by Adele Hart
He kissed her forehead. Someone took a picture. He rolled his eyes.
“Just ignore that,” he said laughing into her hair.
“Okay, I’ll follow your lead.”
“I want to book my next get-away to Japantown, the place is killer.”
They strolled lazily around Carmel Village. It was getting late and some of the artisan shops, mostly jewelry, were closing but they enjoyed them just the same.
“Those are pretty,” he said looking at the precious stones in the display window.
“I’m satisfied just looking at it,” she said. “People find value in this stuff because of the colors. Like somehow color has value. People have value. Color is just color.”
He seemed to study her. “You’re pretty philosophical there, sunshine,” he said. “Will you go have a drink with me? I mean a club soda with a float of lime juice?”
“Yes.”
“It won’t bother you that we’ll go to a bar?” he said. “I don’t mean to be insensitive.”
“You’re not,” she said honestly. “Tomorrow when we get back, I’ll go to my group. I’m fine. How about you?”
He stopped and looked her in the eye, a smile washing his features. He took her into his arms.
“I have to say I’m really happy I met you.” He kissed her until her toes curled.
It was a couple of blocks over to the fabled Hog’s Breath Inn, a bar in Carmel that had at one time been owned by a movie star. They entered the restaurant that was packed, but there were empty seats at the bar. David thought that they would have a better time having a drink there with their backs to the crowd.
The bartender tossed a couple of bar naps at them, without really looking at their faces. When he did, he flinched. He recognized David. David smiled darkly and touched his finger to his lips to signal to the bartender to keep his being there a secret.
“Two club sodas with a float of lime.”
He took out his credit card to run a tab, but the bartender waived it.
“On the house,” said the guy.
“Thanks man.”
Carla held her glass to his in a toast. “Cheers,” she said.
He clinked her glass and kissed her again. Right in the middle of their sweet moment, someone put their hand on David’s shoulder.
“Mr. Hansen,” he said. “Can I get your autograph?”
“No, man,” he said to the fan. “Thank you for the appreciation, but it’s my night off. I’m on a date.”
Cara leaned into him. “Let’s go check out our cool room, bars aren’t great when there’s no drinking involved.”
“I’m okay with that plan.”
They went back to the suite. David had checked in under Tommy’s name. It was still before ten o’clock so he rolled up the cover to the piano. Cara counted drums, guitar and now a piano. Add to that his sexy voice and he was a volatile mix of talent.
“How come the guy didn’t want you to sing?” she asked.
“He just wanted Jay more. I sing all the time. I’m just not really a singer,” he said. “Jay is a front man. It sells the music.”
“I prefer you, but I guess they know what they’re doing,” shrugged Cara.
“To a point,” David said passionately. “This guy is screwing with the product. I know the product. He forgets I’m the one who created it in the first place.”
He launched into a beautiful tune. It was vastly different from the screaming jams he hammered his drums to the night before. He sang for her. Cara felt her heart swell, like it was going to burst within her chest. She was crushing on him fiercely.
They were both tired. By the end of the song, she was yawning.
“Falling asleep on me?” he asked. “Come here, beautiful.” She lifted from the nearby chair and walked into his open arms. Strong arms that lifted her and set her on the ivory keys. The chord that sounded wasn’t pleasant, but his hands on her smooth thighs were. Calloused fingers made their way between her legs and with a swift yank, he tore her panties free.
Cara fumbled with the button and zipper on his jeans while he tore open a condom he'd pulled from his pocket. Prepped and ready, he thrust inside her, the sound of the notes made by their movement became the music to which they claimed one other. Soft and lilting. Hard and punishing. They created a song that defined who they were. Two bodies frantic to connect. Two people desperate to feel loved.
David hiked her legs around his hips and he moved deep inside her. Like a musical masterpiece, they kept up the pace until they both reached a crescendo so powerful, Cara nearly wept.
Exhausted, they slipped from the piano, and opened the slider to the terrace to let in the fresh California air throughout the night. In the morning, they made love, or what Cara thought making love would feel like. Two bodies with one purpose—to please one another.
After breakfast, David drove her home so that she could do her homework. Saying goodbye broke her heart. She knew it was just a fling. A few nights of bliss followed by reality.
Chapter Ten
Cara
Later in the evening after she was rested and finished with her homework, her boss called. Someone was sick, and he needed a replacement. She was pretty beat, but he promised that she would be first cut if it was slow. She put on her uniform and drove her ancient car to work.
She was a little disappointed to come to work and see it was pretty slow. On the bright side, she could help seat people and then go back home. She waited at the podium with the manager.
“So,” he said, elbowing her lightly.
“Yeah?”
“David Hansen?” He lifted his right brow.
“He’s a friend of Tommy and Marissa’s,” she said calmly.
“Those weirdos?” he asked. Because Tommy dyed his hair black and wore it waxed up in spikes, the manager always made cracks about them when they came in.
“They’re not weirdos,” she said. “They’re very nice and they’re friends with a bunch of people including someone named Jay Seeger.”
“Those two are friends with Jay Seeger? Bring him here and you can have a month off—paid.”
Some man at the counter was surfing the net on his phone and looking at her. Cara smiled politely, but did busy work until she could go home.
The man turned his coffee cup over and summoned her.
“Can I have coffee?” he asked.
“Certainly,” she said.
She went behind the counter and reached for a pot.
“Is that fresh?” he asked.
“Yes, just brewed.”
“I like my coffee hot and wet, like my women,” he leered at her.
Cara stepped back and glared at the man with alarm. He looked like a total creep. She glanced at his phone and saw her face on the screen. It was more dirty pictures of her face on someone else’s body. Gary had been very busy. She set the pot back where it belonged and rushed to her manager.
“This guy is being inappropriate,” she said in a panic.
“What did he do?”
“Just make him leave, please,” she begged.
“I have to know what he did before I can talk to him about it.” He moved in the man’s direction.
Cara thought better of it and grabbed his arm to stop him. She was afraid the guy would show him the fake pictures. Even though they weren’t real, she didn’t want anyone to see them.
“Never mind.”
Seeing the sheer panic on her face, he said, “Now, I have to go talk to him.”
He approached the man and Cara watched as he showed her manager his phone. Instead of standing up for her, he smiled, and they shared a laugh. She had no choice but to leave.
She didn’t want to text David. They’d just spent a bunch of time together, and he shelled out a lot of money for the hotel. Instead, she called Marissa.
“I need to quit my job.” The lump lodged in her throat made her voice warble.
“Quit? Why? You’re not drinking are you?” she asked.
&n
bsp; “No. People here are looking at those pictures of me. The manager is too. They're pointing and snickering. I can’t stand it. I have to get a new job.”
“Don’t act rash. Just ask the guy to let you go and then complain about him to the company. I’ll meet you. We can hit a meeting. There’s a new one called Just Before Midnight.”
“Okay,” she said. “You’re the best.”
Cara had just enough time to go home and change before the meeting. She was early and waited in the parking lot for Marissa to show. She did a dumb thing and searched herself on the internet. Her face showed up with an image search engine. However, her ex had managed it, she was now featured on pornographic sites. He must have had some kind of app that allowed him to fix up what seemed like hundreds of pictures.
There in the parking lot, she broke down and cried. It was really hard to be sober—to face the fact that she had to work harder to get to a place she should have been ten years prior only to have her life feel like it was ruined all over again. This wasn’t going to be a thing she could fix by making a change. It happened and there was nothing she could do. She closed her eyes and recited the serenity prayer.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.
This was something she’d couldn’t change. It was out of her hands.
Marissa tapped on her window. Cara let her in. She sat on the passenger side.
“Oh, baby,” Marissa leaned in for a hug.
“Ruined,” Cara replied. “I’m so dumb. What the hell was I thinking? First, I won’t let go of a guy who’s bad for me, and then I slept with a famous person on the first date. No wonder the word whore is now synonymous with my name.”
“You’re not a whore. As for sleeping with David, it was more than a few nights stand. He really likes you.”
“He told you that?” She drew in an unsteady breath.
“About a million times.” She pulled gum from her bag. It was Marissa’s go-to when she was nervous. Better than a gin and tonic.
Cara got the message loud and clear. Marissa’s comment was delivered to tell her the good news as much as it was to warn her not to hurt David.
“I can’t do this, not while I’m getting my life back on track,” Cara said between jagged sobs. “He’s got his career to think about and now I’ve gotten some psycho ex mad at him.”
Marissa reached over and smoothed Cara’s hair. “Take a deep breath. I’d usually say this happened too fast, and to slow it down, but I’ve known David for years. He used to play at Tommy’s father’s place in Minneapolis. He’s a good man. Quit the job and let him help you out.”
“I can’t do that,” she said. “How many people ask him for things? Hell, his last girlfriend was only there for the money. I’m not going to be one of them. I’ll take care of myself. I have to get another job. I’ll have to put up with this sucky job until I do because I barely make rent now, but I’ll figure it out.”
“We’ll help you. We’re there for you.”
Cara threw her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly. “You’re wonderful,” she squeezed her tight.
“Don’t be afraid to ask David for help,” Marissa said again.
“I can’t.” She shook her head. “I won’t.”
Marissa looked her in the eye. “It’s funny how as alcoholics we would let guys buy us a drink that would kill us, but we can’t ask for legitimate help as sober people.”
“I get that.” Her breathing calmed down. “I’m going to walk through this with your support. I think you just grounded me and took the drama from the situation. I feel much better.”
“Good. Now I hope you don’t mind that I let David know.”
Chapter Eleven
David
David’s house was awfully empty when he got back from Carmel. He was good and tired and fell asleep thinking of Cara. He napped for a couple of hours, packed a few things and turned back around to San Jose. He booked a room at the St. Claire in downtown because he’d be recording there all week. The bonus to this arrangement was he’d be closer to Cara.
He’d woken up to a message from Marissa and called Cara first thing.
“Baby,” he said urgently. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she replied sleepily.
“Are you in bed? You don’t have school or work?” His voice in a panic.
“Not till Tuesday. I have today off.” Her voice cracked.
“Are you crying?” he asked.
“Yes.” Her voice barely above a whisper. “It comes, and it goes.”
“If you aren’t busy and you want to hang out, come to the studio, I’ll send a car.”
That brought him a giggle. “I have a car. I could even ride my bike to the studio. I don’t need car service.”
“Ride your bike?” he asked in a sexy voice. “Tell me more.”
“Well, I lost my license for a while so I biked everywhere.”
“That’s why you’re so fine,” he said.
Images of her ran through his mind as he was in a posh little hotel room all alone.
“I have to get to the studio,” he said. “Come over when you’re awake or if you can, let’s have lunch together. I’m right down the street all week.”
“You are?” her voice perked up.
“Yup. Hotel St. Claire.”
“Ooh, I love that place,” she purred.
“Aw, don’t tell me you’ve been here with boy genius, who by the way is a dead man.”
“No, I can safely say that he didn’t take me anywhere, that would take an investment of time and money.”
“Good, then every place we go can be our place.”
“Agreed.”
They said goodbye, and David threw on fresh clothes and headed out the door. He stepped on a rickety elevator that was so slow it would have been faster if he’d taken the stairs. It stopped a few floors down. When the doors opened he was facing Jay.
“You’re staying here?” David found it odd that Jay would be staying so close to the studio when he wasn’t even on the new album.
“It’s a cool hotel. I like it here,” shrugged Jay.
It was a hot property since they restored it, but David didn’t understand why Jay was there unless Stan had invited him. He was tempted to offer to bankroll his stay at the Fairmont if he’d just leave.
“Why are you here?”
Jay chuckled. “Did you think you could make an album and leave out the talent?”
David’s hands fisted up. He wanted to throw a punch that would send Jay into next week, but he didn’t.
“You’re not on the album. It’s settled. Don’t bother showing up to the studio. You’ll only be escorted out.”
Jay’s face turned flaming red. “You can’t do that to me.”
“Already done.” His attention went to his phone when a text came in from Cara. How funny it was that a simple text could relax him.
“I can meet you for lunch,” she wrote.
“Wanna meet me at the hotel?” he responded. “We can do room service or the restaurant.”
“I’ll meet you at the restaurant,” she replied.
“I miss you,” he wrote.
He hoped that didn’t come off too corny. He’d only known the woman a few days and already wanted to tell her he loved her. It felt like he’d known her forever. He shook the thoughts of forever from his head.
He had to find Tommy who was probably already at the studio. He’d be the voice of reason. He’d talk him out of purchasing her lease and getting a house in San Jose. He hadn’t had a life with someone special for so long and wanted one badly.
David was waiting for the valet to bring around his car when Jay appeared next to him.
“Can I catch a ride with you?” he asked.
David almost lost his coffee. He literally hated the guy.
“We’re not going to the same place. I’m not heading to hell.”
&nb
sp; While he waited for the car, Tommy called him and said he was going to be late.
“You're always late.” David ribbed. “I kind of wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Spill it.”
“I’m meeting her for lunch,” said David not wanting to talk about it front of Jay who seemed to hover.
“Marissa?” asked Tommy.
“No, you know.”
He got it because unlike Gary, Tommy had a brain.
“Oh, okay,” he said. “You mean Cara. See you in a few.”
The valet brought the car up.
Jay backed off. “This isn’t over.”
“Oh, you’re wrong. It was over years ago.”
Chapter Twelve
Cara
It was only two miles from her house to the Hotel St. Claire. She couldn’t believe how excited she was to go there and see David. She missed him like crazy. She wore the hottest dress she owned, hoping she wasn’t overdoing it.
She pulled up to the hotel and let the valet take her car. At the bar, she ordered her club soda with a lime juice float and then took off to the ladies’ room. When she freshened up and returned she was startled to see an unexpected face. There, standing at the bar almost like he was waiting for her was Jay.
“What are you doing here?”
“Love this place. You looking for David?”
“Excuse me,” She reached around him for her drink. “Yes, I am.” Her voice was curt and unyielding.
“He sent me down to find you,” he said. “He’s on a phone call. We’re having lunch together to patch things up.”
Cara looked at Jay like he had three eyes. It didn’t make sense, but it almost sounded like David. He was a forgive and forget kind of guy. Not the kind that would seek revenge by way of pictures or devious deeds.
“I’m going to text him,” she asked.
“He’s right upstairs,” mocked Jay. “Do you want me to carry your drink, or can you handle it?”
“I have it.” Cara bit on the stirrer and drank from it like a straw. She followed Jay into the elevator and as the doors were about to close she saw David walk by. She tried to rush out, but they shut and she was stuck in the elevator with Jay.
