“And now?” He grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door closed a little.
Damn, he wanted to retreat.
“I’ll go. I’m off this weekend. I don’t have school next week. What do I have to lose?”
Laz sighed and braced his hands on his knees like he had run a marathon. “Good. Good. I’m glad you’re taking this leap with me.”
“I am, too. But there’s other business between us.”
“What’s that?”
She opened the door fully and stood in front of him. Standing directly in front of him, she couldn’t help but be drawn into his mesmerizing stare, the same one she couldn’t break from when he had given her the best sex of her life. Her body tingled as she thought about him, his body, his hands, and the way he kissed.
“My last question is which record label are we going to see? You still haven’t said.” Avery wanted to be prepared.
“Now I’m going to have to go back on what I just promised. Just like you, I like to have some surprises. I’ll tell you when we’re on the way to the office.”
She felt her bottom jaw drop. “Really? After what we went through, you want to keep something from me?”
He backed away from her. “Would you believe me if I told you that it would be worth it?”
“I would believe you more if you told me the label.” She screwed up her lips.
“Then this will be our next test.” He swept a tendril from her face. “Yep, a test.”
“Maybe I don’t like surprises and I definitely don’t do well with tests.” Although she liked Laz’s playful nature, the fact that he kept this information from her reopened that wound.
“Then you’ll see how I felt the night you sang that Roberta Flack song.” He winked before walking away from her. “I’ll wait for you in the living room.”
“That ended up being a good surprise, remember?” She immediately recalled how Laz rocked her world after she sang, and wished for that to happen again.
He didn’t answer her.
After brushing her teeth, Avery wanted to bring their conversation back around to something tame. “You want to drive all the way to New York?” She had driven to New Jersey one time and had gotten tired of being cooped up in a car for so long.
He shook his head. “We’ll stop in D.C. There’s something we need to do there. We’ll bed down and fly out in the morning.”
Avery’s silence must have come across as worry to Laz.
“Don’t worry. You’re in good hands.” He smiled before sitting down on her couch again.
Her opened notebook full of her lyrics sat next to him. She stared at it before returning her gaze to him.
“Okay, give me a minute to pack. Then we can go.”
Avery didn’t worry about much, but this side trip did have her curious about what Laz had planned for her.
Chapter 14
As Laz drove, he let the words to Avery’s song, “Shame” roll around in his head. They had tiptoed around the topic, but he knew his lack of communication with Avery hurt her. He started to see himself slipping back to his old ways, the same behavior that got Erin to give up on him and the relationship. If Laz didn’t play his cards right, he would lose an amazing client, and the potential of a great woman as a partner.
He gazed over at her on the way to Washington, D.C. Avery hadn’t taken her attention away from the contract he had handed her when she left her apartment. She had even canceled on going to her parents’ house for dinner on Sunday. Thankfully, she had left his name out of the conversation for the reason why she would be a no-show.
Laz brought his stare back to her when she marked something in the contract with a pen. “What are you doing?”
Without looking at him, she responded. “Making notes. Things I have questions about.”
“Oh, okay.” At least she had a questioning attitude.
It would have worried him had she signed the contract without really reading it. He wanted her to trust him, but he also wanted her to be smart.
“And there are some things I don’t like.” She smirked before turning the page.
“Oh, really? Such as?” He had to hear this from this newbie.
“Not now. I want to get through this whole thing first before we talk about this.” She rested her hand on her lap. “Should I have an attorney?”
Laz wouldn’t lie to her. He couldn’t. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea. But attorneys cost money. You need to think about what’s important to you, though.”
She nodded.
“We’re not too far.” They had already been in the car for nearly four hours.
It didn’t escape Laz’s attention how much Avery fidgeted in her seat. He had to do something to distract her until he reached his final destination. He leaned forward to turn on the radio when he heard something that sounded way better.
Avery had started humming at first. Then she opened her mouth and sang something so beautiful that Laz almost had to pull over to bask in the glory of it.
For as long as he lived, he would never get tired of listening to Avery’s voice. She rivaled any radio or streaming service out there.
Silence hung in the air at the end of her song.
“You can join me, you know.”
Laz started to shake his head and disagree with her invitation when she reached out and held his hand. He gazed down at the union before looking at her and then watching the road. D.C. had the market cornered on crazy drivers.
“There’s no audience here.” Avery squeezed his hand. “It’s just me.”
He smiled to mask his true feelings. “Just you singing is more than enough for me.”
“Maybe it’s not all about you. Maybe I need something.” She intertwined her fingers with his just as he pulled off the interstate.
Laz didn’t have an answer to Avery’s statement. He hoped where he had planned on taking her there would be enough distractions to get her off what he could do for her.
He drove through back roads until he pulled up on a cute yellow house with battleship gray accents and jet-black railings.
“I thought we were going to a hotel tonight. Whose place is this?” Avery stared at the house as she asked the question.
“Step out of the car and come up with me.” Laz got out first and opened her car door when she seemed reluctant to move.
Even with her door open and his hand out to her, Avery still hesitated. She finally accepted his hand and walked with him to the front door where a colorful wreath hung.
Laz rang the doorbell before knocking on the door.
“This isn’t the type of surprise that I like.” She pulled her hand out of Laz’s grasp. “Whose house is this?”
The door opened before he could answer.
Avery’s mouth hung open as she looked at the woman who had answered the door and then Laz. “Is this your girlfriend or wife or something?”
“Yeah. Like anyone would want to marry this guy.” The dark-haired beauty slapped Laz on his shoulder. “You could have given me more than a day’s notice.”
“Where’s the fun in that, Stinky?” Laz laughed, and then turned to Avery. “Avery Shields, this is Marissa Kyson, my baby sister.”
He could almost see the color returning to Avery’s face as she extended her hand to Laz’s sister.
“Nice to meet you. Laz has told me so very little about you.” Avery shook her hand.
“Same here.” Marissa wrapped her arm around Avery’s shoulders. “But that’s about to change. Come on inside.”
“Be nice.” Laz followed the duo into his sister’s home.
“Hey, you made the first shot when you called me Stinky. Now everything is on the table.”
Marissa meant that literally. When Laz scanned the home, he saw his family’s photo album sitting on her living room coffee table along with
some of his other childhood memorabilia.
“You do not fight fair.” Laz shook his head.
“Yeah, but I’m fun.”
* * * *
When Avery first saw the tall, thin, young woman when she had opened the front door, she thought Laz wanted to introduce her to his ex-girlfriend. She couldn’t see the resemblance since his sister had dark brown hair and odd-colored green eyes, different from Laz’s blond hair and blue eyes. The shape of their noses and mouths gave their relationship away.
The inside of the quaint home matched what Avery assessed of Laz’s sister. She had every room painted a different color, but somehow it worked. She mixed fabrics and prints, like a strong, hearty black leather couch on top of a fluffy white shag rug.
Even the dinner she had prepared for them had been a hodgepodge of dishes. Indian-inspired sides served alongside Latin cuisine and even sushi with an Italian dessert to follow all of it. Avery would have turned her nose up to all of it if the food didn’t all taste delicious.
“Please tell me that you had all of this catered.” Avery leaned back in her chair and rubbed her stomach but refused to release her spoon.
By hook or by crook, she would finish this decadent chocolate treat that looked like it came from a five-star restaurant.
“Nope. Cooked it all.” Marissa ran her hand back through her shaggy hair, different from Laz’s straightlaced hairdo. “I love to cook. Wish I could do it as a profession.”
“You don’t? That’s surprising.” She took another bite of her dessert and had to throw in the towel. She tossed her white cloth napkin on the table. “I give. What is this called?” She pointed to the last portion she could not shove into her mouth.
“Tartufo di Pizzo. It’s just a jazzed-up ice cream. Of course, true Italians would wash my mouth out with soap to hear me call it that.” Marissa shoved her sleeves up her thin arms and showed off an array of tattoos.
That view alone made Avery look at Marissa and Laz again to make sure these two could be related.
“So what do you do for a living, since it looks like torturing people with great-tasting food is only your hobby?” Avery smiled before taking another sip of her sweet red wine.
Marissa wagged her finger at her. “I like her.” Then she laughed. “I’m a computer geek. I work at the Pentagon.”
Avery laughed until she noticed that neither Marissa nor Laz joined her. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I started under a way different administration. But I’m damn good at what I do, and I make a great living at it.”
“She’s Dad’s favorite.” Laz nodded toward his little sister.
Marissa stood and started gathering dirty dishes from the table. “You are so full of it. He loves taking you out with him. His son. His boy.” She nudged Laz on his head with her elbow.
Avery started to stand to help Marissa with clearing the dishes.
“Sit. You’re my guest here.” Marissa reached for Avery’s dessert plate when Avery slid it away from her.
Marissa laughed harder. “I get it. Do you at least want me to put it in the freezer for a bit so it doesn’t get too runny?”
Avery looked at her partially eaten dish before shaking her head. “I’ll keep working on this.”
Marissa stopped by Laz before going into the open kitchen area. “Yep, definitely like her more than that other chick.”
“Little louder, Stinky. I don’t think all of Virginia heard you.” Laz shook his head.
At the top of her lungs, Marissa screamed, “Avery is way better for you than the last few chicks you’ve dated.”
“Christ, Stinky. That was a joke, not a dare.” He ran his hand over his head. “Besides, we’re only working together. I’m trying to represent her and help her singing career.”
His sister scraped items into the trash can before rinsing off each dish and putting them into the dishwasher. She looked at Avery. “Do you know he sings?”
Laz huffed. “Not this again.”
Avery nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard him a couple of times.”
“Voice like an angel. I’m not sure why he’s not a big mega star himself.” She snapped her fingers before wiping her hands on a towel. “Be right back.” She went to the other side of the kitchen and went down a set of stairs to the basement area.
“You two look nothing alike, but I like her.” Avery finished off her wine.
“People used to tell us that I got my looks from our mother, and that Marissa looks more like our father.” He shrugged.
“And what about your other sisters?” She twirled her spoon into her dessert and licked her spoon.
When she noticed that Laz hadn’t answered, she turned her gaze to him and found him watching her enjoy her sweet treat.
Avery would have stopped but the temptation proved to be too much for her. She slid her tongue up the concave center of the spoon before slithering her tongue into her mouth and following up the taste with a satisfied moan.
She didn’t know if the lick or the moan did Laz in, but he grumbled and had to look away from her.
“One sister is a good mix of the two. Really light brown hair and bright green eyes. The third looks a lot like our mother.” He ran his hand over his mouth. “Look, I don’t know what my sister has planned, but—”
“I don’t either, but I know what I want.”
Laz said nothing as he stared at her, heavy lidded. His breathing increased as he drummed his fingertips on the table. In the stillness of the room, Avery caught the distinct sound of stomping coming up the steps before Marissa burst into the room.
Her skintight, black skinny jeans looked sprayed onto her body. Avery could tell Marissa didn’t wear a bra under her white ribbed tank top with a Guns ‘N Roses logo on the front.
“Come on down to the basement. I have something to show you two.” She beamed as she led the way.
Laz stood and held his hand out to Avery to get her on her feet. He continued holding her hand as he guided her through the kitchen and down to the finished and brightly lit room. The touch seemed harmless until he brushed his thumb across the back of her hand. The simple move transformed her skin to goose-pimpled flesh in a matter of seconds.
In the wide-open basement with a couple of pillars littering the room, Avery found a few couches, some funky artwork, and an elaborate hookah sitting in the corner of the room.
“Have a seat and enjoy the show.” Marissa pointed to the large TV screen mounted on the wall.
Had she set the room up a different way, it could have easily looked like a movie theater. Laz brought Avery to a couch. When he sat, she had expected him to move as far away from her as possible. Instead he positioned himself right next to her.
Feeling emboldened, she rested her hand on his knee as they faced the TV screen.
“Do you remember this?” Marissa clicked a remote.
On the screen popped up an image of a group of kids standing on a deck with a pool in the background.
“Oh, come on, Marissa. Not this.” Laz leaped from his seated position.
“Now it’s Marissa. Not Stinky anymore?” She giggled. “Enjoy.”
“Wait. Laz, is that you?” Avery pointed to a little, fair-haired boy in the center of a gaggle of girls.
“That’s my brother all right.” Marissa plopped down in a chair and threw her leg over the arm of the chair. “This was either my birthday party or Josie’s.”
“It was Josie’s.” Laz resumed his seated position and kept his stare on the floor instead of the screen.
“Oh, yeah. This was at our old house, remember? The one with the pool. I miss having our own pool.” Marissa sighed.
“I don’t miss these parties.” Laz shook his head.
“Why?” Avery didn’t understand his disdain for this time in his life.
From what she saw, he looked like
an adorable boy who grew up to be a very fine man. In his Superman swim trunks, he looked to be about six or seven years old. Amazing how his scrawny chest transformed into something sleek yet muscular now, a chest worthy of touching.
“Come on, Lazzy. Sing for Mama.” A beautiful blond woman scooped up young Laz in her arms and sat him on her lap under a large umbrella.
Laz ducked his head down and nuzzled his face into the side of her neck. His mother giggled.
Even in the video, Avery saw the striking resemblance between Laz and his mother.
“She’s beautiful.” Avery patted Laz’s leg. “Are your parents still together?”
Marissa turned to her. “No. They divorced years ago. Mom lives in Texas now.” She brought her attention to Laz. “Have you talked to her recently? She’s going to marry that guy she’s been dating. She seems really happy now.”
“Good for her.” He stole glances at the TV.
Young Laz mumbled something into his mother’s neck.
“What’s that, baby?” She brought his head up. “Speak up so we can all hear you.”
“You sing first.” He clutched her shirt but kept his gaze on her.
Avery’s skin prickled and she sat up taller.
“Us together, okay?” She nodded.
Laz’s blue eyes in the video looked huge and cute on him. He nodded to his mother. When she started singing “Walking on Sunshine,” it didn’t take long for young Laz to join her. Even then, he carried a tune very well.
“Okay, I think we get it.” Laz started to stand.
“You know there’s more.” Marissa clicked something on the remote to cue up another video, this time a group of students stood on tiers like in a chorus recital.
This time the kids looked to be about high school age. Avery searched all the boys’ faces until her gaze stopped at one with Laz’s same hypnotic blue eyes and boyish face. His body had filled out but not to the magnitude he now reached.
Love Like Crazy Page 19
