Alexis: In love with a rockstar (The Hamptons Series Book 2) Page 2

  “Hi, I’m Alexis,” the guy with the caramel-colored hair says. His eyes are the same color.

  I take the hand he offers me. “Hi, I’m Honor.”

  “I’m Mike, hi,” the other one adds. “You have a great voice.”

  “Thanks,” I reply with a blush. “Are you guys thirsty? Do you want a shot of Tequila?”

  They nod, and Micah has already filled another round of glasses for us. “Cheers then.” I feel their eyes on me, but I ignore them. Tonight is all about partying, and I refuse to feel uncomfortable or awkward.

  Mike and Alexis left, but Jayden is still there, and he keeps flirting offensively. I’m drunk enough to play along, but I don’t want to take him home with me. He’s nice and pretty attractive, too, but not really my type. The guy with the toffee-colored hair was my type, but I’ve already forgotten whether he was Alexis or Mike. Doesn’t matter, since I won’t see him again anyway.

  “Honor, we’re leaving,” Micah says. “Krys has already reached the point where she starts calling me daddy.”

  I laugh. “Make sure she gets home ok, then. I’ll leave with Jo in a bit.”

  He comes over and hugs me tightly. “Send me a text when you get home, okay?”

  “I’ll try to call you if I’m still capable of that. If not, I’ll make sure to do it in the morning.”

  “Alright.” Micah lets go of me and grabs Krys by the arm. She wobbles and sports a lopsided grin.

  “Bye, Honey,” I say to her, kiss her on the cheek and return her grin.

  “Tomorrow …. we’ll regret this,” she slurs.

  “No, you don’t regret an epic night like this, you get to wear the hangover like a well-deserved badge of honor,” I giggle.

  “Get home safe, Honor.”

  “You, too.” When they walk out the door, I turn back to Jayden. “Meanwhile, what are you still doing here?”

  “I’m still here, because I’m really enjoying myself. You know, we spent the whole evening dancing and joking; now I want to make sure nobody gets too close to you, because you’re all alone,” he explains.

  “I see. That’s not creepy at all,” I retort dryly and give him a skeptical look. “What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a physician.”

  “Wow.”

  “Not that wow actually. I get to see a lot of gross stuff.”

  “Really? What’s the most disgusting thing you’ve seen so far?” I want to know. Disgusting stuff can be very amusing.

  “I’m not going to tell you. There’s not enough alcohol in this place to wash away the images.” He raises his glass again. “Cheers, Honor.”

  “Cheers.” I take another shot, too, lick the cinnamon off my hand, and down the Tequila quickly. Then I put my hand in the bowl, but Jayden is holding the last orange slice between his fingers. “Looking for this?”

  “Yeah. You scored the last one,” I reply with a smile.

  “We could share it,” he offers as he pulls the rind off the fruit.

  “Too late, my Tequila is long gone,” I giggle.

  Jayden promptly refills our glasses. This is the second bottle of Tequila, and we’ve already polished off about three quarters of it. He hands me a shot and sprinkles some cinnamon onto my hand. “Enjoy.” His smile is full of teeth.

  And once again it’s lick, swallow and … I don’t get to bite, because Jayden takes the piece of fruit between his teeth. “Come on,” he demands indistinctly.

  “If you insist,” I sigh under my breath, and lean in to bite off a piece of orange. When my mouth touches his, Jayden puts his hand around the back of my neck and kisses me roughly. I return it, even though I’m still convinced that he isn’t my type.

  Chapter 2

  The following afternoon, I wake up with a major headache. Damn alcohol. I’m lying in my bed, still wearing last night’s clothes, and I’m clutching my phone. I take a sleepy look at the screen. At seven this morning I must have called Micah, so I assume he knows that I got home okay. Then I see that I also called Jayden Priest a few minutes before that. Uh-oh. “Oh God, I hope I didn’t do anything with him,” I groan, feeling the weight of my tequila hangover.

  My head is throbbing when I stand up from the bed. Seems like I still have some alcohol in my bloodstream, since I’m staggering through my apartment, unable to walk normal, straight steps. “Fuck!” I blurt at my image in the mirror. The circles under my eyes look purple, and my makeup is smeared all over the place. I look like a fugitive from a haunted house. I’m glad that I live on my own, because I’m sure that any roommate would be shocked by the sight of me right now.

  “Oh God, why do you hate me?” I groan when my phone rings so loudly that it hurts my ears. “Whoever that is, screw you! I’m taking a shower first.”

  When I return to my bedroom after a cool shower, I feel relatively sober again, and I pick up my phone. Three missed calls. All from Jayden Priest. “What the hell does he want?” I call him back.

  “Let me guess - you just woke up?” he says with a noticeable smirk in his voice.

  “Close enough. I just came out of the shower. What’s up?”

  “This morning, Alexis and Mike were gushing to the others about you and your voice. So they urged me to ask if you might have time to show off your skills before the actual addition.”

  “But it wasn’t supposed to be until next week,” I reply, slightly puzzled.

  He chuckles, but the sound only serves to worsen my headache. “Yes, but if you can’t blow them away today, you still have another chance to do so next week.”

  “Today?” I blurt. “Jayden, I’ve got the hangover from hell.”

  “So you don’t want to do it today?”

  I sigh heavily. “What time are we talking?”

  “Since the guys have a few interviews scheduled, they suggested tonight.”

  “And what time tonight?”

  “Let’s say around eight?”

  “And where?”

  “At the Plaza. I’ll wait for you in the lobby and we’ll walk up to their room together.”

  “I’m supposed to audition in their hotel room? Are you serious?”

  “Honor, they don’t bite or anything.”

  “I sure hope so.” I think about it for a moment. “I need to call my boss first, because I think I’m supposed to work tonight. So maybe I can’t make it anyway. I’ll call you right back.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Give me a few minutes.” I glance at the clock and swear under my breath. It’s already five in the afternoon, and he wants me to sing in three hours. I haven’t warmed up my voice, nor do I feel good enough to do so. I sigh and dial Jo’s number.

  “Don’t tell me you’re sick. If you can drink, you can also work,” she says, skipping the greeting altogether.

  “Hey. No, I just wanted to ask if I could come in a little later tonight. This Jayden guy asked me to audition for a band last night, and now his friends want to hear me sing tonight if possible. I would head over there around eight and could be at the bar by nine thirty, I guess,” I explain the reason for my call.

  She exhales audibly. “Honor, I would gladly let you do that, but Kitt isn’t feeling well and I need to stay with him. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to start work on time tonight and open up the place for me.”

  I feel the relief flow through me. “Alright, that’s fine. It’s no big deal. I wasn’t sure I could sing anything tonight anyway.”

  “Okay. Listen, don’t be mad at me please. You know I want to support you whenever I can, but tonight it’s just not possible.”

  I twist my lips into a smile. “No problem, really. I’ll be in at seven.”

  “Please write down the actual date for the audition, will you? Then I can put it on the calendar and make sure you get the day off.”

  “Thank you. See you tomorrow.”

  “See you.” She hangs up and I proceed to send Jayden a text message. Hey, need to work tonight and can’t make it. Sorry.

&nb
sp; Unfortunately, he knows where I work, but I hope he won’t come back to the bar. I don’t even know what happened after that one kiss, and honestly, I don’t want to know right now, but maybe he thinks we have something going on.

  I throw my phone down on the bed and then take some clothes from my closet. Black shorts with a pair of black pantyhose underneath, and a striped top. Five minutes later, I’m dressed and rubbing my hair dry with the towel. When I look into the mirror again, I sigh as I spot the dark roots. “Jesus, I need to color them again.”

  My phone has been ringing for more than half an hour, and I’ve finally had enough. I’m switching it off. I’m here to work, not to take calls the whole night. It’s probably Jayden again, trying to convince me to come sing for them now, despite me telling him I couldn’t make it. I’m running this show alone tonight.

  “Evening, Honor,” Earl says. He comes by every night after work, having a nightcap or two.

  “Hey, Earl, how are you doing tonight?” He is a stock broker, but one look at him tells me that today was not a good day.

  “Been better. I backed the wrong horse again. Bunch of money down the drain.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” And after a pause, “Bourbon?”

  “Yep, make it a double, please. On the rocks.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Thanks,” he murmurs when I set down the glass. He’s the first patron tonight.

  “And how are things going at home?” I try to lighten the mood.

  He frowns at me. “The kids got no respect and my wife is cheating on me. How do you think it’s going?”

  I raise my eyebrows. “Oookay … I’ll leave you alone then, I guess.”

  “Thanks, Honor.”

  I smile at him and squeeze his arm briefly before turning around to refill the shelf of booze behind the bar. I take out the not-quite empty bottles, because we use those to mix cocktails. If it was my bar, I wouldn’t want to have all those dregs on my showcase shelf either. I can see several people coming in, since the back wall of the bar is a mirror. I’ve never seen those guys before, but I still put the last of the new bottles on the top shelf before taking care of them.

  When I’m done, I walk over to their table. “Hi, my name is Honor and I’ll be your waitress tonight. What can I get you guys to drink?”

  They order water, Coke, and beer.

  “I’ll be back with your drinks soon.” I walk back, draw the beers and pour the other beverages, and then carry it all over to their table on a tray.

  “Hey, Honor.” I knew it. Jayden.

  I look up to find him standing next to me. “Hi. Can I get you anything to drink?”

  “I’ll have a Coke.”

  “Sure.”

  “Is that her?” someone asks behind me.

  “Yes, and her voice is going to knock your socks off, Linden,” Jayden answers enthusiastically.

  “It’s really hard to make me part with my socks, but I’m excited to hear her,” the guy named Linden says.

  I don’t turn around, but pour the Coke and bring it back to Jayden. “Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

  “Sure.” The man with the toffee-colored hair smiles at me, but he doesn’t look as good as I thought he did last night. He’s got dark circles under his eyes, his skin is sallow, and he seems sort of worn-out, even pinched. I wonder what’s the matter with him.

  I return his smile, but then turn away. I wipe down the bar, even though there’s not much to wipe. I’m glad that the Tylenol is doing its job, keeping me from suffering like a dog. And then one of my favorite songs starts blaring from the speakers. I start to sing along softly, but my voice grows louder with each line while I’m standing with my back to the guests, stacking glasses still hot from the dishwasher. Olly Murs is one of my favorite singers, because his voice is so unique. I also really like Frankie Valli, because, in my opinion, nobody’s better at singing falsetto.

  “You got me wrapped up, around your finger,” Micah suddenly belts out behind me.

  I turn around and give him a smile. “I’d do anything for your love now.”

  “And when you touch it, the feeling lingers.”

  “Takes me up so high I can’t come down.”

  We take turns singing line after line until the song is over.

  That’s when the applause starts, which causes me to turn my head and look at the patrons. Jayden’s friends are staring at me, wide-eyed and obviously impressed. The red-haired man is literally gaping.

  Jayden waves me over. “I guess they want another drink,” I tell Micah. “Pour yourself a Scotch or something if you want.”

  He nods. “Aye aye, Ma’am.”

  I walk over to their table and look at Jayden. “Would you like anything else?”

  “Yep. How about your phone number, so we can pass it on to our manager?” the red-haired one asks.

  I give him a puzzled look. “Excuse me?”

  One of the other men stands up. “Hey, my name is Linden Priest. I believe my brother told you we’re looking for background singers for our band, and we really like your voice. Would you be interested in working with us?”

  “Um … as you can see, I’m working right now, but maybe we can talk about this when my shift is over …” I shake my head and try again. “Maybe we can discuss this tomorrow?”

  “Of course. Can you make it to the Plaza Hotel in the afternoon? We’d call our manager, so we can discuss it together,” Mr. Priest suggests.

  I nod. “Sure. What time?”

  He smiles. “I’m going to call him and let you know in a minute.”

  “Okay.” I point over my shoulder. “I need to get back behind the bar.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “You’re staring at her ass, Alexis,” someone chuckles once I’ve turned around.

  I don’t react to that. I don’t care if he stares; let him do it if it makes him happy. I know that men his age often reduce women to their looks and curves.

  “What did they want?” Micah asks once I’m back behind the bar.

  I lean over. “Hire me.”

  “What?”

  “As a background singer. They want me to meet their manager tomorrow and talk it over.”

  He shoots me a skeptical look. “Who are these guys anyway?”

  “They call themselves Downstair Alley. I’ve heard a few of their songs; not bad really, but recently they’ve turned more and more into bedroom rockers, which is a pity in my book. You know, the kind of music that could be powerful, but is toned down so it can be played in the background when you screw someone,” I explain, a smirk playing around my lips.

  “Bedroom rockers,” he repeats. “Doesn’t sound like your thing. I see you on a grand stage, singing ballads or major pop hits.”

  “It’s probably not a bad way to start out, working with up-and-coming stars like them.”

  “But you wouldn’t be the main attraction.”

  I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t mind. It’s a way to get to know the business from the inside, and then I can look for something else once I found my footing.” My smile widens. “And it sure beats working at the bar.”

  “That is yet to be proven.”

  I take a deep breath. “Micah, it’s an opportunity, and you could come and audition as well. They’re looking for several background singers, men and women.”

  “I studied acting.”

  “And you can sing, too.”

  “Not as good as you can.”

  I punch his arm. “But your voice is unique.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Oh, shut up now,” I laugh and then pour him a shot of tequila. “Bottoms up.”

  Micah gives me a critical look. “Do you really want to pick up where you left off last night?”

  “No, but I want to drink a single shot with my best friend, because I just invited him for a drink.” I hand him a slice of orange and the cinnamon shaker.

  He sighs and then we clink our glasses. “Cheers.�
�

  I make a face once I’ve swallowed the tequila. “This is disgusting.”

  “Then why do you keep drinking it?”

  “Because it’s the only way for me to eat some fruit,” I reply with a grin.

  “You should definitely eat a little healthier,” he chides me good-naturedly.

  “I know.” I take a sip from my Coke. “But I’m going to die of something eventually anyway, so why not die of too much junk food and soda?”

  Micah snorts derisively. “We’ll talk about that again in sixty years, at least if your body’s not home to a mini bar by then.”

  I give him a dumbfounded look. “What?”

  “Don’t you know the line: What used to be my liver is a minibar today?”

  I burst out laughing. “No, I didn’t know that one, but I’m afraid I already have one, considering the countless times you forced me to get drunk in the last four years.”

  “Can I get another one, Honor?” Earl pipes up. He’s sitting two seats down from Micah.

  “Sure thing. On the rocks?”

  He nods. I take the whiskey bottle from the shelf, fill a glass with ice cubes, then pour the Scotch and hand it to him. “Thanks, Honor.”

  “You’re welcome.” I shoot him a warm smile.

  “Hey,” another voice calls for my attention. It’s some guy who must have come in just now.

  “Hi. What can I do for you today?”

  He gives me a quick once-over. “We need four pints of beer, a Coke, and eleven shots of tequila gold.”

  “Okay, I’ll get those drinks started for you. Where are you sitting?”

  He points over his shoulder without turning around. “I’m with the weirdoes back there.”

  “Alright. I’ll have your drinks ready in a minute.”

  He turns away, and Micah nods his head appreciatively. “You’re really busy tonight.”

  “Could be livelier. I prefer the place to be packed, because then I know the tips will be good. Today is a pretty average night so far.”

  “I’m going to call Krys. Maybe she has woken up from her tequila coma by now, and I can ask her to drop by.”