“Thank you, Mom. I’ll be fine.” She smiled, but it looked strained. “I won’t be able to make it to dinner tonight.” She turned to her father. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow night, okay?”
Clinton held his daughter’s shoulders and moved her aside. He directed his full attention to Laz, who had yet to sit back down and get comfortable. “Avery is our only child.” He wagged his finger at her. “She may not have done everything perfectly in life, but we love her. We’re not going to ask for forgiveness for being overprotective. And we’ve seen her make this mistake before. I’m sure it’s not a coincidence that she came out of the shower when we got here.”
“Dad!” Avery grabbed his arm. “That’s enough. I’m sick and tired of being characterized as a problem child when all I’ve done in the last few years is work and go to school. I deserve some credit. And if you can’t do that, I need you two to leave. Now.”
She could barely look at her parents as she pointed to her front door. Hazel descended the stairs first, muttering something under her breath on her trek down. Clinton kissed Avery on her cheek, and then glared at Laz before joining his wife.
As soon as the front door closed behind Avery’s most important relationship, Avery exhaled. Laz approached her. He didn’t know what to do, but standing away from her didn’t feel right.
When he opened his arms to embrace her, she held her hand out and tried getting around him.
“No. I’m okay. I’ll be okay.” Yet she wrapped her arms around her body like she needed to soothe herself.
“Then do it for me. Your parents are tough customers.” He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her head against his chest.
Rocking her back and forth and humming came naturally. Laz didn’t expect this tough cookie to crumble. When he heard her sniffing, he held her tighter. Her soft body molded against his so easily.
After the extended hug, Avery pulled away from him. “I’m okay.” She rubbed her hand under her nose.
“I didn’t mean to cause problems between you and your parents.” Laz followed her back to the couch. “I heard the knocking and thought I was being helpful by answering.”
“Tell me something.” Avery sat on the couch facing him. “Did you really mean what you said about not being able to perform in public?”
Laz sighed as he sat down. “Didn’t mean to blurt that out, but, yeah, it’s true. Unlike you, I did not put on a show for friends and relatives at the Kyson household. But I loved music. I would sing in my bedroom and the shower. My mother heard me and tried getting me into chorus. I think she would have been happy if I started a band. I couldn’t. I would get in front of a crowd, go to open my mouth, and freeze.” He smiled at her. “You can sing in front of people. You’re over half the battle. Now you just need to open your eyes.” He tapped his hand against hers. “You have something else on me.”
“Yeah? What’s that?” She gave him a cutesy but suspicious sideways stare.
“You are a gifted songwriter.” He glanced around the room until he spotted the purple spiral notebook. “I read some of your songs while you were taking a shower. They’re great.” He started to reach for the book when Avery darted to it and snatched it up.
“You had no right to read what’s in here.” She clutched her baby against her chest.
The way she looked, Laz suspected that Avery would have rather had him find her vibrator than read her lyrics. Being around musicians, he understood that some songs meant the world to them. They poured their lives out in meaningful lyrics. With Avery, she must have stripped herself down in each song.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to pry.” He made sure to look her in her eyes so that she saw his sincerity. “If I knew it would bother you, I wouldn’t have snooped.”
“It’s more than just songs. It’s…” Avery shook her head. “You don’t go through a person’s life like that. You don’t—”
“I get it.” He had to corral her back down before she spiraled out of control. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to lose your trust before we even get started.”
“I’ll be back.” Avery darted from the room.
Ten seconds later, she returned without her precious notebook and looking lighter and happier. Laz would have to break her out of her shell. Looking at her audience and sharing her art would make her a mega-selling artist.
Baby steps. She didn’t kick him out after his unintended intrusion. He would have to tread lightly with her.
Avery smiled. “Are you ready to get to work?” She opened a textbook. “You help me with my breathing technique now, and then tonight, we go back to Honey’s.”
He smiled back at her. “Sounds like a good plan.”
“But my dad made a great point. We do need to talk about that contract.”
* * * *
As much as Avery didn’t like her parents’ intervention earlier, she had to admit that her father brought up a great point about a contract. If she considered being in the music industry as a serious goal, and she truly trusted this man, then she had to think about all aspects in a business-type way. She would no longer be singing for pleasure. Part of that kind of bothered her.
“Okay.” He rubbed his hands together. “I need a small scrap of paper.”
Avery felt her eyebrows rut together. “Anything?”
“Anything. An old coupon. A chewing gum wrapper. A piece from a notebook page. Doesn’t have to be big.” He scanned her room.
Avery went into her kitchen and opened up a drawer she used for menus and general items she didn’t need visible like pens and chip clips. She pulled out an old menu for a place that no longer existed. Since she didn’t know what size Laz needed, she handed him the entire menu.
“Do you still need this?” He held it up to her.
She shook her head. “Long gone. I should have thrown it away months ago.”
He tore off a two inch by two inch piece. Then he looked around the room. “Come here.” He pointed to a spot between the kitchen and her small dining room area.
Avery stood by him.
“No. This way.” He turned her around so that she faced the wall.
Now she felt like a bad student.
“Get a little closer.” Laz put his hand on her back and eased her closer to the wall so that she now stood six inches away. He held the paper up on the wall in front of her mouth. “Blow on this to hold it up on the wall. Keep it up there for as long as possible. My personal best is over a minute.”
Avery flashed him a suspicious glare.
“This will help with breath control.” He looked at the paper, and then back to her. “Ready?”
Avery took a deep breath, filling her lungs as much as possible before she concentrated a stream of her breath on that spot.
Laz let the paper go and stood off to the side. “Nice. Keep going.”
She did, blowing on it and watching the scrap of paper waving back and forth as she attempted to keep it in the air. Her chest started to burn and squeeze in the longer she blew.
Laz rested his hand on the wall next to the paper. “Thirty seconds. That’s impressive.”
Avery didn’t want to merely be impressive, not if Laz bragged about doing this for a minute. She continued, trying tactics to try and reserve some air for herself, while keeping that paper airborne. Then she felt his hand on her back.
All thought and reason went out her head. Her neck strained trying not to look at him. If she did, she would have broken her connection with the paper. When she felt his thumb caress her back, she stopped and backed up.
“You’re still the winner.” She smiled as she tried catching her breath.
Laz managed to catch the paper before it hit the ground. “You weren’t competing with me.” He held the paper up to her to take. “You need to compete with yourself. Keep trying to best yourself each time you do it. It’ll open up your lung ca
pacity and give you the endurance needed for those long notes.”
Avery accepted the paper. “Thanks. I will.”
Laz backed up to the stairs that went down to the front door. “You keep practicing and studying. I did manage to get a room back at my same hotel. I’ll go back there, try to get some work done, and I’ll come back later tonight.”
Avery nodded. The extra time alone would give her the opportunity to study, practice her breathing exercises, or work on the song she would sing that night.
Laz took one step down with one foot up on the main floor as he held on to the rail. “It’s an open mic, so just like last night, you’re only going to get one song to knock out the audience. Think about what song you want it to be. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
Avery still remembered that megawatt smile Laz carried as he walked away. Despite their agreement to keep their relationship professional, she couldn’t deny the physical pull she felt whenever she stood near him. She nearly melted when he touched her during the breathing exercise.
In the short time she’d known Laz, he had proven to be a different type of animal. He showed her respect, more than the previous boys and men she had been with in the past, starting from high school.
Laz’s cool head also impressed Avery. He could have flown off the handle when Avery’s parents went in on him like he could be anything like that idiot she thought had it all together.
Avery wished before her parents had rushed to judgment that they would have had a conversation with him and seen that he had more going on than most young men his age.
For that reason, when Avery got ready that night, she decided to go with something a little more seductive. She knew Laz wouldn’t be broken again, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have fun teasing him.
Since the weather forecast called for warmer-than-normal temperatures, Avery slipped into a flowered wrap dress that fell right at her knees. She released her shoulder-length hair and gave it soft waves throughout. She kept her makeup light, only applying a sheer lip tint, black eyeliner on her upper lids, and mascara.
With the last swipe of her mascara wand, a knock sounded on her front door. Avery sprayed some light, flowery perfume over her neck, wrists, and the backs of her knees. In her mind, Laz would be smelling that area.
Avery bounded down the stairs to the front door. She took a deep breath before opening it, afraid to find her parents on the other side.
She opened the door and had a huge smile that melted when she saw the person standing there.
“Why aren’t you happy to see me?” Graciela scanned Avery up and down. “And why are you all dressed up? Do you have a date?”
Without an invitation, her friend sauntered into the apartment with a bottle of wine in her hand. Avery tried nabbing her before she could make it up the stairs.
“I have plans this evening.” Avery followed her friend.
Graciela whipped around to her. “Two nights in a row. Did you meet Mr. Right or something?” Her eyes went wide. “It’s that guy from the diner, isn’t it? You’re seeing him, you lucky devil.” She gave Avery a playful slap on her arm.
“I’m not dating, and I’m not seeing that guy.” Avery would have to clarify before Laz came over and made her out to be a liar. “Yes, I did talk to that man. His name is Laz.”
“Laz? Sounds exotic.” Graciela kicked her feet out of her heels and sat on the couch with her legs curled under her. “So are you seeing him tonight or do you have a different man on the hook?” She winked.
“Don’t say it like that. Laz is in the music business. He’s going to try and help me get into the business.”
Graciela cocked her head. “Really? And you believed him?”
Avery rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like my parents. He’s been great so far. He’s shown me some good breathing techniques to improve my singing. He fixed my car. And you saw how protective he was at the diner.”
Graciela sprang to her feet. “You’ve got that look in your eyes.”
Avery snickered. “What look? What are you talking about?”
She shook her head. “Don’t fall for it. Keep this at a business level. Good fortune like this only happens in sappy romantic comedies and romance novels. A great guy like that has to have some skeletons in his closet.” Graciela held Avery’s shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Don’t get suckered in by his good looks.”
“I’m not.” Avery pulled Graciela’s hands off her shoulders. “I wish you wouldn’t worry so much.”
“Maybe you need to worry a bit more. You know the saying. If it’s too good to be true…”
A knock sounded on her door. Avery looked down the steps but felt frozen in her spot. She didn’t even notice that Graciela had put her shoes back on her feet until her friend started to go down the steps.
“I’ll get it.” Graciela winked at Avery as she descended.
“Wait.” She followed her until she got to the door.
Graciela opened it. “Well, hello.” She smiled at Laz, who looked confused at seeing her.
“She was just leaving.” Avery pushed Graciela out of the door. “I’ll call you.”
“I’m sure you will.” Graciela looked at Laz. “Nice to see you again.” She sauntered to her car.
With the distraction gone, Avery had a chance to really get a good look at Laz.
“Oh.” Avery didn’t mean for the declaration to come from her mouth, but she couldn’t believe how good the man who stood on her front stoop looked.
Laz looked amazing in his jeans, crisp, white button-down shirt, and black jacket. Avery had to pat herself on the back for opting to wear a dress this time instead of jeans. She never thought Laz would outdo her. Here she thought she would be the one to seduce him.
“Something wrong?” Laz peered down at his outfit.
“Uh, no. You look really, really good for a coffee shop.” She tucked her hair behind one ear.
He smiled. “I can say the same for you. Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She locked and closed the door behind herself.
When she walked with Laz to his car, he got to her door first and opened it. She waited until he got inside to question him.
“Mom or dad?”
Laz faced her and furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“Who taught you to open doors for women? Your mom or your dad?” She smiled as she awaited his answer.
“Believe it or not, it was dear ol’ dad.” Laz shook his head as he took off. “I wish I could say he did it for all the right reasons.”
“What do you mean by that?” Avery placed her purse on her lap.
“Nothing. It’s better that you don’t know. I don’t want you judging me harshly for his actions.” He volleyed his attention between the road and Avery. “That woman who left your apartment, why does she look familiar?”
“She’s a waitress from Uncle Pig’s Diner. She was there that day you, um, straightened out Uncle Pig.” Avery cocked her head at the statement.
“Oh, yeah. She was the one who told me where to find you.”
So Graciela didn’t mind Laz associating with Avery. When it came to business, her friend wanted Avery to have a careful eye on him.
Laz pulled out of the parking lot to head to their destination. “So what song are you doing tonight?”
“You don’t want to be surprised?” She chewed on her lower lip.
Laz shook his head. “I don’t do well with surprises. I’d rather know things upfront.”
“Yep. Total control freak.” She nodded. “You might be right about that seeing how I want you on stage with me.”
He nearly slammed his foot on the brake. “What?”
“You don’t have to sing. I need someone to play piano. I don’t mind singing a cappella again. But it would be nice to have someone
up there with me.” She turned to the side to face him. “What do you say?”
She noticed right away how Laz’s breathing increased. If he kept going, she had no doubt that he would hyperventilate. She wanted to push him as much as he had pushed her, but not at the expense of his sanity or health.
“You know what? That’s okay. I know you have to record me singing anyway, right?” Letting him off the hook seemed to calm him down.
Laz’s breathing slowed down a bit until he finally took a deep breath at a stoplight. “I would ruin your moment on stage. I would freeze and make people pay attention to me instead of you. I don’t want the focus to ever come off you.”
That reasoning sounded good, but Avery knew the truth. She didn’t know that he would have such a strong reaction to the idea of performing in public.
“May I do something?” Avery sat up taller.
“Depends.” He glanced at her.
“May I hold your hand for a while? I’m a little nervous. I feel like a lot is riding on this one performance. The vibe tonight is different than last night.” Avery wrung her hands together while she awaited Laz’s answer.
What he didn’t say verbally, he made up for with his actions. He held his hand up for her and waited for her to grasp it. When she did with both hands, she rested them on her thigh.
“I don’t get it. What’s different now?” Avery rubbed one hand over the back of his.
“You want it this time so it’s important to you.” He squeezed her hand. “All of those other times, you were having fun. Now it’s become a real goal. And you have someone who believes in you and is supporting you 100 percent.” He smiled.
That smile calmed her racing heart. Too bad her stomach still churned.
“Speaking of goals, have you ever thought about which label you would want to sign with?” Laz rubbed his large thumb over her knuckles.
Damn if that didn’t feel good.
“Absolutely. That’s the one thing that’s crystal clear in my head. Charisma.” She nodded emphatically. “Shauna Stellar is such an inspiration for someone like me.”
Love Like Crazy Page 13
