by Lucy Kevin
“In Bel Air.” Meg looked a little embarrassed as she gestured in the direction of one of the priciest areas in Los Angeles.
That explained why Meg was so polished. And also why a nanny had taken her over to the Getty as a kid rather than her going with one of her parents, or on her own.
“How long have you been working at Married in Malibu?”
“Since they opened their doors. Before that, actually. We all helped get the business off the ground. Everyone at Married in Malibu is so good at what they do, it’s been a pleasure to work with them all.”
“It’s obvious that you’re a great team. What did you do before you took the job?”
Meg took a long sip of her tea, as though she was trying to find a good way to phrase her response. “I organized charity events, parties, for whatever foundations and fundraisers my mother was chairing.” She grimaced slightly. “That doesn’t sound too impressive, does it?”
He hated that she could ever feel that way about herself. “From everything I’ve seen so far, you’re very impressive at what you do.” When it looked like she was having a hard time believing him, he told her, “I mean it, Meg. I’m not someone who gives people compliments I don’t mean. I really do think you’re amazing.”
“That’s so nice of you,” she said softly. “I’m not great with compliments. Where I grew up, when someone says something nice, they either want something from you—or they’re getting ready to stab you in the back the moment you drop your guard.”
Lucas hadn’t guessed that the life of old-money people could be so cutthroat. “What made you decide to work for Liz?”
“I wanted to do something different with my life, rather than continuing to simply follow the path my mother had laid out for me.” Clearly uncomfortable with talking about herself, she asked, “What about you? How did you go from saving to buy your first guitar to becoming a rock star?”
“A lot of practice.” Lucas grinned. “Seriously, I was the kid who was always practicing. Before I started playing music, I didn’t really fit in. I was the poor kid who never had the right clothes and didn’t go to the right school. But if I was singing something I wrote, people didn’t seem to care about that anymore. And the truth is that if you want to write songs, there are few things better than having real life to draw from. A normal guy singing about normal life in a normal town—it resonates with people.”
“Normal.” She looked pensive. “I know this might sound weird, but I can’t tell you how nice normal sounds.”
Lucas wanted to break through the walls that Meg’s upbringing had built around her and show her his world. “Talking about all of this just gave me an idea for another possible location. We’ll need to intersperse some stage clips into the video,” he explained, “and after the mistake I made filming in the empty stadium last week, I wasn’t sure which way to go. But I’ve just figured it out—I need to focus on where I came from for this video. A smaller, more intimate venue with hundreds of people, as opposed to tens of thousands. A friend of mine is playing The Satellite in Silver Lake tonight. Why don’t you come with me to check it out?”
“You’re asking me to go to a rock concert?” She made it sound like he’d just asked her to go trekking barefoot through the jungle.
“It would be a good way for you to get a feel for how to best fit the performance angle into your overall video design. Besides,” he added with a grin, “I think you might really enjoy it.”
Meg bit her lip. For a moment, Lucas thought she might say no. When she finally did agree to go, relief coursed through him.
Chapter Four
Lucas dropped Meg off at Married in Malibu, promising to come back to pick her up after she finished work for the day. But instead of heading upstairs to her office, she made a beeline for Malibu T and Coffee.
All of them spent a hefty portion of their salaries on hits of caffeine from the café across the street—especially Nathan, who could always be found nursing a cup of coffee.
Meg didn’t have the faintest idea how to dress for a rock concert. If it had been a classical recital, she would have known exactly what outfit to wear, when to clap, and what kind of small talk to make between movements. She could have asked her friends at Married in Malibu for advice, but she didn’t want them worrying that she wasn’t up to the task of going to a concert with Lucas, never mind designing his rock video. Especially Liz.
In any case, Tamara Truscott, who owned the coffee shop, was likely the best potential source of help. She was not only perfectly comfortable in her own skin, she could also chat easily with absolutely anyone—whether rocker, classical aficionado, or smooth-jazz fan.
Currently ringing up a customer, Tamara looked dressed for a sunny day on the beach with a yellow cotton shirt knotted above a floral pattern sarong. Meg could never have pulled off that casual a look, but Tamara looked amazing. It was just one more reason to ask her opinion.
“Hi, Meg, what can I get you?” Tamara asked with a smile.
“A mocha, please…and maybe some advice?”
“Sounds interesting. Take a seat and I’ll bring your coffee over.”
Meg sat at her favorite table, which overlooked the other customers in the café, rather than the ocean. She liked to imagine what other people’s lives were like—their jobs, pets, friends…and the people who loved them.
Tamara came over with two mugs and a big cinnamon roll with two forks. Sliding Meg’s drink across the table, she dropped into the free seat.
“Now, what do you need advice about?” She forked up a bite of cinnamon roll and gave a little moan of pleasure.
Meg hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she smelled the sugar-coated pastry. She took a delicious bite and washed it down with a sip of her drink before saying, “What to wear to a rock concert.”
Tamara sputtered, almost choking on her coffee, before composing herself. “Sorry, that almost went down the wrong pipe.”
“I know.” Meg sighed. “I can’t imagine what he was thinking, inviting me to see his rocker friends play a show tonight.” She should never have agreed.
“My reaction isn’t at all about where you’re going tonight,” Tamara said. “I just never thought the day would come when you’d come to me for fashion advice. You’re the best-dressed person I know. By miles.”
Before Meg could respond, her phone rang with her mother’s ring tone. And when her mother called, she always answered. Meg’s father had passed away when she was a little girl, and for the past three decades, she and her mother were each other’s only family. “I’m sorry, I need to get this.”
“Margaret,” her mother said as soon as Meg picked up, “I’m having a handful of people from the Bel Air Arts Foundation over for dinner tonight and I need you to present a few design choices for their end-of-year ball.” Judith Ashworth never bothered with preliminaries, never thought to ask how Meg was doing, or if she had time to talk. “It’s nothing too time consuming.”
Meg had come to dread those words, because they rarely proved to be true. And, of course, her mother assumed that she would be there with several well-crafted designs to present.
“I have plans tonight, Mother, but perhaps there is another—”
“Cancel your plans.” Her mother’s voice went from cheery to brusque in an instant. “Dr. Shedmeir and Mrs. Wilton are coming. I need you here.”
Any other time, Meg would have given in. Even now, she was tempted to bend the way she always had before. But she couldn’t miss out on her night with Lucas.
Not only did her job depend on it…but a voice inside her head was also telling her that if she didn’t take this step out of the confines of her life tonight, she might never do it.
“I can’t cancel. It’s work.”
“Work, work, work.” Disgust rang loud and clear in her mother’s voice. “That’s all you ever talk about. You can’t let these people push you around.”
Meg wanted to point out that her mother was the only person pushing
her around. Instead, she took a gentler tack. “If you let me know what you need, I should have a couple of hours this afternoon when I can sketch something. But I’m afraid I can’t come to dinner tonight.”
“Well, I suppose some detailed sketches could work, at least in the short term.” Her mother was clearly disgruntled as she said, “I’ll email the details to you.” She severed the connection without saying good-bye, just as she hadn’t bothered with a hello.
Meg shot an apologetic glance at her friend. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize. I get how family stuff is. Now, tell me more about where you’re going tonight—and who you’re going with.”
“It’s a client.” Meg leaned in closer, so no one else would hear. “It’s Lucas Crosby, and I don’t want to embarrass him by showing up looking like his accountant.”
“Trust me, you could never look like his accountant. But if you’re serious about fitting in…” Tamara studied her in silence for a moment. “Do you have any darker, more formfitting pants? Maybe in leather?”
“Leather?” Meg tried to imagine herself in leather pants, but she just couldn’t picture it.
“Okay,” Tamara said, laughing at Meg’s horrified expression, “then what about dark jeans and a well-cut leather jacket?” She gestured to one of her customers who was wearing a cute brown leather jacket.
“I could wear that, I suppose.” She bit her lip. “I’ll definitely have to go shopping, though.”
She got up, and to her surprise, Tamara got up too.
Her friend grinned. “Someone has to make sure that you don’t leave the store before you find the perfect leather jacket.”
“But the café—”
“Will be perfectly fine in the care of my part-time help,” Tamara assured her. “Besides, when else will I have the chance to watch you getting ready for a rock concert with Lucas Crosby?”
Nate walked over just as Meg was sliding into the passenger seat of Tamara’s car. “What’s going on?”
Tamara lowered her voice, but even so, Meg caught her words. “It feels like love’s in the air again. I really don’t know what it is with you guys across the street, but something tells me Cupid has struck again.”
Love?
Tamara was wrong. Tonight wasn’t even a date. This was work.
And Meg knew the worst mistake she could possibly make would be to fall in love with her client.
Chapter Five
Lucas felt as excited as a teenager on prom night when he went to pick Meg up. Normally, it took playing to a full stadium for him feel that way. And when he saw her, looking more beautiful than any other woman ever had, he lost his breath.
The first day they’d met, she’d been stunning in high-end fashion. This morning, she’d been gorgeous in a sharply cut business suit. But seeing her in leather and denim, with her hair unbound and her lips slicked pink and glossy…
He was speechless as he got out of his car and opened the passenger door. Not only because she was beautiful, but because it was obvious that she had made an effort to fit into his world tonight. He’d never thought someone from her background would ever willingly dive into his.
“It’s all wrong, isn’t it?” She ran a hand through her hair, starting to twist it back into a bun. “I look like I’m trying too hard, don’t I?”
“Are you kidding?” He reached for her hand and gently pulled it away from her hair, so that the locks fell free again. “You look amazing. You always do, no matter what you’re wearing, or how you style your hair.” When she finally smiled at him, shy and sweet and innately sensual all at the same time, he nearly lost his breath all over again.
Traffic was surprisingly light as they made their way to The Satellite. Lucas hadn’t played the venue in years, but he’d always thought that it was the perfect size for a band to really be able to communicate with the audience.
Lucas put on a low-brimmed baseball cap and led Meg toward the door. The security staff were expecting them and let them in with a minimum of fuss. A sizable crowd had already gathered in front of the stage, where the warmup act was about to start. Though he knew he’d been spotted the moment they walked inside—the numerous phone flashes gave it away—he appreciated the rare space he and Meg were being given. As though the other audience members understood that this was an important night for them.
“There aren’t any seats.” Meg was clearly surprised.
“You’ll want to be on your feet. Trust me.”
She met his eyes. “I wouldn’t have come here with you tonight if I didn’t trust you.”
Did she have any idea how much that meant to him? In his business, managers stole from their clients, promoters cheated musicians out of their fair share of the concert take, and even your own band could be hammered by infighting.
Lucas wasn’t used to trust being given easily, and something told him Meg didn’t usually give it easily.
“Can you feel the excitement?” From the brightness in her eyes as she took everything in, he hoped she did.
“I really can. It’s so different from the opera.”
“I didn’t see my first opera until I was in my mid-twenties,” he told her, “but I’ve always felt the excitement there too.”
“It’s more muted than this, though.” She looked around the club, where music was pumping from the speakers while the crowd assembled. “Like everyone is too concerned about propriety to let out what they really feel.”
The words were barely out of her mouth when the lights went down and the support act ran out onto the stage. They were a local group: loud, energetic, and still obviously finding their feet. A couple of them could play extremely well, but they didn’t play together yet.
Even so, their fans danced and cheered. Meg swayed her hips a little bit, which Lucas hoped was a good sign. Although now that the show had started, and the lights were down, he couldn’t see her face well enough to know for sure if she was having a good time.
Twenty minutes later, in the break between bands, he led her over to the bar. Thankfully, with the lights down and his cap pulled low over his eyes, he continued to blend into the crowd just enough. He gave silent thanks to his fans for keeping things low-key tonight.
“What would you like to drink?”
“White wine.” Meg frowned. “Unless I should be drinking beer like everyone else seems to be?”
“If you want to dance, you dance. If you want to sing, sing. And if you want to drink white wine, drink white wine. So long as you aren’t hurting anyone, there aren’t any rules here that you have to follow.”
“I like that,” she said in a voice soft enough that he read her lips more than heard what she said. “No rules.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he hadn’t blown it, after all, by bringing her here.
When they moved back into the crowd, he took her to the place that he considered the sweet spot—it combined a great view of the stage with the optimal audible experience.
As soon as his friend’s band took the stage and started to play, it was clear that they were ready for the big time. They’d polished their sound, had attracted a rabid fan base, and fit together like a well-oiled machine, supporting each other so that each musician in the group shone even brighter as part of the whole.
What’s more, they connected brilliantly with their audience. Which, Lucas was pleased to realize midway through the first song, included Meg. She wasn’t screaming or jumping up and down like the others, but she had a big smile on her face as her body moved to the music.
He loved watching her let herself go—the way she listened with rapt intensity, while taking in the light show and the thrill of the crowd.
An hour and a half later, after two encores that had everyone happily hoarse from singing along and cheering, the show came to an end. Lucas was surprised to realize that he’d been so busy watching Meg enjoy herself that he hadn’t analyzed the music and performance the way he normally would. Instead, he’d simply enjoyed him
self. More than he had in a very long time.
After the last echoes faded away, Meg turned to him with a smile. “I loved it.” She seemed to catch herself, adding, “Not that I thought I wouldn’t. It’s just, not having been to a show like this before—” She blew out a breath. “I’m normally good at not saying the wrong thing or being inappropriate. But with you, my unfiltered thoughts keep spilling out.”
“I’m glad that you feel you can say what you’re thinking, and what you’re feeling, when you’re with me. In my world, people tend to tell me what they think I want to hear. You’re not being inappropriate—you’re being honest. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s a really great thing.”
* * *
Meg felt as though she were floating as they made their way backstage.
Why had she waited her whole life to go to a rock concert? Okay, so the music had been incredibly loud. And she wasn’t sure that she would want to run into some of the audience members alone in a dark alley. But she had absolutely loved the feeling, technique, and passion in the music—just as much as she had loved being part of the dancing, overjoyed crowd.
Best of all, though, had been Lucas standing beside her. He was so warm and solid and strong that she knew he’d never let anything bad happen to her. And then, when he’d said all those lovely things about how much he loved her honesty…
Truly, her heart was so full she thought it might burst.
Backstage, large men in faded black T-shirts with the word STAFF on the back were carefully packing away cables, microphones, instruments, and stands. She knew how much went into putting on an elaborate, high-budget wedding. But she could only imagine the behind-the-scenes planning that went into putting on a concert, whether in a venue like this or a stadium like the ones Lucas played in.
A half-dozen people on the stage crew called out Lucas’s name. As he introduced her to each person, she was amazed that he not only knew their names, he also knew all about their kids and grandkids. Even their dogs!