Uncut (Unexpected Book 4) (22 page)

T
he bar is at full capacity again. Not normal, even for a Friday night. I’m in my post taking orders, mixing drinks, and keeping an eye on the door. Matt hasn’t arrived yet and tonight we need him to pacify the crazies—his crazy fans. I fear that his adoring fans are going to destroy the place.

“Busy night?” A low voice murmurs down my neck, sending a shivering wave that makes my entire body come alive. I spin around and find Tristan only an inch or so away from me, the whiff of his expensive cologne hitting my senses.

“Hi,” I greet him. “You decided to drink directly from the bottle?”

“Is that a poor intent to joke around?” I nod. “I’m here to help on this side of the bar. What do you want to do? Split the bar, or I take orders and you mix?”

“You know how to mix?” I lean forward and narrow my gaze.

“I do know my way behind the bar.” He winks at me. “Missed you this week,” he says, and I smile in response. I kind of missed him too. Last week he was able to be here with the exception of Monday night. However, on Sunday he left and couldn’t make it back until . . . today. “Let’s go for the team-work option, as that’ll give me a chance to be around you more.”

Between the two of us, we clear the first round of bar orders in about twenty minutes, while serving the tables at the same time. As the orders continue to arrive, we have a system already working and neither one of us have to speak to each other. He’s right; he does know his way behind the bar. Halfway through the last orders we received, the usual background music ceases.

“Because you asked for it, tonight we have a special performance.” Reed’s voice vibrates through the speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Decker family.” The audience’s momentary silence soon erupts into applause. Whistles and fan-girl screams take over.

The Decker family? My eyes bulge as I finally move my gaze toward the front stage used for open mic. Christian Decker adjusts his guitar, a woman around my age is in front of a keyboard, and Matt is behind the drums.

“Hey, everyone! Thanks for having us. We’re missing a member tonight—JC,” Chris Decker announces through the microphone, using that smile that never seems to leave his lips. A few grunts make themselves heard, but he claps and continues speaking. “But I think we can play a few songs without him.”

Bodies around the bar turn toward the stage as the music starts to play. Hypnotized by the notes, the lyrics, and the beat of the drums, which make my body vibrate, for the first time I enjoy the live music in this place. Song after song, they keep playing and singing, the crowd applauding, and I’m in a strange daze.

“They know how to work an audience,” Tristan mentions, as one song ends and they move around, I guess to start the next. “You okay in here, Thea?” I turn my neck and nod. “Good, I’m going to check on a few things. I’ll be back before they leave.”

Two tall, strong men walk to the stage, whisper something to Christian, and then escort the only woman in the band out of the bar. I believe that’s Matt’s sister. Christian takes his guitar off and Matt moves to the center while holding an acoustic guitar. I lean closer to the bar, watching him strum the strings. After the second strum, his eyes fall on me. “This is the last song for the night. We thank you all for swinging by on such short notice. In appreciation, I’ll play one of our newest songs.” He winks at me, takes a deep breath, and begins to sing.

I’m afraid, scared

I’m scared of falling in love,

Scared of the pain and the rush,

But I know it’s too late to stop,

Because it’s her.

(Chorus)

It's in the tempo;

It’s in the phases of the moon;

A warning call; to the weak-hearted fool;

This girl she's honestly flawless;

The type of girl whose smile brings you to your knees in wait;

She leaves me breathless; a lucky disaster I can't escape

Will I be able to breathe without her again?

Because she’s becoming my light, my warmth.

The energy that keeps me awake.

My heart burns slow for her, while she glows

Her smile is replacing the blood in my veins

(Chorus)

It's in the tempo;

It’s in the phases of the moon;

A warning call; to the weak-hearted fool;

This girl she's honestly flawless;

The type of girl whose smile brings you to your knees in wait;

She leaves me breathless; a lucky disaster I can't escape

Something

Something inside that girl calls my soul

Something that whispers that I belong with her

I need,

I need to find the courage

The courage to beg her to leap with me.

A leap of faith to teach me to love

. . . While you fall in love with me.

(Chorus)

It's in the tempo;

It’s in the phases of the moon;

A warning call; to the weak-hearted fool;

This girl she's honestly flawless;

The type of girl whose smile brings you to your knees in wait;

She leaves me breathless; a lucky disaster I can't escape

Matt’s soulful voice melds with the guitar as the sound pours out from him. Each note strumming at my heartstrings. It’s as if nothing else exists in the room but him and me, until the crowd begins to applaud, stifling the illusion.

The sound of voices demanding drinks break the spell and take away the one moment of peace I had for the night.

Where is Tristan?

“Any particular reason why you work here?” Chris asks as we clean the bar. He, his husband, and Matt stayed after their performance, while AJ had to leave for the night. Mommy duty called. I wished I had met her. I couldn’t even see her all that well. “Are you a masochist of some kind?”

I release a laugh and shake my head. “No. It came with the housing.” I point toward the ceiling where I live. “Though working here has made my self-control stronger. I discovered that the more I’m around it, the less I’m likely to succumb to it. Maybe it’s psychosomatic, but so far it’s working.”

His grin widens and he doesn’t correct me or judge me. As he finishes drying the last glass, his husband approaches the bar from the other side. “Babe, are you ready to go?”

“Just about, Gabe. Have you met Thea?”

“Yes, Matt introduced me to her while I worked the bar along with them,” he responds, his eyes never leaving his husband. “Are you sure you should be working on that side of the bar?”

“Yeah, Thea does and she’s been sober for years.”

I gasp at his words. He wasn’t supposed to tell that to anyone. Well, I never asked for his discretion, but I wouldn’t be telling everyone that he’s a recovering alcoholic.

“You haven’t told anyone?” I shake my head, taking small sips of air while ordering myself to keep my shit together. A panic attack is out of the question. “Well shit, I’m sorry for running my mouth. Though it’s nothing to be ashamed about. I’m not saying that you should scream it to the four corners of the earth, but sharing that with your friends and the ones you care about is part of your journey.”

“Six weeks and he jabbered that to me,” Gabe informs. “But I think it was because we had become friends. He trusted me.”

“Nah, it was because he moved into my house, and I had to make sure he didn’t leave any alcohol around.” Gabe gives him a stern look. Chris walks toward him and kisses him. “I love you, and yes, it was because I trusted you, babe. Now drag me home. I want to make sure you know how much I like to trust you.”

“Ew, take your sexual innuendos somewhere else,” Matt protests stepping closer to me. “We have rules. You two aren’t allowed to even think about sex while I’m around.”

“That was a great song, Matt. Have you recorded it yet?” Chris suddenly switches the conversation.

“It’s new. AJ and I have to work on it.” Matt tilts his head. “You recorded it, right?”

“An unusual request, but I did.” Chris stops and stares at him. “You just came up with the song . . . Shit, that’s fucking awesome. Seriously, Mattie, never seen anyone doing that shit before without fucking up at least a chord or a word. What is it? Candy, soda, a new car, a crafted beer?”

“Can we discuss the source of my inspiration at a later time, Pops?” Matt’s eyes shoot daggers at his father. “It just hit me, and it felt like the right song to close the performance. Please don’t make a big deal.”

Chris lifts his palms, shrugging. “I won’t, but know that it is a big deal, Mattie. I’ll email you the recording tomorrow. Unless you want to come over for lunch, then I can help you polish it. AJ might be free.”

“T, time to head home,” Reed calls from the usual spot, close to the back room. “Matt can help us finish closing up shop.”

“It was nice meeting you,” I say to the Deckers, then move my eyes to Matt. “That was an awesome song, I loved it.”

“See you in a few, Butterfly.” He bends closer and whispers in my ear, “Glad
you
loved it.”

E
very once in a while, Seattle has one of those beautiful days—brilliant sky perfectly illuminated by golden streaks and zero clouds. Lucky for me, today happens to be one. To celebrate such a glorious day, I decided to pack my computer, and head to the park. I made my way to the green. I found the perfect spot, far enough from the playground to avoid the distraction, yet close enough to observe the movement. People and families fascinate me. As it’s a Saturday, the park’s visitors include couples pushing strollers, others jogging with their pets, and a plethora of specimens to observe and envy. To the best of my recollection, I never shared these kinds of moments with my family.