Chapter Three
Tara
My last appointment for the day cancels, and I’m able to leave the office early, giving myself extra time to get ready for my date with Axel.
When I woke up this morning, I never expected to see my ex-boyfriend and first love stride into my office with a borrowed dog as a ruse to see me again.
Never mind accepting a date with him tonight.
Nerves flutter in my stomach at the thought.
My doorbell rings, and I walk through the small gatehouse on my mom and stepfather’s property where I live, to find my stepsister at the front door.
“Amy, hi! What are you doing here?”
My stepsister, a strawberry blonde with a curvy body and bubbly personality, strides past me and into the house. “We have to talk, and I need to help you pick out clothes for your date tonight.”
“Good God, word travels fast,” I mutter.
“Your mom is beyond excited.”
I close the door. “I’m sure she is.”
My mom wants nothing more than for me to settle down with a nice man. With Axel’s return, that desire will be magnified. My mother always liked him and felt bad about his home situation, being raised by his grandma after his parents died when he was young.
“It doesn’t help that you’re five years younger than me and getting married soon,” I say, laughing. Because I’m happy for Amy, I truly am.
“Marsha loves you. Don’t mind your mom’s pushiness.”
“Says you because you’re not the one she’s pushing,” I mutter.
“Is it true your ex is Axel Forrester? As in Caged Chaos’s and now the Original Kings’ drummer?”
“Yes. That’s him.”
Amy’s blue eyes light up at my confirmation. “That is so cool. I can’t wait to meet him.”
I don’t tell her to slow her roll, but I think it. I have to get through this first date. I certainly am not planning on family meet and greets.
“Let’s go pick out clothes!” Amy grasps my hand and pulls me toward my bedroom, obviously determined to be in charge. “You’re still coming to my bachelorette party Saturday night, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” I assure my stepsister.
Am I looking forward to hanging out with Amy’s younger friends who still like to party and drink the night away? And who likely hired a male stripper as the night’s entertainment?
Not really. But when my mom and Amy’s dad, Glenn, married, I had a difficult time feeling like a part of the family. It was Amy who latched onto me and pulled me into our new family unit. I’ll show up to the bachelorette party because I love my stepsister.
“If you want me to help you choose an outfit for that, too, I’m happy to help,” Amy says, leading the way into my bedroom.
I can’t help but laugh at Amy’s enthusiasm and excitement. “Okay, you can help me choose both outfits.”
Amy flops onto the bed. “Show me what you were thinking about wearing.”
Half an hour later, we’ve come up with two outfits that I feel good in, then I catch up with my sister until Amy announces it’s time for her to get home.
Once alone, I take a shower and shave everywhere, not that I plan on exposing myself to Axel tonight, but better safe than sorry. I apply some makeup, including a light coat of foundation, blush, mascara, and a peachy-pink lip gloss, and I use my beach waver to curl my hair.
Keeping it casual, I put on the outfit Amy and I chose.
My favorite pair of skinny jeans and a not-quite-sheer light pink off-the-shoulder blouse, held up with slender, halter-like straps.
The top has a breezy feel I love. I zip on a pearl-colored pair of chunky-heeled booties, pair them with a black lightweight faux-leather motorcycle jacket, and add some jewelry.
I set my quilted cross-body bag by the front door before heading to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of wine to calm my nerves.
Then I settle in to wait for Axel.
* * *
Axel
I pick up Tara at the address her mom wrote down, which turns out to be a guesthouse with a private driveway on the property of another large estate home. I pull my Corvette into the driveway and park, drawing a deep breath before climbing out. I’m nervous but amped up, like before a concert.
Reminding myself I have experience with pre-show anxiety, I shake it off as I normally would and stride up the cobblestone walk.
Before I can knock or ring the bell, the door opens, and Tara stands in the doorway.
What would be a casual pair of jeans and a top on anyone else looks gorgeous on her.
Her skin tone blends well with the pink color of her blouse, and the simplicity of her silver necklace and the bracelet on her wrist make sure she stands out and not her accessories.
She doesn’t deliberately reveal her cleavage like the groupies do.
Instead, everything about her is genuine and calls to me on a soul-deep level.
“Hi,” she says, her voice a touch breathless.
“Hi, yourself. I see you’re ready.”
She nods. “No sense in wasting time.” She pulls the door closed and locks it behind her.
So I’m not going to see the inside of her place before our date, and if I have to guess, she has no plans to allow me entry after. I’ll just have to do my best to get her to warm up to me.
“Besides, Dakota will jump and get her white hair all over you,” she says as she places her keys into her purse.
“The Samoyed in your Facebook picture?”
She nods. “She’s my baby.”
I laugh. “A fifty-pound baby?”
“Women don’t discuss their weight,” she says, her sexy lips lifting in a grin.
I can’t tear my gaze from her face. “You look beautiful.”
A flush stains her cheeks. “Thank you.”
Reaching out, I tangle a finger in one of her long curls, causing her to draw in a shocked breath, as if I touched her skin.
“Do you want me to pull up the convertible top?” I tilt my head toward the car in the driveway. Women and their hair. I know from my sister, an open top is hit or miss. I never know what Cassidy will say when I pick her up in the ’Vette.
Tara wrinkles her nose in thought. “I did my hair but … I love the wind. I’ll survive,” she says with a smile.
“Down it is.”
Thanks to the breeze as we drive, there isn’t much in the way of deep conversation, and I save that for our dinner. It’s early in the Hamptons summer season, and I chose a restaurant with a view of the water. At sunset, it’s still cool at night, especially on the water, so we take a table inside.
I wait until we’re seated, we’ve ordered and are served a bottle of Chardonnay, and the waiter has disappeared for a while, leaving us alone, to start a conversation.
“Is this where you usually go on a date?” Tara asks, beating me to the first question of the evening.
I can’t stop my grin from forming. “Well, my last date ended with a pup cup so…”
She laughs, breaking the tension between us.
Her hand is on the table, and I reach out, placing my palm over her soft skin. Her gaze darts to our now joined hands, but she doesn’t break our connection.
“I gotta tell you, I haven’t been on a real date since moving east.”
Her eyes widen. “When was that?”
I think back. “Right before last summer, so it’s been about a year. I flew out to talk to Dash Kingston after Caged Chaos imploded, and I liked him. I hit it off with the other guys in the band. Cassidy was already living here, and I thought moving to New York would be a good change of pace.”
“And do you like it here?” With her free hand, she picks up her wine and takes a long sip.
“It can get a little quiet and lonely in the winter,” I say honestly.
“But I’m getting used to it. Dash and Xander have apartments in the city, and I was thinking that’s not a bad idea.
” I shrug, knowing I’m still undecided. About a lot of things.
“I guess I need to figure out where I want to live. I’m renting right now, and since the band is here permanently, I need to buy something for when we’re not on the road. ”
She slides her hand from beneath mine and looks away, taking me off guard. Hmm. I’ll have to figure out her reaction later.
Meanwhile… “You’ve done a nice job keeping the conversation about me, but I asked you out to learn more about the woman you are now.”
She squirms in her seat, looking relieved when the waiter walks over.
“Have you folks decided?” he asks.
I shake my head. “We haven’t looked at the menu. Can you give us a few more minutes?”
“Of course.” The man strides over to another table, and I turn my focus back to Tara.
“Tell me about your time on the road,” she says before I have a chance to gather my thoughts.
I blink. “Okay.” She obviously needs to hear about my life, so I dive in. “I guess I should start at the beginning. I left our small town and moved to LA with the band I played with throughout high school.”
I take a drink of wine, which isn’t my thing, but first impressions are everything, so I ordered for Tara and opted to share the bottle.
She studies me, her gaze on mine as she takes a sip from her glass, obviously waiting to hear more.
“A guy I knew from some gigs I’d done let me crash on his couch while we performed in small bars at night. I waited tables during the day to make money to cover rent and the basics.” I shrug. “Eventually it paid off, and the Caged Chaos guys heard us play.”
“That’s what you’d been waiting for,” she murmurs.
I nod. “The band I’d been playing with was rocky at best. The guys weren’t serious about a future in music, so when Caged Chaos offered me a spot, I jumped at it.”
“I wish I’d been there to celebrate with you,” she says with a smile that lights up her eyes. “I’m so happy you achieved your dream, though I’m not surprised. Not with how talented you are.”
I grin. “I always was good with my hands.”
She rolls her eyes and laughs.
“Okay, your turn. How did you get to where you are today?” I see the moment her expression changes, her smile dims, and the sparkle in her eyes goes out.
I wish I hadn’t asked, but if I want to get to know her again, I need to hear everything, including learning what happened after her dad passed away.