When she didn’t say anything, he said, “Isn’t this what you wanted? I don’t have to be your manager, but you should get one. I could make some recommendations.”
“No. I mean, yes, I want you to be my manager. You just took me by surprise. I didn’t expect Constantine to actually take an interest in my music. I just met him and to be honest, I didn’t think he liked me very much.”
“Well, you impressed him, just like you did everyone else here tonight. You’re going places, baby. Your voice is sweet and sad and beautiful. However, it’s your songs that are going to take you places you never thought you’d go. The fact that you’re sexy as hell is just an added selling point. Believe me, you’ve got something special and I’m going to help you get there.”
“You think?” she whispered. Her heart was beating out of her chest. Could this really be true? “Max, you’re not pulling my leg or anything, are you?”
“Hell no. I wouldn’t do that to you or anyone. What I told you is true.”
“This is crazy,” she said. “I can’t believe it. I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen for so long.”
“It’s happened, so believe it. And now that I’m your manager, I have some papers for you to sign.” He held up his hand so she wouldn’t interrupt him. “I’ll bring them to work. The only thing I regret about this whole deal is I won’t be able to hit on you anymore. I have a strict rule about business and pleasure.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Max.” She couldn’t help but hug him. “I appreciate this. You have no idea how much.”
Before she could step away, she felt him tighten his hold on her. His lips brushed hers. She didn’t want to upset him, but this wasn’t what she wanted. He let her go.
“I thought you said you weren’t going to do that anymore, Max.”
“Hell, you haven’t signed the papers yet. Can’t fault a guy for trying. To think I’ll never to be able to steal a kiss again.”
She wanted to hit him and laugh at the same time with relief. She was glad she wouldn’t have to worry about him trying this again. She gave him a look of reprimand and then smiled. “We’ll have a much better and longer relationship this way, believe me, Max.”
When she turned back to the bar, her drinks were still not ready. She wished she at least had her drink to sip on while she waited. She looked over at the table, and noticed that Gabriel wasn’t there. He had probably gone to the men’s room. She wished she understood Calla better. She was acting like she wanted to be anywhere but here, and yet she had come to support her and brought Constantine, who was connected to the record industry. She owed Calla so much already. She’d never be able to repay her after this.
Max had turned to talk to a few people but returned his attention to her. “You know, Melody, I think I deserve one more hug before our relationship becomes too professional.”
“Max, you have to stop this,” she said with a nervous laugh. It would be so much easier when she had signed those papers. Right now, he still felt like he had free license to treat her like a potential girlfriend.
Max leaned into her, and his breath told her he had a lot more than one drink. He slipped his arm around her and hauled her into his arms. She decided to just relax and not make a big deal of it. She didn’t want to make a scene or embarrass him. It was the kiss that she was totally unprepared for.
She felt herself go stiff. When he lifted his lips, he said, “All I wanted was one. Now I’m a happy man.”
He let her go and walked away. She stood staring after him. Ben’s voice broke through her fog.
Finally her drinks were ready. She walked back to the table. Her heart took a dip. Constantine was watching her approach. His blue eyes were as cold as ice. Why was he had looking at her like that? Had he changed his mind about helping her? Her heart filled with dread.
She almost tripped and dropped the tray of drinks. Before she could right herself, both Constantine and Jonathan had jumped up to come to her rescue. She felt strong hands holding her up while another steadied the tray.
“Thank you,” she said breathlessly.
“You need to pay better attention to where you’re walking,” Calla snapped. “You’re rather clumsy for a waitress.”
“I guess you were still thinking about your boyfriend or manager or whatever you call him.” Constantine’s voice was a low growl in her ear.
“What?”
“The guy you threw your arms around and kissed.”
Her face was only inches from his.
He quickly dropped her arm and sat back down.
Melody sorted out the drinks and sat down at the end of the table.
Calla looked at her and held up her drink. “Here’s to you, Melody.”
“And,” Constantine said, his voice back to normal, “here’s to Melody meeting with Allison Harper, the owner of the Magnet Record label. She’s always looking for exceptional talent.”
“And you,” Gabriel said, raising his glass to Melody, “are exceptionally talented.”
“Calla,” Melody breathed with tears in her eyes. “Is this for real?”
“Yes.” Calla smiled. “It’s for real. Constantine represents them and knows Allison Harper very well. She’ll give you a chance if he asks her to.”
“I’ll call your manager and set things up,” Constantine said, his eyes seeking hers.
“Constantine,” she choked out, the tears falling unheeded, “thank you so much. I’ll never be able to repay your kindness.” She stood up and went over to give him a quick hug.
However, his arms tightened as he brought her into his arms, his breath against her neck. “Of course you will.”
“I will certainly try,” she found herself whispering into his ear.
“I’m counting on it.”
“I’m not much for wagering, but if I were, I’d say you’re going to be famous, Melody,” Jonathan said, throwing her own words back at her.
Breaking free of Constantine’s arms, she just smiled.
Calla smirked. “Don’t act so coy, you said it before and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want fame and fortune. You can’t wait for people to think you’re somebody special.”
Melody sat down and took a gulp of her drink. She still didn’t understand why Calla was so antagonistic. She licked her lips, tasting the alcohol.
“Of course I do, but odds of that happening aren’t good.”
“Better than you might think. And when it happens, we can say we knew her when,” Gabriel said. “I have a feeling she’ll leave us all behind in the dust. And, for the record, you’re already special.”
Calla looked pointedly at Melody and then turned to Gabriel. “I’ve known her practically my whole life, and you’ll never meet a more unsophisticated girl with simple tastes. I’m not sure she would know how to handle fame and fortune and all that goes with it. ”
Melody gasped, looking down at her hands that were folded on her lap, feeling all the blood drain from her face. Calla had no idea how her cruel words had wounded her.
“You’ve got one vicious tongue,” Jonathan said, glaring at Calla.
“A vicious tongue can be quite an asset, can’t it, Gabriel?”
It was more than obvious that Calla had too much to drink. Melody looked down at her lap and took a breath before she raised her eyes to Calla’s. “You’re right, I have simple tastes. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s good to know who you are. That way you don’t get disappointed.”
She could feel all three men’s eyes on her. Calla just shook her head and said to no one in particular, “I’m just tired.”
The conversation had become awkward. The party was over. Melody pushed herself away from the table. “I should be going, too. It was nice meeting you all.”
“Of course.” Gabriel and Constantine both stood.
“This was an interesting evening,” Jonathan said.
“It’s been quite a night hasn’t it?” Melody felt warmth in Jonathan’s eyes.
�
��It certainly has,” Calla said, lifting her drink to her lips.
“You know, Melody,” Gabriel said kindly, still standing, “Constantine is good for his word. You’ll have that contract.”
She looked over at Constantine. “I’m appreciative but a bit overwhelmed.” She was about to continue with because me being so simple and all, but knew it would be petty.
“You have a beautiful voice, Melody,” Gabriel said quite sincerely, “but that song, how did you ever write something like that?”
“I don’t know how I write. I just do.”
She could have told him that song had been written after endless nights of watching her mother cater to a man who did nothing but drink until he was drunk, then berate his wife and slap her and punch her around for fun. Or maybe she should have told him that when she became a teenager she spent more nights at Calla’s than her own house because her stepfather enjoyed slapping her around, too, because of some small infraction she hadn’t even known warranted a punishment. He was an evil man. Everyone had problems, and no one needed to hear hers.
Calla and Gabriel were both staring at her.
“Melody? You okay?” Gabriel’s voice was laced with concern.
“I’m fine. I was just thinking that’s all. It’s been a great night.”
“I, for one, am tired,” Calla said, stretching and yawning. “You ready?” She looked up a Gabriel, her eyes soft and attentive.
“We can all share a taxi, if you like,” Gabriel asked.
“Thanks, but I can get the subway.”
“This late at night? I don’t think so,” Gabriel said.
Calla remained silent, bending down to get her purse.
“Thank you, but I can find my way. I do every other night.”
“Not on my watch,” Gabriel said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“Of course we’ll take you home,” Calla snapped, walking ahead of them. She followed behind with Gabriel, Constantine, and Jonathan.
Once they were on the street, Gabriel stopped and hailed a taxi. Calla just stared at him.
“Get in, Calla,” Gabriel ordered.
“You’re coming, too, right?”
“No, I’m not.” He gave the taxi driver Calla’s address and shut the door. Calla just stared at him from behind the closed passenger window. She was too drunk to even argue at this point. Melody waved as the cab pulled away.
It was only a few blocks to the parking garage. Gabriel pulled the keys from his pocket and clicked. She saw the lights of a BMW flash. People with money seemed to like BMWs.
The interior smelled like leather combined with that new car smell. Constantine opened the passenger-side door. She slid in and put on her seatbelt. Classical music filled the interior of the car. She watched Gabriel pull the car out of the garage and onto the street. She looked toward the back seat and smiled at Jonathan and Constantine.
“Thanks for the ride.”
Melody gave Gabriel her address, glad it wasn’t too far. He pulled up in front of her apartment building. Constantine jumped out of the car and opened Melody’s door. Both Gabriel and Jonathan were about to get out when Constantine held up his hand. “I’ll get this.”
She watched as they got back in the car. She waved to them.
She turned to see Constantine watching her intently. He insisted on walking her to her door. She unlocked the entrance door. He followed her inside and up the hall steps.
“I’m fine, Constantine. Really,” she said, irritated that he thought she needed help to her apartment.
“I want to see you to your door. It’s my pleasure.”
She didn’t have the strength to argue with him. They walked up the steps, made a right, and stopped in front of her apartment door. She found the key and slipped it into the lock, her back to him. He was so close. She felt his hands grip her shoulders before he turned her around.
Closing her eyes, she knew what she had been nervous about all night.
“Open your eyes, Melody,” he ordered.
She did. His mouth was inches from her own. She felt a soft moan escape between her lips. He was going to kiss her.
“I didn’t even think you liked me. I wasn’t sure why you wanted to help me.”
“What?” he said, his lips forming a tight line. “You think I don’t like you?”
“Yes.”
He was holding her with his hands on her hips. He was so close. She wanted him to kiss her.
“What do you want, Melody?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you know exactly what you want.”
“Constantine.” She said his name and watched his nostrils flare and his eyes darken. “What do you want?”
“I will call you and set up a time to meet with you and Allison Harper. Wait for my call.”
“Is that all?” She couldn’t move.
“For now. But there’ll be more. Lots more.”
Chapter Six
Melody woke to the beat of thumping through the walls. Her neighbor was playing some kind of rap music that had a deep bass. She looked over at her clock. It was only nine thirty in the morning. They usually waited until at least ten. She closed her eyes as the night before came flooding back to her with a vengeance. Constantine Roman, who she had never met before last night, was going to help her get a record deal. That was the good news. Bad news was that Calla had not acted like her friend last night. If anything she had been angry and mean. She needed to talk to her. By introducing her to Constantine, she had set the meeting with the record producer in motion. It was too early to call her. She was probably still sleeping off her hangover.
The feeling of exhilaration she had felt when she had performed at the Angry Dog had been overshadowed by her friend’s unhappiness. The handsome faces of Gabriel, Constantine, and Jonathan invaded her conscience. Could she blame Calla for falling for Gabriel? Damn. She had not been completely immune to his charms either. He was strong, sexy, and beyond good looking. And his brother was just a mirror of him, or he was a mirror of his brother, she wasn’t sure which. Jonathan was irresistible in his own way. She knew it was wrong and she needed to stop her herself, but all three men attracted her.
However, it was Constantine that had held her in his arms. She had liked having his arms around her. It was good that Gabriel and Jonathan had been waiting for him in the car. She might have invited him in and that would have been a mistake. He was only interested in getting her clothes off and in bed. Not unlike most men she met. How she had avoided having sex this long was beyond her. However, she had and now she was afraid.
The sound of her cell phone’s ringtone sliced through into her consciousness, forcing her to open her eyes. It was from an unknown number. She normally let those go to voicemail but with thoughts that it could be Calla using someone else’s phone, she answered it.
“Melody, this is Constantine Roman. Remember me from last night?”
Yes, of course I remember. “Hello, Constantine. You’re up early.”
“I’ve been up for a while. I just came in from running.”
“I just woke up. I’m still in bed.” Why did she tell him that?
“Really,” he said, his voice going low and soft.
“But I’m up now.” For a moment she panicked. “Are you calling to tell me you’ve had second thoughts about introducing me to that woman from the record company?”
“Her name is Allison Harper, and she’s the owner of Magnet Records. And quite to the contrary, I was calling to make sure you still wanted me to set up that meeting.”
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Of course. I’m so excited. Thank you so much.”
“Did you say you had a manager?”
“Yes. You met him last night. His name is Max Bartlet.”
“Good. He should be with you at the meeting. I’ll need his phone number. I’m going to try for early this coming week, but she’s a pretty busy woman, so it may be later.”
“That’s okay. I can’t tell you how grateful I
am.”
“It’s your talent that’s getting you this meeting. I’m just the guy trying to make it happen for you.”
“Thank you, Constantine.”
“Is everything okay with you, Melody? You sound a little distracted.”
“Nothing really.”
“I’m a good listener.”
“You’re not just doing this to get me in bed, are you?”
“I won’t deny that the idea is an appealing one. However, your meeting with Allison does not hinge on anything but your own ability to sing and write.”
“I’m sorry. That was rude. It’s just that no one has ever done anything like this for me before. I’m acting badly. My apologies.”
“None required.”
She didn’t know what say, so she gave him Max’s number. There was an awkward silence before he said he would call her as soon as he had news about the meeting. He ended the call without even saying good-bye. She stared at her phone, wondering why she felt like there was a lot more to that call than him checking to see if she still wanted the meeting.
Throwing off her bedcovers, she pulled herself up and out of bed. She was only wearing her panties. She stepped out of them. For all her hang-ups and what many would see as her prudish nature, she loved to walk around the house naked. She usually only wore her panties to bed. It made her feel free, unrestricted, and stress free. She had to admit that she liked living alone for this reason alone. She hoped that didn’t mean she had exhibitionist tendencies. Calla would laugh since she had always accused her of being ultraconservative when it came to exposing her body. Calla. She couldn’t stop thinking about her.
She turned the shower on and made it as hot as she could stand it. She twirled her hair on top of her head and stuffed it in a shower cap. The water pelted her body, making her sensitive skin rosy from the force of the showerhead and the heat. She could have stood there all day. It was therapeutic. Finally, with a sigh, she turned it off and stepped out, grabbing a white, fluffy towel. Walking naked back to bedroom, she put on clean underwear before going into the kitchen. She was hungry. First she needed coffee. When that was made, she pulled out a fry pan and made herself some scrambled eggs. The neighbors had turned off their music. She luxuriated in the silence.
A Triple Melody (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4
