by Talia Hunter
Maybe Geena’s adult toy store wasn’t doing so well. Hadn’t she said it was having teething problems? Her friend might be trying to do a little sorrow-drowning of her own.
“You haven’t been able to get any singing jobs?” asked Geena, running one hand through her bright pink hair.
Geena was wearing a fitted green vintage dress from the fifties, and some of the bar’s other patrons had given the two women a second glance when they’d walked in together. But colorful people were everywhere in Sydney, so the glance was fleeting. Now the two of them were perched on stools at one of the bar’s high tables, and the juke box was playing Love Hurts.
Meghan was in serious danger of singing along. Loudly.
“Problem is, nobody knows me in Sydney.” She tried not to let her frustration bubble into her voice. “There are only a limited number of bars that offer live music, and they’re already booked solid with performers.”
“What about this place?” Geena jerked her head toward the jukebox. “They’ve only got canned music. A singer would be nice.”
“I asked the manager already. He wasn’t interested.” Meghan drained her glass of wine. The more she drank, the less she noticed the nasty tang. What the hell, she could probably stretch her funds to cover another glass. Call it an emergency expense.
“Actually, I’ve spoken to the manager of every decent bar in Sydney,” she added.
“So you’ll go to the indecent ones next?”
Meghan attempted a smile. It felt more like a grimace.
Geena touched her hand. “That bad, huh?”
Before Meghan could answer, her phone rang. She checked the screen. Jackson. The sight of his name made her heart lurch, but like she’d done every other time he’d called over the last couple of days, she sent it to voice mail. If she answered it, she’d want to see him. And if she saw him, she’d be tempted to run back to that romantic island with him, instead of following her plan.
Geena raised her eyebrows. “Could have been a bar owner calling to offer you a job.”
“It was Jackson.”
Her friend leaned forward, pursing her ruby-red lips. “I was just about to ask what was going on with him.”
“Tell you the truth, what went on with him is one of the reasons I’m feeling blue.”
“Oh, of course. Because men’s superpower is making women unhappy.”
“He’s even better looking than he used to be in high school. And he’s mostly the same, only he doesn’t play guitar anymore and now he has an insane lifestyle. So much luxury, it’s coming out his ears.”
“I can tell by that look in your eyes how much you like him. And he’s good-looking, smart, and super wealthy. Where’s the catch?”
“The super wealthy part is the catch.”
Geena picked up her wine glass. “I don’t follow.”
“It’s complicated. But one thing that keeps tripping me up is that he’s got all that, while I’m working out if I can afford another glass of truly awful wine.”
“It’s horrible, isn’t it?” Geena drained hers and put down the empty glass with her nose wrinkled. “Second glass will probably taste better. I’ll get us another one. My shout.” She waved off Meghan’s protest and went to the bar. When she came back with full glasses, she said, “You kept comparing yourself to Jackson?”
“Not that I was comparing myself, so much. But our problems did seem to be tied into the fact he’s got a lot of money.”
“That’s something he can’t really change.”
Meghan sighed, rubbing condensation off the side of her glass. “No.”
“So maybe you’ll have to get over it.”
Her head jerked up. “What?”
“I mean it.” Geena still sounded sympathetic, but there was steel behind her words. “Either you want to be with him or you don’t. And if you do, then why worry about how much money he has?”
“It’s not that simple. Jackson doesn’t trust me. He thought I might have tried to sell secrets to his competitor.”
“It’s been a lot of years since high school, and you only ran into him again, what, a week and a half ago?” Geena shook her head. “Remember what his family was like? He was always suspicious of people, and who can blame him? You can’t expect him to trust you again right away.” She waved her wine glass to emphasize her point, and almost spilled her drink. “Trust takes time. If you’re not willing to give him that time, it’s on you.”
Meghan swallowed. She’d thought her friend would make comforting noises and agree with everything she said. “That’s not what I expected you to say.”
“I can lie if you want and tell you the perfect relationship is easy. But there’s always going to be compromise, no matter what.” Geena grimaced. “But hey, I’m single. What do I know? Only you can decide how much Jackson means to you and how much you’re prepared to compromise to be with him.”
Meghan took a sip of her wine, swilling it around her mouth to give herself time to think. What would it be like to let all her misgivings and doubts go? She hadn’t wanted to be distracted from carrying out her plan, but she spent all her time thinking about Jackson anyway. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since the day he’d run into her car.
It had gotten so bad she kept drifting off in the middle of cooking meals, showering, or brushing her teeth. Then she would come to with a jolt and realize she must have been staring off into space while her dinner burned.
“I think I might be in love with him,” she admitted. “I know it’s crazy, but that’s why I’ve got myself twisted into knots. I don’t want to be in love with anyone. Coming to Sydney was supposed to be a new start, a chance to focus on my career. In Melbourne, I let my ex and my agent drag me down, so the last thing I need is to jump into a new relationship.”
“You’ve got to do what’s right for you,” Geena agreed. “Especially if Jackson’s going to drag you down.”
“No, he doesn’t. Not Jackson.” Meghan shook her head. “I’m not explaining this very well, but that’s not what I meant. Jackson’s nothing like my ex. I feel good when I’m with him. At least, when he’s not accusing me of stealing his secrets.”
“Your ex and your agent stopped you from getting what you wanted in Melbourne. But in a way, aren’t you letting them do the same thing now? I mean, if they’re part of the reason you’re sitting here having a horrible glass of wine with me, instead of living it up with Jackson.”
“That’s not why I’m here with you. I’ve been looking forward to catching up.”
“So have I. But you’re not yourself. You look sad.” Geena dropped her chin to give her a stern look. “What would make you happy?”
“Getting a regular gig in a bar and finishing some new demo tracks.” Meghan sighed. “And being with Jackson,” she admitted. “But it needs to be in that order. Otherwise I feel like I’m letting myself down.”
“So once you’ve got your career going, you’ll give Jackson a chance? How successful do you have to be? Superstar status, or just working enough that you can cover your bills?”
“Cover my bills.” It slipped out quickly, before she had time to think about it. Meghan had to laugh at herself. Maybe Geena was right and she was making this harder than it needed to be. One foot on the mountain was all she needed. As nice as superstar status would be, she didn’t have to wait that long. Knowing she was on her way would make all the difference.
Geena lifted her glass. “Talent as big as yours, that won’t take long. Let’s drink to it, shall we? First a job, then you give your heart free reign.” She grinned. “And the parts lower than your heart. Let’s drink to letting them loose too.”
Meghan picked up her own glass and clinked it against Geena’s. “Cheers,” she said whole-heartedly. “And thanks. You’ve made me feel a whole lot better about everything.”
“What are friends for?”
“Speaking of friends, how’s Ally?” asked Meghan. “I’ve been dying to hear more about her dominatr
ix job.”
Geena winced. “You don’t want to know. The entire thing has turned into a shit-storm.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“I wish I could tell you. I’m sorry, it’s totally not fair for me to get tight-lipped when in your shoes I’d be dying to know. But I promised I wouldn’t say a word.”
“You can’t leave it hanging—”
“I know.” Geena held up both hands, shaking her head and making her pink hair bob around her shoulders. “I’m a terrible person. But the guy she was with? He’s Hollywood-level famous, and Ally’s gone and fallen for him when I specifically warned her not to. It’s an impossible situation.” She picked up her glass again to take a sip, realized it was empty, frowned and put it down. “See why I can’t tell you about it?”
“Poor Ally.” Meghan sighed. “I know how she feels, falling for someone who’s larger than life. Sounds like she’s in the same boat as I am.”
“Way worse.” Geena shook her head. “At least you have a plan.”
“I should call her—” Meghan’s phone rang, interrupting her. This time it was an unknown number.
Geena nodded to it. “It’s a bar owner offering you a job. You’d better answer it, so you can call Jackson back and tell him you’re on your way over.”
She shook her head doubtfully, but answered the call. “Meghan Paige speaking.”
“Hi.” It was a woman’s voice. “I need live music for an event I’m planning, and I got your number from your website. The band we’d booked cancelled at the last minute. Are you available on Wednesday night?”
Meghan pressed the phone harder against her ear and widened her eyes at Geena. Could her luck be changing at last? Grabbing her handbag, she pulled out her notebook. “I can do it. Wait a minute, let me grab a pen to take down the details.”
When she had it all written down and agreed, she hung up and grinned. “I got a job. Just one night, so I haven’t got my foot on the mountain yet. But still, it’s a whole lot better than nothing.”
“This calls for more drinks.” Geena slid out of her chair. “I’ll get them. Unless you’re planning to rush to Jackson’s now?”
Meghan shook her head. “Not after one job. I still have a long way to go.”
“Don’t wait too long,” warned Geena. “Life is short and full of surprises. Carpe diem, and all that.”
“Seize the fish,” said Meghan with a smile.
Geena shot her a puzzled frown for a moment, then laughed. “You seize the hell out of that fish, Meg. Same wine again? I’m sure the third glass will be better. I mean it’s got to be, right?”
“A glass of water for me, please. I need to draw up a set list and start practicing.”
Geena headed for the bar and Meghan sucked in a deep breath. “Carpe diem,” she repeated softly.
Maybe she could have everything she wanted. If there was even the smallest chance, she’d grab hold of it with both hands. And the first step would be rocking the event she’d just been booked for.
Twenty-One
The formal part of his product release over, Jackson moved through the crowd of people at his celebratory party. Champagne was flowing and the buzz in the large room was electric. Everyone wanted to shake Jackson’s hand and tell him how his technology was going to revolutionize the communications industry.
When his projector had been unveiled and the hologram was projected, the audience had gasped, then risen to their feet to applaud. In a theatrical gesture, he’d chosen a model dressed as Princess Leia for the demonstration. Next to her, he’d projected her image so there were two Princess Leias, impossible to tell apart and moving together in perfect synchronicity. A moment any geek would have been proud of.
Years of work had led to this day and it had been a resounding success. Jackson should be having the time of his life. So why wasn’t he?
“Is everything all right?” asked his date. Cindy was one of his black book women. She wore an elegant black dress, her hair was immaculately styled in a tidy bob, and her lipstick was a polite pink that matched her fingernails.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” He sounded as exasperated as he felt. Bringing her had been a mistake. He didn’t want her by his side, flicking her unremarkable hair and smiling her inoffensive smile.
It made no sense to resent Cindy for not being Meghan. But he found himself wrinkling his nose because her scent was too boringly floral. He wanted chewing gum and old leather. He wanted her to have a low, husky laugh that sounded like velvet, a sharp tongue, and an open disdain for his money.
Yeah, he was all kinds of messed up. But was it any wonder, when Meghan wouldn’t even take his calls?
“Listen.” He touched Cindy’s untattooed arm. “Seems I don’t need you here tonight after all. I’ll have my driver drop you home.”
Cindy pouted, but she was far too polite to ever think of telling him to go screw himself. And for some reason he couldn’t fathom, the thought made him feel like he’d lost something irreplaceable.
“Walk me out?” she asked.
“Of course.”
But they hadn’t quite made it to the door when they ran into Jackson’s operations manager, who had a glass of bourbon in his hand.
“Derrick,” Jackson growled. “You’re drinking.”
“Had to be sociable.” Derrick stepped in close, ignoring the woman on Jackson’s arm. “You didn’t sign anything with that telco the other night, did you? I’ve been talking to his main competition. Man likes his bourbon, and he might have the goods for us.” The bald man leaned in and breathed bourbon fumes over Jackson. His fleshy mouth pulled up into a smug smile. “Wait ’til you hear the deal I put to him. You’re going to be sorry you cut me out at the conference.”
Jackson froze, startled by the bitterness in Derrick’s voice. You’re going to be sorry. His operations manager had spoken the words like a threat. Was that Derrick’s goal? And if his operations manager wanted to make him sorry, what else might he have done?
“You sold the diagram to Lex, didn’t you?” Jackson kept his voice calm, but his suspicion made him cold inside. With Derrick drunk, maybe his guard would be down and Jackson could bluff him into an admission of guilt. And if he denied the charge, Jackson would look into his eyes and hopefully be able to tell whether he was being truthful.
His operations manager paled. “What?”
“I know it was you. And I have proof.” Jackson searched Derrick’s expression. Could his dismay and confusion mean he was innocent?
“What proof?”
“Tell me why you did it.”
Derrick swallowed. His eyes flicked from right to left and his Adam’s apple bobbed. Ice spread through Jackson’s veins. The man’s guilt was written into his face.
“You may as well admit it. Lying will only make things worse.”
“Look, I’m not saying it was me. But if it was, I did you a favor.”
Fuck. Derrick had worked for Jackson for six years. He hadn’t particularly liked the man, but he’d been competent and Jackson had considered him trustworthy.
“Excuse us,” he said to Cindy. He took Derrick’s bourbon out of his hand, grabbed his arm, and led him out to the lobby. Dumping the drink into the nearest trash can, he turned on his operations manager. “I’m almost sure you did it for the money. But I pay you a lot more than Lex was offering. So why did you need an extra hundred thousand?”
Derrick closed his eyes. His face was ghostly and he looked like he was going to be sick. “I didn’t mean to give him anything. It was an accident.”
“What happened?”
“It was that night, after you told me to skip the conference because I’d had a drink or two. It was unfair, and I was angry. And then you left.”
Jackson’s jaw clenched. That meant he’d been making love with Meghan in the limo while Derrick had been betraying him.
“I got talking to Lex, and he acted like he understood. He played it like he was a nice guy, and the one who’d been tre
ated unfairly. Him and me both. I shouldn’t have fallen for it, but it made sense at the time.” Derrick was talking faster. A plug had been pulled and the confessions were tumbling out. “I told him how my ex-wife was taking all my money. Sure, you pay me well, but when it all goes to that bitch, what am I left with? And he made it sound like he could fix everything. He’d give me cash and nobody needed to know about it. And I could make you see how much you needed me at the same time.”
Jackson nodded slowly. Somewhere deep inside, he’d known that Derrick was the person most likely to betray him. But after working so closely for the last six years, he hadn’t wanted to believe it.
“You understand what happened, right? That it was an accident?” Derrick clutched his sleeve. “I only gave him that one diagram. It wasn’t much. Not enough to make any real difference. I’d never turn on you.”
Jackson pulled his arm away. “I understand, Derrick.” He was surprised to find he really did. “But you’re fired.”
The man’s head jerked as though Jackson had punched him. “No! You can’t. You need me.”
“As of now, your position is terminated, and your non-compete agreement kicks in immediately. Talk to Lex again and you’ll have so many lawyers up your ass, you’ll need a court injunction to take a crap.” Jackson pressed his lips together. His anger was gone. All that was left was regret. “I’ll make sure you get a generous severance payment. You’ve worked hard over the last six years, and you won’t leave with nothing. But you can’t stay.”
“Please, Jackson, don’t do this. From now on, you’ll be able to trust me. I swear it.”
Jackson motioned the head of his security team over. “Derrick’s leaving now,” he told the man. “Make sure he gets home safely.” Then he turned and went back into the ballroom.
Cindy was waiting for him, and the sight of her twisted his guts almost as much as Derrick’s betrayal had, a response that made no sense. But he could hardly bear to look at her when all he could think about was Meghan.
Was there medicine he could buy to get over this feeling? An operation to wipe Meghan out of his brain and mend his heart? If there was, he should have had it years ago, because hadn’t he always been in love with her?