“Yeah, and what do you know?” Rory questioned, a little more than defensively as he twisted the cap off the bottle and took a long drink. He was parched in more ways than one.
Connor and Mac shared a quick look before both turning their attention straight for Rory. Which one would be the asshole to say it?
That would be Connor. “You’re distracted with all that tail you’re getting.”
Rory shrugged and pursed his lips. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“Save it, buddy.” Dev stepped to Rory and gripped his hands tight on his shoulders, massaging him. “Trust me, I know it can be distracting.”
“It’s not.” Rory shrugged him off and finished his water before tossing it into the recycling bin. “There’s actually a different reason I’ve been distracted. A real reason.”
“Save the excuses,” Mac quipped, crossing his arms. “It’s okay, buddy. We all know you’re in a hard position.”
“Hilarious.” Rory rolled his eyes as he exited the studio and entered into the recording room. He reached for the intercom switch and flipped it on. “The reason I’ve been so distracted is because I’ve been working on a song and I can’t get it out of my head.”
Dev rolled his eyes and followed Rory into the dark room to take a seat beside Rory. He patted his best friend gently on the back and offered him a smirk.
Rory glared at him and groaned under his breath as he pushed a flash drive into the computer. The song in question wasn’t the reason he was distracted, but it seemed to be the easiest excuse. After all, he couldn’t imagine the hell they’d give him if he told them all the truth. Especially because it was Gina of all people.
“Just take a listen to the damn song,” he said and waited for the music to begin.
It didn’t have the best sound quality—after all, he had used a music-making program in lieu of an actual band—but he was still more than proud of the song. He tapped his fingers along the lip of the sound mixer to the beat of the music.
‘Turn and face the sea,
Moon shining light upon your skin,
Take it now,
Take it all in,
Feel the burn,
As it all yearns to end
The trouble is I can never see,
Never see what’s become of you and me,
And you’re drowning in my sin,
On the boardwalk of yesterday’s dreams.’
Rory looked over to his best friend to see him smiling, nodding his head while taking the music in. He looked to his friends standing inside, who had just moments prior been teasing him.
“This is good,” Dev said before jumping to his feet and rushing into the other room. He immediately pulled his headphones back over his ears and dragged the mic closer to his lips.
Quinn took a seat at the keyboard and began trying to match the music by ear, which he was damn good at. Everyone fell in line as they worked to recreate the music playing overhead.
Rory couldn’t help but to smile while he watched the band effortlessly play the song he had been writing in his head for the better part of a month. They all made it seem so damn easy after he had spent literally all day every day trying to work out the basic melody.
They all played a hand in writing the music for the band, but should this song play out, it would have been the first that he authored solo. He nodded along as they reached the climax to the song.
After running through the song one more time, and everyone agreed they should show Addison and the label executives, Rory and Dev recused themselves from the studio and sat in the recording room while Connor, Mac, and Quinn left to grab a quick bite to eat.
“That’s some good shit, Rory,” Dev said.
“I know, right?” He thought briefly about telling Dev what had happened with Gina. After all, if anybody were going to take the news well, it would have been him.
“If I told you something,” he began, but stopped himself and shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Tell me what?” Dev looked to him with a furrowed brow and then jabbed him with an elbow. “Does this have something to do with your hot date tonight?”
“I have a date tonight?” Rory questioned, leaning back in his chair. “How do you know?”
“Dude,” Dev chuckled. “Did you forget?”
“Forget what?”
“Oh my God.” Dev slid his palms down the length of his face and stared Rory down. “You forgot we had a show tonight.”
“I did not,” Rory said, but he had. He cocked his head slightly and grimaced. “What show?”
“Are these women causing you to lose track of your days? We have the Big Lights launch party tonight.”
“Shit,” Rory groaned and sank into his chair. “Yeah, I fucking forgot.”
“So, I’m assuming you also forgot about your hot date tonight as well?”
“No.” He rolled his eyes and climbed to his feet with a yawn, throwing his hands over his head. “But I should probably skip out on the rest of practice because if I’m going anywhere tonight, I’m going to need a damn nap.”
“Yeah, I’m sure Addison will be thrilled to come back and find out that you high-tailed it out of here.”
He dropped a hand onto Dev’s shoulder and offered him a sly wink. “If she asks where I went, just tell her I was hit with a stomach bug or something.”
“Sure thing.” He grinned from ear to ear. “I’ll make sure to go into as much detail as possible to make her believe it.”
“You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.” Rory pulled open the door.
An hour later, though, Rory felt a tinge of guilt as he lay on his back, staring up at the empty white space of the ceiling. He had never been one to get distracted by a woman, especially when it came to the good of the band. Hell, he took on the role of being a public womanizer against his wishes because it was what the band needed.
All of these women he was expected to hook up with, and he couldn’t bring himself to care about one of them. Not Carlene Richardson and certainly not Star Jackson. Somehow, he had gotten so distracted that he had forgotten the band was supposed to do a quick set at an event later that night and that he was supposed to send a limo to pick up his date within the next two hours.
Star Jackson should have been everything Rory would ever want. She was tall and sexy with straight blonde hair and a rebellious edge. She was the next Hollywood It girl. And now, he cringed at the thought of spending time with any girl who wasn’t Gina. Literally cringed as he continued to stare blankly at the ceiling above him.
Gina would be in attendance, too. She was always around. Basically, she was an honorary member of the band at this point, so he began to formulate a plan to win her over for the evening, all the while knowing full well she’d probably spend the next decade avoiding him outside of work—work which required her to set him up with anyone who wasn’t her.
He saw her dancing on the ceiling. Beautiful and curly dark hair. Those eyes. A smile that could catch him off guard and cause his cock to jump in his jeans. He saw her naked and heaving. Round, exotic curves and perky breasts.
Then he saw himself flatlining.
Because it was so fucking obvious Gina Saldano was going to be the death of him.
Chapter 12
Gina slumped, but, only when she was sure Rory couldn’t see her from the stage. Not that he would have any reason to be paying attention to her anyway. She’d been around the band long enough to know that when they were about to play, there was nothing on their minds but that—and that went double for Rory.
It must have been nice to have something to distract him so easily. As for her…
Well, ever since the other night, she’d only had one thing on her mind.
The way Rory had looked, his muscles bulging as he claimed her for his own.
The song the band played came to a rousing end with Rory beating his sticks against the drums and then glancing out into the audience.
His e
yes fell right up on Gina and she counted one second, and then two before his gaze finally dragged away from her. Electricity sliced through the air between them, and she felt like he knew what she’d been thinking—how she’d been remembering their night together.
She hid her face behind one palm as she began to push her way through the crowd that had assembled around the makeshift stage in the ballroom of The Silver Inn. She made her way into the nearest bathroom, just outside the ballroom doors.
The well-lit bathroom was adorned with sparkling walls and fixtures, and she glanced around for a moment before taking in the woman at the sink counter offering various services and hygienic products.
“Good evening, ma’am.”
Gina nodded hello, then took a quick glance into the mirror and opted to touch up her makeup.
It was a bad habit of hers—a constant need to always look the part. This wasn’t her world she was living in, and oftentimes she felt out of place. Strong and confident on the outside, she was determined to never let the world see her strength for what it was; an act.
She dug a rose-colored lipstick from her bag and circled it around her lips before offering herself a pucker in the mirror. “You’re a strong ass, confident woman and you are not going to let that boy get to you tonight,” she promised herself in a hushed whisper, but out of the corner of her eye she saw the bathroom attendant raise her eyebrows.
On her way out the door, she handed the woman a twenty dollar bill but before letting go, leaned over and whispered in her ear with a chuckle, “Let’s keep this to ourselves, shall we?”
The woman glanced sideways—confused, probably—but she smiled in kind and took the currency to drop it into the clear bucket of tips on the countertop.
It was a work night for Gina, but she imagined it was just about the same for everyone else. In this industry, it was necessary to always be on the clock, because networking could mean the difference between success and failure.
She had her sights set on introducing herself to the honorary band of the night, Big Lights. While she was fully committed to working with Sub-Zero, she knew it was in her best interest to always have connections in her back pocket in case things soured.
And things souring seemed to be a more and more likely scenario every time she and Rory interacted. Mixing pleasure with business never worked out in anyone’s favor. Sure, Bug and Dev had managed to make it work, but they just got lucky somehow. It was like winning the lottery and that same luck wasn’t going to strike twice.
She stood in the background watching the tall, handsome, golden-boy, Hayden Smart, shake a label executive’s hand and waited for her opportunity to grab the lead singer of Big Light’s attention.
Once Hayden and the executive parted ways, Gina was right there. She threw her hand out, giving him no choice but to interact with her, all the while his eyes shifted elsewhere. She calculated he had somewhere to be. She also calculated that she didn’t care.
“I’m Gina Saldano and I’m the public relations director for Sub-Zero.”
“Cool beans.” He scratched at the scruff on his chin, his gaze focused anywhere other than Gina.
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat and stepped sideways to make sure his gaze was affixed to her. “I listened to your album last week and it’s amazing.”
“I know, right?” Finally, she had his attention. His eyes leveled with hers as he shrugged with a cocky grin. “Which was your favorite?” He leaned in closer to her. “It’s Get it Twisted, right?”
“Absolutely.” She lied right through her teeth; that album she was so enthusiastic about was still waiting to be downloaded to her phone. “Phenomenal and you have an amazing voice.”
“You know…” He glanced around them before turning his attention back to her. Lowering his voice, he said, “I wrote every song on the album.”
Gina forced a smile. Perhaps she was simply spoiled by the men of Sub-Zero, but she had almost forgotten the egos attached to rock stars. Still, Hayden’s career was just beginning, and she couldn’t imagine him surviving in the world of entertainment too long with that attitude.
“You have a gift,” she complimented.
“I know.” He shrugged, and shifted his weight to one foot. At the exact moment Gina found herself wanting to run away, he was more engaged than ever before. “So do you live in New York?”
“No. I’m just here working for a bit longer.” She shook her head and prepared to continue but caught a glimpse of Rory in her peripheral vision.
His eyes met hers, and just as they did, he wrapped his arm around his date. One Star Jackson, dressed to the nines with her blonde hair pulled into a tight-updo with neon pink highlights. Her long white dress shimmered and sparkled underneath the hot lights from above.
She forced her eyes away, figuring it was easier and safer to just continue having the worst conversation she’s ever had with the worst person she’d ever met. “What about you? Where are you from?”
“Everywhere.” He shrugged again. “Here, there, and finally right fucking here in New York, but after this album climbs the charts, the boys and I are hightailing it to Santa Monica.”
“Oh.” She arched one brow. “You surf?”
“Baby,” he bit into his lower lip, “I do everything.”
“Right.” She sighed and looked back to Rory, to find him quickly approaching with his date in tow. She made a split second decision to latch on to Hayden’s arm and pivot to meet Rory and Star.
“Good evening, Gina,” Rory said as he and his date came to a halt.
“Good evening, Rory.” She tightened her grip on Hayden’s arm, and could feel his eyes boring down on her. “This is my date, Hayden Smart.”
“Date?” Hayden purred. “Right. I am your date.”
Not awkward at all…
“Interesting,” Rory mused out loud as he shuffled Star toward Gina. “This is my date, Star Jackson.”
“Yeah, I know who she is. I spoke to her publicist on the phone.” She gritted her teeth and smiled widely. She looked like a chipmunk for all she knew. She also didn’t care. “Nice to meet you, Star.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Star reached out and shook Gina’s hand, taking her slightly aback in the process. “You’re so pretty.”
“Thanks.” Gina’s hesitance folded in an instant as she broke away from Hayden and combed one hand through her long hair. “You too.”
Rory fawned over his date, shook his head with a satisfied grin. “Star and I are having a blast tonight.”
Gina couldn’t help but frown. She knew exactly what he was doing, parading his hookup around in her face. He was trying to make her jealous and it was working, not that she’d ever let him know that.
Two can play that game.
She grasped her hand around Hayden once more and pulled him close, taking him off guard enough that he almost tripped and dropped to the floor. “Excuse him. He’s had one too many drinks.”
“I get it,” Rory said, staring Hayden down. “I remember how trashed I was when we had our launch party.”
Gina’s gaze followed Rory’s hand as it tightened over Star’s waist, and cleared her throat to get her point across.
“Is there a problem, Gina?”
“Me?” She shook her head and smiled. “I’m good. We are also having a blast.” She craned her head up to Hayden. “Aren’t we, honey?”
She winced in disbelief she had taken things that far. Behind scrunched eyelids, she was just waiting for Hayden to spill the beans, until he replied, “Yes, we are, sweetie.”
“Sweetie?” Rory piped in with a twitch of his head. “How long have you two known each other?”
“Two months,” Hayden blurted out, with a proud smile.
But Gina, for all intents and purposes, sank deep into the floor. She covered her mouth as she caught Rory glaring at her.
“Really? I could have sworn you were single two nights ago, but what do I know, right? It’s not my job to keep track of you. It’
s your job to keep track of me.” His voice was a low rumble, but it was the gleam in his eye that had her sweating.
“Oh, silly me.” Star chuckled suddenly and cocked her head sideways. “You’re the Gina who set us up, aren’t you?”
“That I am.”
“Wait.” Hayden jerked. “You’re the one who set these two up?”
Gina grimaced while an uncomfortable storm began to brew in her stomach. She had a feeling things were about to take a sharp left turn and she was powerless to stop it.
“It’s a little more complicated than that.”
Hayden pointed at Gina first. “I’m pretty sharp, and I think I get it. You’re telling me that you’re using me to make him,” he pointed at Rory, “jealous because you’re jealous that he’s with her,” he pointed at Star, “when you’re the one who set him up in the first place?”
“From an outside perspective, I could see the confusion.” She swallowed hard, ignoring the heat in her face as she tried to think of a better way to spin this but came up empty.
Hayden threw his hands up with a baffled chuckle. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you two but I’ve barely known her for two minutes.” He took a few careful steps back, alternating his disapproving glare between Gina and Rory. “Maybe you two need to talk?”
“Yeah…” Star puckered her lips and pointed at Hayden. “I’m going to go with him.”
“Wait, seriously?” Rory arched a confused brow. “You’re supposed to be my date, remember?”
“Right.” She nodded and then stepped toward Hayden. “But he’s much more my type.”
Gina and Rory both watched as their respective dates disappeared into the crowd, heading toward the open bar. She was busy wishing the floor would swallow her whole when he finally spoke.
“You are terrible at your job,” Rory deadpanned.
“Excuse me?” Gina scoffed incredulously and crossed her arms, happy to have any distraction from the real elephant in the room. “You know, if those two end up together, I want a commission.”
“You have your own actual clients you should be worried about.” Rory took a step toward her. “Like me.”
Hard Sell: A Bad-Boy, Rock Star Romance Page 9
