by J. L. Paul
“All right, guys,” Rhys said, clapping his hands together. “I’ll see you at the site tomorrow and hopefully we’ll get this video wrapped up in a day or two.”
They filed out of the room, Lila hot on their heels. She snagged Cole by the arm and he turned to face her, bracing himself.
“Looks like we’ll be traveling together again,” she said with a smirk. “Cool, huh?”
“Sure,” he said in a bored tone. “Great. I have to run.”
“Late for a phone call from your girlfriend?” she taunted, stepping closer. “Can’t let little Ally down now can we?”
He snorted and wrested his arm from her grip. “I have to go. Excuse me.”
He spun on his heel and charged down the hall, leaving Parker to deal with Lila.
“Leave him alone,” Parker warned as he hovered over her. “He split with Ally and he doesn’t need you giving him grief, got it?”
He didn’t wait for her to respond – he jogged down the hall and caught the elevator before the doors could shut.
***
Ally entered her room and collapsed on her bed in a fit of boredom Friday afternoon. Shannon, who’d been sitting on her own bed reading, glanced at her with a raised brow.
“I thought you had practice?” she asked.
“Nope. Coach went out of town for some sort of family emergency,” Ally sighed. She stared at the ceiling as a heavy weight settled in her chest. Free time was a definite no-no in her book as it allowed her heart and her mind to focus on Cole and the emptiness his absence caused. She wanted – needed – to stay busy and avoid any alone time.
Shannon peered at her over the top of her book, her brown eyes regarding Ally carefully. She lowered her book, marked her page, and set it aside. “What are you going to do this weekend? Any plans?”
Ally shrugged as she considered going home. The thought of spending time with her parents was somewhat comforting. It was the nights, alone in her room that frightened her. Unless…
She sat up quickly and flashed a bright smile at Shannon. “Hey, what do you think about going home with me this weekend?”
Shannon’s eyes grew as she sucked in a noisy breath. “You mean…you want me to stay at your house this weekend?”
“Yes,” Ally said, sliding to the edge of her bed, her eyes shining in anticipation. “We could hang out and maybe go riding since it’s not bitterly cold yet. What do you think?”
Ally could tell Shannon really wanted to go but was still sort of hesitant. She took her bottom lip between her teeth. “Your parents won’t care?”
“Nah,” Ally said as she stood. “Come on – pack a bag and let’s go. I’ll call Jamie and leave him a message while you get your things together.”
“Okay,” Shannon said as the last of her uncertainty faded away. She opened drawers and crammed jeans and sweatshirts into her bag while Ally called Jamie and left him a voice mail, telling him that she was taking Shannon home with her and to call if he would be going home after practice.
“Ready,” Shannon said with a shiver of anticipation. “Are you driving?”
“Sure, come on.”
Ally chattered happily as she followed the ribbon of highway toward Chicago. She was grateful to not be making the trip alone as she was certain her thoughts would float away to Cole. Shannon answered just as eagerly, her nervousness becoming more evident the closer they came to Ally’s little hometown.
Ally withdrew her phone and called her home only to receive no answer. She frowned and tossed the phone on the dash, throwing Shannon nonchalant glance. “No one’s home so I guess we’ll just run to the studio and see what’s happening.”
“The studio?” Shannon asked, her nervousness growing by leaps and bounds. “Really?”
“Yeah, sure,” Ally said. “My dad is probably there and he’ll be easy to convince to buy us some dinner.”
“Your dad?” Shannon asked, all color draining from her face. “Ally…”
“Relax,” Ally said with a giggle, excited for the first time in weeks. “If you’re staying with me this weekend, you’re going to have to meet my parents.”
“Yeah, but, your dad...”
Ally rolled her eyes and hid a smile. “My dad is a person just like you and I. Really. You’ll like him.”
Shannon nodded and averted her eyes to her window, allowing Ally to release her smile. She snapped on the radio and tuned into her favorite station, crossing her fingers that they wouldn’t play any Out of Control songs and ruin her half-decent mood.
The traffic thickened as they reached city limits and Ally was grateful the studio wasn’t located in the heart of Chicago. She weaved through side streets until she reached the parking garage.
“Wow,” was all Shannon uttered as Ally slid a Black Studios ID card in the slot near the yellow gate. They parked and Ally dragged a trembling Shannon to the elevators.
Ally prattled about nothing in particular in hopes of relieving some of Shannon’s edginess. When the elevator opened the doors, Ally’s heart leapt and she grabbed Shannon’s hand eagerly and practically flew down the hall toward her father’s office.
“Ally,” Robby called from his office as they blew past his door. She stopped, nearly causing Shannon to topple, and smiled as he appeared in the hall. “Your dad’s not in his office.”
“Oh,” she said, her brow furrowed. She glanced at Shannon and remembered her manners. “Robby Redden, this is my friend and roommate Shannon Lofgren.”
Robby smiled, his dimples appearing and adding to his charm, making Ally’s aching heart flutter. He extended an arm and shook Shannon’s limp hand. “Nice to meet you, Shannon. I’ve heard a lot about you already.”
“You, too,” Shannon squeaked.
Robby’s smile widened and he shot Ally a wink. Her insides warmed. “Are you home for the weekend?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I dragged Shannon along for the ride.”
“Great,” he said as he folded his arms across his chest. “Do you guys have plans for tonight? I’m tired of sitting at home, staring at the walls. You two wouldn’t be interested in catching a movie or anything, would you?”
“Sure,” Ally said, lifting a brow at Shannon. “What do you say? If Jamie comes home, he can tagalong.”
“Okay,” Shannon agreed, looking a little green around the mouth.
Robby nodded, his blue eyes shining. “Oh, your dad and Nate are in the studio.” His lips split into a smirk. “Richie and Mark stopped by – guess it’s girls’ night or something.”
Ally’s heart leapt as she clutched Robby’s arm. “They’re playing, aren’t they?” Robby nodded and she squeezed again. “Perfect! I love it when they get together and goof around.” She spun on her heel and snagged Shannon’s arm. “Come on before they stop.”
Ally hurried her down the stairs and rushed through the corridors, stopping only when she reached the last studio, Studio Four. She grinned at Shannon as she stepped into the sound room and watched through the glass as her father laughed with his friends before picking up his guitar and starting in on a song. Ally switched on the intercom and sat in a chair usually reserved for those working the sound boards, and gestured for Shannon to take the other one.
“Wow,” Shannon said, her eyes alight in wonder. “This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”
Ally giggled again as she watched her dad’s band relive their glory days, their sound still crisp, her father’s voice just as raspy. Her father grinned, his eyes crinkling in the corners, and Ally caught the boyishness in his face. Her heart swelled with love and she could almost see him in his younger years, when her mother was falling in love with him.
“They are still amazing,” Shannon said, her eyes darting from band member to band member. Ally nodded proudly.
When they finished the song, Ally hit the intercom button. “Not bad for a bunch of old guys.”
All four heads snapped to the window and Ally could stand it no longer. She slipped off the chair
and ran into the studio to hug her father.
“Hey, princess,” Jay said, kissing her forehead. “What did we do to deserve the honor of your presence?”
“Practice was canceled tonight,” she said with a shrug. “I wanted to bring Shannon home to meet my family.” She turned and frowned when she spotted Shannon not standing next to her but lingering in the doorway. She groaned, rolled her eyes, and walked the few steps to her friend to grab her arm and drag her forward.
Jay grinned and shook Shannon’s hand. “Hi, Shannon. I’m Jay. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” she muttered, her eyes wide.
“Shannon, this is Nate Crawford, Richie Shaw and my uncle, Mark Winston,” Ally said, pointing to each man in turn.
“How’s school going, Ally girl?” Nate asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You and Jamie still doing okay?”
“Yep,” she said, her heart faltering as she smiled at Nate. His smile was so like Cole’s that it nearly dropped her to her knees.
“Is he coming home, too?” Mark asked as he perched on a piano bench.
“I’m not sure,” Ally explained. “I decided on the spur of the moment to come home and he was still at practice so I left him a message.” She turned to her dad. “Girls’ night tonight, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jay said. “That’s why we’re goofing around here. Why?”
She flashed a bright smile. “Perfect! Now it won’t be so hard to convince one of you gentlemen to buy us some dinner!”
Jay ordered pizzas and they sat around a conference room table, eating and laughing, Robby joining them. Ally was very much aware of Nate’s eyes constantly on her and when she excused herself to run to the break room to grab some soft drinks, he accompanied her.
“How are you doing, honestly?” he asked as they walked down the deserted hall.
Her bottom lip trembled as she fought the ever present tears constantly burning the back of her eyes. “I’m okay. How is he?”
Nate tugged Ally into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. “He’s working himself to exhaustion, but that’s just his way – you know that.”
She nodded and clung to him, somehow feeling that by hugging Nate she was hugging Cole. “I miss him but I understand.” She sniffed and edged back, horror dawning on her. “Oh, Nate! Robby asked me, Shannon, and Jamie to hang out with him tonight – like go to the movies. I told him we would.”
“Ally,” Nate said with a slight smile. “Robby is your friend. Just because you and Cole are on the outs doesn’t mean you should avoid Robby.”
“Yeah, but what if it upsets Cole?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Honey, you have to still be your own person, even if you are in a relationship. You can’t control one another. You can’t tell him who he should be friends with just like he shouldn’t tell you who to be friends with.”
Ally leaned against the soda machine, ducking her head. “Maybe, but he didn’t kiss one of his friends.”
Nate chuckled and lifted her chin. “And you didn’t mean it – Cole knows that. Honey, it’s a man thing, I guess. Sure, he was upset and sure, he’s jealous, but it’s something he has to work out for himself. And you two will have to work it out between the two of you.” He shrugged. “And maybe it’s a good idea for you to hang around with Robby to make sure you only think of him as a friend.”
Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped. “I do, Nate. I do only think of him as a friend.”
“There you have it,” he said, spreading his arms wide. “Quit sweating the small stuff, Ally girl. I’ve been watching you force enthusiasm all evening. Go out with your friends and relax and try to have fun for real, huh? My son will be home in a few weeks and then you two can have a nice, long discussion. Not much else for you to do until then.”
“Thanks, Nate,” she said falling into his arms.
“You’re welcome,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “Now let’s go get some pizza before Richie eats it all and the others scare your roommate away.”
***
Cole and RJ found a quiet corner in the hotel pub and focused on a TV hanging in the corner. They spoke softly as they watched a football game, discussing the hefty schedule Rhys had set for them.
They’d arrived in New York two days earlier and set to work as soon as their plane touched down and had been on the go ever since. They had finished up three appearances that afternoon and decided to take advantage of a little down time by watching a game.
“What’s going on tomorrow?” RJ asked around a yawn.
“A morning show and then three radio interviews,” Cole said. “And that’s before lunch.”
“He’s trying to kill us, I think,” RJ groaned. He motioned for a passing waitress and ordered some appetizers and fresh drinks. Once she jotted his order down and moved away, RJ turned to Cole. “Talk to Ally lately?”
“No,” Cole said, his eyes on the television. “I thought maybe it would be best if I didn’t.”
RJ nodded, not wanting to press but hating the rift growing between his friends. “I spoke to Jamie the other night and he said that Ally took her roommate home to meet her family. I guess the old guys were having a jam session at the studio and Ally told James that Shannon nearly wet herself.”
Cole snorted but his mind flashed to another scenario. He imagined Ally sidling up to Robby Redden, begging for his comfort. Hell, maybe she’d kiss him again and maybe this time Robby wouldn’t stop her. Ally was free, after all, not tied down in a relationship.
“Hey, boys,” Lila purred as she slid into a vacant chair. “Hiding?”
“Watching the game,” RJ said, pointing at the television.
“Cole,” she said, reaching across the table to pat his hand. “I’m sorry about your girlfriend, but you need to stop moping.”
“He’s not moping,” RJ said, his face darkening. “He’s just fine.”
Cole slipped his hand out from under Lila’s and held it up. “It’s okay, RJ.” He turned his eyes to Lila. “And I’m not moping. I’ve been working, if you haven’t noticed, and I’m a bit tired. Whatever is going on between me and Ally isn’t affecting my work nor is it any of your business.”
RJ grinned and smacked Cole on the back. Lila’s mouth screwed up in the corner as she shook her head. She stood and planted a hand on her hip. “Whatever – just trying to help.” She wiggled her fingers at them and sashayed her way out of the pub.
“I don’t trust her,” RJ said as he glanced over his shoulder and watched her leave. “She’s bad news.”
“She’s nothing,” Cole said, lifting his glass to his lips. “I’m not worried about her.”
“Dude, she’s been pestering Ren and Parker, trying to get details. She asked Ren if you were dating yet.”
Cole grunted a laugh as the quarterback on TV threw an intercepted pass. “Damn.”
RJ gaped at his friend, worry growing in his gut. But he knew better than to pry. He knew Cole was going to have to work some things out on his own and if he wanted to talk, he would. He’d just have to trust that he was going to be okay.
Chapter Seventeen
Ally peeled her sweaty socks off her feet with a grimace and dropped them in a pile on the floor. She grabbed a towel and headed for the showers, eager to wash away the sweat from a hard workout. She thought about the team and how well they seemed to be coming together as she washed her hair. She was satisfied with her teammates even if she thought a few of them lacked the drive they’d need if they wanted to win their division.
