Rising (Blue Phoenix, #4)(9)

This guy is going to rock the star status. He has the tousled blonde-haired, blue-eyed thing going on with just the right amount of edge and cockiness. Jax isn’t along for the ride though; he drives the band. That I know from the constant hassle he gives me for an answer as to what I intend to do. I admire him for that; I did the same with every talent scout I came across in the early Phoenix days.

Ruby picks up a beer mat and taps it onto the table, edge by edge. “So? You got an answer for us yet?”

“I got a question.”

“What?” asks Jax.

“Whose idea was it to play “Rising” tonight?”

Jax rubs his mouth and chin. “Mine. Why?”

“I told you we shouldn’t have f-ucking played it!” snaps Ruby.

“We know it though! Always played it in the early days,” says Will, darting a look between the two hostile band members.

“I said we should’ve played all our own stuff.” Ruby fixes her darkened eyes on me. “Right?”

“Correct,” I say.

“f-uck!” Ruby drops the mat onto the table and grabs her bottle. “He hated it! Nice one, Jaxon.”

“I’ve heard you play a few times now, one shit cover of my song isn’t a deal breaker. Just don’t play my songs around me again.”

“He’s very protective of his children,” says Bryn. “If he had his way, nobody but Blue Phoenix would play them.”

“Sorry, man,” mutters Jax, glancing at the furious Ruby.

“Have I heard all your work?” I ask.

“Think so,” replies Jax.

“When’s your next gig?”

Everyone looks at Ruby who shifts in her seat, avoiding looking at anyone.

“We have one booked in a couple of weeks, Ruby needs to check if she can get time off work,” Jax says.

“How long since you booked the gig?”

“Couple of weeks,” says Jax.

The brothers have gone quiet and the atmosphere shifted to unease.

“How long does it take you to book time off work?” I ask Ruby. “What do you do?”

“Work at a coffee shop.” She takes a swig from her bottle.

“So you can’t plan your shifts a few weeks before?”

Jax stiffens next to me. “Things are complicated for Ruby.”

She shoots him a death stare. “Shut the f-uck up, Jax.”

“It’s true. We have issues planning gigs because of your complicated lifestyle.”

“So find another f-ucking singer!” She stands.

Shit, this girl’s fuse is short. “No, you’re the singer,” I say quietly. “I’m interested in you guys as a group and how you are now.”

Until this point, Ruby has avoided my eyes; but at my comment, she turns to me. Again, the weird something that’s causing problems reaches between us. Truthfully, if the singer wasn’t Ruby, this would be easier. There’d be no temptation to touch her, no need to get any closer to the girl who not only triggered off the dreams about Liv; but who also reminds me too much of myself. But in reality, if the singer wasn’t Ruby, the band would be a different creature and I wouldn’t be interested.

“So you’re keen?” pipes up Nate.

“Yeah. I’ll give you guys a go, help you get some more gigs and watch how you cope.”

“Whoa! Really?” Will rubs a hand through his spiky black hair and practically bounces out of his seat.

“Yeah, but if I’m gonna commit some of my time to you, you need to be a hundred per cent committed, too. I haven’t got time or patience for wannabe kids.”

“f-uck, yeah!” enthuses Nate, and he and Will high-five each other.

But all I see is the stress on Ruby’s face. Her phone beeps and she jumps, checking the screen. “Dan’s here. I have to go.”

Without another word to anyone, Ruby picks up her bag and heads to the door at the back of the bar.

“That’s the complication, isn’t it?” I ask Jax.

Jax doesn’t look at me. “Yeah, in more ways than one. Two secs.” He jumps up and follows. “Hey, Ruby!”

She pauses and they talk quietly for a couple of minutes, Ruby picking at the strap of her bag.

“Everything okay?” I ask Jax when he returns.

“Yeah, reminding her about the party at ours tonight.” He smiles slowly. “Wanna come?”

“Sure,” I say and Bryn pulls a sour face. “What?”

“Is that a good move?” he asks.

“I’m sure with you to hold my hand, I’ll be fine.”

Besides, sober amongst a drunk group of college kids sounds like an amusing alternative to going home and fighting the nightmares about Liv.



****



Sara comes with us to the party. Great. Hopefully, some other guy will pick up the slack once Sara realises she was a mistake.

We bundle the group into a couple of taxis and arrive at the old Victorian terraced house in Mile End, where the guys in the band live. Ruby leaves the club with the dickhead I saw pushing her about the other night and they follow us in his car. If she doesn’t live with the guys, does she live with him?

Not my problem.

Déjà vu hits me when I step into the narrow hallway of the house. In the tatty lounge room, a strong smell of cigarettes from the finished beer bottles full of fag ends, and the unmistakable scent of weed emanates through the smoky room. Bryn is aware too and glances at me. Test of my strength right here. Sara hangs onto my arm; Jem Jones is her prize for tonight. There are a few single guys here checking the chicks out. If I’m lucky, and leave her long enough, she might hook up with one of them.