Page 6 of Too Little Too Soon
He shook his head and dragged his gaze to her face. “Maybe I’m buying your lunch.”
She hadn’t removed the sunglasses, yet he could tell she rolled her eyes as she pulled her coat off her shoulders.
Travis’s heart sank to his feet. The logo on her pullover. Panic Station. Sam and Holly Stokes’s band. The lead singer for Travis’s own band, Lacey, was Sam’s sister.
Chances were, if this woman was a fan of Panic Station, she was aware of Demigoddess Revival, too, since they were kicking off their joint tour with this show tonight in Madison Square Garden.
Damn it.
She glanced down at her shirt. “What? You don’t like them?”
“I do, actually. And I assume you do, too, if you’re wearing their swag.”
She shrugged and greedily twisted the cap off one of her waters the second the server handed it to her. “My sister gave me this pullover. I wouldn’t recognize their music unless you told me who it was, to be honest.”
No way. He leaned closer. “You don’t listen to rock?”
She shook her head. “Country girl. At least, as far as my musical tastes go.”
Well, hot damn. He lounged in his seat and casually took a pull from his bottle of beer. “My name’s Travis.”
“Ava. Nice to meet you.” She stretched her hand across the table. He shook it, enjoying the feel of her warm, smooth skin.
Her food arrived, and she dove in with the same gusto he’d had.
“Are you from here, or are you a tourist like me?” he asked.
She swallowed and took a drink before replying. “From the West Coast, but I’ve lived in the city for the last fourteen years. What brings you to town, Travis?”
“Work.” He didn’t like lying, but he wasn’t about to tell her who he really was. Because even though he had a feeling that one-night stands were not her thing, he couldn’t help but hope he was wrong.
One dark brow arched over the top of her sunglasses. “You’re stuck out of town over the new year?”
“There are definitely worse places to be stuck than New York City.”
“This is true.” She tore off a piece of chicken and popped it into her mouth. “I’m feeling better already.”
“Were you sick?”
“Hungover,” she corrected. “At one o’clock in the afternoon. I’ve literally never been hungover before in my life, and the first time I drink too much, it’s before noon. I guess I’m into going big or going home, huh?”
He chuckled. “Been there, done that. Did you nap?”
“I did.”
“Smart girl. After this meal, you’ll be ready to go to whatever party you’re attending tonight.”
She sat back and guzzled water. “No party. In fact, if this were a normal New Year’s Eve, I’d still be working right now. But I am turning over a new leaf, as it happens. And that includes actually going out on New Year’s Eve. My sister invited me to a concert.”
“A concert?” They obviously weren’t the only band in town, but they were playing the largest arena in the city, so chances were…
“Who you going to see?”
“This band”—she pointed at her shirt—“and another one called…” She snapped her fingers several times.
“Demigoddess Revival?” he suggested.
She pointed a finger gun at him. “That’s it.”
