12
I lead two totally separate lives. There are times when I have to slip into rock star mode.—Martin Gore
Rhys grabbed the to-go cup of coffee from his car's console and shut the door.
As he clicked the remote and walked toward the elevator, his mind ticked over what he still had to pack before he had to leave for the airport.
His flight to Vancouver was scheduled to depart at three-thirty, so he'd need a car by at least one o’clock. Then...
"Rhys!"
"Just the man I needed to see. Climb in and let's talk."
For a moment he stood in indecision, but as she put the box and papers into the back seat of her car he shrugged and walked over to her.
Still troubled by Rhett's abrupt departure the previous day and the resultant worry that he'd blown it with her, maybe a talk with her sister might shed some light on the situation. Couldn't hurt, anyway.
He climbed into the passenger side of the vehicle and glanced over at Mel. "All right. Let's talk."
She didn't waste any time. "I need to preface this conversation with two things.
First." She held up a finger. "Rhett can never know we talked about this, or she'll come after me with a gun.
And she's a Texas girl and knows how to use one.
Second." Another finger rose to join the first one.
"I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but women talk to each other about everything. Every. Thing."
His lips pulled into a wry smile. "Yeah, I discovered that years ago. Nothing's held back, right?"
"Right. Glad you're aware of that, because at least I know we're on the same page here.
" She lowered her hand to the charcoal-grey steering wheel and tapped her nails on it, the only outward sign that she felt as awkward as he did.
"Look. The first thing you need to know is that Rhett didn't run out on you yesterday because she didn't like what you were doing or because she doesn't want you. She did and she does."
"Mm." Got right to the point, didn't she? He took a sip of his coffee so he wouldn't have to say anything.
"I don't know how much she's told you about her husband." She cocked a questioning brow in his direction.
"Not much," Rhys said. "Just that he died last year." A thousand questions bubbled behind his lips. Did the bastard hurt Rhett? Is that why she was skittish? Had he dredged up unpleasant memories yesterday by coming on to her?
"Okay. Well, Todd and Rhett got married over Christmas break their senior year of high school because Rhett was pregnant with Lilith. So, when you kissed her yesterday, you were the first man other than Todd to do it since she was seventeen years old."
"Oh." Rhys stared out the windshield at the concrete wall in front of him. Well, that explained a lot. "I didn't know that."
"But wait! There's more," Mel added, sounding like an infomercial announcer.
She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel again and shifted in her seat.
"Jesus, she really will kill me if she knows I told you this.
But, um...Okay, for the last several years of their marriage there was no physical intimacy between them.
I mean none. Then a couple of months ago, right before she moved here, Rhett found out it was because Todd was fucking the woman Rhett thought was her best friend all those years. "
"Oh, shit." Rhys winced in sympathy. "Really?"
"Yeah." A heavy sigh preceded a few moments of silence in which Rhys could have sworn he heard Mel's unvoiced plans to dismember Rhett's former friend.
"Anyway," she continued at last. "I've gotta hand it to Rhett.
She's dealt with it better than I could have.
But there are still some trust issues, you know? "
"Oh, yeah," Rhys muttered. "I do know."
"Really." It wasn't a question, and Rhys turned to look at her.
"Mm." He gestured to encompass the interior of the car.
"Since we're in confidentiality mode here, I suppose I can tell you.
It's why my second wife and I divorced. We hadn't been happy for some time, and she didn't like my being away so often.
But when I found out she had a lover, it was... Well, I understand how Rhett feels."
"That sucks." Mel put a hand on his forearm and squeezed gently for a brief moment. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks." He cut his eyes at her. "Uh, none of that's general knowledge, so..."
"Don't worry," she said. "What happens in Mel's car stays in Mel's car."
A relieved sigh released some tension in his shoulders. "Thanks again. And I also want to thank you for telling me about Rhett. I understand a lot better now."
"There's one more thing you should probably know."
"Okaaay..."
"See, Rhett has had a...thing...for you since she was a teenager." For the first time since the conversation began Mel sounded a bit embarrassed.
Rhys turned to her with a bemused smile. "A thing?"
"Yes, a thing. Rhys, the woman still has all your vinyl records, for God's sake.
But yesterday...Oh, boy, how do I put this?
" After a moment of chewing on her bottom lip, Mel nodded, a brief, decisive bob of her head.
"She knew who you were, all right? But I think yesterday it hit her that you're the same guy whose face was on posters on her bedroom wall when she was fifteen.
Up until then I don't think she really associated you with Poster Boy, you know? "
A snort of surprised laugher escaped at her terminology, but this was...well, it might be a problem. He pushed his hair back with one hand and held it at the nape of his neck.
"I never thought of that," he admitted. "Most women I date want me because I am Rhys James from Illicit. And fuck me if that doesn't make me sound like the poster boy for conceit."
But when he glanced at Mel, he didn't see the derision he expected. Instead, she stared at him with a confused frown.
"Conceit? No, not a bit. But it doesn't reflect well on the women you hook up with that they only want the famous guy without wondering about who you are underneath."
"That can be a good thing. They know what they're getting into for the most part. My second wife didn't, not really, and we all know how that ended. And if Rhett can't handle Rhys James..."
"Oh, come on," she scoffed. "How different can it be?"
Rhys closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Summoning his stage persona wasn't something he wanted to do when he wasn't on tour.
He enjoyed the downtime and the opportunity to be as normal a person as was possible instead of being "on" 24/7.
But Mel knew Rhett better than anyone, and if she knew what her sister might be in for then maybe she could judge her reaction.
He reached down deep and found the swagger, the arrogance and yes, the conceit that were necessary for the lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
The breath was let out slow, and he opened his eyes to find Mel still looking at him with puzzlement. A slow smile pulled the corners of his mouth up, and he leaned toward her.
"There's a difference all right, babe." Even he could hear the deeper timbre of his voice, the lazy, almost casual saturation of sex and amusement and skepticism in the smoky tones. "There has to be, because otherwise this life will chew you up and spit you out, and nobody gives a fuck."
The vibe he put off had the desired effect on the woman next to him. Mel sat frozen, her mouth open a bit and the pupils of her eyes dilated. As he reached out and twirled a lock of her hair around his finger, a fine tremor ran through her body.
"It's crazy, and it's exhausting, and it's harder than you could ever imagine, little girl.
But it's also fun, and exciting, and I love every fucking minute of it.
Hear me, though. There's no room for sweet innocence, or fragile feelings.
That shit doesn't fly, and I don't have the time or even the patience to deal with anyone who can't handle it. "
The muscles of Mel's throat moved as she swallowed heavily. "Is it weird that I'm more than a little turned on right now?" she asked in an almost inaudible voice.
Rhys's laugh came from deep in his chest. "I'd be disappointed if you weren't."
She drew in a sudden, sharp breath and slapped his hand away from her hair. "Cut it out, Rhys." Tough, no-nonsense Mel was back.
He leaned back a bit. "And do you think Rhett can do that?
" Even though he strove for a normal tone of voice, it was hard to put the genie back in the bottle when he let it out.
"Because when I'm on the road that's who I am for the biggest part of a year.
And that doesn't even begin to encompass the way I live.
" He sank back in the seat and sighed. "I'm more attracted to your sister than I've been to anyone in...
shit, I can't remember the last time. I don't know what might happen between us, but I sure as hell don't want to go through what happened with Hayley again.
Can Rhett deal with who I am? All of me? "
"If you're attracted to her like you say, then why don't you try her and see?
" Mel arched her brows at the look he tossed her way.
"She ran yesterday because she wasn't expecting it.
But she's dealt with more crap in her life than you can imagine, way more damaging than a cheating husband, believe me, and she's come out the other side. I think she might just surprise you."
The last vestiges of Poster Boy finally drained away, and Rhys relaxed. "I'll never know if I don't try, right?"
"Right."
He smiled at her fierce expression. "Thanks, Mel."
"Hey." She waved away his thanks. "If you ever need a nosy, interfering bitch you know who to call."
On impulse, he kissed the end of his index finger and placed it against her nose. Chuckling at her astonishment, he got out of the car. He was halfway to the elevator when he heard her voice again.
"Hey, Rhys?"
He turned back. "Yeah?"
There was no smile on her face now, just a deadly seriousness. "Don't hurt her. Or I'll be the one with the gun."
After a moment he nodded. "The last thing I want to do is hurt her." He lifted his coffee cup in salute. "But thanks for the warning."