Chapter Two
“Dad, wake up.” Logan shook his father who was slumped over in his favorite chair in the living room, fast asleep. Logan didn’t normally see him this tired, but his mother had been having a tough week and it took a serious toll on his father. “It’s almost dinner time.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m up. What’s for dinner? You cooking?” Mickey Clay asked his son as he yawned and achingly pulled his body out of the chair.
“Already made, but I only have a few minutes to eat with you guys before I need to leave for the bar. We have a scout coming to see us tonight from New York New Music, so I want to get there early for sound check,” Logan said over his shoulder as he walked back into the kitchen and pulled the pasta off the stove.
He spilled it into the strainer sitting in the sink and shook off the excess water before pouring the noodles back into the empty pot. Cracking open a can of diced tomatoes and some pasta sauce, he mixed them all together and threw on a bit of seasoning. He put it out on the table and then pulled the garlic bread he had made earlier out of the oven where it was staying warm. He sliced it up and threw some pieces in a bowl, placing it next to the pasta. A few minutes later, the dinner table was neatly, yet humbly, set for three people and Logan could hear his parents heading out of the bedroom and toward him.
He stifled a yawn and decided to add a little caffeine to his meal, pulling a can of soda out of the fridge and cracking it open as his father walked by. Logan glanced at him as he carried Logan’s mother, Laura Clay, in his arms and sat her gently in a special chair at the table. It had been exactly twenty years since his mother had been in a car accident and lost all function below her waist.
The paralysis was only one of the resulting medical problems that the accident left her with and his father had been forced to quit his job in order to take care of her full time. Trips to dialysis and doctors filled his parent’s days and the doctor bills continued to fill their mailbox. Since there was no insurance or enough money to pay for a nurse, Mickey stayed home to take care of Laura and Logan worked to pay the bills. It wasn’t the average life for a twenty-five year old, but his parents were everything to Logan, he owed it to them.
He sighed quietly to himself as he went to join them at the table and pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He really wanted to stop having these pity parties, but over the last few days it had been a very tempting rut to hide in. His nerves were on turbo drive due to tonight’s gig at McGinny’s Bar.
“Logan? Your hand, son?” his mother asked him and he blinked back to attention.
She was sitting beside him, holding out her hand to him. His father was as well since they were preparing to say grace. He quickly took both of their hands and bowed his head.
“Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the food our boy has prepared for us tonight and pray that you watch over him tonight during his audition. We pray you bring healing to my wife and thank you for all you have done for our family. In Jesus’ name, Amen,” Mickey spoke solemnly, his eyes closed and his head down.
Logan and his mother echoed their amens and then picked up their forks, hungrily devouring their food.
It wasn’t an audition tonight, but Logan didn’t bother to correct his father. They didn’t understand his love of music and all the time that he put into it, but they were supportive anyway. His family was Irish Catholic and adhered to a strict way of life. Even with all their values and beliefs, the trio were bonded with such strong love and nothing was ever going to change that.
“You sure you want to go out tonight, Logan?” His mother glanced up at him with her big, round eyes full of concern. “You look so tired.”
“Don’t worry about me, Momma. I’m fine.” Logan grabbed his mother’s hand and squeezed it lovingly. “Hell, I’m excited!”
“Watch your mouth around your mother,” Mickey grunted at his son as he shoveled a piece of bread into his mouth.
“Sorry, Momma,” Logan immediately corrected himself, knowing to never curse in front of his mother.
His father had always been traditional with his rules, but his mother just rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder softly.
“I’m not a porcelain doll, Mickey. Logan’s all grown up.” She turned to her son, motherly pride beaming through her glimmering blue eyes that she had passed down to Logan.
Logan grinned back at her and then ducked his head down to scoop another forkful of pasta into his mouth. His dad glared between the two of them, grumbling beneath his breath. Mickey was perpetually angry, but in truth, it was just a rough exterior. He was a teddy bear inside with a gruff outer shell that liked to stomp around and be irritated even when he wasn’t.
Although in truth, he was angry at his life, so maybe his gruff persona was based on an internal struggle. Logan always wondered about this, but hoped his father wasn’t as unhappy as he appeared.
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When Logan got to McGinny’s, he realized that he was the first of Haven to arrive. Since he was waiting on Rock and Charlie to bring the van, he camped out at the bar and decided to order a drink to soothe his nerves first. They had never had a scout come to see them before and he knew that tonight could change his life.
He didn’t want to sound melodramatic or over think it, but he knew in the back of his mind, he couldn’t screw this up. He wanted to be famous and live out the dreams of a musician, but more than any of that, his family needed him to succeed. His mother needed him to succeed.
“Seriously? An Irish man drinking a Guinness? Wow, you’re a real rebel, huh?”
Logan turned his head to see the owner of the sultry voice that was simultaneously dripping with sarcasm. A tall, thin rail of a woman was staring back at him with emerald green eyes squinting at him while she leaned against the bar, supporting all of her weight on one leg and sticking out her hip. Her hand was propped on her hip in an aggressive manner and everything about her came across combative, and yet inexplicably gentle and friendly.
“What’s it to you?” Logan grunted at her and went back to his drink, turning his head away.
He didn’t have time for the distractions, like groupies, and this girl’s eyes were only saying one thing to him. He cleared his throat at the thought and took another sip of his beer while the girl pulled up a bar stool from a few feet over.
She slid onto it and crossed her legs, leaning them against the outside of his thigh as she angled her body to face him. Her eyes never left him even though he continued to stare straight ahead and ignore her. She had no idea where this sudden courage was coming from, it was completely unlike her, and yet she could not stop herself from walking up to this man in the thick leather jacket, leaning on the bar.
Deciding to throw caution to the wind, Gina reached across him and grabbed his glass. Slowly and purposefully, she sipped his beer while he stared at her with a face full of emotions ranging from anger... to bewilderment... to attraction.
She finished off the rest of his beer completely, tipping her head back and exposing her long neck. Her straight black hair fell past her shoulders, revealing streaks of neon colors underneath. There were highlights of pink, orange, green, and blue underneath the black curtain that were so bright, they almost made Logan squint.
She leaned forward, pressing her chest together with her arms and whispered in his ear.
“Thanks for the drink.” She winked at him, a faint grin on her face, teasing him as she stood up and started to walk toward the door. Logan’s jaw fell open as he tried to understand what just happened and why he wanted nothing more than to follow her out of the bar.
Logan glanced up at the clock, he still had a little time before the band would get here to set up. He quickly stood up and pulled a few bills out of his pocket, tossing them onto the bar, then walked swiftly in the direction that she had gone. He swung the bar doors open fast and looked for her, finally spotting her rounding the corner of the building. Boosting to a jog, he went after her hoping not to lose her around the corner.
br />
What am I doing?
He didn’t know why, but he knew he wanted her, even if he didn’t even know her name. He rounded the corner so fast, he didn’t have time to look at what he was rushing into. His mystery woman was leaning against the brick siding, one long leather boot pressed against the brick below the hem of her short skirt. She was wearing a red plaid skirt, wrapped high on her waist with a tiny black sleeveless top covering her upper half. Her hair covered her face as he approached her slowly from the side, watching her fire up a lighter and dip the cigarette between her lips in to the flame.
“Nobody ever told you that those fuckers will kill you?” Logan said in a low, ominous tone.
This mystery woman may have some sort of hold over him, but he was going to take back control now. She glanced up at him and a quick flicker of fear slipped through the deep, green pools of her eyes. Then she pulled the still unlit cigarette from her lips, holding it between two fingers, and smiled at him.
“Nobody ever tells me anything.”
She grinned back at him, her eyes turning into a darker hue as she looked at the figure before her. The perfect embodiment of masculinity with his long, wavy brown hair and tanned skin, that chiseled jaw line littered with stubble, and a body that most weight lifters would envy.
“You owe me,” Logan said, his voice turning husky as he grabbed the cigarette from her fingers and tossed it to the ground. He placed his hand on the brick wall beside her head and the other in his pocket as he leaned his massive figure over her tiny, thin frame.
“For what?” She cocked her head to the side and her voice accidentally squeaked as she tried to sound irritated. She was irritated he had tossed her cigarette, but she was having trouble remembering that when she looked into his stormy, blue eyes.
“The beer. And the attitude,” Logan said, pressing his body slightly closer to hers as he growled the last part of his statement.
She felt his breath on the side of her neck as he whispered the last part into her ear. That was all she needed, she leaned up and her lips met his. Softly, she slipped her tongue out and slid it across his lower lip as she kissed him, but he didn’t move. His breath hitched and he couldn’t refrain any longer.
Logan slid his hand behind her neck and crushed his lips down on hers, pulling her tight against him. His other hand slipped around her back and immediately grabbed her cheek, pressing her into him as he pushed his hips against her. She felt a shudder pass through her body as she felt how excited he was against her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, mostly for support since her knees were threatening to turn into rubber at any moment.
“Name?” Logan grunted as he pulled his lips away from hers for a moment. He felt weird enough that he was allowing himself a moment of no self-control, he should at least know her name.
“Gina,” she said breathlessly, blinking as she attempted to focus her eyes even though her head was spinning from the sensations he was causing her.
“Logan,” he growled back in response against her skin.
Gina slide her fingers through his hair. “Nice to meet you.”
“You don’t know that yet.” He flashed her a fiery look, no smile on his face.
She felt a flash of fear rush through her at the potential threat, but it also just excited her more. She wasn’t one to give away control though and she knew that she still held all the cards in this game.
He had no clue what he was in for yet.
His hand slipped lower down her backside, grabbing her thigh and lifting her leg to wrap around him as he pressed her harder into the wall. Their lips were moving fast, devouring one another, as if this would all disappear if they didn’t hold onto it for dear life.
Logan reached up behind her and tugged her hair back hard, but it didn’t hurt. Instead, it exposed her neck to him for further exploration, which he quickly took advantage of. He moved further south and shoved the neckline of her shirt, not even thinking through his actions as he allowed their encounter to progress at a lightning fast pace.
“Well, this is awkward,” a voice said behind Logan, causing his head to shoot up and swivel around.
Logan found himself staring at a grinning Dylan, attempting to keep an innocent look on his face, as Rock stood beside him snickering behind his hand, completely failing to mask his laughter.
Logan rolled his eyes and caught Rock with a soft, but swift punch to the arm. Gina scrambled behind him, readjusting her clothes to cover herself as she peered over Logan’s shoulder at his two band mates. Both men were full on laughing now as Logan’s face went bright red.
“So, you comin’ to sound check, dude? Or do you have something else you need to check first?” Dylan continued his snarky commentary as he leaned around Logan to wink at Gina.
“Shut the fuck up, man. I’m comin’. You jackasses are the ones who were late. You expect me to sit there like a dick and wait for your sorry asses?” Logan quickly followed them, leaving Gina standing there with an irritated look on her face.
“Oh no, you definitely found a way to keep yourself busy,” Rock chimed in, earning himself a second punch to the arm as the men headed back into the bar.
Logan was the last one to walk in and he glanced in Gina’s direction before entering, seeing her walking around the corner of the building. He gave her a sheepish smile and nodded his head in her direction, which seemed to perk up her scowling expression.
He felt a twinge of guilt for just dropping her like that, but he hadn’t known how else to react. His band-mates had never seen him with a woman before because of how busy his life was. He just didn’t have the time to devote to flirting or dating. Taking care of his family and playing gigs took center stage and groupies and all the drama that came with women just got in the way of that.
Why did I just let Gina sidetrack me like that? Logan wondered, scolding himself, as he turned away from her and followed his friends into the bar.
Dylan and Rock were already hollering across the bar to the stage where Charlie was setting up his keyboard. Like a bunch of teenage girls, they were eager to gossip and embarrass Logan with what they had just witnessed.
“...just going to fucking town, man!” Dylan was recanting to Charlie, who was smiling at the antics. “Didn’t even hear us come up behind him!”
“Hell, at least we know he still likes girls,” Rock joked, just as Logan caught up to them, and all three men burst out laughing at Logan. A few patrons looked their way, then went back to their drinks.
“Why don’t you fuckers just shut up?” Logan smacked Dylan in the back of his head and stalked over to his gear on the side of the stage and picked it up. “Stop busting my balls just ‘cause you’re jealous.”
All the men calmed down and began assembling their instruments and electrical equipment on stage, while still throwing in the occasional barb at one another.
Logan purposefully avoided any eye contact with Gina who was now sitting back at the bar, turned to look at them, with a martini in her hand. He did not need a distraction tonight, not when the record label scout would be here. All the players occasionally glanced around the bar during sound check, wondering if the scout was already there, no one knowing what he would look like. Tonight was the night.
This was his chance.
Chapter Three
Haven’s first set was only eight songs and the bar was still only partially full since it was earlier in the evening. None of them knew when the scout would be coming, but they had figured it best to save their best songs for later on in the evening when the crowd was thick and cheering. McGinny’s patrons loved Logan and even though they had no official band name or logos, they were well known locally.
“Take five, guys,” Logan told his friends as he slipped the guitar strap over his head and placed the instrument gently onto the stand.
He loved his red electric guitar more than anything else he owned, the Fender Stratocaster went everywhere with him and he carefully cleaned and polished it regularly.
r /> “More like ten, bro. I need a beer. Or three.” Dylan, always the loud mouth, slid his drumsticks into his back pocket and stalked off to the bar.
Rock was fast behind him, always eager to pound away a few drinks. Logan took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he contemplated joining them.
“Relax, man. They still play just as good hammered. Hell, maybe even better.” Charlie slapped Logan on the back as he walked past him to go grab a drink himself. Logan knew he was right. Charlie was always the level headed one in the group. The guys were as nervous as he was about the scout and a drink or two would probably only benefit them.
“What’ll it be?” The female bartender leaned across the bar, purposefully showing off her cleavage to Logan.
Her eyes raked the length of his body, pausing a bit too long on his tight, black jeans. He felt a sudden confidence boost at the thought of this pretty blonde flirting with him, even though she was definitely not his type. She looked like she dunked her head in makeup every morning and her face was a different shade of color from the rest of her body. Not interested.
“Jack and coke.” Logan smiled back at her politely as she moved around gathering the ingredients, intentionally putting on a show for him. He pretended to notice which was easy since his mind was already running through the chords for the next song.
“Switching to hard liquor, baby?” Gina was suddenly beside him purring, her arms wrapped around his waist as she looked up at him, grinning mischievously.
He had completely forgotten about her until just then, having been so focused on the set. The bartender took one look at Gina hanging all over him and dropped the glass down on the bar with a hard thunk, sliding it to him. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked away.
“Oh, hey Gina,” he said awkwardly, pushing his arm down to detach her from him, while pretending he was just reaching for his drink. She visibly pouted and scooted around to stand in front of him.