Halo glanced down at his empty basket and nodded. “Oh, yeah.”
I pulled several bills free and threw them on the table as Halo reached for his wallet. “I got it tonight.”
“No. You don’t have to—”
“Don’t worry. I don’t expect a kiss or anything before you leave.”
As I got to my feet, Halo did also, throwing his napkin on the table. “You’re a real shit, you know that?”
“So people tell me. It’s part of my charm.”
As I headed toward the door with Halo following, I was more aware than I had been in years of the eyes on me, and I hadn’t been lying when I said some would be speculating over who Halo was. Little did they know they were all looking at the new lead singer of TBD, but they would soon enough.
When we got outside and Halo told me where he lived—on the opposite side of the city to me—it became apparent we wouldn’t be sharing a cab ride home. As one pulled up at the curb, I shoved my hands into my pockets and said, “You take it. You’ve got more stuff you’re lugging around. I’ll get the next one.”
Halo pulled the door open and slid his guitar in the back seat, and after he climbed inside, I reached out to shut the door. The wind chose that moment to howl up the street, and as it caught around my legs, it ruffled that golden hair of Halo’s around the stunning face he’d angled my way.
Christ, he was beautiful. His eyes, that hair, and his generous lips as they curved into a half smile.
“Thanks for dinner. Today was fucking amazing.”
The comment was innocent enough, but my cock didn’t take it that way. My cock was imagining what it would be like to climb in that cab with him and end this the way I really wanted to.
I licked my lips, and when Halo’s eyes automatically dropped down to them, I gripped the car door a little harder. The conversation from earlier came back in full force, and before I shut the door, I said, “Hey, Angel?”
“Yeah?”
“Now you can’t say you’ve never looked at another man’s mouth and wondered. See you tomorrow.” And before Halo could say another word, I shut the door and the cab drove away.
Eleven
Halo
“YOU LOOK NERVOUS.”
I raised my eyes to Viper’s, who sat across from me in the back of the limo that was taking us from the private jet MGA had chartered for us to the venue. It was a week after I’d officially been named a member of TBD, and though rehearsals had gone well, tonight would be the true test.
Nervous? No shit. Excited? Hell yes.
“You’ve got this,” Killian said, bumping his shoulder against mine. “They’re gonna love you.”
“They’d be insane not to,” Jagger added. As he straightened his cuff links, he winked my way. “Just don’t fuck it up.”
I snorted out a laugh. Easier said than done, right? But if things had gone as well as they had the last week, I didn’t have anything to worry about…other than performing my first show with the biggest rock band in the world. No biggie.
As we neared the arena, I could already see the masses of people standing around the entrance, and when they caught sight of the limo as we passed by, the screaming started.
“Oh shit.” I leaned forward, my gaze on the fans waving after us until the limo rounded the back of the arena and passed through a security gate.
Okay, maybe now I was nervous.
I didn’t have time to dwell on it, though. We were rushed through sound check, through introductions with the radio station that was hosting the charity event, and then to our joint dressing room. I had to admit I was relieved we were all in the same room, because the last thing I needed was to get too into my own head and freak out. It was also a weight off that there would be no meet-and-greets with fans tonight, something MGA had been insistent on until they saw how the show went, which I took to mean this was still a tryout in their eyes. But I’d show them they’d made the right choice. There hadn’t been much time to prepare, but I was as ready as I was ever gonna be.
As the others joked and crowded around the catering table, I took my time getting ready. There was no way I could eat now, not with the way my stomach flipped every five seconds as I listened to the crowd file in, their excitement filtering into the room.
I ran through my warm-up as I put on a pair of black jeans and a matching T-shirt, and then I wound my leather bracelet around my wrist. I didn’t want to overdo my outfit for tonight, didn’t want my first outing to look like I was trying too hard. I’d already have enough attention my way, and I’d rather they focus on the music.