Unintentional

by Harkins, MK

  I didn’t expect that, especially from Jeremy. I look back and forth, taking in the two of them. They sit together as a unit, hands clasped. I hate when Scott is right. They do belong together.

  “I should have come to see you, both of you, before this. I think it would have helped things along.” I give a comforting smile to Mattie. “Scott told me I needed to see you together, and damn it to hell, he was right.” As I say the words, my face probably looks like I just ate a lemon.

  Mattie and Jeremy both laugh as he puts his arm around her. I’m shocked, but the affectionate gesture doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. Is this all I needed to do? I still love her, yes, but seeing her so happy is like a soothing balm to my aching soul. All the bitterness and sadness are lifting out of me. This is where she should be, right where she is. The realization is so sudden, so profound, I’m momentarily quiet.

  Jeremy nods. I can tell he knows exactly how I feel. He reaches over and picks up the box of scones, offering me one. Our eyes connect for the briefest of moments. This is his peace offering. I’m taking it.

  “So, are these scones world famous or something?” I ask, taking a napkin and placing the scone on my leg.

  Mattie rolls her eyes. “Don’t get him started! He’s convinced the bakery on Queen Anne Hill makes the best scones, so he takes an hour every Sunday to traipse across town to get them.”

  “They’re worth it.” Jeremy winks at Mattie.

  I know what he’s really saying—she’s worth it. I get it. It took me long enough. Mattie and I were at the beginning of love. Jeremy and Mattie are smack in the middle of a full-fledged romantic soul mate love. I was so stuck in my feelings of loss, believing she’d made a mistake, thinking she should have been with me. But sitting here, actually witnessing pure happiness, it all makes sense to me now. Mattie and I shouldn’t have been together. She would have always yearned for her Jeremy.

  An overwhelming feeling of peace overcomes me. Finally. Acceptance. I smile and lean back in the chair. I can start living my life again, knowing I can be friends with Mattie without any feelings of pain and loss.

  Chapter 8

  Laurel

  One year later

  January

  “I told you, I don’t want to go. Please don’t make me repeat myself.”

  Sophie looks at the ceiling for the hundredth time. She’s exasperated, but I’m not budging.

  “Laurel, you’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met! You know this would be great for your career. Hard Reign has really started to heat up and gain a larger audience. They’ve been invited to perform at Bumpershoot this year. You know, the huge event at the Seattle Center? If we don’t sign them, and soon, someone else will swoop in. I don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity. When did you start letting your personal feelings get in the way of business?”

  She’s got me there. Am I being too stubborn? Has my Irish heritage made another appearance?

  I cross my arms and say, “I don’t want to.” Now I’m repeating myself, and I sound like a child. Sophie and I look at each other and burst out laughing. I catch my breath for a moment, and, suddenly, I’m serious again.

  “Sophie, it’s just that—”

  “I know sweetie.” She wraps her arms around me and hugs me tight. “You’ve closed yourself off to everyone, well, except for me. It’s not that you’re not gorgeous, but you just aren’t my type,” Sophie jokes. “Let’s go sit down and talk about this. We’ve been dancing around this subject for too long.” Sophie takes hold of my hand and leads me to the sofa.

  We’re at my condo for what was supposed to be a strategy meeting. I think Sophie’s strategy is to get me talking about my non-existent love life. I’ve gone on a few dates in the past year, but I haven’t been able to find anyone remotely interesting. I still don’t know if I want to talk about this, but maybe, if I get a little off my chest, I’ll feel better.

  The whole break up with Douglas was not only uncomfortable, but weird. He basically stomped out of the restaurant, never to be heard from again. I don’t know what the whole “I’ll win you back” statement was about. I guess he decided it wasn’t worth it, thank goodness. But the entire experience has put me off dating.

  I tell Sophie, “After I broke it off with Douglas, I can’t seem to get into the whole dating thing again. It’s exhausting.” I am exhausted, but it’s not entirely because of the often awkward dating experiences I’ve had. I’m thinking too much about a certain talented, devastatingly handsome musician. I swear, Cade is the devil, or maybe a warlock or something. I can’t quit thinking about him and that stupid kiss.

  “I don’t think it was because of Douglas. You know, the reason you’ve become withdrawn.” Sometimes I feel as though Sophie can peer right into my soul. Her gaze stays focused on me.

  “Don’t start with the whole Cade chemistry thing again, Sophie. Seriously, I don’t want to hear it.”

  “I’ve never seen sparks fly like that before. I mean, ever. You have to admit it, Laurel, you felt something for him.” Sophie’s eyebrows rise up. Every time we talk about this, she becomes increasingly nosey, wanting me to spill my guts.

  “Yes, okay? I’ll admit I felt something. Are you happy now? That’s exactly why I don’t want to sign him. We’d need to work closely together. I really don’t want to torture myself every day. He’ll never get over that girl, what was her name? Mattie, that’s right. You saw him. He was still suffering months after they broke up.”

  “Don’t you see it as a good thing? I’ve told you all along you need someone passionate. He’ll get over Mattie. He probably is already, and you don’t know it because you won’t speak to him!” Sophie throws her hands up in frustration.

  Sophie doesn’t realize it’s more than that. I’ve done a pretty terrific job protecting myself. I know what I want. Sophie is wrong. I need someone safe and predictable. Maybe not as stuffy as Douglas, but grounded. I don’t want to get mixed up with a party boy, or a guy who’s hung up on his old girlfriend. From what I’ve seen of Cade so far, he could fit into either one of those categories – maybe even both.

  “Sophie, I won’t do it.”

  “You mean you can’t do it because you’re scared.”

  I know what she’s trying to do, and I’m not falling for it. “No, I’m just being smart.” There, that should shut her up.

  Sophie shakes her head. “Nope. Scared.”

  “Ugh! Sophie, that’s not the reason. Why won’t you let this drop?” This isn’t like Sophie. We usually agree on most everything.

  “Because each and every member in Hard Reign is very talented, Laurel. They sing cover songs better than the original bands, but more importantly, Cade writes his own music. You’ve only heard a couple of the songs he’s composed. Scott tells me he has hundreds of songs already written. Hundreds! If you let this opportunity pass you by, you’ll never forgive yourself. Is Cade that tempting for you? You really can’t trust yourself around him?”

  When she puts it like that, it does seem ridiculous I’d let one kiss ruin a potentially huge contract with a talented band. I know Hard Reign will be successful, hugely so. Maybe I can let him know, right up front, he can’t do that again – The Experiment. When I think of those two words, I remember that kiss, and my entire body goes into overdrive. The butterflies in my stomach turn into a swarm, like a bunch of five-year-olds jacked up on sugar. My heart is thumping, and then there’s the sweating. It’s not limited to palms, it’s everywhere.

  I haven’t seen Cade in a year, but I’m still experiencing a profound physical reaction. What will happen when I actually see him again? Faint or something?

  I sneak a peek at Sophie, she’s watching my reaction carefully.

  “He’s just too much, Sophie, too much of everything.”

  Sophie’s eyes take on a mischievous glow. “That’s why you need to sign him. Once you’re around him, the novelty will wear off, and you can get him out of your system, once and for all.�
��

  She’s right. I’m stronger than this. Why am I letting some guy with killer dimples get to me? I’m not some teenager unable to control herself. I can train myself to become immune to Cade, and all the temptations that come with being around him. I won’t have physical distance, but I can conquer the emotional distance. My parents were experts at it, so I’ll just emulate them.

  Cade

  “They’re obviously not interested. Let’s move on and pick that redhead.” Scott looks at the intriguing Kelly Ricci from across the bar.

  “Do you even remember her name, Scott?”

  He laughs and shakes his head.

  Kelly Ricci is a music agent from Los Angeles. She’s been hanging around the venue we’ve been playing at this weekend, doing everything in her power to get us to sign with her, but so far, I’ve resisted. Scott seems to be taken with her, but I’m more interested in what she can offer the band.

  Kelly approaches us again. “Hi, guys! Did you get a chance to look over my proposal?”

  Scott looks at me with eyebrows raised. “Well, Cade?”

  “Sorry, Kelly, I haven’t had a chance yet.” I try to look apologetic.

  I can tell my answer doesn’t make her happy, but she tries to cover it with a disingenuous smile. I don’t know why I’m holding back. I lied; I really did look through her portfolio, and it is impressive. She’s only been in the business for a short time, but she has a lot of contacts through her father, Ron Ricci.

  Ron was a popular musician in the 90’s, with a couple hit records under his belt. When his fame dwindled, he decided to focus his creative genius toward developing singer/songwriters and bands. So far, he has a great track record with the artists he represents.

  Kelly started working with her dad almost two years ago. I could tell she was relatively new to the business, with her eager and almost aggressive approach. She’s good, but she lacks the finesse of a seasoned professional. I’m sure she’s probably trying to prove herself to her dad. I don’t think I would like that kind of pressure. It would be a hard position for anyone to be in. Maybe we can help her out. Now that I’m aware of her backstory, she doesn’t seem as annoying. If we sign with her, I would want to make sure her father would be a part of our development team. With his experience, it would add a lot to the deal. He undoubtedly has a lot of important contacts.

  Almost as if she’s reading my mind, she says, “I just spoke with my dad on the phone, and he’s very excited to start working with you.”

  She’s playing hardball now. She’s pulled out the Daddy card. “Would your dad be involved with the development?”

  “Of course! We work together on everything. He’ll do great things for your career, trust me. He works magic. It’s all there in the file.” She points over to the two-pound file and notebooks she’s lugged in with her.

  I nod and look over at Scott. “How about we meet back here tomorrow with the band? I did promise another agent first-look at her contract offer, but I haven’t been able to get a hold of her.”

  Kelly’s eyebrows draw together. “That sounds really unprofessional. We always return our calls within one business day. Always.”

  Her statement and snide tone rubs me the wrong way. “Well, we don’t know yet if she’s unprofessional or not. She could have a family emergency or something. We won’t know until we hear from her.”

  “Can I ask her name?” She looks at me expectantly.

  “Laurel Lawson.”

  If I weren’t looking directly in her eyes, I would have missed the look of anger flashing like lightening across a deep black sky. She knows Laurel, this I can be sure.

  “Do you know her?” I ask innocently. I want to hear her answer.

  “Yes, I do. I can tell you she was doing just fine at the Los Angeles Music Awards last weekend. She looked healthy and happy with her date.”

  I think the look of surprise on my face gives her more confidence.

  “She’s very picky about the bands she signs. If she isn’t returning your calls, she must not be interested. I think it’s very rude she didn’t give you the courtesy of a response. I can promise you, we don’t work that way. We’ll put your needs and requirements first.”

  Scott jumps in. “That sounds good to me!” He turns to me. “I’ll call Ayden and Mica. We can meet you back here tomorrow at four. Does that sound good?”

  Scott looks at me hopefully. I can tell she’s said all the right things. There is something about her that doesn’t sit right with me, I can’t put my finger on it. I have until tomorrow to think about it, so I nod my approval.

  Chapter 9

  Kelly Ricci

  That underhanded bitch, Laurel Lawson. It takes everything in me not to groan when I hear her name. She’s been a thorn in my side for the past two years. I will not let her do this to me again. She has signed three of the bands my dad asked me to scout. The look of disappointment on his face when I told him Laurel Lawson had swooped in and signed the band we had made a bid for—again—was heart-breaking. This time will be different. I don’t care what it’ll take. I won’t let my dad down again.

  I need to sign Hard Reign, and quick. I can’t believe a pro like Laurel would drop the ball. This is the best band I’ve seen since I started my career. What could she be thinking? Has she heard them play? Has she not seen them? Good God, they’re all gorgeous, every single one of them. Girls are going to go absolutely nuts for these guys. It’s a slam dunk, and I’m going to be the one to sign them. I can’t wait until my dad finds out I’ve landed them, right out from under Laurel Lawson’s nose.

  I leave the venue, and my irresponsibly late assistant joins me in the parking lot.

  “You’re late again, Rodney.”

  He shrugs and doesn’t answer. I can smell alcohol, even though we’re outdoors. He reeks. He’s my cousin on my father’s side, so I’m stuck with him.

  “I need you at these meetings—sober.”

  He laughs. “I’m as sober as I’m ever going to get, cuz.”

  Part of me feels sorry for him. His dad, my uncle, is a total loser. He ended up in prison for embezzlement and attempted murder. Apparently, his job as an accountant for a large financial firm wasn’t paying him enough, so he padded his income by a couple million. That was a problem in itself. But the bigger issue was when confronted with the evidence, he then tried to kill one of the managing partners. So stupid. He won’t be out of prison until he’s ninety-something. In the meantime, my father has decided to take poor Rodney under his wing. No, make that my wing. I’m stuck with him for the foreseeable future. Usually, I try to make the best of it, but tonight was important.

  “When are you going to grow up, Rodney? You’re almost thirty. It’s about time you quit drinking and screwing up your life.

  You’re not your dad, you know.”

  His shallow, glassy eyes stare at me, empty. “You have no idea who I am, little girl.”

  A shiver runs through me. He doesn’t usually scare me, but tonight, he’s radiating something creepy.

  “What’s with you tonight? Why are you acting so weird?”

  He shakes his head, clearing the strange look from his face, then starts smiling again, “Okay, kiddo, what’s the game plan?”

  “Tomorrow, four o’clock. Do you think you can manage that?” I ask.

  “Sure thing. Let’s make Ronny proud.” He waves goodbye as he enters the bar.

  Great, he’s not listening to me as usual. I wonder what version of Rodney I’m going to get tomorrow. I don’t care if he joins me, anyway, I can do this on my own. Laurel Lawson made a huge mistake, and I’m going to take advantage of it.

  Cade

  I’ve been staring at my beer for an hour now. Am I ready to sign with Kelly Ricci tomorrow? Why do I keep thinking about Laurel? Kelly is right, if she was interested in our band, she would have returned my calls by now.

  I’ve researched them both until my eyes were burning. The only negative thing I could find was with Kelly’s ass
istant, Rodney. It’s amazing what you can find on Google. Rodney’s father is a big time felon serving a sixty year sentence. It doesn’t necessarily mean Rodney will follow in his footsteps, but I’d need to keep a close eye on him all the same.

  I flip open my iPad and look up Laurel’s profile again. Reportedly, she’s an up-and-coming player in the music business. It’s a tough, competitive industry, but she’s more than proven herself in the past three years. The bands she’s signed have all received recording contracts and are doing really well. Maybe she doesn’t believe we’re good enough. She didn’t strike me as the type to just blow us off though, without as much as a courtesy call.

  I take a moment to remember the last time we were together at the restaurant almost a year ago. Everything else during that period of time is mostly fuzzy, but not that day, the lunch, or that all-consuming kiss. Why do I keep gravitating back to that memory? Probably because the three women I’ve kissed since have paled in comparison. I’ve definitely been in a dry spell.

  I can’t seem to get back into dating mode. Boring, frivolous conversations filled with useless batting of the eyelashes and flirting. I’m impervious. Except for an encounter a year ago, with a women with fire in her eyes. A woman I can’t get out of my mind.

  I want to see Laurel again. I need to know if my reaction to her was because I was in the midst of a meltdown, or if it was Laurel herself who turned my senses inside out. What was it? The colorful streak in her hair, her feistiness, her stubbornness, or the way her lips tilted up when she was trying not to smile?

  Scott interrupts my thoughts. “Cade, we should go with Kelly. She seems to really like us.”

  “Scott, you’ve been bugging me for years to get an agent, to see if we could land a recording contract. Do you really just want to go with someone who only looks good? I need to read the latest stack she’s brought us.”

  Scott seems to deflate for a moment, thinks twice, and then replies, “What? You want to use her good looks against her? I bet she’s good.” He raises his brow a few times.