Rock (Beautiful Book 4)

by Lilliana Anderson

  His eyes snap to mine. “Immature?”

  Oh dear. “Childish?”

  He frowns. “That isn’t any better.”

  “Well, it’s the best I can come up with. I saw the YouTube video that launched your career. The one with your old band.” He drops his eyes again. “Why did you humiliate her like that? Did she cheat on you?”

  “There’s a thousand articles out there explaining what happened. If you looked me up, you would have seen them.”

  “In my experience, the press tells a different kind of truth.”

  He lifts his brow. “Don’t I know it.”

  “Why don’t you tell me your truth then? If you want to be my friend as much as you say you do, why don’t we start with some honesty?”

  “Is this conversation on the record or off?”

  “I’m not a reporter. It’s always off the record.”

  “Then why did you interview me?”

  “I told you. I was helping a friend. I work in advertising normally.”

  “Really?”

  I nod. “Mm-hm. But you’re getting off track.”

  He sits back and runs his fingers through his hair with a sigh. “There’s not a lot to say. For once, the papers got it pretty right. I was in love with her, but she chose my brother instead.”

  “My ex cheated on me,” I confide. “I totalled his car in retaliation.”

  “Nice car?”

  “Maserati.”

  He lets out a low whistle. “Guess he deserved it.”

  “Cheaters deserve whatever they get.”

  “She didn’t cheat on me. Not exactly, anyway.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It all goes back to high school. I always had a thing for her. So did my brother. When she joined the band, we all agreed to abstain. But being on the road, things got heated anyway. I did everything she wanted, trying to prove I was the kind of man she needed, then I overheard her and Theo…” He pauses and clears his throat. He doesn’t need to elaborate for me to realise he heard them in bed together. “I lost it. I didn’t expect it to turn into this crazy career I’ve had. I just wanted to hurt them, and the best way I could think to do that was to ruin the band, set the world on fire.” He tips his glass back and drains it. “It didn’t work. We’re all more famous than we ever were. Naomi works with Radio Silence, and Matiari is their official supporting band. They’re together and happy, and I’m…” He looks into the bottom of his empty wineglass. “Really, really rich.”

  “And lonely?” I offer, because there’s no way this man would be hugging my dog on my couch if he wasn’t. This is a pure human need for company and understanding. It has little to do with me, and everything to do with him feeling trapped in this world he’s created for himself. Fame isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.

  He sits back and rubs Perry’s belly. “Nah. I’m not lonely. I’ve got Perry.” He flashes me one of those million dollar grins, and my heart goes out to him. There’s nothing worse than feeling alone in a room full of people.

  “Listen. If you’re going to push this friend thing on me, then I need this to stay on the down-low. No more grand gestures of tickets sent to the office. I don’t want anyone to know we know each other.”

  He studies me with wary eyes. “I thought I was only here for Perry.”

  I shrug. “Well, it doesn’t help Perry if I refuse to get along with his friends.”

  He laughs, and the sound is almost musical. “I suppose it could make things awkward, and I can keep things on the down-low.”

  “Thank you. I live a simple life, Marcus. And I like it that way. I don’t want my face online or in print. If someone asks you if you know Lisa Russell, I want you to say ‘who?’ I don’t need my life turned upside down just because you need a friend.”

  “I can accept those terms.”

  “And no funny business. Friends only, OK?”

  “Deal.”

  “Good.” I get up and move to sit next to him, Perry sprawled on the couch between us. “Because I want to finish watching this movie, and I can’t see the screen properly from over there.”

  “No funny business,” he repeats, letting out a deep breath. I press play on the movie. The nun is drunk and giggling, but I don’t get to see much more when Marcus turns to me again. “I bet I can get you to change your mind.”

  I glance his way, my mouth turned up slightly in an amused grin. “Is that so?” He has no idea how stubborn I can be.

  “No mortal woman can resist my charms for too long.”

  I drop my head back and let out this massive throaty laugh. He’s delusional. “Perhaps I’m the exception to that rule.”

  “I don’t think so,” he says, voice soft enough to pebble my skin.

  My eyes find his and they lock. Something passes between us, and I look away feeling as though I know him far more than I should. Perry makes a contented sound and snuggles in, his head on Marcus’s lap, feet and tail on mine. No mortal woman can resist my charms for too long.

  “I think I’ll surprise you, Marcus,” I say. After all, I’m the exception to the rule.

  Six

  Lisa

  When the movie finished, Marcus stayed a while longer and we just talked. Surprisingly, it was nice. And extremely normal since rock stars are just people at the end of the day. Their shit stinks the same as everyone else.

  I appreciated Marcus telling me the real reason behind the blow up with his old band. He hardly knows me, so it took guts for him to open up like that. It made me see him as more human than cocky rock god. And the fact Perry loves him is a huge tick in his favour. Perry likes people, but he never likes people like he loves Marcus. Dogs are good judges of character, so I’m willing to give Marcus a chance just because Perry wants me to. But only as a friend. I can’t stress that part enough.

  Most girls would think I’m insane for friend-zoning a man like Marcus Bailey. But it’s with careful consideration that I continue to rebuff him. I think he’s stunning. I think he’s charming. I think he’s sexy as hell. But he’s famous, a rock star. I don’t sleep with men I’m not dating, and from what I can tell about Marcus, he doesn’t date. And even if he decided to give dating a try, I can’t afford to give my heart to a man who’s slept with more women than I’ve even met in my twenty-eight years on earth. On top of that, I like my life. I like living on my own, doing my own thing. I don’t want the noise Marcus’s rock’n’roll life would transfer to mine. I value my quiet. I can’t let him in.

  As I do my daily walk around the neighbourhood while Perry marks out his territory, I can’t help but run our conversation through my head and come to the conclusion that Marcus needs to fix his relationship with his family. He admitted to seeing Naomi since he returned to Australia, said she was trying to get him to call Theo and sort things out. His parents have been begging for the same resolution.

  “Have you spoken to him at all since the band split?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s more that every time I try, this anger boils up and reminds me why I left. We both agreed not pursue her, and he broke his word. I didn’t even get a chance.”

  “Have you ever considered that maybe you never had a chance?”

  He frowned, the idea of any woman rebuffing his advances an obviously foreign concept. “If I’d gone after her, I would have had her.” Had her. Just those two words gave me great insight into the size of his ego. I think the only thing in Marcus’s way is himself.

  I’ve always been a firm believer that people come into your life for a reason then leave when that reason is fulfilled. I have a feeling my friendship with Marcus is the universe’s way of getting Marcus to look at his life and make some changes so he can reconnect with his family. It also might be teaching me to stop being so judgemental of people. I mean, I immediately decided Marcus wasn’t worth my time because of who he is. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind that there could actually be a real person under
neath that façade who is starved for some sort of meaningful human interaction. That was cruel of me.

  My only problem with this whole ‘friendship’ thing is that I don’t really know what I should tell Sandra. I know there’s nothing going on between the two of them, and I know Marcus is unlikely to even remember her. But I also know she remembers him very well. And to my eyes, she seems hung up on him a little. If I let her know he’s been visiting me, it could really damage our friendship. I don’t want that. I’ve only known her for a year, but she’s become my best friend in that time. I don’t want a fleeting acquaintance to get in the way of that. I don’t think she can handle knowing Marcus is spending time with me, and since I don’t think I can get rid of Marcus until he’s reconciled with his brother, I think it’s best to keep our involvement a secret—unless she asks me a direct question. I don’t see the point in upsetting her, especially when Marcus will go on tour before long and be nothing but a faded memory.

  Perry stops at yet another tree and cocks his leg. I stand there patiently, lost in my thoughts, and wonder what I'm even worried about. I’ll hardly see Marcus. The last visits were two weeks apart, I can pretty much guarantee he’ll treat me like a therapist, visiting only when he’s feeling down in the dumps. He’ll spill his guts and leave then I won’t see him until the fucking and partying get boring and he wants to feel normal again. Each time, my advice will be the same: call your family. It’s what he needs.

  Perry pulls at his lead, snapping me from my thoughts. I start walking, and he settles in beside me at a happy trot, panting and sniffing at everything. As we near our house, he lets out an excited yelp then surges forward, almost reefing his lead from my hand in his bid to reach home faster. Instantly I see why. Marcus’s car is parked out the front of my house again.

  Seriously?

  My heart beats a little faster, and I ignore it. “Looks like your man crush is here to see you,” I say to Perry as soon as we’re within Marcus’s earshot. He’s looking very casual sitting on my front step in a pair of well-worn jeans, a faded red retro looking T-shirt, and a baseball cap for some team I don't even know. In his hands, he holds a pair of Ray ban Aviators that he swings side-to-side by the arm.

  “Hey.” He smiles.

  “Didn’t I just see you last night?” Perry pulls forward, so I release the lead and let him run to Marcus.

  “Yeah. But I missed my buddy.” He scratches Perry everywhere, and Perry makes tiny joyful whining sounds.

  “I feel like we’ll end up fighting for custody over him one day,” I joke.

  Marcus takes a hold of Perry’s lead and stands when I pull out my key. “I thought maybe we could do something today? Go for coffee or something?”

  “Um.”

  “I would have called first—to check if you have plans—but I forgot to get your number.”

  I scrunch my face up a little. “I don’t know. I’m a private person for a reason. I don’t want to be spotted out with you and draw attention to myself.”

  “I’ll wear the hat and glasses. No one even notices me when I wear a hat. I promise. Let me take you out for breakfast. It’s the least I can do after gatecrashing your movie and drinking half your wine.”

  “You could have just sent me a new bottle of wine.”

  He crouches then retrieves a bottle from inside a green bag stashed next to my steps, holding it up triumphantly. “There’s some other stuff in here too, but I have no clue what it is.”

  “Let me guess, your assistant packed it for you?”

  He slides the bottle back into the back. “Sure did.”

  “How thoughtful,” I say, accepting the bag as I slide my key in the door to let us in.

  He unclips the lead from Perry’s collar then follows me into the kitchen where I make quick work of unpacking the green grocery bag. “What did your assistant think you needed the wine for?” I ask, pulling out sliced meat, olives and cheese with crackers and quince paste.

  He shrugs. “I told her I owed someone a bottle of wine. She asked what the wine had to go with. I said a movie. This is what she gave me.”

  “Well, I hope you pay her well. You left here at midnight, and you’re back again at eight the next morning. She’s gone above and beyond here.”

  “She always does. And I pay her well. She puts up with me and manages my life. She’s worth three times her weight in gold.”

  “Well, tell her I said thank you.” Returning from the fridge, I grab the remaining items and stash them in my pantry.

  “I will. She’ll appreciate that.”

  “And, um, how old is she?” Shit. “I mean, what’s your assistant’s name?”

  He grins. “Karen. She’s a gorgeous shade of grey. Old enough to retire.”

  “And she chooses to follow you around the globe?”

  “She’s a young sixty.”

  “OK.” I wipe my hands on my sides and look around the kitchen for something else to do. “I suppose we should get moving.”

  “You’re letting me take you to breakfast?”

  I bite my lip. “Sure. But if you take that hat off, I’m running the other way. I don’t want even one photo of us to end up online somewhere. If we’re caught, you’re going to have to break up with Perry and leave me alone forever.”

  “Wow. You really hate this fame game don’t you?”

  “More than you know.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “I’ll just put Perry in the backyard,” I say, not wanting to elaborate at all. Talking about my dislike for famous people would mean explaining why I dislike them, which would lead to discussing my family’s connections to them. And I hate talking about my family—particularly my dad. So that’s a no from me.

  Herding Perry through the laundry, I check to make sure he has fresh water in his bowl before I grab my purse and head towards the living area. Just before I get there, I see a flash of myself in the hall mirror and freeze, taking in my appearance.

  Shit. I should probably change. I’m currently in a pair of leggings, an oversized t-shirt that has ‘Wicked 66’ printed on it and, a pair of running shoes. My hair is in a high ponytail, and once again, I have no makeup on. I hardly look decent enough to go out to breakfast.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” I call out, taking a take a step towards my room to change. Marcus tells me to take my time, but I stop myself. This isn’t a date. I readjust my course for the bathroom, splash some water on my face, spray some deodorant on, then head for the front door. “Let’s go.”

  “That was fast,” Marcus says with a smile, sliding from my kitchen stool to follow me outside. As I lock up, he hits the button on his key chain to beep his Porsche open.

  “Were you expecting me to change?” I ask, wondering if going out in public with me looking like a sloth is a problem for him.

  “No.” He laughs. “I was just expecting you to take longer. Girls normally say they’ll be a minute and you’re waiting a half hour.”

  “I did say I was the exception.”

  “That you are,” he says, pulling the passenger door open for me. “And your outfit is perfect. Inconspicuous and arse hugging. I love it.”

  The burn hits my cheeks before the snark hits my mouth. “Friends don’t check out each other’s arses, Marcus.”

  He drags his teeth over his bottom lip as he makes a show of letting his eyes move down my body while he slides his aviators over his eyes. Fuck. I hate that I’m feeling nervous right now.

  “Just get in the car, skippy.”

  I do as he asks. I’ve never been in a Porsche before, and I immediately regret getting in this one. “Um, do you think we could take my car?” I ask when he gets in. I’m trying to adjust in my seat so my head isn’t pressed up against the roof at an odd angle. This is ridiculous.

  He looks over at me and starts laughing. “What the hell? I’m taller than you. Why is your head pressed up against the roof?”

  “It’s not my fault that all my height is in my body,” I re
tort, feeling indignant. Seriously, who makes cars with such small interiors anyway? “I don’t even know how the hell you’re fitting in here. What are you doing? Driving from the back seat?”

  He laughs again. “Almost.”

  I open the door and get out. “I’m sorry. I can’t sit in there. I feel like I’m on that episode of the Simpsons when that really tall man has a tiny car because that’s all he can afford, and Nelson laughs at him. Every time we’re at a set of lights someone is going to look over and go ‘Har Har!’ and then I’ll have to embarrass each and every one of them for it. It’ll make for a very long day, and we’d never get the chance to eat because I’ll be too busy wreaking vengeance upon all those who had the audacity to find my abnormally long body, squished into a tiny Porsche hilarious.”

  “All right. We’ll take your car,” he says, his eyes bugging after my ridiculous rant. “I’m driving though.”

  “Whatever, dude.” I dig into my handbag and press the button on my key fob to open my garage before tossing him the keys. “I hate driving anyway. You can drive all you want.”

  “You have a LandCruiser?” he asks as the door lifts to reveal my car.

  “Yeah? So? I like to sit up high. You’ll find that even at your height, you’ll be able to sit in the front seat of this car.”

  “It’s more a truck than a car.”

  “Yeah, well… one day I might decide to go four wheel driving on a beach somewhere. And then I’ll be high-fiving myself for being awesome enough to buy a LandCruiser beforehand.”

  “Have you ever taken it four wheel driving?”

  “Nope,” I reply.

  “Then why would you buy a top of the line four wheel drive.”

  “Because it looks badarse.”

  “Fair enough.” He opens the car door and climbs into the cabin. When he starts the engine, The Doors, Break on Through blares out the speakers. I make a move to turn it down but he stops me.

  “Leave it,” he yells over the sound. “It’s much better than that modern shit people are playing these days.”