Paying my fare, I grabbed my shoulder bag that held all my essentials and turned for the apartment. The tall man standing by the door made me stop. He was just standing there watching me. I couldn’t see those blue-gray eyes of his behind the sunglasses, and his Boston Red Sox cap was on backwards, hiding that shaggy dark hair from me. He hadn’t changed in the seven months since I had last seen him.
With a delighted squeal, I jumped the few feet separating us and threw my legs around his waist. “It’s so good to see you,” I said, hugging him tight.
He laughed, swinging me around and around. It didn’t seem to matter to him that we were on a busy sidewalk, or that people had to stop and walk around us. Shane was the kind of man that didn’t care about public displays of any kind.
“I was going crazy back in the apartment. All I could think about was that I was going to get to see my favorite girl in the world and I couldn’t wait.” He sat me on my feet, scanning me from head to toe behind those shades of his.
“Wow!” He shook his head. “More beautiful than I remember.” His fingers touched my hair, which was longer now than it had been the last time he had seen me. “Okay, sis. Let’s get going before I start having thoughts that could get me killed.”
I slapped his arm, knowing that he was completely kidding. “Do you want to come up?” I motioned to my shoulder bag. “I want to get rid of this thing before we go traipsing around the city.”
He followed me into the building, and I stopped at the doorman’s desk. After making sure that Shane was on my list of approved guests, we took the elevator up to my floor. I knew that everyone was home before I had even unlocked the door. I could hear Linc and Dallas arguing, something that didn’t even faze me these day.
I glanced at Shane. “Keep an open mind, okay?” I told him, trying to prepare him for Linc. I had learned, after my gaffe of not believing Linc was gay, that his type was the pretty boy type. And you didn’t get prettier than Shane. He and his brother were borderline beautiful, in a masculine way, and Linc was going to be on red alert.
“Sure.” He nodded.
Opening the door, I found my roommates spread out around the living room watching the Style Network. No wonder Dallas and Linc were arguing. Dallas knew most of the models on there―had actually been one of them―and knew all their dirty secrets. Linc, who was friends with several of those models, didn’t want to believe Dallas.
Harper, looking bored with the whole thing—the conversation and the television show―skimmed through a copy of The New Yorker. Three pair of eyes turned their full attention on me as I pulled Shane into the apartment. I saw Linc’s blue eyes light up, and I narrowed my own at him.
“Hey, look who I found!”
Dallas gave Shane a once over then another one just for good measure. I glanced at Shane who had his eyes narrowed on Linc, not even noticing the interest in the ex-top model’s eyes. “You’re Linc?” he demanded.
“Yep. That’s me.” Linc grinned, liking the attention.
“Well, there’s something we can talk about later,” Shane muttered to me. “Drake is going to shit a brick.”
I stiffened. “This is none of Drake’s business.”
“Oh, I think it is.” He pushed his sun glasses on top of his head. “But whatever, sis, we can talk about it later.”
I gave him a hard glare and pushed him toward the couch. “Guys, this is Shane. Shane, these are my roommates. Linc, of course. Dallas, who seems to be eye-fucking you...” I shot her a wink, knowing that I would get bitched at later “...and this is my bestie, Harper.”
Harper waved but went back to reading. She wasn’t fazed in the least by Shane’s complete hotness. My friend had a big self-esteem problem. She had no idea that she was drop dead gorgeous and never suspected when guys were interested. I shot Shane a warning look and went to change clothes.
Ten minutes later, I came out of the bedroom I shared with Harper to find everyone laughing in the living room. I stopped, taking them all in before they could notice me. Shane had the ability to put anyone at ease. It surprised me that he had picked the part of the couch closest to Harper, when Dallas had been giving him the green light with her eyes from the moment she had seen him.
He said something that I didn’t hear, and Harper snorted with laughter. It was then that I saw it, the way his eyes danced when he looked at her. Shane had been presented with a challenge when Harper had showed disinterest. He was used to every woman he came across giving in, and now he had found one that didn’t really give a fuck about falling into his bed.
Muttering a curse under my breath, I made a mental note to kick Shane Stevenson’s ass while I was out with him today.
--
The best burger in the world was in my stomach, and I felt like I had gained fifteen pounds. I was stuffed to the point of pain, and it was all Shane’s fault.
As we left the little Mom and Pop place, I groaned, trying to figure out how to make this full feeling go away. The rock star beside me probably wasn’t enduring the same pain as me. He had finished his burger, and half of my own, as well as two orders of fries and some onion rings. With all the junk he had put away during our meal, which had included Shane ordering a huge hot fudge ice cream dessert that I hadn’t been able to even look at because I was so full, I couldn’t help but wonder if he ate like that normally. Emmie probably attempted to keep the saturated fat to a minimum, but now that he was three thousand miles away from her, he was taking advantage. I would have to keep an eye on that and let Emmie know if he kept it up. I took an evil delight in possibly tattling on him.
“You look miserable.” Shane laughed as he pulled me close. He turned right and I didn’t even question him as we started walking. I needed the exercise after all.
“I am, but it was worth it. That was the best burger I have ever had. Thanks. I’ll have to let Linc know about that place.”
“About Linc…” Shane grimaced. “Is he really gay, Lana? I mean, really?”
I couldn’t help but snicker. “I didn’t believe it at first either, but yes, he is very gay. I guess you would say he’s butch?” I shrugged. “I’m not sure what the correct term for him is.” My grin was wicked. “If it helps, you’re his type. Linc loves a man with a pretty face.”
His big hand swatted against my ass, making me squeal. “You mean little bitch!”
My laugh was soul deep. “Just thought you would want to know.”
“Gee, thanks, but I’m going to have to say it’s a definite no this time around.” We stopped to wait for the light to turn so we could cross the street. “Although, if you could help me out with your friend Harper…”
I pushed him away. “No way! Stay away from Harper. She’s not your type.”
“Sis, I don’t have a type,” he said with a smirk.
“That’s the problem. Harper isn’t the kind of girl to come running when you cock your sexy finger.” The light turned and we started across the street. “She’s a good girl. Not one of those groupie skanks that you and your brother are used to. Especially what you are used to.”
“That’s harsh, sis.” He gripped his heart, a pout on his lips. “You wound me.”
“Oh, please. You have loved maybe one girl in your whole life, and she’s going to marry your best friend.”
“Not true.” He wrapped his arm around my waist again, holding me protectively to his side as we walked with and against the evening crowd. “I actually love five girls. Emmie, Mia, Lucy, Layla, and you.”
Chapter 12
Drake
I was supposed to be at the network’s studio by eight. I got there on time with the help of the car and driver that the network had sent, but the line outside the studio made me ten minutes late because it was wrapped all the way around the building and two blocks past it. Fans, tryout hopefuls, and their friends and family that had come to support said hopefuls made it slow going for a while as the driver attempted to get through the masses without running anyone over.
&n
bsp; By the time I got inside, the producers were already bitching, but I was used to that shit from Emmie after so many years, so I tuned it out and fell into my designated chair next to Axton. My friend was sucking down scalding coffee like it was nothing while he eye-fucked the producer’s assistant. Apparently he was over the big and final―thank fuck—breakup from Gabriella Moreitti.
The chair on Axton’s left was still vacant, and I wondered who the top secret third judge was for this stupid reality show. Not even Axton knew who the network had gotten, and he had been signed on to do this thing since February.
Someone set a huge mug of coffee down in front of me, and I nodded my head in thanks without giving the girl so much as a glance. I had already downed an entire pot of coffee since six o’clock that morning. Which was about the time I had heard Shane leave for his run…
Gritting my teeth, I pushed thoughts of my little brother, and who he could possibly be with right now, out of my mind as the producer finally got his shit together and started giving orders to his other staff members to get the tryout hopefuls organized outside.
“How you liking New York?” Axton asked as he bit into some kind of pastry.
I shrugged. “It’s New York.”
Axton raised a brow, making his eyebrow ring glint in the overhead lighting. “You haven’t even left the apartment yet, have you? Dude, you are really sad since you quit drinking.”
I snorted. “Thanks, man. I love you too.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t love ya, Dray. Just that you are really sad. Grab that brother of yours and let’s do something we shouldn’t tonight.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m good.” There was only one thing I wanted to do, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to accomplish it. I knew that hanging out with Axton and getting into something I shouldn’t would only make everything that much worse.
The door I had entered a little while ago opened, and everyone including myself turned to see who the late arrival was. I nearly fell out of my seat when I recognized Cole Steel of Steel Entrapment walking in like he owned the place. Knowing that old rocker, he probably did, or at least a share in it. He and his band had retired a decade or so ago, but they had remained in the business through other means. Cole owned half of a record label and backed several producing studios.
No wonder the network had kept their lips so tightly closed about Cole being the third judge. It was going to send ratings through the roof with the surprise coming out just weeks before the show went on the air. Axton shook his head. “Motherfucker!”
“Morning boys,” the fifty-something rocker greeted in his gravelly voice. Years of smoking had altered his voice. Some thought he had had throat cancer a few years ago, but it was only a nodule on his vocal cord that had been removed. Still, he probably would never be able to sing again, at least not like he once had.
I shook Cole’s hand. “Goddamn, man, I didn’t think I would see you here,” I told him.
“The money was just too sweet to turn down.” Cole shrugged as he took his seat on the other side of Axton.
With all of us now accounted for, the producers gave us a rundown of what was on the books for today. An itinerary was provided, and I scanned it before pushing it away. This was going to be boring as hell!
Two hours later, I was almost falling asleep in my chair as we went through one tryout hopeful after another. No one had stood out. No one had really caught my attention. So far, everyone had been so nervous that they hadn’t lasted more than a minute before they were being excused from the room. Some of these people had spent thousands of dollars on airfare, hotel rooms, and countless other things just to come here and bomb within minutes of standing before three judges.
The producer called for a break, and I reached for my phone. It had vibrated three different times in the last ten minutes. Sliding my finger across the screen, I saw messages from Emmie and Shane waiting for me. I took care of Emmie first because that was more important. She was going to freak when I told her who the third judge was.
Finally, I pulled up the message from Shane and nearly dropped my phone when I saw the attached photo he had sent me. I didn’t know whether to hunt my little brother down and murder him or thank him as I gazed down at Lana’s smiling face staring back at me. Her long midnight black hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was wearing some kind of tight running suit that made her whiskey eyes stand out.
I stared down at the picture until the producers started letting more tryout hopefuls in before saving it to my phone. I felt more awake now, and I was actually paying more attention as the day went on.
--
I was at the network’s studio until almost ten that night. The line outside was still growing by that time. I was beat and my head was killing me. Everyone who was in line was told that tryouts would begin again at eight the next morning, and I wasn’t surprised that the majority of them decided to camp out.
My driver picked me up and drove me back to my apartment. Shane had texted me throughout the day, and with each passing message I looked forward to hearing from my brother. He had spent the day with Lana, and it almost felt as if I had too the way my brother had kept sending me pictures of her.
When the car pulled to a stop in front of my building, I got out and nodded to the night doorman as I headed for the elevators. “Good evening, Mr. Stevenson. Your brother asked me to tell you he was taking the young lady home since you had taken so long.”
I stopped. “The young lady?”
The middle aged man nodded. “Yes. Miss Daniels I believe is her name. The other Mr. Stevenson made sure that she was put on your list of guests to let up without having to ask your permission.”
I muttered a curse, beyond disappointed that Lana had been inside my apartment and I hadn’t gotten to see her. She had actually been here! My chest ached and I pulled my cell out as I stepped onto the elevator. It rang once before Shane’s distracted voice greeted me.
“What?” he asked, an amused note in his tone.
“She was here?”
“Yup. I’m leaving her place now. I’ll see you in a few.”
“Dammit!” I raked a hand through my hair. “I want to see her!”
Shane sighed. “Yeah, I know. I did my best, bro. But you were taking for-freaking-ever.”
“What about tomorrow? Are you going to see her tomorrow?”
“No, man. She has plans. I’ll keep trying though. Okay?”
I blew out a long sigh. What more could I ask? I knew it was going to be an uphill battle to get Lana back in my life. I had fucked up, lost the best thing that had ever happened to me. But I had worked hard to get to a place so I could be worthy of her…
Rehab had been a nightmare. The past—the guilt—had been hard to let go of. But Emmie, Shane, and the rest of my band brothers had helped me through it. They had been my support system through those long miserable two months, and then afterward when I had gotten home. Shane went with me to AA meetings, and Emmie was always offering me encouragement.
I had been sober for seven months and sixteen days.
Was it enough to win back the woman I loved?
“Yeah. Okay.” The elevator came to a slow stop on my floor and I stepped out. “Thanks, Shane…I really appreciate it, brother.”
Chapter 13
Drake
Tryouts had been held for two solid weeks now, which meant that I was getting up at the ass-crack of dawn and getting home late as fuck!
So far we had narrowed down thousands of hopefuls to about a hundred, most of them guys. The few females that had made it through had been exceptionally good and even made me snap out of my funk to take notice. The three of us all had to agree before a hopeful got to go on to the next round, which didn’t take place until September. I only gave my yes if they really made me take notice of them. If they didn’t have what it took to make me look twice at them, then they weren’t worth my time.
Axton was a little easier to appease, but it was Cole who was the
real hard ass. He had been in the business for more than half his life, and he knew what to really look for in a rock star. More than once he had made grown men burst into tears because he had told them exactly what he thought of them and their talent.
To say I was tired of spending every free moment at the studio was the understatement of the decade. I hated every second of it, regretted ever agreeing to do this stupid thing in the first place. The only reason I had done so was because it had given me the chance to come to New York. I had a reason to be closer to Lana and I had jumped in feet first. Of course I hadn’t known that I wouldn’t have five fucking minutes to breathe, let alone plan how I was going to win my angel back.
Today, the producers were letting some fans in as a kind of audience. I had ignored each set of them because they changed every two hours or so. All I wanted was to get through this day and get home at a decent hour for once. I had even brought Shane along today in hopes of making the producers annoyed enough to call an end to the auditions early.
At the moment, the producer’s assistants were showing in another group of fans. I didn’t bother to look over at them as I sketched a pair of angel wings on the edge of my itinerary. Axton was surfing the web on his phone, glancing up with a grin every now and then when one of the female fans called out that she loved him.
“Holy Fuck!” he muttered next to me. “How do I get that in my bed?”
Curious, I followed his gaze. There was a blonde sitting in the back. She was gorgeous; I’d give her that. Tall, sitting higher than any of the other females and even some of the guys, she wasn’t really paying attention to what was going on around her. Instead, she was playing with something on her phone. There was an empty seat beside her, but I didn’t really pay attention to it.
“She’s hot,” I agreed.
“Dude, seriously. She’s beyond hot. Me want. Me want bad.”
I laughed for the first time that day, maybe even the first time in weeks. “Then tell the producer prick you want a break and go get her number.”