Page 30 of Chronicles of a Rockin' Mess

“What’s happenin’, hot stuff?!” Harry says as he leans in to give me a bro hug.

“What’s kickin’?” I ask him and Amelia as they sit at our rather secluded table.

Harry’s hair is a mess, and Kade gives me a knowing grin that has us both laughing.

“What?” Harry asks, oblivious to his “just fucked” hairstyle.

“Nothing,” Kade says as he calls over a waiter.

I look around at the bar. “This is a pretty cool place,” I admit to Kade.

“I told you so.”

Chapter 14

Several rounds of drinks and appetizers later, Kade and Harry are feeling no pain. I’ve kept with a combination of one water to one beer, so I’m the most sober one at the table. The outdoor dance area is lit up with twinkle lights now, and a DJ is pumping some awesome jams. I scan the crowd from the seclusion of our table and my eyes land on a familiar sight, Lark.

She’s on the dance floor shaking her ass. I can tell she’s had a few drinks because the Lark I know would never dance so provocatively in public. Coop and Mason are nearby, cheering her on. They are also plastered. Her short dress inches up her thighs as she twerks. A small group of guys begins forming around her, and I feel my inner caveman come out.

I rise from the table without saying a word to anyone and walk straight toward her. Her back is to me as she sways to the music. A guy grabs her hips and grinds against her. She turns slightly, and I can see a look of hesitation in her eyes, not quite fear, but definite discomfort with the guy who’s drunkenly whispering in her ear.

Coop and Mason are oblivious as they both dance with random girls near them. I beeline straight to her.

Lark

I was so in my zone a minute ago, that is before Bad Breath, Grabby Hands here decided he wanted a personal lap dance. I desperately try to come up with a polite way to get out of this situation without having to call in Coop and Mason or make some kind of scene. My thoughts are hazy from the last shot we did at the bar a few minutes ago. We’d been at another club all night, but Mason deemed it lame once the last DJ took over, so Coop suggested this new place. I note to myself that I really ought to hang out with Amelia and Savannah. We used to hang out all the time. Then it got weird. It was like they thought Lincoln and I would end up together.

I remember a drunken girls’ night where they took bets on how long it would be before Lincoln took my “V” card. I swore them to secrecy about that. I wonder if they kept that pact. I explained that Lincoln wasn’t into me like that, but they refused to believe me.

I haven’t hung out with them since I’ve been back. It’s been too…weird. I all but severed ties with them when I went to New Orleans. We’d text on occasion, but I always came up with excuses of why I couldn’t come to visit or hang out when they were in town. I feel bad about that because I do really love those ladies, but it was all too painful of a reminder.

My mind flashes back to the present as Vomit Breath leans in like he’s going to kiss me. And then, all of a sudden, he’s not there anymore. I sway a bit off-kilter and look around. It’s when I almost stumble on him that I see he’s on the floor, clutching his stomach and…holy shit…Lincoln is standing over him. I don’t have time to rationalize what just happened as Lincoln sweeps me off the dance floor and into a booth in the far corner away from the music.

“Jesus, Linc, what the fuck!? We’re gonna get thrown out of here,” Harry says.

“We are leaving, so don’t worry about it,” Lincoln says as he tosses a wad of bills on the table. “Sorry, guys, I need to get Lark back to the hotel.” Everyone’s attention turns to me, and suddenly I feel drunk because they are all staring at me like I need medical attention. I sway and feel Lincoln’s strong hand wrap around my upper arm.

“Yeah, you should get her back,” Kade says as he gives me a once-over. I glare at him because he’s using this fatherly tone that makes me want to say, “Oh, sure, the PA can’t have a night out, but the rockers can party it up.”

He glares at me, and I wonder if my inner monologue didn’t stay inner.

“Everything OK?” Harley asks. He’s one of the security team.

“Yep, just a handsy guy out there. We’re heading out. We could use a ride,” Lincoln says to him. He nods and backs away from us as he talks into an earpiece.

“We’re bringing around the car,” he says to us.

“Come on, little birdie,” Lincoln whispers in my ear. His hot breath on my neck has me quickly forgetting about being annoyed with Kade’s big brotherly ways. I turn, and he leads me out of the bar. I catch a glimpse of security talking to the douchebag that was manhandling me on the dance floor.

“Wait!” I call out to Lincoln.

“What?” he yells back over the music.

“I need to let Coop and Mason know that I’m leaving,” I say to him.

He whips out his phone and sends a text. “Done,” he says and presses his hand to the small of my back as he pushes me out past the inside dance floor that is packed with people. I can hear a few loud patrons mentioning his name as we leave. A phone camera goes off here and there, and then we are suddenly outside.

The cool air hits my skin for a second before Lincoln opens a car door and helps me inside. It’s cold in the car as well. I snuggle against Lincoln for heat.

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