Beat of the Heart (Runaway Train #2)(35)

“You could say that.”

“I’ll remember that next time.”

“Yes, save the dick pics until at least late afternoon. Evening might be best.”

AJ chuckled. “I’ll note that one for sure.”

“Seriously though. I would love to see your band and you live in action.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Our set starts at eight, and things will be pretty crazy before then. I hate to not come pick you up, but do you think you could meet me there?”

“Sure, that’ll be fine.”

“Great.” A long pause came on the line before AJ spoke again. After clearing his throat several times, he asked, “You think you’d wanna have dinner before then?”

The room seemed to tilt and then spin around me. He wanted to see me before the weekend? Surely, it was only about sex and not about getting to know me better. That had to be it. Trying to play the strictly physical card, I replied, “Guess you really are missing me bad if you can’t wait until the weekend.”

“Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of dinner—somewhere nice and fancy like we did before.”

“Oh,” I murmured.

“Being on the road so much, you enjoy when dinner doesn’t come out of a box or from some seedy diner.”

My heartbeat thrummed wildly in my chest. Okay, he wanted dinner and conversation, not straight sex. When I finally found my voice again, I replied, “Sure, I’d love to do dinner again. Well, as long as it’s not Mama Sofia’s. I mean, if we show up there again, they’ll have us already engaged.”

With a laugh, AJ replied, “I think that can be arranged.”

“I’m off tomorrow night.”

“Then tomorrow it is.” At the sound of voices in the background, AJ gave a frustrated grunt. “I have to go, Mia. I’ll see you tomorrow at seven?”

“Sounds good.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Long after he hung up, I sat dazed and staring at my phone. I only glanced up when Dee burst into the room. “Sorry, I’m late,” he said breathlessly, as he eased himself into the chair beside me.

“It’s okay. I was hungry, so I started without you.”

“I see how it is.”

I grinned as I passed him the bowl of grilled chicken salad. Leaning over me, Dee reached for a bottle of water from my bag. Before I could close my texts, he gasped and grabbed my phone. His dark eyes bulged. “Dayum, look who is getting sexts so early in the day!” He glanced up from the phone. “You must’ve made a helluva impression if he’s sending you this.”

I shrugged, trying to playing it off. “We were just joking around.”

“This,” he said, as he waved AJ’s cock pic in front of me, “is nothing to joke about. You know we never, ever joke about prize pieces of flesh, and this is certainly one of them.” Dee brought the phone in front of his eyes again. “And hell, he’s not even hard. No wonder you’re walking kinda funny today.”

“I’m perfectly fine, thank you very much,” I snapped.

“Mmm, mmm, he’s missing you and that fabulous vajayjay of yours so soon, huh?”

I laughed. “You have such a way with words.”

“I try.”

We fell into silence then. After swallowing a giant bite of salad, Dee grunted. “Spill it, Mimi. What’s he want?”

When I filled Dee in on AJ’s call, his eyes lit up. “He’s got it bad for you.”

“I’m having second thoughts.”

“Honey, you need to set up an appointment for a MRI cause your head needs checking for sure. There’s no way in hell I could say no to that cock.”

With a laugh, I playfully smacked his arm. “This is serious, Dee. I mean, getting back in the game was one thing, but a guy like AJ—a musician with a horde of women at his beck and call...” I shook my head. “I feel like I’m emotionally setting myself up to be a lamb to the slaughter.”

“And then again, you could end up Mrs. AJ Resendiz.”

I snorted. “Excuse me, but who needs an MRI now? I mean, you do remember this is me you’re talking to, right? The girl whose history with men is the figurative equivalent of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.”

Dee rolled his eyes. “You and your Georgia history nerdom.”

Leaning forward on the table with my elbows, I cocked my head at him. “You really think that after the past nine months of my life, I’m up for this?”

“We all have our pasts and baggage, Mimi. It’s our decision whether they f*ck with our future.”

With a defeated sigh, I rubbed my eyes. “Fine, fine. Deep down, I know you’re right.”

“Of course I am.” When I shot him a look, he grinned. “Speaking of the future, let’s talk about what hot little number you’re going to wear on Friday night to get Mr. Latin Lover’s gears grinding again.”

10

Drumming my fingers on my jeans, I waited anxiously in the cramped backstage room at Eastman’s Pub—the place where Runaway Train had gotten its start years ago. It was quite a different set-up from our usual concert scene, but it still felt so freakin’ right to be back here. Outside in the bar, a sold out crowd awaited us, standing room only. But a packed house was the last thing on my mind. Instead, a tall, stacked brunette occupied all my thoughts—most of which were pretty X-rated.