And then he was back behind the counter and the barista was handing her the coffee she’d ordered. Head spinning, Charlotte somehow managed to make it out the door and back to her car, but work was the last place she wanted to go. She wanted to stay and watch him do this crazy stunt and then be with him when he went to whatever it was he was doing next.
Beside her, a reporter was speaking to the camera. “Drummer Julian Grayson is giving away free coffee here until ten this morning and reminding people to pay it forward. There’s some speculation on why the normally private rocker is suddenly making such a public display. Hopefully we’ll find out later this morning when Shaughnessy holds their press conference. In the meantime, everyone, let’s all take a page from Julian’s book and do something nice for someone today.”
If her heart hadn’t already been full to capacity before, it was now.
Not only had he remembered her words from their first meeting, he was reaching out to the masses in the hope that they’d do something good for others.
And that was the greatest gift he could ever have given her.
Chapter 11
“This is freaking awesome!” Dylan shouted as he high-fived Matt. “Do you hear the crowd out there?”
Beside him, Julian stood with Riley and waited for their cue to take the stage. It wasn’t a concert. There were no instruments, just a long table with five chairs behind it up on a stage facing a crowd of about a hundred people.
“I’d like to hear the roar of an arena crowd,” Matt said and then laughed. “But this is a great start!”
The day after Riley and Savannah had returned home from North Carolina, the four of them had gotten together to talk about the band’s future. There hadn’t been a lot to talk about—Julian was the lone holdout to them getting back together.
And now he wasn’t and here they were.
“You’re sure about this?” Riley asked casually.
“A little late to change my mind now, don’t you think?” Julian replied just as coolly.
“I’m serious, Jules. It wasn’t so long ago when I stood beside you and asked if you were sure about something that was going to change your life. If you’re not in this one hundred percent—if you’re doing this out of some misplaced sense of loyalty and it’s going to make you miserable, just say the word and we’ll call it off.”
For a moment, Julian was too stunned to speak. Frowning, he looked at Riley and realized he was serious. If Julian had any doubts in his mind about taking this step, Riley Shaughnessy would have his back. Dylan and Matt stepped in close and nodded—clearly having heard Riley’s words. And what he saw on their faces was the same look Riley had on his.
These were his friends at their best.
No. They were his brothers, and as always, they had his back.
And now it was time to have theirs too.
“There is nothing else I want more than to start making music with the three of you again,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “The years we’ve spent playing together have been the best of my life.”
And just like that they were huddled together in a group hug.
When they broke apart, Dylan nudged him with his shoulder. “Nothing else you want more?” he teased. “Does that include Charlotte?”
Rolling his eyes, Julian chuckled. Leave it to Dylan to stoop to juvenile teasing. “That’s on a whole other level and it’s completely separate from this,” he stated honestly. “And after this press conference, I’m going to get the girl and convince her we can make this work. So just know that I am not to be bothered for at least seventy-two hours.”
“Someone thinks pretty highly of himself,” Dylan murmured.
“Mighty optimistic of you,” Matt said right after him.
“Make sure you have some Gatorade on hand,” Riley added with a laugh.
“I’m serious,” Julian said, even as he laughed and shook his head. “We’re here to do this and we agreed to an hour. I hope Mick and the publicity people can handle things after that, because—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Mick said as he walked over. “We know. You’ve got to go grovel and convince Charlotte that you deserve her. But, if you ask me, she’s too good for you.” Then he grinned and slapped Julian on the back good-naturedly. “It’s good to see you back where you belong.”
Once again emotion clogged his throat. “It’s been a long road,” he said and then looked at his friends, his brothers, his bandmates. “For all of us.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Mick looked at the four of them and stood like a proud father. “Here’s how this is going to go—you’ll be introduced one by one and when you’re all on stage, pictures will be taken. I’m only allowing five minutes for that before you’ll be shown to your seats. Once you’re situated, I’m going to come out and talk to the crowd and let them know what’s going on. After I read the statement we all agreed on, I’m going to open the floor to questions. That’s where the bulk of the time will be spent.”
They each nodded. “We know the drill, Mick,” Riley said with a grin. “This isn’t our first rodeo.”
“I know it’s not, but this is the first one you’re doing after several turbulent years,” Mick said seriously. “We’re going to try and keep everyone focused on what’s coming up, but you have to be prepared to answer questions about where you’ve all been. That includes struggles with writer’s block, career failures, rehab, and emotional breakdowns.” He studied each of them as he said the words. “If you’re not prepared to deal with the questions, tell me now and I’ll shut them down. Personally, I think if you each lay your story out on the line—especially those of you who haven’t talked to the press already—then it’s going to make moving forward that much easier. The more secretive you are, the more rabid they’ll become.”
More nodding.
“So, are we ready?” he asked.
“As we’ll ever be,” Julian said, more to himself than the group.
Riley put his hand out and said, “Let’s do this.”
And just like old times, Matt, Dylan, and Julian placed their hands on top of his as a show of solidarity. Mick touched in at the end and looked at them with a wide grin.
“Let’s go tell the world we’re back.”
* * *
Charlotte did her best to focus on her work, but she was entering information for the client sitting in front of her and it was almost eleven. Her nerves were frazzled and she had no idea how she was going to watch the press conference if she didn’t get this done. The computer was slow and if she could just get the file to submit, she could rush this gentleman out the door.
She tapped her fingers, her toes, and was basically bouncing in her seat when the screen changed and showed that her file was accepted.
Yes! Finally!
“Okay, Mr. Martinson,” she said quickly as she rose to her feet. “That’s everything. Renee at the front desk will have a printout for you in about five minutes with a list of jobs that match your search requirements. I’d like you to make an appointment to come see me next week.” Holding out her hand, Charlotte shook his and almost sagged to the floor with relief when he walked out.
Swiftly, she moved around her desk and shut the door. Everyone knew that when her door was shut it meant she was in the middle of something important and not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency.
Luckily she’d set that precedent years ago and no one questioned it.
She nearly tripped over her own two feet to get back into her chair and then it was like she was all thumbs as she tried to get into her personal email account for the link Julian assured her was there.
At ten fifty-nine, she held her breath and waited.
On the screen, she saw a stage with a table on it and cards with all the names of the guys in front of their seats, and then a woman went to a podium off to the
side of the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the men of Shaughnessy!” she said with enthusiasm. She introduced the guys one by one, with Riley coming out first and waving to the wildly cheering crowd, then Matt, then Dylan, and finally, Julian. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.
She hadn’t noticed this morning that he’d trimmed his hair and that his perpetual five-o’clock shadow was looking a little fuller than usual, but none of it mattered because he was perfect. Standing on the stage and smiling in a pair of faded jeans, a black T-shirt, and a bit of attitude, he was every inch the man she loved.
Next, Mick came out and announced that the band would be heading back into the studio for the first time in five years, and once the album was complete, they would tour. Charlotte’s hand flew to her chest as tears filled her eyes. He was doing it. He was finally ready to do it.
And she was so damn proud of him.
Questions were being shouted from all over the room and she held her breath, hoping no one was going to bring up the wedding or the video or anything that might send Julian into some kind of tailspin. Although she had a feeling he was ready to handle it now in a way he hadn’t been before.
Riley fielded the first two questions, which were specifically directed to him—first about how he felt being back as a band after a successful solo album and tour, and the second about Savannah’s upcoming book.
Sweet, she thought.
Then questions came to Matt and Dylan about their solo work outside of the band.
Also nice questions.
“Julian!” someone called out. “You went on a sabbatical and came back to do a lot of charity and volunteer work. Tell us about it.”
Charlotte didn’t breathe, didn’t blink. She sat and listened to Julian talk about how they’d met, and how he came to find out about the plight of the homeless firsthand, and how fulfilling it had been to get involved. He then encouraged everyone in the room to do something to help out—donate food, clothing, or their time. He was emphatic when he spoke of how most people thought they’d have to give too much or wondered how could they give when they thought it would cost them too much money to make a difference.
“The first time I stepped into the shelter, I helped unload a food truck and moved some shelves around and swept floors,” he said. “It didn’t take too much time or effort. But to those people who worked there day in and day out and were feeling overwhelmed? It was a gift. That’s when I knew we were looking at charity the wrong way.”
“Tell us about the music program!” another reporter called out.
Slowly she let out her breath and felt tears roll down her cheeks. No one was interested in talking about the painful stuff these four men had gone through in the last several years. No one cared about their struggles and their mistakes. They were there because of a shared love of rock and roll and the music Shaughnessy played.
For another forty minutes, each of the guys answered questions, and then Mick stood and thanked everyone for their time before motioning to the band to exit the stage. The reporters were still calling out questions, and that was when Mick brought back the woman who had originally introduced them all and told the crowd she’d be handling the rest of the questions. Charlotte had no idea who she was but apparently she handled PR for the band. She felt sorry for her and imagined how overwhelmed she must feel at the enthusiasm of the reporters for more information.
Closing her browser, she immediately stood and reached for her purse, and ran to the ladies’ room to freshen up. No doubt it would be at least an hour before Julian showed up, but she didn’t want him to see she’d been crying—even if they were happy tears.
For thirty minutes, she did busywork and was anxiously watching the clock, when her boss came into the office.
“Would you care to explain why there is a horde of reporters out in front of the building asking for you?” Jennifer Roberts looked like someone’s sweet grandmother, but still managed to strike fear into you with one look.
“Um…”
“Is there something going on, Charlotte?” she demanded. “Are you in some sort of trouble or involved in some kind of scandal? Because we can’t have that here! The people who come to us are trying to get their lives together, and I can’t have someone who’s causing problems in the public eye sitting behind a desk helping them.”
“It’s not like that, Jennifer. I swear,” Charlotte said, her voice only mildly trembling. “There’s no scandal, but—”
“Then why are reporters here? Do you hear how loud they’re being? I bet whoever just walked in the door was scared to death to walk through that crowd!” She gave Charlotte a disapproving glare. “I think you should pack up and go home for the rest of the day. And we’ll see if things are quiet on Monday.” She paused. “On second thought, stay home on Monday too, just to play it safe.”
“That works for me.”
Charlotte gasped as she heard Julian’s words and saw him leaning against the door with a sexy grin. Nothing and no one had ever looked better to her.
“Who’s this?” Jennifer demanded. “Is he the reason you’re in trouble?”
While Charlotte grabbed her phone, her purse, and her laptop, Julian looked at Jennifer and smiled politely. “There’s no trouble, ma’am. I’m just here to get my girl.”
Stepping around her desk, Charlotte took the hand Julian held out to her and wished her boss a good weekend, happily following him out the door.
And stopped short at the crowd of reporters.
“Julian, I…”
Tucking her in close to his side, he whispered in her ear, “Smile and wave and keep walking.” When she looked at him with wide eyes, he added, “Trust me.”
And she did.
She truly did.
Together they made it to a waiting SUV—probably the same one from last night—and he helped her in before climbing in beside her. Without waiting for any instructions, their driver pulled out of the parking lot, and she felt herself breathe normally for the first time all day.
Julian still held her hand as he kept her close.
“Did you see the press conference?”
“I did. You did great. All of you did great.”
He nodded. “I was pleasantly surprised. I think I was expecting a little more drama.”
“Every time someone started asking a question, I held my breath and prayed they’d behave. I’m so glad they did. And not just to you, but to all of you.”
“Yeah, like I said, it was a surprise, and now that it’s over, I’m even happier that we did it. We were prepared to answer whatever was thrown at us, no matter how personal. I’m glad it didn’t come to that. This was a good experience, and it’s nice to see the support we already have from the media.”
As they drove on, Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder and listened to him talk about the conversation he had with the guys and what their plans were for the new music. None of the specifics mattered to her—it wasn’t as if she understood the music business anyway. All that mattered was listening to the excitement in his voice as he talked about his future. It was hard to imagine that this was the same bitter, angry man she’d originally met. The two barely resembled one another anymore, and that was a miracle in and of itself.
When they drove through town and didn’t stop, she straightened. “I thought we were getting lunch.”
Beside her, Julian chuckled. “Don’t worry. I know how important eating is to you. I just figured after such a crazy morning, you wouldn’t mind a more…private lunch.”
All of her girly parts wanted to stand up and cheer and then sing the “Hallelujah” chorus. Smiling shyly, she said, “Sounds perfect.”
Within minutes they pulled up to Julian’s house and as soon as they were out of the car, he waved to the driver and ushered Charlotte inside—seeming as anxious to get her alone as she was t
o be alone with him.
They had always been in sync like that.
Inside, with the door closed and locked behind them, Julian took her by the hand and led her directly to the kitchen. The table was set and food was out—all of it looked delicious, but she couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder toward the bedroom and feeling just a teeny bit disappointed.
Tugging her in close until they were toe to toe, chest to chest, Julian rested his forehead against hers. “Patience.”
Yup. In sync.
Her stomach growled and she reminded herself that it would probably be a good thing for them to take the time and eat now, because if she had her wish, they wouldn’t have the time or energy for food until much, much later.
Maybe even tomorrow.
So she let him lead her to the table and took a seat.
They ate as she listened; he talked more about how he felt about the press conference and heading back into the studio. And then she knew they would have to address the elephant in the room before they could go back to what they had before.
“Tell me about your meeting with Dena,” she said carefully.
With a chuckle, Julian finished the last of his sandwich, taking his time before answering. “You know, I actually kind of like it when you pose a question like a shrink. At first I didn’t, but now I think it’s kind of cute.”
It was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard, but she realized it was exactly how her words had sounded. “Sorry. Habit, I guess.”
“Don’t apologize. It was just the first thing that came to mind.”
It was possible he was trying to avoid the topic, but then he surprised her by talking.
And talking.
And talking.
By the time he stood to clear away the dishes, Charlotte almost felt like she’d been there in the restaurant with them that day. He’d held nothing back, and she had to say—on both a personal and professional level—what had transpired had been pretty healthy. For both of them. And while she’d still like to have five minutes alone with the woman responsible for messing up so much of his life so she could get a few things off her own chest, that was never going to happen. Eventually, she’d be okay with that.
One More Moment Page 27
