Craving Talon (4 page)

Talon’s eyes widen in shock. “Baby, that’s amazing.”
 

“I know, considering sixty percent of it’s yours, or at least the band’s.” Talon’s mouth drops. “The concert performances are now under Cami’s control to negotiate. If or when we decide to do the duet you wrote, that will be worked into the performance negotiations. I’d imagine she’d negotiate to record it in New York also.”

Talon just sits back, soaking in what I’m telling him. “I’m proud of you,” he says with soft reverence in his eyes.
 

“This isn’t about me. Whatever you want to do with me is your choice. If you don’t want me to perform with you, you don’t have to let me. Though I am pretty sure the ‘Your Eyes’ duet recording isn’t much of an option anymore. We’ve already opened that can of worms. But if you don’t want me….”
 

“Shh.” He sits up. “I want this, Addison. Believe me, I want this for you, for the band.”

“So why are you so sad?”
 

He leans into me. “I’m afraid of you becoming too big for me,” he whispers.
 

I give him a sad smile. “I haven’t agreed to anything outside of what I do with 69 Bottles. Cami is pocketing the label offers until after the tour. Honestly, at this point, I do not see myself making a career out of singing. I even asked her if I could keep my job with Bold and if returning after the tour would be a problem. Talon, I only want to do this because you’re insisting I do this with you for the tour. It isn’t about the money or the fame; it’s about you and the band.”
 

He leans in, hugging me gently. Nestling himself into the crook of my neck. I can hear him inhale. “You’re way too good for me, you know that?”
 

I rub his back. “Nothing, not even me, is too good for you.”
 

He mumbles something into my neck and I can’t hear him. I take more comfort in the fact that Kyle is comforting both of us. I feel Talon shift to look at him, though I can’t see the exchange, Kyle’s hand tightens on my hip. There is some type of exchange between the two of them, but I don’t know what it is and that’s okay. They need their time too.
 

The conversation in the car changes when Peacock and Dex join in on Mouse and Travis’s conversation. I can feel someone watching me and I wonder idly if it is the quiet Naomi, but I don’t turn to look. I’m going to enjoy my moment with my boys.

It’s just after eight when we arrive at the bar. The area seems pretty remote, but by gauging the traffic on the road in front of the bar, we’re still within the city limits. There is a big sign out front that says “Blu Phoenix” and the building is rather unremarkable from the outside.
 

The building is long or wide, depending on how you want to describe it, and brown. Cami and Tristan, Tyson and Jolene and Mick and Beau are all waiting for us outside the door and I can see Tristan is unlocking the door.
 

All the lights are on inside and there are a couple of people moving around. “That’s the sound crew. It’s going to be far from soundproof but it’s all we’ve got on short notice,” Cami says. “These guys are amazing at what they do. They will digitally enhance the recording for better quality.”
 

The atmosphere inside is great. Blues, blacks and chromes make up the décor. On this end, across from the door is a stage. It’s small but I imagine it’s a bit nostalgic for the guys. They played this scene for years. On the far end from where we came in is a beautiful shiny black high-top bar with chrome stools in front of it. It stretches the entire width of the space.
 

Beau stands in front of everyone and smacks her hands together. “Bar’s open for all the non-pregnant ones. What can I get you guys?”
 

Beer is immediately ordered by most of the men in the room.
 

“Oh please, you guys are boring as hell,” Beau teases.

“Nope, just practical,” Tyson says as Beau heads toward the bar. Mick is hot on her heels. She isn’t gonna be able to lift a finger and it’s freaking adorable how he follows after her.
 

“The gear bus is here,” Mills says from the doorway.
 

“Great,” Talon says. “Let’s get it unloaded.”
 

I’m surprised when Talon, Kyle and the rest of the crew head out the door. I’ve never seen them set up their own equipment before.
 

I follow them out and get shooed back inside. I roll my eyes. “You’re not helping, not in those.” Kyle says looking at my feet. I actually forgot I was wearing the heels still. I turn to look for Mills and find Rusty instead.

“Any luck finding my flip flops?”
 

He hands me a bag. “Grabbed you a change of clothes too. You might be here a while.”

“Thanks,” I reply, trying to fight back the weirdness of him finding me clothes. Then again, my suitcase is open on the stand in the room. I go back inside and am quickly followed by the guys. Two of the road crew came with them. Have these guys been on the bus the since our arrival in Phoenix on Sunday? God, I hope not. I vow to ask Kyle about it later.
 

They go about setting up Dex’s drums and a couple of the amps that they use in their setup.
 

“Alright guys, we have a couple of things for you,” one of the sound guys says. “We have a couple of microphones for Talon and Addison. Plus ones that will hook onto the bass and guitars. So once you’re all set up, we will get it all hooked up for you. It’s our hope that we can cut some of the echo. We’ve recorded here before, though with a packed house and the sound has been pretty good.”
 

“We could move outside,” Cami suggests. “It’s set up, would that help with the feedback?”
 

The sound guy smiles. “It might, but we’re already in here. Let’s try here first, if I can’t get the quality I want, we’ll give it a go outside.”
 

Cami nods and Mick shows up with a tray full of beer bottles. I smile, after what Talon told me about where they got their name, it’s rather fitting.

“What so funny?” I look to see Jolene standing beside me.
 

I nod my head in a silent chuckle. “I was thinking about the band’s name and where it came from when I saw all those bottles.”

“Oh, oh!” she says like she gets it. “Sixty-nine of them?”
 

I nod and smile. “What I don’t get is who decided to count the bottles?”

“I did, love,” Dex says as he comes up to take a bottle. “I was ridiculously anal retentive back then, oh and bored too. I decided to count them as I threw them away.”

“That’s pretty funny actually. I used to do shit like that all the time. I still do, but Tyson doesn’t put up with my shit so I’ve mellowed out some,” she says with a laugh and takes a sip of her beer.
 

“Yo, Dex, getcha ass ova here,” Peacock shouts so Dex takes off back to the stage.
 

“I don’t know how you do it,” Beau says as she comes to sit at the table with all the beer, propping her feet up on an adjacent chair.

“Do what?”
 

Beau laughs. “I have a hard enough time keeping up with Tristan and Travis, I can’t imagine four of them.”
 

“Try five,” I tease, grabbing a beer and taking a sip. “Kyle’s just as good or bad as they are, depending on the day. They’ve been friends for years. And to be honest, this is only just beginning, I don’t know if I’m going to last twelve weeks.” I take another sip of my beer.
 

“So are you and Talon…?” Beau wiggles her eyebrows. I nearly spew beer everywhere. She laughs. “I’ll take that as a yes. Can’t say I blame you though, they’re all pretty hot.” I look over my shoulder as the guys set up their stuff. Watching them work, yes they’re all hot, but my eyes land on Talon and Kyle.
 

“Yeah, they are,” I say with a harlot’s groan.

“Seriously, how do you do it?” Jolene asks. I laugh. “I’m a happily married woman but I have trouble around them. Add to that the fact that they’re musicians.” I watch as she melts but then her eyes drift over to her husband and she melts a little more. “I’m gonna go stand over there.” She nods her head in Tyson’s direction and Beau and I both laugh.
 

“Go for it,” Beau says.
 

“How long have they been together?” I ask Beau as Jolene goes to stand near Tyson.
 

“Um, three years, I think. Jolene, Cami, Naomi and I have been friends for a long time. Cami had some shit happen a few years back and she ran off right before her birthday, which is where she met Tristan. Then Cami and Tristan played matchmaker. Hooking up Tyson and Jolene and Travis and Naomi.” Beau laughs. “That was an interesting weekend.” She smiles at the memory running through her head.
 

“You okay, baby?” Mick comes up to Beau, rubbing her shoulders.
 

“I’m great, just remembering when we went to Tarah for the first time. What was that, three years ago?” she asks him and he nods. She looks back at me. “He’s better with that stuff than I am, especially now.”
 

“This your first?” I nod toward her tummy.

She nods running her hand lovingly over the swell. “I just can’t wait for it to be over. I’m so ready to meet him or her.”
 

“So you don’t know what you’re having?”
 

Both her and Mick laugh. “That’s only because whatever it is is very stubborn, every time we try and find out, it closes it’s legs on us. So we gave up. We just have six more weeks left.”
 

“Hey, Addison?”
 

I turn to Kyle. “Yeah, cowboy?” I turn back to Beau and wink.
 

“We’re ready.”

I down the rest of my beer. “Where can I toss this?”
 

“Set it on the table, I’ll get it,” Mick says with a smile. “Go get ‘em.”
 

I set my bottle down just as I hear the string of ‘Your Eyes’ being played in typical 69 Bottles tuning fashion. I flush as I’m immediately turned on. Though it’s never happened to me before, something about tonight…maybe it’s the intimacy of the gathering of friends. I notice now that Travis and Naomi have taken over a table opposite where we are now. Behind them are Derek and Dacotah. He has his arms wrapped around her in a very possessive way that sends a thrill through me. Cami and Tristan are helping out with the sound and equipment.
 

“Alright Adam, let’s run this once with me, make any adjustments and then go again, with Addison,” Talon says into the mic. You can hear him but it isn’t a whole lot louder than if he were to talk normally. That tells me that the vocals are going straight into the recording system, cutting feedback to next to nothing. I feel a little more at ease about doing this now knowing that I might not be heard all that well. Yeah, right.

“Got it,” Adam says.

“Addie, come here,” Talon calls and I walk toward him, thankful I haven’t taken my pumps off yet. I can see the lusty look show up in his eyes and I stop a few feet away from him and then the band kicks up after Dex’s count off.
 

Your eyes

Are like nothing I’ve ever known

Nothing I’ve ever seen

They bring me here

They bring me home

Your eyes
 

Are all I can see.

Six takes later and we’ve managed to record a very good version of ‘Your Eyes’. We made various adjustments for when I would come in and when I would sing back up and when I would take the part for myself. I got more than a lot of applause for my abilities. It was nerve wracking because I didn’t want to screw up, or make an ass out of myself, but I do have to say, it boosted my confidence just a little.
 

“You’re amazing.” Travis gives me praise as we wrap up.
 

I blush. “Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.”
 

“Ah, yeah, I guess it could. You do a pretty good job of hiding what you do or don’t know about someone.”