Clash

by Aurora, Belle

  Micah peered down at my resume. “You understand that you’ll be away from your family if you get this job?” He searched my face. “I need to know if that’ll be a problem.”

  I did not know that. My gut clenched tightly.

  Calm down. It’s fine. Just breathe.

  So this job involved travel. Did I have a problem with that?

  I mean, really, what was keeping me here?

  Roll with the punches, Emily. You’ve got this.

  “Yes, I understand that. I think it would take some getting used to but it’s just my nanna and me. She’s elderly and moving into a nursing home very soon.”

  “You’d be in very close proximity to four grown men,” stated Noah, watching for my reaction.

  My heart sank. Also did not know that. My response was weak, unsure, “Okay.”

  He went on. “They’re loud. They’re crude.” My stomach somersaulted as he continued. “There will be times when the guys bring women home with them. Privacy is basically non-existent.” He eyed me good. “It’s a very high-stress environment. How do you think you’ll cope?”

  How did I think I would cope?

  Coping was all I had ever really done in life. It wasn’t about coping anymore. It was about doing something I needed to do, stepping outside of my comfort zone, because it was the right thing.

  “Honestly—” I don’t know why I said what I did. “—the company would be nice.” I finished on a feeble chuckle.

  Yeah.

  I was pathetic.

  Noah’s face softened.

  Ugh.

  I despised pity.

  Why did you say that?

  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

  Thankfully, Noah cleared his throat and changed the subject. “What kind of music do you listen to?”

  I thought about the nights Nanna and I cooked dinner together with the record player on. Some of my favorite memories included that rickety record player and I answered happily, “Doris Day. Paul Anka. Nancy Sinatra.” I made a noise of contentment. “ABBA.” Micah looked at me like I couldn’t possibly be serious. Avoiding his probing gaze, I pushed my glasses up my nose and explained quietly, “You have to understand my nanna raised me from the time I was little girl. She’s was from a different generation and brought me up as such.”

  Noah smiled but his brow lowered. “What do you know about rock music?”

  “I don’t,” I admitted freely on a shrug.

  I knew nothing about it. Nothing at all.

  Micah glanced over at me skeptically. “So, if I told you the band you’d be assisting was Left Turn…”

  Oh, cool. It was an assistant position.

  That wasn’t scary. My stomach uncoiled at that piece of information. I could do that. Helping with Nanna made me an expert at assisting. This was perfect!

  I blinked, first at Micah then at Noah. They appeared to expect something of me. All I could give them was, “That’s nice.” I then queried hesitantly, “Are they… are they new?”

  Matching expressions of disbelief followed.

  Noah choked on a laugh. “Uh, not quite. They’re…” He thought about what word to use. “… established.”

  “Cool,” was all I could say to that, and I did it nodding.

  The handsome, tattooed Noah looked like he wanted to laugh again when he uttered, “I’ve just got another few questions for you and then we’re done.” He sat taller. “Your work experience ended a few years back. What have you been doing in the meantime, apart from studying?”

  This question hit a nerve but that wasn’t his fault. I took a while to answer. “My nanna has dementia. I spent that time caring for her.”

  That’s all I could give Noah.

  He seemed to understand this because his face gentled. “So you would say you’re a responsible and nurturing person then?”

  My head tilted slightly. I pursed my lips and pondered that. It was an accurate statement. “Yes, I would.”

  “And if this interview doesn’t work out,” Noah pried, “what’s your backup plan?”

  I felt I had a lot of hitches in my character. I was set in my routine. I loved nothing more than the quiet of a Sunday afternoon, as introverts do. I enjoyed reading and writing. Company was completely optional. And, lastly, at times I was honest to a fault.

  Take right now as one of those times.

  My voice was quiet. “I don’t have one.” I bit my lip to stop myself from revealing anything else these people obviously didn’t need to know.

  Noah made a few notes as Micah watched me curiously. I smiled at him and he smiled back, almost uncertainly. Then Noah looked over at his peer. “I think we’re good here, Emily.”

  Micah nodded. “Yep. I think we got everything we needed.”

  Oh no.

  Did I blow it?

  They both stood up and I followed suit, feeling less than positive about the outcome here today. I was sure my demeanor reflected that. Regardless, I held out my hand first to Micah, and then to Noah. “I’d just like to say thank you for the opportunity. It’s been a while since I’ve done this and I needed the interview experience.”

  Noah held onto my hand a second too long, and the way he frowned down at me was more than a little disconcerting. “We’ll call you.”

  Yep.

  Totally blew it.

  I inwardly sighed.

  Oh well.

  “Thanks again.” I threw my backpack over my shoulder and saw myself out. The moment I was back in the waiting room, I took a look at the interview candidates and my chest ached.

  Beautiful people as far as the eye could see.

  No. I was not getting this job.

  And that was okay.

  I would just have to find something else.

  My cell phone rang. I stirred the pot of boiling pasta, put the wooden spoon down, and looked down at the display.

  Unknown Caller.

  I hesitated. I normally didn’t answer unknown numbers. Heck, I normally didn’t answer at all, but it could have been the hospital so I picked up. “Hello?”

  “Uh, hi. Is this Emily?”

  I wiped my hands on a dishtowel and rearranged the cell phone. “Yes, it is. Who may I ask is speaking?”

  “It’s Noah, from yesterday’s interview.”

  He-man Noah!

  “Oh, hi.” I smiled into the receiver. It was nice of him to call and give me the bad news rather than just never hearing from him again. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine, thank you.” I could hear his own smile through the line. “I just called to ask you a question.”

  “Oh?” I frowned to myself. I thought we covered everything in the interview. “What’s that?”

  Noah paused for effect. “Are you ready for this?”

  My heart didn’t just skip a beat. It stopped entirely.

  I dropped the towel and blinked. “Pardon me?”

  He sounded mildly amused. “You got the job, Emily. It’s yours if you want it.”

  Eyes wide in disbelief, I leaned back against the counter, swallowed hard and asked a slow and incredulous, “Did everyone else die or something?”

  Noah laughed. He laughed loudly and for a long time. “Uh, no, they didn’t.” His laughter finally quieted and he uttered, “What do you say, Emily?”

  What did I say?

  Was he crazy?

  “Yes,” I whispered. I covered my mouth with my hand and started to laugh. Lifting my head heavenward, I dropped my hand, and stated a poised, “Yes, I want the job.”

  When Noah told me how much the job was paying, I almost swooned dead away. Instead, I choked on my tongue then let out a little unhinged laugh.

  Oh, God. I could finally breathe again. My money worries were over.

  I’d miss Nanna terribly but this position was a blessing.

  First thing, I was calling St Jude’s.

  Chapter Two

  Suspicious Minds.r />
  Emily

  It took three buses and my entire morning to make it to the address Noah had provided. My feet were sore but I didn’t mind. However, the slight sting in my step reminded me that I needed a new pair of sneakers. The ones I had on were years old and worn to the sole. Truth was, if I had the money to buy a new pair, I would have.

  Such was life, I supposed.

  Regardless of how my feet were feeling, internally, I was beaming.

  Okay, so maybe I was beaming on the outside too. I couldn’t help it though. Somehow, everything had started to work out, and that was a marvel.

  It was exciting being in Los Angeles. I’d never had the need to go out to West Hollywood but here I was, walking a strip, something right out of a movie, with my thumbs tucked into the shoulder straps of my backpack, my eyes taking in everything they possibly could.

  Unfortunately, my phone was old and analog. I wanted to upgrade but honestly didn’t see the need. Also, the cost of smartphones?

  Sheesh.

  What a rip-off.

  So, no digital maps for me. Luckily, I had the trusty map I’d picked up at the bus station, and it did what it needed to do.

  After an hour travel and fifteen minutes of walking, I finally arrived at my destination. It was a huge building, three stories high, and when I approached the high gate and pressed the button on the intercom, I took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, getting my bearings straight.

  “Yeah?”

  “Uh…” For some reason, I leaned into the small black box. “I’m here to see Micah.”

  “Emily?”

  I all but yelled into the speaker, “Yes.”

  I swear the person on the other end was laughing. “I’ll buzz you in. Push the gate hard, okay?”

  My eyes searched the gate. It looked heavy. “Okay.”

  I heard the latch click over and I pushed as hard as I could. The gate barely budged but after a long moment of fighting with it, I managed to squeeze past the gap I’d created. When I let go, the gate shut with a boom, making me spin back to it as I jumped in fright. With a hand on my chest, I was so focused on the gate that I didn’t hear the person coming from behind.

  “Hey.”

  Jolting a second time, I let out a squeak of surprise but when I twisted and saw Noah standing there, grinning down at me with his hands in his pockets, I smiled through the assaulting flush heating my cheeks. “Hey.”

  Wearing a pair of black jeans, white sneakers, and a charcoal gray tee, he grinned harder and a pair of deep dimples appeared. Lifting his hand to cover his mouth, he coughed out a laugh. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  I liked Noah.

  Biting my lip, I reluctantly admitted, “It doesn’t take much, I’m afraid.”

  His throaty laugh made my smile widen and when he didn’t speak a while, I squinted up into his hazel eyes to find him grinning back. He huffed out a breath and ran a hand over his neatly buzzed hair. “Ready to sign your life away?”

  Did he mean for that to sound as foreboding as it did?

  “Sure am.” My stomach dipped quickly and my smile fell, but only slightly. “Lead the way.”

  The second we walked into the building, I frowned in confusion, eyes darting around at the interior I hadn’t expected.

  This wasn’t just a building. It was a house.

  A home.

  Framed photographs lined the walls but before I could get a good look at them, a very pretty, very pregnant, barefoot woman made her way down the stairs. She was wearing a long, loose dress and was clutching her huge belly. “Oh. My. God.” She peered over at Noah. “Is this Emily?”

  Noah kept his eyes on me. “This is Emily.”

  “Holy hell.” With her straight, blonde hair flowing down her back, she looked me up and down then smiled hard. “You are adorable!” She made it to the bottom of the stairs and Noah went to her, helping her down the last few steps. Her blue eyes sparkled. “Isn’t she adorable?”

  Noah, I could see, was trying not to laugh. “She sure is.”

  Wait. Was this Noah’s wife?

  The woman came to me, holding out her hands, and I returned the gesture unconsciously. She took hold of me and pulled me close, her eyes roaming my appearance. Her voice was small but sweet. “You’re so tiny. How tall are you?”

  Stuttering, I said, “F-f-five three,” but it came out sounding like a question.

  “The clothes. Those glasses. Ugh. That backpack!” She gasped before clutching me to her side. “I love her. Can I keep her?”

  “Amber.” Noah frowned at the sweet lady. “She’s not a pet.”

  The woman, Amber, gripped me tighter. “I’ll treat her real good, Noah. I swear.”

  Noah pinched the bridge of his nose but he did it smiling. “Jesus Christ.”

  That was when Micah came down the stairs. When he got to the bottom and saw Amber holding me like a ragdoll, his brows furrowed. “Honey,” he started cautiously. “Why are you choking the life out of Miss Emily?”

  Oh. Amber was Micah’s wife.

  Got it.

  Amber loosened her grip on me, but only slightly. She then stated matter-of-factly, “I’ve decided to keep her. You’ll just have to find another assistant for the boys. Sorry.”

  Micah smiled down at the woman as he approached. “Okay, honey. I think the baby needs some rest now.”

  Amber glowered at him. “The baby is fine.”

  “And you need to let go of Emily.”

  “I don’t wanna let go of Emily.”

  “Let—” Micah attempted to pull her away. “Let go of Emily, honey.”

  A moment’s struggle, then, “Fine.” She released me with a sigh. She then turned to me. “I’ll see you later to take you through your position, okay?”

  My voice was quiet. “Okay.” But through my awkwardness, I managed to return her smile.

  Even though she was a little strange, Amber was super affectionate and that struck a chord with me. I craved affection and I immediately liked her. She looked like a whole lot of fun.

  Micah threw me an apologetic look as he led his wife away. My returning look told him it was nothing. That was when Noah uttered the scariest words I’d ever heard. “So, do you wanna meet the guys?”

  My heart flatlined then restarted with a jolt.

  “The guys?” I swallowed hard. “The band?” My mouth was dry, and I was finding it hard to breathe. “They’re here?”

  Oh no.

  My stomach cramped violently.

  “Wait.” Noah folded his arms across his chest, looking down at me in incredulity. “Are you telling me you didn’t do any research on Left Turn?”

  My shrug was weak. “I-I wanted to but—” I was revealing too much. “—I don’t have the Internet.”

  Noah’s brows arched. “You don’t have the Internet?” He sounded outraged.

  I know. It was strange in this day and age. “No, I don’t.”

  Couldn’t afford the Internet, actually, which was why I went to my local public library every few days to check my email. Sometimes, if I was really desperate—and lately I had been—I would go to Jim’s to use his computer.

  “Okay,” Noah drawled. “Well, now’s as good a time as any. I think it’s important to see if you mesh well. After all, this tour is a big deal for them.”

  Tour.

  Did he just say tour?

  My body turned stiff as a board. The blood in my veins, ice cold.

  Ah, geez.

  What the heck have I gotten myself into?

  My heart beat so hard I wondered if Noah could see it bouncing out of my chest.

  Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. “Sure,” I croaked out. “I’d love to meet them.”

  “C’mon.” Noah took me down the long hallway, and the instant I heard the male voices, my insides clenched.

  “What?” One man laughed. “Get the fuck outta here, Lee. No way.”

&nb
sp; “I swear to God,” another man returned.

  A third man cut in. “And what? She just casually invited her partner to join in?”

  “I fucking swear to God, man. And the dude is built. Like, at this point, I’m scared to say no. What’s worse is—” He paused a second. “—my dick is kind of into it.”

  Oh my God.

  My eyes widened, big as saucers.

  I probably should not have heard that.

  The second Noah took up all the space the open doorway, he called out, “Yo, cool it. There’s a lady present.” Hiding behind Noah, my heartbeat slowed as I licked my dry lips.

  Noah moved to join the band, leaving me completely exposed. And I saw the three men standing there. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Instead, I stupidly mouthed the word, Hi.

  Noah watched me closely, his eyes crinkling at the corners, as though he could feel just how badly I wanted to snap my fingers and disappear. “This is Emily. I told you about her.” Amusement lined his voice, “She’s shy.”

  I could feel my pulse drumming through my jugular and blood rushed through my ears, the pressure behind them mounting. I tried again. Clearing my throat, I stepped into the room and said quietly, “Hello.” I followed this with an awkward, robotic wave.

  The man closest to me stood from his sitting position. He was tall, lean with a swimmer’s build, and had light brown hair which he wore messy. I could see he hadn’t shaved from the stubble on his chin. His soft brown eyes were kind and when he held out a hand to me, I appreciated him making the effort. “Hi. I’m Lee.”

  “Lee,” I repeated graciously with a grateful smile. I took his hand and we shook for a second. I silently prayed he couldn’t feel the dampness of my palm.

  I was sure he could. He was just too polite to say anything.

  Another man stood and this one was positively hulking. With his long, ashy blonde hair worn in a looped bun at the top of his head and the long beard he donned, he looked like a Viking. And, because I was special that way, I decided to tell him exactly that. “You look like a Viking.”

  The man grinned and his green eyes sparkled. “Nice. I’m Helmer, but you can call me Hell. Everyone does.”

  My mouth opened and a slight gasp took me. “That is very fitting. I’m almost certain Helmer actually means ‘wrath of the warrior.’”