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Zion swung around and glared at him. “Fuck you, man. I’m way better looking than him.”

Duncan snorted. “Sure. Let’s go with that.” He turned his attention to me, effectively dismissing Zion. “So, Arthur. How many shows have you been to?”

I didn’t want to answer that. I also didn’t want the attention back on me. For a minute, the focus had shifted to Ruby, and I was glad for that. I was having a hard enough time still sitting so close to Hendrix. But I didn’t want to be rude either. I didn't know what kind of power the band had, but if they stopped me from coming to their shows, I’d be heartbroken.

“This is my tenth,” I murmured, my cheeks burning so hot I was worried I’d give myself a fever.

“What’d he say?” Zion demanded, irritation laced through his words.

Hendrix ignored him. He was the only one close enough to hear me clearly, and he beamed at my admission, stealing my focus again.

“Ten? Really? That’s awesome. We haven’t had dedicated fans since we crossed over. What’s your favorite song?”

Biting my lip, I frowned. I liked all their songs. I wasn’t sure I had an actual favorite. I went with the one that got stuck in my head the most, just because I didn’t want him to stop talking to me.

“Free Forever.” I loved that song. It was all about living life on your terms and abandoning the people who held you back. It was the first song I heard when I snuck out to a bar to wallow ten weeks ago. I’d gotten into another argument with Val, desperately trying to do what she wanted so I could keep Sophie with me. That song gave me hope that one day I could live freely like that, once Sophie was old enough to influence the custody agreement. It meant a lot to me.

“That’s one of my favorites, too!” Hendrix’s face lit up, a big beaming smile on his face that took my breath away. I could forget all the embarrassment leading up to this moment justbecause of that smile. I never thought in a million years he’d even look in my direction, but he was smiling at me like I just gave him a million dollars. The embarrassment was definitely worth it.

CHAPTER FIVE

HENDRIX

From that night on,whenever we finished for the night, I went looking for Arthur. He was always there. He was a little awkward, a little shy, but he warmed up to us eventually. I dropped myself onto the stool next to him, beaming at him when he pushed a sparkling water my way.

“Good show tonight.”

“Thanks, Artie! The crowd is really growing lately. I think you’re our good luck charm.”

Even in the dim lighting, I could see him blush. Ruby never outright said what she could pick up off Arthur the day we met, but I figured it out on my own. He didn’t blush as much around the others. I was flattered and definitely interested, but I didn’t want to chase away our number one fan by coming on too strong. I figured I’d let him come to me, but three weeks later, he still hadn’t made a move.

Worried he’d never get up the nerve on his own, I figured I’d throw out something to get his attention.

“Hey, do you like weddings?”

He frowned. “Uh… I guess? Why?”

I lifted a shoulder. “Maya’s wedding gig is coming up. I’d hate for you to miss a show. I need a date anyway. Interested?”

His mouth opened and closed in shock, and I had to roll my lips between my teeth to hide my laugh. I didn't want him to think I wasn’t serious, I totally was, but his reaction was adorable.

“I–I’m– Uh… When?”

“A week from Saturday. The girls picked this nice joint in the mountains. We went up there last week to check out the set up and make sure we had everything we needed for the gig.”

Her brow furrowed a little. “Oh… I’m… I’m sorry, I can’t on weekends. I’ll have my daughter with me and–”

My eyebrows shot up. “You’ve got a kid? Are you married?”

That’d seriously put a damper on the evening. I wouldn’t take back the invitation, Arthur was a nice guy, but I wasn’t a home wrecker.

He shook his head quickly. “Divorced. I get Sophie on the weekends. I’m sorry I’ll miss it, but…”

I pursed my lips. Divorced I could work with. He was unattached, and I was too interested in getting to know him better to let it deter me. He was a nice dude, showing up for every gig and giving us his support. He was the one who pointed out that we didn’t have any social media or any songs up online for people to buy. No videos either, even free. I wasn’t really tech savvy, so I never thought of that. I put Duncan in charge of social media and we were working out getting some studio time so we could record our songs and find a distributor. They were smart ideas, and I loved that he cared enough to suggest it.

“Well, I don’t see a problem with bringing her along. Lemme ask Maya, though. Yo, Maya!”

She was on the other end of the bar, talking to her fiancee. I waved at Isla, who slipped off her stool and came to join us when Maya did.