by Gephart, T
“How about tomorrow at eleven?”
Crap. Not a lot of time to prepare but I could run with it. It would mean I would be up all night but if I could land this job it would be worth it.
“Tomorrow at eleven sounds perfect.”
“Wonderful, I will forward you a confirmation of your appointment. It will include directions to our offices and any additional information we may require.”
“Thanks, I’ll see you then.”
“Goodbye.”
My stomach flipped. I felt sick. I was so nervous I couldn’t stand it. Job interviews were hard enough for me to get through; they always put me on edge. But an interview for a job I wanted? That was hard-core pressure. I squeezed my eyes shut. Concentrating on my breathing. It was my time. I could do this.
“Dude, sit your ass down. You are going to wear a hole through the floor.” Troy tapped out some rhythm with a pair of sticks onto a chair. We were about to head out to rehearsal; Alex and James had some new material they wanted to test run.
“She flat-out lied to me, dude. She totally dissed me on her birthday. What the fuck is up with that?” The more shit rotated in my head the more it pissed me off. I never gave the whys of the situation much stock, but now…now it was all kinds of important.
“Dan, you going to give me some context or am I supposed to just fill in the fucking blanks? What are you talking about?” He lifted the sticks, twirling one in his hand as he stared at me, grinning like an asshole. Of course this would be amusing for him. He wasn’t the one being dodged.
“It’s Ashlyn’s birthday Saturday. When she left her purse in the Suburban, I checked it for ID and I saw her date of birth.” I don’t know why it bothered me so much. It sure as hell wasn’t the first time a girl had lied to me, but this time it really bugged me. It was also turning me into a whiny bitch. If it had been anyone but Troy I’d have shut my mouth and pretended it was business as usual, but with the big guy, I didn’t have to fake it. He always seemed to know when I was ate up about something anyway, so I was just saving time by coming clean.
“I wanted to take her out for her birthday. Thought we could go out to dinner or something. She said she had plans.” I pushed my ass into the couch beside him. He was right; I was going to wear a hole through my carpet. Besides if we were going to get all Dr. Phil with this, I might as well be comfortable.
“So? It’s not like the girl didn’t have a social life before she met you, numbnuts. It’s short notice, of course she is going to have plans for her birthday.”
Fucking Troy, trying to be Captain Fucking Obvious. Of course I knew this. Hell, of course she had a life before we’d met, no doubt, with a steady line of douchebags trying to crawl into her panties. A fact I was trying to get out of my head before I put my fist through a wall.
“So why didn’t she just say she was going out for her birthday? She made up some bullshit about it being no big deal, and that she was going out for drinks with friends but couldn’t cancel. If it’s no big deal why the fuck can’t I go?”
Was she going to try and hook up with some other motherfucker or was it that she didn’t want me around? Both of these scenarios pissed me off, the first more so than the second, and I was cool with neither. I pushed my hands through my hair wishing I had some way of knowing what was going down in her head. Mind-reading powers would be good about now.
“Dude, you are starting to freak me out. If you are going to start menstruating we are going to have serious problems.” Troy laughed, slapping me hard on the back. Clearly he was enjoying the situation.
“Fuck you, asshole. I’m serious. This shit is messed up.” I punched him in the arm. This was no laughing matter. I wasn’t spilling my guts for Troy’s enjoyment.
“Have you fucking asked her?” He relaxed into his chair, putting the sticks down and clocking me with a look. “Or is this just you pulling shit out of your ass?”
I waved him off as it was bad enough I was talking about it with him. I wasn’t about to lay it out on the line with her. “I’m not going to ask her, numbnuts. A man has his pride.”
“Can I ask you where you left your fucking balls and who the fuck is this dude standing in front of me? ’Cause I’ve got to tell you, Dan Evans has never given two fucks about what a girl did or didn’t do and he sure as shit didn’t care what she thought.”
“Don’t fucking start.” I pushed out a breath, leveling him with a stare. “I don’t know why but I fucking care and it pisses me the hell off.” Shit, I’d gone this far I might as well just let it fly. “I fucking want to be with her all the time, dude. It’s like a sickness. It’s not just about the fucking. It’s about her. She doesn’t take my shit but she doesn’t try and change me either. She’s cool, dude. We can just hang and she isn’t trying to score free shit or be on the cover of some bullshit magazine.” She was the first girl I had been with in a long time who hadn’t tried to selfie and tag herself while she was with me. Hadn’t even hit me up for tickets or a backstage pass. Hell she hadn’t asked for anything.
“Sounds like to me you’ve got yourself a girl.”
“Asswipe, it’s not like that. She’s got some weird ten-year plan or some shit. She’s not interested in dating, made that quite clear early on. We’re just chilling.”
“So is it just fucking?”
It pissed me off that Troy would talk about her like she was just some groupie. “Dude, don’t talk about her like that. She’s not that kind of girl.”
“Dan, newsflash. If you are so ate up about this chick and it’s more than just fucking, then I hate to break it you, but you have yourself a girlfriend.”
“Asshole, did you hear what I just said? She isn’t interested in dating.”
“Dan, brother. You know I fucking love you but you are seriously fucking dense sometimes. If you two are doing stuff, other than just fucking, you already are dating.”
“Are you sure, man? I’m thinking there needs to be some kind of agreement or some shit. People don’t just start dating.”
“If she is spending time with you of her own free will, then she is agreeing. I’m telling you. You’re dating, man.”
“How the fuck did I start dating and not know?”
“’Cause you’re a dipshit with emotional issues? How the fuck should I know? What I do know is you need to get some sack and sort that shit out.”
“You’re right, dude. I think I have feelings and stuff. I haven’t even thought about another girl since meeting her, not even to jerk off.” I scrubbed my face with my hands.
“Sounds pretty serious. I can’t remember the last time you were with just one girl.” Troy surprisingly wasn’t being an asshole about it. “I think it’s a good thing. James and Han have been happy for years and Alex and Lexi still dig each other. Maybe it’s time. I know I’m getting sick of groupies and band whores. Ash seems like she has a good head on her shoulders. I can’t see her being in it for the money or the fame. Fuck, if she has to put up with your sorry ass, I say she deserves a pay out.”
“Yeah, I think I want to try, man. I know I’m probably going to screw this up, but the thought of her being with another dude makes me want to gut him like a fish. No seriously, I want to grab a knife and fillet the motherfucker and I haven’t even met him yet.”
“Easy there, Hannibal Lector. Just concentrate on your game plan, the rest will take care of itself.”
“True. We should probably make tracks. I want to try and catch Lexi before we start jamming.”
“You solid? You need a hug or something? We can swing past the drug store and grab you some Tampax if you still need it.”
“Whatever, man. Just grab your stuff. We’ll take my car.”
****
The drive out to James and Hannah’s was always a great ride. We got to leave the traffic and noise behind and hit the open road. The afternoon sun was pooling on the dash and even though the weather was starting to turn, we still had a couple more weeks of fall before shit got nasty.
>
James had this estate just outside of the city. When he’d bought it I thought it was kind of douchey, but now it made sense. Big house with a massive yard, tucked away from the world, plus James had a state of the art studio built into his basement. We could rehearse or lay down tracks whenever we wanted without having to worry about booking studio time. It was actually pretty sweet. Han was awesome, too. She didn’t come down there and bitch and moan, she let us do our thing and most times kept us supplied with snacks and beer. James knew what he was doing when he brought her into the fold.
We pulled up the drive and parked up front. Alex’s Escalade was already there, which meant he had his ladies in tow, with Jase’s ’Stang parked beside it. Looked like we were the last ones here. Not that it mattered, they were all probably shooting the shit; it had been a while since we had all been together.
Troy gave me a shit-eating grin as he opened the door and ejected from the car. I knew him well enough to know he would probably be riding me about the Ashlyn thing for the rest of the day. Not that I gave a shit, ’cause even just thinking about her gave me a case of the warm and fuzzies. Fuck. Maybe I was getting a period? Screw it. Whatever the reason, I was bear-hugging the hell out of it, because letting it go wasn’t an option. I pushed open the door and joined Troy at James’s front door.
“Hey!” Hannah pulled open the door before we had a chance to ring the buzzer. “I was wondering when you were going to make it? Everyone’s already here.” Her face lit up as we stepped through the doorway.
“Hey, Han.” I gave her a hug, “We ran into traffic. How’s the little dude? When’s Noah going to pick up the mic and give his old man a run for his money?”
Hannah smiled. “Noah is playing with Grace. Everyone is out in the living room.”
She led us through the hallway to where everyone was gathered. Alex and James were on the floor playing with the kids while Jase was sitting on the armrest of the couch deep in a conversation with Lexi.
“Is Noah macking on my girl?” I walked over to where the boys were sitting, our entrance getting their attention.
“Might have some competition there, buddy. Noah’s pretty sweet on Grace.” James laughed, lifting himself off the floor.
I gave James a thump on the back. “Lucky for him he got his looks from his momma so he stands a fighting chance.”
“No man is ever going to get close to my daughter so you’re both SOL.” Alex brushed off his ass as he stood, Grace stretching out her little arms wanting to be picked up. No denying that little sweetheart was daddy’s girl.
Lexi alternated hugs and hellos with Troy and me as Jase lifted his beer in acknowledgement.
I cleared my throat, hoping not to make an ass out of myself as I moved over to the side of the room for some privacy. “Hey Lexi, can I have a minute?”
Truth was, when Lexi came into our lives I was more than skeptical. Being who we are and doing what we do, you meet a lot of people. People who want to get their claws into you for what they can gain out of it. No point bitching about it, it comes with the territory, but Lexi had been different. Not to say I wouldn’t have jumped at the chance at fucking her, she was all kinds of sexy, but I was glad the way things had ended up. She had more than earned her place with us, she was kickass handling our shit and you could always count on her.
“This is a little cloak and dagger, Dan.” She smiled as she joined me. “What did you need?” She might be a ball-buster but man, whenever I asked for something, even if it was for shit she didn’t want to do, she always came through.
“Yeah, I just wanted to thank you for hooking up that job interview for Ashlyn. I was with her when she got your call and she was seriously stoked. I know you went out on a limb and I just wanted to say thanks.” I scratched the back of my neck feeling like a douchebag. I don’t know why I bothered to try and do this privately, the way Hannah and the boys were eyeballing us, I knew I was going to get twenty questions the minute we were done.
“Wow, Dan, look at you with manners and everything. You’ve really got it bad for this girl.” Lexi gave me a big shit-eating grin, no doubt pleased she was making me feel like I’d just put my nuts on a chopping block. Did I mention what a ball-buster she was?
“Not you, too, Troy’s already giving me shit.” I didn’t expect anything less, Lexi and the rest of them would probably ride my ass, but I didn’t care. Ashlyn was worth it.
Lexi grinned, she was clearly enjoying this. “I think it’s great. Really I do. Just wondering if strip clubs are going to survive without your business.”
“Yeah, have your fun. I don’t give a shit. I like her and I’m not hiding it. Not saying we’re going to run to Vegas and get legal or anything but yeah, I’m going to be with her.” They could make fun of it all they wanted. I’d take it. Being with Ashlyn was important to me and if all I had to do was listen to these dickheads joke about it, then I’d do that, happily.
Lexi smiled. “Devil must be pissed that Hell just froze over.”
“Thought he would’ve been used to it after your marriage to Stone.” I reminded her of how quickly she’d waltzed down the aisle even though she swore ever since she met us that she wasn’t the marrying type. Firstly with their impromptu Miami wedding, and then again on Alex’s birthday. “Two times no less.” Probably not wise to poke the bear but I was on a roll.
“Well, well. Manners and quick off the mark. Impressive.” Surprisingly she didn’t seem annoyed. “But it’s not me who you should be thanking. Sydney organized the interview. Her father is a close friend of Simon’s. Apparently he’s been looking for someone for a while but hasn’t found the right candidate. He was excited by Ashyln’s resume and we had a quick chat over the phone, but it was Syd who put it all into play.”
Wow Sydney had gone to bat for me? I mean we were friends and she had been working her ass off with Lexi, but she didn’t owe me anything. Syd and I had fucked and unlike most girls, she hadn’t gotten all weirded-out after. In the beginning it kinda made me want her more. I even asked her out a few times, but she just said that we’d had our fun and it was time to move on. She didn’t avoid me or anything. Ain’t going to lie, she was pretty badass.
“Well I guess I’ll give her a call. I know she didn’t have to do it.”
“No, she didn’t, but she’s awesome, and quite frankly, she was as surprised as I was you cared so much. She was happy to help.” Lexi rubbed my arm and damn if this whole exchange wasn’t making me a feel a little emotional. Maybe Troy was right; perhaps I was turning into a girl.
“Dan, you done monopolizing Lexi? I thought we were actually going to play?” Jason tossed a pillow at us, the stupid grin on his face evidence he’d heard at least some of the conversation. Not that I gave a shit, hell they were bound to find out sooner or later, so might as well word them up now.
“All right, assholes, let’s go make some magic. But before we do I have an announcement to make. I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think, or what trash-talk you are going to throw my way. I’m dating Ashyln and that’s how it’s going to be.”
“Good one, numbnuts.” Troy twirled a stick in his hand. “Maybe tell her first though next time.”
Spending a night away from Dan had been harder than I thought. The idea was to use the time away to focus and prepare for my interview without the sexy distraction that he was, but when I finally went to bed I couldn’t sleep. I spent most of the night tossing and turning. It was strange that on some level having him beside me calmed me. I didn’t understand it because the man was more hyper than a child who had OD’d on too much sugar. If I were honest with myself, I’d admit that just his physical proximity made me sleep better. It was nice. Actually, it was better than nice. Lying with him in bed was amazing. Not even thinking about the sex, which had surpassed every expectation I’d had and more. It was how being in his arms made me feel while I slept. It did things to me, things that both confused and elated me. On paper, Dan and I made no sense, but being with him, f
elt right. God. I needed more coffee and a lobotomy.
The interview itself had been flawless. Well flawless if I you don’t count the dry heaving in the bathroom thirty minutes before I walked into the boardroom. After I’d gotten over my mental and physical freak out, I was able to pull it together to actually present a rather intelligent and well-rounded front. I didn’t even seem to be the slightest bit nervous which even surprised myself. I wasn’t delusional enough to think I had it in the bag but I knew I had performed well and would be a serious contender. It pleased me to know I could actually have a shot at this. To get off the treadmill I had been on for months and start making progress in my life. It was as if things were finally falling into place. Like somehow, I had paid my dues and now I could start reaping the rewards. Who says karma is a bitch? Sometimes, it’s just plain wonderful.
“I Want Your Sex”, Dan’s ringtone blared from my purse, making me smile. I really should change the ringtone but for some reason I didn’t. I would get around to it one of these days.
“Hello, Dan.” I couldn’t help purring into the phone. Just knowing I was going to be hearing his voice excited me. Yeah, I know. I had issues.
“Well hello, babe. What are you wearing?” His words rumbled in my ear.
Dan was so unapologetically sexual and sleeping with him only reinforced it. It wasn’t just a case of big ego. Well he had a huge ego, but with Dan, what you saw was what you got and what you got was high-octane sex. If you weren’t careful the fumes alone were enough to make you dizzy.
“A latex bustier and crotchless panties.” I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing.
“FUCK! Where are you? I’ll be there in five minutes,” Dan hissed and I heard the telltale jangling of keys. He was so easily baited and it thrilled me to know that on the flip of a dime, I could get a reaction out of him.
