ChapterSixteen

Thanksgiving was days away and I was starting get nervous about taking Adrian to the pack dinner, she still didn't know my secret and I was worried someone would do something decidedly un-human and freak her out. having said that it might turn out to be the perfect time to tell her the truth. I'd left it so long it was getting ridiculous; I really needed to grow a pair and just do it already.

I was helping my Mom bring groceries in from the car when my phone rang; I looked at the readout and smiled when I saw it was Adrian. I hit the green button and held the phone to my ear.

"Good morning Angel, I missed you last night" I tell her, I had patrol last night. That was another reason I needed to tell Adrian my secret soon I was running out of excuses to feed her when I had a late night patrol, that and I hated lying to her. The most recent lies had been, I had the dentist early the next morning, I had to help Willow with her homework and Shila and I were having a guy's night.

"Did you and Shila have a good time last night?" she asks and I grimace.

"Yeah it was fun, would have preferred to spend the night with you though"

"Why am I a better screw?" she jokes and I roll my eyes

"Very funny"

"Listen what are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing why" I ask

"You sure you're not having another sleepover" she says and I laugh

"It wasn't a sleepover" I tell her laughing and I can just picture her smirking.

"Ok, ok whatever you say. So about tonight?"

"Yeah whatever you wanna do Angel"

"I'm playing at a bar with the band in Seattle" she blurts out and I don't even know what to say for a second.

"Erm... that's great..."

"Will you come see us play?" she asks and I smile

"Yeah of course" I agree.

I was starting to feel a little apprehensive about the whole 'my girlfriends in a rock band with three other dudes' thing. The first time I'd seen her play had been the night I imprinted on her, and I wasn't sure how I would take seeing her like that again. I had a feeling it would make me insanely jealous to have men in the crowd cat calling and wolf whistling.

I order another whisky from the bar and run my fingers through my hair feeling nervous. Adrian and the band were already backstage getting ready to go on. They were head lining so when the all female metal band that were currently murdering a Deftones song right now were done she'd be on.

The whole ride to Seattle Adrian was so excited running through lyrics and cords, and asking my opinion on song choices. She'd turned to me and sighed then said "Sorry I kept this a secret from you" when I asked her why she had she told me at first she didn't think it would happen and then she was too nervous to tell me. She told me she felt like she was just clinging on to an old dream because she was supposed to be retired. I'd laughed and told as long as she loved to perform it would never be a forgotten dream. That seemed to cheer her up.

The room suddenly erupted into cheers and applause and I span around on my stool. The metal girl band had left the stage without me even noticing and Adrian and the rest of 'Third rib and up' were on stage setting up their instruments. Adrian looks really great, she's wearing a pair of black skin tight jeans a strapless black top that made her boobs look huge and amazing and a pair of leopard print stilettos that showed off her paw print tattoo and had me picturing her wearing only those.

I knew what the first song would be before the drummer even brought them in, Adrian had told me she wanted me to pick which track she would open with, I'd chosen 'Next Girl', by the Black Keys. Adrian had once told me how much the base line for this track turns her on, I was now very much regretting my choice. "A beautiful face, and a wicked way, and I'm paying for her beautiful face, every day. All that work, over so much time, if I think too hard I might loose my mind" Adrian sings it beautifully even if the lyrics are meant to be from a man, she nails it.

'Third rib and up' are halfway through an original number when a girl in a very low cut dress takes the stool next to me. "Hi" she says taking one of her curls and twisting it around her finger.

"Hey" I nod a polite hello then turn my attention back to Adrian.

"I like it when we talk about love, I like it when you talk about love, you always were my favourite drug, even when we used to take drugs, Even when we used to take!"

"The bands pretty good right" the girls asks but for some reason it doesn't feel like she means it. she leans a little closer to me, too close. I shift uncomfortably and lean away a bit.

"Yeah they're great" I agree and take another sip of my drink. The girl seemed oddly familiar, I was at the crocodile cafe maybe she was famous for something? I shrugged it off and took another sip of my drink.

"My names Nancy, what's yours?" she asks and I sigh, I really didn't want to be rude but I really just wanted to tell this chick to back off.

"It's Riddoc, Look Nancy you seem like a really nice girl but..."

"I'm in a band you know? Lead vocalist as if you couldn't tell though right" she laughs and flashes me what I'm sure is her winning smile.

"That's... good for you but..."

"I'm in 'Kittytastrope' you probably saw me up there" she says gesturing at the stage "you know all that screaming I have to do makes me really thirsty" she says leaning forward and puts her hand on my thigh.

I jumped back from her hand and out of my stool as if she'd physically burnt me. I wasn't an idiot I knew when a girl was putting the moves on me I'd been there enough times . but this was the first time I'd been hit on since I was with Adrian and I don't think I'm taking it very well. I turn to Nancy to tell I have a girlfriend and she should just stop making a fool of herself now just in time to catch her making a show of un-crossing then re-crossing her legs. I don't look away fast enough and unfortunately get enough of glimpse to know this girl isn't wearing any panties. "I could really do with a drink" she tells me in what I assume is supposed to be a seductive purr.

"Here" I say trusting what's left of my whisky into her hands, she frowns and looks a little confused then I duck and weave my way through the crowd and away from her as fast as I can. I find an empty table in the corner with a good view of the stage and settle in to watch the rest of Adrian's performance.

My favourite part of the performance is when 'third rib and up' finish off with an acoustic version of 'only girl in the word'. They slow the song right down and Adrian takes an Spanish guitar and plays along with the band, usually on stage she's too busy dancing and strutting about the place to have an instrument but seeing her perform like this was great, I loved the fact she was watching me the whole time she sang.

When the set was over it didn't take long for Adrian to find me. Unfortunately she wasn't the one who found me first. Nancy, the girl from the bar slid over to me and leaned against the table I was sat at her bare thigh brushing against mine. "Hey I thought you'd run away" Nancy says and I grumble.

"I did" I tell her but she just laughs as if I've told the funniest joke. The next thing I know Adrian dives into my lap and her lips crush against mine, I grab her either side of her face and kiss back with an equal amount of heat. Adrian pulls away tugging on my bottom lip slightly and causing a growl to build in my throat. She looks over her shoulder at the other girl and smirks.

"You can go now Nancy" Adrian tells her and Nancy's expression turns positively murderous.

"Adrian?" she sneers and I start to wonder how these two now each other.

"Your girls were great" Adrian says referring to the all girl metal band that had gone on before 'third rib and up' "Thanks for keeping our fans warm" Adrian says and I try not to smirk. My Angel knew exactly how to handle bitches like Nancy and her tongue was sharp like a whip when it needed to be.

"Whatever Adrian, just because you've got a hot guy on your arm and a headlining band doesn't mean you're still not just a washed up old has been" Nancy spat and I felt Adrian still. I knew that comment had hurt her I could feel it, it was one of Adrian's worst thoughts about herself and it had just been thrown in her face. Adrian moved suddenly turning on my lap and practically lunging at Nancy.

"You wanna come and say that to my face you little slut!" Adrian screams and reaches out to grab a handful of Nancy.