Chapter 6
I woke up with the sun inching around my blinds and groaned. I’d awoken in the early hours in the morning in my chair after strange dreams about Matteo. I could almost taste his lips, a searing kiss that lit a blaze deep within me. To be thinking this hard about a guy, to be desiring him this much left me feeling unsettled.
Never one to rise early, this day was no exception. My bed was warm and inviting. I pulled my blankets over my head, not ready to get up. But my thoughts turned to the dark eyes, and the fiery kiss again, and I kicked the covers back. Staying in bed wasn’t helping. I left behind the comfort and changed into gym clothes. Maybe running will get my mind off such things.
As I entered the lounge, I froze. A dark shape sat on my balcony, against the door. My heart skipped. I opened the door, staring at my guitar case in confusion. I’d left it and had run, and I was on the twentieth floor.
“This makes no sense,” I muttered.
I opened the case to make sure that my guitar wasn’t damaged. My notebook was tucked inside. Unsure how it had ended up there, I pulled it inside, shoving aside confusion and worry. I headed down to the gym, ready to push myself. I couldn’t stop thinking about Matteo. The dream kiss, and what I thought I’d seen last night.
The gym was quiet, a couple of guys using the weights, their voices low as they spoke to each other. Music came from someone’s phone speaker. I found Dan about to step onto the treadmill, and I smiled when he saw me.
“Quinn, I had almost given up hope of you showing up,” Dan said.
“Never.” I grinned at him. “I’m going to speed it up a little today, do you think you can keep up?”
His eyes glinted and he started his treadmill. “Is that a challenge?”
Dan was attractive with a lean body, brown eyes, sandy blonde hair, and a goatee. His grin was always one of mischief, and he worked in the sun, as evident in his tan. There was an attraction between us, and I wondered if I should just have some no-strings-attached fun. I wasn’t ready for a relationship but wouldn’t mind having sex. I’d only known him for a year and thought it likely I’d give in sooner or later. He seemed to have the same expectation .
I took the treadmill next to Dan’s. As my feet pounded on the belt, I started to relax. My focus switched to running and breathing. We faced a window that looked out over the city.
I would have practise with the girls later and started to look forward to it. I longed for the day I would find myself on the stage of a bigger venue, with thousands cheering my name. It was likely an unrealistic dream, but one I would always have. Perhaps one day I’d travel beyond Australia. Despite that, life was comfortable, and I was content.
We ran for half an hour, side by side, and I felt I could have gone longer, but I stopped anyway. I wiped my face with the towel I’d brought with me.
“Someone needs a shower,” Dan joked.
“And breakfast,” I commented.
My words only made his eyes light up. “I cook a mean breakfast,” he offered.
I only smiled as we got into the elevator, even when he stood too close. I knew he’d never force himself on me. Unlike…
I froze. The man who had wanted to last night. I still didn’t know if he wanted to rob me or rape me, but either way, it could have been me in that alley. I had been lucky.
“You all good?” Dan asked.
I forced a smile. “Yeah, sweet as. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
“Too easy!” He got out on the eighteenth floor, and I returned to my apartment on the twentieth to have a shower.
As I towelled off, I turned music on. Once dressed, I danced and sang as I pulled eggs from the fridge. The run had given me the energy I needed, and I was ready to face whatever the day threw at me. I wanted to start the day with a large breakfast.
I arrived at Lilith and Mia’s place just before ten.
“We’re going out for coffee first,” Mia told me when she greeted me at the door. “Lil hasn’t had one yet, and you know what she’s like.”
Lilith would only drink cafe coffee and was not approachable before she’d had her first cup. She always insisted how much instant coffee was an insult to coffee, so we just went with it.
“How have you not managed to get coffee into her yet?” I laughed.
“It was a late night, and she’s only just got out of bed.” Mia’s grin suggested the reason for the late night. I burst out laughing.
“Uh huh. Okay, then let’s go. I want to go to that place we went to last time; they had a really good ‘Death by Chocolate’.”
“Isn’t it a bit early for a sweet tooth?” Lilith asked, walking into the room.
She didn’t smile, and likely wouldn’t until she had her coffee.
“It’s ten,” I told her with a shrug. “You have your vices, I have mine.”
“Doesn’t it undo the run you had this morning?” Mia’s eyes lit up. “Oh! How was Daaan ?” She winked. “Or is it all about Matteo now?”
I had spent most of the morning trying not to think about Matteo. I knew my face was pink as my cheeks heated.
“Come on.” I urged. “Put your boots on and let’s go.”
“She doesn’t want to talk about Matteo,” Mia said to Lilith and turned back to me. “Did something happen?”
I opened my mouth and frowned. “I dreamed about him.”
Mia led us outside, and I pulled on my sunnies. “Tell me all about your dream,” she insisted, delighted as we walked to the coffee shop.
I shrugged, trying to play it down. “He was on my balcony and called me out to him. There was kissing and…” I stopped, aroused by the dream again. The feel of his tongue as he licked my throat as if tasting me. I suppressed a shiver.
“You’ve gone red again,” Mia laughed. “And I know that look: You’re hot for him, aren’t you? From a dream! Quinn!”
“Can we talk about something else?” I asked. “I’m not ready for that.”
“She’s only just returned to music. Maybe we should lay off with pushing her onto men,” Lilith muttered.
Mia lost her smile. “Sorry Quinn, I didn’t mean to.”
I nodded. “It’s okay. You’re okay. I doubt I’ll ever see him again anyway. It was a one-off meeting. He looks like a bad boy type, so he’s probably already off with some woman, completely unaware that I’m having dreams of him.”
The idea of him with someone hurt, and I didn’t understand my growing obsession. Forget him . Instead I turned my focus on the streets around us. People hurried by, going about their Saturday morning. I let myself soak up the sunshine. As we entered the cafe, a man walked out and smiled at me.
Mia nudged me. “Ten bucks says he’ll check out your ass,” she murmured.
I glanced over my shoulder, and sure enough he was doing so. He caught me looking and smiled again, without shame.
“I’m not giving you my money,” I told her.
“You draw their attention no matter where we go. Especially when you sing,” she said, and I knew she was talking about Matteo.
We sat at our usual table and hung our jackets on the back of the chairs. Mia ordered for us. Caramel macchiato for me, long black for Lilith and a jasmine tea for herself.
“I thought we were going out for coffee,” I said.
“I’m trying to lay off the coffee.” She shrugged. “It makes me jittery.”
Lilith’s moody silence remained as Mia talked for the both of them.
“There’s a new art gallery opening up near your place next week,” she mentioned. “We should go.”
I raised my eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right? You hate art.”
Her laughter was infectious. “You think I go for the art? Hello, have you met me? It’s all about the free food and alcohol.”
“Nothing about checking out the artists?” I asked.
“Actually, Lil read an article about the owner. He really seems genuine in wanting to help unknown artists. But no one has seen him, nor what he looks like. No one even knows his name.”
“You want to go to an opening to check out some guy who helps artists?” I frowned. “How long before you get bored?”
Our drinks arrived and Lilith took a sip, sighing in relief. “I’ll give her an hour. I wouldn’t mind seeing the opening, though.”
I’d taken a course in art while studying music at uni, so the idea had appeal.
“I’m keen as!” I agreed and flinched. I’d picked up my dad’s use of phrases.
An elderly couple walked past, glaring at Lilith’s tattoos. Lilith’s arms were covered. A small crossbow on her wrist, with music notes and lyrics twisted around her arm from our first song that we’d recorded together. Above that, an armband of roses intertwined with thorns. The other arm had the first lines of the Iliad on her forearm, a roman helmet on her shoulder and movie characters, around her arm, above her elbow.
I was glad they couldn’t see mine.
I breathed in the strong coffee smell, savouring the sweet notes of caramel and let out a deep sigh. Lilith rolled her eyes but stuck her nose in her coffee cup. Next, my food arrived. Chocolate cake heated and covered in chocolate sauce with a dollop of ice cream.
“My teeth hurt just looking at that,” Lilith commented.
“Just as well you’re not eating it, then.” I bit into the cake, almost moaning at the rich chocolate flavour. “Oh, chocolatey goodness.”
Lilith scoffed. “I think our album will be ready next week. ”
Mia grinned. “So I was thinking, we should start filming a new music video.” She held up her phone. “We’re getting some serious views on the last one we did. Last night at The Underground showed that people are interested. We need to give them more.”
“As long as we avoid the beach, though,” I said. “Maybe we can film in the city this time.”
Lilith nodded, understanding my reason.
Lilith grabbed the phone from Mia. “Woah, a hundred thousand views?” her voice rose. I couldn’t blame her; we’d never had that many views on anything before.
“Not only that, but I also uploaded the video from the sound booth of Quinn singing…” Mia grabbed her phone back and pulled up the new video. “Ten thousand views. I think we should do more behind-the-scenes videos and pics. Views have increased since your return.”
“You should put social media personality extraordinaire under your name on the business card.” I laughed. “Okay, how about a photo of us with our coffee. It can be a ‘before practice’ promo.”
“Perfect.” Mia opened her camera, and we shifted around the table. “Say roses and thorns.”