A Single Sparky (The Spark Brothers Book 1)

by Liwen Y. Ho

  “That settles it then. You ate it; you pay for it. I don’t see why I have to.”

  She snorted. “Are you kidding me? You picked the fanciest restaurant in town and ordered one of the most expensive dishes on the menu. You think because you can afford an extravagant meal, everyone else can, too?”

  Aiden opened his mouth to answer, but soon realized it was a rhetorical question when she didn’t pause a beat.

  “Well, listen up, buddy. I’m not rich like you. I don’t even like steak, especially when it’s pink in the middle. I had to nuke that baby until it was well done. It made for a great midnight snack, but it was not worth $48 of my hard-earned money. But you obviously wouldn’t understand any of this because you’re a celebrity who couldn’t care less about us little people!”

  Did she not listen to anything he said? “I told you I’m not a celebrity!”

  “Oh, please,” she barked. “You are too a celebrity and the worst kind there is! You only care about yourself. I can’t believe you dissed me for not caring about people! I doubt you use your fame or money for good—”

  He’d had enough. He hit the button to end the call. Who was she to judge him?! He was done with the deejay. It was time to move on, even if he had nothing to move forward to. Living in the present was still better than being stuck in the past.

  Chapter Twelve

  Abby

  Oh, the nerve of that man! Not only did he ditch her at the restaurant with a gigantic bill, he’d hung up on her, too! And to think she’d been so enamored with Aiden Spark. He was the last person she wanted to be around. He was rude, conceited, and moody.

  Abby drummed her fingers on her desk, the furious pace matching the annoyance building in her body. She thought she was temperamental, but Aiden took the cake. One minute he was ready to fight; the next minute he looked like he’d lost his best friend. Whatever was going on with the guy was too much for her to handle. Good riddance. That was the last time she dealt with a celebrity outside of work.

  “Trouble in paradise?”

  Abby turned around in her swivel chair to find Marcus grinning at her. “Don’t even get me started.” She planted her sneakers on the floor to push her chair around again, then stopped. Her blood was boiling too much now. If she didn’t vent her frustrations, she’d be a ticking man-hating time bomb on the air later. It was the last thing she needed. She faced her colleague again and raised a brow. “Since you asked …”

  “Oh, boy, I know that look.” Marcus shifted in his seat. “Let me get comfortable. I have a feeling this may take a while.”

  “You have no idea,” Abby began. She filled him in on everything that had happened the previous evening and that morning. The more details she gave, the farther Marcus’s jaw dropped, until his mouth was a gaping round hole. When she finished her spiel, she crossed her arms and groaned. “Why me, Marcus? Why?”

  “I still can’t get over the fact that you went on a date with Aiden Spark from Heartland. He was one good-looking kid. What does he look like now?”

  “Focus, Marcus! It doesn’t matter if he’s more gorgeous than ever—” she pushed the image of his breathtaking smile out of her mind “—because he’s a jerk. I can’t believe I thought we had a connection. I was completely blinded by his voice, his dimples, and that adorable goatee of his. Argh! I don’t even like facial hair on a man.”

  Marcus laughed, then clamped his mouth shut when she glared his way. “I don’t think a voice can blind you, just saying. A voice can make you deaf, but it can’t affect your vision—okay, you get my point. So, you were attracted to him; that’s no surprise. I know how much you love the band and their music. But when you say connection, was it physical or something more?”

  “I-I don’t know and I don’t care,” she decided. So what if she’d felt strangely at ease with Aiden Spark. What did it matter that he’d looked at her with such tenderness in his eyes and called her beauti—no, stop! Abby pinched the bridge of her nose under her glasses. “I’m going to forget all this ever happened and move on. Thank God I won’t ever have to see or talk to that man again.”

  Or so she thought, before she received a call from her sister that afternoon on her drive home.

  “Hey, Em, how are you? Sorry I haven’t texted or called you back; it’s been crazy.” A high-pitched squeal came over the line, making Abby pull the phone away from her ear. “Uh, Emma?”

  “He asked me out, Abby! Evan Spark asked me out!”

  No. Freaking. Way. Why wouldn’t the Spark family leave them alone? “Emma, you listen to me. If Evan Spark is anything like his brother, Aiden, you need to stay away from him. Aiden Spark is nothing but a rude, obnoxious jerk.”

  “Aiden Spark? As in the guy you used to have a poster of on your wall? Evan didn’t tell me his brother was in a boy band.”

  “See, he’s lying to you already. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. These Spark brothers are trouble. As your big sister, I’m warning you to stay away from him.”

  Emma laughed. “I wouldn’t call it lying. We only met a few days ago. I’m sure there’s a ton of stuff he hasn’t told me yet. But what’s going on with you and his brother? When did you meet him and how?”

  Abby gritted her teeth. She slammed on the brakes and narrowly missed hitting a black SUV limo in front of her. The streets in San Francisco were jam-packed already at five in the afternoon with people trying to get out of the city. In her old clunker, she felt like a little fish swimming in an ocean of bigger fish, trying to make her way through the current. It wasn’t fair other people, like those in the vehicle in front of her, had it so much easier. They had their own pool to wade in, a special one with chauffeurs. That was a pop singer’s life, not hers.

  No wonder she and Aiden didn’t get along. All that going back and forth about who should pay for a pricey cut of beef proved it. He was used to the royal treatment and having everyone think he was the best thing since sliced bread. Well, no more. He’d lost her as a fan, once and for all.

  She didn’t find him even mildly attractive anymore. She knew the real person behind the pop star persona, and she was sorely disappointed, even disgusted. The real Aiden Spark was a sad, sad man who didn’t deserve a second more of her time. She didn’t even want to waste her breath talking about him. “It’s a long story and I’d rather not go into the details. He already ruined my whole morning and now I’m spending a good part of my afternoon stuck in traffic.”

  “Aw, I’m sorry to hear you’re having a bad day. I wish I could be there with you and keep you company.” Emma paused. “Do you really think I shouldn’t go out with Evan? I don’t know what happened between you and his brother, but if you think so …”

  The voice coming over the speakerphone was almost too soft to hear. The disappointment in her sister’s tone tugged at her heart. Emma wasn’t one to argue with anyone; she didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She was as meek as they came, which was why Abby always watched out for her. With Emma hundreds of miles away on her own, she wanted to protect her even more. “It’s a different ball game where you’re at. People don’t play nice in Hollywood. You need to be careful about who you hang out with, especially when it comes to guys. Remember what happened to me when I dated an actor? I found out how self-centered and heartless they all are. All they care about is getting ahead and leaving us little people behind.”

  “But I don’t think Evan’s like that.”

  “Don’t be so sure. What do you really know about him other than the fact that he’s hot? Didn’t he date, then dump that actress from the other show? You don’t need that kind of drama in your life.”

  “Evan never dated her. It was all made up by the tabloids. Yes, he’s hot, but he’s more than that. He’s so sweet. He goes to a Christian actor’s fellowship, and he’s going to take me next time.”

  “Oh yeah? He’s a Christian?”

  “His whole family is. He’s gone to church his whole life.”

  “Humph.” Abby thought back to the questio
ns Aiden had thrown out at the beginning of their date. He hadn’t sounded so sure about his faith. But doubt was normal. She had doubted God—everything from His existence to His love for her—for the longest time until she couldn’t deny it anymore. Maybe Aiden was going through a bit of that, too. Not that his spiritual state should change what she thought of him. Grr. How had he crept into her head again?

  The traffic inched forward, allowing Abby to maneuver her car in and out of the lanes to reach the freeway entrance. Once she was on the highway, she let out a loud cry of relief. “Yes, I’m finally moving.”

  “That’s great. I hope you have a smooth drive the rest of the way.”

  “Thanks. I hope so, too.” She glanced at the photo displayed on her phone screen. The little girl who used to wear her hair in pigtails had grown up so much. There was no denying Emma was a beautiful woman now at twenty-four. A beautiful woman who could get into some serious trouble with the wrong guy. Abby felt the hair on her arms stand up at the thought of anyone mistreating her baby sister. She needed to stop this relationship before it started. “Listen Emma, I don’t want to see you get hurt. Promise me you won’t go out with Evan. His family is bad news.”

  “I-I already told him I would. I can’t back out now. It would be rude of me.”

  Abby rolled her eyes. “He’ll get over it. He’s a TV star, for crying out loud. I’m sure he’s got girls lined up out the door waiting to date him.”

  “That’s the thing, Abby, he asked me out. He wants to go out with me. Isn’t it crazy? And I want to go out with him.”

  Aside from her decision to pursue acting, she’d never heard Emma be so adamant about something before. Yikes. This was not a good sign. If she went after Evan the same way she went after her acting gigs, there was no telling what she’d do. “Emma, I’m your big sister, and as your big sister, I am warning you to stay away from Evan Spark. Don’t let his good looks and charisma blind you. Celebrities all know what to say to win you over. Don’t forget he’s an actor. How do you know he’s not pretending to like you?”

  There was only silence for a moment, and Abby wondered if the call had dropped. Traffic had slowed down again, so she took the opportunity to peek at her phone screen. What she saw made her stomach drop. Emma’s pale complexion was now a ruddy color, and tears trailed down her cheeks. Abby knew that look. It was the same one she’d had the day their father left. Emma wasn’t one to talk back and express her feelings. Instead, she kept them bottled up inside like a bomb waiting to explode. She hated seeing her sister like this. How could she convince her this was all for her best? “Em, I love you. You know that, right?”

  All she got in response was a soft sniffle.

  Keeping her eyes trained on the road, Abby tried to engage her sister in conversation. “Remember the guy you liked in high school? The one on the football team?”

  “Yes.”

  “Remember how we all thought he was this great guy when he asked you to the Homecoming dance, but then he spent the whole evening dancing with your best friend?”

  “Former best friend.”

  “Yes, former best friend.” She winced, regretting the fact that she was bringing up Emma’s past hurts. Desperate times, however, called for desperate measures. “That’s the thing, Em. You’re so kind and trusting, it’s easy for people to take advantage of you. You gotta be more careful—suspicious, even—about who you trust. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “I know. I made some bad choices in friends when I was younger.” She hesitated. “But I’m older now. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I-I—” her voice wavered “—app … pre … ciate you looking out for me, but I n-need to make my own decisions.”

  Abby shook her head, not believing the words coming out of Emma’s mouth. Of all the times for her sister to grow a backbone, it had to be now? Where was the obedient girl she’d known all her life?

  Before Abby could get over her shock, she heard the high-pitched screeching of tires. The SUV ahead of her suddenly loomed in her line of vision. She switched her foot from the gas to the brake and stepped down, but not before a loud bang filled the inside of the car. A great force punched her chest and face. White powder flew everywhere, making it hard to breathe. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was hearing her sister scream.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Aiden

  The day had turned out better than Aiden had expected. After a lecture on women’s suffrage and back-to-back office hour appointments, he was tired but satisfied. He felt most alive when he engaged with students and saw their faces light up about the course material. It was the closest thing to what he’d experienced—and still craved—on stage during a performance, the interaction between him and his fans. Although, admittedly, his students weren’t as wild about him as his fans were, but the female ones still had a spark in their eyes when they saw him. It was a nice feeling to be held in such high regard, especially by young people.

  Times had changed since he was a pop star. Social media held everyone’s attention and it was a challenge to compete with the culture’s fast pace. He shook his head as he cleaned up his desk and gathered up his belongings. It was a good thing he’d made it big when he had; he wouldn’t be able to survive as a singer these days.

  The thought made him chuckle. There was talk going around online about a former boy band reuniting. Aiden didn’t understand why anyone in their thirties would want to go back to that kind of lifestyle—the packed schedules, all those days on the road, being chased by the paparazzi—unless they needed the money. Even then, there was no guarantee of success. The only reason he’d consider it would be for the pure joy of performing for others. There was no emotional high like it. He did miss it, but did he miss it enough?

  He pushed those crazy notions out of his mind, locked up his office, and started toward the parking lot. The afternoon sun was extra powerful, thanks to a mid-September heat wave. These Indian summers were common in California, and he usually survived them in the air-conditioned buildings on campus. He thought about going home, but the silence of an empty house didn’t seem so appealing. Instead, he decided to visit his brother Colin.

  The middle child of the family, Colin was the easygoing one and somewhat of a dreamer. He had dreams and he went after them, often without much planning or foresight. Aiden often funded these ventures, including the current one of an ice cream shop in downtown Palo Alto. He drove the ten minutes to the store and pulled into a parking spot on the street. From his car, he saw a crowd of children and their mothers enjoying their cold treats. Business had picked up, thanks to the weather. For once, it seemed one of Colin’s ideas was panning out.

  Aiden entered the shop and waved to the dark-haired man behind the counter. Both hands holding ice cream cones, his brother nodded in greeting. He handed off the cones to some pint-sized customers and strode over to Aiden’s table with a big grin.

  “Hey, boss! I didn’t expect to see you today.” Colin grabbed him in a tight bear hug, lifting him off the floor for a moment. He’d been a linebacker in college and had his sights on going pro before a knee injury changed his plans. The setback hadn’t affected his attitude though. “Do you want your usual? How about two scoops today? It’s a great day. The sun’s out, the shop’s full, life is grand!”

  “What’s gotten into you?” Aiden eyed his brother with curiosity. “Why are you so happy?”

  “Can’t a guy be happy?”

  “Yes. But this—” he pointed to Colin’s face and drew a circle with his finger “—is not normal, even for you.”

  Colin shrugged and glanced around the brightly-lit shop. Pops of color—every hue from bright reds to blues to yellows—surrounded them in every aspect of the decor. Even the plastic spoons the customers used were colored. “Look around, bro. I’m surrounded by happy things and happy people. And lots of sugar. You can’t not be happy here. I’m glad you showed up. You could use a little cheer of your own.” He playfully punched Aiden in the sho
ulder. “So, I heard through the Spark-line you went on a date. That’s great news, bro. How was it?”

  If Colin expected him to exude happiness, that was the wrong topic to bring up. Aiden set his jaw and drawled, “It was horrible. The worst date ever.”

  “The worst? The worst would be if she didn’t show up. She didn’t do that, did she?”

  He wished Abby had stood him up. Then she wouldn’t have targeted him with her derogatory remarks. How dare she accuse him of not caring about people? Maybe he could do more for the community, but it would mean going back into the public eye, something he wasn’t ready for. He had valid reasons for his actions—or non-actions—and he didn’t need to justify himself to anyone, especially not to that woman. “I don’t want to think about it, much less talk about it. I hope I never see her again.”

  Colin’s eyes grew wide and he slowly took a few steps back. “All righty then. No talking about the date. I’ll go get your ice cream. Be right back.”

  Aiden watched his brother scoop a generous helping of vanilla into a chocolate-dipped waffle cone. Then another scoop. On top of the sugar monstrosity, he added some sprinkles, chopped walnuts, and whipped cream. Colin held up his creation with a beaming smile. Aiden offered a smile in return. There was no way he’d ever eat that much sugar in one go, but seeing his brother happy made him happy. Colin’s attitude was contagious.

  “Here you are. You might want to use a spoon.” Colin handed him the cone, along with a spoon and napkin. “I gotta go man the counter. The college kid who was supposed to come in today called in sick. I’ll check back on you in a bit. Shout if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” Aiden took out his phone to check his emails, then swiped open the browser to check the news. He bypassed the political and sports headlines until he reached the entertainment section. Even though he was no longer in the business, he still liked to stay up-to-date on the latest music.