Don't You Dare: A Synyster Gates Story

Chapter Seven

"You're freaking me out," Aubrey's concerned voice caught Brian's attention. "What's wrong?"

He quickly ignored the shit-talk that Zack was spewing beside him and glanced over at Aubrey. She was sitting next to Jimmy, who was wide-eyed and tense. Brian watched as he leaned over and whispered something into her ear.

She immediately let out booming laughter. Despite not knowing what his best friend told her, Brian felt relief, figuring nothing was wrong and Jimmy was just acting a fool with her.

For a brief moment, Brian went back to watching the intense football game happening on the big TV in front of him. Zack's team was winning, by a long shot, and Brian was well on his way to playing their next show in his underwear. He thought about ways he could bargain with Zack to where he'd only have to play one song in his underwear. But his thoughts were immediately interrupted by the bartender's voice.

"So you're in town for the night, yeah?"

Brian froze, immediately recognizing the intention in the man's voice. The words rang in his ears like an alarm. Was he talking to Aubrey? He refused to turn and look, but out of his peripheral vision, it appeared as if Aubrey was the only one sitting there.

"I get off around midnight. I know that's late for dinner but maybe you'd join me for a late-night coffee? Or hell, even a nightcap in the bar?"

What the fuck? Is he hitting on her? Brian's arm muscles flexed as his hand tightened around his drink glass. Did this prick even know her name?

"If you're feeling up for it. I know that's kind of late."

Aubrey hadn't responded vocally at this point, which Brian took as a sign that she was going to reject him.

"Is it okay if I let you know later?" Aubrey's sweet voice finally appeared. "I'm already feeling a little tipsy so I'd feel terrible if I agreed then passed out drunk in my room." She chuckled softly.

Brian was surprised by her response, but even more surprised by the way her words hit him in the chest. Sure, she wasn't his girlfriend, but damn, he didn't think she was the type of person to just sleep with a random person.

But then again, at the beginning of the tour, he was a random person too.

"No pressure," the bartender reassured.

Brian rolled his eyes, feeling his blood pressure rise.

First, this dick was pining on Aubrey - why can't the poor girl just have a drink and a conversation at a bar without some asshole hitting on her? Second, Aubrey didn't turn the bartender down, and that made him feel weird. Weird because he was jealous, and that made him feel weirder, because why was he jealous? Aubrey wasn't his girlfriend. He had no claim on her. Hell, no one even knew they were sleeping together.

Ah, a light bulb went off in Brian's mind.

Sure, she didn't reject him, but she didn't agree either. And maybe, just maaaybe, she wasn't planning on sleeping with him but didn't reject him because it might seem suspicious? Because why wouldn't she sleep with an attractive guy who she would probably never see again? Maybe it was her way of playing it off.

The thought eased Brian's mind a little.

Jimmy started causing a ruckus in the bar, per usual, but once he quieted down, Brian went right back to eavesdropping on the conversation between Aubrey and the bartender. Though he stared at the football game on the TV, he wasn't paying a lick of attention. Because each time Aubrey giggled at something the bartender said, Brian's saw red and gripped his glass tighter; his light bulb explanation seemed more and more wrong as he listened to them converse. He listened to her explain how she hadn't been getting along with her snobby friends for a while then she lost her dog and quit her job and ended up on this tour. He listened to the bartender, Jake, express his sympathy and console her.