The Hush Society Presents... by Izzy Matias (best desktop ebook reader .txt) 📕

first glance, I don’t see why she fancied (fancies?) him in the first place.

My hand is about to reach out to hers when I take a good look at Toby and realise who I’m looking at. I drop my hand and curse.

Cassie looks at me in alarm. "What?"

"You didn’t tell me you dated Toby Jones!" I try to keep my voice as low as possible, so that he doesn’t hear me. "He’s a legend!"

Toby Jones was named as one of the best drummers in the U.K. We did a full report on each drummer on the list at URadio.

Even I look up to this lad. No wonder she fancied him.

Cassie doesn’t respond to my comment, but instead saunters to our table. Toby doesn’t see her—his back is turned, but his bird narrows her eyes at Cassie. Ha. So she knows Cassie. This has gotten more interesting.

I can’t get over the fact that Toby Jones is seated beside us at this hole-in-the-wall Indian food joint. A part of me wants to start a conversation with him, but the other part can’t believe he’s the same lad that broke Cassie’s heart. I had so much respect for this lad—as a musician, of course—but knowing how he treats his gals lowers that respect.

Just when I think Cassie is going to sit on our table and go unnoticed, she ignores Narrow Eyes and taps on Toby’s shoulder. Most exes would have ran back up if they’d bumped into the person who broke their heart.

His eyes turn into perfect orbs and regain their normal shape within seconds. I stifle a laugh. "C-Cassie?"

"Hello, Toby," Cassie says with such calm and grace that I would think she was saying hi to another one of her mates, had I not known the backstory. She even greets Toby’s girlfriend.

His girl is giving her the look, but replies dryly. If it’s anyone who should be giving dark, menacing glares, it should be Cassie, but she is beaming.

"Hi. I’m Cameron Evans," I say to Toby, but resist the urge to offer my hand. We are entering dodgy terrain here, but I can’t help it.

"He’s one of our latest musicians at The Hush Society," Cassie explains.

I nod. "Congrats on being named as one of the best drummers in the UK this year." Oops. Did I really just say that? And in front of Cassie, too. If I were her, I’d be glaring at me right now, but she seems unfazed.

"Thanks," he replies curtly. Toby stares at me, as if sizing me up. His face shows disinterest and he turns the other direction.

Well then.

Cassie turns around and sits down at our table.

What an arse. A fucking talented arse, though. I glance back at him and slump my shoulders as I take the seat across Cassie. There’s no way I am good enough for Cassie if she dated a freaking legend. What can she possibly see in me?

Cassie takes a bite of her Tandoori and wrinkles her nose.

I laugh. "I take it you’re not exactly into Indian?"

"I told you I was treating, so of course I had to let you choose the place," Cassie says.

Toby looks at us, confused. Is he jealous?

"I would have easily agreed to a lesser spicy place," I tease.

"Don’t think so," she retorts. "So, uh, any other stories you’d like to add to the cringe-worthy list?"

We try to ease back to normal conversation, but the unease and the restraint from Cassie is palpable. Understandable—her ex is within earshot, eavesdropping on our conversation.

"There was this one time I tried pranking Benji…but it back-fired horribly."

"How so?"

That’s when I notice that Toby and his bird are not speaking.

"Uh, Eric and I tried to video him while we scared him, but somehow he beat us to it. We thought he was coming down the stairs of his house when he was actually behind us and played this high-pitched scream recording that had our eye balls popping out and hearts stopping."

A screeching chair stops us mid-conversation. Toby’s bird stomps past us and heads straight to the stairs.

I raise my eyebrows at Cassie. She shrugs. Toby has risen from his seat. I expect him to be irritated or angry, but he’s in a neutral mood as he approaches our table.

"You two should check out this gem I discovered recently. He’s performing at a book shop launch within the hour." He looks at us both and then winks at Cassie. "Don’t worry. I won’t be there, but it’ll be a good follow-up to your… date." He churns out the last word as if it’s acid in his mouth and heads towards the staircase.

What. A. Massive. Arse.

The picture of Toby Jones—the one I previously regarded with respect and awe—has shattered into a thousand ugly shards.

Now he’s playing cupid whilst flirting with Cassie? "What’s his game?" I spit out. He treats Cassie like shite, flirts with her when he thinks she’s on a date with me—even though we aren’t—and then goes on to invite her to a gig. "As if he isn’t going to be there."

"His girl hates going to gigs," Cassie says.

I raise my eyebrow at her, still fuming.

"I’d know because she was one of my mates."

"Ouch," I say. My anger is replaced with sympathy. "Why am I even surprised?"

"I was!"

"You’d be a fool if you weren’t. This is right out of a reality show."

"You got that right."

"Are we going to this gig?" I say and motion my eyebrows up and down. "You know… extend our date." I don’t really mean it as a date—only to tease her.

I’m not worth breaking her no-musicians rule for. Not after learning that her ex is Toby Jones. And I’m a freaking musician who’s trying to break into the scene. Who can top the Toby Jones? Not me. That’s for sure.

Cassie slaps my arm and I take this gesture as a yes. We’re both goners for live music.

"Was that his charm?" I ask.

"What?" Cassie clarifies.

"His taste in music."

"One of the many," she answers and rolls her eyes. "I dunno why I was