Evie Deal's life is turned upside down when her father's new band takes America by storm. She goes from being a shy girl living in poverty to riding with one of the craziest bands of the 80s, all while trying to manage a rocky relationship with the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
February 14, 1984
This was the first Valentine's day Evie had a boyfriend for. But because that boyfriend was Nikki, it was going to be a little unconventional.
She woke up before him, brushing her teeth and hopping in the shower. She was running the conditioner through her hair when she heard the bathroom door creak open.
"Nikki?" She could never be too cautious about strangers entering the room when she was naked.
There was no response, just footsteps. Soon, the shower curtain opened to reveal him. He got in behind her, kissing her and pulling her in for a hug.
"I have a surprise for you tonight," he murmured. "After the show."
"Is it a puppy?"
"It could be. Come to dinner with me and you'll find out."
"Where were you thinking?"
"How does pasta sound?"
Evie nodded. He knew it was her favorite.
"We'll head back here after you clear the stage. I have an outfit picked out for you."
"What did I tell you about going through my suitcase?" He wasn't the only one who went gift shopping.
Nikki shook his head. "It's new. I got it for you in Cincinnati. You know I've got all your measurements," he ran his hand along her waist, bringing back memories of a measuring tape that he used to first find her dress size, then to keep her hands tied behind her back while he fucked her.
"On a scale of one to ten, how slutty is it?"
"Two and a half. And I want you to wear your heart necklace, too. The light blue one."
Evie paused to look up at him. They were going out on Valentine's Day and he bought her a brand new outfit that was modest? Either he was fooling with her or something was up.
She'd have to wait until tonight to figure out which one was the case because Nikki was out of the shower before she could say anything else. By the time Evie was dressed, he had gone off somewhere else.
They were about to head to the venue when Evie saw Nikki again. He came to her hotel room, suggesting that they walk the half mile to the venue rather than take the usual cab. It was nice out, after all. But Evie could tell that there was something more going on. Nikki seemed...jittery. He was grinding his jaw and had an almost panicked look on his face.
"Are you alright?" Evie had to ask once they made it onto the sidewalk.
"Yeah." He stared straight ahead.
Evie paused her step. The last time she saw Nikki like this was in the beginning of their relationship. Usually, he acted like this when he was high. When he was on heroin.
