Backstage Pass (Sinners on Tour 1)

“They hated you, too,” he said and kissed her passionately. She clung to him as if he’d stolen her senses. If he kissed anything like his son did, Myrna was certain Claire had completely lost her senses. Myrna’s face flamed even hotter at her errant thoughts. These were Brian’s parents. His parents.

Mind out of the gutter, Myrna.

When Claire and Malcolm drew apart, Malcolm looked down at Myrna. It was strange to look up at an older, not quite as gorgeous, version of her boyfriend. “So what have you learned about Brian’s groupies?”

“They’re al madly in love with his stage persona,” she said.

“But you’re madly in love with the real person,” Malcolm said. Myrna felt the blood drain from her face. “That’s why I married Claire. She knew the real me and loved me anyway.”

Claire grinned up at him mischievously. “What makes you so sure?”

“Excuse me,” Myrna said. “I need to… erm… use the restroom.”

She fled to the shower room, not realizing how it must look until she’d already entered and found herself in the company of not only naked-Brian, but also naked-Sed and naked-Trey. She caught a glimpse of three very nice, very white asses before she diverted her gaze and scanned the room for a bathroom stal . Urinal? No can do.

“Don’t mind me,” she said, locating a stal in the corner. She let herself in and locked the door behind her. She stood there trying to col ect her scattered wits. What exactly had Brian told his parents about her? Madly in love? She’d never been madly in love with anyone.

“You okay in there?” Brian asked from the other side of the stal door.

“Did you tel your father I was madly in love with you?”

“Uh… No, of course not.”

“Don’t lie to me, Brian Sinclair.” She opened the stal door. He stood there in his towel, water clinging to his skin, looking as irresistible as ever. Madly in lust. Yeah, she’d admit to that.

“I’m not lying. Are you hiding?”

She laughed. It sounded false even to her own ears. “Of course I’m not hiding.”

“Trying to get a glimpse of the band naked?”

“Yeah, that’s what I was doing.”

“So, who said what?”

She could tel his patience was wearing thin. “Your father said I was madly in love with you.” She rol ed her eyes.

“Maybe he was just cal ing it like he saw it.” He put his hands on his hips, a chal enge in his eyes.

“What did you tel them?”

“I didn’t tel them anything.” He sighed, al the fight going out of him. “Because apparently there’s nothing to tel .” He turned and walked toward the dressing area.

She lifted a hand toward his retreating back. Trey approached, one towel around his waist, another in his hands as he dried his hair. He dropped the second towel around his shoulders. Trey usual y had this devil-may-care expression on his face, so Myrna didn’t quite know what do when confronted by this serious version of party boy.

“I try to stay out of this because it’s none of my business,” he said, “but you need to realize a few things, Myrna. Brian won’t say anything.”

“About what?”

“About his parents.”

Her brow arched in question.

“It’s hard to understand what it’s like for Brian. To grow up in the shadow of a great and be destined for the same career. Brian has always tried to prove himself to his father, and the man scarcely validates him as a musician. I don’t think Malcolm realizes how that affects his son. Brian works his ass off to show his father he’s worthy of his approval, but it doesn’t matter. He’l always fal short in Malcolm’s eyes. And Brian’s mother?” Trey rol ed his eyes. “She’s got her plastic surgeon on f**kin’ speed dial. I know because my father handles her wrinkle catastrophes. Al she cares about is herself and how great she looks.”

Myrna shook her head. “She obviously loves her son.”

“Yeah, now that he’s famous. She completely ignored Brian as a kid. She was too concerned about Kara’s blossoming beauty. Do you know who Kara is? Brian’s little sister.”

“Brian told me she died.”

Trey nodded, a deep sadness in his eyes. “When Kara died, Claire’s competition for best-looking in the family was gone. I think she was relieved that her daughter would never surpass her in the modeling world. And Malcolm is the same way with Brian. It’s strange to watch. And it eats Brian alive. He always makes excuses for the man.”

“Aren’t parents happy when their children are more successful than they are?”

“These aren’t normal parents, Myrna. We’re talking about a pair of highly successful people beyond their prime. Now the reason I’m even bringing up Brian’s family baggage, at risk of a serious ass whippin’, is because Brian saw fit to introduce you to his parents. That’s a big deal for him, you know. He’s never opened a relationship to criticism from them. He identified you as being worthy of their approval. Approval even he can’t seem to obtain.”

“You mean he’s never introduced a romantic interest to his parents before?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Wel , why didn’t you just say that?”

“Because if I cal ed you his ‘romantic interest,’” he said, using finger quotes, “you’d probably go hide in the bathroom again.”

“I wasn’t hiding.”

“Yeah, uh-huh, okay. Myrna, you real y shouldn’t blow this thing with Brian. There wil come a time when that fortified wal of yours wil turn him away. I mean a guy can only take so much abuse.”

She scowled at him.

“Lucky for you, he’s a glutton for punishment.” Trey grinned. He paused and ran a finger along one eyebrow. “And he doesn’t like guys.”

Myrna’s eyes widened. Was Trey implying what she thought he was implying?

Trey laughed. “I’m kidding, Myrna.”

“Trey, you better get dressed,” Sed said. He leaned against the stal partition next to Myrna.

“If you tolerated his parents tonight, it would mean a lot to him, Myrna,” Trey said. Myrna nodded. She’d pretend to be Brian’s doting girlfriend for his parents’ sake, but he’d owe her one. Trey winked at her and headed for the dressing area.

“What were you two discussing?” Sed asked. “Looked serious.”