Next Song I Sing (NEXT TIME AROUND)

by McDonald, Donna

  When he walked away, Ryan watched for a moment, then laughed. “I just figured it out. I knew Max looked familiar. He’s Wicked Wade, isn’t he?”

  “Who?” Taylor asked, looking at Max as he slid his very attractive body onto the polished piano bench.

  “Wicked Wade,” Ryan repeated. “A friend of mine did a piece on him. Max was recruited from college to be a Canadian hockey player. His leg got busted up during a game last season. They had to operate, so he’s been sitting out the season because the healing is taking a lot of time. Max is Wicked Wade.”

  Ryan saw no need to mention the drinking problem or the rehab time or the possibility that Max might never make it back on the ice. He also left out that Max had allegedly seduced his friend for the duration of the story. If Taylor was interested in the man and wanted more facts, it was all pretty much documented by the press, including Max’s more infamous seductions.

  “Of course,” Taylor said sourly, leaning back in her seat and shaking her head. “That’s why my instincts were sending out alarm signals around him. The man is a jock. Thanks for the warning, Ryan.”

  “Warning? What warning?” Ryan asked, confused and wondering what he had said that had been construed so harshly. He thought he’d been extremely careful.

  Emma sighed dramatically. “You didn’t say anything wrong, Ryan. Max asked her out, and Taylor hates jocks.”

  “No I don’t. My best customers are jocks,” Taylor denied. “I just hate dating them. That’s a completely different matter. And it’s fine anyway, I never had any intention of dating Max. Really. It’s just good to know that my instincts are right. I knew he was a hell of a lot more than just a piano player in a lounge.”

  The comment drew Jasper’s attention reluctantly away from Chloe to defend his absent brother. “Maximillan is also a lot more than just a jock, Taylor. Max’s talents are varied. Plus, I’ve never heard any woman complain about him being a bad date.”

  Taylor snickered at Jasper’s defense. “Quite nicely done, Jasper. Your brother is lucky to have you in his corner.”

  “I’m lucky to have him as well,” Jasper said sincerely. “Our parents left us pretty much to fend for ourselves in life, so it pleases me to see Max is becoming a really good man. He’s lived with me since he was eight.”

  “Really? How old is he now?” Taylor asked, picking up her drink and sipping.

  “Thirty-one most of the time,” Jasper informed her. “Seventeen, occasionally. Sixty when he’s depressed.”

  Taylor laughed. “Fair enough. You’re saying he’s as complex as the rest of us. How old are you?”

  “Forty-five,” Jasper answered quickly, meeting and holding Taylor’s gaze. “Since we’re getting so chummy here with our personal info, how old are you? Don’t worry. I promise not to ask what you weigh.”

  “I don’t know why not, since you already know what I weigh,” Chloe said sardonically.

  Jasper looked at Chloe and saw the truth of her concerns in her eyes. He was not a stranger to female insecurities.

  “Yes I do. You weigh a proportional amount that God distributed perfectly,” he said, his tone as challenging as he could make it. “Should I elaborate to your friends about how I know this information about you?”

  “No, thank you. Sorry I interrupted your defense of Max,” Chloe said, sighing. The man was charming, just flat-out charming.

  Taylor laughed. If she’d had any reservations about Jasper Wade, he’d just dispelled them.

  “Emma, Chloe, and I are all forty,” she said. “We were college roommates.”

  “I’m forty-two,” Ryan said, interjecting. “In case anyone’s interested.” He made a great show of swinging his gaze to Emma, who laughed.

  “I already knew how old you were. I was your personal trainer, remember?” Emma said softly, her gaze twinkling at his goofy teasing.

  “Yes,” Ryan said seriously. “I actually remember everything we ever said and did together.”

  The smile left Emma’s face slowly as she let Ryan’s statement sink in. She wasn’t ready to think what the man might possibly mean by it. It had been over a year since she saw him last. “You were gone a long time, Ryan. You’ll have to tell me what you did during all that time.”

  He leaned over close to her. “Honey, I’m ready to tell you everything. Have dinner with me this week.”

  “I don’t know—my schedule is full,” Emma said, stammering. “But soon though. Okay?”

  Ryan nodded. “Soon. By the way, I’ve taken a desk assignment for six months, so I’m working from home. Got room in your schedule for a client?”

  “I’ll check and get back to you,” Emma said. “Leave me your number.”

  “I don’t have any new business cards with me,” Ryan said, patting his pockets before pulling a pen out. “Fortunately, I’m a reporter so I always at least have something to write with, even if it’s just on a napkin. But we can do better than that. Give me your hand.”

  He pulled Emma’s hand to him and wrote his phone number on the back of it. Realizing he was holding her hand in his and how nice it felt, Ryan slowed the writing down, slowly drawing each number while she breathed slowly and watched him with wide eyes. By the time he was done, Emma’s breathing was ragged and his heart was beating in time with her breaths. They both looked up a little surprised.

  “Well okay,” Taylor said, dizzy with all the romance at the table. “I think I need to clear my head. Ready to sing, Chloe? We’ll do a couple with Max so you can get used to him just in case you decide to take Jasper up on his offer.”

  After she stood, Jasper captured and tugged on Chloe’s hand to keep her from following the other two women immediately.

  “Chloe, whatever you decide about singing here won’t change how I feel about dating you,” Jasper said, repeating what he’d said last night to her, because it was still true.

  “If my size doesn’t bother you, I can’t imagine you worrying about much else,” Chloe told him.

  “Your size? Good God, woman, you’re a fantasy come true. Hasn’t any man ever told you that?” Jasper whispered fiercely, exasperated with not being able to properly reassure her.

  Chloe felt heat roll through her at Jasper’s compliment. “A fantasy, huh?” she repeated, her tone betraying her disbelief. “Tell me that again when I’m on top of you.”

  “Now that’s going to cost you a public kiss,” he said firmly, unwilling now not to do something. “I’m in bad shape already. I didn’t need to know you were thinking about the same things I was. I want that tonight, Chloe.”

  “Too bad—you can’t have it tonight. We just met yesterday,” Chloe said on a laugh. Charming, just flat charming. And sexy—the man’s eyes were as talented as his lips.

  Bending her mouth to Jasper’s, Chloe felt her cleavage straining in the black dress. She might look like a duck in it next to her friends, but Jasper Wade made her feel like swan.

  Chloe took her time enjoying his mouth, forgetting for a moment that she wasn’t somewhere private with him. When she lifted her head, she was dizzy. “You make me drunker than any mai tai, Jasper Wade.”

  She walked on wobbly legs to the piano, enjoying the low male laughter that followed her.

  “She really is a fantasy woman,” Ryan commented when Chloe was gone and he and Jasper Wade were the only two left at the table. “You’re probably lucky the woman doesn’t know just how alluring she is with those looks and that voice.”

  “I’ve thought the same thing a hundred times since I met her yesterday,” Jasper said, smiling ruefully as Chloe took her spot beside the piano.

  ***

  “Guess we’re starting with a ballad after that prolonged kiss,” Taylor said, hoping her tone was more teasing than mean. It was hard to be genuinely nice when she was so freaking envious she could die from it.

  “You betcha, girlie,” Chloe said, laughing, launching into a trembling romantic version of “Endless Love,” pleased when Taylor caught up and Max joined
her in singing it.

  “Payback time,” Taylor said to Chloe afterwards while the crowd was still applauding. She went into “I Want You Back,” grinning when Chloe made groaning sounds and shook her head.

  Chloe’s lower range made the song a challenge for her to sing without reaching hard for the necessary high tones. She ended up laughing through most of it. When the audience started clapping along, she had no choice but to sing it the best she could.

  At the end, the applause was deafening again, but Chloe also saw they were laughing. She reached out and pulled Taylor’s hair playfully making her call out and Emma giggle.

  “Okay, if we’re even now, can we do some easier songs?” Chloe demanded.

  “Scoot over, Goldilocks,” Max said, using his greater bulk to slide Taylor along and over to the very end of the bench. “Since it’s obviously oldies night, I’m playing. You three are singing. I’m sure you know this one.”

  Taylor slid off the bench to stand by Emma to sing backup.

  Max played “Where Did Our Love Go,” and then went straight into “Stop! In the Name Of Love” before he let them get a breath. He was happy when the backup singers punched his shoulders and the lead singer glared at him.

  By the time they got to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” though, the four of them had forgotten there was an audience. Chloe was smiling and leaning into the lead so much that the other three had to work to get their voices up to hers. When the last notes cleared off, the four of them were laughing at each other.

  Then three seconds later they all swung startled gazes to the crowd, who were at this point standing, applauding, cheering, whistling, and doing everything else possible to show their appreciation.

  Chloe was getting a fair share of drunken date offers yelled at her.

  “Oh Good Lord,” she said, blushing even harder as Jasper glared at the most daring of the offenders.

  “Need any more convincing that you’re ready for this?” Taylor asked Chloe, who was staring awestruck at the crowd. “Take the job here. Give it a chance for two weeks while you job hunt. What do you have to lose?”

  “Do it,” Emma told her. “You have to Chloe. We’ll come back once a week and sing with you. Won’t we Taylor?”

  Taylor nodded, hoping she’d be able to keep that commitment.

  Chloe looked at Max. “You’re going to have to find us more duets. I’m not making a fool of myself alone up here.”

  “No problem, babe. Leave it to me,” he said.

  Chloe looked at the table and saw Jasper smiling. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to do this.”

  “Live only in the now,” Emma advised, laughing when she heard Chloe sigh.

  ***

  The crowded doorway was full of people willing to stand to listen because there were no seats left to sit. No one really saw the two tall, attractive blondes in the middle of the crowd. If they had processed the lack of attention, both would have assumed it was because they hadn’t dressed well enough to draw it, but neither had her mind on herself at the moment. They were preoccupied with sizing up the competition.

  “I don’t know. He looks pretty taken with her, Rayonna,” Lea said sadly. “You saw their kiss. Plus his gaze didn’t move off her the whole time she was singing. Who is she? You didn’t tell me she was a famous singer.”

  “She’s not famous or a real singer,” Rayonna said bitterly. “She’s just some woman staying at the hotel on vacation with her friends. Jasper has lost his mind. He dated Aoelin Renard before I snagged him away from her. Before that he dated the CEO of a company. The owner of a five-star hotel can’t follow his successful model ex-wife with an overweight accountant. I won’t be laughed at around the world because my ex-husband married a fat woman.”

  “You don’t know for sure she’s just an accountant. Jasper’s staff could be lying to you. And she’s not really overweight,” Lea said, defending the woman with the amazing voice. “She’s voluptuous and old-movie-star glamorous. She’s a real woman, like my sister.”

  “She’s huge and needs to go on a diet,” Rayonna told her.

  “Oh come on, she is not huge. If you tell me you wouldn’t rather eat cheesecake and wear bigger clothes, I will call you a liar. You complain about that all the time,” Lea told her. “Besides, I don’t know as I want to date your ex. Jasper is so serious looking. Did you see him glaring at the man yelling his phone number at her?”

  “You’re not going to date him. You’re just going to be his rebound woman until he’s ready to give me another chance,” Rayonna told her. “You’ve slept with plenty of men for less honorable reasons, Lea.”

  “Only the ones I wanted to sleep with, and I don’t see how that’s any concern of yours. We’re friends, not prostitutes together in a model bordello. And I’d much rather be seducing the hunky younger brother. Max looks like a lot of fun,” Lea said, sneaking another look. “Plus he’s lots younger. I’m only thirty-two. He’s closer to my age. I don’t like older men all that well.”

  “Lea, I gave you first chance at the Paris showing and chose Milan instead. You said you’d do this for me. At least try to seduce Jasper—please. You promised,” Rayonna implored.

  “You are such a pain. I don’t know why I tolerate you,” Lea said, sticking her lower lip out in a pout.

  “Because in a few years I’m going to retire and start designing. When you hit that point in a decade yourself, I’m going to give you a job,” Rayonna reminded her.

  Lea sighed. “There is that. Okay. I’ll come back for dinner tomorrow and be friendly to him, but you will so owe me for this.”

  Chapter 12

  Late Sunday afternoon, Chloe walked Emma and Taylor to the front door as their cars were being brought around.

  “So I’m not going to bother with a rental car after all. Jasper said I could use one of the hotel’s hybrids when I needed to go to interviews. I guess I’ll go back to the Taylor’s secret shop and buy some more slut clothes—I mean, evening wear for performances. See? I am so not the right person to be doing this,” Chloe complained.

  Taylor only laughed in response.

  “Seriously—I’m not smooth or confident without lubrication, and I refuse to drink every time I sing. What if I have a meltdown and you two aren’t there to mop up the puddle?” Chloe demanded.

  Stopping at the genuine fear she heard, Taylor let go of her rolling suitcase and took hold of Chloe’s shoulders.

  “I know you’re scared. You’d be crazy if you weren’t. But as much as I don’t like Max as potential hot guy material, something tells me he’s going to be a great help to you because he loves his brother. Just be careful with Jasper. He looks like he wants to attack you, and I think soon he’s going to.”

  “Are you kidding? That’s the one thing I’m not worried about,” Chloe said sincerely. “I’m looking forward to Jasper running out of patience. I’m close to that point myself. It’s going to be interesting to see which one of us gets there first. I really do like the man, Taylor. He makes me feel like a centerfold.”

  Emma giggled, put her arms around Chloe, and hugged. “Just keep living in the moment, and you’ll be fine.” She squeezed hard once more and let go. “We are a phone call away. I’ll be sending good energy to you this week.”

  “Thanks, honey,” Chloe said, hugging Emma back. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but okay.”

  Taylor’s car rolled up first. It was a sleek Porsche roadster which she had painted pink for business reasons. “See you Friday night.”

  Chloe and Emma both nodded as she climbed in and rolled away, her PLSPORT license plate winking in the afternoon sun.

  Emma’s ancient Honda Civic rolled up right behind it.

  “I can’t believe you still have that car. How old is it now?” Chloe asked, shaking her head at the meticulous appearance of the well-used vehicle.

  Emma pondered. “Eleven years, I think. It was new when I bought it. When the next generation of hybrids comes out, I’l
l probably trade up then.”

  “I love you, Em,” Chloe told her, hugging one last time before watching her jog to the driver’s side and climb into the car.

  After Emma drove away, Chloe turned to go back inside and ran into Sam.

  “Hi,” she said. “Bartender Sam? Right?”

  Sam put out a hand. “That’s right. I’m Sam Hanson. And you’re Chloe—our new lounge singer.”

  She nodded, swallowing the misgivings she had which had formed a hard knot in her throat when Sam had blurted the truth out with a smile. “Yes, I’m Chloe Zanders. I guess I’ll be seeing you regularly for a little while at least. Sam—is Max a good guy?”

  “Usually. Why?” Sam asked. “Did he make a pass? Jasper will kill him.”

  “No—no pass. I’m just nervous about working with him,” Chloe said on a laugh.

  Sam shrugged at her concerns. “No worries there then. Max is going to be on his best behavior around you because he knows how much Jasper likes you.”

  “Wonderful,” Chloe said, rolling her eyes as heat flooded her face with color. “Just what I need. More pressure. Be nice to the girlfriend.”

  “It’s not like that. If you’ve got time, let me get something from my car and I’ll buy you a drink,” Sam told her. “I’ll give you the dirt on everyone who works here and tell you what Jasper was like in college.”

  Chloe laughed and it helped dispel her worry a bit. “Fine. I’d like a drink. If I go to my room right now, I’m going to have a nervous breakdown about staying here. Jasper had plans, so I’m on my own this evening.”

  “Not anymore. Wait here and I’ll be right back,” he said on a laugh.

  Sam went over to an elegant looking green convertible in a model Chloe couldn’t identify and came back shortly with a briefcase.

  “Nice car,” she said, admiring the sleek lines.

  “That is the English Corvette, a 1979 Triumph TR8. It was ten years old when I bought it right after I got my first job out of college. Still a beauty, isn’t it?” Sam said.