Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
NOAH
It didn’t take us long to decide that we were going to hire Trey.
Despite his obvious interest in Everly when we first met him, he was pretty good at the job.
And as for his interest, well, she was a beautiful woman and if we had to use that as criteria, then I should not be hired, either.
The man rubbed me the wrong way, but that probably had a lot to do with us both being interested in the same woman.
Despite a couple weeks passing since we found the parcel outside her door, I still hadn’t found a place of my own. I did however buy a new car, and Everly’s had been fixed, which made everything easier to navigate.
She had been at the office earlier in the week, to bring me the spare key she’d had made since she needed to leave early for a gig and the house would be empty.
Trey had almost tripped over himself to talk to her.
Not that he stood a chance. There was no mistaking how she looked at me.
And while lust was in there, definitely, that was not all there was.
So, when Trey made his way to talk to Everly, I didn’t feel the need to stake my claim. There was no overt display of possession. I simply walked into the lobby to meet her and as soon as her eyes found mine, her smile… fuck that smile. Men would go to war for that look.
I wasn’t sure if Trey got the hint then, but if he didn’t I would make it more obvious the next time the situation arose.
But that was a problem for another day. For starters, my night would be spent at a bar called The Reverse Cowgirl.
It sounded like a strip joint, but I had been assured it was nothing of the sort.
It was Everly's Friday night gig. Mrs. Salinger would be watching Mason’s twins so he and his wife would be joining me, along with Bex Salinger.
I was looking forward to watching Everly on stage. According to Skylar, and then guys around the office, it was something to behold. I had, of course, seen her perform in music videos. Granted, those were dated, and more than a decade old. Still, it was easy to see how much she enjoyed performing.
It was something she had passed down to my daughter.
Nearly every night we needed to move the furniture around the cottage to give Sky enough space to rehearse.
It was obvious that she loved dance. Watching the emotions play across her face was just as mesmerizing as watching her body move.
There was no doubt that if we kept up that pace at home, even I would learn the choreography.
Then again, the thing very few people were aware of, was Sky probably got her gift for dance from me.
Oh, I was never as good as her, and I gave up as soon as puberty hit, but I wasn’t bad. It was a thing my mother wanted me to do so I could get a foothold in the industry. An industry I wanted nothing to do with. And yet, it seemed I couldn’t avoid it.
Everly mentioned that she had the opportunity to record another album and do a tour. I had mixed feelings about the situation because I would miss her. But I was happy that my presence in Skylar’s life had made the decision to go ahead easier for her.
On my end, I was glad that she had that kind of faith in me. The idea of spending an extended period of time alone with Skylar scared the shit out of me, though.
I was just picking up my keys when Bex walked into my office. “You sent me the Baker file. I take it you’re putting a team together?”
Randall Baker had all his fingers in some disgusting pies.
With Jared in Texas working remotely, I was already a man short.
At least Tex would provide any cyber support we needed.
I couldn’t afford for Bex to pull out of the mission as well.
Lilly would have to let me know who the best person would be to replace Jared.
“Well, I was hoping you would be part of that team.” Technically, with Bex owning the company along with her siblings she was my boss, even though I was a team leader.
It was a strange dynamic, and one that would take some time to get used to.
“Of course. I take it Lilly recommended me?” Bex sat in the chair opposite me, and I took that as my cue to sit as well. “What do you need from me?”
“Your perspective on the op. But not tonight. And I get the impression that was not the reason you came in here.”
Bex smiled, those hazel eyes sparkling. “So, Mr. Urban Legend. What are your intentions with my friend?”
“At some point someone is going to have to explain that to me. And my intention is to get to know my daughter.”
“Everly can explain it and of course you want to get to know your daughter. That’s what any good and decent man would do.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “But surely your intention is with Everly as well.”
How did I answer that without sounding like a douche?
“There’s attraction, certainly. But Bex, I’m not a good prospect.
I’m broken.” At one point I may have been capable of offering another human being love and caring and all the things that Everly deserves, but I just was not that person any longer.
“I need to be a good dad for Skylar, and I am not sure that is even enough.”
Bex cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you think you should’ve considered that before you kissed her.”
Of course. I couldn’t help but smile as I shook my head. “Do you ladies tell each other everything?”
“Everything that matters.” Bex shrugged and stood up. “And trust me, a heated kiss with the baby daddy matters.”
With that she stood and walked out of my office, and I followed only moments later.
Back at the cottage, I was alone in the house.
Even the little pup was with Skylar at Grace’s.
She wouldn’t be sleeping over there, but she and Grace and another friend of theirs were doing a school project together and since circumstances worked out that way, they decided to work on it while I got to see Everly on stage for the first time.
They’d be sleeping over at the other friend’s house.
I walked into the house, and every instinct I had reared to life.
I looked around and nothing was out of place.
Still, the hairs at the back of my neck rose.
Nothing was out of place in the living room.
Everly had left the pile of mail on the coffee table before she left, and her coffee mug was in the sink.
I shook off the unease and got ready for the evening.
After a quick shower I pulled on a pair of jeans and a black polo shirt.
From what I could understand, The Reverse Cowgirl had a relaxed dress code, but it still paid to put in some effort.
I pulled my black leather jacket from the hanger, and grabbed my keys.
As I stood in the doorway, I gave the living and open plan kitchen one more look. I wanted to make sure I memorized what the house looked like. It took several moments before I was satisfied. I closed the door and headed out to my new truck.
By the time I arrived at the bar, everyone was already there.
Beer and sweat hung in the air. A few people wore cowboy hats.
The staff even had branded black ones. Somehow, it gave the place a less authentic feel.
In one back corner was a mechanical bull and someone was actually attempting to ride it backward.
The place was far too kitsch to be described as a country and western bar, and yet the place was packed.
Lilly and Oliver also joined us. Both of them had chosen to wear cowboy hats, and I had to admit that Lilly looked really adorable.
I nodded at Oliver. “Didn’t know you were joining us.”
“Lil and I want to have as many dates as possible over the next seven months. Once the baby arrives, those will come to an end.”
“Only for a little while.” Brie, one of Everly's best friends piped up. “Then you learn to express milk and you get over the fear that they’ll think you’ve abandoned them.
You’ll realize that they’re happy with grandma and grandpa, and you’ll realize it’s time to date again.
Or stay home and fuck each other’s brains out which I assume is what Anna and Nick are doing since when I dropped the twins off, Matty was there. ”
Oliver nodded. “Right, then.”
Yeah, I got the distinct impression that it had been a while since Brie had been on a date.
Unlike me, Bex had no problem asking exactly that. “I take it you haven’t been on a date in a while.”
“The last time I was on a date, someone shot at me and injured Mason.” Her eyes narrowed. “I am hoping for a very different result tonight.”
Bex smiled. “I bet you are.”
Brie turned to me. “So, you’re the urban legend man. We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Brie by the way.”
I took her hand. “Noah, and I have heard of you.”
“From Ev? Then it's all good. She’d never say a bad word about me.”
“I could start now, if you continue to call him the urban legend man.”
I turned to the source of that voice. My heart stuttered and dick twitched as I took her in.
That blonde hair was curled and appeared just a little shorter.
The makeup that brought out everything good about that pretty face.
The fuck me high heeled boots, the painted-on leather pants.
All of it. But it was the corset that took my dick from hard to fucking concrete.
It pushed up her breasts and cinched her waist. The woman was a goddess under normal circumstances, but ready to perform, she was my every wet dream come to life.
“You’re beautiful.” Those were the only words that came to mind. I think I opened my mouth several times to speak but couldn’t manage any other words.
“Thanks.” She looked among all of us and then back at me. I would guess she was blushing, but it was well concealed by her makeup. “I just wanted to come say hi before I went up. I hope you all enjoy it. And a round of drinks for this table is on the house.”
Before she had a chance to leave, I pulled her closer to me. She wasn’t mine. Not really. But I wanted her to be. “I mean it. You’re really beautiful. Have fun up there.”
“Thanks.”
A moment later she was lost in the crowd and not even ten minutes later she was on that stage.
“Good evening, everyone. Let’s start tonight off with one of mine that we all know and love.”
The opening lines to Tempt Me started and as soon as she started singing, I was lost. She even caught my eyes a few times as she scanned the crowd.
Song after song I became more and more mesmerized by her. The way her voice carried, and her body moved. Even more, she loved the crowd. There was no way she could give it up. And if she had the opportunity to do it on a bigger scale, she had to take it. She had to go on tour.
The hairs on the back of my neck rising pulled me from my thoughts. I stopped and turned around the bar. No one in particular stood out.
I looked around the table and Oliver and Mason were also looking around. Something tripped them up too. Bex and Lilly were more subtle, but they were not at ease either.
With all the backup I had, I let out an exhale. We were safe, I could enjoy the evening.