Page 114 of Dirty Like Jude
The bar was packed and it was a big night; everyone had been going ape shit over Dirty’s new original song, “Love Struck,” and Brody was talking about cutting a demo, this year. He’d convinced a bunch of local industry people to come to the show, including some big record producer. So it was an important show, and luckily Brody had managed to fill the room with a hot crowd of Dirty’s ever-growing local allegiance offans.
The band wasexcited.
I was happy for them, ofcourse.
But I wasn’thappy.
And my night only turned from shit to worse when I sawRoni.
I was making my way through the crowd with Brody, and the place was so packed I didn’t even see her until she’d appeared right in front ofme.
I walked right past her, and she was so expecting me to stop that she had to kinda spin out of the way to avoid getting ploweddown.
She didn’t quite take the hint,though.
Two minutes later she popped up in front of me again. I was standing at the back of the bar, my back to the wall, talking to Jesse, but as soon as he saw her he clapped me on the shoulder and tookoff.
Somewingman.
All he knew, though, was that I’d taken her for a “ride” last weekend. Which meant he probably assumed I liked her. I didn’t even bother telling him the rest. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get the words out of my mouth without puking, or killingsomeone.
She stood right in front of me in her skintight, incredibly low-rise jeans and midriff-baring shirt. “Hey,” she said, kinda bouncing on her toes as she hooked her thumbs in her jeans. She even smiled atme.
I didn’t smile. “Hey.”
“Where’ve youbeen?”
“Clubhouse.”
She quit bouncing, her smile faltering at my lack of basic manners. “Cool. Did you bring your bike tonight? Maybe we could go for a ride after the show…” She looked me over, maybe reading my body language, and amended, “Or maybe a creamsoda?”
“I’m working,” I said. “How’d you getin?”
“Oh. Ben got me a fakeID.”
“Ben?”
“Yeah. You know…Blazer?”
I knew Ben/Blazer. He was a King and one of my brother’s best friends. And apparently, he’d gotten Roni a fake ID at some point while I was away ontour.
Yeah, you fuck himtoo?
The words were right on the tip of my tongue, but I bit themback.
Her eyebrows pulled together and she chewed a little on her sexy bottom lip. “You’re upset aboutsomething…”
Perceptive.
I should’ve maybe just disappeared backstage, but I wasn’t gonna run and hide from her or spend the rest of my life avoiding her at every party in town.Shesoughtmeout. That was her mistake, notmine.
“I’m busy,” I said. The band was on in about half an hour, and I could’ve been busy, but all I did was stand there. Of all things, “Cold Hard Bitch” was playing, and it was fueling my fuckingfire.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her green eyes going wide. She looked concerned—aboutme.
It only pissed me offmore.
“Thought you said you never go back for seconds,” I said, with all the cold-ass prick I couldsummon.
