10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Evie
A fter a long day of working on Jenna and Isabel’s wedding, all three of us decided we needed to unwind before the guys took me back to the clubhouse, so we headed to Rocky’s with a grumbling Levi in tow.
As I followed Jenna and Isabel from the parking lot, I looked over at Levi. He was at my side, his entire body on edge, like he’d take out anyone who got too close.
“Why do you guys call it a clubhouse?” I asked. “I mean, isn’t that more of a kid kinda word? You know, like when little boys are playing and don’t want to let the girls play with them, so they make a little fort thing and say ‘no girls allowed.’”
Levi shot me a dirty look. “We’re a motorcycle club. It’s a house where we meet. Clubhouse.”
“Oh.” I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
“Hey, Levi.” Mason’s familiar voice had me flushing. “I’ve got it from here.”
“Thank fuck,” Levi muttered. “See you back at the house.”
He hurried away before I could even say good-bye, and I really didn’t like the way my stomach sank as I watched him go.
Or the way it flipped when Mason grinned at me.
“Evie, you coming?” Jenna called from the entrance.
“Yeah, sorry.” I rushed to join them. “Levi was just passing me off to Mason. I feel like they’re sharing custody or something.”
Jenna linked her arm with mine and pulled me into the bar. “This is a girls’ night out. I have custody of you.”
“I’d never unleash you on Randall,” I said. “You’d kick him in the balls and try to scratch out his eyes.”
“That is exactly what I would do,” Jenna agreed as she led me to an empty booth near the bar. “I doubt being a publicist keeps him in fighting shape.”
Jenna and I sat down across from each other, and Isabel asked what we wanted to drink. I was a little surprised when Mason took a seat at the bar where he could watch us, rather than staying plastered to my side. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that, but I supposed that wasn’t a surprise since I had no fucking idea how I felt about him.
“Okay, I’ve been meaning to ask—” Jenna’s voice brought my attention back to her. “What exactly does a publicist do?”
“Basically, he builds and maintains my brand, fosters relationships with media and influencers, that sort of thing,” I said. “You wouldn’t believe how much of being a musician is publicity and marketing, and a whole lotta stuff that has nothing to do with writing and performing actual music.”
“That’s gotta be frustrating,” Jenna said, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “I know it was never about being famous for you.”
I shrugged. “I’m not gonna lie, it’s nice to hear my songs on the radio and have little girls telling me how they want to be just like me when they grow up. Not having to worry about money is nice too. But sometimes I do miss how simple it was when it was just me and my guitar.”
“You mean like that?” She nodded toward the stage as the talking around us quieted and people turned in that same direction.
Walking over to the microphone was a tall, tanned man in his late twenties with sandy brown hair, hazel eyes, and perfectly straight white teeth. He held a guitar in one hand and a stool in the other.
“Is that Clayton Pierce?” I asked.
“He plays here every few days or so,” Jenna said, smiling up at her fiancée as Isabel handed me my drink and then took a seat. “Still mostly covers, but he does try an original every now and then.”
As he began to play a Reba McEntire song, I turned to Isabel. “Jenna mentioned that you started a consulting business. How’s that going?”
Conversation flowed easily between the three of us as we drank and chatted, and before I knew it, all three of us had empty glasses.
“My turn,” I said, getting up before either of the other two women could.
While I was waiting at the bar for our drinks, a tall, teenage brunette came up to me, a shy expression on her face. “Are you Evelyn Hayes?”
I smiled, hoping to put her at ease. “I am.”
“I thought that was you. I heard you used to live here, right?”
“I did.”
“I don’t want to bother you, but would it be okay if I got a picture with you? My friends back in Austin won’t believe me.”
“Of course.” I posed for a picture and then signed a napkin for her. Girls like her reminded me why I agreed to do things like the marketing and social media stuff.
“Did I hear her right?” The bartender set the three drinks in front of me. “You’re Evelyn Hayes?”
“I am.” I gave the middle-aged man a polite smile and really hoped this wasn’t going to turn into some awkward flirting situation.
“RJ Clifton.” He held out his hand for me to shake. “I own the place. Bought it off my Uncle Rocky when he retired a couple years back. I heard you grew up here.”
“I did.”
“Moving back or just visiting?” he asked, a shrewd look in his eyes—but not a hint of lust, which made me wonder why he was asking.
“Visiting for a while.” I kept it vague since I hadn’t decided on anything for certain. “I’m helping Jenna Bradshaw plan her wedding, and I’ll probably stick around for a while after.”
“Well, if you’re ever in the mood to play a bit, maybe work on something new, I’d love to have you on stage here,” he said.
“She thinks a place like this is beneath her.” Clayton rested his guitar on the stool next to him. “Only someone who hasn’t been as lucky as her would agree to play here.”
“You don’t have to play here,” RJ countered. “It’s not like you bring in any business.”
Clayton’s eyes narrowed. “We both know I’m too good for this shithole.”
“Watch yourself, kid.” RJ glared at Clayton, but the younger man had turned his attention to me.
“I heard rumors you were back in town, but I didn’t think they were true. I mean, you haven’t been back in all this time.” Clayton leaned on the bar and gave me the sort of once-over that made me want to scrub my skin raw…with bleach. “What happened? Did your record label finally realize that you’re more tits and ass than you are ability?”
My jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”
Clayton threw back a shot of something. “Come on, we all know the reason you got ‘discovered’ was because someone thought you had a decent voice and a hot body. It’s just too bad that there aren’t more people who believe that talent is more important. If there were, the industry would have more people like me than like you.”
“Hey, Evie.” Jenna appeared at my elbow. “We were wondering what was taking so long, but now I see you were distracted by a jealous toddler.”
Clayton’s face turned red and he sputtered, “Where do you—”
“Shut it, Clayton.” Jenna gave him a sweet smile. “Just because you’re still playing in your hometown bar instead of packing stadiums, there’s no need to be rude to a lady.”
“I don’t see a lady,” Clayton sneered at me. “Just the piece-of-trash daughter of the alcoholic town whore.”
I stared at him, unable to believe what he was saying.
“That’s enough,” RJ said, displeasure clear in his voice. “Your break’s over. If you wanna keep playing here, get back on stage. And I don’t wanna hear that kinda talk in my bar again. Got it?”
“Got it.” Clayton stomped away like he was the kid Jenna had accused him of being.”
“Sorry about that,” RJ said.
“Not your fault.” I smiled at him, but it didn’t feel very real. “And thanks for the offer. I’ll let you know if I want to take you up on it.”
“Give her drink a little extra kick,” Jenna told RJ. “I think she deserves it after that.”
RJ nodded and did as she asked. On our way back to the table, I said, “I didn’t need more.”
“You did,” Jenna said. “You’re not driving. And you’re not doing anything tomorrow, because Isabel and I have a few things to do that need to be just us. Which means you’re going to be stuck at the Thunder Riders clubhouse all day.”
She had a point.
When we sat down, I took a gulp of my drink and felt it burn all the way down. A good burn, but this drink was definitely stronger than the last one. I could already feel the buzz working through my veins. By the time I finished half of my drink, I was smiling again, but this one felt a lot more real.
It also had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I could feel Mason watching me. I’d always been aware of the guys, but this was a new kind of awareness, the kind that came with knowing the differences between the ways each of the men kissed, remembering the feel of hands and mouths on my body.
Jenna was laughing at something Isabel said, and suddenly the weight of keeping all of that secret was too much.
“I like your brothers,” I blurted out.
Jenna and Isabel looked at me, confused expressions on both of their faces.
“What?” Jenna asked.
“I like your brothers,” I repeated. “And I kissed them.”
Jenna frowned. “ Them ?”
“We saw Levi kiss you,” Isabel said.
“Yeah, well, he’s not the only one.” I rubbed the back of my neck as I gave my friends a sheepish book. After a glance in Mason’s direction, I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “Mason and I might’ve made out a bit that first night.”
Two pairs of eyebrows shot up.
“You did what?” Jenna asked.
“We made out,” I admitted. The relief that went through me at saying it prompted me to keep going. “And then yesterday morning, Tucker and I…well, we did a little more than make out.”
“Did you…” Jenna looked at her brother and then back at me. “Did you fuck my brother?”
“Not exactly,” I said, my cheeks burning.
“Evie—” Jenna gave me a look that she was usually on the receiving end of. “What did you and Tucker do?”
“You really want details?” I asked.
“No, but I need to know…” She sighed. “Just tell me if what you two did could be considered sex in any way.”
“Yeah.” I reached for my glass. “It was.”
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t get it. Is this like some Stockholm thing where them tormenting you for years turned into some sort of repressed sexual feelings?”
I shrugged. “I’ve always thought they were hot, and it just kinda happened when we were alone. I don’t know what it means, but I really do like Tucker and Mason a lot.”
Jenna sighed. “I guess that means I’m going to have to kick their asses if they hurt you.”
I really hoped that was her way of saying she wasn’t mad at me for fooling around with her brothers. With everything going on in my life right now, and how complicated all of it was, the last thing I needed was for my best friend to be pissed at me.