“Oh, my God, Rod.” Tears swell in her eyes. “I think I’m going to pass out,” she says fanning her face with her hands. “Is this really happening?”
“Believe it, baby.”
I wipe away the few tears trickling down her beautiful face.
“Stupid tears,” she laughs, embarrassed.
“I’m in love with your stupid tears and every part of you,” I tell her. “You’re the only woman I’ve loved other than Nana. Every guy in my entourage knew you were off-limits. Protecting you was a vow I took so seriously, I locked you away in the friend zone. You were untouchable, even to me. I don’t know when it happened—probably well before you left for your training, which would explain why things were so weird between us—but I’m tired of denying it. You stole my heart, Dom.”
“I’m so in love with you,” she says quietly, “I didn’t know what to do with myself before leaving LA. I was so afraid my growing feelings would change our relationship. I was scared it would push you away if it wasn’t mutual. It took me by surprise, but loving you is the best feeling in the world.”
“Same here, baby.” I place a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.
I never thought I could love someone this much, but I do. She’s right. It’s a pretty amazing feeling.
CHAPTER 26
Roderick
I just got back from LAX. Neither Dom nor I were looking forward to her departure. Saying goodbye to someone has never felt this cruel. We made promises to text and call each other every day, but we know it won’t compare to hanging out on my deck after dinner, catching up on the highlights of the day. For years I was content falling asleep alone in my king size bed. I doubt it’ll be the case in the coming days.
I stroll back to my office carrying a plate with two cookie and cream donuts in one hand and a latte in the other. Since meetings ate up my morning and Dom is away, I decided to work later tonight.
“There you are,” Marissa says when she sees me.
“I just got back.”
“You have a visitor,” she says approaching me. “A very, very, very charming one.”
“Aren’t you married?”
“Happily so, but it doesn’t mean I’m blind,” she tells me. “Not to mention when a man is as observant as your visitor, it perks a girl’s ears.”
I frown. “You lost me.”
“My new hair color.”
“Blonde as usual?”
“No. I got my hair done yesterday and the hubby has yet to notice, but your visitor did.”
“Who’s the––”
“I went from a dirty blonde to an ash blonde––a more youthful bright tone. I love your girlfriend’s golden blonde––”
“Is there a point to this?”
“You’re just like my husband,” she scolds.
“Marissa,” I warn. “I don’t have all day. Dark? Light? Regardless. Your hair looks great. Now, who’s the visitor?”
She lets out a loud huff. She’s amazing at what she does, but when she goes off on a tangent, you can grow old just by listening to her. The best way to deal with her colorful, vibrant personality is to cut to the chase. “Mr. Gideon––”
“No way. Gideon Wilding?”
“Yes!”
“He’s here? In LA?”
“Yes and yes!”
“I can’t believe it. I haven’t seen him in such a long time.”
“Well, he’s in the building.”
“Holy shit. Did he have an appointment I forgot about?”
“No. He just dropped by. I thought it was a little peculiar, but given who he is, I didn’t give it a second thought.”
“That’s fine. He’s lucky I wasn’t caught in a meeting or traveling. I guess he really wanted to see me.”
“I’m sure he was eager to catch up. I’ve read so many stories online about him and how instrumental he was in your career, but I didn’t know he was such a gentleman. It’s so rare in the music industry.”
“Did you put him in the conference room?”
“I put him on the second floor. I still have to tidy up the aquarium, and the other conference room on the third floor is under siege—donuts,” she says, dropping her eyes to my plate.
I laugh. “Good call.”
“I didn’t know how long it would take you to get back from the airport, so I made sure he had coffee and donuts while he waits.”
“I can’t believe this. I haven’t seen the guy in five years. I was going to knock off a few things on my list, but seeing an old friend trumps work.”
* * *
After dropping the donuts and coffee in the kitchen, I take the stairs two by two. As I approach a conference room, I hear Gideon’s loud voice coming from the door that’s slightly ajar.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Peter?” he barks. “I didn’t fly overnight from London for you to come empty-handed,” he shouts louder. “I have a fucking company to run.”
Whoa.
“Is that your excuse? Why the fuck do you think I pay you such outrageous fees? You’re the lawyer. Figure it out.”
Yikes. It doesn’t sound like he’s having a good day.
“Make the problem or problems go the fuck away, Peter. If you don’t, I’ll fire your ass and find someone who will. Call me back the minute you have something. And don’t waste my fucking time until you do.”
I’m not sure what he’s dealing with, but when lawyers are involved, it’s usually heavy shit.
It feels weird to knock on a door in my own building, but for some reason, I feel compelled to do so.
“I can’t believe my eyes,” I say when I enter the room. “Gideon, is it really you?” I chuckle as I approach him.
“Rod Wolfe,” he smiles. “How are you doing, man?”
We exchange a quick hug.
I step back and take a good look at him. “Clearly not nearly as good as you. You’re unrecognizable,” I say.
Gideon’s fitted jacket and shirt are practically ripping from his bulging bicep and chest muscles.
“I’m fifty-seven, if I don’t keep in shape, I don’t get any pussy. I guess I should say the kind of pussy I like. There’s a hell of a lot of subpar pussy out there, but it doesn’t get my dick hard.”
Too much information.
“Come on, you’re exaggerating,” I tease.
“Money isn’t enough anymore with women. They’re looking for washboard abs, sparkling personality, a stud in bed––who sports a twelve-inch cock––and a pro at eating pussy. When did they become so fucking demanding? When I was younger, they didn’t seem to be so opinionated,” he laughs. “In any case, when I moved to New York five years ago, I started working out with a personal trainer. When I moved to London three years ago, I hired a new one. I juice to help me bulk up faster and trim off the fat.”
My eyebrows knit together. I’ve been training long enough to know he isn’t talking about kale, beet or carrot juice.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I had to resort to steroids to keep up with young pups like you.” His candid response surprises me. “I also had to get on the Viagra prescription to keep it up longer. Aging fucking sucks,” he says. Whoa. “Enough about me. Long gone is the poor kid with big dreams from the Fashion District. You’re big time now and you’re sitting on top of an impressive empire,” he says opening his arms and pivoting around.
“Nah, it’s just a little side business,” I joke. “Let’s sit down.”
“Good idea.”
“You’re on a no carb, no sugar diet?” I ask when I noticed he hasn’t touched his latte or donuts.
He laughs. “You’re quick. I forgot that about you. Actually, the donuts look tempting and I planned on eating one. I just got caught up on that stupid phone call.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Of course. You know how it is. Success fosters envy in some people. Big success brings out the ugly green monster in many sore losers. I’m just dealing with some shit right now. Nothing my
legal team can’t handle,” he explains.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t worry about it, Rod. At this rate, you’ll be standing in my shoes soon. Just make sure you have shark lawyers on your side.”
“Noted,” I say. “It’s great to see you Gideon, but how did you know where to find me?” I ask.
“I bumped into Holt three months ago at an event in London. We started talking and he told me all about your amazing success. I remember Googling your company and the catchy name stuck. Since I arrived in LA yesterday, I thought I’d look you up. You know me. I like things up close and personal, so I decided to drop by instead of just calling.”
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see Gideon again, but it’s a little presumptuous of him to just show up unannounced.
“I see.”
“I’m sure you’re a busy man, but I hope it’s not a problem.”
“Not at all. It’s a great opportunity for us to catch up.”
“My sentiments exactly. Speaking of which, I’m still blown away by your exec title. A lot of artists get lost once the spotlight isn’t shining bright on them anymore.”
“Oh, I got lost. Remember my rehab days?”
“Who in this city doesn’t go to rehab?” he chuckles. “That’s behind you now.”
“Yeah,” I nod. “I wouldn’t be here without a great network of family and friends.”
“Well, I’m very proud of you. You were worth taking a chance on,” he smiles wide.
“Thanks for believing in me.”
Dom shot, edited and uploaded the videos that caught Gideon’s attention. They say show business is one part talent, three parts luck. I’m living proof of that. Patrick Dreiser was the band manager for Random Misconception. Their drummer Bower Connelly had to bail out because his father Fisher Connelly was running––and rumored to have pretty good chances––for Governor of California and he didn’t want to lessen his chances by having his son involved in the wild music business. Gideon knew Patrick well. An introduction and a few auditions later, and I joined Holt, Beckett and Jace as the fourth member of Random Misconception. My bandmates grew up in an upscale part of LA I was never privy to—until Gideon showed up in my life.
“You turned out great despite your parents. Is your dad still in hiding? I’m surprised he never came out of the woodwork even in your heyday.”
“He’s dead. So is my mom.”
“Whoa.” Gideon is speechless for a few long seconds. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“This may sound cruel and heartless, but it wasn’t a big loss for me, or my brothers.”
Everyone knew Mom had a vendetta against Dad, but no one thought she’d be willing to die for it. It took a while, but eventually Mom got her act together. She even got a decent job––she didn’t want to mooch off me. My brothers cut her out completely well before they enlisted. I covered a few of her expenses and gave her money every month. We didn’t have much to say to each other, so we didn’t talk often. One day out of the blue, Mom declared she was going to Buffalo on vacation. I was a bit taken aback by her choice of destination considering she’d never even set foot outside of California. Two weeks after she left, I got a call from Buffalo PD. I was her emergency person. Rachel Chalmers T-boned her rented SUV into River Wolfe’s pickup truck, killing both of them on impact. After her death, as I was sorting out her affairs, I came across a trail of papers showing Mom had hired private investigators to track my father. She had methodically planned the murder-suicide for a year.
“We don’t get to choose our parents.”
“No, we don’t.”
“Glad to see you’ve moved forward. How are Rory and Roark?”
I’m just about to answer, when there’s a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I say.
Marissa pops her head in. “Am I interrupting anything?” she asks. “Well, this will only be a minute. Since the boss left his afternoon treats upstairs, I thought I’d bring them down. I also brought a fresh latte for Mr. Wilding… just in case the first one was already cold.”
“That’s really thoughtful of you,” I say. Truth be told, I was looking forward to a sugar and caffeine high.
Marissa walks in pushing a tray. She displays a piping hot latte and donuts in front of me and places a cup in front of Gideon.
“You’re a doll,” Gideon smirks at her, his eyes traveling over my executive assistant’s body almost… sexually? Okay. “You’re a keeper. If Rod doesn’t want you anymore, call me.”
“You’re such a smooth talker, Mr. Wilding. The hubby would never forgive me if I left the boss. He likes Rod, and the boys love his music.”
“Fair enough. Remember, the offer stands,” he winks.
She blushes.
Good Lord.
“Best if I leave you two music execs at it,” she says.
“Thank you, Marissa.”
“Yes, thank you,” Gideon says.
Gideon watches Marissa leave the conference room, fascinated. It’s like he’s never seen a woman in his life. She’s attractive, but given his line of work, he’s surrounded by beauties all the time.
Weird.
Confusion about that strange interaction clouds my thoughts when I speak, “She’s lighthearted.”
“She is,” he almost licks his lips.
“And she’s happily married and she has three boys,” I stress.
“I saw the hard-to-miss ring on her finger and she did point it out. I don’t touch what belongs to another man. Not to mention, she’s way too old for me, but she’s a curvaceous blonde, so that plays in her favor. What can I say? I’m a big ol’ flirt,” he flashes me a wolfish grin.
“Still on the same steady diet I see.” The harshness of my words surprises me.
“If it ain’t broke…”
“Right,” I say. “To answer your question, my brothers are big time now. UTV.com is breaking new ground. Major networks and cable stations don’t like how they’re shaking up the status quo.”
“Wow. They’re behind that?”
“They’re more low profile than me,” I laugh.
“We can’t all be rock royalty.”
“Indeed,” I smile. “Yeah, Rory’s wife is the one responsible for their impressive roster of in-house produced programs and films. Her idea paid off. That’s what sets them apart from their Goliath competitors.”
That’s where Loki and I cut our teeth in the production department. Dom apprenticed there as well.
“Good for them,” Gideon nods. “Wow, Rory put a noose around his neck. Did she put a gun to his head?” Gideon smirks.
“No, Rory has always been the stable one. I was the wild card with anger management issues and Roark was kind of in between.”
“Did Roark lose his balls as well?”
“You mean is he married?”
“What else?”
“No, he’s still single.”
“I don’t have to ask about you. I’m sure you’re wrecking pussy everywhere you go.”
“Actually, I’m in a committed relationship.”
Gideon’s eyes bulge out of his skull. “A what? Please tell me that’s a disease.”
“I’m seeing someone.”
“No shit?” his eyes drop to my left hand.
“I’m not married, but I’m off the market.”
“Jesus Christ. I leave LA for five years and it all goes to hell. Who’s responsible for castrating you?”
“I still have my balls—”
“Was there a state—or nationwide—mourning among women when you announced your cock would have to lower its standards and fuck only one pussy until you came to your senses?” he snorts.
I fail to see the humor.
Honestly, I can’t tell if he’s joking or if he’s being serious, but his tone irritates the fuck out of me.
“Gideon—”
His phone rings.
He picks it up without apologizing.
“Talk to me, Pe
ter.”
Well, this turned out to be a strange reunion.
“What the hell? You’re a moron, Peter!” Gideon shouts so loud, I flinch. “I don’t even know who that is.” He lets out an exasperated sigh before shifting his eyes to me. “One second,” he mouths.
“Sure,” I mouth back.
“For fuck’s sake, Peter, you’re completely useless.” I wouldn’t want to be Peter right about now. “I’ll be there asap.”
“Sounds serious,” I say when Gideon hangs up.
“God damn incompetent lawyers. They charge a fortune, but can’t solve shit. I wanted to go out for dinner, but I’ll have to take a rain check. What about tomorrow?”
After witnessing his outburst, I’m not certain I feel the need to spend any more time with Gideon, but to be fair, I’ve had my retarded moments in the past.
“Tomorrow night works for me.”
“Great. Give me your number and I’ll text you where we’ll meet.”
“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, we can head to—”
“Rod, it’s my treat. Relax,” he pats me on the back.
Wow.
It’s incredible how tense I am around him.
CHAPTER 27
Roderick
When I got home last night, I texted Holt. I wanted his take on things. He was also surprised by Gideon’s Mr. Universe appearance and his slightly—okay, insanely—abrasive attitude.
At least, I’m not the only one.
Gideon is nothing like I remember. Maybe he changed over the years and I never picked up on it. Then again, I met the guy when I was seventeen. I worshipped the ground he walked on because he allowed me to escape from the shit hole I grew up in. I owe him so much. Getting me signed with Random Misconception was a big coup for Gideon. As our career hit new heights, he received an offer he couldn’t refuse. He became the CEO of Streamify––a leading music streaming service––and moved to New York. Who knows? Maybe the Big Apple’s fast-paced life made him a lot more hardcore.
I pass the security gate at the Labyrinth Lounge and drive my Maserati up the driveway to the restaurant. I’ve never been here before, but I’ve heard of it. It might look like any other eatery in the city, but it’s not. It’s a members’ only restaurant––part of the umbrella of restaurants and clubs owned by Carl Zorion.
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