Awakening

“Okay, calm down some. They’re just a band. He’s just a guy,” I say rolling my eyes. Kylee is in total fangirl mode and I might have just hit a nerve.

“Just a guy? Here, look, he’s f**king hot,” Kylee says, pulling her phone out to show me a Facebook picture of this Taron guy. He really is hot as hell, like hot damn hot.

“Okay, what about his shows? Are they coming here?” I ask.

“They’re at The Fillmore this weekend and he’s leaving us tickets at will call. He really seems into me, Mira. I have always wanted to bag a rock star.”

The last time I checked, Kylee has a man. Are Kylee and Jacoby not doing well?

“Ky, what about Jacoby?”

“Taron Walker is on my free pass list. If I get the chance to hook up with him, I’m taking it.”

What the f**k is a free pass list?

Kylee rolls her eyes at me this time and blows out a deep breath, “You know, a free pass list. It’s just a list where you put dudes you would sleep with that you usually wouldn’t get the chance to in real life. Like celebrities and shit.”

“Okay, I get it. So is this a girls’ night? There’s enough drama in my life that I could use a night out, just us.”

“That’s the plan babe. Shopping and salon tomorrow, love. If I’m going to get me a rock star, I gotta look my best, not that I’m not amazingly sexy right now.”

God, I love her confidence. If I could bottle her self esteem and sell it, I could make a killing. It’s times like this that I’m so damn happy this girl is my best friend. Anyone else acting this cocky would piss me off. Kylee just makes me laugh. She’s beyond amazing.

As expected, Kylee spends the rest of the night and the entire next morning talking about Mr. Rockstar and the seven ways to Sunday she is going to screw him. Jacoby really does seem like a good guy and I don’t want him to get hurt, but who am I to stand in my girl’s way? If Sawyer Beckett from Embrace by S.E. Hall suddenly comes to life and pops up in my town, looking to give some love to a random girl, you better bet your sweet ass I’m first in that line.

Shopping with Kylee is always an experience; one that I loathe. The girl has impeccable taste but it seems like we have to hit twenty stores before she finds the perfect outfit. I don’t understand the point to finding something so perfect when she plans on taking it off as soon as she can.

As Kylee spins in the mirror, checking herself out, I try to get her to pick a new skirt. She has the longest, sexiest legs I’ve ever seen. If I liked the ladies, I would totally be all up on her. This skirt is about two inches below her ass, so it’s typical Kylee fashion, but it’s the boots that kill me. She pairs her little black skirt with a pair of five inch stiletto thigh high boots. If I didn’t know the girl, I would peg her as an 8 Mile street walker. When she picks the skimpy halter top with a neckline that is almost nonexistent, I try to draw the line.

“Kylee, you don’t have to dress like a slut to be hit on. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You might be the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

“Mira, I’m not dumb. Do you see the kinds of girls that hang around bands? They are always smoking hot and easy. Trust me. Taron is going to give me what I want before he gets off. This little number right here,” she says spinning in a circle showing off her assets, “is going to guarantee that I’m the only one on his mind. I mean, really, look at me. This is posh p**sy right here.”

“Okay kitten, let’s pay for this and get going. I really want to grab something to eat before we’re stuck in the hair salon. I’ve been thinking. I’m ready for something different; something drastic. I feel like I’m trying to be what Danny wants me to be and I’m ready to be what I want to be. I might just let you pick out what Stephen does to my hair.”

“Hell yeah. Let’s go,” Kylee says, dancing back into the dressing room. She’s been trying for years to get me to do something with my hair. I’ve never even had my hair dyed. Kylee has been going to Stephen for years and just recently got me to go to him for a trim.

As soon as we get to the salon, Stephen comes running in our direction.

“Angels, there you are. I’ve been waiting. What do you want Feisty to do to you today?”

Stephen is the sweetest g*y man I have ever met. He always takes good care of his customers and he is memorable. This is why, I think, so many people come back to him. It might also have to do with the fact that he refers to himself as Feisty, which I adore.

“Feisty, babe, Mira is letting me have my way with her hair. I have an idea,” Kylee says, stepping toward Stephen, whispering in his ear. This is not going to end well; I can feel it in the pit of my stomach.

An hour later, I’m finished. Stephen spins me around in the chair and I’m shocked. He didn’t take me too far over the edge, but just far enough that I am not about to freak out. Stephen has taken my long brown wavy locks and cut them to about my shoulders, throwing in blonde highlights and flat ironing the hell out of it. My hair is about as straight has Kylee’s. I really thought I was going to look a hot mess, but this works and I feel sexier than I have in a very long time.

I turn to face Kylee and she’s in awe, too. She pulls out her phone and takes a picture. When she starts fidgeting with the screen, I start to worry.

“What did you do?” It can’t be good since that devious look is in her eye.

“I sent a picture of you to Danny and Skylar.” That innocent voice won’t work on me, girl.

“What?!?” The other patrons in the salon turn to stare at me in the midst of my freak out. How the hell could she do that? As freaked out as I am, it turns even worse when her phone chimes not once, but twice.

“What, Kylee?” She’s staring at her phone with a grin. I know one of them texted back and I want to know what they said.

“Danny says you look beautiful.” When she goes into the next text, my heart races. I’m almost positive it’s from Skylar and the waiting is killing me. I wish she would just put me out of my f**king misery.

“Skylar says you look absolutely breathtaking.” Well fuck.

Kylee puts her phone back in her pocket and we leave the salon. I make her promise to not show that picture to anyone else and if she does, her phone sleeps with the fishes. Kylee reluctantly agrees and even deletes the picture from her phone. I’m not dumb, I know it’s still in her text messages but I’ll take the win.

Kylee and I finish the evening catching up on Rebel Walking’s songs on Facebook. I think fans have posted videos from other shows on their wall. I know we’re going because Kylee is hoping to get lucky, but they really are a good band. Ky has her eyes set on the front man, Taron, and I can totally see why. He’s sex on a stick. I assume the drummer is his twin. I really don’t get a good look at him, but the only other one I can see vividly is the guitar player and holy hell. If I had my pick of the band, I would take him. Those tattoos are f**king sexy as sin. Tattoos are especially sexy to me, but when they are bright and full of color, shit, I can’t resist. That explains my attraction to Skylar. His sleeve is f**king sexy as hell.

After learning a lot of their songs, I decide to stay at Kylee’s again since I haven’t heard from the guys, except for Skylar’s weird phone call the other day. The break is welcome, even if I am feeling a little sad. Between dealing with my feelings for the two and the whole Melissa issue, I’m spent. I have never been so mentally exhausted in all my life. College was a cake walk compared to this adult drama. I know it sounds stupid, but I wish Danny would just cheat on me, to make my decision a little easier. When everything went down, I really thought he was going to tell me to kick rocks, but he didn’t. That’s what makes it so hard. He is such a stand up guy and won’t do anything to intentionally hurt me. Isn’t life supposed to get easier? I guess not for me.

The next morning is a typical Mira and Kylee morning. We take our time getting out of bed, make a quick breakfast and watch TV. Days that I can just veg out are great. Nobody is expecting me to be anywhere early, I don’t have to get dressed and I get to watch chick movies. After the third John Hughes movie, I’m in full-on Molly Ringwold mode and feel like even though I may be in a pickle, I’ll get out of it just fine and things will work out.

Kylee is dressed and ready to walk out the door two hours before the show is scheduled to start. I try taking my time, but that’s difficult when you have an almost nak*d redhead tapping her foot impatiently. As much as Kylee protests my choice in attire, I decide on casual concert clothing; a pair of tight blue jeans with strategically placed rips across the thighs and knees, a tight fitting tee shirt that I’ve torn in the center to show off my cl**vage and a pair of faded black and white Chucks. I even take my engagement ring from the chain I wear it on, and place it on my ring finger, in an attempt to not have any guys hit on me. Praying it works, I meet Kylee in the living room. She already has a thin jacket out, ready for me to slip into, and my purse in her hand. She isn’t playing any games tonight.

When we arrive at the venue, I look at Kylee and ask her where we get the tickets. I will say, I’ve been a little skeptical over the last few hours. What kind of rock star “meets” a girl on Facebook and decides to leave her and her friend amazing VIP tickets at will call? When Kylee comes walking back from the ticket booth, holding two tickets, my inner jaw drops. She wasn’t kidding. We’re really about to meet the band. Jumping around in place, smiling like a kid at Christmas, I walk arm in arm with my best friend, about to do something that so many girls would kill for. We’re about to meet Rebel f**king Walking.

“Holy fuck, Mira, do you see this shit?” Kylee yells over the music.

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing,” I respond, bouncing in place to the music.

Making our way to the front row, Kylee is already eye f**king Taron. He is really f**king sexy. This is one of the best shows that I have ever been to. The songs are catchy and everyone seems to love these guys. They interact so well together, like they have an unspoken language. One song bleeds into the next and I can feel the sweat building on my skin from dancing in the crowd.

I’m having a great time. As the band closes with one of my favorite Rebel Walking songs, Kylee grabs onto my hand, heading backstage to claim her prize. As we’re nearing the back doors, I spot Skylar across the room. I’m ducking, trying to hide and Kylee must see him too, because she’s not letting me get away no matter how hard I try. It’s not working. With a grin on his face, he’s making his way through the crowd in our direction.

“Kylee, please can we move faster?”

“Nope. Not tonight, baby girl. You have your work cut out for you. That man is hot on your heels and I’m not going to be the girl to stand in his way. If he makes it to us before we get backstage, you have to talk to him.” Kylee is a sweet and kind person but all I want to do right now it cut her ass. This is so f**ked on so many different levels.

And that’s exactly what happens. Just as Kylee’s about to give the VIP tickets to the bouncer, Skylar reaches where we are standing.

“Hey girls. Good show, yeah?”

“It was amazing. What are you doing here? I didn’t know you liked Rebel Walking,” Kylee says

“Yeah, been following them for a while now. I was going to say the same thing to you.”

“We’re headed backstage. What are you doing?” I really wish he would stop staring at me even though he’s talking to Kylee.

“Nothing much. I was thinking about going to get something to eat. Wanna grab a bite and talk, Mi?”

I shake my head and cling to Kylee’s arm. She nudges me away from her body and answers for me. “Mira was just saying that she was hungry, right Mira?”

“Come on, Mi. The way Kylee looks right now, I don’t think she’s going back to get an autograph, unless they’re signing asses.”

“No, it’s okay, I really do want to meet the band.” I don’t really care either way, but being alone with Skylar is terrifying.

“Well, okay then, to meet the band we go.” Skylar puts my arm through his and knocks on the door. I don’t think he realizes that he has to have a VIP ticket to get in.

“My club brother is a DJ here, I won’t have any problems,” Skylar whispers into my ear, reading my mind. How does he do that?

“I think maybe I will take you up on that bite to eat.” I see the way the bouncer is looking at me. I look out of the corner of my eye to see the vein in Skylar’s neck pulsing. This is not good. Bad news bears.

“Sounds even better. Kylee are you good?”

“I’m better than good, loves. I’m f**king great.” Kylee straightens her skirt and moves toward the bouncer. He stares right at her ass as she walks by. What a f**king pig.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mira

“Where exactly are we going, Sky?”

“Like I told Kylee, we’re going to get something to eat. It’s high time we talked.”

Not that I mind talking to Skylar, I just don’t know if this is the right time. I hadn’t planned on seeing him tonight. I was prepared to spend the night dancing and laughing with Kylee and I have to admit, I’m kind of sad I don’t get to see the band backstage now that we’ve left.

Even with the frustration of the situation, I can’t help but feel that electrical current that shoots up my spine when Skylar places his hand on the small of my back to lead me out of The Fillmore. I wonder if he feels this energy, too.

When we’re outside the venue, Skylar takes the lead and grabs my hand. The feeling of our palms touching is almost too much to bear. I want his hands all over me and the emotions that are surging through my body solidify my dream. I love this man. I want this man. I need this man.