He and Sol rode the elevator downstairs with me and I could feel an electrical current racing along my side between Pike and me in the small confines of the space. Holy Shit! I was having dinner with him tomorrow. Alone. Business. Just business. I had to keep reminding myself of that, but the looks he’d been giving me, said it would be anything but that.
It couldn’t matter, he was a potential client and I didn’t mix business with my personal life. Well I did, but I didn’t date guys I represented or were in the process of having them retain me and my firm. Damnit anyway.
We crossed the street and began to search, but nothing. “Crap. I guess I’m going to have to go get a new phone. At least all of my contacts should be on my iCloud.”
“If you have the GPS finder on your phone you might be able to track it,” Pike suggested.
“Oh, good idea. I’ll go back to my office and see if I can hunt it down that way.”
He frowned. “I just remembered something, when I first got out of the car I noticed that dude bend down and pick something up off the sidewalk. I couldn’t tell what it was but it could have been your phone.”
“Why would he take her phone?” Sol asked.
“Just to be a total prick,” Pike stated.
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” I agreed. “I’ll see if I can locate it and see about getting it back. If not, I’ll have to get a new one. Either way, I’ll have a phone in time for our dinner meeting tomorrow tonight.”
Pike shook his head. “Dinner yes, meeting—much more than that.”
“This is a business meeting Pike, that’s all.” Damn. I really needed to make that clearer to him, and myself. I was no groupie to fall at his feet, best he know that now.
“All right counselor. Whatever you say.” He pulled a card out of his wallet and jotted a number down on the back of it. “That’s my personal cell. Call me if your plans change.”
I took the card from him and nodded. I turned to shake Sol’s hand, the agent had been quiet during our exchange. “Thank you, Sol. I hope we’ll be doing a lot of business together.”
“Me too, Eryn. Good luck finding your phone.”
I turned to Pike then and held out my hand.
He stared at it for a moment before engulfing it in his much larger one.
It was rough like a workingman’s hands or a musician. I would love the feel of his calloused padded fingers against my skin. Our gazes locked again. Crap. Every time I stared at him, I had to keep reminding myself, I’ve met plenty of musicians and actors who were just as gorgeous. Although none had eyes like Pike. Still, what was it about him that made him stand out to me above all the others? I never once wanted to get naked with them, not like I wanted to do with him. And that is what I saw in his eyes for me, raw primal desire.
Oh yes, it was there, he made no effort to hide it.
Focus. He was a player accustomed to having women idolize him, fall at his feet with their legs spread wide to receive him. Didn’t I read about how one of his fan girls got into his hotel room one night and was seen leaving the next morning wearing the shirt he’d performed in the night before? And that was just the most recent. There’d been plenty other stories about him in the tabloids. I would not be lumped with one of those women. “I look forward to our next meeting. And I’ll bring the contracts and a pen.”
He grinned. “Till later. I’ll be looking forward to it too.” He rubbed his thumb over my fingers before pulling his hand away.
I turned around and crossed the street, not once looking back but I could feel his stare follow me until I walked back into my building.
I managed to return to my office and shut the door. Once I was finally alone, I almost never close the door to my office, but I needed a minute to myself. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I hadn’t realized I even needed, until my heart rate settled down. That’s what he did to me. I had to be very, very careful with this man. Client. I’d always loved his music, and after meeting him, was extremely attracted to the man, but he would be my client. I would accept nothing less, yet I felt a pang that’s all he could ever be.
Pulling open my laptop, I got into my account to see if I could find my phone. I saw a pulsing blue dot, which indicated my phone. I found the address where it seemed to be located and did a search to see if it were a residence or commercial building. I was surprised when I saw the address listed as the Embassy of Hasla. I had to look that one up. A tiny island, a sovereign independent nation, with its own form of recognized government. Ruled by a monarchy, with a crown prince no less, off the coast of India in the Arabian Sea. So maybe the asswipe I’d confronted earlier did have diplomatic immunity. Bottom line was I wasn’t getting my phone back anytime soon.
I went into my iCloud to make sure all of my contacts and updates where there, then deleted everything on my phone. Just in case, I didn’t want that sonofabitch having any access to my personal information. As a precaution, I also changed all my passcodes. Since I already had my laptop open, I did a search on Pike, again. I’d done one as soon as I’d found out Sol represented him. I already had a file on him. I gathered files on all of my clients, as much information on them as I could gather in order to better represent their interest. Knowledge was power in any world. And he who knows how to use knowledge…rules the world.
There wasn’t much I didn’t already know about Pike. A lot of information was on his official website and fan sites. As well as interviews he’d done, for the ink press, radio and television. In this day and age, with handy cell phones uploading to social media, not so easy to hide. I had a pretty good idea of who he was, and of course, today added another piece to the puzzle of who John Pike really was.
He’d only had one run in with the law at eighteen, a bar fight. The bar owner didn’t press charges and Pike paid for the damages. He’d started his musical career at seventeen, winning a contest and his star shot off ever since, never went to college. His mother died in childbirth, and he was raised by his dad, a carpenter, in a little town not far from Charlottesville, Virginia.
The first time I heard him sing was in one of the bars in Charlottesville, near the university. He was very popular back then, of course even more so now. I know he still goes back there and does free shows. He was young, beautiful, had a voice straight from heaven that could tempt a saint, single and from with I could tell, with the platoon of women pictured with him, not looking to change that status any time soon. I learned nothing new. I just needed to keep reminding myself, rock stars are meant to be worshipped from afar, they flame way too hot for me. I had no intentions of being burnt in the aftermath of a shooting star.
I closed the laptop and left my office. “I’m heading to the phone store,” I told Babs who was seated right outside my office.
“Full disclosure now please. What happened?”
I told her the story about my first encounter earlier that morning and how Pike came to help.
“Wow, you have had quite a day already.”
“Yes. But the good news is…it’s looking good us getting this account. And it will be our crown jewel.”
“Good for you.”
“I meet with Pike again, tomorrow night to finalize everything. You’ve got the changes already, so go ahead and print both contracts out for me with the changes we discussed and I’ll take them with me to dinner tomorrow night. Hopefully, another day and I’ll have them signed.”
“Way ahead of you. Already done.” She handed me a blue folder.
I opened it up, flipped through it; the contracts were nicely printed out. “You are the best. Thank you.”
“Are you going to leave early today or tomorrow?” Babs asked. “I can rearrange your schedule for today, but tomorrow you should be good.”
“I hadn’t really thought about it.” I hadn’t but now that she mentioned it, I needed to go see about a new phone today. Then maybe pick up a little something for tomorrow, especially if I leave to meet him from work. I could bring a change of clothing with me, somethin
g a little less official looking. I glanced down at my suit. What was I thinking? It is a power suit and this was a business dinner. I would just wear another one like it tomorrow.
“You should probably try to get to the phone store now,” she encouraged. “I’ve got things covered here. You could be there for a while anyway, depending on how busy they are. Your next appointment isn’t until later this afternoon. And if you have time, stop in at City Center see if you can pick up something for your date.”
I rolled my eyes. “This is not a date.”
Babs chuckled. “Too bad. Then can I meet him tomorrow instead? I mean if it’s just to deliver the contracts and get his signature, I’d be more than happy to take over such a task for you. Never let it be said, I don’t sacrifice for my job.”
Shaking my head, I didn’t even bother to answer, I just waved the contracts at her, placed them in my office and then kept walking toward the elevator. “I’ll think about it,” I called over my shoulder.
Babs proved to be right. I had to wait about an hour to be able to get a new phone because of course, I wanted the latest gadgets on the market. The sales person helped me make sure that I had erased every thing from the old phone, so even if anyone was able to access it, it wouldn’t have any of my contacts, images or data still on it. We downloaded everything from my iCloud onto my new phone and I was good to go. The only thing I added to it was Pike’s info that had been on the card he’d given me.
I used an AP to request a car to pick me up and I put in my destination as my office. The rest of the day went by pretty quickly, and I only thought about my next meeting with Pike a couple of times before finally leaving to go home.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Pike
I’d meant to pick Eryn up and then drive us to dinner myself, but I ended up stuck at the recording studio, again, second night in a row. Caught up in the music with a new song that began buzzing in my head ever since I’d met my new lawyer yesterday. I’d always been able to let my music speak for me; it was my outlet. The gateway to the things hidden deep inside me that I don’t always let see light of day. Except when I was on stage, or like now in the recording studio, then and only then, did I let it pour out of me…I bared my soul.
We’d been working on the first track for a new album and there’d been some glitches to work out but I wanted to replace it with the new one. We already laid the sound down for it, just needed to blend the lyrics, but my voice came off a little too flat.
When I managed to glance at the time, I realized that no way would I be able to get to Eryn’s for seven. So, I called Sol, to have him send a car to pick her up and bring her to the studio. I usually let no one other than Sol and whoever I needed to be in the studio to hear my music, before it was anything but perfect. For whatever reason, it felt right having Eryn here. Besides, she worked for me, or she would be as soon as I gave her back the signed contracts. Which I had every intention of signing.
I’d gone over what she’d emailed me, what we talked about in her office as well as what I’d agreed to add via our email exchange. She really was damned good. Yeah, I could have just printed it out, signed it, and emailed it back to her, which is what I think she was hoping for. Not happening, I wanted to see her again. Wanted to see her here, in my world. I’d only been thinking about her all frigging day and night.
Perhaps her presence might help me put the final touches on the song that was really a tribute to her bravery. I totally respected the fact she wasn’t just one to walk on by when she saw something messed up going on. Neither was I.
When I was about seventeen, I saw three boys beating the shit outta this smaller kid. I stepped in to help him. I might have gotten my ass kicked too, but I gave as good as I got. Turned out the dude, who was seventeen too, just small for his age, his dad owned a bar. Mr. Jensen ended up giving me a job as a busboy. Then he heard me singing as I cleaned up one day.
When he asked me if I sang, my response was one thing, “Hell yes. Been singing, writing songs, as long as I could remember.” He put me on stage that weekend. That was the bar where Sol found me singing. I never forgot what the Jensens had done for me, and it’s why I still go back and perform in that little bar, and why Jude Jensen became one of my best friends and my accountant.
Paul decided we should work on the second song for now, I’d just finished the last note and let the music fade out. I opened my eyes, which I’d closed while I sang, and glanced over at Paul behind the controls. He gave me a nod and a thumbs up to indicate it had been perfect. He turned away from me to glance to his left and I followed the direction of his gaze in time to see Eryn come through the door. My heart gave a slight lurch at the sight of her. Definitely wasn’t dressed for the office. Not in that low cut red dress. I smile as I waved.
Emily, Paul’s sound tech spoke to Eryn, but since I was in the sound booth and my mike was off, I couldn’t hear what she said.
A big smile on her face, Eryn turned in my direction then sat on the empty stool a little beside Emily.
I’d already warned them she would be coming by and it would be okay for her to sit in on this. I turned the mike on. “Paul, let’s do Don’t Walk On By again. I think I can get it this time.”
Paul nodded.
Something told me I would be able to nail it now with Eryn sitting there in front of me. After all, I’d written the words last night, it was about her. I shut off the outside mike, shut my eyes for a moment, but I could still see her as she was yesterday, an avenging angel. I opened my eyes again and stared right at her. Paul played the opening track I’d set earlier and then I began to sing.
Don’t walk on by. Ain’t gonna just walk by. Gotta stop this madness.
You are under my skin, don’t know how you got there but can’t get you out again. So won’t just walk on by, can’t. Gotta stop the madness. Don’t just walk on by.
Let no one toss you to the ground, and if they do, I’ll be there to stand in front of you. I won’t leave you alone. I won’t walk on by. Don’t walk on by. Not gonna leave you alone. Take my hand let me help you off the ground. Let me hold you within these arms.
Suddenly, the depth of emotion missing from this piece took a hold of me as I looked past the glass separating us into the depths of Eryn’s eyes. For a moment, I forgot about anyone else being in the room, and sang for this woman alone. Damn, when had she become my muse? I’d never really needed one before. My own life had been more than adequate to bring out whatever emotion I needed for my songs, but Eryn…unexplored depths. I managed to finish the song and Paul indicated it was perfect.
I had him play it back while I remained in the booth, but I already knew it was good…damn good. I decided then, it would be the single I would release first to launch the album.
I left the booth and walked over to the control panel, Eryn stood as I approached her, I couldn’t help but grin at the look of delight and pleasure filling her eyes as she gazed at me. “What did you think?” She alone held my attention. I know Paul might have said something but the only voice I tuned into was hers.
“Wow! That was—just wow!”
I grinned and hugged her. She placed her arms around my waist, hugging me back, the only reason I didn’t kiss her, as I’d wanted to at that moment, was because Paul turned on one of the tracks. I pulled away from her but didn’t quite release her. My hand only moved from her waist to engulf her hand. Just like yesterday on the sidewalk, I felt a zing again, running straight to my dick. “I’m glad you liked it.”
“Yes. Is that for your new album? I’ve never heard it before.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you that familiar with my work?” I knew I was fishing but it pleased the fuck out of me to know she enjoyed my work.
“I did tell you I was a fan. I listen to all of the music by my clients. I make sure I know all of it, it’s their business, so it’s my business.”
That deflated my pleasure. “Oh, so it’s just business with you.”
She smiled. �
��No. I’ve been listening to you ever since you first performed at The Main Street Grill back in Charlottesville.”
I chuckled. “That was a long, long time ago. So, you are a fan.”
She nodded.
“I’m glad, but sorry, really sorry I didn’t meet you back then.” And I was, but then again, I might not have been ready for someone like her, not like I was looking for a relationship with a woman now. Yet, she compels me to her. “Oh, sorry,” I said, suddenly realizing we were being watched. “This is Paul, my producer for this album.”
“We’ve met.”
I glanced over at Emily waving at her, “That’s Emily his assistant, and those guys hanging around on the couch are Vance and Tommy, they laid some of the acoustics for the tracks.”
Everyone said hello, but I didn’t want to chitchat. It was getting late and I suddenly remembered I hadn’t eaten since breakfast that morning, so I was starving. Not unusual, when I was engrossed in my music I tended to lose track of time. Even my body would sometimes shut down and forget to remind me I needed to eat. Well, it reminded me now by growling.
Eryn laughed. “Somebody’s hungry.”
I turned away from her to address Paul, “I’m outta here. Same time tomorrow, okay?”
“Yeah, that last one was pure platinum dude. Just got to get the rest of them there.”
“You know it.”
“Eryn’s right though, get out of here, go eat.” Paul raised his fist and I fisted mine against his.
“Come on,” I said to Eryn leading her out of the place while waving to Emily and the other musicians as we made our way to the door.
The Prison Guard's Son: Young Guns Book One Page 4