Page 7 of Not the Punk

“You betcha.” He made kissy noises into the phone, proving he’d definitely been hanging out with Matty too much. “Bye!”

So now I was inviting Colten to Rocktoberfest. That wasn’t a hard thing to do, and it didn’t mean we were dating. It was kind of like flirting. Right? I was overthinking. I pulled out my phone and took a deep breath.

Then I waited. And waited. And then…

Now I was excited but needed to get back to packing and getting ready for the tour, which started at Rocktoberfest like it did last year. This time, Soul Shred would be opening for us. We were headliners. It was hard to believe sometimes, but we sure had worked hard for it.

Thankfully, we had some rehearsals between now and that first show to keep me busy until we flew out to Reno, the nearest town to Black Rock City where the show was.

Chapter six

Colten at Rocktoberfest

Donny made miracles happen, I swear. Not only did I have backstage passes, but they were VIP, so I could drive my truck in and park by the band’s buses. I parked where I was directed and then got out to find Saxon. He’d texted me that he would be on Kay’s bus. Since he had boyfriends who accompanied him for most of the tour, he had his own. I initially thought that was exceedingly considerate, especially for rockers, but Saxon said the other bandmates refused to share when they were together. That made me chuckle. It was funny, but I couldn’t blame them.

I knocked on the door of the bus, and Saxon opened it. “Dude! Come in.”

We high-fived and hugged as I boarded. I was going to hang out with Saxon to watch the show. “Where are the guys?”

“They’re doing a sound check and getting all the information on the show.” I’d learned that they were considered the headliners for the second stage. They’d play tonight, which was Saturday, before the headliners on the big stage went on. Even though it wasn’t the main stage they were playing, it was still a coveted spot. I was super proud of them. Knowing the people in the band was actually very different than simply being a fan. Cheering for them took on a whole new meaning. “It’ll be a bit before they get back.”

We sat on the seats that made up the couch in the living space. “So, any chance Joe could be a Middle or a Boy? You see him more than I do, so what do you think?”

Saxon snorted. “So what if he is or isn’t? Didn’t you say it didn’t matter anymore?”

“Yes, but it works better if he is. I need to take care of someone. It’s in my blood. You know…” It started when I was young. I always took care of my brother, took on more chores at home, helped others out with schoolwork. I’d do anything and everything. It wasn’t until later that I realized I had a Daddy issue. Plus, having a Little call me Daddy was a huge turn-on.

“I love you, Colten, but get over yourself.”

“What? I just meant—” But I had no words to sum up what I was thinking, and I heard voices growing louder, one of them unmistakably Joe’s, which got my heart pounding and sweat breaking out on my hands. “I think they’re back.”

The door opened and Kay dashed in. “Uncle Colten, you’re here!”

“Unca!” Don echoed in a sweet voice.

They swarmed me, hugging my arms and legs.

Joe followed them onto the bus. “Hey, Colten.”

“Joe. You look fantastic.” His hair hung around his shoulders, and eyeliner highlighted his dreamy brown eyes. Instead of a T-shirt that I normally saw him in, he wore a sleeveless tank that showed off his shoulders and biceps. I wanted to touch every inch of skin he had showing.

“Thanks, uh…” He bit his lip, looking unsure of what he wanted to say, which made me relax a little. If the badass rockstar was nervous about talking with me, then I had less to worry about.

“I’m excited about the show,” I blurted out like a fool. Well, maybe I had some things to worry about.

Joe muttered another thanks, but then Don and Kay broke the tension with their Little shenanigans, and it wasn’t long before we were outside the bus hanging with the others from the band.

Their opening band, Soul Shred, showed up a few minutes later with whiskey and passed a couple of bottles around to celebrate. There were no actual opening bands at the festival, and Soul Shred had played the day before, but I couldn’t get here that early to see them. Their drummer, Gonzo, was talking with the Bramble Punk drummer, Randy. Both of them seemed to be in perpetual motion. The singer, Drake, had his Little in his lap while he chatted with Pierce and another guy, who I didn’t know. Everyone relaxed, like it was just another day.

Joe leaned into my side. “It’s always like this.”

“How much did you drink? Are you going to be alright to play?”

Joe snorted and wiggled his finger to beckon me closer. “Here’s a secret,” he whispered. “I only had one small swallow. The rest of the time I fake it. I can’t play drunk.”

“Smart boy.” I squeezed his shoulder, happy I could get my hands on some skin but wishing it was more. Either way, I didn’t miss the way he lit up with the compliment.

Off to the side, a big, burly security guard stood, scanning the area, and when it was time to go to the stage, another one joined him to escort everyone to the front. If it wasn’t such a secure area to start with, I would have been worried with only two guards for so many people. Hell, there were five members of Bramble Punk and four from Soul Shred, plus guests, including Saxon, Kay, Matty, and me, although I was sure we weren’t their priority. Not to mention, some of the management company joined us along the way.