“We don’t bite,” Fox says, chewing his last bite. “I mean, we might be a bit uncivilized at times but we won’t bother you.”
“I’m fine over here,” I reply.
To my dismay Rush grabs his plate and joins me. Fox does the same after cleaning his plate in the sink.
“We might as well get to know each other.” Rush winks. “I figure if you’re Hayes’s daughter we’ll be seeing you a lot.”
“You have no idea,” I mutter.
“Why’s that?” Fox asks.
I clear my throat. “I intern at the studio when I’m not at school or working.”
“You work? But like … your family is rich,” Rush stutters.
“My mom and dad don’t want any of us to use our money as an excuse to be lazy. So we’re expected to work when we can.”
“Don’t you get recognized? I mean, your dad’s super famous.”
I shake my head. “Everyone in this town knows who we all are anyway. They’re used to it by now. They’re not even fazed by Maddox, Mathias, Ezra, or my dad. Perks of a small town I guess,” I say with a shrug. “I think that’s why all the guys chose to continue living here full time as much as they could. It’s … peaceful,” I finally decide. “Whenever we travel for whatever reason chaos ensues.”
“Was it weird for you growing up?” Rush asks around a mouthful of food.
“Sometimes,” I admit. “But my parents were really good at keeping that part of our lives separate. We knew it was Dad’s job.”
As if on cue the garage door opens and a second later my dad enters the kitchen his eyes narrowed. “Y’all better not be hitting on my daughter.”
I roll my eyes as the two guys across from me give me a horror-stricken look. “Cool it, Dad. We’re talking. It’s not like my panties are slung halfway across the room.”
He slams his hands over his ears. “La, la, la, la. You are never to speak that word ever again.”
I sigh heavily. “What? Panties?”
“Meh!” He screams at me. “Stop!”
“You do realize I’m twenty-two. I know what a penis looks like.”
“Nope, no, no you don’t. You’re not having sex ever. Nope.”
“Who’s not having sex?” Hollis asks, finally coming up from the basement Or so I assume. I figure Dad told the guys to hang out down there. There are two guest rooms, a bathroom, and our media room downstairs. There’s even a home studio, but it’s really small and not practical for an entire band.
“My daughter,” my dad growls. “If any of you losers even look at her funny I will pack your shit myself and send you home.”
Fox raises his hands in surrender. “Seriously man, we were only getting to know each other.”
“It’s not you or Cannon I’m worried about.” He glares at Rush and then a little longer at Hollis. “These two on the other hand…”
I burn a hole in the side of Hollis’s face, daring him to say one word about what happened this morning, because if he does I’ll be in as much trouble as he will be.
He pats my dad on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Hayes. We’ll be perfect angels.”
His gaze then falls to me and he winks. His smile tells me he hasn’t forgotten this morning, and I very much doubt he’s done with me. I feel like a small cornered animal being stared down by the big bad wolf. Too bad this wolf doesn’t know who he’s messing with.
“Your plate’s over there man.” Fox points to the omelet I made earlier.
“Ooh, sweet.” Hollis sprints in front of my dad and over to the plate.
“You okay?” My dad asks me.