“Because I love you.”
“And how did you afford it?” Not that he was unwilling to pay for it. If she put it on his credit card, he was perfectly okay with that. He just wondered.
“Myrna paid me. And I got my scholarship back, so I had some extra cash to blow.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “You were irresponsible with money for me?”
She scowled, that wonderful hair trigger temper of hers exploding. “I wouldn’t call it irrespons—”
He cut off her words with a hungry kiss. When she went limp and compliant in his arms, he pulled away and stared into her lovely jade-green eyes. “The best day of my life used to be the day I asked you to marry me onstage in Pittsburgh, but as memorable as that was, today has been even better.”
She smiled at him. “It’s not over yet.”
“It can’t possibly improve.”
“I’ll consider that a challenge.”
Oh yes, please do. His c**k stirred in his pants again. Before he could make good use of his excitement, the limo let them out at Fisherman’s Wharf. The crowd buzzed with curiosity in their wake. He didn’t know if it was because people recognized them or because they’d been riding in a limousine, but no one approached. Jessica took his hand and led him to a large sailboat near the end of a dock. The captain greeted them, handed Jessica a picnic basket, and within minutes they were on their way across the water. He needed to call Brian to tell him he was already in San Francisco. They wouldn’t be riding to the venue together as they’d planned.
“I need to use the restroom,” he told her and kissed her gently.
She glanced out at the western horizon anxiously. “Hurry back,” she said and started removing things from the picnic basket, carefully arranging them on the small round table on the deck.
In the bathroom, Sed turned on his cell phone and it beeped. New message. Three of them. All from Brian.
The first message said, “Sed, you need to stay home today. Eric and Jace are up to something. Call me.”
Eric and Jace?
And the second, “Dare told us you’re on your way to San Francisco with Jessica. I hope you check your messages soon. I have something important to tell you. Call me. Immediately.”
The final message, “Sed, whatever you do, don’t get on that boat!”
Sed’s heart sank to his toes. Too late for that. He was already on the boat. Was Jessica planning to kill him and then dump his body overboard before sailing off into the sunset with his drummer and bassist? And how did Brian know about their plan? Was he in on it or trying to save Sed’s life? Palms sweating, Sed dialed Brian and waited for him to answer.
“Finally. I’ve been waiting for you to call me back all day.”
“What the f**k is going on, Brian?”
“Please tell me you’re not on the boat.”
“I’m on the boat.”
“Shit!” Brian then spoke to someone on his end, “He’s already on the boat.”
“Shit!” Trey said in the background.
Brian spoke into his phone again, “Okay, moving on to plan B.”
Sed scratched his head behind his ear. “Plan B. What was Plan A?”
“You’ve got to do it today, buddy. Like, right now.”
Sed was not following him. Like, at all. “Do what?”
“Propose to Jessica.”
“Yeah, tomorrow during the concert. We already planned the whole thing.”
“You can’t wait. Go do it right now.”
“Now? What’s going on, Brian?”
Brian hesitated and then sighed loudly. “I can’t say.”
“Tell him,” Trey said loud enough for Sed to hear.
“It’s not a fair win if we tell him. It won’t count.”
“I’m not getting the tattoo of Eric’s choice on my ass because you’re being some honorable douche bag,” Trey said. “Give me the damn phone. I’m telling him.”
Sed held the device away from his ear as his two guitarists wrestled over Brian’s phone. Loudly. Apparently, Brian won.
“You have to ask her to marry you before sunset. Okay?” Brian said breathlessly. “Just trust me on this. You know I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”
“I’m not asking her until she hears her song. It’s the only reason I haven’t proposed yet.” Well, that, and he was nervous. Also putting the ring on her finger in her sleep hadn’t worked out so well.
“So sing it to her.”
“Without music? Don’t be stupid, Brian. You and Trey have been rehearsing her song all week.”
“What about the recording you guys made a couple years ago?” Sed heard Trey say in the background.
“Yes! I forgot about the recording. Perfect! Sed, if I play the song for her over the phone, will you ask her? We can still play it for her live at the concert tomorrow.” Brian made a sound of desperation—half whine, half groan. “Please.”
Brian never asked Sed for much and he owed the guy a lot. Sed sighed in annoyance, knowing he couldn’t refuse. “If you send me the song, I guess so.”
Brian released a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I hope I still have it. I’ll check my files and call you back A.S.A.F.P.”
“Fine,” Sed said. “You know, if you crazy bastards would quit making stupid bets…”
“You’ve made your share of stupid bets.”
Sed couldn’t deny it.
“I’ll try to find it,” Brian continued, “but if for some reason I can’t, promise you’ll ask her anyway. Before sunset.”
What was the big deal with sunset? Was she going to turn into an ogre or something?
“I’ll ask her. When I’m ready.”
Trey was hollering, “What did he say? Is he going to save our asses? I mean literally. Brian?” when Sed disconnected.
Sed still didn’t completely understand the bet or what Eric and Jace had to do with anything. Maybe Jessica could explain it. He set his phone on vibrate and stuffed it back in his pocket. Before returning to deck, he used the bathroom facilities and washed up in the little sink. He no longer thought Jessica planned to kill him (well, probably not), but he was a bit leery of her intentions now that he knew she was in on some stupid bet his band mates had devised. No telling what he was in for.
On deck, he took the chair across from her and she smiled sweetly, the sinking sun making her strawberry blonde hair glow a pale gold.