Plat, page 5
“And yet you’re here, without him.”
She smiled wanly. “Yes, well, I may have sold my soul for this little taste of freedom.”
“I don’t know what that means.” I got a little uncomfortable any time she mentioned her father, Darren, or the conservatorship. It bothered me on a level I didn’t quite understand that she was so strictly controlled by these two men. By any men, for that matter, but those two in particular. I wanted to ask her about it, so I could start processing what her life was like, but this didn’t seem to be the right time.
She looked so sad as she said, “Yeah, me either.”
8
Ariel
I’d told Casey and Lexi about the deal I’d made with Darren but hadn’t planned to tell anyone else. I hadn’t been lying, though, when I’d told Tyler he was easy to talk to, and now he was looking at me expectantly. I’d assumed after a few minutes the hottest guy on the planet would bore me, but there was so much more to Tyler Thompson than a pretty face, full sleeves of tattoos, and smokin’ hot abs. He was soft-spoken, a good listener, and something about him was calming.
“The deal,” I continued after a slight hesitation, “for lack of a better word, is that I do this demo with you guys while simultaneously convincing you that pop is so much more profitable than rock. The twist, of course, is that you’re not going to change your music, and we all know it, so at some later date, I have no doubt Darren will hit me up for something to make up for failing to sway you.”
“That sounds…terrible.”
“In the grand scheme of terrible things in my life, it’s not that terrible.”
I seemed to have rendered him speechless, which was kind of funny, but not really since my life was anything but funny. But Lexi had just walked in, so our moment of privacy—and intimate conversation—was over for now. Hopefully, he wouldn’t run screaming from the room the next time we were alone together.
For the first time in years, I got to spend the day doing exactly what I wanted, when I wanted, with people I genuinely liked. My father wasn’t looking over my shoulder or reminding me it was time to eat or drink or sleep, and the music, well, Nobody’s Fool was amazing. They played a handful of their songs for me, simply because I asked them to, and I was completely caught up in the magic they had as a band. And the best part was that for this very short period of time, I got to be one of them.
Even if I was just sitting in the booth watching them.
Watching Tyler.
I was such a dumbass.
I’d probably scared him off with our earlier conversation.
Even if I hadn’t, nothing would ever come of this, no matter how much I wanted more. My father would find a way to stop it, and the thought of fighting him was overwhelming. It had taken him almost two years to get the conservatorship, and I’d mostly been in institutions and medicated during that time, so I barely remembered that year between the ages of seventeen and eighteen. By the time I realized what my father was up to, it was too late, and early on, the punishment for any signs of rebellion had been the threat of institutionalizing me again, which he knew was my biggest fear. Going through any of that again was terrifying.
Except maybe not quite as terrifying as the idea of never seeing Tyler again.
“So, what do you think?” Lexi asked, plopping down beside me after they finished playing.
“I love your sound,” I admitted. “It’s harder than anything I write or sing, but you guys have such unique, edgy melodies, I get caught up in them. The lyrics are gritty, sometimes haunting, and it’s really exciting to be part of a project like this, even if it’s just one song.”
“Well, that’s what I like to hear,” Stu said, grinning.
“What did you think of ‘Bedroom Lies’ specifically?” Lexi asked. “That’s the one we talked about last night.”
“Oh, it’s perfect,” I said, nodding. “Rock enough to stay true to your brand with enough of a pop chorus to get the record company dancing in their cubicles.”
“You want to try it?” she asked.
“Sure. Let’s do it.” I got to my feet and took the sheet of paper she handed me with the lyrics. She’d given them to me last night, so I’d already memorized the chorus, but I didn’t know the whole song yet since this was our first day rehearsing.
It really was a fun song, and I hummed the melody as I read over the lyrics.
Come on, baby, hit me with your lies
I know it’s time to go, but you’ll only criticize
There’s nothing left for us to do
Our clothes are on the floor
Don’t look at me when you lie
I’m heading out the door.
The intro had Tyler setting up a catchy, thumping bass riff, followed by Ford and Stu bringing in fun, upbeat guitar melodies. Lexi’s voice started out low and gravelly, with a lighthearted teasing lilt that was the perfect complement to the higher octave I usually sang in. When I joined her, the sound was incredible. We harmonized easily, her deeper voice to my higher one, perfectly in tune to the other, even though this was our first rehearsal.
My body moved with the music, as if it had a mind of its own, dancing in place. Lexi was moving, too, tapping her foot as we sang. I felt more than saw Tyler behind me, the heavy backbeat of the bass keeping us in a steady rhythm. Though this song probably didn’t qualify as hard rock, it was heavier than anything I’d ever done before, and the power of this kind of music swept me away. I already had a thousand subconscious ideas for new songs brewing, and I’d probably be up all night working on them.
“Fuck, yeah, that was awesome.” Bash hit the bass drum a few extra times and we all laughed.
“Let’s do it again,” I said. “I think we need to slow down on the bridge…” I detailed what I wanted to do, and we played it again. And again. Until I’d memorized all of the lyrics and we had something that might be worth recording.
By the time I sank into a chair in the lounge, I was tired but happy, completely in the zone, all thoughts of my father far away.
“I think that one is a wrap,” Lexi said, high-fiving me.
“Do you want to record tomorrow so you can get back to L.A.?” Bash asked me.
I grimaced. “God, no. Let’s leave my song for last. In fact, as far as the world is concerned, we can’t figure it out and it sounds terrible.”
Tyler chuckled. “We can do that, no problem.”
“Then let’s call it a day,” Bash said, getting up and stretching. “There were some very attractive ladies lingering in the lobby, and I’m about to see if I can buy one or both of them dinner.”
Lexi rolled her eyes. “You’re such a horn dog.”
“You’re so boring and married,” he countered, laughing.
“What about me?” Ford complained. “Who am I going to have dinner with?”
“Well, there’s two of them out there,” Bash said, shrugging. “You’re welcome to take one—we can tag team.”
“I’m fucking in.” Ford grabbed his leather jacket and the two of them disappeared down the hall.
“Bloody hell.” Stu looked at Tyler as he grabbed his denim jacket. “I think I’m getting old… since I’m not joining their mini-orgy, I’m heading back to the house. You have plans, mate?”
“I was gonna take Lexi and Ariel to dinner,” he replied.
That was news to me, but I glanced at Lexi, who winked.
“Zaan’s got a pre-season game out of town,” she said, “so I figured one of the guys would be a gentleman and feed us.”
“I’m down with taking the lasses to dinner,” Stu said.
“I want a fat, juicy steak,” Lexi said, gathering her things.
“Let’s go somewhere like that Texas Brazil place,” Stu suggested. “I want all the bloody meat tonight.”
“Texas de Brazil,” Lexi corrected him, laughing.
“Texas de Brazil?” I repeated curiously. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to one.”
“It’s one of those places where they just keep walking around with meat and putting it on your plate,” Lexi said. “It’s awesome.”
That was a thing? How had I not known there were places like that? I was technically a multi-millionaire, and I didn’t know there were places that just kept bringing meat to the table? Was I sheltered or what?
I’d never eaten so much in one sitting in my life, but between the incredible beef, chicken, and pork, the delicious side dishes, and those cheesy bread things, I couldn’t stop eating. I’d have to work out extra hard tomorrow to compensate, but I didn’t even feel guilty. The company was excellent, no one in the restaurant recognized us, and it had been a long time since I’d laughed so much. Stuart told the best stories in his thick Scottish accent, using words that were foreign to me and getting a little more ridiculous as the night wore on.
If I was honest, though, despite how much fun Stu was, I was mesmerized by Tyler. Every time his blue eyes met mine, the earth shifted inside of me, and I’d finally stopped trying to understand it. It seemed to be a thing with us, this unexplainable attraction, and I had zero doubt I would have sex with him again if the opportunity presented itself.
“I have to get going,” Lexi said at nine thirty. “I need to rest, and Zaan will be calling soon.”
“Can’t go to sleep without talking to your hubby?” I teased her.
She smiled. “I can, but don’t want to.”
“I’m out, too,” Stu said, throwing some money on the table. “Need me beauty sleep, you know!”
“If you want to hang out and talk a little longer,” Tyler said to me, “I’ll take you back to your car at the studio when we’re done here.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” I nodded at Lexi. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Good night!” Everyone said their goodbyes, and then it was just the two of us.
Sitting across the booth from Tyler, now that we were alone, made me feel like we were out on a date, and I was suddenly a little shy. Lexi had told me he was into me, and I was totally into him, but technically, we hadn’t expressed any interest to each other. Was this how it was supposed to work since we’d already slept together?
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked him.
“Sure.”
“How come you’re single?”
He looked surprised. “I could ask you the same question.”
“And I’ll bet we have very different answers.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, most likely. Well, for me, I guess I love everything about the rock and roll lifestyle, which isn’t the best setting for settling down. And even if I’d been interested in all that, until early this year when Casey married Erik, I’d never had the opportunity. We were rarely in one city more than two days at a time, so I didn’t have time to get to know anyone, and we toured a lot. From the time we formed Pretty Harts more than a decade ago, we hit the road and never looked back. That’s another reason I’m not close to a lot of people outside of the band. It’s hard to build those kinds of relationships when you’re never in one place.”
She nodded. “It’s also hard to build relationships when your father doesn’t let you get close to people. I barely have any friends, much less a boyfriend.”
“I’ll be your boyfriend.”
9
Tyler
I hadn’t meant to say it quite so bluntly, but the surprised smile she gave me made me want to mean it.
“Honestly, I like you too much to subject you to what it would mean to be my boyfriend.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Like my father watching us every minute of every day. Like my father threatening you behind my back to scare you off. Like us never, ever being able to go out on a date without the paparazzo following us like Princess Diana is still alive. Believe me, being my boyfriend would be nothing but a headache.”
“We’ve kind of been out on a date tonight and that hasn’t happened.”
“Well, I don’t think they’re expecting me to be at a restaurant so low-key,” I admitted, “but it could still happen. And anyway, the thing with my father is no joke.”
“Are you trying to scare me off?” I countered. “Because so far, I’m all in.”
I wasn’t sure what flickered behind those steely eyes of hers, but the vulnerability and shyness were back, showing a softer side to her. She was an ice queen around her father and a focused professional entertainer during rehearsals, but who she turned into when we were alone was hard to pinpoint. Nervous and vulnerable were two words to describe her, though talented, sexy, and passionate were equally accurate.
I wasn’t sure if it was because of what I knew about her father, or the fact that I desperately wanted to take her to bed tonight, but all I wanted right now was to bring the fire back to those gorgeous eyes of hers.
“One date and you’re all in?” she asked, her eyes glittering with a tiny spark of the passion I’d seen the other night.
“Well, my motto has always been nothing ventured, nothing gained, from my personal life to my music.”
“I don’t think I have a motto, but if I did, it would be something related to self-preservation.”
“That sounds like a shitty way to live.”
“Welcome to my life. You still want to be my boyfriend?”
“Yes.” I didn’t even hesitate and immediately felt stupid. She must have thought so, too, because her cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink.
“Are you making fun of me?” she asked in a tiny whisper.
“Not even a little. I’d love to take you out, get to know you better. You can call me your boyfriend, your friend, whatever. I don’t really care about labels if we’re having fun. And the other night was a whole lot of fun.”
“I only have a week,” she said slowly.
“One week to convince you I’m boyfriend material,” I mused. “Okay. Challenge accepted.”
She looked confused but then gave me one of those smiles I was coming to look forward to. “You’re really very sweet,” she said. “But I’m serious. Once I go home, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“But in the meantime, we can have a hell of a time.”
She was watching me intently, her eyes burning into mine, and my libido overrode my brain as I tilted my head and leaned forward, my lips grazing hers softly. I pressed chaste yet sensual kisses across her mouth, our lips meeting again and again until I finally pulled away since we were in a public place.
“You’re beautiful,” I said softly, running my knuckles across her now flushed cheeks.
“Thank you.” She seemed to be thinking, as though she were making some kind of major decision.
I mean, I’d been mostly kidding when I’d said I wanted to be her boyfriend, but now that I’d kissed her, if she asked me to give her my high school ring and go steady, I’d call my mom and ask her to send it to me. That’s how much I wanted to spend time with her, and if she wanted me to be her boyfriend for a week or a month or an hour, I’d do it.
“Let’s go for a drive,” I suggested when the silence spread out a little too long. “We can talk and get to know each other.”
“I don’t understand why I trust you so much, but I do.”
“Then let’s get out of here.” I put money on the table and unconsciously reached for her hand. She’d laced her fingers with mine before I was even aware of the fact that we were holding hands, but I kept walking, afraid she might change her mind.
“Where are we going?” she asked as we got into my car.
“I don’t know. Want to drive around? Have you spent any time in Vegas?”
“Just in and out, for concerts, but I tend to avoid places as busy as Vegas. I don’t know why, but it’s intimidating.”
“I grew up in Brooklyn and moved here when I was about twenty-two, so I’ve been here ten years. I love the energy, the lights, the way it’s so alive, twenty-four-seven. But then I go home to my very quiet, peaceful house, and it feels like I have the best of both worlds.”
“I love my house,” she said softly. “It’s in Beverly Hills, but it’s beautiful, with gorgeous views of the city and pretty landscaping out back around the pool. I have a balcony outside my bedroom, and I can see both my yard and the city. It’s probably the only place I ever relax.”
“Well, if you ever want to come see my place, I have a balcony outside my bedroom as well. It’s one of the most relaxing places I have, too.”
Her hand slowly found its way to mine, though I had a five-speed Corvette, so my hand was on the shifter. “I’d very much like to see your house,” she said as our fingers laced together for the second time tonight.
“You, uh, want to go there?”
“Yes.” She said it simply, as if it was a foregone conclusion, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay.”
I headed toward home, wondering what tonight was going to bring. Sex would be fun, but I wasn’t some kid who couldn’t spend time with a woman without trying to get in her pants. Although the boyfriend thing had gone a little off the rails, I genuinely wanted to spend time with her and get to know her. I sensed there were many layers to the woman beneath the Ariel Fox public façade, and I wanted to see every one of them. Especially the ones without clothes.
I hit the button to open the gate that led onto my property and then another one that opened my three-car garage. I usually drove the Corvette—I’d bought it less than a year ago—but also had an SUV that I used to lug equipment around or when the weather was crappy.
“Your house is gorgeous,” she said as I pulled into the garage.
“Six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a three-car garage, a pool and a pool house, and there’s a building in the back that looks like a guest house or cottage, but it’s really just a fancy storage shed.”
“Nice. I only have four bedrooms, but two are master suites, since Dad thought he should have the master and it was one of the few times I put my foot down and said that wasn’t going to work for me. Luckily, we found a house with two. There are five bathrooms, a pool, and a gourmet kitchen. I don’t get to cook in it very often, but I hope to, someday.”
