Page 25 of The Devil's Tattoo
After the gig, the venue turned into a quasi-club that didn’t close until three a.m., so we all decided to stick around and have a dance and a few drinks. We were all riding high after our performance, and for the first time, I didn’t care one iota about Will Strickland. I felt like I could rule the entire bloodyworld.
We were all gathered around a table—Dee, Frank, Chris, and I—laughing and talking up a storm when I looked up and saw Dee’s eyes darken inannoyance.
“What?” Ielbowedhim.
“It really pisses me off the way he does that.” He scowled, and one look confirmed I knew what he was on about. Will was up to his old tricks again taking advantage of the string of female fans who had hung around fortheclub.
It was no use hiding my ill-advised crush from the guys anymore since everyone seemed to know without me telling them. “I need to get over that like lastcentury.”
“You should get one up on him,” Dee said, turning his back on theperformance.
“Why?” I asked with a grimace. “It’s not like he’s got a crushonme.”
“Totally does,” Frank said. “How are you the only one who hasn’tnoticed?”
“Probably because I’m firmly planted in reality,” I said with a dramaticeyeroll.
The Naked and Famous’s song ‘Young Blood’ came on, and Frank’s eyes lit up with a wicked sparkle. “Come and dance with me, Zoe.” He grabbed my hand and began to tug me toward the dance floor. “I know you likethissong.”
“And you can get one up on manwhore,” Dee said, nodding toward the one place I didn’t wanttolook.
“If you can’t dirty dance with your band brothers to make jerk-offs jealous, then what are we good for?” Frank whispered inmyear.
I laughed the first genuine laugh since the tour had started and squeezed his hand. “Let’sgo,bro.”
We disappeared into the mass of people on the dance floor, and Frank positioned us under a blue spotlight. Grabbing me around the waist, he pulled me against the length of his muscled body, and I didn’t care in the slightest. I wrapped my arms around his neck as we moved to the bouncy song and sang along to the words, having the time of our lives. When it inevitably slowed down, he twirled me around and pulled me closer so that we were cheek tocheek.
“Death stares at two o’clock on the rocket clock,” he murmured into my ear, and I knew helovedit.
“You’re such a bad influence, Frankie,” I murmured back, and he spun me around again like we were doing some kind of mashed up ballroomdance.
“I’m all about being used for my body.” He wiggled hiseyebrows.
I threw my head back and laughed, and he took the opportunity to dip me low to the floor before pulling mebackup.
“These arms can do more than just drum, Zo Zo.” He smiled wickedly. “You know what they say about agoodbeat.”
“Gross,” Iexclaimed.
“Feel thebeat,Zo.”
“I can feel something against my thigh, and it ain’tthebeat.”
When the song came to an end and melted into another bubbly electro number, Frank pulled me off the dance floor. “Let me get you anotherdrink.”
“You’d better.” I laughed. “After that dance, I think I might bepregnant.”
“Because I’mthatgood.”
Thoroughly disgusted, I pushed him toward the bar. “Get a move on,smartass.”
Dee shook his head at me as I stood next to him, my face flushed. “Missionaccomplished.”
“Was I on amission?”
“You totally were. Don’tdenyit.”
I shrugged. “Okay. Maybe it was a little satisfying. Now we can allmoveon.”
