I scratched my head. "Sure you won't stay?"
"It's a work thing."
I helped her carry her stuff out to the car and watched her drive off. Shit, I should not feel so bad about it. She'd been here to do a job and she'd done it. It wasn't like we were dating. We weren't even friends. I was just being stupid.
Alice
I SHOULD'VE BEEN OVERJOYED at the chance to meet Kit Molloy. Instead, I kind of regretted not staying with Savage. I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts. Stay with Savage? What the actual fuck? I didn't even like the guy. Sure, he put some work in but that was just to get me into bed. I'd become a challenge for him or something.
I drove to the bar and waited for Kit. While I waited, I checked my makeup. Cute but not contrived was the look I wanted. I'd managed the not contrived bit of it at least. I didn't even have my makeup case with me, since I hadn't been expecting this meeting. The best I could do was wipe away the eyeliner smudges and make sure I had nothing on my teeth.
I went through the photos of Savage. More great shots. So far, this job had gone a lot better than I'd expected. The guy was photogenic, especially now he relaxed more and let me get some candid shots.
Someone approached my table. I smiled. It wasn't Molloy though.
"Hey, Alice."
My old buddy, Syd, approached the table. "Join me for a drink?"
"Not now. I'm waiting for someone."
He nodded but sent a drink over to my table. I hadn't been expecting to see anyone I knew in this bar. The place actually smelt clean in the late afternoon and sunlight came through the windows. I was more the sticky carpet and lingering smells bar type. This wasn't so much a dive bar as a hipster interpretation of what a dive bar would be if you'd never actually been to one. The turquoise blue accents were a giveaway and the wooden moose head on the wall.
I took a sip of my drink. I hadn't had a real drink in ages. Too busy working. It tasted good, fruity and light. As I kept going through the photos, I absentmindedly sipped on it.
It was only when I'd finished that my fuzzy head told me it'd been stronger than it tasted. Hell, I couldn't be tipsy for this meeting. Where the hell was Molloy anyway? I got out my phone to check the time. Nearly an hour late, typical muso. I ordered another Coke.
"Date stood you up?" Syd asked.
"Not sure, he could just be running late."
"Muso, huh?"
"Yep, a work thing."
I got my Coke and went back to the table. My phone beeped again. A message from Eleanor saying Molloy couldn't make it.
Damn.
Double damn.
I sighed and picked up my camera, moving to the bar.
"He stood me up," I said to Syd, and sighed. Waste of an afternoon.
Before I knew it, Syd had ordered me another drink. I'd been planning on heading home and getting some sleep. Then we got talking, about old times and old friends.
"He's married with two kids now, working as a public servant," he said about a rocker we used to know.
"No way! Totally no way. He was all about sticking it to the man, now he is the man!"
"True facts. I saw him not long ago. So, what are you up to?"
"Working on a big project, actually. Ash Savage."
Syd rolled his eyes. "That would be... fun."
"Actually, it's not as bad as you'd think. He's serious about this comeback, I think. Not wanting to fuck up. And there's more to him than you'd think."
Even though I tried to sound casual, my face heated.
Syd raised his eyebrows.
"Going over to the dark side?"
"Hardly. It's a job. After it's done, I'm going on tour with Kit Molloy. Was supposed to meet him here today."
I picked up my glass to take a swig but it was empty. When had that happened? I hadn't even noticed with all the talking. Syd told me more gossip and another drink appeared.
I wasn't sure how long I'd been sitting at the bar but it had got dark outside and that walk from the bar to the bathroom had become a major obstacle.
Then, next thing I knew, the barman called for last drinks. Hell. I was smashed.
"How are you getting home?" Syd asked.
"Car. Oh shit, car! I can't drive." At least I had enough of my senses to know that. I'd leave it here and call a cab.
The barman put the tab on the bar and I got out my wallet to pay my share.
"Don't worry about it," Syd said.
"No, let me pay..."
Syd snatched up the bill. "I got my advance this week, let me pay while I'm flush. You pay next time."
I should've insisted but the effort of looking for my wallet in amongst the other crap in my bag seemed too difficult.
"Thanks."
"Any time but take care getting home."
The fresh air hitting my system didn't help with my fuzzy head. I nodded off in the cab, only waking when he pulled up outside my apartment.
I grabbed my handbag and fished through it for my wallet. Damn bag, I could never find a thing in it. The driver strummed his fingers on the steering wheel, getting impatient.
"It's here somewhere."
I started taking things out of the bag and piling them up on the seat. Still no sign of my wallet. I patted my pockets then searched again.
"Wallet, wallet, where are you, wallet?" Shit, I'd sung that out loud.
"You got the money or what?"
"Yeah, I got it. It's here somewhere."
I went through everything again. No sign of that wallet. Shit, what had I done with my bag at the bar? Had someone lifted it? I didn't think so, but then there were whole bits of the afternoon that kind of faded into a blankness.
I gathered my stuff up and shoved it back in the bag. My stomach clenched. The wallet was definitely gone.
"My wallet's gone. I'll go up and get you the cash."
I opened the door and half fell out of the cab. My keys were in my pocket at least.
The cabbie jumped out and grabbed me.
"You trying to rip me off?"
"Nope, I just need to go upstairs and get money."
He pushed me back against the cab door. His meaty hands gripped my arms and his garlic breath assaulted my face.
"I'll go with you."
I really didn't want that. I might be a bit vague but I didn't want this guy following me to my apartment. Already the leer in his eyes scared me a bit. I struggled to get free of his grip.
He just grabbed me tighter, pressing against the car.
"You are a bad person," he said, his face so close to mine that the garlic almost knocked me out.
We were on a public street but there was no one around. Just me and this cab driver. Shit.
"Let me go."
"Give me my money, unless you have some other way to pay me."
I tried to bite his hand. Why the hell hadn't I just got an Uber? I couldn't get at him and he pressed against me, his body pinning me. This would not end well.
"I don't think the lady likes that," a voice said.
Saved.
I hope.
"Piss off," the cabbie said.
Before I could process what happened, he'd been pulled off me.
In his place, stood Savage. "Are you all right?" he said.
I nodded and threw myself into his arms. He'd saved me and he looked so lovely in the moonlight. Savage wasn't such a bad guy and those lips of his looked so sweet. It wouldn't hurt to have just a little taste.
Savage
SHE KISSED ME.
When I say she kissed me, it was more like her lips careening into mine. I hoped she hadn't chipped a tooth. I'd had women eager to kiss me before but never with such aggression. Her mouth came at me like a runaway train.
Oh God, the smell of her. That soft sweetness had an edge of hard booze. I could curl up in that scent. Hell, I should not kiss her when she was so obviously drunk. I should've pushed her away. But my body had no pushing away in it. I cradled her face with my hand, softening her attack
on me.
Her body softened from her initial forcefulness. She seemed to melt in my arms. The feeling of her yielding to me make me melt a little too. I wanted this woman. She might be the biggest pain in the arse I'd ever met, but I wanted her.
Her mouth became hungry, her grip on me tightened. She wanted it, that was bloody obvious. I wanted it too. My cock made no mistake about that.
The change in her shocked me. Sure, she was drunk but was that all? She'd been out to meet Kit Molloy. So, why was she like this now.
Molloy had her all worked up and she thought she could use me to relieve that tension. Was that it? No way. I would never be a stand-in for that creep.
I pushed her away from me.
"Where's my money?" the cab driver interrupted.
I got out my wallet and handed him some notes. Enough to cover it, then waved him off.
Alice still had her arm around my neck. She slumped to one side, pulling me with her. There's no way she'd get up to her apartment on her own. I put my arm around her and took her into the apartment building. Once we got to the elevator, she tried to pull me to her again.
"Not now, you're way too drunk," I said.
She pouted.
"Come on, it's not like you've not done it with drunk girls before."
That was the truth but that had been different. If I was drunk too, it wasn't taking advantage. But this would be just wrong. I didn't need it. We had to keep working together. That wouldn't be good if she had a ton of regrets. I just wanted to make sure she was safe.
"Do you have your keys?" I asked as we got out of the elevator.
She pulled them out of her pocket.
I maneuvered her in the door.
The apartment wasn't what I expected. The walls were painted black with photos pinned everywhere. Alice slumped down on the sofa while I looked around.
"I need another drink," she said, struggling to get up.
"You need sleep," I replied, putting out my arm to help her off the sofa.
She laughed but I led her into the room that I assumed was the bedroom then took off her boots so she could get into bed.
She threw her arms around my neck, trying to pull me to her.
"Not now, love," I said, untangling her arms.
"You're not nearly as much fun as I thought."
"I'm not. I'm not fun at all."
God damn my morals. Being overly moralistic was never something I'd been accused of but I never crossed that line. I wasn't that kind of bastard. Anyway, she'd be out cold in a few minutes. I couldn't help but bend down and kiss her forehead, though.
Then I thought of something.
"Where did you leave your car?"
"In the carpark."
I raised my eyebrows. That didn't help me.
"In the carpark at the bar." She gave me the name of the bar.
"Is all your gear in the car."
She raised herself off the bed. "Fuck, yeah. Fuck." She punched one of the pillows.
"Don't worry about it. Give me your car keys and I'll pick it up for you. You can get it from my place in the morning. I'll leave a note in case you forget I've said that. Oh, I'll leave your wallet here too. You must've dropped it at my place."
I'd found the wallet on the floor near the kitchen bench. That's why I'd dropped over. I didn't have her phone number but the address was in the wallet. Luckily, I'd come by when I did or she'd have been at the mercy of that cab driver.
At least she told me where the spare car keys were before she passed out.
Alice
I'D IMAGINED LAST NIGHT. I prayed I'd imagined it. Well, the getting drunk bit was definitely reality. My pounding head proved that. I should never drink.
Then there was that whole bit about being attacked by the cab driver and Savage just conveniently being lurking in the shadows to save me. Then -
Oh. My. God. That had to be a dream or something because there is no way I'd have kissed him. Even thinking of that kiss made my entire body flush and my juice box pound. It seemed real. I remembered the firm hold of his arms and the intoxicating scent of him. But it'd been one of those vivid sex dreams, surely. A sex dream where he'd knocked me back. I'd thrown myself at him like a desperate groupie and he hadn't been one bit interested.
Even if it wasn't true, it was embarrassing to have even dreamt that!
I got up. I needed coffee first, then I had to hit the streets to find greasy food. Before maybe napping again.
A note sat on the kitchen bench. I didn't remember writing that.
I picked it up.
Then I threw it down. If I didn't read it then it didn't happen. None of it happened. Savage had not been at my apartment. I had not kissed him. I couldn't have, because the note didn't exist.
Booze is evil.
I'd never drink again.
I couldn't even...
I picked the note up again. Reality wouldn't disappear just because I ignored it.
He had my car. Thank god for that. I must've been rotten to have left all my gear sitting in the back of the car in a parking lot. Although that meant that not only did I have to face Savage in my embarrassment, I had to be grateful to him.
I turned on the coffee machine. Coffee would make this better.
I'd kissed him. I'd thrown myself at him. As much as I tried to push that thought out of my head, it kept coming back. I'd wanted him. It hadn't just been the booze. I had to admit that to myself. The attraction had been there all along, I'd just found the courage, or lack of common sense, to act on it.
I sipped my coffee.
But he'd turned me down.
Wow, had Savage ever turned a woman down before? I must be a total horror if he had that opportunity and let it go. I knew I wasn't his type but he'd been in my apartment, late at night. The opportunity all laid out for him. And he'd said no so easily.
But then, why had he been here? My wallet sat on the counter and he'd said in his note he'd been here to return it, but a guy like him, surely he should've been out partying and having fun, not worrying about my wallet.
I rubbed my neck. This was way too much overthinking for this early in the day. I'd finish my coffee and shower, then worry about analyzing the situation.
I needed to get my car back and that meant seeing him. Yikes. I'd rather not. I'd rather hide away in a dark room until he forgot I even existed. Just the thought of facing him made my stomach queasy. I'd made a total idiot of myself. The only thing to do was act so icy cold toward him, then he'd think it'd just been a drunken joke.
Before I got in the shower, I sent a message to Eleanor telling her I needed Savage's phone number. It was ridiculous I didn't have it. I could ask him for it but I wanted to check he'd be home before heading over to pick up my car.
Normally, showering made me feel better but today, not so much. I couldn't wash off the dread of fronting up to Savage. Would he mock me?
I tied my hair back and got dressed. No, that outfit was too sexy. As though I was heading back for seconds. Then I put on another outfit but it was dowdy as hell. I didn't want him to think he'd done right in rejecting me, either. I had no idea what the appropriate clothes were for this occasion.
Jeans worked. Jeans with a baggy but not too baggy t-shirt. And light makeup. I put too much thought into this whole thing. Savage might not even be home. He might just leave my car for me to pick up.
Eleanor got back to me with the number. I'd text. I wasn't up to calling him. Part of me wanted him to say he was out and I could pick up the car without seeing him, but the other half...
I made another coffee and waited for his reply. Maybe he'd see my number and ignore it. Surely not, though. He knew I needed to come over for my car.
Maybe he was out with some other chick. I hadn't thought of that. Some woman more suited to his tastes. That blonde model type he loved. My stomach didn't need that amount of churning going on. My stomach shouldn't even be churning at the thought of him with another woman. My only worry should be that he wa
s doing something photo-worthy and I'd missed out on it.
Then my phone beeped.
My stomach completely dropped.
It was him.
"Yeah, come on over anytime."
That was friendly but not too friendly. Hard to ascertain how he felt from that. But I was going to get my car. That was all. I had a practical purpose. Sure, Savage had his charms but they were off-limit charms for me. I should laugh at myself, falling like a teenage girl. For someone like him. No way would that end well.
As I left the apartment though, my fingers swept over my lips. It seemed like the taste of him remained there.
Alice
WHEN SAVAGE OPENED the door, the smell of bacon hit me. That bacon smelt so good, it had me drooling. Seriously drooling.
"Hey, I know I'm hot but I didn't expect you to turn up on my doorstep with your tongue hanging out."
"You'd better share that bacon with me or I'll eat your face off," I said.
Wow, no worries about cringing in embarrassment when I was in bacon frenzy. All my fears about seeing him after last night evaporated. I had one thought and one thought only, and that was to get that bacon into my belly.
Well, okay, Savage did look hot in that skin-tight t-shirt he wore. I did take that in, but bacon...
"Hello," he said, scratching his head. I think it was meant to be some kind of sarcastic reference to my lack of manners, rather than a greeting.
"I mean it. I'm starved."
"You look like you haven't been fed in a week."
"Yeah, I haven't. Well, I missed dinner last night, that's bad enough. And bacon."
The smell wafted from the kitchen and infiltrated my body through the nostrils, curling down and wrapping my heart. I followed Savage through the house.
"Is there enough for me?"
Even if I did intend to kill him for his bacon, I should be polite about it.
"Yeah, I cooked it for you. I thought you might feel a bit seedy after last night and would need something to fill your stomach."
I stopped walking. Had he really said that?
"You are the best. The literal best."
Rock Mayhem: 8 Complete Rock Star Romance Novels Page 6