Bad Rep
Page 112

Vivian and her mystery guy had yet to acknowledge our presence so Gracie, Riley and I proceeded to drink our weight in beer. We were laughing with Lyla and the new bartender Jay, who had just started a few weeks ago, when Vivian jumped out of her seat and finally came over to us.
“Hey chicas!” she giggled. I patted the hand that she had thrown over my shoulder.
“Hey yourself. Having fun I see.” I teased.
“Yeah.” She let out with a self-satisfied grin. The guy had turned around and my stomach dropped. It was Cole. Generation Rejects' lead singer. Oh, just freaking fantastic.
“Hey, Maysie,” Cole said, tipping his drink in my direction. I inclined my head in his direction.
“Nice to see you again, Cole,” I said, though less than happily. Cole smiled in a way that said he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“We've missed seeing you around. Don't be a stranger.” Cole said sincerely as Vivian came back around to sit beside him again. He put a hand on her thigh and she lit up.
“Yep.” I responded, letting my mouth pop around the word.
Gracie looked confused. “Cole's the lead singer for Generation Rejects,” I explained and her eyes brightened with understanding. We fell into an awkward silence. What was there to say? Oh, hey sorry I f**ked over your friend royally...wanna be best buddies?
“So, you girls coming to our show next weekend?” Cole asked, tossing his hair out of his eyes.
I frowned. “I thought you guys weren't playing any gigs for a while.” I stated.
Cole shook his head. “Yeah, that was the plan, but Moore is relentless. So we finally caved. Plus he pays out the ass,” Cole said, tossing the rest of his drink back.
“Oh, that sounds like fun. We'll be there,” Vivian said, a little too enthusiastically. I swallowed my groan.
“Uh, yeah. I don't know,” I said noncommittally. Cole gave me a sweet smile. He really was good looking. I could understand why Vivian was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself.
“Oh, come on Maysie. You need to be there. We've been working on some new material that I bet you'd love,” Cole said, his eyes saying something else. I just didn't know what.
“Come on, Mays. It'll be fun,” Gracie pleaded. My eyes rolled to the ceiling.
“Yeah, sure. Sounds great.” My friends squealed and I tried not to mutter something rude under my breath.
~~
And that's how I found myself a week later, sitting in the exact same seat, with Riley on one side and Gracie on the other. Waiting for Generation Rejects to start their set. Vivian was off with Cole. They had apparently started dating and had been together every day the past week. I have to say I was pretty shocked by that turn of events. Given what a male slut Cole had a reputation for being. But they seemed pretty into each other, so I reserved judgment.
My eyes darted around the restaurant, looking for the one person I dreaded seeing most. So far, I hadn't found him. Riley squeezed my knee. “Settle down. It'll be cool,” she reassured me.
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, sure it will,” I said less than convincingly.
Jaz and Damien had just gotten off of their shifts and crowded around us, waiting for their drinks. “I love hearing these guys play! I'm so excited!” Jaz chirped, her good mood doing nothing to dispel my bad one.
“Yeah, they put on a good show,” I responded, staring into my whiskey sour.
I was going for the harder stuff this evening. Figured I'd need it.
The crowd was thick and the noise in Barton's was deafening. I could see Garrett and Mitch setting up their amps. Vivian sat on top of one of the rigs, talking to Cole, who was pressed against her, his hands on her upper thighs. Still no Jordan.
I tried not to fixate about it. But it was impossible when I knew any moment he'd show up and shred my heart to bits all over again. “Oh, Maysie! I forgot to tell you. We move into our apartment next weekend. I'd really appreciate it if you could help,” Gracie pleaded, batting her eyelashes. I laughed at her.
“Of course I'll help. No need to waste your flirting skills on me. You know I'll do it without all the cuteness,” I joked.
“Awesome. Vivian wants to have a housewarming party that night. Just a few people. Nothing crazy. But it should be fun.” Gracie started telling Riley and me about the new couch they had just purchased and the green and gold color scheme they had planned for the living room.
I tried to pay attention. I really did. But suddenly the air seemed to leave the room and I knew he had arrived. The skin on my back prickled and I discreetly looked over my shoulder. And there he was. His hair was growing out and for the first time I could tell that his dark hair was sort of wavy. It looked good on him. Too good.
He was lugging his drum kit through the door, his arm muscles bulging under his t-shirt. Riley handed me a napkin. “Wipe the drool,” she muttered and I swatted her hand away.
“I am not drooling. Shut up,” I hissed, looking away, even though it was almost physically painful to do so.
Why was I here? This had to be some form of masochism. I was inflicting unnecessary torture on myself. I was finally in a semi-decent place. It wasn't like Jordan had made any effort to talk to me. That part of my life was over.
So why was I sitting there, in Barton's waiting for him to reach into my chest and rip my heart out all over again?
“Breathe, Mays. It's all good,” Gracie whispered, tapping her fingernails on my glass.