Wild Secret

you need to come to practice."
"What's the point? I still have my cast on. I can't play. She's doing just fine."
"We're a unit."
"Look, I just can't be around her right now. Okay?" He hesitated, then sighed. "I never should have said anything to her. I shouldn’t have told her how I felt. I messed it all up."
I was starting to understand his sharp tone with me. I'd given him the advice to express his feelings to Faye. It didn't work out how he planned. Now he was mad at me. "I can’t imagine how being honest with somebody is ever a bad thing.”
"It was clearly the wrong thing to do."
I frowned. "I'll keep my mouth shut next time."
Crash said nothing.
"I take it you're not coming to the show tonight,” I said.
"No, man. I don't need that kind of torture."
The line was silent for a moment.
"Well, I guess I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Call me if you need anything." I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my pocket. I told JD, "I'm staying out of band drama from now on."
“Good luck with that,” JD muttered.
We ordered oysters on the half shell and the shrimp and crawfish fondue to start. For an entrée, Jack ordered the blackened Mahi-Mahi with shrimp, spinach, and mushrooms in a tomato cream sauce. I went with the grilled Atlantic salmon, topped with Lafitte sauce and served with jambalaya rice and grilled veggies.
The meal was damn good.
My belly was full, the whiskey was smooth, and there was plenty of eye candy to keep me occupied. My eyes took in the sights and sounds of the restaurant. Smooth music filtered through speakers, and the murmur of conversation filled the air. In a cozy booth against the far wall, I saw something I did not expect.
Ellie was having dinner with a handsome man that looked to be in his mid-20s. It seemed odd since her husband had just passed. Odder still that they were holding hands across the table.
I nudged JD and motioned in their direction. “What do you think that's about?"
He glanced across the restaurant, and a look of surprise washed over his face. “Maybe he's comforting her in her time of need."
"I'll bet he is."
"Far be it from me to judge, but isn’t it a little early for Ellie to start dating again?" JD asked.
“By the looks of things, I’m thinking they’ve been dating for a while."
The couple looked longingly into each other’s eyes.
"We probably shouldn't jump to conclusions,” JD said, trying to take the high road. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation. Maybe he's her cousin?"
“They look a little too close for cousins."
"Should we say hello?" JD asked with a devious glint in his eyes.

19
JD flagged down the waitress. He paid the tab and left her a nice tip, slipping a wad of cash into the leather folio. We slugged down the rest of our whiskey, pushed away from the table, and ambled toward Ellie and her new friend.
When she saw us approach, her face went pale, and she slipped her hand from the young man's grasp. She looked like a kid that had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"Tyson… JD…” she said, forcing a smile.
"How are you getting along, Ellie?" JD asked.
She swallowed hard and nodded. "Good. I'm trying to get out and get my mind off of things.”
There was an awkward pause.
“I’d like you to meet Aaron,” she said.
The guy smiled and extended his hand. "How do you do?"
We shook and exchanged pleasantries.
“Aaron is a yoga instructor over at Mind, Body & Spirit," Ellie said. "He talked me into getting out after class to clear my head.”
"That's very considerate," JD said.
Aaron was a good-looking guy—square jaw, blue eyes, light brown hair. Slender build, but well-defined muscles. He looked like he did well with the ladies.
There was another awkward silence.
"Well, I hate to interrupt,” JD said. “But I just wanted to stop by, say hello, and make sure you were doing okay.”
Ellie forced another smile. “Thank you.”
JD extended his hand to Aaron. "Nice to meet you, Aaron…”
"Pennington. Aaron Pennington.”
“You two have a good evening,” JD said.
We left the table and strolled away.
"Yoga instructor, huh?" JD muttered under his breath. "I'll bet he's teaching her a few new positions."
We left the restaurant and stepped onto the sidewalk. Oyster Avenue was bustling with activity. Tourists drifted up and down the sidewalks, slipping in and out of bars and restaurants. Music spilled onto the street, and an array of colored lights painted the avenue. The smell of food filled the air. The energy of the night was building.
"Maybe they're just friends," I said, trying to remain objective—I didn't believe it for a second.
JD scoffed. "I think we need to look into that little weasel."
We ambled down the block to Crush. Faye’s band didn't go on until 10:30 PM, which gave us plenty of time to get sufficiently lubricated. It was an alternative bar that rotated themes. Wednesday night was disco. Thursday night was ‘80s alternative. Friday night was classic rock. Saturday night was hip-hop. Sunday night was smooth jazz. It was a cool little place—dim lighting, deep velour couches. It had a Gothic vibe.
Shadows of Saturn occupied the stage as we arrived. They rocked out an alternative, emo vibe mixed with a little sci-fi psychedelia.
We weaved through the crowd toward the main bar. Faye hung out with her bandmates.
Sadie Savage was the lead singer. She had raven black hair, stunning blue eyes, creamy skin, and a figure that was hard to take your eyes off of. The girl had lungs—she could belt out tones that ranged from gravelly rock ’n’ roll to angelic pop falsetto. Lexi Spark was a shredder on guitar. The stunning red-head could work the frets like nobody’s business. Katie Thunder pounded out the beat on drums.
Together they formed a quartet that was part punk rock, part ‘80s New Wave with a dash of ‘90s Alternative. They had stage presence and all the