Just One Week (Just One Song)

by Stacey Lynn

  “Gross!” Mia looks like she wants to hit him so I smack him across the back of his head before she can reach him. It’s sort of true, though. “And Spike? Is he going to be born with tattoos and a piercing?”

  “It’s more badass than River.”

  “He’s going to be a baby, not a badass rocker.”

  “Yeah, but babies grow up to be men and he should have a man’s name.” I mentally give another point to Garrett and smile when Jake walks over with his swagger that he usually reserves for chicks he’s trying to hit on.

  I scowl at him as he heads straight toward Mia even though I know he’s just fucking with me. I watch Mia take him in with a smile and fight down the urge to be jealous. I can see why chicks think Jake is hot. He looks too much like a pretty boy to me, and it’s something I remind him of often. But if you go for that hot, chiseled surfer look – which is how most women describe him – then yeah, I guess he’s all right.

  He leans down, kissing her cheek and winking at me at the same time. Fucker.

  “How’s our New York fashion star doing?”

  Mia’s entire body tenses under my arm and I pull her close, squeezing her shoulder to let her know that I’m here for her. I don’t see what the big deal is in telling people she lost her job. Maybe it’s a pride thing for her. Maybe she really doesn’t want Nic worrying about her, but for whatever reason, I’ll keep her secret. I’ll also keep it a secret that I’ve put out feelers for jobs in Los Angeles and I think I might have found something for her out here. I think being this close to me might scare her a little bit, especially when she learns about my new house not more than fifteen minutes away from Zack.

  “Good. It’s just been busy with fashion week coming up, but other than that it’s good. Stressful, the same.” She’s rambling and it’s the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen. I have to bite back my own laughter.

  Jake gives her an odd look. She takes a large gulp of her margarita and some of it dribbles on her chin. Before she can wipe it off, I take my thumb and do it for her, then pull her closer to me so she has to watch me lick it off my thumb.

  She gulps and her eyes go wide. I love that even when she’s not sure about us, I can still turn her on. I don’t know if Jake is still anywhere close to us watching and I don’t give a shit. When Mia is within three feet of me, she’s all I see. She’s all I ever want to see. Now I just have to get her to believe and want the same thing.

  “How were the waves today?” She finally asks when she takes her eyes off my lips. I’m not discouraged. I can see her pulse beating faster and I know she’s trying to stop thinking of what else my lips can do to her. What they will do to her.

  He starts babbling on about beach swells, break outs, carving, and some nasty wipe out he took. If it’s not raining, Jake is surfing every morning when we’re not on tour. I’m pretty sure it’s his religion.

  “Nice subject change, babe.” I lick her earlobe, just a quick taste of her before I drop my arms around her. Little bumps show up on her neck and I have to take a step back from screwing her right here in front of everyone. I flash her a smug grin when she frowns as soon as I’m not touching her. Soon, I want to promise her, I’ll be making love to you until you’re screaming my name for the entire house to hear. “You owe me a game of pool.”

  “All right.” But she chokes over her words and her cheeks are flushed. She’s so damn responsive to me, it drives me crazy.

  By the time Mia is getting ready to kick my ass, every one of our friends are laughing their asses off at me. I’ve got four striped balls left and she’s bent over the table with that little bit of tongue sticking out of the left corner of her mouth, lining up the eight ball to a side pocket. It’s a direct hit and there’s no way she can miss it.

  Just as the eight ball falls into the pocket, I expect her to start cheering when the cue ball follows in directly after it.

  “You scratched!?” The shocked yell comes from Nic. She’s standing off to the side of the table, her mouth hanging wide open like her jaw just broke.

  Mia just shrugs. “Can’t win ‘em all, I guess.”

  The little witch. She lost on purpose. I can tell by the little wicked gleam in her eye when she walks up to me. Not that I’m going to call her on it, everyone thinks I just won. I know her better than that, though. The only question I have is, why would she let me win? She loves playing and she’s damn good at it.

  I take off to the bar, and she follows. “Congratulations, winner.”

  Popping off the top of a beer bottle, I slide one her way and then grab another for me. After I take a drink, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, swallowing down a belch.

  “Why’d you blow the game?”

  She smiles innocently and I’m not buying it. “You sounded so concerned about poor little River being emasculated that I didn’t want to hurt your pride by beating you in front of your friends.”

  “So that was a pity win?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Do I need to go prove to you how big of a man I really am now?”

  She waves her hand towards the door. “Lead the way, drummer boy.”

  I snort and then grab her hand and pull her out the door with me. This woman is going to be the death of me. She runs from hot to cold, turned on to scared out of her mind in a matter of minutes, but if she’s turned on now, I’m not going to waste the opportunity. She could run like hell tomorrow back to New York and never speak to me again.

  “Have you talked to Marcia this week?”

  I almost gouge myself in the eye with my eyeliner.

  I’m standing at the counter putting on my eye make-up, and waiting for my hair straightener to warm up while Chase is sitting on the edge of the bathtub looking sexy as sin in some dark, perfectly fitted blue jeans, black boots, and a dark gray dress shirt. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and the top few buttons are open, showing off his forearm muscles and a little bit of his chest hair. I swallow down the drool that’s pooling in my mouth.

  “I got a text from her the other day.” I’m trying to be nonchalant and unaffected, but I fail miserably. Chase can see the sadness written all over me. “But I don’t really want to talk or think about it today.”

  He nods once. “I get it. But I think I might have something for you. It’s not similar to what you did at Callie’s, in fact, it’s totally different, but it involves fashion.”

  My breathing falters as I take in what he’s saying. Chase has actually been looking for a job for me? Why does he look nervous?

  “What is it?” I ask, my voice a little bit shaky.

  “There’s a decent size production company in Los Angeles and the owner’s a friend of mine. She said her costume design manager is leaving soon and she might be looking to hiring someone in a few months.”

  The only thing I hear is the way his voice trips over the word friend. This woman isn’t just a friend. Is he seriously suggesting I go work for someone who he’s had sex with? Or someone he still has sex with? My stomach feels a little sick and I feel an emotion – something unpleasant – but I can’t quite name it. Jealousy? Perhaps. It’s a foreign feeling and something I’m not used to experiencing.

  “Friend?” I ask, unable to look him in the eyes through the mirror or turn around to face him. “The way we’re friends?” A heat blossoms on my cheeks. This is what I choose to ask him about? He’s looking out for me, finding me a job, and the only thing I can think of is his hands all over some woman who I’ve never met, and might not ever see.

  “Uh … I’m not quite sure how to answer that.” I’m finally able to look at him through the mirror and he definitely looks nervous. His elbows are braced on his denim clad thighs and his hands hang in between them, tapping a rhythm on the inside of his knees. I feel the jealous flutters in my stomach expand into something different. Something much more explainable. Anger. Although I’m still not sure why.

  Chase’s eyes are on mine in the mirror and I can feel my fingers
tense against the straightener as I pick it up and begin doing my hair. “You want me to go work for a woman you’re having sex with? Could be a bit inappropriate, yes?”

  His eyes go wide in shock and then a crooked grin appears. I pretend to be focused on my hair, clamping the iron down on my roots, and slowly pulling it down a thin strip of my hair. Mostly I’m zeroed in on Chase and all the things he’s making me feel right now. Emotions are so much easier to handle when they simply don’t exist.

  I watch him in the mirror as he takes the few steps to me before he’s directly behind me. He smiles his crooked grin and sets his hands on the counter, blocking my hips in, and presses against me. I can feel his erection through his jeans as he leans down and brushes my hair off my neck.

  “The only woman I want is standing in front of me, pretending like she’s avoiding the way I make her feel.” My skin ripples and the iron shakes in my hand. I set it down clumsily before I drop it, or fry my hair, or burn my cheek. He’s so distracting when he’s like this.

  “Are you trying to get me a job with someone you’re sleeping with?”

  His tongue darts out and licks my neck and then he nips my earlobe. I moan and I feel him laughing softly against me.

  “Eyes on me, Mia.”

  I force my eyes to see his reflection in the mirror. One hand leaves the counter and he brings it up and cups the side of my neck, pulling me away from him slightly and giving him better access to my skin. His eyes are on me, with a heated lust as we stare at each other, and he begins kissing my neck again slowly moving down to my exposed collarbone and my shoulder. His eyes never leave mine and I press down on my lips so I don’t make another sound, but my hips involuntarily rock back into him.

  With one last soft nip at my shoulder, he stands up, moves his hands back to the counter, and presses against me. I’m completely trapped in him and he sets his chin on the top of my head, smiling softly.

  “I slept with Natasha occasionally for a few years.” I fight the urge to look away. I try to keep my breathing even, refusing to show any emotion that could give away how hearing this makes me feel. I’m not sure why. Chase and I are – or were – cut from the same cloth. Fun sex, no relationships, no attachments. It’s not like we both haven’t had our share of partners over the years, although I’m betting his list is much longer than mine. It never bothered me until this moment. And he’s asking me – wanting me – to not only meet this woman but potentially work for her? Does he not see the awkwardness involved? “It ended about three years ago when she fell in love and met her husband. She’s happily married now with a two-year-old daughter. And we are good friends, along with her husband, Tim, who works at our record label. I’m the one who introduced them.”

  He finally pierces me with a sly smile like he was intentionally trying to see if I would get jealous, and he’s relishing his victory.

  “So what’s the job?” I ask, my breath hitching again.

  “Managing the costume designers. She works with film and movie production companies and outsources her costume designers to work on different movie, television, and music video sets.”

  “Sounds interesting.” It does. I could potentially meet people from all over the entertainment industry. Maybe celebrities. That could be really fun and it makes me smile. It would also mean leaving New York, the epicenter of fashion in the United States. It’d be equivalent to giving up on the dreams I’ve had for my career and walking away, starting completely over. But I’d be in L.A. close to Nic again, and that could be great fun. It also puts me across the country from Chase and where he spends most of his time. He wants a relationship with me, he thinks he loves me, but then he puts me as far away from him as possible? It makes no sense and a small pain hits me in the stomach. Maybe he wasn’t serious about loving me after all.

  I’m so confused. This should calm me down, shouldn’t it? If Chase wants me living so far away from him, then we’re not serious. That’s what I want. Right?

  I look at him, a puzzled expression on my face, trying to figure it all out. He gives away nothing.

  But I do need a job. “Tell her I’m interested. I could meet with her sometime next week before I head back to New York.”

  “Hey! You almost ready to go?” Nic’s cheerful voice shocks me when she appears in the doorway to the bathroom. I jump and the back of my head crashes into Chase’s chin.

  “Ow!” I yelp and bend over, holding the back of my head with both hands.

  “Oh crap. Are you okay?” Nic asks and then glances between Chase and me. Her eyes are sparkling with laughter. “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

  She’s grinning like the Cheshire cat and I scowl.

  Chase is rubbing his chin when I’m able to look at him. Stars flicker in my line of vision, the pain in my head radiating all over. That seriously hurt.

  “Are you okay?” he asks and they’re both looking at me.

  I rub my head, trying to ease the pain but it doesn’t help much. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. Sorry.” I stand up straight and look at Nic. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  Once she leaves the bathroom again, I turn to Chase. He’s standing a few feet away with his hands in pockets. I wave him off. “Get out of here so I can get ready.”

  He smiles that delicious smile that makes my spine tingle and winks at me. “We’re meeting up with you girls, later, right?”

  “Yeah, I think that’s the plan. You go do your guy thing; just no lap dances from strippers.” He snorts. They’re not actually going to see strippers. I think they’re going to some poker club to play cards.

  “Will you give me one later?”

  I wink at him. “If you’re lucky.”

  He backs out of the bathroom, and just as I think he’s going to go, he gives me a knowing grin. “Oh, I’ll get lucky all right.”

  I throw my eyeliner at him and roll my eyes, but my voice is full of laughter. “Get out of here!”

  The club Sammy takes us to is really loud. A mix of techno and hip-hop music blast through the speakers as we sit at a bar height, round table, talking about Nic’s wedding in a couple of days. Her parents are flying in tomorrow and I can’t wait to see them. Sharon and Daniel have been like my second set of parents since Nic and I met when we were in middle school and her family moved in next door to us. It was right after my mom got sick, but before my dad completely fell apart.

  “More shots!” Sammy yells. She waves a hand like a magician and a waitress magically appears at her side. “Lemon drops for everyone,” she says excitedly and then points to Chloe. “Except for miss preggo over here.”

  Chloe looks fantastic in a skin tight dark gray dress. Her belly is firmly on display and she’s wearing red ankle boots. I love them. She looks every bit like a rocker’s wife with her exotic complexion and long, jet black hair. She has some red streaked through it that matches her lipstick and boots. I feel sort of sad for her that she has to sit around and watch all of us doing shots while she just sips her water.

  “Thanks, Sammy,” she says drily, before turning to the waitress and asks for another water.

  “So things with you and Chase seem good.” Sammy smiles at me, once the waitress walks away. Suddenly all eyes are on me.

  “They’re fine,” I reply and shrug my shoulders. Nic makes a face and narrows her eyes. They are fine. I think. One day he’s telling he may love me, and the next day he’s trying to set me up with a job far away from where he lives. It’s sort of a mixed signal and I’ve been confused about it ever since we left for the clubs.

  “You have to give us more than that to work with, woman.” Sammy points her finger at me. She’s so adorable in her pixie haircut and large smile. I think she’s trying to look serious, but she’s simply way too happy of a person to pull off a pissed off look.

  “There’s nothing to tell. He likes me. I’m not sure what I want and right now I think we’re both okay with that.”

  “You’re crazy, Mia,” she says while laughing
and then her smile turns sad. “You’ve liked this guys for years. We all knew you wanted him way back when you first came out here. If the guy I wanted, wanted me back, there’s no way I’d risk pushing him away like you’re doing.”

  “I’m not pushing him away,” I say unconvincingly.

  Nic and Sammy both bust out laughing. Nic is shaking her head, when Sammy says, “You’re right. Because not returning his calls for six months is the complete normal thing to do.”

  I give her a funny look before looking at Nic who just shrugs her shoulders. How does she know this?

  She waves her hand dismissively. “I heard Chase whining to Zack about it last week. He was all nervous about you being here and showing you …”

  “Sammy.” Our heads both fly to Nic when she interrupts Sammy.

  “Show me what?” I look back and forth between the two of them. They’re wearing uncomfortable looks all over their faces. What in the world are they talking about? Whatever. I have my secrets. Chase is entitled to his.

  “So who’s the guy who doesn’t want you?” I have a feeling I already know based on hints Nicole has dropped over the years, and how I noticed her and Jake circling one another at Zack’s house the other day. They couldn’t take their eyes off one another, always seeming to know where the other was, but staying on complete opposite sides of the room.

  “Shut up,” she mutters and flings back another shot. But her cheeks are bright pink and I know I’ve embarrassed her. Nic and Chloe are grinning like fools.

  Chloe waves her hand and magically another round of shots are in front of us.

  Like I need more alcohol in my system. Our table is already littered with empty shot glasses and since one of us is pregnant … well, I lost count at six.

  “So tell me what happened.” Her face pales a little bit, but she tries to hide it. Miserably.

  She won’t look me in the eye and Nic is pretending the specks of marble on the table are the most fascinating pieces of artwork in history.

  “Jake and I had sex and he bailed.” Her head drops and she takes a deep breath, blankly looking toward the dance floor.