I hadn’t expected this question from him. I thought about it a moment. I did like Gavin. He was nice. He was attractive. He was good with my having a kid. However, I was never going to do more than like him. There were no butterflies or lust-fueled moments.
“He’s a nice man,” I replied.
“I know that. But I was asking if youliked him, liked him,” he said.
I glanced over at Cam and frowned. “Uh, well—”
“Do you like Dean?” he asked me before I could think of the correct answer.
I felt my cheeks warm, and I sputtered, unsure of why he was bringing up Dean when he hadn’t seen him since the night in his penthouse.
“That’s what I thought,” he said.
“I didn’t say anything,” I replied defensively.
“You didn’t have to. Your face told me.”
I focused back on the road. “I am sure most females on earth like Dean,” I pointed out.
“Probably. He’s famous,” Cam agreed.
“Gavin is a much more sensible person to focus on,” I explained, maybe more for myself than for Cam. He hadn’t asked me who was sensible.
“Yep. Gavin isn’t famous,” Cam replied.
No, he wasn’t. He also had never starred in one of my fantasies. Those seemed to all be centered on Dean. More so now than they had been when I was younger.
“Do you think we can go see Slacker Demon in concert this winter when they have a stop close to here?” he asked me. “I’ve always wanted to go to a concert, and it would be super cool if I could see Dean onstage. It could be my Christmas present. I wouldn’t want anything else.”
Those tickets would be hard to get. I hated to promise something I might not be able to do. Yes, I could ask Dean to help me land two tickets, but I felt weird, asking him for anything now. After … last night.
“I don’t know if Santa does concert tickets,” I replied, not wanting to tell him no.
He sighed, and I thought he was going to say more, but he just nodded his head, as if he understood. He didn’t. I knew he didn’t. I would work some nighttime delivery shifts until I had enough to buy the tickets. I’d make it happen.
twenty-seven
dean
I slowed my bike as I turned to cut through the cars parked out front to get to my private drive leading to the garage when I saw Cam sitting on a bench with his sticks, playing a rhythm on his knees as he looked out over the parking lot. His gaze met mine, and he lifted a stick to wave at me. I waved back, then drove my bike over to where he was sitting.
I had taken a drive to see if it could clear my head of thoughts of his mother. It hadn’t worked. I was about ready to not give a shit and let it be. Who cared about age? It had never bothered me before. Sure, she had a kid, but I liked him. He loved the drums. We had a connection. What was so wrong with the idea? God, I was losing it. The woman had a magic vagina after all.
I stopped in front of Cam and turned off the bike, then pulled my helmet off so he could see my face. “How’s it going?” I asked him.
He smiled at me, then shrugged. “Good. I’ve been working on that riff you showed me. I think I got it,” he replied.
I felt guilty for not showing him more. I’d promised I would, and then I’d just left. I was a jackass. “I’ll have to come hear it. There’s a backbeat I can show you.”
His eyes widened. “Really? That would be awesome.”
“Why don’t I call your mom? You two can come up tonight. We can play some, then watch a movie.” And there it was. I was going to do this. I wanted Brielle. I wanted all of her. Screw good decisions.
Cam’s face fell then, and I paused, not expecting that. Had Brielle said something about not seeing me again? Fuck that shit. I’d go see her sexy ass right now. We would clear that up real damn quick.
“We can’t tonight. We have a … thing,” he said, looking deflated.
What thing?