“Maybe you should answer?” I say, hoping we can avoid the rest of this conversation. He’s moving into dangerous territory, and I’m not ready to hear this from him. It’s too soon. I’m too confused. He’s too much for me.
“It’s my manager,” he replies flatly. “I don’t want to talk to him.”
“Well, if he’s calling you on a Saturday, it must be important.”
“It’ll be about going to some event tonight. I’m not interested.”
“Isn’t that part of your job?”
He glances at me. “Do you want me to go?”
“I don’t know. Who the hell am I to decide what you do with your time?” I don’t want him to go.
“Who do you want to be?” He meets my eyes for a beat, and the butterflies in my stomach beat their wings so hard I feel it in my throat.
“No-one. I don’t want to be anything to you.” Except underneath you, screaming. Holy shit. Shut up!
“You can lie to yourself all you want, but I know you’re feeling this too.”
“I’m not feeling anything but annoyed and bombarded.” And aroused...
“Bullshit. I may not be the smartest man in the world, but I know women. And you like me, Lisa. You’re fighting like fuck against it, but you want me just as much as I want you.” Maybe more.
“You’re delusional. And you’re a bully. A delusional bully.”
“No,” he states as we pull up at a set of lights. “I’m a man who knows what he wants.” His eyes lock with mine, dark and intense. “What are you, Lisa?”
“I…” His phone rings again, giving me a reason to look away so I don’t admit to something I’m going to regret. “I think you should answer your phone. It seems important.”
He grips the steering wheel tighter. “I don’t give a fuck if it’s important,” he growls, picking up the phone and switching it to silent, throwing it into the back seat before the lights change and we’re moving again. “Don’t you get it, Lisa? I’m so sick and tired of that sort of shit. I just want one normal weekend. One normal person in my life. I don’t feel like I’m Marcus Bailey with you. I actually prefer to be called ‘dude’ by you than Marcus by anyone else. You’re real. Do you understand that? I want real.”
The problem here is he doesn’t know me. It doesn’t matter if I think he’s hot, or if I want to be fucked by him. He’s a threat to me. He needs to leave. Today was a mistake.
“No, Marcus. I don’t get it because I’m not normal. You’re not normal either. This friendship you’re trying to force into existence, isn’t going to work.”
“I don’t want friendship, Lisa. I want you. And I know I was an arsehole today. I know I overreacted, but you have to understand, this is not normal for me. The last time I felt anything remotely like this, my world blew up in my face.”
“Oh my god. You’ve spent like, twelve hours in total with me. The only feelings here are in your imagination.”
“It’s not like we met yesterday, Lisa. I’m not imagining any of this. Unless I am, and you’re happy for me call Craig back and go to some party where I’ll get my photo taken with some random chick who I’ll fuck into oblivion before the papers are even printed in the morning.”
My chest jolts, and I have to swallow before I can respond. “You can do what you like. I’m not your keeper. I’ve made my position very clear.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. I can see it in your eyes, Lisa. I can smell it on your skin. The idea of me fucking another woman bothers you.”
“I don’t care what you do,” I yell, my emotions getting the better of me.
“Like fuck you don’t.” He pulls up in front of my house, and I scramble to get out of the car. He hits the button on the driver's door and locks me in.
“Let me out.”
“Tell me you don’t want me to go. Tell me you don’t want me fucking anyone else. Tell me you want me and I’m yours.”
“You want to know what I want?” I yell, my entire body shaking with frustration and need and a bunch of other things I shouldn’t even be thinking about right now.
“Yes.”
I lean a little closer and speak between gritted teeth. “I want you to leave me alone.”
“Fine.” He pulls his head back on an inhale then clicks the door open.
Grabbing my bag, I jump out then turn back to him. “You know what, Marcus? Seems to me you’re so used to getting what you want you can’t stand that I’m not willing to spread my legs for you. You’re so conceited you can’t fathom how a woman can say no to the almighty rock god you are. And now you’re acting like a sulky child who’s not getting what he wants. Well, news flash, Marcus; I’m never giving you what you want. Ever.” I step back and slam the door, holding my arms out as I yell, “I am the exception to mother-fucking rule!”
Before I know it, he’s roaring off down the road, squeaking tires and burnt rubber in his wake. I look at his Porsche parked in front of my house then back to the cloud of smoke. Oh fuck. “You’ve got my fucking car, you douche!” Which means he also has my house keys. “Shit.” I kick the side of the Porsche and the alarm goes off. “Fuck.”
With my hands balled at my sides, I turn towards my house, catching sight of my neighbour standing in his garden with a set of shears and an open mouth.
“Oh, hey, Mr Melnic. Nice day to garden.” I offer him a pained smile as I yell over the noise. He just shakes his head in disapproval, and I hang my head in shame, slinking towards my house to see if I can break in.
Seven
Marcus
“What?” I grind out, finally answering my phone when I pull up outside my building an hour later.
“Where the hell have you been all day?” Craig snaps. “You’ve been asked to do Triple J’s Like a Version.”
“And?”
“You know how they get hot artists to do a cover version of past hits then you all go on an album together?”
“I know what it is, Craig. I’m not a fucking idiot. I want to know why you needed to bombard me with calls on a Saturday.”
“Because I organised for them to record you tonight so they can air it during your time off. I need you in the studio, like, half an hour ago.”
Half an hour ago? I glance at the time on the dashboard. I’m at least twenty minutes away. I’ll be a full hour late by the time I get there. I’m going to look like a right cunt. Fuck. I turn the car back on, expecting the Bluetooth to kick in on my phone, but The Doors starts playing instead. That’s when it hits me; I took off in Lisa’s LandCruiser. Shit.
“Marcus?” Craig yells in my ear. “Marcus?”
“I’m here,” I say, dazed. How the hell did I manage to drive all this way in the wrong car and not notice?
“Can you get here or not?”
I shake my head. Fuck. Lisa has really managed to get under my skin. I’m jealous, and I’m agitated, and all I want to do is lock her in a tower so she’s mine and no one else’s. That sounds creepy, but she’s driving me to distraction. I’m a compass and my needle keeps pointing to her. That’s a good lyric. I should write it down…
“Marcus?”
I put my call on speaker and open notes to type the lyrics in so I don’t forget them. “My schedule was supposed to be clear all weekend, Craig,” I say as I type.
“Well, now it’s not. Get your arse to Studio 26, they’re waiting on you.”
I clench my jaw. My life isn’t mine. “Fine. Tell them I’m a half hour away.”
He says something more, but I disconnect the call and open messages to text Lisa.
Me: I took your car…
The dots bounce immediately.
Her: I noticed…
Me: I’m sorry about today. I’m sorry I overreacted about your brother. I’m sorry I can’t seem to behave like a normal human being around you.
Her: that’s a lot to be sorry for.
Me: I fucked up.
Her: You also took my house keys…
Shit.
&
nbsp; Me: Are you locked out?
Her: I have a friend with spares. I’m OK.
Me: I’ll get the car back to you asap.
Her: You’re coming back?
Me: I can’t. I have a thing at JJJ. I’ll get Karen to bring it to you.
Her: Maybe she can share the wine and cheese with me…
I smile, feeling calmer already.
Me: I think she’d like that.
Rock (Beautiful Book 4) Page 8
