Unintentional (12 page)

I think the look of surprise on my face gives her more confidence.

“She’s very picky about the bands she signs. If she isn’t returning your calls, she must not be interested. I think it’s very rude she didn’t give you the courtesy of a response. I can promise you, we don’t work that way. We’ll put your needs and requirements first.”

Scott jumps in. “That sounds good to me!” He turns to me. “I’ll call Ayden and Mica. We can meet you back here tomorrow at four. Does that sound good?”

Scott looks at me hopefully. I can tell she’s said all the right things. There is something about her that doesn’t sit right with me, I can’t put my finger on it. I have until tomorrow to think about it, so I nod my approval.

Chapter 9

Kelly Ricci

That underhanded bitch, Laurel Lawson. It takes everything in me not to groan when I hear her name. She’s been a thorn in my side for the past two years. I will not let her do this to me again. She has signed three of the bands my dad asked me to scout. The look of disappointment on his face when I told him Laurel Lawson had swooped in and signed the band we had made a bid for—again—was heart-breaking. This time will be different. I don’t care what it’ll take. I won’t let my dad down again.

I need to sign Hard Reign, and quick. I can’t believe a pro like Laurel would drop the ball. This is the best band I’ve seen since I started my career. What could she be thinking? Has she heard them play? Has she not seen them? Good God, they’re all gorgeous, every single one of them. Girls are going to go absolutely nuts for these guys. It’s a slam dunk, and I’m going to be the one to sign them. I can’t wait until my dad finds out I’ve landed them, right out from under Laurel Lawson’s nose.

I leave the venue, and my irresponsibly late assistant joins me in the parking lot.

“You’re late again, Rodney.”

He shrugs and doesn’t answer. I can smell alcohol, even though we’re outdoors. He reeks. He’s my cousin on my father’s side, so I’m stuck with him.

“I need you at these meetings—sober.”

He laughs. “I’m as sober as I’m ever going to get, cuz.”

Part of me feels sorry for him. His dad, my uncle, is a total loser. He ended up in prison for embezzlement and attempted murder. Apparently, his job as an accountant for a large financial firm wasn’t paying him enough, so he padded his income by a couple million. That was a problem in itself. But the bigger issue was when confronted with the evidence, he then tried to kill one of the managing partners. So stupid. He won’t be out of prison until he’s ninety-something. In the meantime, my father has decided to take poor Rodney under his wing. No, make that my wing. I’m stuck with him for the foreseeable future. Usually, I try to make the best of it, but tonight was important.

“When are you going to grow up, Rodney? You’re almost thirty. It’s about time you quit drinking and screwing up your life.

You’re not your dad, you know.”

His shallow, glassy eyes stare at me, empty. “You have no idea who I am, little girl.”

A shiver runs through me. He doesn’t usually scare me, but tonight, he’s radiating something creepy.

“What’s with you tonight? Why are you acting so weird?”

He shakes his head, clearing the strange look from his face, then starts smiling again, “Okay, kiddo, what’s the game plan?”

“Tomorrow, four o’clock. Do you think you can manage that?” I ask.

“Sure thing. Let’s make Ronny proud.” He waves goodbye as he enters the bar.

Great, he’s not listening to me as usual. I wonder what version of Rodney I’m going to get tomorrow. I don’t care if he joins me, anyway, I can do this on my own. Laurel Lawson made a huge mistake, and I’m going to take advantage of it.

Cade

I’ve been staring at my beer for an hour now. Am I ready to sign with Kelly Ricci tomorrow? Why do I keep thinking about Laurel? Kelly is right, if she was interested in our band, she would have returned my calls by now.

I’ve researched them both until my eyes were burning. The only negative thing I could find was with Kelly’s assistant, Rodney. It’s amazing what you can find on Google. Rodney’s father is a big time felon serving a sixty year sentence. It doesn’t necessarily mean Rodney will follow in his footsteps, but I’d need to keep a close eye on him all the same.

I flip open my iPad and look up Laurel’s profile again. Reportedly, she’s an up-and-coming player in the music business. It’s a tough, competitive industry, but she’s more than proven herself in the past three years. The bands she’s signed have all received recording contracts and are doing really well. Maybe she doesn’t believe we’re good enough. She didn’t strike me as the type to just blow us off though, without as much as a courtesy call.

I take a moment to remember the last time we were together at
the restaurant almost a year ago. Everything else during that period of time is mostly fuzzy, but not that day, the lunch, or that all-consuming kiss. Why do I keep gravitating back to that memory? Probably because the three women I’ve kissed since have paled in comparison. I’ve definitely been in a dry spell.

I can’t seem to get back into dating mode. Boring, frivolous conversations filled with useless batting of the eyelashes and flirting. I’m impervious. Except for an encounter a year ago, with a women with fire in her eyes. A woman I can’t get out of my mind.

I want to see Laurel again. I need to know if my reaction to her was because I was in the midst of a meltdown, or if it was Laurel herself who turned my senses inside out. What was it? The colorful streak in her hair, her feistiness, her stubbornness, or the way her lips tilted up when she was trying not to smile?

Scott interrupts my thoughts. “Cade, we should go with Kelly. She seems to really like us.”

“Scott, you’ve been bugging me for years to get an agent, to see if we could land a recording contract. Do you really just want to go with someone who only looks good? I need to read the latest stack she’s brought us.”

Scott seems to deflate for a moment, thinks twice, and then replies, “What? You want to use her good looks against her? I bet she’s good.” He raises his brow a few times.

“I gave both Laurel and her assistant, Sophie, my word we would entertain their offer first. She seemed so determined and excited to represent us. I can’t imagine why she isn’t calling me back.”

Scott lowers his voice. “Are these the same women you called prostitutes?”

I nod, wondering where is he going with this.

He laughs. “And you’re confused about why they aren’t calling you back?” He puts his hand on my shoulder and gives it a pat. “Cade, you really don’t know women at all.”

“I’m not going to argue with you there,” I reply.

I wonder if Laurel is still offended with the confusion during our first meeting. I can’t help smiling at the memory. I’ve never seen a woman with more sparks flying in my life. I remember feeling a little out of it that day, but her slap woke me up quickly. Once the shock cleared, I was met with the most exquisite, outraged eyes I’ve ever seen. I still can’t get the image out of my head.

The next day at lunch, she seemed okay with everything. Even
after the lunch…shit, I wonder if she’s mad I kissed her. Maybe I should apologize to her about that, too. But it would be a lie. I’m not sorry about that kiss. I’m not sorry at all.

I’d never experienced anything like that before or after. My reaction was instantaneous. I felt like I was going to combust the second my lips touched hers. I knew it was inappropriate to press her up against the wall like I did, but I couldn’t resist.

The last time I felt this type of chemistry, it ended in disaster, and I’m only now starting to feel like my old self again. Even though my relationship with Mattie has survived, our friendship remaining intact, I’m not ready or willing to go through another heartbreak in the near future. Maybe ever.

I waited three months before I kissed Mattie. With Laurel, it was three hours. Now that I have some distance, and my feelings for Mattie have changed, I know the kiss with Laurel was the best of my life. I don’t think I can rest until I find out if it will happen again. That will be my goal. I’ll find Laurel, kiss her again, and put this to bed. No, put this to rest. I won’t allow her to get too close though. That’d be a major mistake. I’ll have a little fun with her, and that will be the end of it.

Now, I just need to track her down and find out why she’s not calling me back.

“Cade!” Scott interrupts, snapping his fingers. “Wake up! Where were you, anyway?”

I’m startled for a moment. This is what happens every time I think about Laurel. Maybe it isn’t such a good idea, forming a possible business relationship with her. She might distract the hell out of me, making it difficult to concentrate.

“Just planning some strategy, Scott.”

“Well hurry the hell up. I want to get this show on the road!” He brings his hand up for a high-five.

“What are we, five?” I ask.

Scott shakes his head, like it’s the saddest thing he’s ever heard. “Cade, you used to be so much fun. What’s with you, man? No one would ever believe you go home every night alone. You’re giving rock stars a bad name. Where’s your sense of fun? You’ve always loved this stuff.”

“I’ll have fun again after we figure all this ‘stuff’ out. Scott, this is a huge decision for us. We can’t make a mistake here, or it’ll affect our careers. I’m looking out for all of us.”

I plan to give notice to the engineering firm I’ve been working at for the past five years. It’s going to be tough, because I love engineering almost as much as I do music. I’m using a different part of my brain for each job, and, up until now, it’s been a toss-up. Lately, I’ve become a little restless, needing a change in my life. Also, the fact I’ve been harassed constantly by my band mates, who are more like brothers to me, also weighs heavily on my decision. I don’t want to let them down either. I need to go home, get some sleep, and figure this out by tomorrow.

I wave goodbye to Scott, noticing he’s kissing some random girl’s neck. He gives me an absent wave and continues on with his normal evening activities

∗∗∗

I arrive home just as the sun is setting over the Seattle skyline. Approaching my houseboat at the end of the dock, I take a minute to breathe in the air and enjoy the view. It never gets old. I knew, when I bought this house, I’d never want to leave. It feels right. It feels like me. Closing my eyes and taking another breath, I start to envision what
the next year will look like. It’s a little scary, but a whole lot of exciting as well. Once we sign with an agent, whoever it turns out to be, we’ll be spending most days and nights in the recording studio, to be followed by multiple tour dates in cities around the US. It’s hard to believe everything is starting to click into place. We’re actually going to do this thing. I let myself enjoy the feelings of anticipation and exhilaration, until an unwanted reminder nags at me. There are decisions that need to be made.

The time has come to focus on the two potential music agents. Laurel or Kelly? I don’t even know if Laurel is in the running anymore. It’s possible she’s out of the country. It’s been almost a week since my first call. Even so, if she were out of town, wouldn’t she check her voicemail? Her phone could be dead. Or she’s just not interested. I hate that Kelly put the seed of doubt in my head.

Grabbing my iPad, I flop down on one of the lounge chairs on the deck. It’s a quiet night on Lake Union, with only a few kayakers paddling quietly across the water. I type in Google and insert Kelly Ricci in the search box.

The same info pops up, as it did in the bar. She’s twenty-six years old, single, graduated top of her class from UCLA where she
received a D.M.A – Doctor of Musical Arts. Her portfolio is impressive. Usually, I wouldn’t have much hesitation.

But my mind keeps drifting back to Laurel, her expression when she found out I was going to wait a year before making a decision. She looked so disappointed. I wonder again why she won’t answer my calls.

Chapter 10

Laurel

“I think I’ve fallen in love.” Sophie takes in a deep breath, exhaling loudly. “This city has captivated me. It might even be worth the three hours of torture to get here.”

My eyes narrow as I question her. “Really? Because that’s not what you said when you were squeezing the flight attendant’s hand saying, ‘
Why do I keep doing this to myself?
’”

We’re perched on the rooftop deck of our hotel overlooking Pike Place Market and Puget Sound. It’s a spectacular day, and the views couldn’t be better. I don’t know what it is about this city, but every time I visit, I don’t want to leave.

“My fear of flying isn’t much different than your fear of elevators. My legs are aching already. Did you have to pick a hotel with twelve floors?” Sophie leans down to rub her legs.

“A little exercise won’t kill you. Besides, look at the views! If we were staying in a six-story hotel, we wouldn’t be able to see the sound. I think this is my favorite spot, right here.” I smile and relax a
little.

Sophie and I are a pair, she with her fear of planes and flying, and me with my fear of elevators. It’s a wonder how we even get around.

“I know we’ve talked about this before, but are you sure you didn’t have some childhood trauma or something to do with elevators? I mean, planes are claustrophobic tin cans. Why aren’t you afraid of them?” Sophie questions.

“I might be if it weren’t for you. You keep me so occupied with your declarations of doom and gloom, I don’t have time to be scared.”

She knows I’m just kidding, well, sort of.

“So, all I’ll need to do once we get into an elevator is to start screaming about how we’re going to plummet to the basement, or wherever?” Sophie starts giggling.

I shake my head. “I’m pretty sure that’d make it worse. I’ve had this fear since birth, I think. My parents didn’t fight it. They just let me walk the stairs wherever we went. They called it “logical consequences,” like I was doing it on purpose.”

Sophie’s eyes widen. “You mean they never sought counseling
or tried to help you?”

“No, they were always too busy living their lives. I think my phobia was more of an inconvenience than anything.” I shrug. “Maybe one day, I’ll seek counseling for it. For right now, it’s not a problem. It’s just good exercise.”