She Never Said Goodbye

Chapter Sixteen

Playing his guitar on stage often had the same effect on Owen that seeing Monica fresh out of a bath or backlit by the sunset while sitting on their tiny balcony, snuggled close under a blanket, as they share the last of a box of wine together had. That night, with her red dress on, it was almost impossible for him to focus. Each of his band mates threw him looks at different times early in their set.

The guys had played together since high school. They knew how to cover up each other's mistakes, and it was highly doubtful that anyone listening would catch any. Any other night, Scooter would have definitely pulled Owen aside and asked him if he was okay, but Scooter knew what was up. He let his best friend's mesmerized eyes and slippery fingers slide that night. The worst mistakes were in the first few songs anyway. Owen was able to get his testosterone together by the time they wedged into the opening of Silverchair's "The Door".

The crowd was jumping and singing along. The energy at Roxie's had elevated to a whole other level. All the ladies in the place were perfectly plastered, and the owner was thrilled with the business and buzz The Sun Also Rises brought his establishment.

The Sun Also Rises was created on New Year's Day three years prior. The girlfriends and the guys had a party at Eric's parents' huge lakehouse. All of them had fallen asleep in the massive living room with the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake. The mix of wine, booze and weed put them into a deep slumber by the time the clock struck 1 a.m.. 

Scooter had a revelation that new day. He told his friends and band mates that trying to get signed, trying to make a name for themselves was no longer their path. They were music lovers just as much as they were music writers. They should devote the next year to being a cover band and see how that pans out. Three years later and they were still packing Roxie's Tavern and  several other bars and clubs in their vicinity. 

Make your mind
Let the door, let the door swing

"The Door" was one of Owen's favorite songs to play. He bobbed his head to the music and cradled his guitar back and forth, really feeling the music and the crowd.

Wanted to pretend he's dead
Didn't have to pretend

Monica's smile was beaming. The girls were standing now and had moved closer to the stage. She lifted her arms above her head and sang along with the girls. It wasn't a surprise at all, but one lit lady flung her bra onto the stage. It was a really good throw and landed on one of Toby's cymbals. It dangled there for some time, black and lacy. Scooter giggled between breaths and snagged the bra off the cymbal. He spun it around on his pointer finger and sent it soaring back out into the crowd. The screams made the walls crawl with lust.

All this and more
Makes no sense to me
All this and more
Makes me drown

As the song boomed and wailed into its final moments, the band had every single person, regardless of gender, in the palm of their hands.

"Holy shit!" Pearl yelled. "They are on fire tonight!"

Monica put her arm around her and laughed as she brought her drink to her lips. Jane pushed through the throng of desperate women to get to her man. Eric knelt down on both knees and crouched over to give his lady love a long and passionate kiss. Pearl and Monica laughed their drunken asses off at the display. Eric and Jane seemed to be forever breaking up and getting back together again. Their kiss looked as if they had just met. 

"They are insane!" Pearl rolled her eyes as Toby pounded into Offspring's "Gone Away".

"They need to open up their own asylum, for the criminally in love!" Monica laughed so hard her side hurt. 

Leaving flowers on your grave
Show that I still care
But black roses and Hail Mary's
Can't bring back what's taken from me

"Want another drink?"

"Yes, please!"

Pearl submerged herself back into the thick and perfumed crowd. It was not an easy feat, but she managed to make it back to Monica with their drinks. Yes, some spilled on the floor and onto clothing in the process, but seeing a stellar cover band isn't always a clean experience.

I reach to the sky
And call out your name

Pearl took a long drag of her beer and bellowed, "Just you wait, Monny, this night is just gettin' started! Whaoo!"

And it stings
Yeah it stings now
The world is so cold
Now that you've gone away

Monica kissed her friend's cheek and then locked eyes with her man. Owen winked at her. He had taken his shirt off between songs, and his torso was dripping with sweat. Monica felt a flare go off inside her. She wanted Owen as if she had never had him before. Pearl's girls nights out were infamously unpredictable, though. It was going to be one long, arduous night to get back to him.

Hey, ya'll. She finally speaks. ;)

Thank you so much for reading my new story.If you wanna show your love, hit that star to vote and chat with me in the comments. 

🤘Leanne