Second Chance: Sleeping Dogs Book 1, page 18
“Poor Denise. She finally gets a boyfriend who is ok with her job schedule, and we’re home so she can see him, and she’s constantly having to leave to get Ryder out of trouble.”
The guys talk a little more about Ryder and his drinking issues. When I’m done with my breakfast, I take out my phone and text him.
Me- I made breakfast at Connor’s place. You should come have some. The guys are almost done, but I’ll be in the kitchen.
I’m surprised that he responds right away.
Ryder-I’ll grab a shower and be there in a bit.
I don’t know what’s going on with him, but I think he might just need that ear that I offered him. Everyone needs a friend and I know for a fact I am a great one.
* * *
By the time Ryder arrives, the other guys have all finished their breakfasts and are already back in the studio. Connor left me with a deep kiss that is still lingering on my lips nearly half an hour later.
“Hey Alex,” Ryder greets me on his way to grab a plate. “What’s this I hear about breakfast.”
“Right on the counter. Load up a plate and come sit at the table. Want a coffee?” I offer to get him one since I’m refilling my own.
“Sure, that would be great. Cream and sugar, please.”
He gets himself a plate of everything I’ve made, piling it up as high as he can without it falling over.
“Hungry guy.”
“Yeah, I may have had a lot too much to drink last night. I need to refuel.”
“Makes sense.” Now’s as good a time as any to offer that friendship again. “Hey, is everything ok? What I said the other day still stands. I am a great friend, and a fantastic listener.”
“Ahhh. I see now.” He leans back in the chair and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “You had ulterior motives for the breakfast invite.” He smiles at me, so I take that as a sign that he isn’t mad.
“Yes, and no.” I take a sip of my coffee. “I wanted to know why you weren’t here when the other guys were and they mentioned something about you drinking more lately.”
Now he looks a little irritated. Not mad yet though, so that’s good.
“But they also mentioned something about Denise not being able to spend time with her boyfriend because she’s so busy getting you out of trouble. Despite what the other guys might think, I’m pretty sure you’re a considerate guy. I don’t think you’d be causing her this kind of trouble unless you had a reason. And I have a feeling your drinking isn’t actually out of control. So… do you want to talk about the other thing?”
His mouth drops open in surprise, and then he laughs.
“You’ve been around for two days and you’ve figured this out already? And these other assholes still have no idea and they’ve been around me for years.”
“Sometimes it takes a woman to see something like this. Love is a funny thing, and a lot of dudes have blinders on when it comes to seeing it in other people. I may be shit at my own relationships, but I have pretty good intuition when it comes to other people.”
He nods and drinks some of his coffee. “I appreciate the offer,” he pauses a moment before continuing, “but I’m not ready to talk about it just yet. I didn’t realize I was causing Denise this much trouble, though. I’ll try to keep myself in line, or at least keep my antics out of the papers.”
“I’m sure she’d appreciate that.”
Ryder and I talk some more while he finishes his plate and gets himself another helping of breakfast. He tells me about when he joined the band, being raised by a single dad, and about what got him started in music. I told him about my parents’ deaths and about moving to the city to live with my Pops. By the end of our conversation, we know a lot more about each other. I’m glad I extended that offer of friendship. He’s a pretty cool guy, and I’m happy to have someone else to talk to about my Connor troubles. Not just now, though. I’ll save that for another day.
Chapter 43
Connor - Burgers and Guys
“So? You gonna tell us what that kiss was about, man? Looked pretty intense.” Johnny waited about three seconds after we got back into the studio before letting his curiosity get the better of him. “You guys a thing now?”
“I wasn’t going to say anything but when I got here this morning they were sleeping all snuggled up in a pile of blankets out on the deck.”
“Fuck Devon, really?” I throw him a dirty look. “We haven’t really talked about it yet, Johnny. I’m hoping to spend some time with her after you all fuck off today.”
The door swings open and Ryder walks in.
“I really like her,” he says. “She’s legit a nice person. You did good choosing her, Connor.”
“Uh, thanks, man.” I look around at the other guys, confusion apparent on my face. “When did you get here? No one could get a hold of you this morning.”
“Oh yeah, I was ignoring you. I was way too hungover to deal with you assholes today.” He tries to make it sound like he’s joking, but there’s at least some truth behind what he’s saying. “But then Alex sent me a text telling me to come for breakfast and now here I am. She’s easy to talk to. I’ve claimed her as my friend.” He looks me dead in the eye as he says this last part, and I can tell that he’s serious. “If you fuck this up, I’m going to take her side. Just so you know.”
“That’s great, Ryder. I’m happy she could get you to join us. And that you guys have found a friend in each other.” I give him a warning look. “But if you try to take it further than friends, there will be trouble. I’ve been obsessed with her since I was a kid and I’m not losing her again.”
He actually laughs at me. “You don’t have to worry about that, man. I have my own love life to worry about.” He looks around at the rest of the guys, a little more seriously. “And I know I’ve been a huge asshole lately. I’ll get it under control.”
He stuns us with that, and we’re all silent for a beat. That’s as close to an apology as we’re likely to get. When we gather our wits, everyone gives him a nod or a word of approval. We’ve been talking about it a little and he has been out of control. But if he says he’s got it, then we trust him.
“Are you all ready to get started? I’ve been doing a little writing and I have some stuff to share with you.” I pull out my notebooks and we start piecing together some new material. It feels like something big is happening here.
We spend most of the day locked away in the studio. The guys have some great ideas and we get three new songs nearly complete. We have some things to work through regarding composition, but lyrically, and mostly musically, we are confident that they are some of our best songs to date. The new album is going to blow all of our others out of the water.
Sometime around mid-afternoon, we break for lunch. Alex is out somewhere and not answering her texts, so we decide to go out to eat at a local diner known for the best burgers in town. I don my customary disguise of a long-sleeved shirt and baseball cap, and the other guys put on similar stuff. We don’t get recognized all the time, but it’s happening often enough now that we all have to disguise ourselves a bit when we don’t want to be disturbed. Sometimes it’s nice to just eat our food and not be interrupted with requests for autographs and selfies. I plan to enjoy relative anonymity for as long as I possibly can.
Devon drives us all to the restaurant in the Escalade and we take up a couple of tables in the back of the place. No sense in calling more attention to ourselves than necessary. The hostess gets our drinks and sends our server over. She takes our orders and we sit around and talk for a bit.
“Does that server keep looking over here?” Johnny asks while darting his eyes over in her direction. “I think she recognizes us.”
“It’s been happening a lot more. We’ve done way more press recently, so it only makes sense that people will know who we are.”
I look over to see if I can get a look. She’s looking right at me when I look up, and I’m met with a big, somewhat familiar, smile. I think maybe I recognize her, but I’m not positive. I smile back politely anyway.
“Hey Devon, does our server look familiar to you? Isn’t she that groupie that you walked out of the venue after the show? The one who was half naked in the bathroom?”
Devon barely glances over before confirming that it is her. Before anything can happen, she comes over to the table and explains that she is going off shift and someone else will take care of us. She tells us all to enjoy our lunch and to have a great day, and then she’s gone. She doesn’t even show that she knows who we are, though I’m sure she does. I thought that was going to be way messier than it was. She must remember how she behaved that night and be embarrassed. I know I would be if the situation were reversed.
After our new server brings our food, the conversation turns to me and Alex.
“So what are you going to do?” asks Devon. He seems to have a soft spot for her, just like Ryder does. I love the fact that she gets along with my friends. These guys practically live with me, so it’s important to me that they can be friendly with her.
“I’m not sure.” I think about while I eat some of my burger. “She told me a little about her past relationships and they were all pretty bad.”
“What does that mean, exactly? She wasn’t hurt or anything?” Aiden’s concern shines from his face. He has experience with domestic violence and it is a cause that is dear to his heart. He even volunteers with a shelter in town and does a lot of fundraising for them.
“No, nothing like that,” I clarify. “All the boyfriends she has had have cheated on her.”
“You cheated on her?” Ryder nearly jumps out of his chair. “Why would she want anything to do with you now?”
“No, no. Not me. We didn’t sleep together. Hell, we didn’t really even break up. We were trying the long distance thing, but my stupid mother changed our phone number. I thought she’d decided not to call, and she thought I didn’t want to deal with her grief. It was a big clusterfuck.” That reminds me, I still need to confront dear old mom about that. I’m not sure it’s the time for that just now though. She might be using again, so it’s not like I would get a straight answer out of her, anyway. I really need to check on the girls again and see if they can give me an idea where Mom’s head is at.
“Ok good,” Ryder is visibly relieved. I should be concerned, but I actually like that he is already so protective of her. “She’s way too nice for anyone to do that to her. And she’s pretty hot too. Why would anyone want to step out on that?”
“You’re asking the wrong guy, man. She’s not really even mine yet and I already can’t see me wanting anyone else, ever.” Even I’m a little surprised at the truth in my words. But I can’t deny that I feel serious about her. Might as well embrace it.
“Maybe she’s a terrible lay?” Johnny adds in what I’m sure he thinks is a helpful way.
“No, that’s definitely not it.” All their eyes swing over to me. “Not that I’m giving any details.”
“I knew it! You guys were way too cozy this morning to not have fucked already.” Devon grins. “Plus, you took way too long to come in the house after I left you on the deck.”
“Yeah, that’s not up for discussion anymore.” It’s best to just warn them all now. What I do in bed with Alex is none of their business. I will not talk about it. “Let’s just say that the assholes didn’t cheat because she’s a terrible lay and leave it at that.”
“Well shit then, it’s a mystery. But you’ve got your work cut out for you. It’s hard to come back from being cheated on once. If it happened to me more than once, I’m not sure I’d ever trust anyone else again. Not for more than a night, anyway.” I can agree with Travis on this point. Alex must be amazingly strong to have tried again this many times and kept going back. I plan to make sure she never has to do it again, though.
“Ok, that’s enough of this talk. I want to finish up and get back into the studio for a bit. I’m taking the evening to be with Alex, though. You guys can stay in the studio or go somewhere else, as long as you don’t bother us.”
The guys all promise to give me time with Alex, and then we go back to our food. We finish quickly, pay and go on our way. We drive straight back to the house and go into the studio. I text Alex to see if she even wants to go out tonight, and then the guys and I get to work.
Chapter 44
Alex - Good Advice
Connor- I’d like to take you out to dinner tonight if you’re interested? The guys and I will be done in the studio by 7 and then we can go if that works for you.
Me- That sounds good. I’ll see you then.
I’m actually surprised that Connor wants to take me out. I was a little worried that he would be done with me completely after the amazing sex we had. Looks like my swearing off of men hasn’t lasted very long. I do sort of wish we’d talked a little before we jumped into bed (or onto the table, heh) but it just felt so right being with him that my brain wasn’t working all that well. Then once he started kissing me, my brain took a complete vacation.
I’ve got a few hours before I need to think about getting ready, so I call Becca to kill some time. She answers after a couple of rings.
“Hey, girl. What’s up? How was it after we all left last night?”
“It was… interesting.” I say, drawing out the last word.
“Oh, how interesting are we talking here? Kissing on the couch, interesting? Or having your world rocked by the sexy rock star, interesting?”
Leave it to Becca to get right to the nitty gritty.
“Um, more of the second one.” I can feel my face turning red as I say it.
“You little slut! Good for you!” Becca is so loud that I have to pull the phone away from my ear. “So… what are you doing talking to me? You should be banging that dude all over his huge house right now.”
I can’t help but laugh at her. Becca is very sex positive, so I know when she calls me a slut she doesn’t mean it in a bad way, but it always takes me by surprise when she says it.
“The guys are all down in the studio right now, but he is taking me out tonight when they’re done working.”
“Oooh, a proper date.”
“I don’t know about that. Maybe?” I say. “Do guys like him even date?”
“Well, he asked you out on a date, so I’d say that’s a big hint right there.”
“Going on dates is different from dating, Becca. Of course he goes on dates. I mean, is a guy like him capable of being in a relationship. I’m not interested in being cheated on. Again.”
She thinks for a few minutes. The silence is more than I can bear. “C’mon Becca, you’re killing me here.”
“Sorry, sorry. I think what you’re asking is if someone in his position, a musician in a successful band, can be faithful to one person? And I think that, yes, it is possible. But I don’t know Connor well enough to say that he, specifically, is capable of that. That is something you will need to judge for yourself as you get to know him better. That’s what going on dates is for.”
I sigh. I know she’s right. But I’m so tired of getting to know guys and then trusting them, only to have them betray me, anyway. And it’s more complicated with Connor, because I work for him and live on his property. I’ve only been here for a couple of days, I don’t want to have to leave already.
“I know that. It just seems a little different in this case. Connor and I have a history. You remember when I first moved here, how wrecked I was about not being able to contact him? Even while grieving my parents’ death, I was still heartbroken about Connor. Not to mention the fact that I’ll be living here for the next six months. I’m just not sure if this is complicating things unnecessarily.”
“Let’s think of it this way. How would you feel if you didn’t at least try? Especially now that you know he didn’t actually change his number to avoid contact with you. You have a chance that most people don’t get. I think you should take it and see where it goes.”
I think about that for a second. Could I just turn away from this without giving it a chance? We’ve slept together already, what more could it hurt if we get to know each other again. He seemed sincere when we were talking last night. Becca’s probably right. I need to see where this leads.
Guess I’m dating a rock star now. Fuck.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll text you soon to let you know how the date goes.”
“Yeah, sure, girl. I fully expect not to hear from you until tomorrow. But then I want all the details. We’ll talk about all the amazing sex you’re having with the sexy rock star.” She’s still laughing as she hangs up without even saying goodbye. That bitch.
Becca is right. Going on some dates and getting to know Connor again is the best way to go about this. I can’t let myself be blinded by the feelings I used to have for him, though. His life has changed drastically since then, and he might be a completely different person. That thought terrifies me. This comes so soon after Derek’s betrayal that I probably shouldn’t even be considering it, but the chance to get to know Connor again is too tempting. And after all the coincidences that have been circling around us all these years, I have to admit that it’s piqued my curiosity. I can’t handle not knowing what this could be. I just hope I can handle whatever happens if it all falls apart.
Chapter 45
Connor - Jealousy and Friendship
I’m knocking on the pool house door just before seven o’clock. From somewhere in the house, I hear Alex yell for me to come in.
“Are you almost ready?” I yell up the stairs. “I made a dinner reservation for eight o’clock.”
“Yep, just five more minutes,” comes her answer.
I busy myself by having a look around at what she’s done with the place. In just a couple of days, she’s made it feel like her home. Too bad I’m planning to get her to live in the main house with me as soon as possible. But I have to admit she’s made this place her own. I see pictures of her and Mike, who I still can’t believe is her Pops, and some of her and Becca. She has a few vintage kitchen tools displayed as well, it looks like. She’s added some interesting themed cushions to the couch. I can’t say I’ve ever seen any that say ‘fuck this shit’ or ‘more coffee, less talky’ before. I like that she doesn’t seem to take things too seriously.
