After a one-night stand I had three kids novel Chapter 1

Prologue

This is my first trip back to the U.S. since getting my dream job. I have a couple of days to catch up with my friends and relax before I have to head back to Paris and the first thing I did was get a front–row ticket to the Strikers tour to see Toxic Rose Thorns–my favorite band of all time.

It’s not the first time I see them. I went a few times before they blew up when I was in college. This is my first time seeing them this close and I am excited. The tickets had been sold out for weeks but my super, amazingly beautiful, cutthroat boss pulled some strings to help me get a ticket. It was probably the very last one of its kind and here I am. Inches away from kissing the damn stage anxiously excited and waiting for this crappy opening band to get done.

That’s not fair. They’re actually not that bad.

I glance back to see that the arena is most definitely sold out. The sea of people are watching the show, dancing, and moshing to the sweet screeching of the second band playing. I take a couple of pictures and make sure to get the name on the banner so that I can check out their music with a little less chaos later.

This is the first show I come to alone, but I don’t feel alone. The swarm of people in the pit is energetic. None of us are strangers at the moment. We’re all the best of friends as we wait for our favorite band to come out and bless us with their metalcore glory.

“I love your outfit!” one of the girls leaning on the rails catches my attention. “Where did you get it?”

“I made it,” I laugh. “I love your T–shirt. I have one from their first show at the House of Blues,”

“Yes!” she wraps her arms around me. “Did you go?”

“Yeah, it was my twenty–first birthday,” I nod.

“Oh, my god. I was there too. With my Ex,” she rolls her eyes. “He’s the one that introduced me to this,”

“That’s crazy. My Ex introduced me too,” I laugh.

“His name wasn’t Connor was it?”

“No,” I shake my head. “His name was Jose,

“Ugh,” we both laugh. “This is my friend Naty. I’m Jesse,”

“Phoebe,” I shake their hands.

“I’ve never met a Phoebe before,” her friend screams. “We have to take a picture,”

“Okay,” I laugh.

“TRT on three,” she shouts holding her phone up. “One. Two. Three!”

1/6

Proloque

The three of us shout TRT and she snaps four or five pictures at once.

“What’s your Quick Howl?” Jesse asks.

“CT_OFPhoebs98,” I say and she types it into her phone. She looks up at me confused.

“This is you?” she asks holding her phone up.

“Yeah,”

“You’re verified. You have four million followers,”

“I work for Royal Threads. I’m a designer,” I laugh. They both scream.

tv screams. “I

“Oh, my god! I love their new pink Academia collection. Holy shit,” Naty work for Gossip Daily. I’m a reporter,”

“I’m in the music industry,” Jesse says. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I see that the two of them are now following me and that they’ve tagged me in a picture.

The sound of Knightly Blake’s guitar blasts from the speakers and our conversation is instantly forgotten. The crowd–erupts into screams as the curtain is raised to reveal the black lights and purple lasers.

My heart skips when he stops at the edge of the stage with his favorite baby blue guitar right in front of us. My scream is stuck in my throat as he leans forward to speak into the mic. The entire show goes on in a blur of screaming and singing along. It ends way too soon leaving my body buzzing and wanting more.

By the time I got back to my rental, I–remembered that I had spoken to those girls and laugh at myself because I didn’t even get their numbers. I sit here for a bit and then wait to get out of the crowded parking lot.

I stop to get some tacos and drinks before heading back to the BnB I’ll be staying in until the end of the month before I get back to work. Coincidentally, it wasn’t too far from the venue. I probably would have walked if I wasn’t a complete chicken and kind of afraid of the dark. It took me a lot longer to get here than I expected. I grab my food and my new TRT merch to head up.

As I’m rounding the lobby to get to the elevators someone smacks right into me. I drop some of my things but not my food.

“Yes, I didn’t drop my tacos,” laugh and reach down to grab the sweater on the floor.

“I am so sorry,” the guy says and reaches for my things. “I was on my phone,”

“It’s okay. It happens,” I say

We both look up at the same time and I freeze. My stupid mouth falls open when my

With his adpar gaze clashes wit

wot the sweater and

the vinyl.

No network available now. Please check your network.

“No,” he laughs. “Are you just getting back from my show?”

I open my mouth and all that comes out is a squeak. That’s Knightly fucking Blake. I

Profeque

touched his boots on stage earlier tonight. That’s how close I was to him and now he’s kneeling in front of me holding my stuff.

“Are you still breathing?” he waves his hand in my face.

“Holy fuck. Dude! You’re Knightly Blake,” bursts out of my mouth loud enough for it to echo in the lobby’s high ceilings.

“You’re lucky there’s not one here,” he laughs. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I didn’t drop my tacos,” I say and let him help me stand up.

“We wouldn’t want that,” he says putting my things together.

“I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to scream in your face like that,” I apologize.

“It happens,” he grins looking me over. “Where did you get my suit from last year’s tour?”

“I made it. It’s been my favorite costume since the suspenders. Um, I don’t think I would been allowed into the venue if I had showed up in that,” why did I say that? What the fuck is wrong with me?

“That’s too bad. I bet you’d look amazing in it,” he one–shoulder shrugs. I burst into laughter.

“That was kind of cringe, I admit.

“Why are you so red?” he laughs.

“I just got hit on by Knightly Blake,” I shake my head in disbelief. “Would it be weird if L asked for a picture?”

“Not at all,” he presses his lips together.

Is he blushing? Get the fuck out of here. I quickly set my things down and take my phone out of my back pocket.

“I am red,” I laugh holding up my phone. “It’s cool. I’ll edit it later. Ready?”

“Waiting on you,” he grins. I snap our picture and show him. “That’s a good one. Be sure to tag me in that,”

“Okay,” I agree and look up at him. He towers over me by at least six inches without my usual stilettos. He makes me feel small and I am not a small person.

“You and your friends were standing up front tonight. I almost stepped on your hand,” he looks down at my things

“You saw that? I would have been honored to have been stepped on by you,” what the

fuck?

“Is that right?” he laughs and I feel my face heat up even more.

“There now we both said something stupid,” I try to hide my embarrassment. We both laugh.

“You’re not stalking us are you?” he asks.

3/6

Prologue

“No, I’m staying here,” I shake my head and bend down to pick my things up again. He helps me and hands everything back. The elevator pings open and an old couple walks out with their little ugly dog. We both get into the elevator. I reach for the buttons at the same time he does and we both click the fourth floor. “You gotta be fucking kidding

me,

“That is exactly what I was thinking,” he laughs and turns his head slightly to look at me. We’re about half an inch away from each other. “You’re not going to hit me if I kiss, are you?”

“My hands are full,” I remind him.

“Right. You don’t want to drop your tacos,” he says. I step back until my back hits the mirrored wall behind me and suddenly his lips are on mine.

My first instinct is to run. It usually is, but when he steps closer burying his hand in my hair. I have no choice but to give in. He feels it the moment I do because his tongue sweeps my lips and I don’t hesitate to let him take control of it. My skin comes alive when he touches me. The elevator pings and he pulls away without letting go of me. “Oh, my god,” I squeak making him grin.

“I’m sharing a room with two others,

“There’s no one at my place,” I say without hesitation.

“Lead the way,” he takes a step back.

My ears ring as I step out of the elevator. I glance back at him to make sure this is real. Am I really going to do this? I can think of several reasons why I shouldn’t and almost all of them end up with me dead and or kidnapped. I stop in front of my door.

“My card is in my back pocket,” I say.

The sly grin that crosses his face is enough to say fuck it. If this is the hill I die on, this is where it ends. His fingertips trail up the back of my thigh before he reaches into my pocket and slips out the key card. His eyes meet mine and he holds my stare as he swipes it through the reader.

“There you go,” he says lowly. I lick my lips tasting his minty sweetness.

“Thank you, I fight the urge to laugh again because why the fuck did I just thank him? We walk inside and I immediately go over to the dining table to set everything down.” There’s a mess. I’m here for work,”

“You’re an artist?” he asks looking over my sketches and open portfolios.

“I’m a clothes designer,” I say reaching for the Redd’s Apple Ale I got earlier. “Would you like a drink?“,

“Sure,” he says coming over to me.

I slide the box over to him and he takes one. He doesn’t even look at what it is l

provided for him. We both open the bottle and take a drink completely in sync. This is

74/6

Prologue

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify