Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“I fell asleep pretty quickly this time—right after we got back. But . . . some noisy people in the hallway woke me up.” After everything that went down between Kai and Ruby years ago, I’m not going to tell her the truth. True, what happened between those two is ancient history by now. But, still, why rub salt in whatever Kai-inflicted wounds Ruby might still have, even if they’re mostly scarred over by now?
“People in hotels can be so damned rude,” Ruby mutters.
“It’s okay. One more week, and I’ll be sleeping like a baby in my own bed.”
“Another full week is a long time to be sleep deprived. Especially after so many months.”
“It’s only been a couple months. Before that, I was okay.”
Ruby thinks about that. “When did college football season start? About two months ago, right?”
“Something like that.”
Wanting to change the subject, I signal to the bartender, and he comes over with a smile on his rugged face.
“Hey there. What can I—” His face lights up. “Wait, aren’t you the drummer from Fugitive Summer? You’re awesome, man! One of the best out there.”
“I agree,” Ruby says, pinching my arm. “Although I’d say he’s the best.”
The guy blushes. “Oh, yeah. Definitely.”
“She’s messing with you. She’s our keyboardist.”
The bartender looks sheepish. “I’m sorry. I only knew his face because my sister is obsessed with Sing Your Heart Out, and I watch it with her.”
“No worries,” Ruby says. “I thought Kendrick was incredible on that show, too.”
“Your other bandmate, too. Savage?” He looks around excitedly. “Is he here?”
“No, not in the bar,” Ruby says. “Sorry.”
The guy grabs his phone and excitedly asks for a selfie with us, which we happily give him.
“Drinks are on me tonight,” he says. “What can I get you?”
“Another one of these for me,” Ruby says, raising her empty glass. “And for the birthday boy . . . A double pour of your most expensive scotch. Neat.” She looks at me to confirm.
“You know me well.”
“But don’t comp us,” Ruby says. “Our label pays for everything when we’re on tour. In fact, go ahead and charge everything to my room—1653—and give yourself a two-hundred-percent tip, courtesy of Reed Rivers.”
“Wow, thanks so much.”
The bartender saunters away, but not before flashing an extremely flirtatious smile at Ruby.
The second he’s out of earshot, I whisper in a sultry, teasing tone, “I’m in room 1653, big boy. Come up and see me.”
Ruby snorts and rolls her eyes. “You’re delusional.”
“I’m repeating it exactly how you said it.”
“Not even close.”
“Are you fighting the urge to step out on Cooper with a hot hotel bartender? Because if so, that’s probably not the best sign for your relationship.”
“You’re sex-starved and horny these days, so you’re seeing what you want to see.”
“You can’t deny he’s exactly your type, babe.” It’s the truth. Like Ruby’s current boyfriend, Cooper, and also Ruby’s favorite boyfriend in college, Ryder, that guy is a tall, tattooed, dark-haired, mysterious type with lean muscles and a resting “fuck you” face. In fact, everything about him screams, I’d make a horrible boyfriend. Which means he’s right up Ruby’s alley.
“You’re so dumb,” Ruby says.
“You gave him your room number, dude.”
“For the drinks.”
“You never do that, though. You always give Titus’s.”
“Kendrick, your gaydar is terrible.”
“What?” I look over at the guy. “No.”
“Yes. Babe, he was hitting on you. Not me.”
“You think?”
“One thousand percent. That’s why I felt comfortable giving him my room number. Because if he ever came up, it’d only be to beg me for yours.”
We both crack up, and a moment later, the bartender appears with our drinks. We chat briefly with the guy—and I’ll be damned, now that Ruby’s mentioned it, it seems probable he’s flirting with me.
Finally, the guy walks away and Ruby lifts her glass to me. “Happy twenty-eighth, my darling. I love you so damned much, Kendrick Cook.”
“I love you, too. Thank you.”
We clink and drink.
“So, what’s new?” I ask. “We’re so rarely alone these days. Someone’s always around. Everything good with Cooper? Are you missing him since he had to leave?”
Ruby twists her mouth. “No, I don’t miss him at all. Cooper left because I broke up with him.”
Well, hot fucking damn. Happy birthday to me. “Oh, wow. Are you okay?”
“I’m great. Cooper? Not so much. He keeps texting me, begging me to take him back.” She scowls. “But no thanks. I’m done.”
I’m so fucking relieved. Despite the outward armor Ruby wears—her dyed hair, piercings, and tattoos—she’s a tender-hearted person who bends over backwards for the people she cares about. And unfortunately, our buddy Cooper was taking a whole lot more from Ruby than he was giving. That was my impression, anyway. Did he pursue her solely because her band was more successful than his? I don’t think that. But it certainly didn’t hurt, from his perspective. Even beyond that, he didn’t treat her right as a boyfriend. He didn’t listen to her the way she deserved to be listened to. Didn’t get her sense of humor the way those closest to her do. Combine that with the fact that he can be a whiny little bitch with a short temper and a victim complex, and what you get is a guy whose mere existence on our tour has been driving me up the wall for the past two months.