Lucas: A Rockstar Romance (The Sinful Seven Series Book 1)

by Connie Lafortune

  My mother’s words echo in my ear when I plop down in my cushy chair and boot up the laptop. “You could be working for a Fortune five hundred company with your business degree, but you insist on working at the coffee shop. Why, Abigail?”

  Mom just doesn’t understand that I’m not that kind of girl. I don’t enjoy being on the frontline where I need to reprimand a CEO for over-compensating their bonuses and risking their company. I’d rather manage a coffee shop and do their petty payroll and accounting. I can make my own hours and I’m happy. Corporate America will suck all the joy out of me, so I went in a different direction. Anyway, Adam owns Java Joe’s, and he gives me full reign, pays me very well, and he gets to sit back and reap all the bennies. Brother or not, that’s what he does. Buys up failing businesses and turns them into treasures.

  One thing about having your nose buried in a ledger—time sure does fly by. Reminding me I need to get up and move instead of being hunched over. It’s the perfect time to go grab a cup of coffee. At least I know I will make it just the way I like it.

  I reach for the doorknob just as it opens. Stumbling back, a hand reaches out and steadies me on my feet. That was a close call—I almost hit the damn floor. When my eyes meet his, he looks frantic. Adam stands before me and my stomach drops at his expression. “God, Abby, I’m sorry. What are the chances that I’d be walking in at the same time you’re walking out?” Yeah, like what are the odds.

  “Crazy, right? I was just taking a break, and I was going to make myself a latte. You want one?” Of course he needs to check the time. Wonderful. Why the hell does he even bother coming if he can’t stay? I’m done.

  Shaking my head, I try pushing past, but he grabs my elbow.

  “What?” I snap. “Am I holding you up, because if I am, just go. I’ll keep running the shop and you won’t have to come here anymore. Just leave, I don’t know why I even bother trying anymore.” His hand drops and I take that opportunity to rush out the door. Fuck him! I’m so sick and tired of waiting around for a man to give me the time of day. It started with him and then Lucas, but now I’m so done.

  “Abs, we need to talk. The office is more private, so grab your coffee and meet me back here.” I quickly turn to face him just in time to see his hands run through his hair. Yep, just like I thought. It’s got to be bad news.

  “Give me five and I’ll be back. Unless you need to rush off.” I leave the question hanging and I walk away. It doesn’t help my nerves when every employee is staring at me as I round the counter. Do they know something I don’t?

  “How long has he been here?” I ask no one in particular as I start the machine, grab a mug, and quickly turn around. Fine, if no one wants to answer, then maybe I don’t really want to know.

  Carla’s on the side of me and whispers, “He’s been here for twenty minutes and already pissed off several of the customers. I don’t know what his problem is, but we’re all a bit on edge when he’s here. Do you know why he came here today?”

  The machine is making so much noise, I just shake my head since she wouldn’t have heard a word I said. Damn, I hope we don’t need to replace this monstrosity because it’ll cost a fortune. Grabbing my steaming cup of life, I try to put on my best happy face. “No, I don’t, but I’m about to find out. Wish me luck!” I squeeze her arm in reassurance, but I wish someone was here to do the same for me. My thoughts turn to Lucas, but I quickly shut it down. He hasn’t answered a single one of my texts, so he’s no better than Adam. They’re both on my shit list.

  Bracing myself for the worst but hoping for the best, I walk through the door. I know I’m in trouble when he’s sitting at my desk, waiting for me. Yeah, normally he’d be on his phone. This is so not good. I take a seat, close my eyes, and take a sip of my coffee. I have a feeling I’m going to need something so much stronger when we’re done. “Okay, Adam. Spit it out. The suspense is killing me.” More than he’ll ever know.

  He scrubs his hands over his face and a pent-up breath rushes out. That’s when my knees shake. “You’re so smart, Abby. Why are you wasting all of your talent making coffee when you could work for a prestigious company? Fuck, you could have a 401k and be stashing money away for your retirement.”

  Oh, so he’s here to give me the same lecture Mom loves so much. I wonder if she sent him here, but then I notice a different look in his eyes. One of regret, or guilt.

  “I never intended to keep this stupid coffee shop for any real length of time,” he says. “I’m sorry Abby, but I have a buyer who offered me five times the market value, so I’m selling Java Joe’s.”

  Gluttony

  “In love, as in Gluttony, pleasure is a matter of the utmost precision.”

  Italo Calvino

  21

  Lucas

  After I had breakfast with Mrs. C, I lost myself in my music for the rest of the day. My mind checked out, and I just focused on the words, the melody, and played from memory. Other than that, I didn’t utter a single fucking word for the rest of the day. I know it was a shit thing to do being our last practice before packing up everything for the audition tomorrow. But I just couldn’t breathe. Knowing that if I fail at the one thing I’m great at, I have nothing left to fall back on. No Plan B, and Mrs. C doesn’t get everything she richly deserves.

  I’m not stupid. I heard Trevor and Willow whispering behind my back, wondering what the hell was going on. I never answered Trevor’s question yesterday so I think it’s safe to say his mom answered for me. Yeah, I know we have our weekend gigs, but they won’t last forever. Eventually we’ll all need to get a real fucking job again if we can’t make a living with our music.

  What I really should do is return Landon’s texts to find out what the hell he wants. It’s the last thing I want to do, but it’s important to have all the details in place so my monthly check pays all of Mrs. C’s medical bills. He best not argue because it’s not up for negotiation. If he refuses to do it, I’ll find another damn lawyer who will.

  I quickly dial his number before losing the nerve. It would have been a lot easier to shoot him a text, but I’m certain he’d just call me back. Complaining that talking is easier than typing. Whatever. I count four rings and I’m ready to end the call when a familiar voice answers. “Did that sexy woman tell you I was banging on your door?”

  Since I have no fucking clue what the hell he’s talking about, I get to the point. “First off, you’ve been blowing up my phone with your harassing texts. So I’m going to make this short and sweet. From now on, I want my check deposited into Mrs. C’s hospital fund. I don’t care how you need to set it up, I don’t want her to receive another bill in the mail. Do you understand, Landon?”

  “What the hell, Lucas? Why the fuck would you throw your money away on a family that has more baggage than us? Seriously? I will not do something stupid so you can change your mind a few months down the road. Now that I have your attention, did your sexy girl with the emerald eyes tell you I was there?”

  Abby stopped by? I’m squeezing my phone so damn tight that I just might break the screen. All I can envision is his neck with my hands wrapped around it. Squeezing the fucking life out of the man who’s made my life a living hell. My only wish is that I had found out he was merely my half-brother years ago.

  “Look, just do this one last thing for me and I’ll never bother you again. You can forget you ever had a bastard brother. The sooner you can do this, the better I’ll feel.”

  “Lucas, you do not get to call the shots. I do! In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. I even stooped so low as to stop by your loft. That’s when I met that sexy thing of yours. She is fucking hot and so not your norm. I’d bang that and I…”

  “Stop right there, Asshole! She has nothing to do with this conversation. I won’t think twice about fucking you up if you even breathe the same air as her. So let’s get this over with. You do what I asked and whatever you want from me, I’ll do it. After that you can stay the fuck out of m
y life and my business. Got it?”

  “Easy, tiger. You don’t have a clue what I wanted in the first place, and you’re willing to hand it over without knowing? Wow, I never thought a woman would have your panties in a bunch, but I guess this one does. The great Lucas Knight is whipped!”

  The only thing that’s stopping me from ending this all and throwing my phone across the fucking room is Mrs. C. And the timing couldn’t have been better since she walked into the room just a second ago. Our eyes meet and she knows I’m torn and oh so pissed. A few deep breaths later and I’m calm enough to entertain him a bit longer. “Tell me what you need, Landon.”

  “Just like that, huh? If I knew it was this easy, I would have done it years ago. I’ll draw up the papers if you do what I ask. It’s the right thing, anyway…”

  What am I doing? Before he even says another word, I stop him dead in his tracks. “Forget I called, Landon. You’re fired! I’m going to hire another lawyer and he’ll handle all of my business from here on out. If that trust fund is from my biological mother, then you shouldn’t have a fucking thing to do with it since I’m over eighteen and have been for many years now. I know you would have dangled it longer, but now that I know, I’m cutting you the fuck off! You’ll be hearing from my lawyer very soon.” Ending the call, I glance around to see everyone staring back at me. Wonderful, this is not the time for an audience. Tomorrow during the concert might be, but not today.

  “What was that all about?” Willow might be the quiet one of the bunch, but she’s also the most caring person I know.

  “Something I should have done years ago. I’m hiring my own attorney so I can cut ties once and for all from the Knight family.”

  ***

  Abby

  Blindsided doesn’t even come close to how I’m feeling after Adam’s betrayal. He doesn’t see it that way, but I do. A heads up or a “hey, I think I want to sell the shop” would have been the right thing to do, since all the employees who work here will need to find employment in the next month. He assured everyone that they’d be able to collect unemployment, and he’s generously giving everyone a severance package. How noble of him!

  I know Adam paid me more an hour than a normal barista, but I also managed the shop along with doing the books. There’s no way I’ll make the same money somewhere else. This is why I feel like my family is trying to sabotage my happiness—they can’t respect my wishes. Forcing my hand and pushing me toward a business career that I’m really not interested in anymore. Damn him!

  I’m so angry that I’d love to vent, blow off some steam, but I can’t go to my parents and I can’t call any of my friends, either. I love them, but they’ve all secured jobs in their field. I’m the only stray in the bunch, which makes me realize that no one has ever had my back where my job was concerned.

  I know a handful of patrons will miss the shop since I had their order ready before they even arrived. One of them being Lucas. Where else is he going to go to grab a coffee after a long night of fucking? I don’t know, and, truthfully, I don’t care. He still hasn’t replied to any of my texts, so I need to move on. Either he’s avoiding me or he’s found a ‘new flavor of the week’ as his brother pointed out. I thought I meant more to him than that, but I might have read something that wasn’t there. I’m not going to sit around and feel sorry for myself. I need to find a job before Java Joe’s closes at the end of the month.

  Now that most jobs are posted online, I check out the most prominent sites. It can’t hurt, and it would be great to have something sooner rather than later.

  I type in “barista” in the search bar. I’m surprised and ecstatic when I see a bunch of openings listed, but when I check out the ones who list the hourly rate of pay, I deflate. There’s no way I’ll be able to pay my rent and other monthly bills on such a cut in pay. What the hell am I going to do?

  On copilot, I delete that search and type in “business analyst” and hundreds of pages pop up. Why did I know this was going to happen? Damn Adam! If I were a betting woman, I’d say he knew about this before he came in to tell me about the sale. He knew I’d easily find employment, and he would give me a glowing recommendation to boot.

  I idolized my brother when we were growing up because he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Which is one reason why I got my business degree. Maybe I didn’t pursue it because I didn’t think I’d be able to live up to his standards. I guess we will never know unless I fill out a few of these applications. I feel so lost right now. I just want to crawl back into bed, pull the covers over my head, and go to sleep. But I know if I do that, it will be so hard for me to pull myself out of the rabbit hole.

  After checking my phone one last time, I slip it into my pocket, shut my laptop, and head out the door. I need to walk and clear my head. When I get home, I’ll do what I need to do to survive. Even if it means filling out those damn applications.

  The city is alive as I walk down the busy streets, and the best part is passing all the shops and restaurants on the way. The aromas are tantalizing as I pass and set my stomach to growling. Hell, it can’t hurt if I go inside and satisfy myself. I’m used to being alone, so sitting at a table won’t bother me at all.

  Walking inside, I wait to be seated by the hostess. I can’t help noticing the pity in her eyes as I tell her a table for one. It doesn’t matter, I’m used to it. She slides the menu towards me and mumbles something about Daphne being my server and she’ll be right over. I nod and open my menu, dismissing her. I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. This is the way I live my life. I don’t need anyone tagging along, I like my own company.

  Daphne comes and goes and I’m in the middle of eating my salad while scrolling through my phone. A flicker of movement catches my eye and I see someone approaching. My heart skips a beat until I look up and it’s not the person I was hoping it would be. God, I got it so damn bad. This needs to stop right here and now!

  Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome winks and slides in across from me. “Sorry to disappoint you, but you look so familiar I just had to find out where I know you from.”

  Another pick-up line. Why can’t they come up with something new? “I’m a barista at Java Joe’s. Have you been there before?”

  “Nope, can’t say I have. Might be because I hate coffee. I know, right? Not too many people can say that, but I’m one of them. Now that I know you work there, though, I’m sure there’s a bunch of other things you could interest me in.”

  Oh, he’s slick, I’ll give him that one. Did I mention he’s hot too? Yeah, I’m a sucker for guys with dark hair and day-old stubble. Very sexy and mysterious.

  “It’s Abby, right? I’m Joel, your dance partner from Distractions the other night. And I do believe your last name is Lewis and you were in my business class at NYU. So, you’re a barista now? Is that your part-time job?”

  22

  Lucas

  After a hectic morning, we all climbed into the SUV and headed to the audition. I’d like to think I’m the kinda guy who doesn’t sweat the small things, but this is fucking huge. I know everyone is stuck in their own head with the what-ifs; hell, even I’ve been doing it for the last twenty-four hours. Just to prove it, I haven’t masturbated in two days! Two fucking days! That’s some crazy shit right there. Never in my life have I ever been so preoccupied with something that I don’t make time to quench my sexual desires. But, if I’m being really honest, I’ve been so focused on practicing I haven’t had time for sex of any kind. Could it be I’m a changed man? Fuck no, it’s just that I have more important things to focus on right now.

  “Well, like it or not, we’re here,” Travis belts out like he’s on the stage. I inwardly cringe and a part of me just wishes it was over and done. I should be excited, but fear has me by the throat. And I think it’s safe to say it’s the same for everyone else.

  “Okay, you guys. Let’s focus and have some fun,” Jet says. “This is what dreams are made of.” Of course, Jet, the oldest one of the bunch, is the one to gi
ve us the pep talk. Understandable. Maybe it should have been me, but I’ve been so damn moody lately that my glass is half empty. That’s about to change.

  An hour later, we’re heading to the venue. It’s still early, but we’re all hoping to get a listen and a feel for the competition. There’s nothing wrong with knowing what you’re up against. It might give us that little extra push to be the best we can be.

  Walking through the doors is so surreal. Gateway Center is one of the biggest venues in the city, and we are in awe as we try to drink it all in. Behind me, I can hear Willow and Travis whispering about how they’ve always dreamed of being on this stage one day. I want to turn around and tell them today is that day, but I’m rudely interrupted when Jet grabs my arm. Stopping me. I glare in his direction, but when I follow his gaze, I’m dumbfounded. Standing directly in front of Caleb are several big-name music reps. “Holy shit,” escapes Willows lips and we stop in our tracks.

  “Lucas, you’re early,” Caleb says. “Why don’t you all head down the hall and take the second left? The crew will fill you in on everything. I’m looking forward to hearing you play.” Caleb ushers his cronies in the opposite direction. Damn, what I wouldn’t do to be introduced to the top dogs, but we’re not here to rub elbows with the rich and famous, we have a gig to do.

  My stomach bottoms out as we round the corner. And it hits me square between the eyes. Nothing could have prepared us for this moment. We’re just a bunch of guys like everyone else who wants to make it big. And once we step off that stage, we’ll still just be guys following our dream.

  I stop dead in my tracks when Trevor says, “Look over there. Those must be the judges for the competition. Holy shit, I might be a bit fanning right now.” Standing by the stage is a line of famous singers and songwriters. Pop sensation Arisha, Ace Hansen—lead singer for The Riff—singer-songwriter Quincy Adams, and, last but not least, Carter Page with S&B Records. Of course the fifth wheel to make up this famous cog is Caleb Morris. Our head man.