“Enough, Xavier.” Taelyn laughs. “Xavier and I or Nickie will join you all at each city where we’ll hold open auditions for local bands to try out to be opening acts.”

“What’s it pay?” Finn asks.

“Finn.” I nudge him.

“What? I’m gonna do this shit for free? Hell no,” he says, scowling at me.

“Anyone else have reservations?” Xavier asks, and I know he’s trying to keep his cool.

“Will you explain the process a little?” I ask, hoping to chill Finn out a little.

“We’re currently scouring the Internet to find talent that is untouched or—”

“To sign,” Finn interrupts.

“Well, if we all like them, and they’re committed like you four, then yes, of course that’s what we would like to do,” Xavier answers.

“So we become sink or swim. You just throw us on stage and walk the fuck—”

“What the fuck did you just say?” X-man is pissed. “Sink or swim, Finn? Really? Are we not in this together? Forever fucking Steel isn’t just something to lure you in, asshole.”

“All right, Xavier.” Taelyn situates herself in front of her very pissed off husband. “Finn, think about who we are and not what you know of the industry.”

“But?” Finn snaps.

“But nothing, Becket.” Xavier shakes his head. “Are you here for us, too, or is this all about what we can do for you? Because look around. We’ve pushed our asses off because we believe in you four fuck-sticks.”

“Hey, X, he’s a fuck-stick; I am just—”

“Innocent?” X lets out a forced laugh. “STD?”

I can’t help smiling. “Epic name.”

“You guys have four days till you return. I was gonna make you come back early, but my wife reminded me I’m not a dictator, or some shit like that, and I agree. You’ve busted your asses for a year and deserve to have some fun. So think about this, Finn: we aren’t trying to fuck you here. You should know that by now. Okay, STD, keep it wrapped and see you soon.”

“Have fun,” Taelyn says.

“Peace,” Nickie D chimes in. “Out.”

The screen goes blank, and I look at Finn. “Can’t you just trust them?”

“Trust?” he huffs as he stands up. “Wait until you get dicked over just once, and that shit will harden you, too, and not just your cock. Get fucked twice, and you’re stone.”

“You trust us, don’t you?” Billy asks.

“You don’t even want to be here half the time, so I don’t think you’re gonna fuck us unless you leave. River is, well, River, and I know he’s cool.” He looks at me. “You, you are true blue, but the past few days, you’ve been a little—how do I say this?—in your head.”

“You wanna give me what?” I laugh, standing up.

“In your wildest dreams,” he snaps.

“You wouldn’t?” I joke. “If I really needed it?”

“Not if we were the last people on Earth and armless so I couldn’t jerk off.” Finn gets up and walks back to his room.

“Going to shower,” River yawns. I know he’s not, though; he’s going back to bed.

Billy takes off, too.

I look around and see Tally standing in front of the stainless, walk-in, industrial-sized fridge.

I get up and walk over. “Where is the queen?”

“Shower,” she says, turning to look up at me, not showing a bit of awkwardness. “You need to be nice to her.”

“Ask me nicely.” I can’t help putting my hand on the base of her elegant, long neck and using my thumb to turn her chin to the side. “Your neck is pornographic.”

She sighs, and I see her emerald greens roll.

Mesmerizing.

“Fuck, Tales, you are a very, very sexy young woman.”

She moves her head back, looks at me, and clears her throat. “You have a lot coming up, huh?”

“So do you, right, Tales?” I hold eye contact, not backing down. She is gonna give me another excuse; I know she is.

“Well, then I guess we should just get this out of the way so you can move on with your life.” She grabs my face in both hands and pulls it toward her, but I pull back. She looks stunned and embarrassed, but she’ll get over it.

“When I kiss you, it’ll be from head to toe, in a very private setting, Tales. It won’t be in the kitchen or hurried. It will be slow, hot, wet kisses that, regardless of where they are placed, will cause you to feel it just about…” I put my hand flat to her stomach and then push my fingers below her waistband. Her body quivers, and her eyes close as her mouth gapes. “Tonight, we’re all going out to dinner, but I want you to sit next to me and pretend the same fucking thing I will be—that the dinner is a prelude to a kiss and to what is about to … come.”

“Memphis.” She stops my hand’s slow descent.

I hear a door open, and Memphis slowly moves his hand away and winks at me. “Prepare yourself.” He steps away, leaving me in a state of disarray.

I watch as he lifts his hand to his nose and inhales deeply before licking his fingers, one by one, as he continues walking away.

Prepare myself? Prepare myself for what?

“You guys wanna play?” I hear Memphis from around the corner.

“This early?” River asks.

“I am pumped up, feeling inspired, ready to fuck shit up,” Memphis says in his sexy rasp.

Dear Lord, prepare myself.

I walk in the room to find Madison sitting on the bed, wrapped in a towel.

“Talk to me, Tales,” she says as she looks at me curiously.

“I just have a lot going on.”

She is sitting on a towel, knees open a bit wider than they should be, and I must look shocked because she laughs.

“Bikini area.”

“What?”

“Hair removal lotion. Two more minutes and then I get to rinse, Tales. Then you’ll be less uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable,” I say in the most uncomfortable sounding voice on the planet.

“Okay.” She laughs. “Sleep walking again?”

“I guess.”

“To Memphis’s room?”

I nod.

“Thank God he knows I’d de-nut him if he ever touched you.”

“I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t do that; he’s your brother,” I say, before I even think about what I’m saying.

She looks at me oddly.

“Madison, I’m not as innocent as I used to be,” I say as if it’s no big deal.

“I know, but guys like Memphis—”

I should shut my mouth, but I can’t. It’s Mads, and even though I am not telling her what is … not going on, I can’t shut my mouth.

“Memphis isn’t all that bad, really. I mean, he has been decent to me. I threw up on him, sleep walked into his room, and well, he was nice.”

I am knotting my shirt as she looks at me as if she knows. Dear Lord, she knows.

“Tales, I know my brother, and I know you.” I expect more, but she remains silent.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re going through a lot. Even though you won’t talk about what is bothering you right now, you need to. I feel like you’re projecting. You’re going to make rash decisions. You’re fixating.” She swallows back emotions, and my heart cracks a little. “I am not judging, Tales. I’ve been there.”

Madison never gets like this. She never gets emotional.

“I think you need to talk to me. Tell me where it is you’ve been.”

She smiles and it’s a sham; I know it is.

“I need to rinse this stuff off before I get a rash or something.” With that, she leaves the room.

Warning from Madison or not, I have had feelings for Memphis Black for a long time. Be it annoyance, a crush, a fascination, or a fixation, I am going to explore them.

I look over at the bottle on the nightstand, then pick it up and read the information.

Prepare yourself? That I will.

When Madison comes out, she smiles. “Let’s do something fun today, just you and me.”

“Sounds perfect. I’m gonna shower first.”

“Then come meet me outside?” she asks.

“Of course.”

I walk into the bathroom with the lotion tucked under the bath towel.