The Bachelor: a one-night stand boss romance

Chapter 19

Avery hopedthat wasn’t a bad sign, that Jolene was shoving everyone else out of the room. All things considered, she thought she’d done just about the best she could, given her nerves and her lack of range. For a second, when she had stared at Chance, she had thought she was going to swallow her tongue. He had been friendly, professional. If he had been a cold jerk, she would have gotten angry and that would have given her sass. As it was, she’d been overcome from a sense of melancholy for what had never been for her mother. For herself.

She’d always tried really damn hard not to look at Shane, whose gaze had been drilling into her. Hopefully, her discomfort hadn’t been too obvious and she had thought she’d pulled it together enough to give a decent representation of what her song could be as song by the right voice.

But now she had the sinking feeling Jolene hadn’t liked it, and it occurred to her in that second, she shouldn’t have allowed her thoughts to run too far ahead. It was a hard business. She steeled herself for rejection. Told herself it was to be expected.

After the others left the room, Jolene gave her a searching look. “Can I be honest with you?”

Avery was startled at her earnest tone. “Yes, of course.” She prepped herself for an honest critique. Whatever was said, however painful it was, she would learn and grow from it. She was a novice and there was no getting around that. It was amazing that she’d gotten to at least play the song for Jolene, all things considered.

“I like the song. I really do. I want Shane to put a hold on it for me. But we’ll get back to that in a second.”

Avery was nodding before Jolene’s words hit her. “Wait, what? Really?” She had been sure Jolene was going to tell her she wasn’t ready for Nashville. “Thank you so much!”

Jolene nodded. “We need to get something out of the way first though. I see the way my brother looks at you.”

Damn it. Was this how it was going to be? She felt like grinding her teeth together. “How is that?” she asked, even though she knew. She had felt his eyes on her the entire time she’d been singing.

“Like he wants a piece of you,” Jolene said bluntly. “I was a young girl in Nashville myself and it’s easy to fall for the flattery and the pretty words, you know what I’m saying?”

Avery’s heart plummeted. She knew there was no way to keep Shane’s interest in her a secret. He was far too obvious, and now Jolene thought she was going to tumble head over heels for him. She wanted to make it clear she had no intention of doing that. “I know he’s flirting with me, but I don’t take it seriously, I promise you. I know I’m just the new girl and that I might catch his eye for five minutes.”

It was the truth. What surprised her was how much it hurt to actually voice it. Maybe she cared more than she thought she did.

Jolene rolled her chair back to the sideboard and popped a strawberry in her mouth. Then she grabbed two of the mimosas off the tray and used her feet to bring her chair back to the table. “Mimosa?”

“Oh, no, I shouldn’t.” Avery shook her head.

“Just drink it. No one ever got stupid off one mimosa.” Jolene handed the flute to Avery. “At least I think there is champagne in here. If not, I’m going to be disappointed.”

Avery’s throat was dry so she took a sip. That was some bubbly deliciousness right there. “Thank you.”

Jolene took a sip of her own drink. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or have you think I’m calling you na?ve, because I’m not. I can see you’re wary of him. But you find him cute, you can admit it.”

“He ain’t ugly, that’s for sure,” Avery said vehemently.

Jolene laughed. “I agree, even though I would never admit that in front of him. It’s easy to say you’ll never do something until suddenly you do, then you’re feeling things, and then there are drunken tears at midnight outside a bar, and your heart is broken. Been there, done that.”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid.” Avery wouldn’t have had sex with him if she’d had any clue who he was before their clothes came off, she was sure of it. As for getting her heart broken, she’d prefer that to be over her songwriting skills, not a man.

“That’s good, because honey, my brother is Mr. Stick It In, not Mr. Stick Around.” Jolene put her hands up. “That doesn’t sound pretty, but it’s the truth.”

Avery couldn’t help but give a startled laugh out of embarrassment. “Now that’s one way to put it. I swear to you, I didn’t know who he was when I met him.” She brushed her hair behind her ear. “I appreciate what you’re saying. I know I’m not anything special.”

“See, there’s where you’re wrong. You are special. Because my brother has met a dozen pretty little songwriters and he’s never talked to me about a single one of them.”

Her mouth went dry and she took a huge gulp of the mimosa, almost choking. She wanted to know what Shane had said about her almost more than anything. But even more than that, she didn’t want to screw this opportunity up.

“I may not be the most experienced woman in the world when it comes to men, Ms. Hart, and I have made mistakes in the past.” She thought of Ben. “Big ones. I’ve learned from that.”

She didn’t mean to get personal with Jolene, but it was important to her to make it clear that under no circumstance was the history with Shane going to affect her ability to do her job and do it well. She also thought if Jolene knew how well she could keep a secret, she might be impressed, but there was no way to share that given the secret was her connection to Chance.

“Show me a woman who hasn’t.” Jolene shrugged. “I certainly have. My mother took up with every idiot who drove an eighteen-wheeler after my parents split. Heart as big as Texas, but way too trusting.”

Avery could sympathize with that all too well. “Exactly.” This was an awkward conversation in general, but she wanted Jolene to understand she wasn’t going to tumble head over heels for Shane. Even if she already had, just a little. “But I’m here to start my career, not find a boyfriend.”

That was the truth of it.

“You’re not even going to ask what he said about you?”

She wasn’t sure what the correct answer was here. Was she interested? Absolutely. Did she think that might make her look bad and was she terrified she wouldn’t like what he’d said? Yes and yes. “Uh…no?”

Jolene laughed. “You know you want to know. That wasn’t a trick question. And it’s nothing bad, I promise you. He said you’re sweet. Which you clearly are.”

She had no idea what that meant for what Jolene was implying. “Oh. Well, that’s nice of him.” It was. Though she would prefer to be called sexy or irresistible.

“I’m in a tight spot here. Because I love my brother beyond anything and I want him to be happy, and I think you’d be good for him. But I also feel a responsibility to warn you that all of this will bounce off him, but none of it will bounce off of you. You’ll be a target.”

She knew that. She also knew she was keeping a massive secret from all of these people that might never see the light of day if she was just a songwriter. It might if she were Shane Hart’s public girlfriend. Or whatever it was he wanted her to be.

It was too risky. “I need to focus on my career right now.”

“I totally understand and support you in that. All right, then,” Jolene said, with a nod. “Now that we got that out of the way, a toast.” She raised her glass. “To making a hit record out of this song, which I think we should title, ‘Cleaning Up a Man’s Mess.’”

Relief made her damn near giddy. Her relationship with Shane wasn’t going to impact what happened with the song. She raised her glass and tapped it against Jolene’s. “Cheers.”

Holy crap, this was actually real.

Yet without Shane, this wouldn’t even be happening.

She was sitting in a meeting room with the Jolene Hart, having met Chance, because of Shane.

She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. Avery tapped her flute against Jolene’s and thought life was a wild ride. Like being on the back of Shane’s motorcycle.

He was waiting for them when Jolene opened the door. He gave his sister a stern look.

“Relax,” she said, squeezing his arm. “We had some girl talk. It’s all good. I want the song.” She looked over to Chance. “Right, baby?”

Chance nodded. “I agree. It’s perfect for you.” He held his hand out to Avery and she took it, shaking as firmly as she was capable of while trembling with both excitement and fear.

Yep. This was real.

“Can I talk to you, Avery?” Shane asked.

He didn’t wait for an answer. He took her arm and steered her right back into the office. Avery had one glance at Pat’s startled face before the door closed. Shane locked it.

“What the heck are you doing?” she asked. She wasn’t afraid of him. She was embarrassed. “Pat is going to be suspicious.”

He leaned against the locked door, folded his arms over his chest, and gave her a smile. “Congratulations, Avery. Your song is going to be a huge hit.”

“Thank you, Shane. It’s a dream come true.” It was. But she was also terrified as to what was going through her boss’s head right now. “Open the door.”

“Go to dinner with me. Let’s celebrate.”

This was so dang unfair. “I want to, you know that, but I can’t… not yet. I need to be more established.”

“Pat’s already figured it out. So has Jolene. What did she say to you anyway?”

“She wanted me to be sure I understood what all of this means for me.” She wasn’t saying a word beyond that. “If you don’t open that door, I swear I’m going to jump out the window.”

“I just want—

She cut him off. “I know what you want. I want it too. But the timing isn’t right.”

To her surprise, he capitulated instantly. He shoved off of the door, reaching behind him to unlock it. “Okay. I get it. I do. Call me when you’re ready, Avery. Because I’m going to be waiting.”

A shiver rolled up her spine. Could anything be hotter than a man saying he would wait for her? She didn’t entirely believe him. He’d move on in a month or two. But dang, it was amazing to hear.

“I like you,” she said. “So much. But…”

“I know, sweetheart.” His voice was tender. “I’m pushing too hard.” He reached out and flipped the ends of her hair. “I’m sorry. I’m ruining your big moment.”

“My big moment is because of you.”

“I want your heart, not your gratitude. That’s why I’m going to wait.”

She was afraid he already did have her heart. Everything inside her melted like chocolate in the sun. “I think you’re a very good man,” she told him.

His nostrils flared and his expression changed, head shaking a little. He looked like he was going to protest. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. Or she meant to anyway.

But he turned his head. “Avery, don’t—

He ended up accidentally speaking the last word a whisper away from her lips.

She wasn’t sure what got into her. But she kissed him. Just briefly, ever-so-softly.

But it didn’t stay that way.

Shane immediately gripped her face and kissed her deeply, passionately. They both groaned. They grinded. She lost herself entirely in the feel of his muscular body pressing against hers.

Then Shane firmly set her away from him. “Sorry. Sorry.”

Avery was breathing hard. She wiped her mouth. “I kissed you. By accident.”

Shane grinned. “Damn. You’re right. And I accidentally kissed you back.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Now I’m going to leave this office and tell everyone out there that I wanted to set up a meeting with you for exclusive rights and you’re going to follow right behind me looking flustered for no other reason than because this might turn into a big deal for you.”

Her heart was racing. “Great, sure.” No one was going to believe that, but it was a good cover. Or good enough.

Instinctively, she stepped back three feet and brushed her hair back.

Then he opened the door, cool and calm, and then she smiled and shook hands and sipped champagne as staff members rotated in and out for the last twenty minutes.

By the time Jolene, Chance, and Shane had left and Pat had retreated to her office, Avery was exhausted.

“There’s no going back now,” Lauren told her, stealing the flute from her hand and draining the rest of her mimosa. “Your life just changed, girl.”

It had. Avery was thrilled and excited and terrified.

“I bet that little bitch boy of an ex-boyfriend you have is going to regret doing you wrong,” Lauren added.

That finally made Avery grin. “Who?” It made her want to grab her guitar. She reached for it. “I feel inspiration coming on. The rearview mirror. Looking in it and watching it recede.”

“Nothing but the open road in front of you, baby.” Lauren grabbed her own guitar. “Let’s write something.”