Chapter Three

At that moment, I was already planning a strategy on how best to kick the guy in the gutter so he’d leave for good.  

My thoughts were interrupted by a gentle pat on my shoulder.

“I told you, you could pull it off,” Bailey said, his expression obviously delighted because of the crowd’s reaction.

“I never really sang for a crowd before. But thanks for making me do it.”

Although I was not particularly excited about meeting Jen’s new friend, something told me that I have to keep an eye on this one. I didn’t want some douchebag playing with her emotions. And my douchebag alarm was ringing all over the place with this new guy hanging out with her.

Jen was looking at this guy with stars in her eyes. I swore that must have been how Juliet was whenever she looked at Romeo. Silly and stupid! No wonder Shakespeare decided to kill them off.

I replaced Brett behind the drums for the next song. I played with all the God-given talents I have. Bailey didn’t ask for it, but toward the end of the song, I went on for a full minute of drums solo instead of hitting the cymbals as practiced. I twirled the sticks between my fingers before hitting the snare and then threw one into the air and hit the cymbals as if I were possessed.

The crowd was on its feet again after the song and Bailey called out my name before announcing that we were up for a short break.

The guy called Nicky Atkins was just staring at me with an eyebrow raised, trying his damn best not to look impressed.

Brett was shaking his head when I approached him. “You will get me kicked out of the band, bro.”

“Try and keep up then,” I teased.

It was finally time for me to meet this guy who may soon break my best friend’s heart.

When I stood a couple of feet away from him, I realized that he was a foot taller and I could almost fit my entire frame in his. I was slender, but that hadn’t been a problem… until now. Now that I’m trying to scare off the guy who wants a piece of the only person I hold dear. Now that I feel the need to defend my place in my best friend’s life. Now that I think I could very well have just met my match.

His light brown eyes were darting as he stared at me as if he was trying to pierce through my ice-cold shield.

Jen threw her arms around me and said, “Kenny! You were amazing up there!”

I chose not to say anything. I have a feeling that this guy was surveying the hurdles he had to go through to get into Jen’s pants and he’d just spotted his biggest obstacle: me.

“I want you to meet Nicholas Atkins,” Jen continued. “Nicky, this is Kenny Clarke.”

The guy extended his hand and waited for me to shake it. I contemplated between shaking his hand like a normal person would or pulling him in for an arm throw just to show him who he shouldn’t be messing with.  The latter sounds very appealing, indeed. I took a moment before I finally shook his hand. He gave my hand a squeeze and when I looked up at him, he was looking at me intensely, with the corner of his lip curving into a crooked smile. I couldn’t help but think he was sizing me up or probably thinking of the best way to eliminate an obstacle.

I immediately withdrew my hand. His eyes twinkled in subtle amusement and it made me want to punch the smile off his face.

You’re a dead man. I almost said out loud.

I gave him a look that was meant to say, Nope, buddy. You and I are never going to be friends, no matter how charming you think you are.

“So, do you go by any other name besides Kenny?” he asked.

I raised a brow at him. “Yes. My stage name was supposed to be Factor Offner. Fac Off for short,” I said, without blinking.

He looked shocked at first, then he quickly composed his face.

Yeah. At least he isn’t that dumb.

He cleared his throat and asked, “How long have you been playing with the band?”

“A couple of months now. Kenny is an amazing drummer,” Jen replied.

I didn’t know whether I should be happy or bothered about Jen answering for me. Happy because I didn’t really want to speak to this prick. Bothered because I’ve never seen Jen this excited to talk about me before, as if she was ready to sell all my secrets just to have something to talk about with this guy.

The more interest she shows in him, the more I grow worried. This guy is older and more mature. He knows how to wrap girls around his fingers. I’m afraid Jen will be falling for his tricks in no time.

“You look like you were born with the drumsticks, and you sing pretty well, too.”

“I’m just standing in for my injured cousin. This is a temporary gig for me.”

“But it would be fun to watch them more, right?” Jen piped in, dangling another chance for Atkins to ask her out, much to my frustration. She was never this enthusiastic to date a guy before.

“Until when are you substituting for your cousin?” Nicholas asked.

“I was actually thinking of quitting the band tomorrow,” I replied acidly. If Jen was being obvious about her interest in dating him, I was being bolder in dropping hints that I wanted him to stay the hell away from her.

Either he was being persistent, or just plain dense. In an amused tone, he said, “Great! Then I wouldn’t miss your last show. I’ll be here tomorrow. Same spot.”

Jen almost jumped up her seat in excitement. “Super! You think you can pick me up tomorrow?” she asked, batting her eyelashes again.

She was really getting on my nerves. There were plenty of boys who were after her for years. She was practically letting me get rid of them, but this guy? She was throwing herself at him and he was missing all the warning signs I was throwing his way.

“Hey, I always pick you up and drop you off, remember?” I reminded her.

“Well, maybe it would be fun if I pick you up and then we’ll go get her together,” Nicholas said to me. “You would probably be too tired after your show.”

Jen’s eyes lit up again. “Great! It’s a date then,” she said without waiting for me to decline Nicholas’ insulting invitation.  Then she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.

I waited to make sure that Jen was out of earshot before I raised a brow at Nicholas and shot him an undisguised look of annoyance. “Man, you don’t know who you’re talking to. I’m Ken Clarke. I never get tired.”

He gave me a crooked smile and replied, “And I’m Nicholas Atkins. I never give up.”

Seriously? Is this guy mocking me?