Chapter 2
Joel looked up from his computer when there was a knock on the door to his hotel suite.
“Housekeeping,”
someone called from the hallway.
He rose and opened the door, prepared to say he was okay for towels, but stopped when he saw Andi’s smiling face standing next to her cart.
Her eyes widened when she realized it was him.
“We need to stop meeting this way,”
she joked.
“Andi.”
He could tell she was surprised he’d remembered her name.
The truth was he’d been thinking about the petite blonde ever since he walked out of the convenience store a little after three a.m. Leaving her had been harder than he might have expected, considering the woman was a stranger.
However, it went against his nature to leave someone in what he believed to be a dangerous situation. And as far as he was concerned, a young woman alone in a convenience store in the middle of the night was asking for trouble.
Joel would like to think he’d feel protective of anyone in the same situation, but something about Andi had caught his attention and held onto it. He was no stranger to beautiful women, and while she was charming with her wavy blonde hair and big blue eyes, that wasn’t what drew him in.
It was her personality. She’d gotten called in to work someone else’s shift in the middle of the night and showed up with a smile on her face and a cheerful attitude. She was friendly and bubbly, and he got the sense that what he saw was what he got with Andi. It was refreshing, given the fact he spent too much time dealing with people who were fake—inside and out.
Then something else occurred to him, and his pleasure at seeing her again morphed into anger. Dark circles under her eyes indicated she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, and he frowned. “Did you come straight from the convenience store to work here?”
“Yep,”
she replied, oblivious to the irritation her response sparked.
Where was this woman’s family? Why was she working two jobs back-to-back like this? Didn’t she have anyone to help her?
She mentioned her brother but no one else.
He reached out before he could think better of it and ran the tip of one finger under her eye. “You’re tired.”
They certainly didn’t know each other well enough for him to touch her, but Andi didn’t shy away.
Instead, she lifted one shoulder casually and gave him another dose of that gorgeous smile. “It’s okay. You’re one of my last rooms. I’m actually getting off a little bit early today. I had a lot of rooms with Do Not Disturb signs.”
As she said that, she waved jazz hands to celebrate. “There is definitely a nap in my plans for this afternoon.”
“Good,”
he said, though her reassurance didn’t make him feel much better. “You can mark this room off your list as well. I’m good on towels.”
“How was your brunch?”
she asked, peering around him as if she wanted to make sure he really was okay without her cleaning his room.
“Successful,”
he answered succinctly.
“That’s good. I know you said you’re here for business, but have you had a chance to do any sightseeing?”
He shook his head, pleased that she seemed as anxious to keep the conversation between them going as he was. If he’d been smart, he would have asked her to clean the room just so he could be with her a few minutes longer.
Joel had never been so overwhelmed by such an immediate attraction. He was definitely succumbing to lust at first sight, where Andi was concerned. “I’m afraid there won’t be time for that on this trip, though I have been trying to hit some good local restaurants at mealtimes rather than ordering room service. Got any suggestions?”
Her eyes lit up. “You absolutely have to go to Pat’s Pub. It has the best food and ambiance, and the waitstaff is top-notch, second to none in the entire city.”
She giggled, then confided, “I wait tables there.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Joel didn’t even bother to hide his dark scowl, and her smile wavered.
She worked three jobs?
“Um,”
she stumbled, taken aback by the vehemence in his voice.
“I can’t imagine working such long hours is good for you, Andi.”
Joel was fighting hard to keep a lid on the part of him that was compelled to swoop in and take charge of this woman’s life. It was a foolish notion, considering they’d just met, and he had no right to do so. The problem was it appeared no one else was doing it, and…well…goddammit, he wanted to. He’d have to analyze that compulsion later, or maybe he should pretend it wasn’t there.
He was well aware of his overly dominant personality, and while that trait had served him well in his career, it had never crossed over into his personal life.
Not until Andi.
“What’s that saying?”
She was clearly trying to put them back on more steady ground. “No rest for the wicked.”
Joel took a couple of deep breaths, his impulse to help her suddenly overridden by a more powerful desire. One that was ignited by her comment. He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “And are you wicked?”
he asked in a deep, dark tone.
He didn’t think she meant the smile she gave him to be one of pure seduction, but damn if it didn’t nearly bring him to his knees.
“I’d like to be,”
she confided with outright honesty. “But there’s not much time in my schedule to be naughty.”
“Jesus,”
Joel breathed.
She blushed as if she hadn’t meant to cross that line. “Well, if you’re good to go,”
she said, turning to her cart.
“When do you work at Pat’s Pub?”
he asked, anxious to see her again before he left town.
“Tonight.”
It was the best and the worst thing she could have said because while he looked forward to seeing her, there was no question in his mind now that he was about to become a part of Andi’s life. God help the woman.
He stood straighter. “Tonight?”
“Yeah,”
she said cautiously, as if she could tell the tide had turned, but she didn’t have a clue why. So the clever girl decided on a quick escape. “I have a couple more rooms to take care of. Will I, um, see you tonight?”
Joel nodded. “You will.”
Wild horses wouldn’t keep him away.
Joel glanced around Pat’s Pub, and he could instantly see why Andi had spoken so highly of it. The place was inviting, and from the camaraderie shared by the patrons sitting around the bar, it was clear the pub was popular with the locals. He could imagine large groups gathering here on Sundays in the fall to watch football on the big screen TVs or popping in after work on Fridays for a weekend-launching happy hour.
The bartender noticed him standing by the door. “You can grab a seat anywhere,”
he called out with a smile.
Joel looked around for Andi, wanting to sit in her section. He hoped to entice her to join him during her break and planned to leave her one hell of a tip. Given that she was working three jobs, money was obviously a concern for her.
Joel claimed a table near a small makeshift stage, nodding his thanks when the bartender walked over and handed him a menu.
“Welcome to Pat’s Pub. I’m Padraig. Haven’t seen you here before. You live in Baltimore, or are you just passing through?”
“Just passing through,”
Joel confided. “I met one of your waitresses, Andi, earlier today, and she suggested I give the place a try. I was hoping to sit in her section,” he added.
“Well, I think you’re about as close to her section as you can get.”
Padraig nodded toward the stage. “She’s not waiting tables tonight. She’s singing.”
Joel glanced toward the stage, noting the tatty guitar set on its stand and the lone microphone. “She sings?”
“She’s got one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. And my aunt is Teagan Collins.”
It wasn’t often that someone could genuinely shock Joel, but Padraig had managed when he casually dropped his famous aunt’s name.
“Teagan…Collins.”
Joel was no stranger to the music industry. Hell, he’d been working as a music producer for twelve years. Teagan Collins was one of the biggest names there was. She and her husband, Sky Mitchell, have owned the top of the charts for the better part of three decades.
Suddenly, a light went on.
“Pat’s Irish Pub,”
Joel murmured. He’d watched a documentary on the life of Sky and Teagan several years ago. The pub was mentioned not only as the place where Teagan and Sky met but also as a sort of jumping board for other musicians. Hunter Maxwell had gotten his start here as a pub singer, and while she wasn’t discovered here, Aubrey Summers, the pop sensation, had married into the family and was reported to drop into the pub from time to time to give an impromptu show.
“You’ve heard of us?”
Padraig was obviously pleased by that.
Joel nodded. “I’m a music producer. This pub has quite the reputation when it comes to showcasing talented musicians.”
“Yeah, well, the truth is we’ve just been lucky. Talent seems to find its way to our doorstep,”
Padraig said humbly. “You really a music producer?”
“I am.”
Padraig sighed. “Damn. Looks like I’m about to lose a great waitress.”
He gave Joel a wink. “What can I get you to drink?”
Joel ordered a National Bohemian beer—when in Rome—and Padraig returned to the bar.
Over the next hour, more patrons made their way into the pub, more than Joel would have expected, given it was a Sunday night. When Padraig delivered his food, he confided they were all there to hear Andi, bragging that she’d more than doubled the Sunday traffic since she’d started performing that night.
He had polished off his second beer and a plateful of the greatest fish and chips he’d ever eaten when Andi walked into the pub. She made her way to the stage, stopping to greet several people along the way.
“Joel,”
she said with delight when she spotted him there. “You came.”
He stood up and gave her a quick hug. He wasn’t sure why it felt like they’d already progressed to that point, but Andi hugged him back, so the familiarity was shared. “It was a great recommendation.”
She glanced down at his empty plate. “Fish and chips? Excellent decision. They’re killer, aren’t they? I swear the cook, Riley Collins, is the best in the city.”
“Collins? She’s related to Padraig?”
“Yes. The Collins family has owned and operated this pub forever. It started with Patrick Collins and his wife, Sunday. Then some of their kids, and now there’s a lot of the third generation working here as well, Padraig included.”
Andi clearly adored the Collins family. “Are you hanging out for a little while? I’m about to start my set.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
She smiled at his response, then climbed the stage, tuning her guitar for a minute before she started playing. For an hour, she sang an array of music, from popular bar tunes everyone sang along to and a few songs she’d written herself.
Joel was blown away. He’d known halfway through the first song Padraig had been right because there was no way Joel would allow someone as talented as Andi to continue working three dead-end jobs. Not when she was so obviously destined for much bigger things.
When her set ended, she rose and walked right over to his table. “You stayed.”
He pointed to the chair. “Can you join me for a little while?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I usually take a fifteen-minute break. Then I’ll do another set. I only do two on Sunday nights.”
Padraig walked over to hand her a glass of water. “Great job, Andi. As always. I’ve had a couple people ask if you’re going to sing ‘Bigger Dreams’ tonight?”
Andi lit up. “Seriously? Yeah. Of course, I’ll sing it. Wow.”
Padraig returned to the bar, leaving Joel to wonder about the request. “Bigger Dreams?”
“It’s a song I wrote. Usually, people request the covers, so I’m thrilled they want to hear one of mine.”
“You perform here a lot?”
“Just Fridays and Sundays. Then I wait tables the rest of the week.”
Joel sighed. “You’re going to work yourself to death at this rate.”
Andi didn’t seem to share his concern. “It’s worth it.”
“Why?”
Joel asked, curious about what was driving her to work so damn hard.
“I told you why. Because of my brother. Dylan wants to go to college. That’s not cheap, and there’s no way I’m letting a lack of money be the reason he can’t attend. He’s done without enough in his life.”
“And what about you?”
“What about me?”
she asked confused.
“Aren’t you doing without things, too?”
She waved his question away like it was ridiculous. It wasn’t, and her response tweaked the alpha in him that wanted to demand she take better care of herself.
“Where are your parents?”
Joel knew it was a personal question, probably too personal, considering they hadn’t even known each other for twenty-four hours. Still, he needed to know what he was up against if he hoped to convince her to give up her three jobs and take a chance on a new career, recording her music.
“My dad split when I was nine. Mom was pregnant with Dylan at the time. She did the best she could…for a while. She has a drinking problem,”
Andi admitted.
“So you pay the bills.”
His statement wasn’t a question, but Andi answered it as if it was.
“Mom chips in sometimes, but holding down a job isn’t really one of her strengths.”
Andi gave him a rueful grin as if she was ashamed of herself for saying something negative about her mother.
Meanwhile, he felt the need to meet her mom and read her the riot act for allowing her daughter to not only carry the weight of the family on her slim shoulders but also put herself in dangerous situations to do so. Andi had no business working in that convenience store in the middle of the night.
“To be honest,”
Andi added, “the nights I sing here don’t feel like work. My music is my happy place, so having the opportunity to play my guitar and sing the songs I’ve written for an audience feels like a gift.”
“You realize you’re talented enough to record. Have you never considered pursuing a career in music?”
She laughed as if the idea was preposterous.
“I wasn’t joking,”
he said, too seriously. This woman worked too hard for her family without giving a second thought to herself. Didn’t she have any dreams? “What do you wish for, Andi? In life,”
he clarified.
She tilted her head. “I told you. I want my brother to go to college.”
“No.”
Joel shook his head. “That’s your brother’s dream, not yours.”
Andi sighed, and for the first time since he had met her, that ever-present smile on her face faded. “Dreams are for people with money, Joel. I’ve learned it’s smart to keep my aspirations smaller, more achievable. I need to get back on stage. Thanks for the chat. I hope the rest of your business in Baltimore is successful.”
She used the word he’d said to describe his brunch meeting. “Goodbye.”
It was apparent she expected him to leave, but she didn’t know him well enough to understand that their conversation was nowhere near finished. Andi thought walking away would end the uncomfortable topic, but she was about to get her first lesson in who he was. Because Joel was a stubborn son of a bitch.
He spent the next hour listening to her sing, falling more and more in love with her voice—and God help him, maybe even Andi. He found himself imagining a future for her since she refused to dream for herself.
When she sang the requested song, “Bigger Dreams,”
he didn’t doubt that Andi had the potential to become as big a star as Teagan Collins.
As the last strains of the song faded away, she rose, thanking everyone for coming, then packed up her guitar.
“You’re still here.”
He liked that she sounded pleased by that.
“I am. Are you heading out?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t live too far away. I usually walk.”
Joel bit his tongue as he looked out into the dark night. “You have a penchant for living a dangerous life, don’t you?”
A small crinkle formed between her eyebrows as if she was confused by his comment.
“It’s not safe for a woman to walk home alone at night,”
he added to clarify. “Would you like to share a cab with me?”
He was proud of himself for making his words a request when all he really wanted to do was tell her she was going to let him see her home safely.
“Sure. That would be nice. I’m beat. Only managed to squeeze in a three-hour nap after leaving the hotel, so I’m struggling from missing a night of sleep.”
He frowned. “You didn’t sleep at all last night?”
“When I got home after my shift here, Barbie called to ask me to cover for her at the store. It’s no big deal. Mo’ money,”
she joked as his scowl grew darker. “Plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead.”
He didn’t laugh. Instead, he reached out, taking Andi guitar case from her, then grasping her other hand. The moment their palms touched, an electric spark traveled along his skin. His body already knew what his head was only just starting to wrap itself around.
This woman was his.
Joel was no stranger to relationships, but he was a hell of a lot less familiar with love. He’d always pushed the emotion off, claiming he didn’t have time for it, too obsessed with his career.
Now, all bets were off. Because he didn’t just want Andi in the recording studio, he wanted her in his bed.
They waited on the sidewalk outside the pub for a few minutes, neither speaking, just holding hands and enjoying the peaceful night air.
When the Uber arrived, they climbed in, and she gave the man her address. Joel paid attention to the route, bothered that she had walked these dark streets alone for too many nights.
That wouldn’t be happening again.
If Andi’s family didn’t care enough to make sure she was safe, he was stepping in and taking over.
As they pulled up in front of a run-down apartment building, Andi thanked him for the ride and tried to give him cash to pay half the fare. He told her to put her money away.
“I’m in Baltimore until Tuesday afternoon. I’d like to see you again. Any chance you could take a night off to go out to dinner with me?”
Andi nodded. “Mondays are my nights off at the pub anyway. I’m finished work at the convenience store by three.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up here at six?”
“I’d like that.”
The two of them got out of the car together, Joel asking the driver to wait while he walked her to the front door. Once there, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and bent toward her. She was a good foot shorter than his six-three frame.
“Good night, Andi.”
He sealed those parting words with a soft kiss, loving the feeling of Andi’s hands gripping his waist. When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers. “See you tomorrow night?”
“Yes,”
she whispered. “I can’t wait.”
He couldn’t either.
Once she was inside, Joel returned to the car, pulling out his phone as he planned their date and a lot more. She worked too hard with too little time or money to do anything nice for herself.
As of right now, that changed because he intended to spoil her, to make every wild hope she’d never dared to dream a reality.
He wanted to show her the world, but more than that, he wanted to be by her side every step of the way.