your brother hates me, and he doesn’t want me in the band.”
“What ? He said that?”
“Yes, he told me he’s angry with me for not remembering making out with him, and he’s angry with you for sleeping with me.”
“Shit, he’s still going on about that?”
“Yeah. I think we pissed him off.”
“Um… about that night. You might have your story a bit messed up,” he tells me, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck.
“Really? How did I do that? I woke up next to you – naked, and then you gave me the ‘ let’s be friends’ speech.”
“No I didn’t”
“Yes, you did”
“No, I was actually trying to tell you not to worry – that we didn’t sleep together. But you were in such a hurry to get out of there that you refused to listen to me. You cut me off, said we were cool and that you knew – so I thought you did know.”
“Wait? We didn’t sleep together?”
“No, ” he laughs, before lowering his tone and stepping closer to me. “Not that I didn’t want to. But, I would never do that to you. You were always more to me than that.”
My breath catches as I look up into his
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