Chapter 9 #2
Just then, my niece zooms into the room and plops down on Zander’s lap. He doesn’t miss a beat as he wraps an arm around her, continuing our conversation while Taylor steals one of his pieces of pizza.
“Yeah, she’s really nervous. Having Dr. Valentine there is a definite bonus, but there are just so many unknowns, you know?
Toddlers are used to having a routine. Meals, naps, bath time, and bed, they all run on a schedule, and she’s just not sure how to manage all that when we’re constantly moving from one place to another. ”
“You’ll adapt,” a deep voice interjects, and I turn my head to see Cash leaning against the doorframe.
He’s still wearing his dark tailored suit and tie he wore to work.
He may work for the family business, but he looks about as rock and roll as an accountant at a wine bar.
“You both will. I swear, kids are like bloodhounds.” Zander snorts.
“They can sense fear and stress, so if you learn to roll with it, she will too. And if shit does hit the fan and something goes wrong, at least you have that hot doctor Hen found you.”
“What the fu—” My big brother cuts me a look that can only be described as the dad stare. “F-f-udge, man?” I manage to say, making Zander choke out a laugh. “And who told you she’s hot?”
“No one. I saw her with my own two eyes.”
“What? When?”
“She came in to meet Dad and sign papers last week, and I ran into her in the hallway and chatted.” I grind my teeth together in annoyance because the thought of my brother laughing it up with Zara makes me want to punch something, and I have no idea why.
It’s been nearly two weeks since the day I was in her office. Twelve days since I got a text from her with a single word: Okay.
Okay?
That’s all you have to say to me? Okay? What the fuck.
Apparently, she had plenty to say to my brother, though.
I’m not entirely sure what I expected. A thank you, maybe? A teensy bit of enthusiasm or gratitude?
Actually, no. I don’t give a shit about any of that.
What I really want to know is whether she’s thought of me. Because I sure as hell have thought about her. After that day in her office, when we both agreed to keep that night to ourselves and remain friends or whatever, I think I somehow unintentionally cursed myself.
Because, as it turns out, that night is all I can think about.
“Hey, losers.” Presley pushes past Cash and makes her way to an empty seat, carrying a plate of cheese pizza and a beer.
“So nice of you to join us.” Cash’s deadpan delivery is really putting the big in big brother tonight. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
I don’t know why he bothers asking. None of us likes the guy. They’ve been dating almost a year now, and a family dinner without Jace is something we all prefer. The last time he was here, he asked Zander who the hottest groupie he’d ever hooked up with on tour was. In front of his wife.
The guy is an asshole.
“Couldn’t make it. And didn’t you get here late too?” she says around a mouthful of pizza, completely unfazed by the rock star sitting next to her. He doesn’t seem to notice her much either, offering a polite nod before returning to his conversation with Mercury.
Thank God for that. Not to say Asher wouldn’t be a step up from Jace, but his life is insane. Just last month, someone broke into his house and tried to snap pics of him sleeping in bed. He can barely go out in public without being mobbed.
I wouldn’t want that for my sister.
“I did,” he replies. “But—”
She cuts him off, turns, and smiles sweetly at Zander and me. “What were you talking about? What’d I miss?”
Things have always been a bit frosty between Cash and Presley. It’s not that they don’t love each other. I wouldn’t even go so far as to say they dislike each other.
Their personalities just…clash.
There is a reason Cash works on the business side of the company.
He’s incredibly practical and disciplined.
Presley, on the other hand, is creative and spontaneous.
And even though she’s done some amazing things with the bar lately, my brother only seems to see her as an impulsive woman with no real goals.
“We were talking about the doctor who’s going on tour with us,” Zander says.
“Oh, right.” Pres nods before pulling her hair to the side to keep it away from her food. “What’s her name again?”
“Zara,” Cash answers, clearly feeling left out of the conversation. “Zara Valentine.” He turns his attention toward me. “She mentioned that the two of you went to school together?”
“Uh, yup,” I manage to say while suddenly becoming transfixed by the greasy slice of pepperoni pizza on my plate.
“You didn’t tell me that,” Zander says. I can feel his eyes boring into me. “Why didn’t you mention it?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug, trying to act nonchalant and failing miserably.
I told Zara I thought keeping our night together a secret was a good idea.
What I failed to mention, however, is my inability to keep an actual secret.
Or lie. Two skills that are absolutely paramount when growing up in a house with four siblings.
Because of this, those four bastards liked to gang up on me a lot. Christmastime was a goddamn nightmare.
And don’t even get me started on the time I had to sign an NDA when Zander signed with Manic. Minus the few days I spent visiting him in North Carolina, I think I locked myself in my house and pretended I was sick with the worst flu on the planet just to make it through those three weeks.
“Wait.” Presley’s eyes go wide. “Is she the one you hooked up with at that—”
I lunge for her, trying to cover her mouth with my hand, but it’s too late. The entire room already heard her, and now I’m gonna have to kill my sister.
It’s a shame, really.
I think she might be my favorite.
“You hooked up with the doctor?” I hear Zander say.
“No!” The word comes out in a rush. “Fuck. Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Pres’s brow furrows. “What does that even mean? Do I want to know what that means?”
“It means…” I let out a frustrated sigh, realizing that I now have the attention of everyone in the room.
Even Mercury and Asher stop their intense conversation to listen to this.
Great. “It means yes. Okay? But I didn’t bring it up because it happened before the job offer was even in the picture and—”
“Oh my god, you like her!” Presley squeals excitedly.
“This is an HR nightmare,” Cash grumbles. I ignore him, because if my brother knew the type of shit that happens on tour, his pencil-pushing heart would probably have a heart attack.
“No, I don’t.” I cut my sister a look that says I’ll deal with her later and sigh. “It’s not like that. It was just a one-time thing. We’ve agreed to keep it professional for the tour.”
“So we just hired your one-night stand?” Zander stares at me, and I hear Asher chuckle. “Jesus.”
“She’s not—” I let out a groan and ran my hands through my hair. “Look, this is why I didn’t say anything.”
“Because it looks bad?” Cash offers.
“What looks bad?” My dad asks, sauntering in with a glass of wine.
“That Hen hooked up with the hot doctor.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter.
“Uncle Hen said a bad word,” Taylor whispers into Zander’s ear.
“You what?” my mom asks as she enters the room.
So much for keeping it a secret.