“Sorry, I had to run to the bathroom. The line was long.”
She hesitates for a second, flipping the bottle to fill the shot glass in front of her. For a moment, I worry I’m busted for lying, wondering if maybe she caught me talking to Brix.
I reach into the cooler, grabbing a bottle of beer before popping the top and sliding it across the bar, swiping the cash off the counter to ring up the order.
Jayde doesn’t respond, turning to head back into the cooler to refill the ice. I’m relieved. I need this job; the last thing I want is to burn a bridge on my first night.
Madden starts on the drums as Tysin joins in before Brix starts to sing. I recognize the song from the first night I was here. It isn’t hard to get lost in the sound of the music.
The last time I watched them play, I had been so distracted watching Brix, I hadn’t paid much attention to Tysin and Madden. Growing up, Kyla was always dragging me out to the garage to watch them play. She’d deny it if Madden ever found out, but I knew even back then it was more about being around Tysin than anything.
He was the sole reason she wanted us to come out last weekend. Not that Madden would ever let anything happen between them, but it didn’t stop her from hoping.
Tysin is dressed in a t-shirt that says, “You’re killin’ me Smalls” with a giant picture of Biggie Smalls on the front. He has gauges in his ears and a chain hanging from his jeans. His hair is covered by the backward hat.
Madden, on the other hand, is disguised behind his drum set wearing a hat, along with a pair of shades covering his eyes.
I did my best to keep my focus on tending bar, but it was difficult with the way Brix talked to the crowd in between songs. At one point, he took his shirt off. Watching women grab at him, nearly pulling his pants down, had me wincing, and I wasn’t sure why.
He really didn’t have an ounce of dignity.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. He’s always like that,” Oaklyn snickers, shaking her head.
It takes me a second to piece together who she’s talking about until she nods her head toward the stage.
“Brix.”
“What about him?”
“The look of disgust is written all over your face, girl.” She laughs. “He’s always like this when they play. He loves feeding off the women in the crowd. He’s quite the attention whore.”
“Oh, trust me, I know! We grew up together. I’m just amazed women actually find this attractive.”
Oaklyn giggles awkwardly but in a way that says she’s guilty and I’ve called her out.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean, I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to offend you.”
She waves me off. “He has many layers to him and can be really sweet when he wants to be. We’ve never hooked up or anything. I’ve been here when he’s come in to drown his sorrows a time or two, though.”
The thought of Oaklyn and Brix together has me looking around the bar, wondering who has been with him. Why do I even care who he’s slept with?
Maybe because he’s tried to sleep with me, too? Or maybe it’s because I’ve felt the pull toward him and I’ve actually given it thought?
The images die, though, the moment I start thinking of how he spoke to me in the hallway earlier. Oaklyn said he has many layers, more like multiple personalities. He’s always been hot and cold with me, going from one side to the other.
If he thinks he can get to me this summer, he’s dead wrong.
Five
Brix
“Thanks for comin’ out tonight. We’re A Rebels Havoc, we hope you enjoyed the show.”
Pressing my foot against the speaker, I lean over into the crowd touching the hands of those in the front row.
“If you’re single, stick around. We don’t have to let the good time end here.”
Standing back, my eyes search the crowd as cheers ring out.