Rookie

by JL Paul

  Heart crashing, she gathered her materials, straining to hear his conversation.

  “Oh, I see. Well, maybe next weekend.” He glanced in Sidney’s direction as he ran a hand through his hair. “Of course I’m disappointed. You said this weekend.”

  Brows crunching together, he walked across the room, lowering his voice. “Look, I can’t talk now. Let me call you back in a couple of minutes.”

  Ending his call, he returned to her side.

  “Sorry I have to run,” he said, hand on her shoulder, “but we’ll continue this Monday. You okay with that?”

  “Of course,” she said with a fake smile. “I’ll clean this up – you go. We’ll talk about it later.”

  Nodding, he lifted his other hand to her free shoulder. His eyes searched her face as if trying to recapture something. “Hey, I really am sorry that I have to go. Um, are you coming by my place Saturday?”

  “Oh, yeah, the cookout thing. Lexie mentioned that,” she stammered. “Um, sure. I’ll be there.”

  “Great,” he said with a wide grin. “Pack an overnight bag, though. You know you’ll end up crashing in the guest room.”

  “Okay,” she said as he gave her shoulders a squeeze and jogged out of the room. Her smile wilted as she tucked her things under her arm and headed out. There was no way in hell she’d spend the night at his place – especially if Melanie would be there.

  Seven

  When Sidney arrived at Rob’s house Saturday morning, it wasn’t without trepidation. She’d tried to come up with an excuse to miss the little shindig, but couldn’t think of a single thing. In the end, she figured it would just be best to go, meet Melanie, pretend like everything was great, and get it over with.

  The sun sent hot rays down on her head as she exited her car. The blue sky wasn’t marred by a single cloud. The temperature was rising, slowly, but wasn’t near sweltering. A perfect day for a gathering with good friends and good food. Too bad she wasn’t much in the mood for it.

  She’d received a test that morning from Lexie, informing her that the party had been moved to Rob’s. Curious, she wondered why they’d move things a few houses down the beach.

  “Hello, Sidney,” Mrs. B greeted when Sidney entered the kitchen. “Everyone is out on the deck. Go on out there.”

  “Okay,” Sidney said, taking a deep breath. But when she walked through the doors and back into the beautiful day, only three people greeted her.

  “Hey, Rookie. It’s about time,” Rob said from his chair, his shoulders slumped, his face dark. He pointed at the cooler near the door. “Grab a drink and join us. We’ll throw some burgers on the grill in a little bit.”

  Helping herself to a bottle of water, Sidney joined Rob, Chad, and Lexie near the rail.

  Relaxing for the moment, Sidney took a second to admire the smooth ocean. A pelican floated over the water, scouting a meal while the waves smacked the beach before receding.

  “Where is everyone?” Sidney asked, leaning against the rail. “I thought this was supposed to be a big blowout party.”

  “Yeah, well,” Rob said with a careless wave of the hand.

  Lexie hopped out of her seat to retrieve another drink. “We toned things down today. Melanie got called out of the country to meet with some designers in France. She won’t be back for about a month.”

  That explained Rob’s sullen mood. Although it made her feel a little guilty – she didn’t want to see Rob so hurt – but it certainly brightened her mood to know she wouldn’t have to meet Melanie that day.

  “Oh, well, that sucks,” she said, jutting her lip out a touch. “Now what?”

  “We just hang out,” Chad said with a shrug. “Eat, have some drinks, listen to some music.”

  “Okay,” Sidney said, not daring to even glance in Rob’s direction. She was too afraid that he’d read the joy in her eyes.

  They sat around, making small talk about the office until Rob decided to throw some burgers on the grill.

  “I think we’ll start rehearsing on Monday, Rookie,” Rob called over his shoulder as the meat sizzled on the grate.

  “But,” she said, crossing the deck to stand next to him. “I don’t have a band or anything. I can’t do it acoustic.

  “Yeah, I know,” Rob said with a slight grin. “That’s why Paulie and Bruno are going to back you. Along with a few other guys that do this sort of work for us when we need them.”

  Sidney’s eyes grew. “Paulie and Bruno?”

  Chad nodded, a smirk on his lips. “Rob and I would, too, but we’ll be in the booth. We’re producing your stuff.”

  “You don’t mind, do you?” Rob asked, a bit of a light in his eyes.

  “No, not at all,” Sidney said, smiling in spite of herself. Excitement bubbled in her stomach. “This is great. I can’t believe Paulie and Bruno will be playing.”

  “They’re more than happy to do it,” Rob said, flipping the burgers. “Chad and I will probably pop in and play a bit on a couple songs.”

  “Wow,” Sidney said, leaning against the rail.

  Rob gave her a small smile as his face relaxed for the first time since she’d arrived.

  As they ate, the sun began to set, giving them a spectacular light show. Stomach full, Sidney relaxed in her chair, nursing a bottle of beer.

  “Chad, remember back in the early days,” Rob said from his chair next to Sidney. “Remember how we used to get together with our friends on the beach, build a fire, and just jam?”

  “Yeah,” Chad said as Lexie leaned into him. “Yeah, that was cool.”

  “Let’s do that now,” Rob said. “There’s some wood under the deck. It’s a private beach. We’ll grab a couple guitars. What do you say?”

  “Let’s do it.”

  While Chad and Rob tended to the fire, Lexie and Sidney went downstairs to Rob’s studio to grab two acoustic guitars. When they returned, they helped the guys take chairs down to the fire and settled in.

  Rob began playing one of his older songs. When Chad chimed in, Rob began belting out the lyrics, causing a warm, safe feeling to wash over Sidney. She recalled her high school days, when these old songs first came out, and how she’d let music soothe her worries and troubles. So many times she’d locked herself into whatever bedroom she’d had at the time and listened to her favorite bands – Society Lost among them. One of the things she’d taken with her when she’d ran away was the cheap little MP3 player she’d bought herself. The comfort it had given her during those long, lonely nights was immeasurable.

  After their third song, Chad handed his guitar to Sidney.

  “Your turn.”

  Sidney took it, her jaw falling.

  “I don’t think so,” she said.

  “Come on, Sid,” Lexie pleaded. “I haven’t heard you sing yet.”

  “Let’s do the one we worked on Friday,” Rob said. “I think I remember it.”

  With a sigh, Sidney plucked the strings to a song she’d written after living on the streets for a few weeks. She’d met a girl not much older than herself who was so strung out on cocaine and booze that she’d turned to prostitution in order to feed her habits. Sidney had often wondered what the girl – she’d never given Sidney her name – would have been like had she turned her life around and sought help.

  Then, she wrote a song about it.

  When she finished, Lexie erupted into a round of applause.

  “Wow, Sid, you really are good!” Lexie said.

  “Well, yeah,” Rob said, balancing his guitar on his lap. “I only sign the best.”

  Sidney rolled her eyes although no one really noticed. She hoped that if anyone did notice her face, they’d think the red cheeks was from the warmth of the fire.

  “I can’t wait to get her in a studio,” Chad said.

  “Yeah, me either,” Rob said. “We’re going to have to work her in this week and get started. I want to get a single released around the end of summer, early fall.”

  “That’s rather ambitious,” Sidney
said, those butterflies going wild in her stomach again. “I mean, you still have your CD to edit and that new band to get started.”

  “It’s only May,” Rob reminded her. “Two of those boys won’t finish school until the end of this month. We have a little time.”

  She wasn’t exactly sure why she was stalling. She’d already resigned herself to the fact that she was going to do this. Why not get to work right away? Why not put her heart and soul into it? Then, perhaps, she’d have something else to focus on besides Rob.

  With that thought in mind, she nodded. “Well, all right. As long as it won’t interfere with anything else, we should get to work.”

  “That’s my girl,” Rob grinned, picking up his guitar again. “Let’s do some cover songs, just for fun, huh?”

  As the party broke up, Rob once again insisted that she stay the night. He didn’t want her driving after consuming a few beers and she was inclined to agree.

  The guest room was becoming so familiar to her. Comfortable with a queen-sized bed, soft mattress, and the silkiest sheets, it never took her long to fall asleep. And waking in the morning, the sunlight streaming through the pale beige curtains, was like waking up in a fancy hotel.

  When she went downstairs to the kitchen, Rob was already there, pouring a cup of coffee.

  “Morning, Rookie,” he said, pulling another mug from the cabinet. He filled it and handed it to her. “Sleep well?”

  “Yes, thanks,” she said as she doctored her coffee.

  Mrs. B slid two plates heaping with biscuits and gravy onto the breakfast bar, pointing at the empty chairs. “Eat while it’s hot.”

  Sidney’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the food. Mrs. B was an excellent cook and even though Sidney wasn’t extremely hungry, she couldn’t help but to eat when Mrs. B stuck food in front of her face.

  “What are you going to do today?” Rob asked between mouthfuls.

  “Go home and shower,” Sidney said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “And then probably just take it easy.”

  Nodding, Rob speared a chunk of biscuit and crammed it into his mouth. “Me, too. Unless, do you want to hang out with me? We could go downtown, check out the sights, grab some lunch – maybe check out a movie? What do you think?”

  Sidney’s heart was demanding that she agree – that it wanted nothing more than to be with Rob for the entire day without the distractions of the office. But her head was warning her that it would be torture – being so close to him but not having the right to touch him.

  She was an idiot, for sure. She agreed.

  Once she finished eating, she ran home to shower and change into cropped jeans and a blue t-shirt. She tied her hair back into a ponytail, applied a touch of mascara and eyeliner, slipped into some flip flops, and waited for Rob to pick her up.

  She couldn’t remember having so much fun since she’d arrived in California. He was a knowledgeable host, taking her to Beverly Hills so she could gawk at the beautiful houses and admire the chic, expensive shops. After a quick lunch in an outdoor café, he took her to the Hollywood sign before driving around the area, trying to catch a glimpse of actresses or actors. After driving around a few other tourist spots, they enjoyed an early dinner before selecting a movie.

  Being in the dark theater was the most difficult part of her day. Driving around or dining, they’d been able to fill the time with laughter and conversation. It had been easier to remember that he was still in love with his ex-wife. But sitting in the theater, sharing a tub of popcorn, she couldn’t help but to touch his hand or brush against his thigh.

  And when he leaned over to whisper something in her ear, his breath caressed her neck and caused happy chills to race up and down her spine. It took every ounce of restraint she possessed to keep from leaning into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  He’s just your friend, sweetheart, a cocky voice reminded her. She tried to shake it out of her head but the stubborn voice remained. He looks at you like you’re one of the guys, nothing more.

  She knew that, but deep down she couldn’t help but to hope that maybe, after being together for the whole day, that he might look at her differently.

  When the movie ended, he placed a light hand on the small of her back as they slowly made their way to the exit with the rest of the crowd. As soon as they broke free from the horde, he dropped his hand and led her to his car.

  “Thanks for hanging out today,” he said once they were inside and he started the engine. “It was nice to just chill and not think about work.”

  “Thanks for taking me,” she said. “It was nice to see you relaxed and not stressed over everything.”

  He laughed as he maneuvered through the line of cars exiting the lot. His strong hands on the wheel attracted too much of her attention so she turned her head to look out the window at the darkness.

  “Something on your mind, Rookie?” he asked.

  “No,” she said, turning to smile at him. “Just thinking about the work we have to do.”

  “Don’t think about it,” he teased. “Focus on something else.”

  “Tell me something else about you,” she said, twisting in her seat.

  “Not much else to tell,” he said with a shrug.

  “You married awfully young,” she said, Melanie lurking in the corner of her mind.

  Nodding, he gripped the wheel tighter. “Yeah, I did. Was stupid. I was nineteen and she was eighteen. She’d just graduated and neither of us wanted to wait for her to get a college education. Our parents warned us that it would be just too hard.”

  “But you didn’t listen,” Sidney surmised.

  He barked out a laugh. “Hell no, we didn’t. We were young, in love, and thought we knew it all. We applied for a license, went to the courthouse, and got married.”

  “What did your parents say?”

  “Not much they could say at that point,” he frowned. “They weren’t happy at all – especially hers. She had a scholarship to attend a fashion school.”

  “But, she could still go,” Sidney argued.

  “True,” he said. “And she did. For awhile. We rented a tiny, studio apartment and I was working at this warehouse. It was a good job for a nineteen year-old kid, but not a good job for a nineteen year-old kid with a wife. Melanie took classes during the day at worked at night at a grocery store. We made due. I worked on music at night while she was at the store.”

  “So, what happened?” Sidney asked, enthralled in spite of everything.

  “It got to be too much,” he said. “I was spending more and more nights with Chad and the guys that were in our first band and calling off too much at the warehouse. I lost my job and couldn’t find anything for a long time. The bills piled up so she dropped out of school and worked full time at the store.”

  He paused for a second to enter traffic, brushing the hair out of his face. “After about eighteen months or so, I was bitter. I didn’t want someone tying me down. I wanted freedom to work on my music. Mel started to resent me for making her quit school. It got bad. I started spending more time at Chad’s place, drinking heavily, going to clubs, playing gigs at seedy bars. I never cheated but it was hard on Mel, sitting at home, wondering if I was.”

  Sidney’s heart went out to the young couple. Two people who had once loved each other had let life tear them apart.

  “Finally, after about two and half years, I came home one morning to find a note stuck to the fridge with a magnet. It said that she was done, that she was going home to her parents, and that she was filing for divorce. Her dad managed to get her an excellent attorney and shortly after I turned twenty-two, I was divorced.”

  “I’m sorry, Rob,” she whispered.

  He patted her knee with a smile. “It happens, you know? Turns out that our parents were right and we were too young. It just took me about another year of boozing and womanizing to figure it out. Of course, around that time, we hooked up with Paulie and Bruno and finally got noticed.”

  Nodding, Sidney
looked out at the lights flickering in windows. They’d left behind the city and were well on their way towards Sidney’s little burg.

  “At least you and Melanie are friends now,” she said.

  “We are,” he said. “And maybe things do happen for a reason. We respect each other now. We’ve realized that, when we were married, we were both selfish, only worried about what our own dreams and ambitions and not concerned for the other.”

  “It takes time to grow up,” Sidney said.

  “For some people,” he countered. “You, on the other hand, had to grow up too quickly.”

  “I suppose,” she said. “I guess it worked out in the end for both of us.”

  “It did, Rookie,” he said with a bit of a laugh as he pulled into the parking lot for her apartment complex. “Do you need me to walk you up?”

  “No,” she said, unlatching her seatbelt. “Thanks for today, Rob. I really had a great time.”

  “No, problem,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Thanks for keeping me company. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay,” she said. She scurried out of the car and up the steps to her apartment. Once inside, she locked the door and leaned against it, her heart drumming, a smile on her lips.

  “Stop, you idiot,” she chastised as she turned on a light and walked to her bedroom. Opening a drawer, she withdrew a pair of pajamas and began to undress. “He’s your friend, stupid.”

  With that, she went to the bathroom to prepare for bed; Rob’s kiss still burning her cheek.

  Eight

  She was immediately thankful that she’d taken a little time to relax on Sunday when she walked into the office the next morning. Things started out hectic and only grew worse. She worked through the pile that Rob had left for her on his desk until lunch time. After a quick bite, she was rushed into the rehearsal room to go over her music with the musicians. That took up the rest of the afternoon and once Rob was satisfied, he told her that they would have one more session before getting into the recording studio on Wednesday.

  Tired but satisfied, Sidney dropped into her bed every night, happy with the way in which things were going. True, it was going rather quickly, but it didn’t give her time to think or doubt.