Gio

by Kenya Wright

  Ru passed the many empty parking spaces. “This must be the town’s little main street.”

  I checked the name of the road. “Yep. It’s Main Street.”

  “Cool. Look for Building 504.”

  “Okay.” I checked the numbers and pointed two stores down. “It’s right there.”

  A wig shop was right next to it.

  “Good.” Ru parked in front of the building. “I’m loving this town already. No problems with parking.”

  “What’s at building 504?”

  He winked at me. “You’ll see.”

  “But—”

  He jumped out the car and rushed over to my side, catching me by surprise as he opened the door. “After you.”

  Quirking my eyebrows, I climbed out. “Ru, what’s going on?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “You’ve only been in Utah for barely twenty-four hours and you have a surprise for me?”

  “I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I had plenty time to plan.” He shut the door. “Now, just promise me something.”

  “O-kay.”

  “Keep an open mind.”

  I sighed. “Okay.”

  I followed him as he pulled out keys and opened the front door. Darkness bathed the empty place. I coughed from the dust in the air, doubting anyone had been in the building in years.

  “Give me a minute.” Ru slid his hands around the walls. “There should be a light switch around here. I didn’t get a chance to see the place, before I bought it.”

  I remained in the doorway. “You bought it?”

  “Yeah.” He found the switch and flipped it on. Instead of the light maintaining a continuous glow, it blinked off and on, while buzzing every five seconds.

  If I’d thought the place was dusty with the lights off, I almost shrieked at seeing the layers of dust coating the whole place. It must’ve been at least five inches of muck covering rotted walls and floors. Several feet ahead of me, two rats screeched and ran into a hole in the wall. Stacks of ripped and molded books lined the walls next to crumbling mannequins and matted wigs. My stomach twisted as I spotted a few roaches crawling along the knotted strands.

  Ru frowned. “It needs to be cleaned up.”

  Ya think?

  “So...” I held my hands out and still hadn’t stepped inside. “Why did you buy this place?”

  “There’s an apartment upstairs.” Ru pointed to the cracked ceiling. “Do you want to check it out?”

  “Maybe, after a building inspector tells me it’s safe.”

  “You might be right.” He laughed. “The inks not dry. I should probably get out of this deal, before it closes. We can find another.”

  “We? And what were you going to do with it?”

  He dangled the key and walked out. “I was going to put your studio here and renovate the second floor for a nice apartment, but this needs too much work. This is what happens when I rush a real estate agent right after Christmas. Lesson learned.”

  I stood there in shock.

  He shut the building’s front door, locked it, and faced me. “What?”

  “I’m not...What?...Why would you think I would stay here?” I pointed at the building. “I don’t even need a place. I have an apartment, and I’m just going to be here for...”

  Humor left Ru’s face. “How long?”

  “Until we’re done with the album.”

  He leaned his head to the side. “Have you started on it yet?”

  “No.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Has anything else started?”

  I blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “I hope not.”

  “Are you trying to say something?” I shook my head. “I mean seriously, Ru. I was in an accident and then Christmas. Come on. It’s not like I’m lazy at my job. I write. I do what I’m supposed to.”

  A few snowflakes began to fall. Not a lot, but enough to tell me that it was the quiet right before the storm.

  Ru looked away as he asked me, “Where did you sleep last night?”

  I cleared my throat. “In his room.”

  “Anything happened?”

  I bristled, feeling like a little kid being reprimanded. “That’s none of your business.”

  “It’s not?”

  “No, my love life is not a part of your job.”

  His jaw twitched. “Love life?”

  “I mean...” I shook my head. “Ru, whatever. I’m not staying in some building just because you’re worried that something is going on with Gio.”

  “Did you at least use a condom?”

  I chewed the inside of my cheek and didn’t say anything. He muttered a curse under his breath.

  “That’s none of your business,” I said. Meanwhile, I cursed myself for not using a condom. What the hell was wrong with me? Although he’d been a great guy, I didn’t know his past sex life. Not only did I not want to get pregnant, I also didn’t want a STD.

  Damn it. Stupid. So stupid.

  “My focus is on your career. Something is up with Gio and you.” He pierced me with his gaze. “You don’t have to tell me what I can see for myself. Therefore, we have to make sure you actually do what you came here for.”

  “Of course, I will.”

  “I’ve seen this before.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Seen what?”

  “Women get lost to stardom.”

  “Bullshit, Ru. This is not the first star I’ve worked with.”

  “This is the first one where you’ve slept in his bedroom.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I stormed off and headed for his car. “This meeting is over.”

  He placed the keys in his pocket and followed me to the rental. More flakes fell. I got in and he did right after. Instead of starting the car, he sat there with his hands on his lap. “I’m sorry.”

  “I can’t believe you,” I said. “You bought a building thirty minutes away?”

  “I’ve seen all of this before. Trust me. There’s two ways this ends. A guy is a money maker in the industry. He sees a shiny new girl on the scene. He plays with her and he either A, has sex with her until he gets bored and moves on. The whole time, he keeps her from working with anyone else. He hypes her head up, telling her that he just doesn’t want to share her talent. And then there’s B.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What’s B?”

  “If she proves to be the type of woman that will deal with his shit—and it’s a lot of shit—then he’ll keep her around. Maybe, he’ll even make her his wife. Not that it matters, women aren’t important to him. It’s the music and the fame that’s got him addicted.”

  “This isn’t every man in the industry.”

  “Oh really? Name these great guys.”

  I had nothing to say.

  He continued, “And don’t think that this woman who becomes his wife will ever follow her dreams. Look at all the stars out there that are married. Usually, it’s a headliner and some background singer or up-and-coming songwriter that is now pregnant or running around with two of his kids. And where is he? He’s out and about, hooking up with the next shiny new girl on the scene.”

  I put on my seatbelt. “You’ve given this too much thought.”

  “I don’t have to think about this. It happens all the time.”

  I pointed at him. “Ru, you’re my manager, not my love doctor.”

  He sneered. “There goes that word again.”

  “What word?” I asked.

  “Love.” He spat it out. “You said it twice. Last week, I couldn’t convince you to leave your place or meet one friend and now you’re talking about me needing to stay out of your love life.”

  “This is bullshit, Ru. And are you telling me that this was your important meeting?” I gestured at the broken-down building. “You wanted to show me a place that I should stay in so that I wouldn’t become Gio’s sex toy or future lonely wife?”

  “I don’t want to leave you in that house with him.”

 
; “That’s not your choice.”

  He nodded. “That’s fair, but we both know I won’t go if I think he’s dangerous for your career.”

  “Ru, you’ve always had my back, but what’s up? You and I both know this is bullshit.”

  He shrugged.

  “You’re focused on the wrong things.”

  He snorted. “I’m focused on the wrong things?”

  “Yes. Your attention needs to be on contracts and clauses, not where I sleep or who I choose to date.”

  He gripped the steering wheel, but still hadn’t started the car yet. “So, you’re dating?”

  I had no true answer for him.

  Are we dating?

  Gio and I were definitely fucking. That I knew for sure. In fact, all I could think of was getting back in Gio’s bed and letting him spread my thighs.

  But dating? Are we? What the hell are we?

  Ru tapped the steering wheel with his finger. “I don’t know, if anything has occurred between you two or not, but I should let you know this...”

  “What?”

  “I overheard Gio’s maids talking about all of the women he’s had at his house this winter. Apparently, there’s a different woman every night lying in the same bed that you lay in now.”

  But, he said there’s been no women.

  Jealousy hit me. My heart hurt. I knew that there was no rational reason for it. I looked away from Ru and stared out of the front window. “I don’t believe you. And even if that’s true...we weren’t together...and we’re not together now. He can do whatever he wants.”

  “And he will, if he gets bored. Trust—”

  “We’re done talking about this.” I couldn’t take anymore. The very thought of Gio having some other woman in the bed that we’d just slept in made me want to vomit all over Ru’s expensive rental. Jealousy prickled against my skin. Ugly, dark jealousy. Of course, Gio had other women before me. We both loved and had sex before the other. I just didn’t want to hear about it.

  My phone buzzed. Happy for a distraction, I pulled it out.

  “Fine,” Ru said. “I’ll leave your love life alone.”

  “Thank you, and from now on, keep your meetings with me to business also.”

  An angry expression covered Ru’s face as he started the car. “This is business. You getting your head caught up with some bad boy singer could fuck with both of our money.”

  “But it hasn’t, so until that happens, stay out of it.”

  Ru nodded, but still looked pissed.

  I pulled out my phone and checked the screen.

  GIO: Almost done?

  ME: Yes. Omw.

  GIO: Hungry?

  ME: Yes.

  GIO: I didn’t see you two on the west wing.

  ME: Ru took me for a ride. We’ll be back in thirty.

  It took a few minutes for his responding text. I hoped he wasn’t pissed off at the revelation.

  RU: Cool. I’ll meet you two in front.

  ME: Okay.

  I placed my phone back in my pocketbook.

  “Just ask yourself this,” Ru started the car, “where is this going?”

  I didn’t respond.

  Silence filled the ride back, and as much as I tried to, I couldn’t get Ru’s words out of my head.

  “He can do whatever he wants.”

  “And he will, if he gets bored.”

  What the hell were Gio and I doing? Granted we were having good sex and an absolutely fun time. I focused on that point and let go of any other thoughts. Hadn’t I been disciplined for the past years? I deserved some great sex, regardless of whether a relationship or anything came out of it.

  Do I even want a relationship?

  I didn’t want to admit it, but I had to...I loved the idea of Gio being in my life for the long-term. But we’d just started. It would be crazy to expect more than fun and music from this situation.

  He’s single. I’m single. Ru can just shut up. We’re having fun. Ru thinks there are only two options. There’s also option C, the girl walks away happy and thoroughly fucked, knowing that she had a great experience she’ll always remember.

  I smiled. Confidence filled my chest.

  And then all of that crumbled as Ru pulled us up to the front and Gio stood outside.

  Damn it. What if I can’t happily walk away from him?

  A pair of ripped, designer jeans clung to his muscular thighs, looking like they were about to tear the material some more. Although snow fell, he wore a blue shirt, unbuttoned, low on his ripped chest. The sleeves were rolled up, exposing his masculine arms.

  Why does he have to be so fucking gorgeous?

  Chapter 16

  Giovanni

  Music,

  I feel,

  must be emotional first

  and intellectual second.

  ~Maurice Ravel

  Where the fuck did he take her?

  I checked my watch. They’d been gone for over an hour. Had I known that he would have driven off with her, I would’ve had Chucky puncture his tires.

  Would she be pissed if she knew I was cable of doing that and more to keep her with me?

  Ru parked the car in front of me, jumped out, and rushed over to open her door. A bad taste coated my tongue. I wanted to spit it out on his face, but I had to remain on my best behavior. No woman had ever triggered me to act this childish. Simone wasn’t a toy for Ru and me to fight over.

  Still, I swore her manager craved more than just a big check from her. All I wanted to do was get rid of him.

  He better stay in line.

  “Thanks, Ru.”

  She climbed out. Describing her as sexy would’ve been an understatement. She wore a pair of blue jeans that had to be tailored for those curvy hips and voluptuous ass. Midnight was close to being right. Her ass was almost too much for me to handle, but I didn’t mind spending a lifetime dominating it. A white shirt peeked out of the cropped leather jacket she had on.

  Simone. Simone.

  A little snow had sprinkled onto her waves upon waves of curls that swept over one side of her face. She was my wildest fantasy come to life. I had to force myself to remain standing where I was, instead of taking her into my arms. For now, she trusted Ru. And I didn’t want to completely get on his bad side. God only knew what things he would do to get me out of the picture.

  “How was the meeting?” I asked her.

  Although her lips curved into a smile, the joy didn’t reach her eyes. She appeared uncomfortable between the two of us. “It was fine.”

  Something happened. Did he tell her something stupid? Or did he try something with her?

  I glared at him. “Is the meeting done? I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Of course not.” Ru stuck his hands into his pockets. “I’m sure you’re ready to get back to the music. Will you two be in the studio today?”

  I fisted my hands in my pockets. “Eventually.”

  “Eventually? That doesn’t sound like we’re being productive.” Ru tapped his watch. “Her time is money. And besides, I have some other deals that have come up for Simone. Word is spreading that she’s here and working on a new album with you.”

  And I bet you’re the one spreading the word.

  I hated the idea of her working on music with anyone else. “We’ll have to put an exclusive clause in the contract. I don’t like the idea of sharing Simone.”

  Ru turned to Simone and tossed her a wicked smile. “Awww. Look at that. He doesn’t want to share you. This looks like it will be option A.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “Nothing.” Ru walked off and formed his fingers in the shape of a W. “I’ll be on the best side, which is clearly the west side.”

  Simone watched him leave with anger plastered over her face.

  “By the way, Gio,” Ru called over his shoulder, “you have ghosts in the hallways. They dance out there around midnight.”

  “Interesting.” I turned his way and showed him my middle
finger, making sure Simone couldn’t see it. “I hope the ghosts don’t kill you or anything. You’re welcome to stay in a hotel tonight at my expense.”

  Ru responded with a sound that was between a growl and a chuckle as he disappeared into the house. The whole time, Simone watched us both and remained silent.

  I faced her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle.” She shrugged and started to walk off toward the house. I tenderly grabbed her arm and pulled her back to me.

  “We don’t lie to each other,” I said, breathing in her lush scent. “You don’t have your usual smile on. Why not?”

  “Ru’s worried about us.”

  I held in my annoyance. “What did he say?”

  She tucked a few curls behind her ear. “He mentioned...the other women you’ve had here.”

  “There haven’t been any other women in this house. Besides my mother, you’re the only woman that’s come here to visit me.”

  That smile didn’t return to her face, but her expression softened. I didn’t like the look in her eyes either, like she was hoping I was telling the truth, but wasn’t sure. Who was I to blame her? I’d heard Jason say the same shit to most of the women he’d brought to his house.

  “You’re the only woman that’s come here, baby. Really. Besides my mother, you’re the only one, baby.”

  The only problem was that I was actually telling the fucking truth.

  “Okay,” she said, but I could tell she was more on guard than usual.

  Ru, your time is up. I’m going to drag you out of here. All I have to do is not alarm Simone.

  “What else did he say?” I asked.

  “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. We’re not—”

  “What? Together? No, we’re not, but still I don’t like the idea of some guy touching you either.” I pulled her in even closer. “I don’t even want to hear about anyone ever kissing those lips, before me. I know it must’ve happened, but I don’t want to hear about it. And I don’t like the fact that Ru told you this bullshit. So, if you have any concerns or questions, tell me.”

  She let out an exasperated breath. “He said he overhead from your maids that you have tons of women over all the time.”