The VIP section has its perks, and proximity to a private bar and facilities are two of them. She orders as I step around some guy trying to weasel in next to her and come between them. Tatum doesn’t even notice how guys look at her, how they go out of their way to be near her, to hit on her, to touch her. Fuckers. All of them.
Blocking that guy, I lean on the counter and hold out a bill to the bartender.
“I’m supposed to be buying your drink.” She tries to snatch the money but misses when I raise my hand. “Put it away, Decker. Your money’s no good here.”
The bartender sets the drinks in front of us and laughs. “The drinks are free,” he says, “but I don’t mind that as a tip.”
Tatum catches me off guard when she snags the bill from my hand. She tucks it in the bartender’s tip jar, and then tells him, “Thank you.”
Leaving him with a huge smile and shock widening his eyes, he trips over his words. “Wow. Thanks.”
I don’t mind paying the guy the money, but she’s sneaky. She tugs me by the sleeve away from the bar. We’re quickly replaced when we walk away. “I thought my money wasn’t any good?”
Laughing, she winks. “It wasn’t good for the drinks, but you just made his day with that tip. So maybe your money’s not so bad after all.”
I chuckle. “Guess not.”
Although the band is well into the set when we enter through the doors, Tatum doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to get back. Standing off to the side out of the walkway, she sways to the music while sipping her drink. I stay behind her so I don’t block anyone trying to get by. Watching the band from this angle isn’t the best, but I’m okay with it. I’m near her and like the view of her dancing, even if it is from behind.
See? Glutton.
When she peeks back, she appears to be relaxed around me. Usually, her shoulders are tense and her mouth is tight-lipped. Not tonight. Maybe we really are moving forward with a fresh start. “I heard you got your real estate license for the state.”
It’s not a question, but I hear the lilt. I like that I’m on her mind. “I did.”
“And you’re staying with Nick and Natalie for the next two months.”
Again, not a question, but I’ll take the lead-in. “You sure are hearing a lot about me.” I give her a wink. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, actually. I have to fly back to LA every week. We’ll see how the commute goes.”
“I got the impression you were moving here.” Her tongue dips out and swings the straw closer, and she peers up at me while drinking.
She’s so hard to read. Her interest in where I live belies the cool casualness. “Don’t worry. I won’t be here forever. I didn’t even plan to stay at Nick’s place, but he offered when he heard I was planning to live in a hotel while here. Natalie insisted, and you know how hard it is to turn her down.”
“I do. When she sets her mind to something, she usually gets what she wants.” She glances back at the band and then at me again. “You don’t have to worry about me ruining your visit. I’ll respect your time with your friend.”
“It’s okay. You don’t ruin anything.”
Turning all the way around to face me, she lowers her gaze to her drink, and she fidgets with the straw. “Things are changing.” Something behind grabs both of our attention. A guy is arguing with the bouncer, so I shift us away and closer to the audience. Her guard is down, her shoulders at ease, and with an arena behind her, she looks smaller to me, more vulnerable even. I angle to keep her safe from any scuffle that might break out, careful not to make her uncomfortable.
“I’m sure it will be good for you and Nick to hang out again,” she says.
“LA’s not the same without him, and it’s been a couple of months since I’ve seen him. It’s been good so far. I’m sure he’ll get sick of me invading his house soon enough.” I chuckle.
She takes another sip and then laughs lightly, momentarily appearing lost in her thoughts of her own. “I’m sure that won’t happen. On the bright side, maybe you’ll find that New York’s not so bad.” The smile on her face is genuine with no ill will attached.
“I’m sure it’s not. Are you ready to go back?” I’m not in a hurry, but I don’t want to circle around what happened in Catalina. It’s been too good with her to ruin the night.
Nodding, she pushes off the wall and starts working her way back to Natalie’s side, who’s quick to wrap an arm over Tatum’s shoulders. They dance and sing, competing with the lead vocals. Kaz points at us after a solo riff, giving me a nod of approval. I suppose it’s because of my date. I’ll take it from the guy who laughed that I couldn’t find one.
Tatum’s more than a stand-in to prove him wrong, but she’s making me look good nonetheless. Nick disappears for drinks, bringing a bottle of water for Natalie and another round for the rest of us. It’s probably best if one of us stays sober, and I’m glad it’s Natalie and not me because I’m enjoying this glass of whiskey and Coke.
With a free weekend, I drink up since I have nothing to lose but the night ahead. Between the main set and the encore, a large security guy invites us to the bar where they’re hosting the after-party. We’re given the address and then continue enjoying the rest of the concert.
Nudging me, Tatum lifts high toward my ear. “They’re probably going to bail. What do you think? Still want to go?”
For a brief second, I question if she’s asking me out. “Me?” Guess I did that out loud. I might want to slow down on the alcohol.
She doesn’t hold back her laughter as the band leaves the stage. Dex remains on the drums, closing out the show like the badass he is. I sold him a beach retreat with a killer setup for his drum kit last year. Tatum swings her long hair over her shoulder and bumps into me. “What do you think?” she yells so I can hear. I look around because I think the entire arena heard.
I lean down, not wanting to yell, and say, “I’ll go with you.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s not like you’re doing me a favor, but thanks.” Still laughing, she nudges me with her elbow.
The show ends, and the crowd is quick to stream from the arena. Sticking together, the four of us make it a few blocks before stopping to talk, though the girls have been talking a mile a minute the whole time.
“What are your plans?” Nick asks.
“Tatum wants to go to the after-party.”
He smirks. “Oh, yeah?”
“I can’t compete with rock stars, brother.”
“They’re all married, and you know as well as I do, they don’t fuck around.”
“True.” I peek over at Tatum, smiling from seeing her animated expression as she uses her arms to tell Nat a story. God, she’s gorgeous.
“We’re gonna head home,” Nick says. “Make sure Tatum gets home safe, okay?” When I nod, he adds. “You know the code. Just let yourself in, but remember to set the alarm.”
We shake hands and then bring it in for a shoulder bump. “Thanks for having me.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” When he steps back, Natalie’s and his hands clasp as if the universe pulled them together.