DRASTIC (Book 4 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 41: Smart Girls Quit

Marley

My eyes track frantically, trying to orient to the darkened area.

Bodie is no where to be seen. Not at the bar,where I expected. Yet I hear Bodie's resonant voice, backed by a full band, open-throated on the bridge of some song I don't know.

I've never heard him sing like this. He sounds like a frontman.

Flesh presses against on all sides. I can't even spin in a circle to find him. "Where is he?"

Adam grins. "Better question is, who the hell knew Bodie could sing rockabilly?" Adam claps and laughs out loud. "Goddamn."

"But where is he?" I hiss scanning the room. I've finally located the stage, and it's empty.

He points up. "It's a honkeytonk, remember? Three stories. Three stages."

Adam grabs my hand and shoulders his way a little more roughly than necessary to the staircase. Bodie's song ends while we are fighting our way to the second floor. This room is nearly empty. A lone singer with a guitar is hawking for twenty dollar requests from the handful of patrons obviously more interested in drinking than listening.

Adam keeps trudging up to the rooftop. The third floor crowd is pushed down the upper part of the stairs.

I hear Bodie speaking into the mic.

"So they tell me we don't have to go home, but we've gotta get the hell up out of here. Apparently there's a scheduled act and us amateurs have to yield the stage," he jokes. "Y'all have been an amazing crowd. Give it up for these two guys, John Patrick Pierson and Zeke Jaymes. Heard 'em busking on the corner and knew they are gonna be big one day. You guys will be able to say you heard 'em here first. We're gonna do just one more song for you. Any requests?"

"Johnny Cash!" Adam bellows, four stairs from the top. He's so loud, the people blocking our way shrink back, and he practically drags me the rest of the way up.

I trip on the final step, more shocked by Bodie's appearance than seeing him with a headset mic from behind the drum kit.

He's wearing a leather shirt—it's too slim cut to be a jacket, open to his six pack. Jeans and cowboy boots almost complete his transformation.

But not quite.

The main thing?

He has cut off his dreads.

The man looks about a hundred times sexier with close-cropped hair than those dreads he's been neglecting for months.

Seeing him, I feel sure something has changed in Bodie. I'm just not sure what.

Bodie is standing now, scanning near the stairs, because he's recognized Adam's voice. He spots us and gives Adam a sheepish half shrug.

Adam pulls me in front of him, presenting me. My eyes lock with Bodie's. It's my job to take in his whole demeanor, but I can't. I am seeking something from his eyes, and I find it there.

He drinks me in. He's missed me.

I've missed him too.

He gives me a rather solemn nod, then directs his attention to the table at the front. "Hey, ladies. Two of my friends just showed up. Can they squeeze in?"

We make our way to the table and then Bodie seems to change his mind. "Unless, Adam...you wanna jump in up here?" He looks at John Patrick and Zeke. "We could maybe switch around..."

"Oh no!" Adam waives off the offer, pulling out his phone. "I'm right where I want to be for this."

Bodie laughs and twirls his stick. "Right. So you wanna hear a little Johnny Cash?"