by Petrova, Em
“I can’t.” The words rolled off his big brother’s lips just before he pressed them into a thin line.
“Can’t…or won’t?”
Pushing off the wall, Jonah moved toward the sofa where Theo was standing. “Why the hell are you asking me this anyway? What aren’t you telling me?”
Now came the fun part. The explanation. The confrontation. And hopefully, the resolution. “I just got off the phone with Jeff. He can’t perform tonight.”
Jonah’s nostrils flared as he shook his head. “Why not?”
“Stacy’s blood pressure spiked and she started having contractions. They’ve been at the ER since noon. She’s stable, and the contractions have stopped, but she’s all freaked now. Jeff doesn’t want to leave her because he’s afraid she’ll stress and relapse.”
“Christ,” Jonah grumbled. He looked as though he wanted to rant about Jeff’s situation, yet doing so would make him appear heartless. His brother might be a prick to him every now and then, but he’d never been cruel to a woman.
Then again, the moment Ally moved away, Jonah changed. He didn’t have the same compassion he had when she was around. Guess it was easier to turn off his emotions to everyone than to be haunted by a bad decision he’d made.
“Come on, bro. Will you help me out?”
Pursing his lips, Jonah was about to respond but shook his head instead. He didn’t give Theo a chance to object before he turned into the hallway and disappeared. It was hard to say if he was avoiding the conversation or if he was too overwhelmed to think.
Then again, maybe he was avoiding the urge to punch Theo. There was nothing like a last minute change before a set, and Jonah had a right to be frustrated. Theo hadn’t forgotten the similar instances that happened in New Orleans.
Despite not knowing Jonah’s exact state of mind, Theo wasn’t backing down. He couldn’t. Not if it delayed him from achieving his goals. Jonah set this whole thing up. He was the one who insisted they do this gig before hitting the studio. If he thought they needed the practice, why wouldn’t he help?
As much as he didn’t want this to blow up into a wicked fight, he couldn’t accept his brother’s refusal. After a few quick strides across the sitting room, he moved into the hall, working his way to the bedroom. When he reached the doorway, he noticed his brother standing near the foot of the bed.
Jonah unzipped the suitcase sitting atop the mattress and opened the cover. While he busied himself with the items on the bed, Theo caught a glimpse of the shirts already inside. Guess his brother had been packing before he showed up.
Great. As if he didn’t feel bad enough asking for Jonah’s help, now he was keeping his brother from doing what he needed.
A high-pitched chirp came from his brother’s phone, but he ignored it and tossed socks in his suitcase. Did Jonah plan to ignore him, too? His brother should know better than to try. He would bug him until Jonah had no other choice than to speak to him, just like when they were younger.
Clearing his throat, he waited for Jonah to acknowledge him, but his brother didn’t turn around. He continued stuffing his suitcase, adding his shaving kit next. The tension between them built with every silent second, and when it finally ended, it wasn’t with the words he wanted to hear.
“Sorry, Theo. I can’t do it. My flight leaves in three hours.”
“So what?” he grumbled. “Fly back tomorrow instead.”
If that was the only excuse Jonah had, this battle was won. Though he didn’t like guilting his brother into doing things for him, desperation had a way of making the most virtuous person do contemptible things. Theo’s merits were already sketchy.
Before he could continue hounding Jonah, his brother released a sigh. “I haven’t played in a solid year. This isn’t about rearranging my schedule. It’s about you finding the right guy. Somebody with talent.”
When Jonah peered in his direction, he clenched his jaw and fought the urge to yell his next response. “You can sell that bullshit somewhere else, Jonah.” He folded his arms as he leaned against the doorway. “Tell me you won’t, but don’t tell me you can’t. We both know better than that.”
His brother didn’t respond, so they stood there, exchanging disgruntled glares. He couldn’t believe Jonah was being so stubborn. It was only two days ago when he offered to cancel his trip home to L.A. He was only supposed to be gone for three days anyway. Something else was going on with him.
The longer Theo thought about it, the more frustrated he grew. He moved forward with hesitant steps but kept his eyes locked on Jonah. His brother gawked at him, at least until his phone beeped again. The sound drew his attention toward the nightstand and what Theo assumed to be a text.
Jonah reached for his phone. “See.” His voice rose as he grabbed the phone and shook it in Theo’s direction. “I have other shit to take care of. I can’t stay.”
Theo drew his brows tighter and advanced on his brother. Wasn’t family supposed to come first? He remembered making that promise to Jonah years ago. Had his brother forgotten the one he made in return?
“You lined this gig up months ago. Convinced me how important it was to prepare for our album recording. You should be responsible for finding a replacement!”
His voice cracked as he hit a higher pitch, and just as quickly as his temper erupted, it defused. He didn’t have the right to blame his brother, and he sure didn’t need to hurt his vocal chords before singing. If he wanted to get through to Jonah, he’d have to do the one thing he hated—admit he needed help.
“Jonah…I wouldn’t be asking if Jeff could make it, or if we had anyone else.”
The next round of silence dispelled his confidence. He should have known better than to think this battle was won. Then again, he hadn’t counted on something else weighing on his brother’s mind.
Time was running out. If Jonah ended up coming through, he’d need to warm up. It was hard to say how long that would take if he hadn’t played in a year. Guess his sound-producing job gave him little free time. Judging by the way his brother turned and stared at his suitcase, it didn’t matter anyway. He was determined to leave.
“Jeff won’t be ready for the recording if he doesn’t show. Why ask for my advice if you guys aren’t going to follow it? A freaked-out girlfriend is a piss-poor excuse to cancel, if you ask me.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that he had to though. For Christ’s sake, she’s pregnant, Jonah. Jeff has a whole mess to deal with. I ain’t touching it, and it shouldn’t matter. Where the hell is your heart?”
“It’s where I left it. Buried at the train station.”
The top of the suitcase flopped closed. Had it been a door, it would have been slammed shut because Jonah’s rigid stance hinted at his frustration. Guess coming back to Savannah drudged up the same feelings for him as it did Theo, regardless if it was over different women. Of course it did. Jonah loved Ally. Had Paula Jacobs not made her threats, things would have been different.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Theo stepped backwards and gripped the edge of the dresser. “How long you gonna live in the past, Jonah? You’re not responsible for what happened.”
“No, I’m only responsible for letting her leave with the wrong impression.”
It wasn’t like Jonah left Ally willingly, but his brother did a damn good job convincing her otherwise. Her mother left him with little choice. Had it been Theo, he wouldn’t have let anything stop him, would have told the girl he cared about that she was the one…
Yeah right. Lying was easy. Believing the lie, not so much. He was as big a coward as his brother back then. By the time they both shoved away their fears, it was too late.
“You thought you were doing the right thing. Why don’t you try looking her up? See what she’s—”
“Don’t go there, Theo. You can’t cross burnt bridges.”
Jonah tugged on the suitcase handle and set the wheels on the carpet. It made the lump in Theo’s throat thicken. His dilemma wasn’t a pr
iority for Jonah. Escaping painful memories was.
Yet before he could accept defeat, Jonah faced him. “Okay, I give. How long’s the set?”
It was as if a light was shining down from heaven and angels were singing in the distance. The glorious moment had Theo clapping his hands and pointing finger guns at Jonah. “Ten songs, big bro. You will not be sorry. I think this is the distraction you need. Wait ‘til you see the Friday night crowd this joint gets. Bodies packing the floor, ready to dance. Honeys at our feet, just dripping for a chance.” He pointed skyward and chuckled. “Hey, that’s not bad.”
Not giving his brother another thought, he rushed out of the room, determined to find a pen and paper. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a pad and pen in the sitting room with the hotel logo printed on both. He didn’t need much, just something to jot down the lyrics forming in his head. Inspiration had bad timing.
At least Jonah came through for him. It would do them some good to play together. He couldn’t remember the last time they hung out or had fun. Probably in New Orleans, before Jonah accepted a job offer to be a sound producer in L.A.
What a night that had been, a drunken night of music, booze, and women, Theo’s three favorite things. Combine the three, like they did that night, and it guaranteed a two-day hangover. If Jonah let loose once he started playing, Theo didn’t doubt they’d have a repeat performance.
Even if they didn’t do something crazy, it would definitely be a night to remember.
***
A warm breeze blew Cassie’s hair away from her shoulders as she stood outside the theater, awaiting Ally’s arrival. People continued to disappear through the doors, most likely to find their seats and order a drink. She wanted to do the same, wanted to get off her feet and throw back a couple of cocktails.
Instead, she glanced at her phone to see if Cori had replied to her last text. Her sister hadn’t responded, but she noticed the time. 8:00 pm. The doors would be closing any minute, and if she and Ally weren’t inside, they’d miss the show.
It wasn’t like Ally to put herself on such a tight schedule. Normally, she was ten minutes early for everything. Yet the one night she needed to be punctual, she wasn’t. What was with the Jacobs women today? There was no word from Paula either. In fact, if Cassie hadn’t texted Ally to confirm their plans, she still wouldn’t know if Paula was okay. God knows she’d left her hanging at the antique shop.
At least Paula kept her date with Ally.
Cassie wondered how the mother-daughter dinner had fared. If Ally’s mom was hitting the bottle again, not only would it explain why she left Cassie hanging, it would explain Ally’s delay. Hopefully nothing bad had happened.
As a few more patrons filtered into the theater, Cassie swiped her thumb over her phone’s screen and exited the conversation with her sister. She scrolled through the list of recent texts and found the one from Ally.
I’ll be there before 8:00. At dinner with Mom. Can’t wait to see you too.
Repeating the last phrase to herself, she dissected each word, searching for a hidden clue to her friend’s state of mind. Was Ally honestly looking forward to seeing her? Was she repeating Cassie’s words to be polite? Worse, was it code for ‘my mother is driving me nuts’?
Before she could give it any more thought, her phone vibrated. Another text populated her screen, but it didn’t come from Ally. Cori had finally replied.
Going out with a friend. Can’t be your DD tonight. Chat tomorrow?
She laughed to herself as she punched in a reply. It was hard to believe her little sister was twenty-one. The three-year age difference didn’t seem so big anymore. It did when they were younger and Cori had wanted to follow her around everywhere. Now she was in college, living her own life, and having fun with her friends. The sweet, freckle-faced girl had grown into a woman, one that loved to party just as much as her big sister.
Good thing their parents weren’t ready for grandkids. They’d be waiting a while, if so, because neither she nor Cori were interested in a relationship. Not a serious one. Why invest all her time in one person? She’d tried that with Aaron, and it got her nothing but eight months of boredom and one orgasm.
Thank God for vibrators…and sexy ass bartenders.
Once she noticed that Cori read her message, she tucked her phone inside her clutch and turned toward the doors. A twinge of disappointment filled her when she noticed they were closed. What a shame to know she’d wasted the tickets she’d won. Oh well. If she didn’t hear from Ally by eight-thirty, she’d head over to Midnight Blues and see if Mike was working. He’d provide enough distraction to help her forget her shitty day.
As she slipped her fingers inside her belt loops, she gazed at the sky. The pink and gold tinted clouds began to shift to hues of blue and gray. At least the weather was nice. It would be a perfect night to sneak up to the terrace of Mike’s apartment and have a few drinks. Doing so would guarantee two things—hot sex and one hell of an orgasm. Mike was definitely Aaron’s opposite in that department.
What they shared wasn’t love, which was the best thing about it. She didn’t have to worry about losing her heart. After seeing Ally’s break the night before she went to New York, Cassie swore she wanted nothing to do with love. Sex, hell yeah, but not love. She could do without that emotion for many more years.
Time ticked aimlessly away. She paced in front of the steps, worrying again that something had gone terribly wrong with Ally and Paula. Memory after memory of the estranged mother-daughter relationship bounced through her mind. Yeah, it sucked that she and Ally had missed the comedy show, but her friend’s welfare was more important.
As cars continued passing by, she scanned each one, but none were familiar. She doubted Ally would get a close parking space anyway. Not this late on a Friday night.
When the balls of her feet began aching, she leaned against the concrete wall surrounding the theater. It seemed like an eternity had passed. She dug out her phone and checked the clock once more. 8:28 pm. Hard to believe she’d spent twenty-plus minutes just pacing.
A groan rumbled from her chest. She lifted a loose strand of hair from her cheek and tucked it back under the hair comb she’d purchased. It was still in place, pinning part of her locks away from her face. She traced her finger over the flowers, remembering the tale the shopkeeper had told her.
Despite whatever legend was attached to the comb, she didn’t believe she would find her true love. The whole there-is-someone-for-everyone bullshit didn’t jibe with her. But Ally? Yeah, she’d buy into that. Between the two of them, her friend would be more apt to find her true half.
Hell, she already had… Jonah McCabe. Too bad he wasn’t in town.
The sound of a throat clearing resonated behind her. She spun around, locking eyes with a familiar, dark pair. It sure was good to see Ally, but why the hell hadn’t she called to say she’d be late?
“What happened to you?”
Ally’s brows pinched. The smile forming on her lips faltered as she glanced at her shirt. A moment later, she looked back up. “Nothing.” She accentuated the word as if she didn’t have a clue as to why Cassie was questioning her tardiness. “Why do you ask?”
Cassie punched her hips and cocked her head to the side. “You’re half an hour late.”
“No, I’m not.” Ally bent her wrist and gazed at her watch. “We have ten more minutes before the show begins.”
It was easy to see how much Ally believed what she was saying. No humor showed on her face. Confusion did. The way she kept peeking at her watch said as much.
“I was worried something had gone wrong at the restaurant, but I didn’t want to interrupt in case it was the opposite.” Cassie waved off the thought. No sense in worrying about it now. “Anywho, you better pick up a new battery for that watch.”
Ally’s head twisted from side-to-side. She ogled the watch as if she were questioning its accuracy. If Cassie knew her friend as well as she thought, Ally was in disbelief. She’d neve
r been late for anything and took pride in that fact. Cassie hated to burst her bubble.
“Really,” she grinned. “Check your phone.”
Reaching around her side, Ally removed her phone from her back pocket and stared at the screen before she spoke again.
“Great,” she complained as she threw her hand in the air. “The first really nice gift my mom gets me is messed up.” She tapped the watch then lowered her hand to her side. “I am incredibly sorry. Will they still seat us if we’re late?”
“Nah,” Cassie shrugged. She leaned closer to her friend, pulled the tickets from her jeans, and pointed to the fine print. “It specifically says so on the bottom, along with a spiel about how it distracts the comedians.”
As Ally’s eyes fluttered shut, her shoulders drooped. “My first week back and I’m letting people down.”
“Oh, please. You’ll have to do a lot more than that to let me down. I’m just glad your dinner went good.”
If Ally and her mom had a pleasant dinner, then there was a good chance Paula hadn’t been drinking. Yet the way Ally pursed her lips to the side and studied the theater said there was more to the story.
“It did go well, didn’t it?”
It was Ally who shrugged this time. Then she sighed. “That conversation requires a drink.”
Lovely. If Ally was ready to drink, there was definitely information she was withholding. Cassie couldn’t help but wonder what it was. Her curiosity always did get the better of her, but there was no need to ask questions in the middle of downtown Savannah. She’d get an explanation soon enough.
“Say no more.” She tugged the string on Ally’s sleeve then motioned behind her. “There’s a nice little blues joint just down the street. I had a really crappy day at work. Let’s go blow off some steam. We can stay until midnight and ring in your birthday the right way.”
Another smile curled Ally’s lips. “Liquor and music. What a great way to end this, how did you say it, crappy day?”