The Fire Walker Read Online Free Page B

"She's a bit..."
    "Slutish?"
    I snorted, stifling a laugh. "I was gunna say special , but that works." She looked around the club uncomfortably probably realizing she shouldn't have said that to 'the band'. I had no intention of ratting her out.
    After a second, she smiled thinly and said, "Look, I was a bit short with you before, I'm sorry. It's just this business you know." She rolled her eyes dramatically.
    "I know what you mean."
    She straightened up and held out a slender hand. "Jessie Ware."
    "Dylan Dee Cosgrove," I said emphasizing my nickname. When I slid my hand into hers I almost had a heart attack. "Can I buy you a drink?" No harm in asking.
    "No," she said with a smirk, dropping my hand.
    "Damn, you really know how to shoot a guy down in two seconds flat."
    "I do my best." Her accent sounded strange. Not quite American.
    "Where are you from?" I asked and she sunk back a little, surprised.
    "I'm from Montreal."
    "Canada?"
    She nodded. "French-Canadian."
    "So you speak French?"
    "Yes."
    I hesitated, looking over at the bar where Frank was giving me two thumbs up.
    "Do you like LA?" Jessie asked, making me turn my attention back to her.
    I frowned and shook my head. Best to go the honest route.
    "Not your thing?" Her head cocked to the side and I imagined running my fingers down her slender neck.
    "No," I said kind of dazed. "I don't like…" I couldn't think of a nice word, so I just gestured around us at the fakery of the club.
    She smiled widely, her shoulders sagging as if she was relieved. "I know what you mean."
    "I just want to play, you know. I don't care about all this. I just…" I ran a hand over my face, suddenly embarrassed.
    "It's about music for you?" she asked. "Not the money?"
    I nodded, watching her expression change and I wondered what she was thinking. What was she in it for?
    "How about that drink?" she asked and my eyebrows rose. "Hurry up or I might change my mind."
    "What do you like?" I asked with a lopsided grin.
    "Scotch. Straight up."
    "Really?"
    "Why do you sound so surprised?" She was something else.
    "I don't know that many women who like hard liquor. At least not straight up." And that was the truth.
    Walking up to the bar, she was served almost instantaneously and I held my fingers up at the bartender indicating we wanted two of. He looked me over and shrugged. Serve the pretty girl and try and pick her up? Not while I was around. I watched Jessie as she stood next to me, trying to figure out what she was thinking, but she was a closed book.
    "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, scowling at me. Like she didn't know.
    I grinned knowingly at her and asked, "Are you coming to the show tomorrow?" We had a gig at a local rock venue and it was the one ray of light in the blackness of recording. That was, until Jessie Ware had turned up.
    "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."
    "Really?" I asked as our drinks were placed in front of us. I handed the guy a twenty without taking my eyes from Jessie's. At least I hoped it was a twenty.
    She turned face on to me, a scowl marring her features. "Why are you always surprised? Everything I say you come back with 'really?' I'm not sure how to take it."
    I leant against the bar, studying the contents of my glass. "It's just. You surprise me."
    "How?"
    How? How could I explain that every single word that came out of her mouth imbedded itself in my heart without coming off like a creep? I snorted and shook my head. I'd have to ask Will about that one.
    "What?" she asked again and thumped me in the arm, the contact sending my body straight to a dirty place.
    "You're with the label," I began, my eyes running over her face and over her tattooed arm. "I expected Georgie, but I didn't expect you."
    A look flashed in her eyes that I didn't understand and she shrunk back, downing the last of her scotch. "Thanks for the drink," she said, dumping the empty glass on the bar and just walked away, merging into the crowd.
    I straightened up, running a