by Julie Archer
“I’m starving,” said Eva. “I barely had time to breathe at work today. Nic had me doing some stock-taking, and I’ve spent most of the day in the cellar.”
“Who knew that you’d be happy counting bottles of beer?”
“Who said anything about being happy? I’m just grateful you’re still letting me stay here and helping me start over.” Eva chewed thoughtfully on her pizza and turned her attention back to the soap opera on the TV. “And for not being weird about me and Richey. I know it can’t have been easy having us circling each other the past few weeks.”
“Hey, it was just a matter of time before the two of you got together. I knew at that dinner party you’d be a couple some day.” Poppy paused. “Do you think it’s too soon for me to start over?”
“What do you mean?” Eva took a slug of wine, her eyes not leaving the screen. “Are you thinking of getting a job?”
“Not exactly. I mean, so soon after Nate.”
“God, you haven’t joined a dating site, have you?”
Poppy laughed. “Not quite. Unless there’s a site where you have sex with someone on the first date. Even if it’s not a date.” She stopped rambling. “There probably is a site for that, isn’t there?”
Eva drained her wine in one and reached for the bottle to top up her glass. “Wait, back up. What do you mean having sex with someone on a first date? You haven’t left the house alone in weeks.”
Poppy felt her face go red. “Um, it happened when we went to the awards dinner the other night.”
Poppy watched as Eva screwed up her face. Eventually, she shook her head. “You’ll have to tell me, I have no idea.”
“It was Parker.”
“But you barely know him!”
“I’ve known him a while.”
“I thought you said you were ill and fell asleep in his room?”
Poppy covered her face with embarrassment. “I definitely fell asleep in his room, although not until after he had made me come several times!”
Eva shook her head. “Of all the people. You and Parker?” She paused. “Don’t you think that’s the same as me getting together with Jed? You and Nate are still married, and I thought you would have wanted to make that work, not jump into bed with the first man that’s shown a bit of interest in you in God knows how long.”
“How can you compare this to you and Jed? You were basically shagging in his office where anyone could have walked in, plus he was very definitely married, you saw Portia Barker at all the company events, and she tried to be your friend.”
“Which means I know the dangers of what you’re doing.”
“This isn’t an affair though.”
“Then what is it?”
Poppy didn’t know the answer to that. Apart from agreeing that they wanted to see each other again, they hadn’t discussed in what capacity that would be. Friends with benefits, exclusive, or what. She had rushed into it so quickly she hadn’t given it, or Nate, much thought.
“Are you seeing him again?” Eva asked.
Poppy nodded. “We met up again the other morning after you left to meet Richey. We had coffee and agreed that we’d like to see each other again, so I’m waiting for him to call me.”
“But wasn’t he at the dinner with Chrissy?”
“Mmm, he said he was going to handle that. I haven’t heard from her, although every time my phone goes, I’m scared to answer it.” Poppy wasn’t looking forward to dealing with her friend’s wrath. “You can’t tell anyone about this though. Especially Richey. I don’t want Nate to find out from someone else.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“This is ridiculous.” Richey was in his room trying to get organised for the band’s impending departure. He was trying to pack as few clothes as he could into his holdall, along with all the bass paraphernalia he needed.
Eva sat cross-legged on his bed, watching him. “Here, let me help. I can probably get double the amount of stuff in there if I fold it properly.” She got up and started repacking the things he wanted to take.
“I wasn’t talking about the fucking clothes, Eva.” Richey snatched one of his t-shirts from her grip and stuffed it into the bag. “I meant about the fact I have to go away now.”
“I’m sure you’ll meet hundreds of groupies on the road and forget all about me.”
“Not a chance.” He took her shoulders and turned her towards him. He leant down and kissed her hard, his tongue searching, deepening his kiss. She sighed against him, and it took all his willpower not to throw her down on the bed, rip her clothes off, and fuck her. His cock hardened, and she pushed back into him.
“What time do you have to leave again?” she gasped.
A horn beeped on the driveway, signalling the arrival of the crew.
Richey groaned. “Apparently any time around now.” He pulled away. “Let’s get this lot sorted then.”
The two of them worked together to cram as much as they could into the small holdall. As an afterthought, Richey shoved his notebook and pen on top. Maybe there would be chance to work on some songs while he was away. He zipped it up and went downstairs.
Nate was already loading his guitars into the back of the van when Richey and Eva arrived. “Your bass is still in the garage, mate. I wasn’t sure what else you wanted to bring. There’s a bag of leads already in the van, and I’m sure the venues will have extras.”
Richey handed his bag to Eva and went to get his treasured bass. As he picked up the Fender Precision, he remembered the first night he’d seen Nate’s studio and how impressed he had been with it. It felt like his second home now, and he loved the time he’d spent in there rehearsing, writing, and playing. He took a moment to savour the feeling, then went to join the others, wondering what the next few weeks would hold.
As he stood on the driveway, he watched Nate and one of the roadies loading up the remaining equipment and luggage. He hoped that the crew van could cope with all the strain that was being placed on it: There were the four band members, two roadies, and more equipment than could currently fit into the storage area. Parker hadn’t been wrong when he’d told Richey he needed to travel light. The majority of venues would have some sort of PA system, and they had cut down the amount of amps they would usually take to a gig, but even so the van was still stuffed to bursting point. Richey hoped that they had roadside cover just in case of emergencies.
Parker waved him over to where Alik, Nate, and Dev stood. “I know this isn’t exactly the best place for a final run through of things, but I didn’t want to get in Poppy’s way.” He continued. “I hope you’ve got everything, but if not, Alik, let me know, and I’ll try to arrange something. I’m sorry I can’t be with you, but Numb seem to think that I’ve done enough already and babysitting you while you’re on the road apparently isn’t in my job description.”
His comment garnered a small laugh from the assembled group.
“I know this is going to be a success and will mark the resurrection of Blood Stone Riot,” said Parker. “Richey, you’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point, and I know that I speak for the others when I say thank you. You’ve fitted in seamlessly and have given the band a new edge. I’m looking forward to seeing what more you can do when you get back.”
Richey nodded in acknowledgement and hugged Eva closer to him.
“I agree,” said Alik. He looked in Richey’s direction. “This is a fantastic chance to get our name back out there and start over. Not that there was anything wrong with how we were before, but I think there’s more to come here. I, too, can’t wait to see what happens for us next.”
“Right, time for you to get on the road,” said Parker.
Richey turned to Eva. Her eyes sparkled with emotion. “I will call and text every day.”
“You’d better,” said Eva. “Otherwise I’ll be checking that tour schedule and coming to find you.” She leant into his body, and he held her there, unwilling to let go.
The rest of the band had settled themsel
ves in the van and wolf whistled as the pair had one final goodbye kiss.
Reluctantly, Richey pulled away. “Okay, okay, I’m coming.”
He got into the back of the van, and they pulled out of Kingsbridge Drive. This was just the beginning of his new adventure.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Poppy twirled round in front of Eva. “Do I look okay?” She was wearing a pair of skinny black jeans, a sequinned black top, and killer red heels. Her glossy auburn hair fell around her shoulders thanks to a cheap blow dry with one of the students at the local hairdressers.
Eva bounced India on her knee as she looked at her friend. “You look fine. I’m sure Parker won’t know what’s hit him.”
Poppy sat down on the sofa, deflated by Eva’s disapproving tone. She understood her friend’s point of view, but this was a totally different situation. She still couldn’t believe that she was going on an actual date with Parker. He texted her virtually every day and tried to call her each evening. The latter usually coincided with her trying to get India to eat dinner, which meant that the conversations were short and fragmented. When Parker had suggested coming to North Ridge, she jumped at the chance. They had arranged it for one of the nights when Eva was able to babysit, which meant that Poppy didn’t have to explain anything to any of her other friends as to who she was going out with. She wasn’t sure whether she was ready to share all the details of her temporary separation from Nate and her seemingly immediate move on to another relationship.
“Where are you going?” Eva asked finally.
“Parker’s booked a table at The Reading Room. I think Caro and Alik had their first date there, not really for them, but I guess Parker’s a bit more comfortable in a place like that.”
Eva wrinkled her nose. “Mmm, not my style either, but I gather they’ve changed chefs recently.”
Poppy was pleased to hear that. She recalled Caro telling her about some of the menu options, and she hadn’t really been looking forward to telling Parker that she wasn’t prepared to eat snail porridge.
She was hit with a sudden rush of uncertainty. “Oh, God, am I doing the right thing?”
“Hate to tell you, hon, but you’ve already been way past first base with him, so I think dinner is kind of moving backwards,” said Eva. She put her hands over India’s ears, to protect her from the adult conversation.
“I guess...”
“Not like you to drop your knickers at the first sign of a bloke.”
Eva was right. In the past she had been more reticent when it came to men. It had taken her a long time to get to know Nate properly and get involved with him. She wondered why it had been so different with Parker. They certainly hadn’t known each other that well until recently; any previous interactions had been on a business-like basis.
“Should I wait up?” asked Eva. “I don’t want to intrude on any hot and heavy action. I’ll only get jealous. Richey’s only been away five minutes, and I miss him already. It’s too quiet. Even before we got together he would be pottering around upstairs, hogging the bathroom and generally getting in the way.”
Poppy laughed. “You can stay up if you want. If we do come back here, I don’t know what will happen.” She blushed. “I know what I’d like to happen, but Parker may need to rush off.”
“One look at you like that, and he won’t be rushing anywhere.” Eva gave a rueful smile.
The doorbell rang, and Poppy gasped. Eva rolled her eyes.
“I’ll go, you have India.” Eva passed India over to Poppy and headed into the hall.
Her daughter clung to her and wailed. “Shh, shh, it’s okay, sweetie, Mummy won’t be out for very long.” She kissed India’s head. The crying increased, followed by a tidal wave of baby vomit that went all over Poppy’s top and jeans at the exact same moment as Parker came into the living room.
“That’s an unusual welcome,” he said.
Poppy stood up. “Give me a minute, I’ll just go and get her settled and then get changed. Do you want to call the restaurant and tell them we’ll be late?” She hurried away, disappointed that Parker had caught her being anything other than perfect.
India wouldn’t settle and started crying every time Poppy tried to leave the room. She had taken off her top and jeans and wrapped herself in the dressing gown she kept in India’s room. A tear ran down her cheek as she silently cursed her daughter for putting the dampeners on the first thing she’d done for herself in ages. She wiped it away as Parker came into the room.
“I cancelled the table,” he said. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of whether to come in.
Frustrated tears fell down Poppy’s cheeks. “I knew this was a bad idea. I’m sorry you had to drive all this way for nothing.”
Parker frowned at her. “What do you mean? I cancelled the table because I thought it might be easier for us to get take away and stay here. I have no intention of driving anywhere farther than the nearest Chinese or Indian, at least until the morning.” He moved towards her and gathered her in his arms, kissing the top of her head. “I can’t believe you think something like this would put me off. I’m aware that you come as a package, Poppy.”
Just over an hour later, the three of them were sitting in the dining room, helping themselves to the curry Parker had bought. Poppy couldn’t believe how understanding he had been and kept apologising for the inconvenience.
“Stop!” said Parker. “If I hear you say sorry one more time, I will go home. I wanted to spend time with you, and it didn’t matter whether it was in a restaurant, at your house or, I don’t know, in a supermarket. Although it is considerably easier on my wallet doing this.” He winked.
“Now I’m a cheap date?” asked Poppy. She kept her tone light but inside was bubbling with excitement. It had been a long time since Nate had said anything like that to her, and it made her happy to hear the words. In the recent past, she had been either ‘Nate’s wife’ or ‘India’s mum’. It was good to know that someone wanted to be with her for who she was and not any of the other roles she played.
“You know I didn’t mean that.”
Eva drained the remains of her wine. “I’m beginning to feel a little green and prickly here. I’m going to head upstairs and try to get hold of Richey.” She refilled the glass and gave Poppy a loaded look as she left.
Poppy watched her go. “I feel bad about that. She was meant to have the house to herself this evening.”
Parker reached over and stroked her hand. “I’m sure Eva will be fine. Stop fretting about everyone else and concentrate on us.”
They finished eating and moved into the living room. Poppy put the TV on, turning the volume down low so they could talk but loud enough that it wouldn’t be awkward if there were any long pauses. She sat down at the other end of the sofa to Parker, her back against the arm and her legs in front of her. Her toes didn’t quite touch Parker’s leg. They started chatting, Parker telling her about how he got into the music business, despite his parents’ protestations that he should become a banker or a lawyer like his brother had. Poppy regaled him with stories of her travels in Australia and how she’d ended up in North Ridge. She decided not to tell him much of her past with Nate, it was hardly appropriate.
“I would have thought evenings like this would be boring for you,” said Poppy. Her feet were now in Parker’s lap, and he was gently giving her a foot rub—it was bliss. “I guess you’re used to being out every night.”
Parker nodded. “You’re not wrong. I was always being dragged out to some dinner or event when I wasn’t out looking at bands. I mean, it’s fun for a while, but sometimes this is just so much better.” He looked over at her, giving her a soft smile. He tugged on her ankle. “Why don’t you come over here?”
She scooted across the sofa cushions and knelt next to him so her face was level with his. Parker reached out and took her head in his hands, pulling her towards him. His lips met hers, gently at first and then more forcefully. “It is better, isn’t it?”
Poppy sat back for a minute. She wondered whether she was ready to take things further in the house. It would undoubtedly feel very odd being with someone other than Nate. But she was desperate to see whether or not what had happened after the awards ceremony was just a one-off.
“Why don’t we go upstairs?”
Parker tilted his head and looked quizzically at her. “Are you sure?”
“I think so.” Poppy nodded. She stood up and took his hand. She led him up the stairs towards her bedroom, trying to banish the thoughts of the past.
Once inside and the door firmly closed, Parker took control again. He unbuttoned Poppy’s shirt and traced his fingers around the curves of her breasts, lightly dipping inside the lace of her La Perla bra. She bit her lip as he rolled her nipple around between his fingertips, involuntarily squeezing her fists in pleasure. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he trailed a line down her sternum and stomach before unzipping her jeans. She wriggled out of them and stood there in just her bra, knickers, and shirt, her auburn hair tumbling around her shoulders.
“You’re beautiful,” said Parker. He shed his own clothes quickly, leaving on his boxers.
Poppy appraised his body—so different to Nate—gym-fit and toned, with ridiculously defined abs that could only have been attained through serious work. As he moved towards her, her skin raised in goosebumps. He hooked his thumbs inside her panties and slid them down her legs. Automatically, she lifted her feet to take the garment off. She gasped as he slid a finger across her clit, feeling how wet she was already.
“Hmm, I’d say you’re definitely sure about this,” murmured Parker. He took her shoulders and eased her onto the bed so she was sitting on the edge. He pushed her back and spread her legs, taking his position kneeling between them.
Poppy tried to lift her head to see what he was doing, but then she felt feather light kisses at the crease of her thigh and sank back. The anticipation of what he would do next made her hold her breath. She clutched at the bedspread as his tongue circled her most sensitive part, her hips bucking underneath him. Just as she was about to come, he stopped.