Take What You Want (11 page)

Chase stepped aside, as two
girls bumped into him and then giggled at their clumsiness. “I
think you missed your calling,” he said. “You should've
been a model.”

“
Do
you think modeling would get me laid more?” Alex asked.

“
I
seriously doubt you have any trouble getting laid just from strumming
your guitar,” Chase said with a laugh. He tugged open the door
to the Wharf Pub and motioned Alex inside. “I didn't know what
you liked to eat, so I picked this place. It has a little bit of
everything on the menu and Cherries is right around the corner. We
can walk there after we eat.”

Chase
watched Alex scan the interior of the pub and his face relaxed into a
grin at what he was seeing. He hoped that meant Alex was pleased
with his selection. He had no idea what types of places a West Coast
rock star like Alex frequented, but he guessed none like it existed
on this island.

The Wharf was pretty basic,
as far as pubs went, with the typical bar setting on one side, with a
large hand-carved bar and well used wooden stools in front of it and
a scattering of dinner tables occupying the other. In the winter
months, this place was brimming with locals. The summer months
packed it with tourists and tonight was a typical summer night at the
Wharf.

Chase
surveyed the occupants. He didn't see anyone he recognized and was
grateful for that. He wasn't sure how he'd explain why he was out
with someone that was technically his client, not to mention a famous
rocker. He never socialized with his clients. Ever. It was bad for
business. He hoped that didn't ring true for Alex because he really
did like spending time with him.

They got a table for two in
the back and ordered drinks. Chase went with a draft beer and Alex
did the same.

“
Hey,
aren't you Zander from Ivory Tower,” their waitress boldly
asked.

“
No,
but I get asked that a lot. I must look like him, or something,”
Alex answered with the ease of a true professional.

After the girl left their
table, Chase smiled at Alex. “Sounds like you've had to do
that more than once,” he said.

Alex shook his head. “You
have no idea,” Alex said. “I'm not complaining, though,
if it weren't for people like her, I'd be out of a job, so I try not
to be unappreciative.”

A moment later, the girl
returned with their beer and a basket of popcorn. She left two menus
with them and disappeared again.

“
Tell
me about Danni,” Alex said, sipping from his chilled mug.

“
What
about her?”

“
When
are you getting married?” Alex asked.

“
Next
June,” Chase said.

“
What
made you chose her?”

“
She's
perfect for me,” Chase said. “I love her sense of
adventure, her spirit; her drive.”

“
How's
the sex?” Alex asked.

“
Phenomenal,”
Chase said. “No complaints.”

“
Except
for the missing dick?”

Chase narrowed his gaze on
Alex. He wasn't sure why Alex was asking so many questions about
Danni; wasn't sure he wanted to expose the details to him, either.
“What's with third degree on Danni?”

“
I
don't mean to pry,” Alex said. “I'm always interested in
how some people can make it work while others can't.”

“
Are
you talking about yourself?” Chase asked.

“
I've
come close a couple of times to making it work,” Alex said. “I
thought I was totally in love with Mia, even thought she understood
the other part of me, too, so I was hopeful we were going to make it
work. Turns out she didn't understand me at all and what I was
feeling for her wasn't a deep or lasting kind of love. She did us
both a favor when she walked away.”

“
No
one since?” Chase asked.

“
No
one steady,” Alex said.

“
I
would think your lifestyle living on the road would make it difficult
to have a long term relationship with anyone,” Chase said.

“
It
can be,” Alex said, leaning over the table toward Chase. “I
have no trouble committing or being faithful to someone I care about.
What usually kills it for me is the fact I'm also into dudes and I'm
not willing to give up one to have the other. I've tried it and it
doesn't work for me. I've also found most women don't want to share
their men – especially with another man.”

Chase nodded and took a gulp
of his beer. The waitress came back and took their dinner orders;
two cheese burgers with a side salad and two more beers.

“
What
about Danni?” Alex asked. “Do you think she'll be able
to handle your
other
side
for
the long haul
?”

Chase quickly glanced around
to see if anyone could hear them talking. He was relieved to see
everyone was absorbed in their own table companions and oblivious to
him and Alex.

“
I
have no idea if
I
want
to handle it, never mind her,” Chase said.

“
Have
you talked to her about it since I saw you Saturday night?”
Alex asked. His voice took on a husky tone.

“
Several
times,” Chase said.

“
And,
is everything … cool?” Alex asked.

Chase was starting to sweat
and was drinking his beer too fast. The ease Alex exhibited when
talking about this unnerved him. It was like he were talking about
the ingredients to his homemade spaghetti sauce. He was thankful to
see the waitress appearing with her arms loaded down with their
dinner plates.

“
Can
I get you anything else?” she asked.

“
Ice
water, please,” Chase said, “With lots of ice.”

“
Make
that two, please,” Alex added, then his eyes drifted back to
Chase. “Do you think Danni will be able to share you?”

“
She
already has, but not in the sense you're talking about,” Chase
said.

“
What
do you mean?” Alex asked.

“
A
few years back, she and I shared her girlfriend.”

A mischievous smile formed
on Alex's face. “Nice going, Chase. And, she was okay with
you fucking her friend?”

Chase chuckled and popped a
french fry into his mouth. “Yeah, it was good.”

“
I
bet,” Alex said, with a broad smile. “What I'm talking
about has the same concept, but for some reason chicks want to freak
out when two guys go at it.”

“
Can
I ask you something?” Chase said.

“
Of
course.”

“
Do
you always do three-ways with your girlfriend's, or do you keep it
separate?”

“
Depends
on the girl,” Alex said. “Mia loved sharing me and
insisted I do it with her there, but I've had other girl's that
prefer I hook-up with guys on my own time. Out of sight, out of
mind, I guess. Which do you think Danni would want?”

Chase sat back in his chair.
He couldn't believe they were having this conversation – in
public, as if it weren't unusual at all. Chase wiped his mouth with
a napkin and sipped his beer.

“
I'm
freaking you out, aren't I?” Alex asked.

“
A
little bit,” Chase said.

“
I'm
sorry,” Alex said. “I don't mean to do that, but for me,
this isn't a big deal and I keep forgetting you're … new to
the idea.”

“
You
could say that,” Chase said.

“
How
about we talk about something else, then?” Alex asked.

“
That
would certainly reduce my stress level,” Chase said.

They finished eating dinner
and left the restaurant, walking up the street toward Cherries. It
was close to ten o'clock by the time they arrived. The club manager
met Alex and Chase at the door, ushering them inside using a back
entrance.

“
Zander,
so good to meet you,” the man said. “I'm Bert Masters.
I'm the club manager.”

“
Hi,
Bert,” Alex said, shaking Bert's hand. “This is my
friend, Chase.”

Bert gave Chase's hand a
firm shake, then looked back at Alex. “Everyone's been on pins
and needles since we heard you were coming tonight, Zander.”

Alex glanced at Chase, then
turned back to Bert. “How'd you know I'd be here?”

“
Your
manager called and gave us a heads-up,” Bert said. “You
being here is really good for the musician community we have on the
island. We've got a full house already, and it's still early. My
guess is in another hour or so, we'll be turning people away at the
door due to overcrowding.”

Chase heard Alex curse under
his breath and watched him rub his forehead. Bert brought them into
a back stage storage room that looked like it also served double duty
as a dressing room.

“
If
you don't mind hanging back here for a few minutes,” Bert said,
“I'll have a table cleared for you out front.”

Alex grabbed for Bert's arm
and stopped him. “That's not going to work,” Alex said.

“
Would
you be more comfortable standing?” Bert asked.

“
I'd
rather you hadn't made it known I'd be here,” Alex said. “If
I go out there now, I'll draw too much attention, and no one is going
to listen to the musicians perform. It will be disrespectful to the
performers and I won't do that.”

Chase's eyes went wide,
listening to Alex speak his mind. He didn't want to take anything
away from the bands performing? It was a selfless act that Chase
found endearing coming from someone living life as Alex did on a
daily basis.

“
Oh,
I see your point,” Bert said. “Let me see what I can do
and I'll be back in a few.”

“
And,
just so we're clear,” Alex said. “I'm not here tonight
as Zander, looking to sign autographs. I'm here as Alex and would
like to enjoy the music. Maybe you could see to it that happens?”

“
I'll
do my best,” Bert said.

Chase watched Bert leave the
room, then felt Alex's hand touch his shoulder.

“
I
don't have a good feeling about this,” Alex said softly,
slightly leaning in to the bend of Chase's neck as if to whisper.
There was no one in the room with them to warrant the softer voice,
but the change in timbre did wonderful things to Chase's body. He
tried – and failed, to stop a shiver that rippled through him.
Alex's fingers worked lower and fanned on the space between his
shoulder blades, then slid the entire length of Chase's spine.

“
What
do you mean?” Chase asked. He hoped like hell Alex couldn't
feel him trembling from his touch, but his closeness was
overwhelming.

Alex withdrew his hand when
it reached the waistband of Chase's shorts. “If I stay here,
it will turn into chaos out front and it's not fair to the artists.
The whole point of me checking out this place was to listen to the
talent unnoticed. I can't believe my fucking manager called to let
them know I'd be here.”

Alex pulled his cell phone
from the pocket in his shirt and punched in a few digits, then
pressed it to his ear. “I don't care that I interrupted,”
Alex said into the phone. “Why the fuck did you feel the need
to inform the management at Cherries I'd be here tonight?”

Chase moved away and found a
stool to sit on while Alex finished yelling at his manager. A few
minutes later, the door to the back room opened and the roar of music
and cheering filtered inside. Alex hung-up his phone when he saw
Bert step inside the room.

“
We've
cleared a spot along the side of the club for you and placed a
bouncer there,” Bert said. “Would you like to give that
a try?”