Running Home to You (The Running Series) Read Free Page A

age is planning to rush out as soon as possible and head straight for the backstage entrance.  I hear one girl tell the others, “I am not leaving until I get his number.” 
    They all start giggling, and one of her friends responds, “I bet you all that I can get him to take me home.  These boobs are the best investment I’ve ever made.  You’ll see.” 
    The last straw is when I hear another reply, “He definitely deserves a good lay, and I’m just the girl to make sure he gets it.”
    Emmy is still texting with Adam, oblivious to the discussion going on around us.  I fight every instinct I have to turn around and tell the girls that he’s going home with me tonight.  Instead, I focus my attention on the gorgeous man on stage as he walks with Joey towards the center stage.  They are laughing and joking together.  My imagination drifts to a day in the not too distant future when Evan and I play host and hostess to Joey and his wife when they come for dinner at Rush.  I wonder if he would really come down, or if those words were just spoken in kindness.  Time will tell.
    Before long, the audience lights dim and the bands strikes up for a quick intro.  Joey and Evan walk over to the table and both men take off their suit jackets.  This is serious business.  As Evan removes his jacket, the crowd goes wild, hooting and whistling their appreciation for the sight of the man in front of them.  His broad shoulders are now clearly visible, contrasting beautifully with his trim waist.  His shirtsleeves are just tight enough to show off the muscles in his biceps. 
    Joey explains the rules to everyone and the men shake hands.  Each man takes his place on opposite sides of the table.  After a count of three, the game begins.  Emmy and I watch and laugh, enjoying the show.  Evan throws back the first cup of beer, and then races against Joey to flip the cup up and over.  Evan is not kicking Joey’s ass as Adam had predicted.  He’s ahead, but not by much.  The two men continue to toss back beer after beer as they work their way down the table, each trying to be the first one to successfully flip six cups.  After both men struggle to get the fourth cup flipped, Evan finds his groove and flips the final two with hardly any effort.  We all stand and cheer for Evan as he walks over to Joey and shakes his hand in victory.  Even though it was just a silly game, I couldn’t be more proud of my boyfriend.  I fully intend to show him how impressed I am with his performance later tonight when we get home.

    A n hour later, as we leave the studio, Evan is bombarded by waiting fans, all trying to get his attention.  Evan signals for Adam to move Emmy and me away from the fans, giving him some space to work the crowd.  The further away we get, the more tightly surrounded Evan becomes by women smiling at him, batting their eyelashes, and sliding their hands up and down his arms and back.  Adam looks over at me, my smile now replaced by scowl.  “Jette, don’t let this stuff get to you.  You know he has to do this – it’s part of his job.”
    “I know, Adam.  You’re right.  But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.  And it definitely doesn’t mean I have to watch.”  I’m no stranger to flirting with customers.  As a bartender it was part of my job, too.  But I never did it in front of Evan, subjecting him to the unwanted feelings of jealousy and pain.  My stomach is twisted into knots, and I can feel my temperature rising as strange women fawn all over my boyfriend.
    I try my best to ignore them, but curiosity keeps me peeking over my shoulder, needing to make sure that Evan is keeping his boundaries firm.  My mouth drops when I see him wrap his arms around two young women while a third snaps a picture with her cell phone, then quickly changing places to get her own picture taken.  Without warning, the unthinkable happens – just as the picture is snapped, she plants a kiss on his cheek.