I stop and glance behind me where Mallory’s standing and reach back to grab her hand, tugging her forward. “Finally, I need to thank Mallory. If I’m a guitar god, it’s only because I’m blessed to have this goddess in my life. Thank you.”
My mind’s blank except for my need to touch Mallory. Forgetting about the lights, the cameras that are taping every moment to play on television after, and the fact that we’re on a stage in front of a huge audience, I pull her closer and slam my mouth over hers. At first, her body’s stiff. Then she melts into me, sliding her arms around my neck.
“Best. Night. Ever,” I whisper against her lips.
Mallory
Three down.
Two to go.
Jacob’s tense, and I really hope the guys win one of the next two categories.
“Best Heavy Metal Performance Video goes to Vicious Vandals for ‘Sinner’s Breath’!”
“Woo!” Andrew jumps out of his seat and pumps his fists in the air. All four members of his band follow him up there, but Andrew’s the only one who seems excited.
Pamela leans over Andrew’s vacant chair. “It really should’ve been Kickstart.”
I shrug and clap as the guys walk off with their trophies.
We sit through several more categories. Andrew picks up another statue for Best Drummer.
Video of the Year is saved for last, and I close my eyes. There’s no way. We’d all talked about it. It’s too broad a category with too many big-name artists with years in the music industry for a relatively unknown band to win.
“Kickstart for ‘Candy Jar!’”
“Holy shit!” Jacob shouts.
“Fuck me!” Alvin stares at Chaser with a wide-eyed, wild expression for a few seconds before they bear hug each other.
This time, I shake my head when Chaser tries to pull me out of the aisle with him. “Go,” I urge.
He races up with his bandmates, and I remain standing with the rest of the crowd, clapping my hands until they sting.
“Mallory, are you crying?” Andrew shouts.
“I’m really happy for them.” I swipe at my cheeks but can’t stop laughing and crying.
Chaser’s right. Best night ever.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chaser
“Chaser, bro, wake up.”
Jacob’s needy tone pulls me from a deep sleep.
“What?” I mumble.
Sleep’s been a rare commodity on this tour. I’m so annoyed at the intrusion, I don’t bother opening my eyes. Maybe he’ll go away, and I can go back to dreaming about Mallory.
Unfortunately, I’m surrounded by a pack of unneutered dogs determined to fuck any woman willing to step on our tour bus.
Jacob’s the biggest hound, but thankfully, he spends a lot of his time on Andrew’s bus.
“Help. Please, you’ve gotta look at this.”
This morning he seems bound and determined to annoy the fuck out of me.
“What now?” I crack open one eyelid and find a hairy, wrinkly ball sack dangling in my face. “What the fuck?” I jolt upright, nearly smacking my head into the bunk above me and shove him away.
Somehow, I went from best night ever and winning awards to waking up with my singer’s balls in my face. Not exactly living my best rock star life at the moment.
“Chaser, I’m serious,” he whines.
“I don’t want to look at your sack first thing in the morning. Or ever.” I push the curtain to my bunk all the way open. Where the fuck’s the “tour manager” Thom sent on the road with us? With the money we’re paying the useless asshole, he’s the one who should have to look at Jacob’s nut sack first thing in the morning.
“Not my balls,” he pleads. “Look. There. What is that?”
Carefully, I lift my gaze to see where he’s pointing. A patch of red bumps above his groin.
“Do I look like a fucking doctor to you?”
“Is it AIDS? Did I catch AIDS? Garrett and I read that Time magazine article, and I swear in one of the photos some dude had lesions just like this.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re a sex ed fail.” I glance over again, studying the redness. “I don’t know. It’s probably a simple rash.”
“Remember that little junkie stripper I fucked in Salt Lake City? I bet it’s her fault.”
“Really? I bet it’s the fault of the dude who sticks his unwrapped dick in anything that moves.”
“Not cool, bro.”
“Forgive me.” I scrub my hands over my face, if only I could burn the image of Jacob’s nuts from my eyeballs as easily. “I’m a bit grumpy from waking up with someone’s diseased dick in my face.”
What city are we even in today? After a while, all the cities we visit seem to blend together.
The tour’s been amazing, but one of the most fast-paced we’ve ever been on. Turns out great for me. Keeps me focused and disciplined. The other guys took it seriously for a while too. Even Vicious Vandals, a notorious party band if ever there was one, clung to their sobriety for the first few weeks. That slowly slipped away until the band had divided themselves onto two separate buses. One sober bus and one party bus. Jacob and Garrett eventually gravitated to the party bus, which didn’t bother me as much as it should have. Less of their bullshit to tolerate.