“No. I mean, sorta. I’ve been to holiday concerts with orchestras. Is that what this is?”
“No,” I answer with a laugh. “My friends are in a rock band.”
“Ah, yes, see. Never been to a rock concert.”
I smirk at her and say, “Well, maybe someday I can take you to one. When you’re not going on dates with the future ‘Mr. Leads.’”
I turn and make my way to her door when her voice suddenly stops me. “Wait.” I face her and take in her tentative expression. “I want to come.”
Raising a brow, I reply, “What about your date?”
Jane’s shoulders shrug and she gives me a sweet smile that makes my heart beat harder. “What date?”
“Where are you going? I feel like I never see you anymore,” Derek complains as he eats a bowl of cereal while leaning against the doorway to my room.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Do I need to take you out?”
Derek shakes his head and replies, “It’s about fucking time. I’m feeling very neglected lately.”
I scoff out a laugh and reach to the bed where my T-shirt is. It’s June now and the heat is ramping up, so as much as I’d like to dress up a little, this will be more comfortable at a hot venue. “I’m going to the Heroes concert.”
“What?” Derek barks. “They’re back in town?” Derek knows Heroes of Tomorrow from me, when I was listening to their new album in my car and he dug it, so that led to me explaining that I went to college with all of them and we’ve been friends for well over a decade now, Derek has been a fan ever since.
“Yup,” I reply and look back in the mirror. I was due to pick Jane up in half an hour and didn’t want to be late. I run my hand over my beard and check my hair, which I’m wearing half up.
“Well, let’s do it. I can be ready in ten.” Derek starts to back out but notices my hesitation and says. “What?”
“Nothing, uh, just that I’m kind of… meeting someone.”
His brow rises and I feel myself bracing for a shitstorm. “Someone? Who?”
“Just… someone.”
“Tell me,” Derek demands, setting his cereal bowl down on my desk. I eye it with disdain. I hate when he leaves his crap in here. He crosses his arms and stares me down. “Tell me.”
“What are you, my mother?”
“Mama Linda would want to know.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine.” The last thing I needed was this blabbermouth calling my mother on me who would no doubt then FaceTime me and badger me for everything she needed to know. Which at this point was nothing?
“I’m meeting with Jane and we’re going together.”
“Jane?” Derek’s confused tone has me sighing. “Jane Leads?”
“Yes,” I admit with a grumble. “Don’t fucking tell anyone, all right?”
“What would I tell them exactly? That my best friend was dating one of the most sought-after bachelorettes in the area?”
“We’re not dating.”Yet.
“Uh-huh. What do you call meeting someone at a concert, justonesomeone, without the presence of friends?”
“Saving myself from hours of your miserable stories, where you try to endlessly embarrass the shit out of me?”
“Aha!” He points an accusing finger at me. “Why would you care if I embarrassed you if she wasn’t more than a friend?”
“Look.” I stop him before he tried getting into one of his psycho-babble moments. “We are just friends. For now. She hasn’t seen me as something more and I want to ease her into the idea that we could be something more.”