Typhoon Toby, page 3
“What?” Charlie asked innocently.
“Thanks Je—”
“Bye!” She disconnected and left Spencer feeling incredibly conflicted.
“What did she say?” Charlie scooted closer.
“She told me to tell you not to wear your obnoxious tie to the party I guess we’re going to. At her house. Her’s and Danny Black’s. In the Hollywood Hills.” Oh God.
Spencer had a coughing fit that wore him out. When it stopped, he lay back on the couch and collapsed.
“She must be talking about my Star Trek tie.”
“Oh, that thing? You’ve been wearing that to work parties? Have you no shame?”
Charlie shrugged and slurped down the rest of his soup.
“Love the tie, love the man. One of these days, someone will recognize it for its genius, and I’ll find my true love.”
Charlie was a man of contradictions. Born in China and adopted to a British couple who were involved in the film industry, Charlie grew up… well, confused. His parents pushed Chinese school on him when all he wanted to do was read comic books and watch his beloved Star Trek. He came out in college, which didn’t quite surprise his parents. They wanted him to go to medical school, but he frustrated their plans when he went into psychology and ended up as a counselor in the public school system. All of this made him one of the friendliest, most accepting people in Spencer’s life, and one of the most loyal.
“But how can I show up like this? Charlie, he’s going to think I’m stalking him.”
Charlie came and sat next to him on the couch. “Look at it like this. They’re doing this show to benefit kids. Isn’t that what you do?”
“Yes, but—”
“And you’ll make a donation, right?”
“Of course, but—”
“If you don’t do this, you’ll always wonder, Spence.”
Spencer sighed and collapsed back on the couch. He was exhausted. How was he going to make it to some big fundraiser in just a couple of weeks?
“I better start slamming the Vitamin C, then.”
Chapter Four
“I REALLY have to wear a monkey suit?” Reese had been complaining all afternoon.
“You know how this goes—we dress all fancy and shit, and people give us money for our show. Then we act charming and do our little song and dance for the nice people.”
“Just because you can’t go in your board shorts, Matheson. Jesus. Show some class,” Dwayne, their bass player and good friend, said with an eyeroll.
Toby fist-bumped him. Dwayne looked fucking gorgeous in his tuxedo. His lime green shirt pulled out the green in his eyes and contrasted nicely with his dark skin. They’d all opted to wear bright colors—Toby in hot pink and Reese in electric blue. Dwayne dressed sharp on the regular. He was nearly the same height and build as Toby, and together with Reese and his sun-kissed California-surfer good looks, they most definitely turned heads. Dwayne was also a genius on the bass and had a voice as smooth as velvet. They discovered him during auditions for their first musical, and they’d been making beautiful music together ever since.
Toby sighed as he fixed Reese’s tie. “I’m sorry Jude won’t be there,” he said softly.
Reese shrugged. “I wanted him to come, but he said he’d feel like he was in the way. He said he’s going to spend the evening with his parents. We had such a great talk on Christmas Day, but I don’t know….”
“Patience, man.” Dwayne patted him on the back. “Jude will come around. Hey, at least you’ve got us, right? You know I’m a fabulous date.”
Reese smirked, but he wasn’t back to his old self again. And alcohol wasn’t an option to loosen him up. He couldn’t be a loose cannon in front of their benefactors. They’d schmooze, sing a couple of songs, and take their money. Piece of cake.
Bringing Jesse and Danny into the fold for Boy was turning out to be a huge coup. Danny had connections in both music and film, and Jesse had a large group of well-to-do parents from her dance studio who were itching to pull out their checkbooks for the cause. Toby and Reese just had to convince them that the show was going to be a hit.
Toby looked himself over in the mirror. He’d slicked back the blond ’do and made sure he was properly groomed and manicured for all of the handshaking he’d have to do. Reese cleaned up and looked pretty, and they’d brought Dwayne along for his beautiful smile, but it was Toby who would work the magic. He’d know who was there for the art, who was there for the politics, and who was there just to rub elbows. He’d rub whatever was necessary to get the money they needed to finance this bitch. He didn’t want to go into debt over it, and the more money they raised, the more elaborate a production they could afford.
Dwayne drove their van from Toby’s condo where they loaded up Dwayne’s stand-up bass, his electric, and Toby’s stripped-down drum kit, which was perfect for their jazzy numbers. Jesse had assured them that Danny had a piano and they were welcome to use it. A true piano was always the best option, but Reese had a good keyboard they could use in a pinch.
Reese had recently moved into Toby’s condo so Jude could move back into the cottage and return as his grandfather’s caregiver. Once Jude’s family found out that he and Reese were in love, they insisted that they no longer cohabitate. Jude was younger than Reese by a good ten years, but the guy was solid. He could take care of himself, and Reese wasn’t abusing any power. It simply didn’t sit well with their Catholic beliefs. So Reese assured Jude’s family he would leave, and Jude could be there unmolested and continue to care for Reese’s grandfather. Of course, in the process, Reese managed to insult Jude’s uncle and piss Jude off, so the two were presently in limbo. Pity. They made such an adorable pair—the kind that made people awwww at the level of sweet involved.
Reese and Toby hadn’t been roommates before, and Toby wasn’t sure how long he could handle Hurricane Reese under his roof. He’d only been there a day, and he’d already broken Toby’s favorite vase, gotten greasy fingerprints on the walls, and Toby had heard him cry himself to sleep. Toby understood Reese’s pain, so he pretended not to hear him and didn’t bring it up over breakfast.
Toby still thought about Hazel Eyes every night, every morning, every time he looked out over the ocean at sunset from the balcony of his condo. He recalled being wrapped in his arms on the beach, and nothing he did eased the feeling of loss. As they traveled the Pacific Coast Highway south and then headed inland on the 101 toward the Hollywood Hills, Toby wondered what Hazel Eyes was doing. Had he gone home to someone? Had he already found another someone? That thought made Toby nearly homicidal. But he only had himself to blame.
“Hey, we’re gonna do ‘Fire’ from the show, right?” Dwayne asked Toby. “How about we throw in something else? Come on, white boy, you know you wanna funk.”
Toby smirked. If there was one thing that would get him out of his funk it was some funk. When Dwayne wasn’t playing with Reese and Toby, he had a funk band that played the LA club circuit and did some traveling. Toby occasionally joined them for jam sessions and loved playing rhythm with him.
Reese groaned. “You two are going to start jamming and leave me behind again. Can you at least give me some warning?”
Dwayne grinned at Reese in the rearview mirror. “Come on, baby. You know you love it.”
“I didn’t ask Jesse about a guitar, though, and I didn’t bring mine,” Toby said. “It’s fucked-up. I need to get it repaired. It won’t stay tuned.”
“Just because you gotta have everything perfect. You gotta learn to let it slide.”
Yeah, Dwayne could always go with the flow. He was the most laidback guy Toby knew, and he could make anything work with the strings. Toby had such a perfect ear for music he couldn’t stand to have anything out of tune. He’d been fighting with his Les Paul for months and needed to just deal with it, but he’d been distracted. He’d much rather take his frustrations out on the drum kit.
“You do know we’re going to the home of one of the hottest guitar players in metal today, right?” Reese said. “I’m guessing he’ll have a guitar or fifty.” Reese fiddled with his pants leg and sighed as he watched the cars fly by.
Toby knew Reese was struggling. He reached back from the passenger seat and gave his thigh a squeeze. “We won’t do anything you don’t want to do, babe. We can stick with the show tunes if you like.”
“I’m cool,” Reese said, but he turned his sad eyes to Toby. “I just miss him.”
“Have faith,” Toby said with a sad smile.
The trip took almost an hour due to fabulous LA traffic. Dwayne drove slowly up Doheny to nearly the top of the Hollywood Hills. He just kept saying, “Damn. Damn!”
Toby was so not impressed with wealth. He’d met enough pretentious rich people who had no fucking clue about real life. His mother had shown him off to all of her Beverly Hills housewife pals for years. She kept him practically on a leash like a trained pet. He’d performed for whoever, done whatever to please her. For a long time Toby felt that his singing, dancing, and musical talent were all he was good for. Then his brain kicked into overdrive, and he advanced through school at an accelerated rate. When he entered college at the ripe old age of sixteen, he fell prey to more people who wanted to use him and take advantage. First his fellow students, and then….
The van stopped, and he shook off the negative thoughts. Toby had to take the lead on this gig. He opened the door, climbed out, and opened the rear door for Reese. Dwayne looked around with a grin. He was a transplant from up north in the Bay Area, his time rubbing elbows with Hollywood’s elite had been limited.
“Yay! The boys are here!” Jesse came out the front door in a black party dress and heels, her long legs bare in the winter chill. She was a stunner, could have been a model. Thankfully she had no conceit to go with her looks.
Jesse hugged Reese first and then turned to Toby, gave him a squeeze, and whispered conspiratorially, “I am so glad you guys are here. You have to help me—”
“Jesse, darling. The caterer wants to know where to put the champagne. I told him the wet bar in the living room was just not acceptable.” A perfectly coiffed, “well-seasoned” woman stood at the door. She had a pinched look that Toby recognized well from the time he’d spent around some of his mother’s friends.
“I’ll be right there, Grace,” she called back and then turned to Toby with her eyes crossed and a growl. “One… two… three… okay. Danny said just to breathe. Am I breathing?”
Toby chuckled. “Sort of. You’re more like a cross between a grunting gorilla and a pissed-off wildebeest. Wildebeest? More like a water buffalo ready to charge.”
Jesse poked him in the ribs. “I knew we’d be great partners. That, gentlemen, is Grace Manning. Mother of Julian and Bronson, half of my beloved husband’s metal band, Blackened. We are on semi-civil terms, and I knew she’d be perfect to help me host this shindig. So while I’m kicking myself with these four-inch heels, I’m going to keep smiling. Right? I can do this, right?”
Reese put an arm around her shoulders. “And we appreciate your every sacrifice for our little show. By the way, this is Dwayne Maxwell. He’s our bass player and good friend. Dwayne, this is Mrs. Jesse Martin-Black.”
Jesse held out her hand and shook Dwayne’s. “So nice to meet you. Please excuse my very unprofessional behavior.”
Dwayne snorted. “Please, girlfriend. You do realize who I work with, don’t you? These two aren’t exactly professional. You just show me where to set up my bass, and I’ll just smile, play, and behave myself.” He winked at Jesse, and she squinted at Toby.
“I’m going to have to watch out for this one, aren’t I? Listen, Dwayne,” she said, pointing a finger at him and raising her eyebrow. “I was a high school teacher, and I lived next door to a crazy bunch of musicians for five years before I married into this crazy. Yeah, I got your number.”
They all laughed as they followed her into the house. Toby was glad they’d found her to choreograph their show. She’d been a professional dancer until she was sidelined with some sort of injury, and now she taught at a great little studio in Los Angeles. Broadway tap and jazz were her specialties, which suited their musical perfectly. Their agent, Arthur Frye, knew of her through his connections at Slade Artist Management. Jesse’s husband and his bandmates were represented by Patricia Wilson, a good friend of Arthur’s, and once they heard about Jesse’s qualifications, Reese jumped at the chance to hire her. She’d been hesitant, but her husband Danny encouraged her to take the job. They all became instant friends, and Toby was pleased to see their circle expand.
The guys followed Jesse into the Blacks’ mansion, and Toby took a moment to enjoy the contrast of the Hollywood Hills palm trees and sleek modern design of the outside of the house and the scene inside the great room. Toby and Reese had been there once before to meet with Jesse, and it had been like entering Dracula’s lair. Jesse had explained then that Danny was a huge horror fanatic. He’d kept his collection in a storage facility for years after divorcing his first wife, and after a terrible tragedy occurred in their front room, they decided to redecorate. Jesse knew how much he loved his collection, and she urged him to bring it home. The result was a cross between a museum and haunted house—not Toby’s thing, but he could appreciate Danny’s attention to detail. From a coffin couch to a full-sized guillotine replica, gothic décor and dramatic purple-and-black fabrics, it was certainly memorable. Tonight some of the bigger pieces had been cleared to make room for guests and the band, creating the perfect space for their fundraiser.
“Hey babe?” Jesse called out as they entered the room. “Where should the guys set their things?”
Jesse’s husband, metal singer Danny Black, was so gorgeous he almost made Toby whimper. Dressed in black slacks with a black button-down open at the neck, he looked like an actor or a model, except for the tattoos that peeked out of his sleeves and the collar of his shirt. He was obviously in love with his wife, but a guy could appreciate all he had going on. That ginger hair, though. Sexy AF.
“Guys! So glad you’re here,” he said, and he shook hands with all of them. “You brought a stand-up bass? Wicked. I fucking love those, man. My friend Mage, you know from Maggie’s Bones? He plays one every so often when he’s out here in LA. We jam over at a bar in Los Feliz. Anyway, you guys can set up your gear over here.” He walked them over to the far side of the living room and over to a stunning white grand piano. Toby glanced over to see Reese’s eyes bug out.
“Danny, this is one sweet setup,” Reese purred and pulled his hands behind his back to keep from sullying it.
“Thanks, man. I picked it up years ago. I had to keep it in storage when I went through my divorce, and I was so fucking scared it was going to get ruined. Thank fucking God, not even a scratch.”
Jesse hip-bumped him. “Babe, language. We’re going to have lots of—”
“Honey, you so don’t need to worry on our account.” Toby rolled his eyes. She blushed a little, and Danny pulled her to him and kissed her.
“See? I told you these guys were hella cool. Now, if your pal Her Hungarian Highness were to hear that….”
She smacked his ass. Hard. “Danny, you’re not allowed to call her that anymore.”
He pulled her in for a big wet kiss while the guys all looked at each other. Damn, they were hot.
“I’m sorry, honey, but that name just sort of sticks.”
Jesse pushed at him, but he wouldn’t let her go.
“You’ll have to forgive my husband. He has no tact… or discretion. Danny!” He’d worked his way to biting her neck while she squirmed to get away. When she finally resorted to tickling his ribs, he jumped back into some crazy karate stance.
“Back off, Mrs. Martin-Black. None of that.” He winked at her and then cleared his throat. “Sorry. Married almost three years, and I can’t keep my hands off her. Honey, I’m going to go check on Nora.” He kissed her once more and waved to them.
With a sigh Jesse watched him wander off. “I’m so sorry. Mrs. Manning and I have a not-so-pleasant past. But I’m breathing. Anyway, is there anything else you guys need?”
Dwayne set his bass on a stand and slid the case out of sight behind the wet bar while Toby set down the first of the pieces of his kit.
“We’re good unless Toby’s gonna get his funk on?”
Jesse turned on Toby with eyebrows raised. “His funk on?”
“Don’t worry. I, too, will behave.”
Jesse shook her head. “Funk, huh? This I gotta see.”
WITHIN THE hour, the house was full of donors and partygoers. Toby kept Reese close to him, unsure how his schmoozing superpowers would work in his current state. Reese smiled, shook hands, and laughed, but it was empty. Only Toby and Dwayne could tell, or so he thought.
Later, Jesse pulled Toby into the hallway and frowned. “Is Reese okay?”
Toby looked around and sighed. “He will be. A little trouble on the home front is all. I predict with confidence that things will be fine before we start rehearsals.”
She frowned, but her eyes lit up as she noticed something behind Toby.
“Oh, you made it. Toby let me introduce you to some other”—she said the next bit in a whisper—“normal people. These are some friends from my old school. Toby Griffiths, this is Charlie Willoughby and Spencer Hart.”
Chapter Five
SPENCER’S STILL-HEALING lungs seized in the moment it took for Tobias to turn around. All of the steroids and albuterol in the world couldn’t have helped Spencer’s anxiety-ridden self when he witnessed that million-watt smile. Spencer’s cheeks flushed as Tobias first shook hands with Charlie. And then he took Spencer’s hand… and froze.
“It’s great to meet… you.”
Spencer could only imagine what went through Tobias’s mind as he held his hand. Tobias’s smile faded to an indecipherable expression as a cough threatened to escape Spencer’s chest. He covered his mouth and cursed when he noticed the ridiculous amount of sweat on his hands. Tobias yanked his hand back and narrowed his eyes.
