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contact with Marcus and gave him a thumbs up. Apparently, there were no dissenters.
    “ Trevor, you have a talented guitar player here, ” Marcus said, clapping Avery on the back and reaching out to shake Trevor ’ s hand. “ Why don ’ t we all go out to dinner and talk terms? Avery, welcome to the group. ”
    She solemnly shook Marcus' extended hand. Then, in an undignified, but characteristic response, she whooped and jumped into the air. Her unbridled enthusiasm elicited chuckles from the others. Dwight and JR came over one after the other to congratulate her.
    Trevor gave her the ‘ man hug ’ and whispered in her ear, “ Way to go … guy! ”
    “ Who ’ s up for Mexican? ” Stephen asked everyone. “ Margaritas are on me! ” Noticing Marcus ’ wince, he retracted, “ Sorry cousin, of course, none for you. ”
    “ Me either, ” Avery announced. “ I don ’ t drink, but I can pack away my body weight in tacos! ”  
    “ Yeah, like that ’ s very much, ” JR needled. “ What do you weigh like 125 pounds? ”  
    Raising a surprised brow, Avery said, “ Yeah, actually that ’ s pretty close. You should get a job at a carnival. ”
    “ Uh, uh, I ’ m sure they have plenty of freaks already, ” quipped Marcus.
    “ We shall see, Avery, we shall see, ” Dwight offered up. “ I put the Anthony brothers against your taco eating prowess any time. ”
    Marcus ’ lips curved into a smile, and he pulled out his cell. “ Hey Ray, we ’ re all going to Cubre .  Can you pick me up? Thanks. ” He asked Stephen to join him so they could go over terms.
    Trevor pulled around in his rented Volvo to pick up the others. JR took shotgun, while Dwight and Avery settled into the back seat. “ So, Ray is Marcus ’ driver? ” she asked Dwight.
    “ Yeah, ” he explained. “ He ’ s also his bodyguard. Marcus can ’ t go anywhere without being recognized. The rest of us keep a relatively low profile, but not him. The press hounds him constantly. I think they ’ re hoping he ’ ll slip up again. ”
    When they arrived at the restaurant, Stephen escorted them to a back room where Marcus was already waiting at the end of a long table. Avery sat down across from him, ordering a Coke from the waiter. Stephen and Trevor went over to the far corner to discuss Avery ’ s contract.
    “ Ok, those guys are exempt. As for the rest of us, ” Dwight cautioned, looking sternly at his brother, “ no talking business. Let ’ s just have some fun. ”
    Marcus ’ lip curled. “ Whatever you say, blondie . ”
    “ How many times do I have to say it, bro? I am not a blond. My hair is red with blond highlights. ”
    “ Yeah, keep telling yourself that bro ’ sef .  But sounds to me like you ’ re in denial. ”
    Dwight snorted. “ And you ’ re delusional. ” By the time dinner arrived, Trevor and Stephen had taken seats at the table with the others.
    ‘ Things must have gone well, ’ thought Avery, noting Trevor ’ s Cheshire Cat grin. As the meal progressed, she observed the two brothers. Dwight had the rest of them in stitches with his animated accounts of the band members ’ various foibles and misdeeds. Marcus mainly stared into space with his piercing blue eyes. The only evidence that he was paying attention was the occasional wry comment that he interjected.
    Dwight reminisced about how he was the one who used to get all the girls, “ that is, until Marcus started singing lead vocals. The bassist never gets any respect. ”  
    As the others were letting Dwight know just how full of it they thought he was, Marcus asked Avery, “ Why do you do that? ”  
    “ Do what? ”
    He motioned toward Avery ’ s dessert plate, which had a small amount of flan left on it. “ Leave one bite on your plate. You did the same thing with dinner. ”
    “ Oh, I didn ’ t realize I did that. Thanks for noticing. ” She lifted her eyebrows at him. “ It ’ s my sad way of trying to control calories. I was