Page 8 of Hot Mess
As if reading that thought, Amber looped her arm through mine. “Earth to Ashley Player…” she teased.
“Huh?” I tried to focus on her face. Her pale-green eyes, peering up at me with amusement—and a little concern.
“I saw the girl,” she told me.
“What girl?” Summer asked.
“With the yellow boots,” Amber said.
“What yellow boots?”
“You did?” I blinked at Amber.
“Yeah. You were talking to her.”
“Which way did she go?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Amber shrugged. “She went into the store?”
“You didn’t see her come back out?”
“Uh, I wasn’t really paying attention…”
“She was distracted,” Summer provided. “You know, Dylan was sucking her tongue out of her head.”
Right. Fucking figured.
The guys outside cheered, and then Dirty’s lead guitarist, Jesse, slid in. He was followed by Jude, Jesse’s best friend and Dirty’s head of security, and Jude’s girl, Roni. All three of them were drenched.
“You’re all assholes,” Jesse informed us, as he shook the rain out of his hair like a dog.
We were. The limo was Jesse’s contribution to my breakup party, but we’d made him walk after the last bar, and Jude and Roni had gone with him. They were supposed to get donuts, for some reason, but I didn’t see them carrying any.
No one asked about it.
I’d been sent walking, too, with Haz; I was supposed to get pink lollipops. Couldn’t remember why.
“Everyone stays in the limo this time,” Roni announced, settling in with her man. “I’m cold.”
“Agreed,” I said. “No more of Amber’s weird photo scavenger hunt thing.”
“Aw,” Amber said, hugging her camera.
“Thank fuck,” Xander said as he climbed in. He was followed by three random chicks he’d picked up at the last strip club. No idea where they’d come from; thought we’d lost them somewhere.
Matt followed them in. “Nice roses,” he said as he climbed past me.
“Hold them up,” Amber prompted. I obeyed halfheartedly as Matt leaned down next to me, flashing the devil sign, and she took a photo of the two of us with the roses. Matt Brohmer was Dirty’s temporary bassist; he was playing on their current world tour while Elle procreated.
“So cute!” Amber said, turning the camera to show me the pic on the screen. She was right. Matt was cute.
Nice tongue, too. He was sticking it out, Gene Simmons style.
I looked grumpy as shit.
“What happened to the donuts?” Dylan asked as he climbed in, tussling the rain out of his wavy auburn hair. He was followed by Con and finally Haz.
“What donuts?” Matt and Summer said.
