“I like where I work and the work I do. Nico and I have been working on software the past year to improve medical treatment. If patients have better care, I feel I’m helping to improve and even save lives. All from my computer. Also our company gives us a lot of leeway with flexibility, which is what we need for the band.”
“It’s almost like you have two careers. How do you manage it?” For someone who was about to juggle working at a gym while opening a studio, I could use the time management tips.
“We cut down our hours at the company to have more time to work on VC. The band takes a lot of time between writing music, practicing, recording, playing shows, promoting.” He counted each one on his finger as he named them. “We work more like consultants now, overseeing projects and supervising junior software engineers.”
“VC keeps growing in popularity. Do you see a time you might have to quit your day job?”
“You sound like an interviewer.” He laughed. “They ask us that question all the time. And the answer we give them is we can do our jobs from just about anywhere. Just need a laptop and occasional WiFi to check in. So even if we’re on a tour bus one day, we could geek out instead of drinking and passing out like the cliché of the rock star on the road. We have a tour on the west coast coming up. Our biggest tour yet.”
“That’s fantastic!” I grabbed his arm in my enthusiasm. “You guys deserve it.” When the idea sank in, I realized he’d be on the other side of the country for an extended period. For some reason, that bothered me.
“It would be a game changer for us. But like the saying goes, I’m not going to quit my day job yet.”
While hazelnut coffee brewed, Mike cooked us scrambled eggs and I cut up a honeydew melon.
“I need to leave after breakfast,” I said.
“What’s the rush?” He gave me a naughty smile over his shoulder. “I thought we could have breakfast in bed.”
“I thought we just did.” I smiled back. “I want to go by my place and shower first.”
“I have water that flows through my pipes.” He extended his arms to the walls in a dramatic gesture. “Behold, a shower!”
“You’re such a goofball.” I bumped his hip with my own. “But I have to go.” When I saw a dark shadow pass over his face, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He forced a smile. “Want me to drive you to the studio? I’d like to check it out.”
“I need to go alone. Get my head straight and see what mess I’ve gotten myself into.”
“Fine. But promise me a private tour later.”
I paused my cutting. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
“Why not?” He scooped some eggs onto two blue china plates.
I took the time while I added the melon to the plates to formulate a response. “Because we said one night, Mike. No empty promises.”
“It’s not an empty promise. I want to see what your new venture is. After all, I toasted to it last night.”
“It doesn’t sound like a good idea for either of us.”
“How so?” He opened a drawer and pulled out silverware.
“It hints at something, I’m not exactly sure what. But I have no brain capacity for anything else right now.”
“I get it.” He carried the plates into the dining room. “No more bandwidth.”
“Excuse me?”
“Geek talk. Never mind.”
Chapter Six
Mike
This is weird.
After Allana left, I should have felt content to have my space to myself again. It was New Year’s Day and I had a rare day off. No work and nothing with the band. The perfect day to chill out, maybe play some video games without thinking about what else I should be doing.
But no, I thought about her. How was she doing in her new studio? Why was she reluctant to let me visit it?
Because you’re a jackass. After blowing her off and forgetting her name, she knows better than to expect anything more from someone like you.
When I entered my room and saw the bed messed up from our activities last night and this morning, I thought about all we had done there. I thought about washing the sheets, but then wondered if I could discern her scent still lingering when I went to bed tonight. For some reason, I wanted to hold on to that memory for one more night.
You need to man up. You’re acting insane. How many girls have you banged without getting all soft like this? You know you’re only doing it because she was the one who put the limits on this thing, not you.
Was that what it was? If she had insisted I call her, would I feel the same way right now?
One part of me thought I might actually like the idea.
No, this is all Nico’s fault. All his parading around in a relationship with Lily. It’s rubbing off on me. I’m going to kill him.
Allana
After I signed final paperwork, the landlord gave me the keys and left. For the first few minutes, I walked around in awe with a huge smile on my face, touching one wall after another, trying to convince myself it was real. It finally happened.
This was my new place, my future. After the elation rose and fell, reality set in. My grin evaporated as I appraised it with a critical eye. The studio needed a ton of work. It needed mirrors on one of the walls and the floors replaced, which I’d arranged for ahead of time. The contractors would get started tomorrow.
I spent the next few hours focusing on one task after another. Opening a new business required so many decisions. Every little detail had to be decided on. So much more than I ever would have expected. By late afternoon, I’d worked myself up into a panic and called Lily.
“Happy New Year,” she rang. “And congrats on your new place.”
“That’s why I’m calling. I’m here now. And I’m starting to freak out.”
“Why?”
“There’s so much to do. Not only with getting the place set up in time, but all the marketing and advertising, the web site, accounting, business decisions, getting people in. I don’t know if I’m cut out for this. I think I’m over my head.”
“I’ll be there in half an hour,” she said.
“You don’t have to do that,” I said. “You probably have a ton to clean up after the party. I’m sorry I’m not there to help.”
“Nico and I cleaned up this morning. And you did enough beforehand. Thank you so much for all your help. Now it’s my turn to come help you and don’t try to talk me out of it.”
When Lily arrived, she found me sitting on the floor, my head in my hands, elbows on my knees.
“There’s no way I can do this. I’m only twenty-four and I know nothing about running a business.”
“So you’ll learn,” she said. She handed me a tall French Vanilla coffee.
“You must have been sent from the gods,” I said. “You know what I need to power through.”
She sat next to me, put her coffee beside her and opened her laptop.
“We’re going to come up with a list of what you need to do and when. I like lists to stay organized. With your tasks in a timeline, you can visualize what you need to do to get where you want.”
I took a sip of coffee, letting the hot liquid warm my throat. Amazing how such a small thing could bring such comfort. “Is this what you did when you began consulting?”
“Sort of.” She tapped away on her laptop. “I started a home office out of my condo, though, so I didn’t have to deal with contractors and setting utilities, stuff like that. But the business part’s essentially the same.”
I sat upright and inched closer to see her laptop screen. “How so?”
“You need a sound plan to know what you’re going to work toward. What you need to consider is who you’re trying to reach, what problem you’ll solve for them, and how you’ll resolve it.” She pulled up my business plan on the screen, one we started months ago.
“Easy. We discussed this already. People who want to find or improve their mind-body balance.”
“And ho
w are you going to solve this need for them?”
I scrunched my face. “You know this already. We’ve gone over this before.”
“Yes, but you need to remember your goals back when this was just an idea. Now that it’s becoming a reality, it’s easy to lose the bigger picture and freak out.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath. “I will offer a variety of classes for different levels and offered at different hours to accommodate my clients. I’ll also be available for private sessions for those who prefer one-on-one practice rather than part of a group.”
“Yes, that’s a good start. But why should they choose you? Convenience is one thing, but there are other studios around.”
“Because I care about this, I’m passionate about it. Otherwise I wouldn’t have dumped all my time and energy into opening my own place.”
“Nope. That’s about you. What about them. What are you going to do for them?”
“I will offer them a mind-body experience that not only fits their lifestyle, but grows with them. Rather than becoming bored by stale routines, they will constantly grow and develop through new challenges.”
“Okay, we’re getting there.” She opened a browser and frowned. “I forgot we don’t have Internet here yet.” She opened a new document and typed “Task List” at the top of the page and “January 2nd” underneath it. Then she created a bulleted list with the first item: “Call to set up Internet and phone.”
“You can cross that one off,” I said, feeling triumphant. “I called them last week and they’re coming tomorrow afternoon. They gave me a four-hour window.”
“There you go. You already crossed one thing off your list.”
We worked on my task lists over coffee and then ordered soups and salads from the health food restaurant four units down. It was one of the reasons I picked this location. People who were interested in health and fitness would go there for a bite to eat and maybe they’d be curious about finding out more about the new studio.
While we took a break to eat, Lily steered the conversation to her party. “Did you have fun last night?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it?” She raised an eyebrow.
“I had a great time. Is that better?” I forked my salad with vigor. I knew what was coming, but didn’t want to discuss it yet since I already had mixed emotions about last night.
“You’re not going to tell me what happened with Mike?”
Erotic pictures of our night flashed in my mind and I shifted my cross-legged position on the floor. “What’s to tell? We hooked up.”
“You brought him home?”
“No, we went to his place.” I fought to keep my tone even. “I left this morning.”
“You sound rather nonchalant about the whole thing.”
The morning returned to me. Not only did the sensation of waking up in his arms feel so right, so did just being around him. Listening to music in his living room was like spending time with a friend, only one who was deadly attractive.
“Well, I need to be. It’s no big deal. We already hooked up last summer so it’s not like it counts as something new.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh really? The way you two were all over each other made it seem like a much bigger deal than you’re letting on.”
My cheeks burned. “Whatever do you mean, Ligeia darling?”
She flashed me a look when I used her real name.
“Come on. Nico and I noticed you in the hall, all over each other.”
“Oh, that.” I waved my hand. “Just a flirty little kiss.”
Lily smirked. “Little? We thought we might have to usher you two into a room.”
“Um. Uh.” My body heated to combustion levels. “Sorry if we made a scene.”
“No, no. That’s not what I mean. I doubt anyone else noticed but Nico and me. We were wondering what would happen so we kept our eyes on the two of you.”
“Oh?”
“Mike seemed to devour you with his eyes.”
“He did?” My eyes widened. “What was I doing?”
She laughed. “Enjoying every moment of it.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. It was one night and that was it. It’s not like we’re going to see each other again.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not a dummy.”
“Ally…”
“I’m serious. He’s not the kind of guy to get hung up on. Both you and Nico warned me about that. If I didn’t learn that the first time, then I’m asking to get screwed over the second time. I went home with him last night, but that’s it.”
“Does he know this?”
“Yes, I told him.” I gathered my trash from lunch and searched around for a place to toss it. No trash can or recycling bin. Two more things to add to my shopping list. Stuffing everything into the paper bag, I added, “I have enough going on in my life that I can’t deal with any guy drama right now. From what I already know about Mike, one solitary night with a woman is exactly what he’s looking for as well.”
After we cleaned up, Lily returned to professional organizer mode, dropping the inquisition about Mike.
“Once you get the floors and mirrors set up, I’ll come in and take a few photos of you and the studio for the website and your social media accounts.”
Lily was divine with a camera. She had black and white photos in a gallery in Rockport and shot some for publicity for the Velvet Cocks and Vamps. “Thank you so much. Just keep track of what I owe you.”
“Absolutely not. We made a deal. Classes for marketing help.”
“But you’re giving me so much more than I’m offering you right now.”
“I don’t have much work right now or as much income coming in regularly. It means I have more time to help you out and work out with you, but I don’t have the funds to pay for all these classes. If you like my work, you can refer me to your clients. We end up helping each other out.”
“I like that idea. And of course I’ll like your work. I’ve seen what you can do. Mike had one of your VC photos framed at his place. It looks awesome.”
She smirked, I imagine because I brought up Mike again, but she didn’t call me out on it. “Much of my work is initially setting up the website and social media sites, but once everything is up and running, the maintenance doesn’t take as much time. It will be easier to set up ads and promotions once we have the basics.”
Lily worked with me for a couple more hours. By the time she left, I felt buoyant. Rather than sinking to the floor under the workload, I was optimistic with my plan on how to get the major things done.
When I went home, I collapsed on my couch in exhaustion and searched for something mindless to watch. I didn’t have the brainpower or—what was that word Mike used—the bandwidth to focus on anything requiring thought.
Don’t think about him, Ally. The more you do, the more difficult it will be to forget him.
I settled on a rerun of The Big Bang Theory. For some reason, it made me think of Mike. Even though they weren’t rock stars, Mike was a proud nerd at heart. I pictured all his collections—Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and who knows what else—and I couldn’t help but smile.
Mike
Three days went by and I was ashamed to admit the number of times I picked up the phone to call Allana. But I had to forget her and respect her wish to be alone. She wanted a New Year’s Eve fling and nothing more.
I still thought about her often, wondering how she was doing, especially at night. First there was the night we met several months ago. Nico introduced us and I noticed how smoking hot she was. We kissed before we even left Vamps and ended up at her place. The sex was fantastic, no awkwardness like I’d experienced with other women, but so what? That didn’t mean I should call her.
Seeing her at Vamps with the other woman was some freaky-ass shit. From that point on, I sensed something between us, even if she hated me that night and it was only in my own mind.
Lily stopped by
our practice space a few days after New Year’s to pick up her yoga mat, which she left in Nico’s car. We were finishing anyway when she arrived so Nico called it quits.
“Hold on, Lily,” I said, following her out into the hallway.
“What’s up?”
Crap, I hadn’t planned this out and was winging it. “I just wanted to thank you for the party. It was a much better night than watching old TV reruns.”
“You’re welcome. But Ally is the one to thank. She did most of the planning. It would have been a disaster without her.”
Yes—she segued right into the topic I wanted to discuss.
“How’s she doing, by the way?” I kept my tone casual, as if this was the most natural follow-up question. Small talk was never my thing, but I thought this was a perfectly acceptable response.
“She’s doing okay. A little overwhelmed with the new studio, but she’ll be fine.”
The idea of her in distress hit me with a pang. “Perhaps I should call her. See how she’s doing.”
Lily didn’t say anything at first. “Maybe.” Her tone was cautious.
My radar went up. What had Allana said about me that made Lily react with caution?
Man, this sucked.
“So what’s her deal anyway? She doesn’t have a boyfriend?”
“Hard to believe, but no.”
This information thrilled me. Even though she’d slept with me, that didn’t mean she wasn’t taken. A few of the women I’d slept with I’d suspected may have been cheating on their guys.
“Actually, I was thinking about trying one of her yoga classes.”
Lily stared me as if I was a cobra coiling up to attack.
“Yoga?”
“Yeah. Part of my New Year’s resolution to be more fit and—” Since I made this shit up as I went along, I didn’t even know where I was going with this conversation. “Zen.”
Lily appraised me with skepticism. She could see through the bullshit, but luckily she didn’t blast me.
“Um, well she is the best. But her studio isn’t going to be open for a few more weeks.”
“Is she still teaching at your gym?”
“Yesss,” she dragged the word out with wariness.
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