Chapter 10
Lauren
I had a full day booked at the studio on Monday. I’d been hired to do a radio commercial for a local furniture store and would be recording that in the morning, before moving into the solo booth for the afternoon to record a few more chapters of the book I was working on.
Dustin had been hired for the commercial, too, playing the role of the poor, beleaguered husband I’d been dragging all over town in search of the perfect dining room set.
I got to the studio a few minutes early but deliberately stayed in my car until it was time for our session, hoping that would mean Dustin wouldn’t have the opportunity to speak with me before we started. I was worried he would ask me out again, and I would have to turn him down.
I should have known better than to date someone I crossed paths with professionally. It always had the potential to turn awkward and ruin a good working relationship.
Luckily, Steve was directing the spot today, and he was a stickler for starting on time and staying focused, which didn’t leave any down time for idle chit-chat.
Dustin gave me a big smile when I walked into the studio with one minute to spare, but Steve called out a greeting and jumped right into his vision for the commercial. He then motioned to Danielle, who was running the sound board, letting her know we were ready to start.
Three takes later, and the production team decided they were satisfied.
Dustin approached me as soon as they announced that we could go.
“Hey, let me grab a shot of us both to post on my social media accounts.” It was something all of us did to keep our name out there, in the minds of casting directors and – in my case – audiobook listeners.
I nodded, and we squeezed in close for the shot.
“I’ll tag you in it,” he said, his fingers flying over the phone screen at an impressive speed.
A few moments later, he turned the screen toward me so I could see it.
“It’s always a great day when I get to work with Laura Asher. Incredible voice, incredible lady.”
He’d added a few hashtags, as well as tagging my professional accounts in it, as promised.
“Thank you,” I told him sincerely, hoping that would be the end of it.
“You’re very welcome,” he replied, stepping a little closer to me. Before he could say anything else, we were interrupted by Steve, who asked him about another commercial they were planning to record later in the week.
Feeling terrible for taking the coward’s way out, I took advantage of the diversion and slipped out the door with a quick wave and what I hoped was an apologetic smile.
Since I had some time to kill before my booth session started, I decided to stop in the break room to lubricate my voice. It didn’t take long to boil the water for a cup of tea, adding some of the honey and lemon the studio stocked for us.
I closed my eyes and smiled as the first, soothing sip hit my throat. Pure bliss in a cup.
“Good morning.”
My eyes flew open to see JD standing just inside the doorway, holding his tool bag.
“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said apologetically, “I just need to check for a small leak under the sink.”
I shook my head, chuckling softly. “It’s not your fault. I was so focused on my tea that I didn’t even hear you come in.”
We chatted for a few minutes, mostly about the overbearing owner of the building – who also happened to be his aunt – and the monthly inspection she’d made over the weekend.
“I have a whole list of stuff to fix, whether anything’s actually wrong with it or not, like this sink.
She didn’t see any water under there, but said that it ‘smells damp’, so I need to fix it.
” He shook his head, and explained with a shrug, “She likes to make sure she’s getting her money’s worth from paying my salary. ”
We were interrupted when Dustin walked in, grinning when he saw me.
“Hello again, pretty lady. I was hoping to catch you before you jumped into your next session.” he said. “I had a wonderful time Friday night…before my car trouble, that is. Do you suppose we could have a do-over tonight, maybe check out that new Greek place that just opened on Marshall Road?”
I glanced over his shoulder at JD, who was focused on unpacking his tools.
Not wanting to have this conversation in front of an audience, I cocked my head toward the door and discreetly tugged on Dustin’s arm.
He seemed to understand that I wanted to speak with him privately and followed me out into the hallway without hesitation.
I walked several feet away from the break room and kept my voice low so we wouldn’t be overheard.
“I’ve had a really nice time with you, Dustin, but I don’t want to lead you on. I don’t think a third date is a good idea, but I would really like it if we can continue to see each other strictly as friends.”
The expectant look dropped from his face, and he rocked back on his heels, glancing at the floor for a second before looking back up at me.
“I’m disappointed, but if I’m honest I was sort of expecting this,” he said quietly. “Is it because of the biker guy who was at your house when I picked you up? I thought I detected a weird vibe between you two.”
I shook my head, not willing to go into that with Dustin when I hadn’t even figured it out myself. “No, but I ended a long-term relationship just before moving to Indianapolis, and I’m not ready to jump into anything new.”
“I wish things were different, but I get it,” he said, accepting my explanation gracefully, “and I would love to grab a coffee now and then…just as friends,” he added.
“I’d like that,” I replied, grateful that he’d taken my rejection well.
My phone chimed with a reminder that my booth session was about to start.
“I’d better be going,” I said, gesturing down the hall where the individual sound booths were located.
“Have a good session. I’ll see you around,” he replied, his usual wide smile dimmed a little with regret and disappointment.
I felt like I’d kicked a puppy, but as handsome and sweet as Dustin was, I knew it wouldn’t take long for him to find someone new – someone who would give him the attention he deserved.
I spent the next few hours recording some particularly steamy passages. I’d become immune to the effect they had on me, for the most part, but today they stirred a restless feeling inside.
“I need to get laid,” I thought as I exited the studio late in the afternoon. My mind immediately flashed to a certain tall, sexy-as-hell biker, and I heaved a frustrated sigh.
Elvis greeted me when I walked through my front door, winding himself around my feet as I tried to shuffle into the kitchen without tripping over him.
“If you want to eat, I’d suggest you quit trying to kill me before I get to your food bowl,” I scolded him.
He meowed loudly in return, then abruptly turned and trotted into the kitchen with his tail stuck in the air, making it clear that he was the king of the house, and I was the lowly peasant meant to serve him – and failing quite miserably at the job as far as he was concerned.
After feeding my demanding feline, I wasn’t hungry for dinner yet, so I sat down on the couch to relax for a bit.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through one of the news sites, getting depressed over the state of the world after just a few minutes.
There was only so much murder, mayhem, and threats of doom I could take.
I logged into my email accounts, clicking on my personal account first. I waded through the usual digital coupons to sites I’d never visited, advertisements for stores I had no interest in, and offers to extend my car’s warranty, aggravated as always about the spam that continually found its way into my inbox, despite my filter settings.
My finger paused as another email from Your Soulmate caught my eye, and I noticed it had only been sent twenty minutes ago. The subject line this time read “You should have listened.” Like before, there was no attachment, so I only hesitated for a second before clicking on it.
“I warned you to stop trying to make me jealous! You’re mine, and you’ll be sorry when someone gets hurt.”
Fucking Beau! What the hell was wrong with him? He’d pestered me since the day I had broken up with him, but this was taking things too damned far. Maybe I should take Uncle Bill up on his offer to go to Pittsburgh and kick his ass.
My phone rang, the sudden sound startling me so much I almost dropped it. Unknown Caller flashed on the screen.
“That sonofabitch…” I seethed, stabbing the button to answer it, ready to rip Beau a new asshole for sending that email.
“You have some kind of nerve threatening me, you goddamned-”
“Who the fuck is threatening you, Lauren?” The low, growly voice demanding an answer was definitely not Beau.
“Uh, who is this?” I asked hesitantly, even though I had a feeling I knew exactly who it was.
“It’s Trick. Now, what the fuck is going on? Are you OK?”
“I’m fine,” I assured him, touched by the concern in his tone. “Sorry, I thought it was my ex calling again”
“That motherfucker threatened you?” His voice rose, and I could almost feel his anger vibrating through the phone.
“It’s nothing. He sent me an email, and I got it right before you called. I just overreacted.”
“Are you home now?”
“Yes, why?”
“Lock the doors and set your alarm. I’m on my way.”
“You don’t need…” My voice trailed off as I realized the call had ended.
“Well, shit,” I muttered to myself, dropping my head in defeat.
Ten minutes later I heard the unmistakable rumble of a Harley pulling into the driveway. I sighed as I got up and opened the door, watching as Trick jumped off his bike and yanked off his helmet, slinging it onto the handlebars before he charged up to the house.
He stalked across the threshold without waiting for an invitation, slamming the door behind him. The noise must have scared Elvis, because he abandoned his food bowl and darted out of the kitchen, then disappeared down the hall leading to the bedrooms.