“You don’t have to—”

“We started out rough. Doesn’t have to be that way.” Tally smiles at her, and Sonya smiles back.

“Okay,” Sonya replies.

I make sure I’m last. I close the door behind me and take in a deep breath of the scent wafting in the air, a scent that is all her. Sweet as pie.

Now I’m fucking starving.

***

We settle in at the table in Ristorante Tuscany. It’s a casual atmosphere, which I prefer.

“You like it here?” River asks, knowing I am not a fan of the stuffy, fancy dining places Memphis and Billy enjoy.

“No suit, no service, no me,” I say as I sit next to him, directly across from Sonya who sits next to Tally.

The waitress comes over and smiles. “Welcome to Ristorante Tuscany,” she says with a thick Southern twang. “Can I start y’all out with some wine?”

“Yes, please,” Billy looks at the wine list. “A bottle of Columbia Valley Pinot Noir. The Sonoma Coast looks good.” He sets the wine list down and looks at us all staring at him. “What?”

Memphis smirks. “Nothing, man.”

The waitress looks around, her eyes landing on Tally and Sonya. “Y’all twenty-one?”

“Yep.” Tally smiles and digs in her little purse, producing her ID.

The waitress looks it over, hands it back, and then looks at Sonya.

“No, not yet,” she says quietly. “Water is fine.”

To say I’m shocked is an understatement. Her eyes rise up and meet mine briefly before she looks down.

I fucked a minor. How minor is she?

I stare at her. Has to be eighteen. I cringe, thinking she could be younger. But X wouldn’t hire a kid. No fucking way would he throw her to the wolves—us—if that were true. Plus, she has a scar, one I won’t ask about because then she may ask about mine. The past is the past, and Sonya is not a fucking minor.

I need a smoke. I sit back and run my hand through my hair.

Fuck.

“How about some starters?” the waitress asks.

“I’ll take a Becks,” I say. “Make that two.”

“Fosters,” River says. “Make it three.”

“For starters,” Billy says, “we will have steamed mussels, shrimp scampi, and some bruschetta.”

The waitress looks up from her pad and looks around. “That it?”

“Thank you,” Billy says and hands her the wine list.

I look at the menu. “Order me the Tuscan T-bone. I’m going out for a smoke.” I stand, and River stands, too.

“Same for me. We’ll be back.”

“Seriously, can’t it wait?” Billy asks.

“No,” we both say at the same time as we walk toward the door.

Outside the hotel, we both light up. I light a Camel, and he lights something else entirely.

“You want?”

“No, man, this will work,” I say before taking a drag.

“So Sonya?” he says then inhales a deep drag.

“How the fuck did you get that?” I look pointedly at the joint.

“Pot?” he asks.

“No, your ink, man. Yes, pot. On the plane?” I roll my eyes, thinking how stupid he is to put his ass in jeopardy like that.

“Honestly, I forgot it was in my pocket,” he says after he exhales.

“How the fuck did you forget?”

He looks at me and sighs. “You didn’t remind me.”

“So it’s my fault?” I take a drag of my cigarette and wait for the long-winded explanation only River can give.

“Not your fault, man. Just used to you knowing where my head is ’cause yours isn’t stuck in a fog. I mean, you are the one who knows me best. You’ve been low with me. Well, high I guess.” he smirks. “Then you got it together, and you brought me along. You made me believe I could, too.”

“We could,” I say, putting my smoke in the sand. “And we did.”

“You’re my best friend, man. You’re a better man than I ever will be.”

“Not true, River. We are the same, you and me. Don’t say shit like that. When we ran into each other, it was for a reason. Fucking crazy as hell, too. We lived two towns apart and never ran into each other. You saved my ass back then. I was so fucked up, so incredibly fucked up.”

“You lost a girl.” He cringes, shakes his head, and then takes a drag.

“You lost one, too. We both—” I pause when my phone vibrates and pull it out of my pocket. “Drinks are on the table. Let’s go. That shit’s in the past.”

“You gonna be okay? You gonna get your head back on straight? I can’t tell you no. Not strong enough to tell myself no.”

“We gotta be, man.” I pat his back. “We’re living the dream now.”

Back inside, we sit, and I watch all eyes on me, then River.

“We were gone ten minutes. Not enough time to cause a lot of damage.” I take a drink of my beer. “Carry on.”

“Damn,” River says as the seafood appetizers get set in the middle of the table. “Smells familiar.”

I laugh at him and shake my head. “If you come up on something that smells like that, you better either wash it or leave it.”

“Smells like fish, it’s a dish. Smells like cologne—”

“Leave ’em both alone.” Memphis laughs. “Shit’s not supposed to taste or smell like fish.”

“Not gonna smell or taste perfect, man. They piss.” River shakes his head.

Memphis laughs. “You defending improper pooty?”

“Realistic expectations, brother,” he says then swallows down half his beer.

I see Sonya looking down, her eyes wide. This is making her uncomfortable.

“If you kiss a girl, and her taste alone makes you hard, you gotta bow down and check out what’s between her thighs,” I interject. “You kiss a girl and question her oral hygiene, walk.”

“Says the man who doesn’t go down.”

“I’ve gone down.” I look at River. “Pussy—healthy, clean pussy—should taste like her saliva, but a little more acidic. Never fish unless you’re into kinky shit, and you shove a shrimp up in it and eat it out.” I reach over, grab a shrimp, and pop it in my mouth. “The right pussy is fucking delicious.”

“Okay, Jesus H,” Billy grumbles. “Can’t we have a decent meal?”

“We were just talking about—”

“I know what we were talking about,” Billy says, a little more than annoyed.

“Rooms,” Memphis interjects. “Tales said she would share with Sonya. I’ll share with you, Finn.”

I laugh. “You wanna share with me when your girl is here?”

“We’re here for work. Besides, I miss you, man.” He reaches over and rubs my hand.

“Fuck off.” I yank it back and roll my eyes as he laughs. “You and Tales share a room; don’t be stupid.”

“You okay with that, Sonya?” Tally asks her.

I have no idea why she’s using kid gloves with Sonya when a week ago she hated her. Not sure I like it, either. Tales is a keeper. I know Memphis and she will be together for a long damn time. Sonya, on the other hand, seems like a runner.

Sonya nods. “Of course.”

“If I scare you, feel free to lock your door at night,” I say, then finish my beer.

“I’m sure we can be professional.” She sets her glass of water down and stands. “Please excuse me for just a minute.”

When she walks away, I can’t help watching her.

As soon as she’s out of earshot, Tally whispers something to Memphis. He smiles thoughtfully at her and kisses her nose.

It’s quiet. I usually like quiet, but I can’t help thinking they are already making assumptions about me and her. Still, I want to honor my promise. A man’s word is all he has that matters in this world.

“What time do the auditions start tomorrow?” I ask.

“Nine in the morning,” Billy answers.

“You kidding me?” River gasps. “We’re a rock band. We’re supposed to party all night and sleep all day.”

“It’s only one day to line up two shows here in Texas, right?” I ask, grabbing a slice of bruschetta.

“You in, man?” Memphis asks.

“Sure,” I say, then take a bite.

“Well, fuck, that means I have to, too.” River sighs.

We discuss the bands we will see tomorrow. Well, Billy, Tally, and Memphis do; River and I listen. Well, I listen since River is busy shoveling food down ’cause he is high. Fucker must have a tapeworm. He can eat like it’s his damn job.