Page 35 of Darcy
Darcy
I’ve managed to avoid them for a full day.
I hate shopping, especially alone, but it’s kept me busy. After browsing almost every single alternative clothing store, I’ve managed to scrape together five new outfits to help me blend in. I’m not sure I like the idea of wearing so much black, but I can always take a leaf out of my sister, Royal’s, book and return them all when this job is over.
If both Sully and Arlo commented on my look, then I’m sticking out.
Being noticed isn’t the goal, so when I turn up at the arena the next day and get to work, I’m wearing ripped black skinny jeans and an oversized Hazardous hoodie. Free band merch is one of the perks of my job, and I’m already in love with the fleecy pile of heaven. The warmth is welcome given how they’re blasting the AC in here.
My phone is on silent, and has been since last night, when Slate began his campaign.
It started with innocuous questions. Little prompts that I responded to cautiously. Before I knew it, the sneaky bastard had graduated to trying to figure out my room number.
It wasn’t hard to figure out that he was trying to make his case again in person.
So I did what any self-respecting woman would. I sent him on a wild goose chase.
That won’t work today. A new stage means a new safety talk, and this time they know who I am. So, like any mature, reasonable woman, I’ve decided to hide beneath the stage. The wires for the waterfall of sparks that kicks off the encore are loose, and I’ve had to crawl on my back like a crab to reach the connectors in the tight space.
“So you really managed to fuck with Slate yesterday.”
His voice, so unexpected and close, makes me jump. My head comes up automatically, seeking him out without care for the solid metal bar above me.Clunk, my forehead connects, and I see stars for a second.
“Shit.” I nurse my forehead as I glare at him through the nest of wires I’m tangled in.
“Whoa, jumpy much?” Dodger grimaces, offering me an apologetic smile and a hand up. “Need some help?”
I wiggle my way out from my hidey hole and take it warily.
Is this some kind of trap?
This close, the crushed velvet of Dodger’s voice is overwhelming, messing with my senses. My body has been conditioned to expect pleasure when I hear him speak in that husky tone, and I bite the inside of my cheek as I silently beg myself to remain professional.
“I’m not used to men creeping up on me while I’m working,” I retort. “And Slate deserved a little payback.”
He shrugs, as if he couldn’t care less if his bassist was roaming the corridors of the hotel in search of room numbers which don’t exist. “Probably.”
“Where’s the other three quarters of you?” I ask, looking around for them.
Aside from Gabrielle—who’s ignoring us as she furiously taps away at her phone a few feet away—and a couple of other techs messing with a misbehaving speaker above us, we’re alone. The rest of the band isn’t here yet, which means he’s cornered me. Odd for a guy who slammed a door in my face when he found me in his hotel apartment.
“I left early,” he shrugs. “I thought—” He pauses, running a hand through his shaggy hair. “I wanted to clear something up. You got the wrong impression, baby girl.”
I raise a single brow, crossing my arms over my chest. “What wrong impression?”
He raises a dark brow, as if surprised I’m going to make him say it.
“Nothing happened between me and that groupie.”
“Uh huh.” I let my scepticism bleed through. “And why should I care if it did?”
Does he think I was born yesterday? Those girls were objectively gorgeous and were all over him like flies on honey. Dodger is attractive and sexy, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to resist the advances of a bunch of hot men—wait. Iamresisting the advances of a group of hot men.
Huh, go me.
Far from being put off by my words, he grins like I’ve given him a challenge. “I figured your big brain would be too smart to believe me without proof, so I brought a witness.”
He reaches out to his left and drags Emma out from behind a crate. How long has she been there? The poor woman looks awkward as hell as she backs away.
