String Beans (The Girls of Beachmont #2)

by T. K. Rapp

  “Hold up,” I said, sitting down. “Just one more minute?”

  Wyatt glanced over at the counter and held up a finger. Emma smiled and waved him off as he reluctantly sat back down.

  “Tell them,” Jolie said, smiling.

  “Tell us what?” Dallas asked.

  “There’s a band that I’m friends with… Have you ever heard of The Fabulous Broken?” I asked. They all nodded and so I continued. “They’re in town Saturday and they gave me tickets for all of us. Anyone interested?”

  “Hell yeah!” Callie shouted.

  “Sounds great. Can I bring James?” Dallas asked.

  “Yeah, of course. I actually have ten tickets. So everyone can bring a date or friend…or whatever.”

  Wyatt stood up again and smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks, but I have plans.” He started to walk off. “You guys have fun.”

  He made his way back to the front and I tried not to watch as he walked over and whispered something to Emma. She smiled sweetly at him and went back to her work, leaving me alone with my friends.

  “He’s been like that all week,” Dallas said.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “He hasn’t said much, actually. He’s not even been at the apartment the last few nights.”

  “Oh,” I answered, wanting to cringe at the implication.

  “It could be that,” he said, tilting his head toward the counter, “but I haven’t even seen them together much, so I can’t say.”

  “And he hasn’t talked to you about it?”

  As Dallas opened his mouth to answer, he stopped and smiled as he looked toward the door. I turned to see the attractive James walking toward us, so I stood up and moved over so he could sit next to Dallas.

  “Sorry I’m late,” James said with a wonderfully British accent. “Parking was a bitch.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you,” I said and shook his hand. I was about to give my name when he put his hand up to stop me.

  “Okay wait.” He grinned. “Let me see if I can figure out which one is which. I’ll go with the brunette, and say, Vi?”

  “That was too easy,” I laughed.

  “Physical appearance is easiest… Would you have rather I said the girl who missed out on Mr. Perfect?”

  “Touché.”

  Callie perked up and sat on the edge of her seat. “Which one am I?”

  James looked over at Dallas and then back to Callie as he studied her.

  “Based on the accent, I’m going to say…Callie?”

  “He’s good,” she said and then leaned over to Dallas. “And gorgeous.”

  “He’s probably got good hearing too,” Jolie chimed in.

  “That I do.” James grinned and then looked at Jolie. “That only leaves Jo…the snarky, bossy one of the group.”

  “Hey…” She started to pout and then shrugged when she knew she couldn’t pull it off. “Yeah…that’s me.”

  James leaned over and said something to Dallas, making him smile. I glanced at Jolie, who was eagerly waiting to see Connor. She’d told me a little more about him when we got back from Vegas, but I needed to see for myself. She’d dated her share of assholes, though the way she gushed about this one, he sounded like a good guy.

  “What time is he getting here?” I asked, catching her attention.

  She smiled and tucked the phone in her purse. “He’s parking now.”

  “You ladies enjoy Vegas?” James asked. “I’ve never been before, but hear it’s a good time.”

  “We had a great time,” Callie grinned. “I won.”

  “And then she lost,” I added. “I warned her not to give the casino their money back.”

  “I didn’t give it all back at once,” she said. “Besides, I still have a twenty.”

  The door to the shop opened and Jolie craned her neck to get a better look. She stood up and rushed over, wrapping her arms around him as he lifted her slightly off the ground. When he set her to her feet, he looked down at her and smiled before kissing her.

  They walked to our table and I got a better view of the man. He looked young, though there looked to be a tint of gray mixed with his light brown hair.

  “Everyone, this is Connor,” Jolie said, holding his hand and pulling him alongside her.

  “Hey.” He grinned, flashing his pearly white teeth. I could see why she was attracted to Connor, but he certainly didn’t look like the guys she normally dated. Jolie sat down and he dragged an empty chair from another table and moved it next to her. He looked mildly uncomfortable with all of us staring at him, and I smiled.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I said, shaking his hand. “I’m Vi.”

  “I know all about you,” he said. “Jolie’s told me quite a few stories.”

  “I’m glad she’s talked to someone,” I mumbled and glared playfully at her.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” Jolie said. “She’s just being nosy.”

  “Are you coming with us tomorrow?” I asked.

  He looked at Jolie and then back to me. “Where’s that?”

  “A friend’s band is playing tomorrow night and Vi has tickets for any of us that want to go,” Jolie told him.

  “I’m in.”

  A young guy walked onto the stage and began reciting a poem I remember hearing when I was younger. The busy coffee shop was wrapped up in the way he spoke it, but I realized that I needed to get home and call Kirk about the tickets.

  “I’ll see you later,” I whispered to Jolie, who barely paid any attention to me. I waved goodbye to the rest of the table and hurried out so I didn’t interrupt the performance. I was nearing the door and Emma looked as if she was going to say something, but I simply smiled and stepped out into the evening.

  It was a clear night, so I stopped and to look at the stars that were somewhat visible overhead. A group of people were walking toward me, and I decided to continue on to my apartment since I wasn’t one to linger on the street alone. I was surprised by the quietness in the building; it was almost unsettling.

  When I stepped onto the third floor, I pulled out my keys, and as I passed Wyatt and Dallas’s place, I heard music inside.

  It confused me, because Wyatt was working and Dallas was at the shop with James. I realized that they might have left a radio on, but that was not normal for either of them to do. I shook my head and started to walk the short distance to my door, but curiosity got the best of me and I stopped.

  Don’t do it.

  I took a step away and then quickly moved back, pausing for only a moment before pressing my ear to the door. I closed my eyes so I could concentrate and strained to make out what I was hearing. It was then that I realized it wasn’t the radio or even the television—it was Wyatt. He was playing his guitar and…singing?

  Wyatt had never told me that he could sing, but then again, I’d never asked. I knew he played the guitar, and played well, but his voice was beautiful. It was hard to make out the words he sang.

  Suddenly, I was struck with the idea of Dallas or Jolie catching me listening at the door—or worse, Emma. Hurriedly, I went to my door and let myself in, closing it behind me and pulling out my phone. I found Kirk’s number and called him about the next night.

  “Kirk Mead, here.”

  “Is that really how you answer the phone?” I asked with a laugh.

  “I’m important, Vi,” he mocked. “People want to talk to me.”

  “Gross,” I laughed.

  “How the hell are you?”

  “I’m good. Excited to see you perform tomorrow.”

  “You should be—we put on a hell of a show.”

  “So I remember.”

  The Fabulous Broken were fun to watch because the guys engaged the crowd and usually managed to tell stories about their life on the road. Sometimes the tales were so unbelievable that I would talk to him later to find out which parts were true.

  “I can’t wait to see you. It’s been
too long,” he said.

  “I know. But you’re doing good, right?”

  “Couldn’t be better.”

  “How long are you in town? I’d really like to catch up.”

  “I’ll be here a few days, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

  “Okay, well, I’ll be there with about seven other people, so make sure we have good seats,” I said jokingly. “What good is knowing the band if we don’t get special treatment?”

  “I’ll hook you up.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  We hung up and I walked over to my dresser and pulled out the old photo album from college. Looking at pictures of Jolie, Dani, Millie, and me brought a smile to my face. As I turned the pages, there were images of Will and me laughing and others of him and Kirk. That time in my life had been carefree and fun—something I wouldn’t trade. But when I looked at those pictures, I didn’t recognize myself. There was so much I didn’t know then.

  I picked up my notebook and started writing. This time, it was with purpose.

  Chapter 24

  It started raining the evening of the show, and not the sprinkling I would have liked. It was constant, and I thought for sure the concert would be canceled. Anytime it rained, it seemed like everything came to a halt. I even texted Kirk to make sure that it was still on, and he assured me that he was like the postman.

  “It’s gonna happen,” he laughed.

  When I met Connor, I understood what it was Jolie saw in him. He was everything she described and completely perfect for her. Three months was a long time for her to date any one guy, and she’d only done that one other time that I knew of.

  The problem with Connor was that he let her know how much he liked her and that scared her off. As much as she had moved to L.A. for me, I knew I was more of an excuse than anything else. If they were able to work it out, distance and her fear of commitment could be overcome.

  We arrived at Chops and learned that Kirk had made arrangements for my friends and me to sit in the VIP area. Connor and Jolie dragged a few tables together and began talking, so I walked off to find my friend.

  “Excuse me, but you can’t be back here,” I heard a familiar voice say.

  I cleared my throat and turned around, my hands firmly on my hips. “Do you know who I am?” I asked mockingly.

  Kirk ran over and picked me up, hugging me tightly. I returned the hug and smiled up at him when he finally set me on my feet again.

  “You cut your hair.”

  “I did.” I looked him over and then chuckled. “I guess you got some new ink?”

  “That’s not all that’s new,” he said and grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him.

  “Where are we going?”

  I felt like a ragdoll flailing, trying to keep up in my three-inch heels.

  When will I ever learn?

  He knocked on a door and something inside me panicked. My palms grew sweaty and my breathing became erratic.

  Please no.

  The door opened and a familiar face peeked out, looking down at me. It took him a moment to recognize me, and when he did, the door flew open as he stepped out to hug me.

  “Holy shit! Viola Banks! What in the hell are you doing here?”

  I exhaled heavily and a smiled appeared when I saw Josh.

  I looked back at Kirk and shook my head as relief flooded me. “I thought…”

  “No. No Will here,” he said.

  “My bad,” Josh said. “Are you still a Banks?”

  “Not much longer,” I said.

  Josh was the first to quit Sound Venom, but he had good reason, since his brother was in a serious car accident. He’d decided to move back to Texas to be near his family while his brother recovered.

  “You look great,” I said, hugging him again. “When did you join this one?” I asked, pointing at Kirk.

  “About a month ago. I was ready to get back to making some music.”

  Kirk took my hand and started to close the door. “We’ll see you in a little. I need to talk to Vi.”

  “Later,” Josh said as we walked to another room.

  Kirk’s guitar was resting in a stand next to a chair, and I walked over and picked it up. I’d played my own a time or two when no one was around, but for some reason, I found myself comfortable with him. My fingers started forming chords while I silently strummed the strings, playing the song we had written together.

  He walked over and sat in another chair, watching me.

  “Have you talked to him?”

  “Last weekend,” I answered absently. I looked up at Kirk and smiled. “I’m really happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “Are you still writing?”

  After Sound Venom broke up, Will had tried to start another band with Kirk. The two had clashed on almost every decision, which sucked because they were both immensely talented. They had parted ways amicably after six months, and Kirk started a new band. Every once in a while, Will would sometimes sit in on a song or two when The Fabulous Broken performed.

  The surprising thing was that Broken had started to gather a following when their new song “Shadows” came out. It was one of the secrets I kept to myself, because we never told anyone that Kirk and I had collaborated on it. He insisted that I get credit, but at the time I was worried about Will’s ego, and it ultimately didn’t matter to me because I was helping out a friend. But when they’d started getting more and more attention, Kirk had felt bad, so he promised me tickets for any show I wanted. Anywhere.

  “I’ve written some things down, but nothing I’d say was actually worth singing since I haven’t even written any music for it.”

  “I’m in town for a couple of days… Do you think that maybe I can take a look?”

  The idea of sharing my words with someone again excited me, and I agreed immediately. We made plans to meet the next day at my place.

  “I better get back to my friends,” I said as I stood up. “Come out and meet them after?”

  “Sounds good, Vi.”

  Kirk hugged me and I walked back out to the venue, seeing a much larger crowd waiting for the band to take the stage.

  ***

  The band was well into their set and the crowd seemed to enjoy the show. I knew that as soon as “Shadows” was played, the place was likely to erupt with people singing along. I glanced over at Jolie and Connor, who appeared to be quite cozy while Callie stood looking at the band…Kirk in particular.

  I never understood what people saw in him. It wasn’t that Kirk was unattractive, but he looked scrawny and unkempt. The few times that I saw him well-groomed, I could admit I noticed the appeal, but he wasn’t my type. Millie had once described him to someone by saying he looked like a wannabe tattooed bad boy who didn’t give a shit, but under it all, he was really the sweetest guy.

  And she was right.

  “Who are you staring at?” I asked Callie.

  “That lead singer is hot,” she grinned.

  “Kirk?” I asked as if I didn’t know.

  “He’s the one you know?” she asked eagerly, to which I nodded. “Can you get me an intro?”

  “Yeah, I told him to come over after the show.”

  Callie was trying to contain her excitement, but it still showed. I knew she’d have questions that I would need to answer later, but for the moment I was going to have fun.

  The set was winding down and I felt my stomach begin to swirl. Since it was their more popular song, I figured Kirk would end the show with the one we had done together. Even though I knew the song well, and had a copy of it at home, I’d never heard it performed live. I began to grow more and more nervous as they ended their last song.

  “You guys having a good time?” Kirk asked. His smile was wide as he listened to the shouts from the crowd. “A while back, I was having a hard time writing this song. Something about it just wasn’t working for me.”

  Someone in the crowd screamed “Shadows,” and Kirk nodded.

  “Yep, t
hat’s the one…. So a good friend of mine came over one night and I played the music for her and sang the one and only line that I had.”

  “I’ve never heard this story,” Jolie said as she continued to listen.

  “We never thought this song would take off, and I gotta say, I’m really happy so many people like it. And tonight, I’d like to do something a little different.”

  “Oh shit,” I muttered.

  Don’t do it.

  “Viola,” he said, putting his hand up to his eyes as he looked into the crowd. “Where are you?”

  Callie started clapping and hollering, “She’s over here!”

  Kirk looked in our direction and waited until he spotted me. I could tell the lights were blinding him, but he knew exactly where I was…it was all for show. He wagged his brows and his playful smirk was firmly in place.

  “There she is. C’mon down here,” he said, waving me over to the stage.

  I shook my head and smiled, though the smile was hiding my complete mortification.

  “Viola…if you don’t come down here, these good people aren’t going to get to hear the song we wrote, and you don’t want to do that to them, do you?”

  I hate you, I mouthed, though I was pretty sure he couldn’t make out what I said.

  “Vi…what’s he talking about?” Jolie asked.

  “I’ll explain later,” I said.

  “You need to get down there,” Callie urged. “Go!”

  It took me a few minutes to get to the stage, and Kirk continued to talk to the crowd and regale them with the band’s upcoming tour schedule. When I was finally on the wing, he waved me over.

  “This is my friend Vi,” he said as I reluctantly reached him.

  “We are not friends after this,” I teased. The crowd laughed and began murmuring amongst themselves.

  “Why don’t we let everyone hear the way ‘Shadows’ sounded the first time we sang it together,” he suggested. Kirk handed me a guitar while Josh brought out two stools for us to sit on.

  “I’m going to kill him,” I told Josh. “Did you know about this?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Found out right before we came on stage.”