by Aly Stiles
“There. That.” I slap my palm on the strings, and she glances up sharply.
“What?”
“Sing that again.”
“Sing what?”
“Whatever you just sang for ‘without you, I’m not the one I meant to be.’”
She stares at me like I just asked her to do a thousand pushups with one arm.
“Sing it,” I repeat, playing the chords again.
“Um… I…”
She hums some inaudible tune.
“Louder. I can’t hear it.”
“I can’t… I don’t sing.”
“Bull crap. And who cares if it sucks anyway. We’re writing, not performing. Some of the best songwriters in the world can’t actually sing the songs they write.”
I play the progression again. She stares at me for another second before finally releasing the tiniest melody on meant to be.
“Okay, yes. That’s good. Now sing the whole line.”
Her back straightens a bit, and this time I can hear a clear melody for the full thing.
“Yes! Love it. But that’s not what you were singing before. The melody went down on you. Kind of like...” I sing a few different variations until her face lights up.
“That one!” she says, bouncing on her feet. “That’s the one.”
“I agree. Okay hang on.” I pull out my phone.
“What are you doing?”
“We need to record that bad boy so we don’t forget it. Then let’s start at the beginning.”
CHAPTER 16
HADLEY
“Morning.”
“Hey, Oliver,” I say, sliding the tea I brought for him along the kitchen island. Viv’s cappuccino is waiting for her in the carrier.
“Aw, you didn’t have to do that. Thanks,” he says, still looking groggy as he pulls out a stool. He takes a sip of his tea while I turn back to my laptop. “Viv will be down in a sec. She’s finishing up something with a… I don’t know. It looked like a medieval torture device and makes her hair all crinkled.”
“Crinkled?” I lift a brow.
“Like…” He waves his hand around in what I’m guessing is supposed to be a hair pattern.
“Gotcha,” I say, biting back a smile.
He huffs out a breath. “Whatever. You know what I mean.”
“The scary thing is, I kind of do.” I stare back at my laptop screen to review the day’s schedule one last time. “So I heard a rumor that a certain hockey player might be moving in this week,” I say casually.
A giant grin spreads over his face as he shrugs. “I’m here all the time anyway. It’s more practical if we consolidate. Plus, Sandy can finally have his basement back.”
“Ah. So this was a logistical decision.”
“Purely,” he says with a straight face.
I chuckle and punch his arm. “Good. I’m glad you two are being so logistical. It’ll be fun having you around more. Or the same, I guess.”
He smirks and shakes his head.
“Hi, Had!” Viv says brightly, entering the kitchen. Yep, her hair is indeed whatever Oliver’s hand motion was. I smile to myself. “Oh thank goodness,” she groans, grabbing the cappuccino. “What would I do without you?”
“Probably evaporate into cosmic dust,” I say without looking up from my screen.
“I would too,” she says to Oliver. “Hey, babe.” That one comes with a kiss I try to ignore. They’re unbelievably cute. Also annoying at seven in the morning. They saw each other three minutes ago.
“Hey, I gotta jet. We still on for tonight?” he asks.
“Absolutely,” she says in a sultry voice I can’t unhear. I need to start working with headphones on.
“Um… actually no. You’re not,” I interrupt.
They both glare at me like I’m the one who invented video conferencing. I hold up my hands and shrink. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. You have that video call with Lydia tonight.”
Viv grunts. “That’s tonight?”
“Yep. She has some ideas about promoting the band and getting you guys off the ground with a bang. You could probably still do dinner from five-thirty to six-thirty as long as you order in or do something quick.”
She scrunches her nose, making it clear that’s not her favorite idea of all time. “Actually, if that’s what she wants to talk about we should reschedule anyway. Julian should be there for any band business. Call her and set something up for when he’s… available.” Her eyes narrow at me. “What was that?”
“What?” I ask, my heart racing way more than it should be for our daily schedule review.
“Your face. It’s doing this blushy thing. You see it?” she asks Oliver.
“Yeah. I saw it. Happened when you said Julian.”
“Yes! There it is again!”
My face is on fire. I feel what they’re talking about. Problem is it’s also in my chest and pretty much everywhere else.
“Oh my gosh, you like him,” Viv cries, leaning way too far into my personal space.
“What? Pssh.” Yeah, I won’t be winning any awards for that response, but my brain stopped working the moment she said his name. I stare back at my computer and clear my throat. “Also, I’ll pick up that dress from--”
“Oh no. We’re not done here. I thought you couldn’t stand him. How many times has she told us he’s a jerk?” she asks Oliver.
He shrugs, more interested in his tea again. “That I’ve heard? At least fifty.”
“Whatever. He’s so not my type,” I grunt. Now I’m just clicking random things on my desktop for no reason. Maybe they’ll believe I’m doing something super important all of a sudden and let this drop.
“Um, he’s exactly your type,” Viv says, peeking around my screen. Crap. Busted. I stop clicking.
“I didn’t even know she had a type,” Oliver says.
“Everyone has a type, sweetie,” Viv says.
“Yeah? What’s your type?” he asks suspiciously.
“I think that’s pretty obvious,” she says softly, sliding her arms around his neck. He smiles back and yep, more kissing at the breakfast counter.
He pulls away looking like a World War II soldier about to go off to war instead of a hockey player going to practice for a few hours. “I have to get going. My commute is a lot longer from here.”
Viv pouts and lets him ago. “I know. Okay. Have fun training.”
“Have fun singing.”
He starts toward the door.
“Oliver, wait!”
He turns, and she runs after him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him down for one last lingering kiss. For the record, this is every morning. I roll my eyes and focus back on my screen. At least they’re distracted from me.
“I’ll let you know about tonight,” she says as he finally pulls away.
“Great. Text me later.” He blows a kiss and finally disappears for real.
Viv returns and grabs a yogurt and spoon, looking semi-recovered from their separation. In their defense, we’ve only been back from The Genevieve Fox Farewell Tour for a couple of weeks. After months apart, things should level out once the honeymoon period is over, especially if Oliver officially moves in.
One can hope anyway.
“Okay. Now, we can have real girl talk,” Viv says, the yogurt spoon still in her mouth. She’s back in my personal bubble again, and I swallow.
“Girl talk? Like about bras and periods and stuff?” I quip, still fake interested in whatever I’m looking at on my screen. The network settings. Yep, I’ve opened the network settings apparently, and I quickly search my desktop for a better cover in case she checks my screen again.
“Yeah. No. You know exactly what I’m talking about. So be honest. Do you have a thing for Julian or not?”
She waits, and I pull in a deep breath. She’s not just my boss; she’s my best friend. Plus, given our convoluted working relationship, she actually has a personal and professional stake in this matter.
I si
gh and look up at her. “Okay, fine. Maybe I’m starting to think he’s not as awful as I originally thought.”
She rolls her eyes. “Not as awful as you thought? Wow, rein it in, tiger. That kind of passion can be dangerous,” she says sarcastically. If only she knew. Why do I think she probably will soon?
“I’m just saying, we’re polar opposites. How would a relationship with him even work?” That’s when I realize how much that question has been weighing on me since things started heating up between us. We’re so different. We clash all the time. It makes no sense that I’d even be attracted to him, but I’m long past the point of fighting that reality. Doesn’t mean I can’t be rational about the rest. People resist unhealthy attractions all the time.
She doesn’t look impressed with my defense. “Um, that’s exactly why it would work. You two are fire and water. You’d balance each other out perfectly. He’s all passion and wears his heart on his sleeve. A hurricane in human form. You’re a pristine lake, absorbing any disturbance with a ripple or a wave, but always settling back to level. He needs that voice of reason to hold him back. And you, my friend, could use some sparks in your life.”
“I have plenty of sparks, thank you very much,” I mutter.
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
I swallow and stare at my screen again. “The last book I read was really good.” I cringe the second my mouth starts uttering those words.
Viv snorts a laugh. “Right. Well. Should you decide you’d like more passion in your life than a really good book, you have my full support to date Julian Campbell.”
I almost choke on my coffee. “Wow. Thanks, Mom.”
Viv shudders. “Please don’t compare me to your mother. How’s that going anyway?”
“How are things going with your mother?” I counter.
She smirks. “Touché. Seriously, though. You may not see it, but it’s so obvious. Julian is perfect for you. He’s hot, talented, and I’d venture to say more than meets the eye—and he’s very pleasing to the eye as it is.”
I shake my head and try to quell the storm raging in my stomach. He’s all those things. And more. So much more. Why he doesn’t share those sides with the rest of the world, I don’t know. Naomi and I may be the only two people on the planet who know how amazing he really is.
She leans forward with a mischievous look on her face. “Plus, with all that fire, I bet he’s great in bed.”
Now I legit choke. “Viv!”
She shrugs. “What? Tell me you haven’t thought about it at least once. The way you guys clash, we all have to think about it, believe me… waaait…”
Crap. My face is burning again. Red hot, and my eyes are doing this weird darting thing. I try to focus them but now it feels like my lips are contorting into strange shapes instead.
“Hang on… no…” Viv breathes out, eyes wide. Soon she’s inches from my face. “You already did!”
“What? No,” I lie, not sure why. She obviously knows it. After years of living in each other’s shadows there’s almost nothing we can’t read.
“You did! Oh my gosh! Hadley!”
I close my eyes and release a heavy breath. “Fine. Yes. Maybe I did.”
“When?!”
“Monday night after that thing with my family. But then it was so weird the next morning at rehearsal, and I thought… Well, it turns out his attitude on Tuesday had nothing to do with me.”
“How was it, though?” she asks in a low, conspiratorial voice.
I can’t help but smile at her sorority girl transformation. “Um…” I bite my nail and grin.
She returns it, clapping her hands. “I knew it! It was good. Told you.”
I groan and cover my face with my hands. It was good. Really good, and I want to do it again, pretty much all the time, but…
“What if things don’t work out, though?” I ask, my voice dropping. Her humor fades as she studies my face. “We all have to work together. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize your career.”
Viv sighs and takes my hands, tugging gently. “You spend so much energy protecting me, Had. But I’m not the only one who matters in this relationship. Your happiness is just as important to me, okay? For once in your life, make a decision with your heart, not your head.”
She grins. “It wouldn’t kill you to break a rule or two.”
The problem with discussing Julian Campbell with your boss over breakfast is that your mind and body are already primed for a reaction when actually encountering said hot musician. And yes, I notice how good he looks the second Viv and I enter the studio. He’s already strapped in and tuning when we approach, and Viv elbows me in the side with a knowing grin.
“Hey, Julian,” she calls out.
He must have had his in-ears in and didn’t hear us enter, because he jolts when he sees us and tugs one out. Unlike the Tuesday studio greeting, a smile spreads over his lips and lands in my chest. I swallow the strange effect that has my skin getting all warm and prickly again.
“Hey,” he says to Viv. His gaze slides to me, and really unlike that greeting, his smile grows into a half-grin. “Hey, Hadley.” His eyes hold mine much longer than they need to. Days of trauma mix with smoldering embers in that single look. Captivated, I can’t tear my gaze away.
Viv clears her throat, and I shake off the trance. “Um, hi,” I say, my face flushing. I can feel it. No chance Viv missed any of this. Thankfully, Max arrives and shifts the attention to a new target. I still feel Viv’s glee as I drag my chair to its usual spot and pull out my laptop. Travis and Beck stumble in with their cases soon after—and crisis averted. That could have been way worse, although Julian’s saturated look is still flashing through my head.
I need a distraction.
I’ve just opened my favorite spreadsheet when my phone buzzes. I glance down to a text from Viv.
Just called 911. This place is on fire from that stare-down. You go girl.
Annnd there’s the blush again. I shake my head and narrow my eyes, knowing she’s probably watching my reaction.
Hilarious, I type back.
Viv: Try not to look at his butt too much during rehearsal. Oh wait, you’ve already seen it naked.
Of course, that’s exactly what I do the second I read it. Not my fault, anyone would, but when I catch Viv’s smirk from the mic beside him, I know I’m in for some serious teasing later.
Or now.
Viv: Ha! Made you look.
Me: Don’t you have rehearsal or something?
She grins and tucks her phone away. Thank the heavens above.
“Hey, I think we should start laying some of these songs down,” Julian says after getting everyone’s attention. He’s met with a chorus of agreement.
“I can get my guy Joel in whenever you want,” Viv says, her face lighting up. I love how excited she gets about recording and her music now. It didn’t used to be that way.
“Yeah?” Julian asks. “Maybe tomorrow?”
“I’ll check if he’s available. Should we just do it here?” she asks.
Julian shrugs. “Yeah, makes the most sense. All our gear is here anyway. That control room is pretty sweet too.” He nods toward the glass window leading to a smaller room I always thought looked like a UFO cockpit. “You guys cool with that?” he asks the rest of the band.
“Yep.”
“I’m good.”
“Let’s do it.”
Julian smiles and turns back to his mic. “Sweet. Tomorrow then. We should at least get a demo to shop around. It wouldn’t hurt to hear how we sound too. See if we need to tweak anything for our studio sound.”
“Hey, um, question,” Travis calls out, raising a finger in the air. “How are we going to shop something around if we don’t even have a band name yet?”
That’s actually a pretty good question. I’ve been wondering the same thing. Don’t bands usually start with the name?
“I still like Cashmere Crush,” Max calls out.
Julian fires a glare at him. �
��We’re not calling ourselves Cashmere Crush.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’d be insane to use ‘crush’ in any form after what happened. Besides, it’s stupid.” He adjusts his mic, putting a definitive end to that option.
“What about Silver Lining Parade?” Travis suggests.
Julian glances back with a skeptical look only mildly less irritated than what Max got. “What does that even mean?”
Travis shrugs. “I dunno, but it sounds cool.”
Julian shakes his head and faces his mic again. “It’ll come to us. We’ll know when we hear it. Let’s get rolling.”
“Okay, spill,” Viv says, dragging me into the ladies’ room during their first break.
“Spill what?” I ask.
“What was that look? My panties were burning, and I wasn’t even involved in it.”
I huff a loud breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Hey, Hadley,” she mimics in an annoying low, weird man voice. She flutters her eyelashes and makes a kissy face.
“Yeah, that’s not how it went down.”
“He was practically nailing you right there, and you were totally into it. That my friend is what the uncouth among us refer to as an eye-fuck.”
“Whatever.” My dry laugh fools no one. I shake my head, getting tingly again.
The truth is, I got no work done this morning. I tried—so hard—but my attention kept drifting over the top of the screen to ripped shoulders and a sexy back straining through a sweat-soaked t-shirt. Messy hair I love to touch as much as smell taunted me just as badly. And his voice was… I don’t know… extra today, even if I’m the only one who noticed it. Also his guitar-playing. And his gut-wrenching songs I can’t seem to get out of my head. Ever. I swallow and decide to wash my hands for no reason.
Viv smirks as I move to the sink. “I saw him headed to the lounge in front of Studio Eight. That means he’s probably alone if you, you know, want to say hey again.” No one should ever say “hey” the way she says it right now.