A Beautiful Melody (9 page)

“Aren’t you supposed to be at rehearsal tonight? I thought you swapped shifts with Dave,” Kylie asks, as I join her behind the bar and start to help with setup.

“Nope. Change of plans,” I tell her. The truth is, yes, I should be at rehearsal, but after finding out that Theo is Aramis, I’m just too embarrassed to face him.

While I’m glad the rumours about me having sex with both Aramis and Marcus on the same night aren’t true, I still made a fool of myself. I still led one guy on and then slept with another. I don’t blame Theo for hating me. Walking in on me and Marcus in bed would have been horrible.

The thought of facing them again freaks the shit out of me.
I mean, it was bad enough when Theo was just brooding around me all the time and making occasional comments. But now that I know exactly what his problem is – it’s so much worse. I feel like a walking joke. I’ve thrown myself at both of them and at the crux of it – neither of them want me. Marcus took me, he used me, and cast me aside. Theo looks at me as used goods.

I guess it’s a good thing. Relationships aren’t any good for the band’s dynamics
but I just wish that none of it had ever happened. I mean two out of the four guys in there have seen me naked and off my face – how mortifying!

I could get over it all with Marcus, while I was always interested in him. He was never really that interested in me. I think he just saw an opportunity for a fuck and he took it. I can handle that.

But Aramis… I mean, Theo, he wasn’t the type of guy who hooked up with a girl at a party for the fun of it. The fact that we made out would have meant something to him. If I’m honest, it would have been a big deal for me too… if only I could remember it. And I really liked him too. I felt like I could see who he was beyond all that makeup. Obviously I was wrong. I had no idea it was Theo underneath all the makeup and the piercings.

God, I hate myself. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I wish I never went to that party
.

***

I attempt to ring Naomi for the
ninth time in a row and she’s still not picking up. “What the fuck did you say to her?” I demand of Theo. “You were the last one of us to see her.”

“Maybe she just doesn’t want to be in a band so she can watch you fuck around with other girls every night,” he returns.

“Fuck you Theo. She’s a big girl. She knows the deal,” I spit back, annoyed at him for being so high and mighty. Just because he doesn’t want to take advantage of all the hot girls out there, doesn’t mean the rest of us have to live like we’re priests.

“Maybe you could tone it down a little around
her man,” puts in Jack. “She had a thing for you all through high school, and everyone knows you slept with her then dumped her. It’s not cool to pick up chicks in front of her.”

“Whatever,” I grumble
, huffing out my breath and running my hand roughly over my hair as I try to ignore that little tinge of guilt that niggles inside of me. Unsuccessful, I decide to change the subject instead. “Well, we need her here. She’s our fucking ticket to the big league.”

“What do you mean?” asks Lachlan.

“Well, I wanted to wait until we were all together, but I may as well tell you now. I uploaded a clip of us playing ‘It’s a Crime’ to YouTube and it’s gone nuts. I got a call with an offer to support Radio Silence on their Australian tour next month, and if she’s not in, then we don’t have a deal. This is big guys. We need her back.”

“Why the hell did they call you?” Theo asks, normally all gig offers go through him.

“Um. Because I’m awesome,” I state, widening my eyes comically. Although, the contact came through to me because I was the one behind the video.

“Whatever
,” Theo says, rolling his eyes. “But if we need Naomi that badly, I’ll take a ride and talk to her.”

“No, I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure you’re the reason she isn’t here today. You haven’t exactly been nice to her.”
I snatch the keys to his motorbike from his hands.

“Ah, no you don’t,” he says, snatching them back.

“I’ll tell you what - we’ll rock, paper, scissors for it,” I challenge, staring Theo in the eye defiantly.

“Fine
,” he agrees, holding out his hand next to mine in preparation – there’s no decision or argument in this world that a good rock off can’t fix. “I’ll call it – ready, go.”

We
bounce our fists in the air, the required three times. Theo holds his hand flat for paper. I simply turn my hand upward, and extend my middle finger in the ‘fuck you’ sign and snatch the keys back as I do. Theo is quick though, and he gives me a slap upside my head for playing unfairly. Earning a roar of laughter for Lachlan and Jack.

“You’re a fuckwit. Give them bac
k and do it properly,” he demands.

“Not a chance,” I say, moving them out of his reach as he goes to grab them.
“I’m going to talk to her. You’ve done enough.”

Theo folds his arms over his chest, looking at the blank wall as he grumpily concedes defeat.

“Just don’t crash my bike or you’re a dead man,” he calls after me as I head out the door.

***

We’ve only just opened, so there are really only a handful of people milling around the bar. They’re the ones who like to get drunk before it’s time to get on the dance floor. Then they all let loose, dancing like monkeys undergoing electric shock therapy.

“What can I get you?” I ask
, as my next customer comes to the front of the line. The self-assured smile is there, but I can see a little doubt in Marcus’s eyes as he stands before me. I wonder if he knows what happened with Theo.

“What are you doing here? We waited for you for over an hour
,” he says over the music.

“I’m not here,” I yell back. “I’m just a figment of your imagination. In fact, you’ve been imagining me this whole time. I’m not even a real person.”

“Come on Naomi,”
he returns, completely ignoring my sarcastic tone. “I’m just here to talk to you.”

“Maybe I don’t want to talk to you. Do you want a drink or are you
just wasting my time?” I state, hands on my hips as I look at him pointedly.

“
Why didn’t you come to rehearsal?” he asks, still ignoring my avoidance techniques.

“Because you and your brother are jerks. I don’t want to be in a band with either of you
.”

“Why? What did he do?”
he asks, moving to the side as other patrons come to the bar and order.

I focus on them for long enough to take their orders and pour their drinks. Slapping down their change in front of them as I turn my attention back to Marcus.

“It was both of you. You and your stupid flirting. Him and his stupid anger issues. I just don’t need this shit in my life. I have a job. I don’t need the band.”

“What? Working in a bar?”
he says, gesturing his arms at my place of work. “Yeah. I can see you’re really talented.”

“It pays the bills. There’s no shame in that,” I retort.

“Naomi, we’ve got this great offer for a gig and we need you. Is there somewhere we can talk – please?”

Placing my hands on my hips, I glare at him. At his handsome face, and his pleading eyes. Then I look around at the nightclub. At the
patrons milling about drinking, at the two girls who are the only dancers on the floor. Then I return my gaze to Marcus. The life he offers is so alluring. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to get past all of the emotional baggage that seems to be coming with it.

I walk over to Kylie and ask her to keep an eye on things for me, before beckoning Marcus to follow me into the staff room with a flick of my head
.

“This is cosy,” he smiles as he enters the tiny room and looks around. “Do you think your friend thinks we’re in here doing…”

I don’t give him the chance to finish, instead spinning around and pointing an accusatory finger at him. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that Aramis was your brother?” I demand.

“What?” he laughs, stepping
back, only managing to press himself against the door of the two metre square room.

“Aramis. You know? The name Theo used to call himself when he was all
Goth boy in high school. Why didn’t you ever say he was your brother?”

“Um, because it was embarrassing. As if I was going to admit that the freaky
Goth guy was my brother. I mean – Goth wasn’t even fashionable then. He was like – the only one. No one knew he was my brother. I hid it from everyone.”

“Well you’ve made me look like a fool!”

“Really? How did I do that?”

“By not telling me! I had no idea!”

“Well, I thought you did. You’re the one who was making out with him at that party. You got him to take all of his makeup off and I’m sure he told you his name, because you were rambling to me that you met my brother when I found you.”

“
I don’t even remember that party! All I know is that I got completely wasted and slept with a guy I swore I’d never sleep with because he dumps the girls he screws. And now, because of that, your brother hates me, and he doesn’t want me in the band.”

“What
? He said that?”

“Yes, he told me he’s angry with me
for not remembering making out with him, and he’s angry with you for sleeping with me.”

“Shit,
he’s still going on about that?”

“Yeah. I think we pissed him off.”

“Um… about that night. You might have your story a bit messed up,” he tells me, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Really? How did I do that? I woke up next to you – naked, and then you gave me the ‘
let’s be friends’ speech.”

“No I didn’t”

“Yes, you did”

“No, I was actually trying to tell you not to worry – that we didn’t sleep together. But you were in such a hurry to get out of there that you refused to listen to me. You
cut me off, said we were cool and that you knew – so I thought you did know.”

“Wait? We didn’t sleep
together?”

“No,
” he laughs, before lowering his tone and stepping closer to me. “Not that I didn’t want to. But, I would never do that to you. You were always more to me than that.”

My breath catches as I look up into his eyes, his hair falling forward as he tilts his head to look at me. In this enclosed space, he’s right on top of me
.

“Then why is Theo so angry with you over it?”
I ask, placing my shaking hands on his chest, and pushing myself away from him so I’m now against the opposite wall.

He alters his stance and drops his gaze,
once again rubbing at the back of his neck guiltily. “Yeah well, that one is all on me. You see, you were all over Theo, all night, and it was driving me crazy. To be honest with you - I had a thing for you for most of school, but, I don’t know - I didn’t do anything about it. I just kept fucking around with other girls I didn’t care about so I could keep playing with you. I didn’t realise Theo, Armand, or Aramis - whatever the hell he called himself, had a thing for you too. You were always off in the rehearsal room with him, but I kind of thought he didn’t have a chance – especially considering he wore makeup all the time. But at that party, you somehow convinced him to take it all off. Then you were both just - on each other.” He uses his hands to express his words, bringing them together like they’re grasping at a ball. “I couldn’t stand looking at you two. But I just stood there like a creep, watching the two of you go at it. I’d had a bit to drink, and when I saw you drag him into a room, I nearly lost my shit. I was all ready to charge on in there and defend your honour, but he came out pretty quickly, and I knew he hadn’t done anything with you. I mean, he’s a jerk, but he wasn’t going to take advantage of a drunk girl, so he put you to sleep in one of the bedrooms. I don’t know, I guess I was just jealous and didn’t want to risk him changing his mind and go back to you. So I got into bed with you. Nothing happened though. I promise you that. Although Theo thinks something did. When he came back in, all he saw was me on the bed and” he mumbles the last part.

“And what?”

“And you naked. He thought we were… and I let him believe it. I didn’t want you and him to… you know?”

“
How the hell did I get naked?!”

“I honestly don’t know
. You were naked when I got there,” he explains, shrugging his shoulders and holding out his hands in capitulation before a grin creeps over his face. “Nice body by the way,” he adds.

“
You jerk! Why didn’t you just cover me up and take me home? Everyone thinks we slept together!”

“I
don’t know, I was drunk too, and I didn’t think. I’m sorry.”

“Jesus Christ Marcus.
You need to tell Theo the truth.”

“Why?”

“Um, because he’s angry with me for throwing myself at him, and then sleeping with you! Which now I find out didn’t even happen.”

“Yeah… I can’t do that.”

“Excuse me?” I ask disbelievingly.

Marcus wrinkles his nose a little. “He’s going to punch me in the face for it.”

“Well, I’m not coming back unless you tell him. He thinks I’m a slut. I don’t want him thinking that about me.”

“He doesn’t think you’re a slut. He thinks I’m a jackass
.”

“Just fix it Marcus. If we’re going to work together. I need this straightened out.”

He steps closer to me again, looking down at me with concern in his eyes. “Don’t make me tell him. I don’t want him to think he can touch you.”

“
Why? So you can string me along forever?”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Isn’t it? Besides, there’s no fraternising with band members remember? He’s the one who made the rule,” I whisper, pressing my body firmer against the wall, as his inches closer toward me.

He dips his head low, and I feel his hair brush
against my cheek as his lips touch lightly against my ear. “Rules are made to be broken,” he murmurs, sending chills down my spine as his voice vibrates through me.

I place my hand back on his chest, as if I think I can stop him advancing any closer. But the truth is, we’re already as close as we
can get. “Just tell him,” I whisper, staring up at him and trying to look as unaffected by him as possible. Although from the way he studies my face, I’m pretty sure he can tell by the deep flush that’s blooming over my cheeks.

His hand rests against the wall above my head as he p
ushes his weight away from me and reaches into his pocket, retrieving a set of keys.  “Fine. Just grab your fiddle. Everyone’s waiting for you.”

With that, he walks out. Leaving me on my own for a moment to calm myself down by fanning myself with the neck of
my shirt. That man is trouble.

“You going to be much longer?” Kylie asks suddenly from the doorway. “We’ve got a bar out here to ru
– Whoa, what were you just in here doing?”

I blow out my breath and push myself away from the wall. “Nothing. We were just talking.”

“Well, you look very flustered for a girl who was just talking. Who was that anyway? One of your band guys?”

“Yeah. That was Marcus.”

“Well, he’s hot. I’d be back here letting him ravage me as well, if I was you.”

“
There was no ravaging. I don’t know that it would be worth it,” I state, moving toward the locker to retrieve my bag.

“Why not?”

“He’s a bit of a love ‘em and leave ‘em guy. He just likes to tease.”

“That can be fun,” she grins before nodding toward my bag. “What’s that about?”

“Um, actually. I kind of have to go. Can you – ”

“Cover for you?” she says over the top of me. “Sure. But you know it’s going to cost you.”

“I’ll put my kindle in your bag,” I concede, rolling my eyes as I retrieve it from my own bag. “How long this time?”

“Another month should do. Although, it’s short notice, so maybe I need it for two…”

“You know what? Keep it,” I say, hitching my bag on my shoulder. “As a thank you. I’ll just read on my iPhone.” I give her a hug as I leave, feeling fairly sure that this might be the last time I ever work with her.

Detouring to my apartment to collect my violin, I notice Marcus waiting for me outside on a motorbike. It makes me feel as though I’m being herded, as if he doesn’t trust me to show up
without him. Placing my bag and case on the back seat, I start for Theo’s place. The entire way there, I can see Marcus riding behind me on his bike.

“You didn’t need to follow me. I do know the way on my own,” I inform him, when we arrive at Theo’s. He simply shrugs, leading me
inside to find the others in deep discussion as they all sit around a laptop staring at the screen.

“What’s going on?” Marcus asks.

“We’re reading the comments on that YouTube video,” Jack informs us as he looks up from the screen. “I hope you’re not thinking of leaving the band Naomi, these people love you.”

As I walk around behind them, they start to show me what they’ve been looking at
. I lean forward, tucking my hair behind my ear as I peer at the screen. The video is of a song from our performance last Friday night, the one where Marcus and I have our singing argument.

“Wow,” I breathe, pointing at the number of views it’s had.

“I know, right?” nods Lachlan.

I shift my eyes slightly as I notice
Marcus tap Theo on the shoulder and incline his head toward the door. For a moment, our eyes meet and I nod my thanks, hoping that soon this whole misunderstanding can get cleared up. Then we can move forward and focus on making this band something fantastic.