Beautiful Series Boxset, books 1-4

by Lilliana Anderson

  “We’ll consider her one of the guys.” Lachlan smiles, his brown eyes watching Naomi closely for a reaction.

  “I think you should consider me one of the girls, you’ve got such long hair,” she teases, reaching up and pulling on Lachlan’s dirty blond do.

  “All right, ladies,” I boom over their laughter, clapping my hands to break up the joke. “Let’s get out of here. I think we need to meet a couple more times this week to make sure Naomi is up to speed with our set list. We’re playing The Basement this weekend, so we don’t want to mess this up.”

  With a chorus of yeah-yeahs and goodbyes, the guys file out one after the other, leaving me behind.

  “Are you coming?” Naomi asks as she collects the last of her things.

  I shake my head. “No, I live here.”

  “Oh, really? Wow, that must be great. You can play whenever you want with a soundproof room like this.” She looks around my converted double garage with an eye of appreciation.

  “See you Wednesday.” If that doesn’t get her moving I’ll probably push her out the door. I need my alone time.

  She takes a couple of steps towards the door, but pauses, turning around to face me. Oh, my god. Just go. “I wanted to say thanks for giving me a go,” she says, fiddling with the handle on her case. “I can tell you don’t really want me here, but I hope I’ll win you over. I’m happy to play however you want me to. I mean, I don’t want to mess with any of your songs.”

  Shit. I’m being an arsehole. I wipe my hand across my jaw and hear the scrape of my stubble against my palm. “There’s nothing wrong with your playing,” I admit.

  “Oh.” She looks at her hands then back up to meet my eyes. “So, it’s just me then?”

  We stand and look at each other for a long moment, and I wonder if she has any recollection of me. She was the most adorable little thing in an otherwise bleak time of my life. But now it’s as if I never knew her at all. “Rehearsal starts at five. Make sure you tape those fingers.”

  She lifts one hand, letting her case shift to her side while she inspects her blistered fingers. I’ve never seen someone play until their fingers bled before. I’ve heard the expression, but to witness it happen is pretty powerful. I’m both impressed and wary of the woman she’s become.

  “I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that. I’m sorry. I’ll see you Wednesday.” Spinning on her heels, she makes her way to the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I’m not sure how I’m going to cope having her near. A couple of hours has already given me a bad case of anxiety. I can feel it thrumming in my chest and bubbling against the walls of my stomach like a sense of foreboding. I can’t even bring myself to listen to our rehearsal recordings to make notes. I’m too agitated to do anything but… play.

  It’s the only thing that calms me down.

  I walk to the rear of the studio and remove the sheet that covers my old piano and sit on the creaky bench. I’ve owned this since I was old enough to work. It was the first thing I saved for. I didn’t care that it had seen better days; the lacquer worn away from the many hands that played it. They’d wanted to throw it away, to upgrade to something more modern. But I convinced them to let me buy it. It’s the only thing I still have from back then, back when my life was different.

  With my breath held in the centre of my chest, I position my fingers. The notes flow out of me easily. It’s a song I’ve played hundreds of times. I play it every time I need peace. And right now, I need a little peace. I’ve worked my arse off to get this band to where it is and inviting Naomi is a gamble that could make or break us. I don’t know if Marcus can keep his promise. Hell, I don’t know if I can keep the promise. Shit. I close my eyes and push my thoughts deep down into the pits of my mind. Focus on the music, Theo. You’re not the same man anymore. That’s what this song reminds me off—how far I’ve come, how much I’ve changed. I’ve only ever played it for myself and one other person because it’s deeply personal. I’ll never give it to the band for my brother to sing. It’s another thing I’m not willing to share with him. This one is mine alone. Just like Naomi should have been.

  Fuck you, Marcus.

  Nine

  Naomi

  “Tell me all about the big jam session,” Stephanie asks over the phone. The woman must have been spying on me because she called the second I put my violin in my car.

  “It was good,” I say, securing my pride and joy with a seatbelt so it won’t slide around. “Great actually. I can’t stop smiling.”

  “That great, huh? Are you part of the band now? What’s happening?”

  Getting behind the wheel of my forest green Rav4, I fill her in on the details of the session, and how I’m to practice with them a bit more this week before we perform next weekend. “And get this—we’re performing at The Basement on Friday night. I’m excited and freaking out at the same time.”

  “Oh, my god. You’re a rock star. I need to come and watch,” she squeals, making my smile even broader.

  “Don’t get too excited for me. If the crowd doesn’t go for it, this will be my one and only performance.”

  “Nomes, they will love you. There’s no way they won’t like you,” she assures me, the way all best friends are supposed to.

  “God, I hope so. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do if this doesn’t work out, you know?”

  “Yeah. It kind of popped up just when you needed it, huh? What’s it like playing with Marcus again?”

  I connect my phone to the Bluetooth and start the engine. “It’s fine. A little weird, but I think that will go away with time. All of them are really nice though. Well, except for Theo. I don’t know if he hates me or if he’s one of those people who hates everyone.”

  “Ew. That’s gotta be a downer. Who’s Theo?”

  “The drummer. He’s actually Marcus’s brother. Supposedly he went to our school. Do you remember him?”

  “What grade was he in?”

  “He was a year above Marcus, so two above us.”

  “I can’t remember off the top of my head, but that doesn’t mean much. I never recovered from this baby-brain business since I had Mandy. Is he as hot as Marcus?”

  “As long as you find guys who are permanently angry, hot. He looks like a more manly version of Marcus. He’s not as pretty, if that makes sense.”

  “Yeah it makes sense. As long as he has those same killer eyes.”

  “They’re darker—almost black. And his hair is darker too, still brown, but way darker.”

  “I’ll have a perve on Friday night.”

  “No perving, young lady. You’re a married woman,” I joke.

  “I’m just window shopping. It’s not like I have any intention of buying.”

  “Fair enough.” I laugh as I pull into the parking garage of my apartment building. “Listen, I have to get going. I have a bar shift tonight and need to get ready.”

  “All right, well text me the details for your gig on Friday, and Gary and I will be there. We’ll leave Amanda with my mum and pretend we’re twenty again.”

  “Sounds great. Talk soon,” I say, hitting the button on the steering wheel to disconnect the call.

  Looking at the time readout on my phone as I grab it from its cradle, I curse myself silently. I only have fifteen minutes to get ready and be at work. Fuck. I'll need to skip the shower.

  Racing up the stairs, I give my armpits a sniff and give myself a good dousing of body spray and some roll on deodorant. Thankfully, I’m already in jeans, so I just grab the black fitted t-shirt that is my uniform and race for the door. I don’t have time to do my makeup, so every time I stop for a traffic light, I apply my eyeliner and lip gloss. When I run into work, I only have minutes to spare.

  “Cutting it fine aren’t we, Naomi?” my boss says from his office as I drop my bag in the staffroom.

  “I still made it,” I point out breathlessly, grabbing my apron and heading for the bar where my co-worker, Kylie, is already setting up.

&nb
sp; Kylie is a uni student. She’s only twenty, but she’s a hard worker. I like being on shift with her. She’s small like I am, but she has deep auburn hair and green eyes. Between us, we manage to attract enough admirers to amass a good collection of tips. On top of that, I don’t catch her wasting time, flirting with the patrons like a couple of the other girls and guys I work with are prone to do.

  “Good evening,” she says, pulling some glasses out of the cabinet and setting them on the bar.

  I move right over and pick up the bucket of ice she’s already collected from the back room and tip it into the basin, shoving the scoop in it, ready for later. “Hey. Sorry I wasn’t earlier.”

  “It’s no worry.” She looks up and meets my eyes. “You seem buzzed. Good day?”

  “The best,” I sigh.

  She grins, pausing to watch me pour off the stale beer that gets trapped in the line. “Did you spend it with a guy?”

  My lips curve uncontrollably upward. “I spent it with four, actually.”

  “You hussy.” She laughs.

  “It’s not like that; I was auditioning for a band. It was amazing. I haven’t played with anyone for ages.” I sigh again.

  “Play what? I had no idea you could play anything.”

  “I can play a lot of things.” I lean against the steel bench and fold my arms across my chest. It' been so long since I enjoyed making music that I stopped talking about it.

  “Like what?”

  “For the band, I’m playing the violin.”

  “A violin in a band? What kind of band?”

  “They’re an indie rock band. They have this folky sort of sound. It’s really nice, and the violin fits in beautifully. I just…” I grab the glass I used to clear the beer lines and put it in the dishwasher before standing back up to face Kylie. “You know, I didn’t realise how much I was missing it. I used to play all the time. It was all I cared about, but then I took some time off, went travelling, and then I came back and didn’t even want to play for myself. I had given up on music as a career option, or even as a dream. But now… I feel alive again, you know?”

  When I meet her eyes, she’s grinning at me. “Well, it definitely suits you. You look like you’re floating on clouds. When do I get to see you play?”

  “Actually, that’s what I needed to talk to you about. Can you please cover my shift on Friday night? We have a gig and I can’t miss it. One of the guys is already a bit funny about having a girl in the band, so I don’t want to appear flaky. Can you do it? Please, please pretty please,” I beg, holding my hands clasped together in front of me.

  Kylie laughs as she shakes her head from side to side. “Enough, stop begging. I’ll do it for you on one condition… actually two.”

  “Ok, what are they?”

  “Firstly, you thank me for this in your Aria speech.”

  “Done.” I laugh, not sure I’m ever going to be in the position of winning one of those awards. “What’s the other condition?”

  “You have to lend me your kindle for a month.”

  My mouth drops open. “A month?” I cry. I love my kindle. My parents gave it to me last Christmas and I carry it with me everywhere. Thousands of books are at my fingertips and I don’t know if I want to give that up… but the gig… it’s important.

  “A month,” she confirms.

  I chew my lip as I war between my love of romance novels and my love of music. It’s close, but music wins. “Fine. It’s yours. One month only. And don’t oneclick any new books, all right?”

  “Deal.” she grins, holding out her hand to shake mine with a triumphant gleam in her eye.

  “You drive a hard bargain, missy.”

  She giggles as she takes the bucket off the bench and returns it to the ice machine. As much as I’m going to miss my ereader, a month without it will probably be ok. It’ll give me the chance to throw myself fully into my music so I’m playing at my best for the band. Besides, there's always the kindle app on my phone I can read on. The hot alpha I’ve been swooning over is still accessible to me. All is not lost.

  Ten

  Naomi

  Friday night takes forever to arrive. I’ve been dying to perform, but as soon as it‘s time to get ready, my nerves make me wish I had longer to prepare.

  “You’ll be fine,” Stephanie says as she sits on the edge of my bed, watching me fling clothes about as I decide what to wear.

  “God, I’m sweating. I haven’t even stood on stage yet and I’m sweating! My bow’s going to end up sliding out of my fingers and hitting some poor bastard in the eyeball. They’ll never let me up there again,” I moan, throwing yet another dress on the floor. None of them look right. I’m a fucking mess.

  “Calm down. How many times have you performed in your life? You’ve never choked, and you won’t choke now. You’re like the Rain Man of music. The moment you heard those songs you knew them. Plus, you’ve been practicing with the guys all week. It’s going to be amazing, and I’ll be right there cheering you on.”

  I stand back from my wardrobe and survey the mess I’ve made of my room. I run my fingers through my hair, frustrated with myself for not planning my outfit sooner.

  “I should have bought something new to wear,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t have anything decent, and I'm going to look stupid.”

  Stephanie laughs and looks at the mountain on my floor. “I’ll choose your clothes. Go take a shower. Gary will be here in twenty minutes, and then we’re leaving. You don’t have any freak out time left. So it’s time to stop this nonsense and go.”

  “God, you’re such a mum now. When did you become the responsible one?” I ask, half in jest as I concede defeat and head for the bathroom.

  “I was always the responsible one.”

  I laugh as I close the bathroom door, turning the shower on with a shaky hand. I try to breathe and calm down but I’ve gotten myself into such a state, that when I look in the mirror, my face is bright pink.

  “You can do this. It’s like riding a bike. You never forget how to perform. Right?” I say to my reflection, still unsure if I’m capable of playing in front of a crowd again.

  Quickly, I shake my head and my nervous thoughts away. Steph is right, I don’t have time to freak out or I’ll be late. I test the water temperature and quickly remove my clothes, stepping into the shower recess and allowing the water to pour over my body. Closing my eyes, I try to picture myself on stage, strong and confident. Singing and playing at my best. In my mind, the crowd is loving me.

  Then my doubts take over and the crowd boos me off stage, rotten tomatoes and all.

  Rapidly, I open my eyes and shake my head again. “This isn’t helping,” I admonish myself. “Everything will be fine… You’ve got this.”

  My entire future in music rides on tonight. I have to do well.

  Marcus

  “Where is she, Marcus?” Theo glowers. “She’s supposed to be here by now.”

  “She will be, Theo, relax. She’ll be here,” I assure him as confidently as I can, although I look at my phone furtively, silently hoping I’m right. If she doesn’t turn up after all the promo we've done to hype her up, Theo will lose his shit and I’ll never be allowed to make a creative decision again. Even if I made this one with my dick. But, Theo is right. A no fucking policy is what’s best for the band. Pussy isn't hard to come by. A great violinist is. Keep it in your pants, Marcus. And hurry the fuck up and arrive, Nomes.

  As if hearing my prayers, she bursts through the door, all breathless and well… gorgeous. I can see immediately what took her so long. She looks smoking hot in a short girly looking skirt that’s purple like her violin. It shows off her tan legs perfectly, my eyes can’t help but drag down the length of them, pausing at the pair of killer black heels she’s got on her feet.

  “Seriously, if you fall over in those things, I’m not catching you,” Theo spits. It’s the first thing anyone has said. The rest of us are just staring at her open-mouthed. She’s got her hair pulle
d up into a messy bun and her face isn’t overly made up. It’s just enough to make her look like she’s glowing. But after Theo’s shit remark, she’s scowling.

  “It’s ok, Nomes. I’ll catch you.” Lachlan smiles, turning that frown upside down.

  “Thanks,” she says, fidgeting slightly. I think Theo has made her feel a little self-conscious now. Fuck he can be a dick.

  “You look gorgeous, Naomi. You’ll knock them all dead tonight,” I tell her with a wink, glad when I’m rewarded with a huge smile.

  “I hope so,” she admits.

  “All right, ladies. Enough gushing,” Theo interrupts, clapping his hands together. “We’ve got just enough time to complete setup before they open the doors. Let’s get this done.”

  We finish preparing the stage as Theo talks quietly with the venue’s sound guy. Our band is doing well, but at the moment we’re solely responsible for all of our own equipment, sound, bookings and everything else promoting a band entails. No extra staff.

  Theo has taken on the crux of it. He’s got a good head for the business side of things. Admittedly, we wouldn’t be where we are without him. Although, I don’t really tell him that, because I don’t want him thinking he’s the boss or anything. But it’s true. He’s like, our music industry guru. I have no idea how he does it.

  When everything is checked and ready, we all head out to the back room to wait until it’s time to get on stage. We don’t say a huge amount. All of us guys just try to make normal conversation in an attempt to put Naomi at ease because she’s sitting on a stool and bouncing her leg up and down frantically, occasionally blowing out steadying breaths and complaining about the heat in the room.

  I exchange glances with Theo, who just looks at her and shakes his head. Suddenly, I find my knee bouncing too. Shit, if she blows this, Theo will murder me.