Jaded: (Beautiful Biker MC Romance Series), page 52
She stared at him, not replying.
He went on, “If I hadn’t found the tape the day I read about Kailey in the paper I might not’ve even remembered where it came from, who was singing. We’re on tour with Gorge.”
“Congrats. That’s great news. Good band,” she said.
“Meh. South Dakota’s version of Nickelback. But whatever. Not gonna turn down our shot, you know?”
I laughed. I agreed with his opinion there.
“Hey, I like Nickelback,” a waitress said, walking by.
“Hey you,” he greeted, eyes moving over her body with heat.
“Hey back,” she said coyly. “Sorry,” she looked at us. “didn’t mean to interrupt. Welcome back, Gia.”
“Thanks Jordan.”
“Anyway,” Chase continued, watching Jordan’s ass as she walked away, “Gorge’s drummer heard us playing part of Mystery Girl song two on the bus and wanted us to play it from the top. Told him we didn’t have permission yet. He told us we should put it on our new album. When the tour’s done, we’ll record that album. I would fuckin’ love to record both of those songs. Can you stick around after this? Can we talk about that? I’d have to run it by my record company but thinking it might be a good option for our first single.”
Coco put the next vodka and orange juice down.
Gigi broke from my hold to get her drink and shakily lifted the glass and took a sip. A big one. Too big, so she started choking.
I patted her back and gave her neck a reassuring squeeze as she recovered.
“Um… okay,” she said after swallowing.
“Your band practices with her songs,” I said.
He looked at me.
“Jesse Garcia. Gianna’s man.” I held out my hand.
He shook it. “Good to meet you, Jesse. Yeah, we do. We don’t let anyone hear. Never play ‘em when anyone outside of the band is around other than that one time the drummer from Gorge heard. Been hoping to find your woman so we could change that.”
I looked at my girl and a smile spread across my face before I looked back to the singer. “Can you squeeze one of them into your set tonight? I’d love to hear you play one. Wouldn’t you, baby?”
Gianna squeezed my bicep. Her eyes were wide.
Chase shrugged, eyes on her. “Can we play one of them tonight? It’s her song, so…I mean my band would be fuckin’ stoked. Our version has a little reggae twist to it, but it’s your song, Gianna, so without contracts or any shit like that we should probably-”
“Do it,” she invited. “Don’t introduce it as my song, though. Okay?”
“Yeah?” He looked surprised. “It’s not something you sing when you’re doin’ gigs?”
“No gigs.” Gigi threw back a shot that had been put in front of her.
After she recovered from the shot, coughing a couple times, she chased it with a sip of her vodka and orange juice, then said, “I’ve never wanted to sing my songs on a stage. I did this tonight as a favor. I love writing songs but not so much with performing them. Kailey talked me into that demo tape, but I never did anything with it. I had no idea she gave you one.”
“She harassed me like crazy to give it a listen. She was a big champion of yours.”
Gigi bit her lip and stared for a second, looking like she was beating back emotion. Finally, she said, “This might be the four drinks I had before I went on stage and the few I’ve had since, but… I’d love to hear you do one.” She shrugged. “Or both. Whatever.”
He leaned in and asked, “You write a lot of songs?”
“I’ve written hundreds,” she advised.
“See, songwriting is where I struggle. Me and my band member Jer write together but… maybe the three of us could sit down. Let’s talk after the show, okay?”
She nodded. “Sure. I’m not very good at songwriting either.”
“After listening to that demo and playing two of those songs for the better part of the last few months, I disagree. Couple other songs on that tape were special, too, but the two we play feel like us. They have our little spin on them, but your lyrics are awesome. Been sayin’ a while that one of those other songs would be right up Pink’s alley. Another one I could hear someone like Carrie Underwood doing.”
Her eyes lit up. “I think I know which ones you’re talking about.”
“Anyway, I better get up there.” He gestured to the stage where his band was setting up and one of the members was pointedly looking at him as if to tell him to get his ass on stage.
“I’ll find you after?”
“Okay,” she said with a smile and gave him a wave.
Chase smiled, amused with her before he headed for the stage. My girl downed the rest of her drink while holding my eyes.
I dropped a kiss on her mouth as soon as the glass was out of the way. “Can you believe this, baby?”
“Nope. But please don’t wake me up. Unless the song sounds really bad when they sing it, then wake me up and hope I forget what I dreamt.”
I laughed and pulled her closer.
“You were fucking awesome!” Ella shouted from across the bar.
Gigi held up her empty glass.
Coco exchanged it for a full one.
***
The first song AbstractED played was the song. I knew by her face, by the look of wonder as she watched them perform something she created. She listened with her fingers steepled over her mouth. Chase had pointed her out to his bandmates as they started and every one of them either waved or gave her a big smile. They then did a few of their own songs, a couple covers they’d played here last time, and then finished the set with a song that I knew by watching her openly cry with the biggest smile on her face that this was her other one.
People danced and swayed to the music. People clapped. And my girl cried silent, pretty tears with joy on her face.
And after their set was over, they all came over to meet her one by one.
She was drunk, giddy, and hanging onto me for dear life.
“Those songs sounded awesome, baby,” I told her.
“They did, didn’t they?” she agreed. “I only had the guitar parts, but the other instruments they added, they made them sound so good.”
“They did. You should tell everyone. You should shout it from the fuckin’ rooftops that those were your songs.”
“Which song? What?” Jojo asked, approaching us.
“The first one they played. Gianna wrote it,” I informed. “And the last one.”
Jojo’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding. That’s incredible. Wait. What? How?”
“Long story. Tell ya tomorrow when I’m not forty sheets to the wind,” Gigi said.
Jojo laughed.
“That last song is gonna be a hit. The first one too, I think,” Jojo said.
“I need another shooter. You want a shooter, Jojo?” Gigi asked, signaling Coco.
“No. Not indulging tonight, Gia,” Jojo shook her head. “In fact, now that the band’s done, I need to make an announcement. Hey, Superman!” she called, hands cupping her mouth.
Fork turned from the table he was at to face her and smiled.
She jerked a thumb toward the stage.
A minute later, they got up and Fork drunkenly told everyone that they were expecting a baby. And though I hadn’t known Fork long, I’d never seen the guy look happier.
***
She rolled me to get on top, losing my cock, so grabbed it and slammed her hips back down as she got me inside.
“Oh yeah, baby,” she groaned. I grabbed her hips and watched the hot-as-sin show. She rode me hard until I came with a roar.
Tangled up together, she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Kailey did this for me,” she whispered, and then her body bucked as she began bawling.
“What’s this?” I asked, still drifting back down from the high.
“Where are those boxes I left in your old room?”
“All of us who wanted, got a cage in one of the outbuildings for storage. I put ‘em there.”
“Good. Before I left, the night Blow was killed, I peeked into those boxes. Two of them were filled with old journals of mine. Journals I’d thought I lost forever when Aunt Francie told me she threw them in the trash because they were takin’ up too much room. Kailey must’ve brought them back in and hid them.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded and wiped her eyes.
“Wondered what you meant when you told Chase and Jeremy that you had about a dozen books filled with lyrics.”
She nodded again and sniffled.
It was after four in the morning, and we’d finally got to bed after partying with the band in the small lounge above the bar, which Deke told us to use so Gigi could talk to them about opportunities. A few other people joined in after that conversation and that party might still be going.
It was decided they would meet up after their tour to talk about Gigi’s songs and to sit and go through her catalogue. They were going to have her flown to Los Angeles for a weekend. When she told them she had at least a dozen books filled with songs as well as a private online blog where she’d record herself on her phone when she was playing, I wondered where those books were. Now I knew.
“There were also three copies of that demo tape that Chase had a copy of. Kailey must have been making copies and spreading them around, trying to help get me some attention, I guess.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s because of her my songs might be on an actual album.”
“Yep. Though the talent is all yours, baby.”
“She made me record that demo. I didn’t want to, but she talked me into it. I used to always give myself shit for letting her talk me into things. I guess it wasn’t always bad.”
“Nope.”
She lifted up and looked me in the eye. “You’re not saying much.”
“I’m letting you talk. I’m listening, baby.”
She sighed. “Everyone always said she did nothing but drag me down. But I can see now that that’s not true. She was the only one that believed in me. She pushed me to make that tape. If she hadn’t, this wouldn’t be happening.”
I smiled. “You saw the good in her, too, you know? Although everyone told you there was none. You never gave up on her. I’m sure that meant a lot.”
She nodded, eyes leaking, chin trembling. “This might go somewhere, Jesse.”
“They were great fuckin’ songs. Both of ‘em. That’s a talented band. They’re going somewhere so yeah, things are goin’ someplace for you, too. I know it.”
She snuggled in. “I never wanted to be on stage singing. But I’ve always hoped I’d someday hear my songs on the radio. If I get to hear just one, just once… it’d be a dream come true.”
“I’d lay money down you’re gonna hear a lot of them on the radio.”
“Thanks for believing in me, too.”
“Wasn’t hard to do, G,” I replied.
I stroked her back until I heard her breathing even out.
26
Three quarters of the club had hangovers today. But my hostage had the most gorgeous smile on her face as she hung out with several of the girls in the loft on the second floor. It was filled with couches, beanbag chairs, had a big television and a couple gaming consoles. It was set up expected to be a gaming lounge for the guys. But in the few weeks since we’d all moved into the new clubhouse, it’d already been nicknamed the Lady loft.
I’d been passing through on my way downstairs when my girl waved me over.
“Bunch of girls are goin’ to Jenna’s pole dancing class,” Gigi said. “You cool if I go?”
“What’s this?” I asked, intrigued.
I knew Jenna liked to pole-dance. I hadn’t seen it yet, though. I was surprised she still went, remembered clearly the last time I heard her talking about going. Rider got shot that day by the fuckhead Jackals.
Jenna piped up. “My instructor is having an open house today to try and drum up new students. I told her I’d bring some people for a free try-out class.”
Gigi had told me this morning she’d been invited to the group chat with all the girlfriends and wives in the club. The way she’d told it was as if she was stoked to finally be invited to sit at the cool girl table in the high school cafeteria.
“You wanna go, go,” I said. “How are you all getting there?”
“I was gonna ask if you could drive us in the Mystery Machine,” Jenna said. “If you’re busy, I can ask someone else. I was gonna ask Scooter but Deanna is coming, so…” She winced.
“I can do it,” I agreed. “I’ll bring a second as security backup.”
I knew just who to invite. It’d make the fucker’s day.
Jenna clapped her hands. “Yay. As long as you guys stay outside. Can you take us in about three hours? We’ll be there for about one and a half.”
“Yeah, no worries,” I said, knowing I would absolutely not be staying outside.
My girl had a huge grin on her face. After seeing her rapt attention at The Playpen, I wasn’t surprised she wanted to see if she could learn.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Pippa groaned from one of the couches. “I’m so hungover.”
“Well,” Jenna said, “This is why Rider’s downstairs making us all a big greasy breakfast. We eat, sop up all that alcohol, take a one-hour nap, then we go.”
“Ugh,” Pippa groaned.
“We all go,” Jenna pressed.
Pippa stuck her tongue out at her.
***
Beyond taking Bront with me and the girls in the Mystery Machine, Deacon, Rider, and Spence all decided to come.
The Valentine brothers showed after the girls were inside and snuck into the dark hallway with me and Bront.
The room had six poles. There were twelve women there. Gigi with Jenna, Pippa, Ella, and Deanna. Unfortunately, Sara Ford was there with two women. Then there were three other women sitting together that didn’t seem part of either crew. I didn’t know if Jenna had invited Sara personally, if she was part of the girls’ group chat, or how she wound up there, but I was hoping my girl’s newfound backbone would come into play if Sara pulled any bullshit.
The instructor was demonstrating some moves and then had Jenna do a few.
And like Rider had bragged repeatedly, Jenna could work that pole. If my ma were here, she’d try and recruit her to work at the bar.
We were in a hallway with a window into the large room and hadn’t been clocked yet because the girls all sat on floor mats facing the poles with their backs to the window we were peering through. The door to the fitness studio was open and their voices echoed loudly.
The instructor’s phone rang, so she excused herself and stepped into the hall.
“Are you behaving yourselves, gentlemen?” the woman asked in a low voice.
Rider gave her a thumbs up.
She winked at him, obviously knowing who he was.
“Have you guys gotten a load of Bronto lately?” I heard Deanna ask.
Bront looked like he might be sick.
Jenna piped up. "Yep. First, he was all about eating Cheetos. Now, these days, he's becoming quite the snack..."
Bront looked stunned. And then he stood taller, and I could see it went directly to his head.
“I happen to know someone recently had some of The Sex with him. Not sayin’ who but she said it was very, very good,” Pippa said. “Very good.”
“You’re kidding!” Ella exclaimed. “Tell us who.”
“Can’t,” Pippa said. “It’s in the vault.”
“Not sure I wanna hear this,” Deacon muttered.
Bront glared at him and stage-whispered, “Zip it, D.”
“Question for you, Gia.” Sara piped up. “Since you’ve had The Sex with our guys and your guy, how about you rank them best to worst? You fuck Bronto too?”
“For fuck’s sake,” Deacon muttered. “We should put a stop to this.”
“Ouch. Not nice,” Jenna spat. “Don’t even entertain that notion, Gia.”
I could tell by the stance of the other guys, we were ready to intervene any second if need be.
“I haven’t had sex with all of them,” Gigi replied. “Not yours. Or yours. And no, not Bronto either.”
“He’s not my man anymore,” Deanna said softly.
Ella squeezed her friend’s shoulder affectionately.
Jenna asked. “Really? I thought you and Rider had a thing.”
“We fooled around, but never went all the way,” Gigi answered.
“Oh.” Jenna sounded surprised.
Spence jerked his chin up at Ride. Ride shrugged like he had no clue.
“But you’ve had sex with mine?” Pippa asked.
“And mine?” Ella inquired.
Deacon’s eyes closed as he cussed under his breath.
“We need to shut this down,” Spencer muttered, about to head in there.
Ride grabbed his arm and shook his head. “Shh. Let them work it out,” he whispered.
My girl spoke up. “Yeah, eons ago. But it’s not fair to rank them. Not fair to them, not fair to you guys, and sorry, but I just gotta say, Jesse blows them all out of the water.”
Spencer scoffed and I didn’t stop my mouth from splitting open into a wide smile.
Gigi kept talking. “Because I’m in love with him. I’m in love for the first time in my life. And if you’re madly in love with your guy and he feels the same and shows it, I’m guessing he’ll blow anybody else out of the water, too. Because being in love - it’s about more than sex. It’s about connection. With Jesse, there’s this connection I’ve never felt before.”
“Truth,” Jenna put in. “And my man’s peen piercing doesn’t hurt matters.”
“Rider has one too?” Gigi asked.
“Jesse has one, too?” Deanna asked.
“Oh yeah,” Gigi muttered. “And he sure knows how to work it.”
Jenna giggled. “Mm. Yeah. My guy, too.”
“Lucky ducks!” One of the women from the third crew complained.
“Not to mention that beyond being madly in love, nobody before Deacon took the time to figure out what would get me off,” Ella said. “It didn’t matter that I showed my ex repeatedly where the bullseye was. He didn’t care to figure out what to do with it.”
