“I can phone the contractor when we get back to the house if you’d like. If you prefer, there are other companies we can try. You don’t need to wait for this one.”
She turned to him, eyes squinted as though confused. “I know I’m prying, but what was up with that chick?”
“Remember the married person I told you about? The person I told you did a number on me?” She nodded. “Yeah, that was her.”
“Her?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I don’t know. I just assumed you were talking about a…” She trailed off and shrugged. “She did not fit the profile of what I had in mind.”
“Really? What profile is that?”
“Never mind. I mean, I guess I can see why you liked her.”
He knew what Alexandra assumed. She had no idea Sebastian let her assume whatever she wanted to. In fact, he may have stirred the pot a bit, letting her think he was gay, but that was her assumption to begin with. Coming on to her while she was playing Alex Roberts was his only shot at getting to know the girl next door, and he was not going to apologize for that. Now, Alexandra pulled away even more with each mile on the drive home.
“She’s pretty hot if you go for that kind of thing,” Alexandra said softly when they pulled up to the house.
“She’s a lot of things, most of them are not that great. I hope you know I didn’t expect to see her there.”
“Yes. That part was pretty clear.”
He found himself hesitating. “It brings back a lot of bad memories, but that’s neither here nor there. Aileen Gales is out of my life. You’d probably feel the same way if you bumped into one of your exes.”
Sebastian climbed out of the Jeep and waited for Alexandra out of habit, but she pushed past him and headed next door.
“I have to check on some things,” she called over her shoulder.
“Okay. I’ll search for a few other contractor details so you can pick the one you prefer.”
“Thanks. See you later.” She waved him off.
It’s official.
My secret’s out, and she is not too happy about it.
Let’s see if she’ll come clean now.
CHAPTER EIGHT
ALEXANDRA was steaming. Bursting through the door of Dad’s house, she took some satisfaction from slamming it behind her. The noise echoed through the emptiness, making quite the racket.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!”
She stomped past the mirror in the hallway and looked at herself. Her face was flush and her eyebrows furrowed from the mental exertion of wrestling a crazy jumble of thoughts and emotions that made absolutely no sense anymore. She clenched her eyes shut, picturing the vixen at the construction company office with her mid-level salon hair and breast implants.
She is Bash’s ex-girlfriend?
Why am I angry?
A small voice in the back of her mind answered. Alexandra was falling for him. Sebastian Sullivan was now in league with the most conniving, most infuriating men she knew, except he was also the sweetest, sexiest, funniest guy she had gotten to know too. There really was nothing bad she could say about him. She was the problem. She was flat out wrong.
It’s not like he tricked me.
Shit, I’m still mad as hell.
She tried to convince herself that most infuriating part was she had been so close to telling him who she was.
She sucked in a miserable breath. That was not true. She wanted to tell him, but had caved every time. She sat on the bottom step, running an anxious hand through her hair.
This is all on me.
Looking back now, she realized she had probably ignored all the hints from Dad and Rosa that Bash was straight, simply because it was convenient. It fit better into her situation. She saw it clearly—she had projected what she wanted onto the situation. Bash was not remotely interested in Alex. He was just a nice, friendly next-door neighbor, and comfortable enough in his manhood to hang out with Alex Roberts.
I’m the fraudulent one.
I should be mad at myself.
The anger turned quickly to embarrassment. One thing was clear—Sebastian Sullivan was not gay. Now she needed to think about how best to move forward. The simplest next step would have been to confess who she was right now, and hope he understood her reasons. She also considered waiting for Eva to show up for emotional support.
Either way, he might think I was playing him for a fool.
Groaning with angst, she got to her feet and began to pace the hallway. The image of Bash’s ex-girlfriend played on her mind, and a third option surfaced.
I might as well keep up the Alex Roberts act.
I’m not his type anyway. I’m nothing like Aileen.
For a moment, it felt like the best option, and all Bash would know after she left for LA was that Alex Roberts went back home to his boring job as a bartender.
I can disappear into obscurity and forget this craziness ever happened.
Thinking honestly, that was not what she wanted. Bash had become a friend, in a murky, complicated, unusual way. The problem was still how to come clean. It was bound to squeeze the life out of that very friendship.
How can I expect him to feel anything but contempt for me after this?
***
Alexandra fired off a text when she returned to Bash’s place and got up to the guestroom.
‘The plan is off, Eva. We’re not telling Bash about my real identity.’
She sat cross-legged on the bed with her laptop, grimly pulling up her flight plans. There was no point making an appearance as Lexxi anymore. She could keep her original flight back to LA and forget about the chaos of the past month.
Bash called through the door before Eva answered her text. “Alex? A courier just dropped off a package for you.”
Crap. My wig.
She jumped to her feet, crossing the room to fling the door open.
“Thanks!” she said to him, pulling the box from his hands.
“You don’t have to stay cooped up in here, you know?”
“Yes, I know that,” she said with a curt tone. “I’m just organizing a few things.”
“Got it.” Bash took a step back. “Did I do something to tick you off, bro?”
Before she could answer, her phone buzzed. Both of their gazes darted back to her smartphone on the edge of the bed. She grimaced, hoping Bash could not see Eva’s face and phone number light up the screen. She rushed over to the phone and flipped the screen off.
“Oh, is it your harassing ex who’s killing your mood?” Bash asked, still gesturing to the phone.
“Sure,” she answered. Wilkes came to mind at first, and then the unforgettable image of Aileen plastered all over Bash snuck back in.
“Well, none of us can change the past,” he said. “The upside is, you can choose who you keep in your life and who you let go.”
What if I don’t want to let you go?
Bash shut the guestroom door behind him, and Alexandra grabbed her phone to call back Eva before her chaotic shooting schedule pulled her away again. She hit redial and pressed it to her ear, feeling regretful.
“What do you mean we’re not telling him,” Eva said as soon as she answered. “I’m already in—”
“Thank goodness you called me back right away. I was worried I’d have to text it all out to you.”
“Text what to me? What happened?”
“Ugh! Where do I start? Let’s just say I got solid evidence today that Bash is definitely not gay, and Lexxi Rock isn’t remotely his type. He likes his women blonde and buxom with large breasts.”
Her best friend gave her a tawdry whistle. “Blonde with big boobs? Not a bad combination, but who cares what she looks like? They aren’t together, are they?”
“No.”
“That’s what matters. Lexxi, darling, just start from the beginning and tell me everything.”
Alexandra relayed the story of running into Aileen, and concluded with, “So, you don’t have to come out h
ere anymore, Eva. I’ll be back in LA before you make the trip. Plus, there’s no point in telling him now. I’ll only look like an idiot, especially since he knows I thought he was gay.”
“Wait, he knows you thought he was gay? Lexxi, do you get what that means?”
“What?”
“Well on top of sounding utterly crazy, it means all this time, Sebastian has been trying to clue you in. He already knows you’re a woman!” she said excitedly.
Alexandra clutched the phone to her ear, trying to piece it together in her head, but not following at all. “Eva, what in the hell are you talking about? What does his knowing I thought he was gay have to do with that?”
Eva let out a long breath. “Isn’t it obvious? You told me that since you’ve been back home, Bash has been extra-chummy, extra-touchy feely and extra-available, right?”
“Yes. So what?”
“Well, what straight man would act that way with another guy?”
“Um.”
“No straight man would do that, Lex. A straight man would make a point of keeping another guy at arm’s length. He had to have known you’re female Lex!”
Eva’s enthusiasm was not rubbing off on Alexandra. She immediately tried to protest, but Eva’s reasoning made sense.
“Crap. So why would he not just say he knew?”
“Maybe he was being polite. The same way you were, by not just coming out and asking him if he was gay. I swear, people tiptoe around each other too much these days. I blame it on political correctness.”
“Hold on,” Alexandra said, processing all the times Bash made more intimate advances over the past month. “Holy crap. It wasn’t my imagination…Oh my God, you could be right!”
“Of course I’m right.”
“So what should I do? How should I handle this, Eva? By the way, I should mention that his ex-girlfriend slipped him her phone number before we left the office.”
“So what?”
“You’re the only person I’ll admit this in front of, but I wanted to snap her stilettos and push her down a flight of stairs, preferably face first.”
“That sounds like something I would do, darling.”
“Ugh. I don’t even think he was interested in her. My gut instincts just kicked in.”
Eva chimed with laughter. “Darling, since you’ve already scoped out the competition, you know exactly where you stand. I think it’s the perfect time to let the rock star out of the bag.”
“There’s just one problem. I don’t look anything like the real Lexxi Rock anymore. No super-long purple hair, no tres chic designer wardrobe, not a hint of the old it-factor. I look like Alex Roberts.”
“Who cares? I’ve been thinking about this, Lexxi, and I’ve come to the conclusion you’ve got too many different people to be. Just be yourself. Remember when I used to work at the lounge you sang at back in college? You were a nobody, love. We both were absolute clichés. You were the chick with the guitar and I was the overly dramatic, underfed girl. It’s not Lexxi who’s a star. She’s just an image for the stage. It’s you, woman. It’s time you start being yourself again.”
Alexandra barely heard a word Eva said. Her eyes were fixated on the couriered box that Bash had just delivered to her room.
“Are you listening to me?”
“Yes. Okay maybe I was a bit distracted. Tell me again.”
“Jeez, Lex. Just go to him and tell him who you are.”
All the nervousness spread through Alexandra’s body again. “Are you suggesting I walk downstairs and tell him to his face that I’m Lexxi Rock…like right now?” She stared at the door and shook her head. “I can’t do that, Eva.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “I figured you would say that. Well don’t worry, Lex. Your bestie can save you. Personally, I have no qualms about telling him to his face for you.”
Alexandra giggled. Eva sounded determined. “No, no, this is crazy. Look, I’ve already made up my mind. Bash might or might not have figured out I’m a woman, but knowing he’s straight makes the situation a whole lot messier. Suppose you’re right, and he’s attracted to me. Do you even remember the horrible track record I have with men? This is bound to end badly.”
“How would you know that? You haven’t given him a chance.”
“Well, I lied to him for a month, for starters. Even if he got past that, he lives here in Tucson, and I live in LA…and what about when I get back there and things get busy with performing and recording and tours? It could never work. It was a great fantasy, Eva, but the best thing for me to do is stick to my guns.”
“Too late for that, darling.”
“The hell it is.”
“Will you listen to yourself, Lex? You’ve written him off before you even try. Besides, my plane already touched down, Lexxi. Surprise!”
“What? You’re in Tucson?”
“I am, love. I’m sitting in this limo, waiting for you to stop the craziness so you can give me that address again.”
The phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor with a thump.
She shouted, “Eva Reese is in Tucson? I’m not ready! Arizona is not ready!”
CHAPTER NINE
ALEXANDRA gasped in the main floor hallway a few minutes later. A thunderous dash down the stairs and toward the front door landed her right in Sebastian’s arms.
He let out a surprised grunt. “I heard a noise and was coming up to see if you fell. What’s the big hurry, bud?”
“I can’t talk right now,” she answered, clutching the box from Rick even more tightly.
Alexandra pulled away from him and stepped closer to the front door. She had to get outside. Eva would be pulling up any second. Throwing the door wide open, she jogged down the steps, looking up and down the street. She sped along the winding walkway to the sidewalk in front of the house, and only then noticed Bash was following closely behind.
She turned and pressed a hand on his chest to stop him.
Dammit. Those sparks are still at it again.
She tried to focus. “Look, something just came up and I have to take care of it. A driver will be here to pick me up in a few minutes. I’m fine out here. Why don’t you go back inside.”
She heard the anxiety and panic in her own voice. Maybe it was over the top, but she had her reasons.
“Cool. Where are you off to?”
“I’m meeting a friend.”
“All right. Was it that person who called?”
She did not have time for his game of twenty questions right now, and did not want to lie to him anymore. She also could not afford to introduce Bash to Eva just yet. It would be a disaster.
“I’ll talk to you later.” Her eyebrows came together in a pained expression, and Bash finally got the hint. He backed away from her, and turned to go back into the house.
“Should I cancel with Clint and Beth?” he asked over his shoulder. “It’s fine if you’re busy for the rest of the evening.”
“No, don’t cancel,” she replied, feeling guilty.
She thought about it for a moment. It was cutting it close, but maybe there was enough time to get Eva settled at her hotel and still make it back in time for dinner. She still could barely believe her impetuous best friend had touched down in Arizona without giving her a heads-up that she was on the way. Suddenly, a brilliant idea formed in her mind. She could capitalize on Eva’s surprise visit and make it to dinner to meet Bash’s friends.
With more certainty, she said to Bash, “Let’s all go out to dinner. Do you think your friends would mind?”
“Um, I don’t think so.”
“Great. I’ll phone you within an hour and tell you where to meet me in the city. I won’t be too far away.”
“No problem,” Bash muttered. “Do you even have my number?”
“Oh! Probably not. What is it?” Before he answered, she fished out her smartphone and unlocked it before handing it to him. “Here, put it in my contact list so I don’t lose it.”
&n
bsp; “Sure,” he said, taking the phone. “I’ll put it under Bash.”
“No problem.”
When he was finished, she practically grabbed the phone from his hand. “I’ve got to go.”
“Talk to you later, Alex.”
A sleek black limousine eased around the curb the minute Bash got inside and closed the front door. Thanking her lucky stars, she hurried back down the sidewalk to meet the car as her plan began to take shape.
Things are coming to a head.
In one move, she could make it so Alex Roberts would not need to fade into obscurity, Bash would not have to be kept in the dark, and her true fans would know she had a heart where her family was concerned.
Lexxi Rock is going to show up at dinner with Evangelyn Reese!
It was perfect, actually. She would make the time to pull Bash aside before dinner and tell him what she had been doing all along—dressed as Lexxi—and let the chips fall as they might. He was bringing his friends, so it was not likely that Bash would be upset or cause a scene. Plus, he had mentioned they were Lexxi Rock fans, so they would be thrilled to meet her. They’d probably see Bash as their hero for introducing them. On top of all that, the media was sure to show up the second she presented herself in that purple wig, and with Eva, no less. It was a win-win-win all round.
The limousine stopped, and Eva leaned out, shouting a hearty hello as the driver came around to open the passenger door. “I thought you’d let me meet the sexy firefighter, Lex,” she exclaimed with a cheeky grin.
“You will!” she told her, stepping inside. Alexandra chuckled breathlessly, relieved at escaping Bash without a mishap. She set the box aside and had a good look at Eva. Reaching across the wide seat. She gave her a warm hug. “I’m so happy to see you, hun.”
“Me too, love.”
“You could have given me a heads up you were coming!”
Eva laughed. “What fun would that be? There’s no flair in the predictable, dear. You know how much I love making an entrance.”
“I forgot who I was dealing with,” Alexandra teased. “On the topic of being unpredictable, I just had the most brilliant aha moment!”
“Good God. More unpredictable than cutting your hair, dressing like a guy for a month and falling for your neighbor? Oh my God, look at you! Your hair! I absolutely love it, Lex. It’s so you.”
Reveal: A Contemporary Romance (Billionaire Rock Star Romance Book 2) Page 5
