Page 151 of Debts and Desires
“Damn, baby. You’ve been busy.”
“What did you think I was doing?”
“Bein’ a brat, per usual.” I rolled my eyes. “Roll your eyes again, Buttercup. See what happens.”UGH. The way he could switch from Carter to Sir had me weak at my knees every time.
The two of us stared at each other, neither of us willing to move. I would never tire of looking at him. Even when we were both old and gray. I felt my cheeks heat at that thought. I could see a future with Carter play as clear as day in my mind.
Finally, Carter cleared his throat. He took a few steps closer to me, his voice low and husky.
“You make it so hard not to grab and fuck you on that desk right now. Especially when you look at me likethat.”
“What’s stopping you?” I teased.
“We have to meet Ty in five.” I’d forgotten about that, checking the time on my phone. Sure as shit it was. “I came in here to ask if you were ready to go?”
“Yup! Just let me log out of everything first.” He gave a nod and headed out of the office.
We were meeting Tyler before the bar opened to go over our next show as “Emmy Rae and the Depraved”, which was super exciting. Neither one of them knew that’d I’d extended the invitation to Cassie. She was beyond excited to join. I closed up the office and headed outside to where Carter waited, leaning against his truck.
After smacking my ass before shutting the passenger door for me, Carter got in on his side and we headed to Pete’s.
As we walked in,Tyler waved from behind the bar. He was busy setting up for the night, his smile warm and welcoming as always. It had been a few weeks since we last saw him, thanks to Cassie coercing him into taking a much-needed vacation.
“Emmy. Dickface,” Ty greeted, his tone teasing as he nodded in our direction.
“Hey, Ty,” I responded with a grin, just as Carter said, “Douche.” We took our seats.
“Flirtin’ ain’t gonna get you free beer, you know,” Ty replied.
“Sure it ain’t,” Carter retorted.
“How’s it going, Ty?” I asked with a laugh as he handed Carter a beer.
“Same old, same old,” Tyler shrugged nonchalantly. “Just tryin’ to keep this place runnin’. How about you two? Any babies yet?” Carter choked on his drink, making Ty and me laugh.
“No babies,” I answered.
“Yet,” Carter added, voice still rough from coughing, and my face heated. I was thankful that the front door opened then. Carter’s eyes widened in surprise, and Tyler’s expression mirrored his. I smirked at their reaction.
“Hi, Cassie!” I called out, waving her over with an eager smile. She made her way to us.
“Hey,” she smiled. “Sorry, I’m late.”
“All good,” I reassured. “We haven’t started yet.” Both men looked at me like I had five heads. I rolled my eyes. “I invited Cass to join us because she has an incredible voice and I thought it would be a great addition. Plus, she plays keyboard.”
Carter’s brow furrowed in concern, his protective instincts kicking in. “You sure, Em? She needs to understand that you call the shots,” he voiced his worries, as if Cassie wasn’t right there.
“I am,” I affirmed, shooting Cassie a reassuring smile.
“I already told Emmy her word is law,” Cass added.
With that settled, the four of us launched into a discussion about the band, brainstorming ideas for cover songs and picking a few of my songs to go over. Cassie was a fast learner and her suggestions were incredible.
We ended up doing a quick jam session. Soon enough, we were lost in the music; the melodies weaving like threads, binding us together in harmony.
As patrons began to filter into the bar, signaling the start of another busy night, we reluctantly called it a wrap, already looking forward to our next rehearsal. Cassie graciously offered to lend Tyler a hand behind the bar since Miss Etta had Eli forthe night, leaving Carter and me to settle back into our regular seats. I smiled, replaying the sounds the four of us made together on that stage. I could’ve cried.
Never in a million years did I think I’d have a shot, let alone my ownband. And it all happened because I took a leap.
