The Wreck of Our Hearts

by Yajna Ramnath

  "Where are you now?" I asked as I sipped my coffee. It tasted bitter. Not at all like Aria. I shook my head free of the thought.

  Paisley frowned at me with an uncomfortable look on her face. “Don’t you know? I’m at Camden.”

  My eyebrows hit my hairline and I chuckled to myself. Of course, Travis wouldn’t tell me about it. He was always partial to Paisley, even when I dated her. I guess now he had her as his PA and that made him feel as if he was one up on me.

  I glanced briefly at Paisley, my mind was made. It was as if fate was dropping opportunities in my lap. Me dating Paisley will no doubt piss my brother off.

  “You should come to Allure for one of my sets,” I tilted my head at her.

  I knew she’d be shocked at me proposing that. One of our biggest issues while dating was the fact that I hardly ever allowed her at the club whenever I was there. The girls tended to cling, and although I never gave them the impression that I saw them as anything other than the patrons that danced to my music—my smiles and posing for photos always gave off the wrong impression. As much as Paisley refused to admit it, the constant attention bothered her.

  “Sure,” she sounded more excited than I expected her to be. “I’d love that. Maybe I can even stop by your place and we could hang out like before?”

  “I would like to say yes,” I answered honestly. “But it’s only been two weeks since I moved in, my roommate doesn’t need to deal with my visitors yet.”

  “He seems like a good friend to have given you a place to stay, I’ll have to hear that story,” she grinned as she stood to leave.

  “My roommate is a she, but yeah, we will definitely catch up soon and I’ll tell you all about it,” I said, ignoring the fact that her smile fell.

  Chapter Five

  Aria

  “Basically, we need someone who can keep our accounts, inventory, and the staff under calculation. Shift rosters, absenteeism, and even deejay rosters. You’re basically going to be the crystal ball of Allure.”

  I stared at my soon to be boss in awe. Was he really going to trust me with so much from the get-go? Leo Kane was a twenty-something club owner. He was handsome. Sharp brown eyes, soft face and bright red hair completed his ensemble. You'd never say he was the owner given his jeans and form-fitting Allure t-shirt.

  “You’re going to trust me with a lot,” I aired out my concern.

  “Are you saying you’re not up for it?” he asked as he leaned forward on what was apparently going to be my desk, “because according to your resume, you’ve been an all-rounder at your previous job. These tasks I’m giving you aren’t any different from what you used to do there.”

  “I am up for the challenge,” I said quickly. “I’m sorry. I’m just used to people underestimating what I can do.”

  He rose from the chair and gestured to the tiny office filled with bookshelves of files, Allure merchandise, and a laptop with desk and chair. “I don’t know who you’ve been hanging around, but here we recognize talent when we see it. Good luck.”

  I nodded and took my place at the desk. I wanted to do a little dance that I finally had a job. Instead, I snapped a picture of myself and sent it to the girls: guess who’s employed.

  I was immediately flooded with texts and promises of a celebration with both the girls. I put away my phone and looked around the office. I needed to organize first before I decided to tackle work.

  An hour or maybe ten later, I was interrupted by a knock at the door. I shouted for the person to come in. I stood on top of my swivel chair trying to dust the top shelf where I pulled down all the old rosters from.

  “What are you doing?”

  Despite asking the person to come in, I did not expect it to be Dasher. Naturally, I lost momentum and I started to fall. Thankfully, or rather, unfortunately—Dasher rushed forward and I landed straight into his arms all damsel like. I had a flash of an idea to put the back of my palm against my forehead and sigh.

  So I did.

  Dasher looked down at me and laughed. “Aria, really?”

  I grinned at that which caused him to frown. “Sorry, you can let me down now.”

  “Are you sure?” his lips twist into that sinful smirk that shocked me that first time in the hospital. “I think you like me saving you.”

  "Ha!" I struggled in his arms and he still didn't let go, instead, he tightened his hold. "Dasher."

  He slowly loosened his hold and I slid down his body. Yes, it was as erotic as it sounded. Every part of me lined up perfectly with every part of him. I hastily moved away and spread my arms out.

  “Welcome to my office!” I twirled in place.

  Dasher chuckled and leaned against the door making his muscles stretch his shirt obscenely. It was not fair. “Leo told me that you were stuck in here for two hours.”

  “Only two?” I tapped my finger against my lips. “I thought it was more.”

  “You do realize that you are not required to work twenty-four seven?”

  “Yeah, Leo said that as long as I work eight hours a day, I can choose which times I want to come in.”

  “Cool, anyway, my set starts in a few,” he gestured to the bar area. “I’ll see you at home.”

  He left with my heart fluttering at the way he said home. I needed a reality check and soon. I was tempted to watch him do his thing, but instead, I stayed behind and continued sorting through merchandise orders.

  All it took was two weeks and a few kind gestures, maybe that was why Holden was done with me so quickly, I fell too easily.

  Dasher

  I finished off my set with a spin back and welcomed the roar of the crowd as I said my goodbyes. I lived for these moments. These two hours I got four nights a week to give people a reason to smile, groove or forget their troubles made everything else worth it. Music was life for me.

  I packed up my equipment and shouldered the massive duffle bag, it was heavy as fuck. I strode down the stairs of the stage and right into a group of girls. I grinned and took a few photos. I had to. I did not want to be one of those guys who snubbed everyone because he thought he was a hotshot. Being a deejay was never about that.

  I extricated myself from the group and made my way to the back of the club. I stopped short when I saw Aria leaning against the wall with her head tilted back and her eyes closed. I stared at her in her dark jeans and a black t-shirt. It was her first day, and even though I was used to seeing her in all sorts of states in the house, seeing her with her blonde hair bunched atop her head with her makeup slightly smudged made my heart twinge.

  I was about to poke her to check whether or not she fell asleep standing when she popped one eye opened.

  "Ah, you're done!" she exclaimed and picked her bag up from the floor.

  “You waited for me?” I asked in astonishment.

  “Yeah?” she shifted uncomfortably. “We are going in the same direction.”

  “True, but home is almost fifteen minutes away and you could’ve been resting all this time!”

  She laughed. “There you go again, making me feel all kinds of—”

  I raised my hands in surrender quickly. “I’m sorry. Thank you for waiting.”

  Aria slid into the passenger seat while I put my stuff in the boot. I inhaled deeply and reminded myself of the reasons why I couldn't go any further than friendship with Aria. She was helping me out by giving me a place to stay, she did not judge me, and she was fast becoming my support system in the smallest of ways. Also, she no doubt had her own issues which had no room for my own.

  I slid into the driver’s seat and was on the road within minutes.

  Her hands went to the radio then she quickly pulled it back.

  "Why the sudden moves?" I asked with a frown while driving one-handed. I liked using one palm on the steering instead of gripping it like my life depended on it.

  “I figured with all the music you had going on in the club, this may be a little much?” she shrugged. Her blonde hair was an artful mess on her head. In
fact, in all the time that I had been with her, I hadn’t seen her dress up or use anything more than a bit of eyeliner.

  I shook my head at her with a laugh. “Music is life. I could listen to it all day.”

  “You don’t ever have the need for quiet?” she turned her body as much as she could with the seatbelt on.

  “I have my moments, yeah, but they’re rare,” I answered. “It literally cannot be explained how much it means to me.”

  “Wow,” she said with a soft smile on her lips. Like I said, the woman doesn’t even have to try to be sexy, her features do it for her.

  “Do you like music?” I asked while slowly braking when we reached the highway traffic.

  She nodded. "I'm more of a lyrical person and on a rare occasion, I'll listen to beat. When I'm in a creative mood, I rely on the words of the songs and sometimes when I just want to feel good, I look for the beat."

  There is something really satisfying about someone who can understand your passion for something. The way Aria’s face lit up while talking about her creative process was exactly how I felt when I started putting tracks together.

  It seemed like I experienced a case of word vomit because I found myself admitting things to her that I wouldn't otherwise admit to anyone else.

  “Imagine one thing always being there to make you happy when everything else in the world throws shit at you, one thing that has and never will let you down,” I said with thoughts of Emma and even the Camden family making an appearance. “That is what music is to me. That is what being a deejay is to me. Having a soundtrack playing to every moment of my life and having the ability to create an atmosphere for people to get lost in, is the closest thing to magic.”

  The car was quiet, so I turned to find her looking out the window with a soft smile on her face. Something akin to affection lanced through my heart making me want to reach out and stroke a finger down her cheek and be the man who chases all her troubles away. The problem with being that guy was the fact that I couldn’t make my own problems go away yet.

  “What is the common misconception people have about your profession?” she asked me.

  I closed my eyes then snapped them opened quickly remembering that the last time I decided to close my eyes, I ended up almost costing a woman her life. I made a mental note to check on her.

  I rested my head against the backrest. Traffic still moved at a snail’s pace. I thought long and hard before responding, knowing this could go from A to Z within seconds.

  “The most common misconception is probably the same thought that first came into your head,” I raised my brows at her.

  A frown marred her face and her blue eyes narrowed in concentration as she no doubt thought back to her first impression of my profession. She bit her lip and that had me hardening within seconds. I swallowed hard and turned my attention to the traffic in front of me.

  “The first thing people say on when they realize that I am a deejay,” I said, hoping that talking will distract me from her face, “is that girls probably throw themselves at me all the time.”

  The silence stretched for about two seconds before she spoke. “Honestly, I thought that you being a deejay meant you had tons of girlfriends or one-night stands.”

  “Which isn't that different from a lot of girls throwing themselves at me,” I snorted.

  “True. I also figured that your preferred lifestyle is one of nightclubs and events,” I felt her shrug.

  Anger slid in and out of my head as I realized that although her assumptions pissed me off, I also commended her for voicing them.

  "I live for events and the like because that is my career," I said slowly. "The nightlife is my life because that is where my profession is most successful, however, when I have my nights off, I like doing other things.”

  “Like?”

  “I’m a series binger,” I admitted with a touch of shyness. Don’t ask me why. “And I love doing outdoorsy stuff. I’m a huge fan of board-games too”

  “Careful, Dasher,” she warned. “I just might like you.”

  I laughed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  She turned away. “It would be.”

  “I know.”

  The silence stretched as we made our way home. I stood at the counter pretending to check my messages while she said goodnight and headed down to her bedroom. Although she looked exhausted, there was a tinge of happiness on her face.

  I watched her make her way down the hall and realized that moving in with her was going to ultimately lead me to insert myself into her life in a way that I shouldn't.

  Chapter Six

  Dasher

  Brunch with Paisley went by quicker than I expected. We had great conversation and good food. It was late in the afternoon and we were walking along Kent Street. The sidewalk was quiet except for the usual work crowd heading home after a long day at work.

  Paisley was dressed in a light pink summer dress with huge white flowers on them and her long dark hair was twisted in a fancy braid down her back. She looked beautiful.

  “When am I going to be allowed to see our new place?” she wined in an adorable way.

  I chuckled. “Soon, darling.”

  “It has been more than a month now, Dash,” she rolled her eyes. I noticed that she was having a really hard time not pushing the issue.

  A month and some days had truly past since we had begun seeing each other again. Things with Aria and I were really great too. We had an impressive relationship. She tailored her weekend shifts according to my sets and on days that I had to skip out after my set and see Paisley, she would finish off earlier.

  She had no idea about Paisley. I guess it was time that I told her. I knew Paisley well enough to anticipate her showing up unannounced, something I doubt my roommate would appreciate.

  Clay and Parker had taken a massive liking to Aria, especially little Sophia. It was amazing to watch the two of them interact.

  I stopped in front of Paisley's red BMW and held her shoulders. My white t-shirt stretched across my shoulders, making me look a bit intimidating, so I toned it down and brought my lips down to hers. She was stiff at first, probably because she wasn’t expecting it, soon though her soft and unsure lips moved in tandem with mine.

  I pulled away after a few minutes of comfortable and shy kissing, something I had always associated with Paisley. She wasn't outgoing and take charge type of person in the physical department.

  “That was sweet,” she blushed.

  I tucked her hair behind her ears. “See you tomorrow, darling.”

  I watched as she got into her car and drove off, I turned around to find Aria halted midway to the gate. I couldn't decipher the look in her eyes. I couldn't understand whether it was hurt or anger, either way, she cleared her gaze within seconds and gave me the brightest grin I had ever seen.

  A grin which almost had me stumbling back a few steps. She had changed her look. Her long blonde hair was gone and replaced with a sleek shoulder-length haircut with bangs. Her naturally plump lips looked extra pouty with whatever new shade of lipstick she had on. As for her clothes, her tight skinny jeans lifted and shaped whatever curves she had and the flowy black top that she had on gave an illusion of an extra bounce in the chest department. She finished off her look with sexy fuck me heals that I wouldn’t have minded being wrapped around my waist.

  I shook my head and let out a wolf whistle. “Where are you off to?”

  She laughed as I approached her and we walked into the apartment together. “Nowhere, I just came from a shopping spree. First paycheck and all that.”

  “Oh yes!” I clicked my fingers with a wide grin. “Don’t think I forgot about that.”

  She frowned at me wondering what I meant. When we stepped into the apartment, Aria’s face lit up like a kid on Christmas.

  “Welcome home, working lady,” Clay grinned as he came up and hugged her. I’ll admit that I felt a twinge of jealousy as my friend—who was a handsome motherfucker—gave Ari
a a bouquet of flowers.

  She looked thoroughly fascinated. Clay Windsor had dark exotic Mexican features. Tanned, tattooed and muscular, together with the dark hair and broody stare—made all the women flock to him. I hated the fact that Aria’s blue eyes sparkled as she looked at him.

  Parker was next with a hug and little Sophia giving her a teddy bear.

  “This is Mr. Snuggle-Buggle,” Sophia said in a serious tone. Her blonde ringlets bounced as she spoke. Parker dressed her in an adorable pink dress with frills. “He will keep you company at work when you are in your office.”

  Sophia spoke slowly and pronounced each word perfectly for her age. I looked up at Parker and winked at him when he looked ready to cry.

  Aria on the other hand sniffled. “Mr. Snuggle-Buggle is your favorite bear, Soph.”

  "And you are my fan-favorite too, Ari," she smiled with a dimple in her cheek.

  “Oh my, I’m gonna cry,” Olivia sniffed as she turned around and headed into the kitchen.

  Katya grinned and ran her fingers through Sophia’s hair. “We worked on her speech all day.”

  “You helped her?” Parker’s gruff voice was filled with emotion.

  “Yeah,” Katya said shyly.

  “Thank you,” he said with a nod.

  “Okay!” I clapped my hands. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  The girls set up the small table we brought in from Parker’s house. We arranged the food which was a combination of Thai, Indian and Chinese takeout. Aria looked relaxed and at ease as she laughed with everyone.

  “Thank you, guys,” she said after we had cleaned up.

  Parker and Sophia had left because her bedtime approached. Olivia also left because her boyfriend headed in from LA. It was Katya, Clay, Aria and me.

  “Don’t thank us,” Clay said in a warm, amused voice. “Thank Dash, he decided to do this.”

  She turned her gaze on me with a soft smile on her lips. I wished I could slide over and kiss her senseless. “Thank you, Dasher.”