2. Donny
2
Donny
To say I’m surprised is an understatement.
When I waved at Carmen to play the drums, I expected her to bomb. Instead, she nailed it. Even Jace’s jaw dropped, and that guy never reacts to anything. Watching her fingers fly over the drums, her body moving with the rhythm... damn. How does she keep surprising me like this?
I wish I could lie and say that there’s no attraction there for Carmen, but I can’t. She’s got this beautiful auburn hair that she seems to always have in a perfectly slicked-back bun, which only makes me wonder what it would look like falling over her slender shoulders.
Her eyes caught my attention first, though — a beautiful bright green that looks on the verge of blue. I was almost certain she wore contacts, but I’ve never once seen her take them out.
Every time she looks at me with those eyes, even if it’s just to glare, my heart races. It’s getting harder to hide how much she affects me.
The elevator opens to my penthouse, and I step into the silence. Usually, I love the quiet. Today, it feels suffocating. I miss the chaos of the old days - Ryker’s mess on the kitchen counter, fighting Evan for the TV remote. Now it’s just me and my thoughts. Thoughts that keep drifting back to Carmen and the way she looked behind those drums.
They all have families now.
There was a look in Carmen’s eyes when we stopped our rehearsal, the way she watched Evan and Mia with sadness in her gaze. It looked as though she was mourning the fact that she doesn’t have what they do, and in a way, I can relate to that. I had always imagined I’d have a family someday, but the day never came and I put all my focus on the career I’ve got.
For a brief time, I had to walk away from the band because my grandmother got sick and I was the one who took care of her. I love my parents, but the idea of them taking care of my grandmother left me with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Mack was more than accommodating to everything, telling me that I could take all the time I needed for my family.
My grandmother’s passing hit me hard. She was the one who nurtured me, always making me believe in my dreams. It took a few months to finally make the move and rejoin the band. I spent most of the time after her death drinking beer and trying to numb the pain, even if only for a little while. When I caught up to the guys in the middle of their tour, I knew not to expect Mack because I had been paying attention to the media.
Evan fired him after crossing a line with Ryker that no manager should cross — I mean, who tracks their clients’ every move and practically stalks them? After Mack got fired, he pretty much lost his mind and went after Evan. That’s where Mia comes into play. She’s gorgeous and looks like a sweetheart — but don’t get fooled by that. She’ll knock you out within seconds if she feels someone she cares about is being threatened.
My point is, I didn’t expect Mack to open the door for me when I showed up. What I hadn’t expected was for a bombshell like Carmen to open the door, a scowl on her face like I’m the last person she wanted to see. I think that’s what started the attraction.
I’m used to women flocking to me, batting their eyelashes hoping I’ll take them to my bed for a story to tell their friends, and Carmen went out of her way to get away from me. She gives me the cold shoulder most times, but that doesn’t stop me from eyeing the way she looks each morning she meets with us.
My phone rings, pulling me from my thoughts, and I snag it from my pocket while heading toward the kitchen that rarely gets used. The appliances are top of the line, but I can’t remember ever cooking in here — I usually leave that to my personal chef, who makes the best Thai food I’ve ever had.
I roll my eyes at the caller ID, but slide my finger across the screen because I know she’ll just keep calling if I don’t. “Mom,” I say, then pull open the fridge in hopes that Thea has more food tucked on the second shelf for me.
“Donald, baby,” she says, ignoring the nickname I’ve told her countless times I prefer. I don’t bother correcting her anymore.
There are some battles that aren’t worth fighting over, and this is one of them.
“Things are going good, I assume?” my mother asks.
“Great.” I swallow thickly, the lie I’ve told her going down with it.If only she knew how much I wished it were true. How much I wished I had someone to come home to.
“That’s wonderful news because your father and I are going to visit before our cruise next week. We’re looking forward to meeting your fiancée.”
My stomach drops. fiancée. Right. The one that doesn’t exist. “Mom, maybe that’s not such a good idea. I’ve got that charity concert coming up. Swamped with rehearsals.” My mind races, trying to find a way out of this mess.
Please say okay, that you understand and don’t want to get in the middle of my work.
“I’m sure you can take a couple of days to spend some time with your family, right?” she asks and I can imagine her brow arched, challenging me, with her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“You’re right.” I slump forward in defeat, no longer having the appetite to eat the food in front of me. “When do you think you’ll be here?”
“In a few days.”
“I’ll make sure the housekeeper has the guest room prepared for you.”
“Wonderful!”
We’re silent for a moment, and I clear my throat. “I’m heading to bed. I guess I’ll see you guys soon.”
“Love you, baby.”
As soon as we hang up, I rub at my temples where a headache is starting to build and blow out a rough breath.
This is what I get for telling her stories of a woman who doesn’t exist. I never would’ve had to act like I’m the happiest guy in the world if she wasn’t constantly badgering me about my love life. Every single time we talked on the phone, she would bring another one of her friends’ daughters, who she thought I would make cute babies with.
It was suffocating me to the point that a few months ago, I told her that I was engaged. Of course, the news ended with her demanding to know why I never said anything, and I had to make up another lie about wanting things to stay private for as long as they could.
After that she started hounding me to bring her to visit them, that they would love to meet her, and thankfully I always had the perfect excuse — we were in the middle of creating a new album, which isn’t a lie, and it was taking up all my time. Then her focus went on making sure I was still giving my fiancée the attention she deserved and not working myself to death.
I guess my time has run out.
How the hell am I going to find someone who is willing to act like my lover when I don’t even talk to women? All the women I’m surrounded by are already taken — Julia, Mia, Mallory.
A light bulb goes off in my head and I straighten my spine, a smirk tilting at the corner of my lips.
No, I couldn’t possibly do it.
The only other woman I’m constantly around, who I know for certain doesn’t have a man in her life, is the one woman who would be most likely to wrap her pretty fingers around my neck. My dick jumps behind the zipper of my jeans and I do my best to tame the desire clawing inside of me.
Carmen would never agree to it.
Just thinking about her has my mind running wild with an image from when I first started back with the band. The way her skirt tightened around her thighs and accentuated her curves, or the deep red blouse that showed just the smallest swell of her breasts.
I groan into the empty kitchen, then push away from the island and try to think of a way that I can persuade her. Maybe if she thinks I’ll be off my game for the concert, she’ll have no choice but to make sure I’m sane enough to get through it. I’ve been around her long enough to know that she’s a perfectionist when it comes to our shows. She wouldn’t let anything come in the way of that—even something like being engaged to a client.
I’ve only got a few days to get our stories aligned, but I freeze at the thought. You would think that I’d remember the lies I spilled. The truth is, I don’t and I have no clue if everything I tell my parents will come out the same way as it did before.
We’ve been rehearsing and focusing on our new album. Maybe a bit of sleep will refresh my memory and I’ll have nothing to worry about.
Yeah, right?
As much as I’d love for everything to work out for me, I have a feeling this will be a lot more work than I had intended for it to be.
I just had to go and tell my mother I was engaged.
***
This time, when we are done with rehearsal, I wait until everyone except Carmen has disappeared into their respective dressing rooms. There’s sweat soaking my hair and I quickly shake it, then peel the shirt away from my skin. It’s not the best way I would’ve done things, but desperation has me dealing with the cards I’ve been given.
I clear my throat, making Carmen jump. Her hand flies to her chest, and she whirls around, fixing me with a glare that could melt steel. God, she’s gorgeous when she’s angry. I can’t help but smirk, raising my hands in surrender. “Sorry, Carm. Have a minute to talk?”
She rolls her eyes, but I catch the slight quirk of her lips. “Barely, but sure. What’s so important, rockstar?”
That attraction comes barreling back through me, and I have to adjust myself in my jeans before she catches onto it. I walk us over to the lounge area situated behind the large black curtains and wait until she’s sitting down to turn toward her. “I need a favor.”
Carmen eyes me curiously, a stray hair falling in front of her face that surprises me. “What do you need, Donny?” She chews on the inside of her and frowns. “You aren’t usually the one I have to worry about damage control for, but I can have someone here in the next five minutes.”
“I want you to marry me,” I blurt out. The words hang in the air between us. Carmen’s mouth drops open, and I swear I see a flash of something in her eyes before shock takes over. My cheeks burn. “Not like that,” I quickly add, though a part of me wishes it were.
She blinks, then narrows her eyes. “Are you high?” She leans in, scrutinizing my face. I catch a whiff of her perfume, and it takes all my willpower not to close the distance between us. “Do I have something to worry about?” Her voice is all business now, but I can hear the underlying concern. “Damn, this is the last thing I need. I’ll get in touch with a good program. We might have to postpone the show until next year.”
“No!” I interrupt, grabbing her hand without thinking. The touch sends a jolt through me, and I quickly let go. “It’s not what you think. I need a favor. A big one.”
“Explain,” she commands, anger flaring in her sea-green eyes.
Which I do. I tell her every sordid detail I can remember about what I told my mother and how my parents are coming for a visit in a few days to meet the imaginary woman I’ve been engaged to. I’m out of breath by the time I’m done, and Carmen stares at me unblinkingly.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “I need you to be my fiancée.”
Carmen’s eyes widen, a mix of shock and something else—curiosity?
At this rate, I should’ve just put an ad in the paper. There’s no way Carmen is going to agree.