Half Notes and Highlights (The Road to Rocktoberfest 2024)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“How was your weekend with the rock star?” Iris asked, pushing into Tyler’s apartment with two cups of her fancy coffee and handing one to him. “Was it amazing?”

Tyler didn’t know where to begin and let out a laugh while shaking his head. “Where do I start? With the shoe that was chucked at my head when we were leaving the concert or with being propositioned for a threesome by Wolf Wheeler?”

Iris’ eyes opened incredibly wide, and she let out a gasp that turned into a booming laugh. “What the hell happened? Start at the beginning. No.” She waved her hand in the air, excitedly, almost spilling her coffee. “Tell me about the threesome.”

“There was no threesome.”

“You turned him down?”

“We both turned him down.”

“Did he just come out and invite the two of you to his room? How does someone even ask such a thing?”

Obviously, Iris never had the pleasure of two lovers at the same time. He rubbed her arm sympathetically. “Oh, you poor girl. It’ll happen.”

She brushed his hand away and laughed. “Thanks, but I’m not into threesomes. I’m very girl next door.” She extended her arm toward the wall that divided their apartments. “Literally.”

“Girls next door have needs too.”

“Stop analyzing my sex life and tell me what happened.”

“We all had dinner in Ethan’s suite so his bandmates and I could get to know one another better. Harris, Marshall, Wolf, me and Ethan. Dinner was a little tense at first because of Wolf’s attitude, but once I started making margaritas, everything was fine. Everyone talked and laughed and had a great time. But when Harris and Marshall left, Wolf stayed behind to finish his drink, and that’s when he asked if we wanted the party to continue. Or something like that. I don’t remember the exact words he used.”

“And you immediately said no?”

“No. Ethan did. And I’m damn glad he answered first and was as pissed off as he was.” Tyler paused to take a sip of coffee, thoughts of angry, hot sex teasing his brain. Vile and vindictive. Rough and—

“You were thinking about it.” Iris pointed an accusing index finger at him.

“Not at all. I had a bitch fit and threw him out.”

“I meant, right now. You were thinking about what it would have been like to have a threesome with him just now.”

“I was not! OK. I lied. I was thinking about it for a second, but not as a threesome and certainly not with that asshole. There’s not enough alcohol in the world to make me even think about letting Wolf in bed with me and Ethan. I was just thinking about how angry sex can be really, really hot. But it will never, ever happen. Ever ,” he stressed. “Maybe if there was no bullshit, and he wasn’t an asshole, and if things were still very casual and open with Ethan, I might have considered it. I mean, look at him. All animosity aside, Wolf’s fucking hot. And that hair. It’s almost as gorgeous as mine.” He rolled his eyes. “Great. Now we have two things to compete over.” He flipped a chunk of his long hair over his shoulder with his hand. “Mine’s much nicer, though.”

“What do you mean, if things were still casual and open with Ethan? Is something more going on?”

“Yes. And no. He called me his boyfriend, but we never talked about exclusivity.” His head was still all over the place when it came to his feelings about Ethan. His heart, on the other hand, was on a straight and steady path. “I care about Ethan. A lot. But I’m not sure I want something serious. I don’t know if I’m ready to go down that road yet. Or at all. This whole Wolf situation is fucked up. I don’t need that shit in my life.” Why the hell did he always have to fall for someone with baggage and complications? Where was his fairytale romance?

“Tell me about the shoe thing. What was that about?”

“You’re not gonna believe this.” He needed a big gulp of coffee and to take a deep breath to tell this story. “As you know, Wolf Pack’s fans think I’m some kind of homewrecker and don’t want me with Ethan. Apparently, saying mean things about me on social media isn’t enough for some, so when we left the concert, a fan threw a shoe at me. A sneaker, actually. Right at my head. Just flung it at me like a lunatic. But I blocked it like Wonder Woman. Pow!” He simulated an iconic Wonder Woman pose with both fists in the air ready to fight. “I had the last laugh, though, because I threw the sneaker back at him.”

Iris gawked at him for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me?”

“No. I can’t make this shit up. I swear, I don’t know why this stuff always happens to me. This weekend was insane. There was so much drama.” He couldn’t help the mischievous smile and small laugh that escaped him. “It was a lot of fun, though. I have to admit that.”

“Your life is never boring. That’s for sure.” Iris finished her coffee, stood up, and looked around the apartment. “I love the way you decorated the place. It’s fun and colorful. Just like you.” She smiled at him for a moment. “I gotta run some errands before I go to work. I’ll catch you later.” Before she closed the door behind her, she stopped and turned around. “Don’t stress out too much about the other guy, Tyler. If Ethan doesn’t see that you’re the clear choice. The winner in this game or whatever it is. . .” She smirked and shook her head. “Then he’s an idiot.”

After Iris left, Tyler started to think about the weekend more seriously. He loved that Ethan called him his boyfriend, but he couldn’t do the same. Ethan didn’t belong to him. His head was still a mess, so he decided to call his brother on the East Coast.

“Hi, Sarge.” Tyler was his usual cheery self, despite drowning in turmoil.

“Hey, little brother. I don’t know why you still call me that. I’m retired. You can call me Dominic.”

“You were in the military for more years than I can remember. You’ll always be an officer to me.”

“Fair enough. You sound good. How’s California?”

“California is wonderful. It’s my love life that’s a mess.” He let his head fall back and exhaled a dramatic sigh. “It’s the story of my life.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Why do I always fall for the wrong person? I came out here to forget about my broken heart, and the first guy I get involved with has a guy on the side.”

“That singer you’ve been seeing has a boyfriend?”

“No.” Dominic wasn’t into music so didn’t know anything about Wolf Pack or Ethan and his open relationship with Wolf, and Tyler didn’t really want to explain. “It’s complicated.”

“There’s someone else, though. Right?”

Agitation made Tyler clench his jaw. “The bass player in his band. And the guy’s an asshole.”

“You met him? That must have been awkward.”

“Of course, it was awkward. But I’d be OK if the guy would stop fucking baiting me. And he’s so fucking jealous.”

“You sure you’re not the one who’s jealous?”

A long breath inflated Tyler’s lungs as he prepared to deny it, but he finally admitted to himself that he wanted Ethan— all of Ethan—without a no-strings-attached bass player or anyone else on the side.

“Tyler?”

“I’m still here,” he said, quietly.

“It sounds like you want more. Did you tell him how you feel?”

“No. I told him the exact opposite. That I was OK with casual. And I was. But I don’t think I am anymore.”

“Then tell him you want him all to yourself and to give up that bass player. You deserve that, Tyler. You deserve someone who wants you. Only you.”

Nerves and trepidation crawled up Tyler’s back like a spider, and he chewed his lip. “But what if he doesn’t want only me?”

“Then he’s not the guy for you.”

A heaving sigh left Tyler’s lungs. “You’re right. Thanks for making me see things clearly.”

“Anytime. Call me whenever you need to talk. And Tyler, things are gonna be OK. They always are.”

After they ended the call, Tyler sunk into a chair feeling worse than before he spoke to his brother. He hated ultimatums because they always backfired, and he didn’t know if he was ready to put everything on the line just yet. Sighing, he felt wetness fill his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling wondering why the hell his love life had to be so volatile all the time.