Текст книги "Strings Attached"

Автор книги: Stephanie Julian

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

Chapter Six

Fucking sonovabitch.

Still breathing like he’d run a five-minute mile after smoking a pack of cigarettes, Baz slammed the door to the studio behind him and briefly considered locking it.

Not that he thought she’d follow him, but because he wasn’t sure he could trust himself not to go back out there and seduce her out of her clothes.

Damn it, she’d pissed him off when she’d said last night had been a mistake. Even though that’s exactly what he’d been expecting her to say, it’d still made him want to show her how wrong she really was.

Yeah, but where the fuck do we go from here?

Good question. And here he was, hiding from the answer.

No, he wasn’t hiding. He was giving her time to think. Yeah, that was exactly what he was doing.

But it also gave him way too much time to think.

And he’d been doing enough of that already. Now, he needed to do some acting.

He’d come to a couple of conclusions while he’d been playing earlier. One: He needed to call Nik. It was way past time.

And two: He wanted to kiss Tru again. And he didn’t want to stop kissing her.

She hadn’t exactly said no. In fact, he was pretty damn sure she’d been reaching for him when he’d stepped away.

So, yeah. He was going to kiss her again. He just needed to go a little slower than he was used to. She wasn’t a groupie looking to score after a concert, a fan looking for another notch in her bedpost.

She was the girl next door who didn’t date guys with tattoos who played in rock bands.

He was going to be the one to change her mind. But first he needed to be the kind of guy she did want to go out with. One who had his shit together.

Which all started with a phone call.

Grabbing his phone off the top of the piano, he tapped at screens until he found the number he was looking for. He didn’t stop to think. He just punched it.

It rang. And rang. And rang.

And Nik didn’t pick up.

“Fucking leave me a message or don’t fucking leave me a message. Don’t care which. Maybe I’ll call you back. Probably not.”

Baz had a grin on his face by the time the beep sounded.

Then he took a deep breath. “Hey, it’s me. Call me back.”

He tapped the screen harder than normal to end the call.

Was he a little relieved that Nik hadn’t picked up? Yeah, maybe. But that just gave him more time to work. Which he couldn’t do with his fingers wrapped up tight. He’d been too involved in watching Tru to realize she’d doubled wrapped his fingers like he’d severed an artery.

The girl didn’t do anything in half measures, did she?

He’d started to unwrap his mummy hands when movement from the mixing booth caught his eye. He saw Greg come through the door and head straight for the studio.

“You okay?” Greg pointed at his hands.

“Yeah, fine. Common casualty.” He picked up the roll of medical tape he’d grabbed from the other room before he’d left Tru standing there and held it up.

Then Baz smiled. He couldn’t keep it contained anymore and Greg raised an eyebrow at him.

“You gonna tell me what the grin is for?”

“I think I’m finished with the score.”

Greg’s eyes widened. “Seriously?’

“Yeah. Listen.”

As Greg slid onto the nearest stool, Baz turned to the piano, opened the laptop and queued the film to the right spot before starting to play.

When he was finished, Greg’s smile was the only reassurance he needed to know that he’d gotten it right.

“Holy shit.” Greg shook his head. “I think we’ve got ourselves a film. You did a damn good job on this, Baz. You know that, right?”

Yeah, he was pretty proud of his work but it was nice to hear it from the man who’d believed in him. “Thanks. I think it’s pretty fucking awesome myself.”

“So what sparked the breakthrough?” Greg crossed his arms over his chest, his expression intent, and Baz had the distinct feeling Greg knew exactly what’d sparked his creativity. The guy had an uncanny way of seeing things no one wanted him to see.

Like Baz’s attraction to a certain woman who happened to be in the same building with them. And who he’d kissed just a few minutes ago.

“Saw some old friends last night.”

Greg nodded. “Tru told me you ended up at a bar. Xander’s place?”

“Yeah. Zach was there. We talked.”

“And . . .”

“It was . . . helpful.” He couldn’t help his shrug. “I miss ’em. I’m not sure I realized how much until I saw Zach. So I called Nik.”

Greg’s expression didn’t change. “Did you actually talk to him? You guys didn’t exactly part on the best terms the last time you saw him.”

No, they’d tried to pummel each other when Nik had tracked him down at Haven a few weeks ago.

“Didn’t pick up. Left a message.”

“Think he’ll call back or do I need to be ready for another cage match?”

Baz grimaced. “Hopefully we got that of our systems.”

“So, you wanna tell me what’s going on with you and Tru?”

Baz blinked and his eyes went wide for a second before he managed to cover his reaction. “I don’t know what—”

Greg rolled his eyes. “Save it. You don’t wanna talk about it, that’s fine. But I’m telling you right now, you don’t wanna screw with her. Got me?”

Was Greg warning him away from Tru? Did Greg think he wasn’t good enough for her?

Fuck that. “I’m not screwing with her.”

Holding up one hand, Greg shook his head. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m not telling you to stay away from her. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. I’m only saying that you don’t want to mess with that girl’s emotions because she will rip you to pieces and leave you bleeding. Then again, if you’re sure you wanna pull that trigger, I say more power to you, because Tru is one of the best people I know. I love her like family and if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

Baz blinked at the utter sincerity in Greg’s tone but he wasn’t surprised. Greg had known Tru a lot longer—

Greg’s hand landed on his shoulder. “But know this, you’re family now, too. And anyone hurts you, I’ll beat their heads in.”

Then Greg got up and headed for the door, leaving Baz to stare after him.

“I like the raw sound of that take. I think that’s the one we should use for the film. Do whatever you need to make that happen so I can put this damn thing to bed and we can make the distribution deadline. I’m sick of waiting for people to rip me apart. It’s been a while. I kinda miss it.”

The door shut behind Greg and Baz sucked in a deep breath like he’d been holding it in for hours. And maybe he had.

So smart guy, what the fuck do you do now?

*   *   *

“Trudeau, hi. It’s Cory Ryder. We met last night at dinner. How are you?”

Her brain was occupied with a million other details at the moment and Trudeau’s immediate response was all business.

“Hello, Mr. Ryder. It’s nice to hear from you again. Greg’s on the phone at the moment but I could take a message.”

“Actually, I was calling to speak to you.”

Automatically comparing the time on her laptop to the arrival time of her first receptionist candidate on her schedule, she calculated that she had approximately five free minutes.

“Absolutely, what can I help you with?”

“I was wondering if I could take you to dinner tomorrow night.”

Her brain went completely blank and her mouth fell open. It was so not what she’d been expecting to hear that his words didn’t quite compute. Although she knew exactly what he was asking.

“Oh.”

Cory’s low laughter made her blush, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. It was such a gauche response, but her brain had yet to catch up to this morning’s events. She hated to admit Baz had rattled her.

He’d kissed her again and—

“I hope that’s a good response to my question and not a bad one.”

“Actually . . . it is. I’m sorry. I was caught up in something when I answered the phone and my brain’s still trying to catch up.”

“Well, then let me make sure you understood the question. I’d like to take you to dinner tomorrow night. Are you available?”

Well, technically, yes, she was available.

And she’d been attracted to Cory last night. At least, the part of her brain that thought he’d make a great catch had been attracted.

Handsome, great smile, and a nice body. Smart, too, because Greg didn’t typically deal with stupid people. And friends with Tyler and Jared, so he wasn’t a freak show.

And you’re hesitating, why?

“Uh . . .”

“And just so we’re clear, this isn’t a business meeting. I enjoyed talking to you last night.”

Oh, well, hell. The man had no problems laying things right out.

So . . . what the hell?

“Sure, I’d like that.”

She could practically hear him grinning through the phone. “Great! Let me know where I can pick you up.”

“Actually, I’ve got a late meeting. Would it be okay if we met at the restaurant?”

That was something her dad had always told her and Vi. Better to have your own wheels on a first date rather than rely on a date to get you home.

“No problem.” Cory rattled off a name and address that she’d have to Google before tomorrow night. “I look forward to getting to know you better.”

“Oh. Thanks. I, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Have a good day, Tru.”

“You, too.”

Then he hung up, leaving her staring at her phone for several seconds.

What. The. Hell.

When had she suddenly stepped into an episode of some stupid TV sitcom?

She didn’t have time to contemplate that, however, as the first of her potential receptionist candidates arrived for an interview.

Tru knew during the first few seconds after the girl opened her mouth that she wouldn’t fit in. She stuttered and stammered and could barely look Tru in the eyes as she spoke. What the hell had she been smoking when she’d brought this girl in for an interview?

Well, shit. This was sizing up to be a long day. At least it would keep her mind off the date she’d just agreed to.

The next two women fared better, enough to reassure Tru that her people-reading skills were still mostly intact.

The fourth woman . . .

Tru absolutely hated the fact that the first thing she noticed about the woman was her tattoos.

She had one just peeking out of the collar of her white-button down shirt tucked neatly into a pair of form-fitting but not too clingy black pants and another on her wrist that appeared only when she’d shook hands with Tru.

Neither tattoo was overt nor offensive, but hers would be the first face people saw when they entered the ManDown offices. The first impression an outsider would have of the company. A position previously held by Tru.

Jessalynn had bright red hair, obviously colored but tucked up into a prim little roll at her nape. Her makeup was understated but the girl didn’t need much. She was one of those women who screamed sex-on-a-stick from her double-Ds to her more-than-a-handful ass. Bombshell perfectly described her.

So are you looking for a carbon copy of yourself?

Tru’s nose wrinkled before she could stop herself.

Apparently she hadn’t been fast enough because Jessalynn Hughesman released a very quiet sigh.

As if she knew she wasn’t getting the job.

Which made Tru feel like a bigoted heel. And like she had a pole stuck up her ass.

With a mental slap upside the head, Tru turned her focus back to the receptionist candidate.

“Tell me a little about what you’ve been doing at your most recent job.”

“Mostly fending off entitled trust-fund babies who think a receptionist at a brokerage firm is just dying for the chance to get one of them in bed without the benefit of dinner and a drink.”

Tru’s mouth fell open at Jessalynn’s bold statement. She didn’t have a snappy comeback, and her expression must have read to the other woman as being horrified at her candor because Jessalynn huffed out another sigh.

“Look, I’m sorry I wasted your time. Obviously, I’m not what you’re looking for in this position. I’m sure I’ll have better luck elsewhere. You have a nice day now.”

The resigned defeat in the other woman’s tone hit Trudeau hard.

“Wait. Please. Sit down.” Tru waved at the seat Jessalynn had just vacated. “I need to apologize. My mind was wandering and I’m really sorry. So you’ve been working for Bachman, Litman and Kline for . . . two years? Has it been this bad the whole time?”

Jessalyn slowly sank back into the chair with a carefully blank expression. “No, of course not. It’s really not that bad. I shouldn’t have said—”

“Wait.” Tru held up her hands. “Before you take it all back because you think I’m a total bitch and I’m going to tattle to your bosses, please don’t. Tell me a little bit about the job that you do like.”

Jessalynn swallowed and took a deep breath before answering. “Honestly, not much. That’s why I’m here. I need a change and I’m willing to take a pay cut to get it. I know that probably makes me look bad and, yeah, sometimes I can be a little too . . . truthful.” Her mouth twisted. “Or so I’ve been told. But I’m a damn good worker. I have great phone skills, I can file, type a hundred words a minute, and I’m good with computers. Hell, I can even take dictation if you need it.”

“This job doesn’t only require phone skills. I’m ultimately looking for someone who can manage the office. That used to be my job but I’ve taken on more responsibility in the company and I need someone I can trust with things like scheduling and ordering supplies. I’m sure you realize we’re a film production company, so you’re going to need to learn how to deal with people who have way bigger egos than you’ll find at a brokerage firm.”

Jessalynn’s eyes had started to widen as Tru spoke until Tru couldn’t help but smile. This girl was a few years younger than her, only twenty-two to Tru’s twenty-six, and right now she looked it. She hadn’t when she’d walked in.

“I . . . This is Greg Hicks’s company, right? I mean, I know who he is and I know what he does, but I kind of figured the job was basically to answer phones and get coffee and fade into the background.”

“Is that the kind of job you want?”

Jessalynn shook her head. “No. Look, I know what my resume says, okay? My degree is from a two-year community college because that’s all I could afford. I’m working on getting my bachelor’s degree in management, but honestly, I don’t make enough to pay my rent and eat and go to college.” She started to say something else, then thought better of it but the hesitation was barely perceptible. “I’m not afraid of hard work, Ms. Morrison.”

A quick glance back down at her resume showed that Jessalynn had jobs listed from the age of fifteen. She’d worked at a mini-market for seven years and had also held a job at a coffee shop during a portion of that time, all while attending college.

Actually, she still had the coffee-shop job, unless she’d just forgotten to put an end date. So she worked forty or so hours at the firm, then worked another job, as well.

Tru wanted to kick herself for nearly dismissing this woman out of hand simply because of her looks. Shame crept into her chest and cut out a little hole.

“I can see that, Ms. Hughesman. So when can you start? Is Monday too soon? I mean, I realize you probably need to give two-weeks’ notice and I’m absolutely willing to wait for you, but we need you as soon as possible.”

Jessalynn’s eyes had gotten bigger with Tru’s every word. And when Tru stopped, she just sat there and blinked for a few seconds.

“Are you offering me the job?”

Tru nodded. “Yes. I’ll check your references, but we need someone immediately, and I think you’re it. We’ll match your salary to start and increase based on performance. It’s a full-time position, so you’ll get benefits. We’ll work out vacation details, but you’ll have at least three weeks to start. Is there anything you need to ask me before you make your decision?”

Jessalynn’s mouth opened several times before she spoke. “Are you joking?”

Another prospective employer might’ve been offended by her question. Not Tru. She understood completely, because not too long ago she’d been in Jessalynn’s shoes when Greg had hired her.

She’d been at the end of her rope, seriously considering heading home after being unable to land a job in the industry.

She’d often wondered what he’d seen in her as she’d stammered through her interview with his previous assistant and him. She’d been nervous as hell, but she’d been confident enough in herself to know she could do the job and do it well.

Maybe that’s what Greg had seen. She’d have to ask him one of these days.

“No, I’m not joking. Let me know when you can start and I’ll have your paperwork ready for you to sign.”

“Oh my god.” The other woman looked shocked. “Thank you. So much. You won’t be sorry.”

Tru smiled and stuck her hand over her desk. Jessalynn took it and shook so hard Tru was afraid she would be pulled over the desk.

“You’re very welcome. Welcome to the crazy world of ManDown.”

*   *   *

“Sooo,” Sabrina drew the word out to about five syllables. “What are you doing tonight?”

Sitting in his suite at Haven, he spoke to Sabrina on the phone from only a few floors away. “You can’t be sneaky for shit, Bree. What’s up?”

“I’m not being sneaky. I’m asking if you have any plans for tonight. Greg has a late meeting and I thought I’d have some people over to hang.”

“By people, I guess you mean me.”

“Well, yeah. You . . . and I thought I’d ask Jimmy and Brian. And maybe Kate and Annabelle, if they’re around. And Tru.”

Ah. “And you want to know what happened last night after we left.”

“Well, I don’t want either of you to be uncomfortable so before I ask Tru, I thought—”

“Wait, you won’t invite her because you think I won’t come if she’s there?”

“Nooo.” Another drawn-out answer. “I just don’t want either of you to feel awkward and—”

“And why would we feel awkward?”

Shit, had Greg or Tru said something to Sabrina about what had happened? He’d been dying to talk to Sabrina about last night but it felt . . . disloyal. Which was stupid. Sabrina was one of his best friends. Hell, at the moment, without Nik, she was his only best friend.

He and Greg were friends, but they didn’t have the same kind of relationship, which was kind of weird but whatever.

“I figured you guys had a blowout last night after you left, which is why neither of you came back.”

“That’s not what happened.”

“Then what did happen? Obviously something went down.”

“Seriously? Something went down? Are you planning to write for Greg now?”

She huffed loudly. “You know what I mean. But since you’re being a dick, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

“Damn, sweetheart. What bug crawled up your butt?”

“There’s no bug up my butt, you perv. So, you wanna come or not? And screw you. I’m inviting Tru, no matter what.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be done in a few minutes. Okay?”

“Okay, good.” Now she sounded relieved. “Hurry. I want to talk to you before everyone else gets here.”

Five minutes later, he was sprawled on the couch in Greg and Sabrina’s apartment, listening as she told Tru she’d see her in half an hour, which is when Brian and Jimmy and Kate were supposed to show up as well.

A half hour for Sabrina to grill him.

What the hell was he going to say? Should he tell her everything? He really wanted to talk to her about what had happened last night but he wasn’t sure she wouldn’t rip him a new one for messing with Tru.

Sabrina was protective of her friends. He’d seen it up close and personal. When she took someone in as a friend, they became family.

What would she do now?

“Alright, spill. What’s going on?’

Dressed in jeans and a Minnie Mouse t-shirt with her long golden brown hair in a ponytail, she looked about eighteen, which was off by only five years.

Baz took a sip of his beer, giving himself a few extra seconds to make up his mind. But really, there was only one decision to make.

“I kissed Tru last night.”

He didn’t go into details because he knew Sabrina would pull them out in her own sweet time.

But by the stunned look on her face, it might take her a while to actually get to the details.

“Wait. You’re serious?”

He didn’t feel that needed an answer and let his expression speak for itself.

“What . . .” She shook her head. “How long have you wanted to do that?”

That wasn’t the question he’d expected and he didn’t have a ready answer for it. “You’re not gonna smack me and tell me what a jerk I am for daring to touch the sainted virgin?”

She reached across the cushion and smacked him herself. “Don’t be stupid. You’re not a jerk for kissing her. Unless you didn’t really want to kiss her.”

“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to.”

“Did she want you to kiss her?”

She didn’t make much of a protest when she was coming around my fingers.

Shit, maybe he was being a dick. “She didn’t ask but she didn’t push me away. If she had, I would’ve stopped. I thought you’d know that about me.”

“Baz, no, I’m not accusing you of anything.” Her grimace spoke volumes and again, he felt like he was being a dick. “I know you’d never force yourself on anyone. That’s not– Shit, now I feel like a jerk.”

He shook his head. “Don’t. It’s just a fucked-up situation and it’s my fault. I never should’ve touched her. Hell, she could barely look at me this morning. I guess it’s a good thing I finished the score and won’t be at the office much anymore.”

“You finished the score? That’s great.” Her smile was back in full force. “I know Greg’s been dying to get the film out there for people to see. He wants to set up screenings as soon as possible. Greg said Tru told him you had a panic attack last night. That’s why you left so abruptly. You wanna talk about that? Is that why you kissed Tru?”

“I kissed Tru because I wanted to kiss her. End of story. I mean, she’s the one person besides Nik who can piss me off in seconds flat. Know what I mean? She can look at me, just for a second, and I’ll be ready to rip into her.”

“I’ve noticed that about you two.” She shrugged. “Which is kind of why I’m not really that surprised you kissed her.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Well, fighting’s kind of like flirting, and you guys do an awful lot of fighting. Maybe, for you, the fighting was kind of like foreplay.”

He opened his mouth to tell her she was crazy but shut it before he’d said anything. And thought about it for a second.

“Do you like her?” Sabrina’s quiet question kept him silent for another few seconds.

“I think she’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. She’s also one of the most uptight people I know. She’s so damn organized that she gives me hives, for Christ’s sake.” He paused. “And she’s so fucking hot, she makes me want to tear off her clothes and shove her up against a wall.”

Sabrina’s eyes went wide. “Oh.”

He let his lips twist in a sarcastic grin. “Yeah. Oh.”

Then she started to grin and the tight band around his chest started to loosen.

“So what are you going to do about it?”

“Do about what?”

She rolled her eyes and smacked him on the thigh. “What are you going to do about this thing between you and Tru?”

“I don’t think it’s really up to me to do anything about it. I made the first move. I don’t wanna be the dick who keeps hounding her.”

“Okay, I can’t argue with that. So what happened this morning at the office?”

“Not a damn thing.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Really? You didn’t talk at all? Didn’t see each other?”

“Yeah, we saw each other and she told me it was a mistake and it couldn’t happen again.” He sighed. “And then I kissed her and told her it wasn’t a mistake. Then I walked out.”

“So you finished the music after you kissed her last night.”

Wincing, he nodded, knowing exactly where she was going. “That’s not why . . . Shit. Maybe that is why I finished the damn music. I don’t fucking know. All I know is when I kissed her again this morning, she didn’t slap me.”

“Did anything other than kissing happen?”

He didn’t answer, which was really an answer in itself.

“Oh.” Now she really looked shocked and her gaze fell to the drink in her hand.

“Look, nothing happened that she can’t look at herself in the mirror and say it wasn’t a big deal.”

Her gaze bounced up again. “Was it a big deal for you?”

“Besides you, she’s the first girl I’ve kissed in more than a year.”

Eyes narrowed, he watched Sabrina work through that one. “So what are your intentions?”

“I don’t have the first fucking clue.”

Sabrina’s eyes rolled. “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“It’s not bullshit. That’s the problem. I don’t have a fucking clue. Hell, I’m not sure what the fuck I want. You were the first person to make me realize I still had a dick after my breakdown. And I couldn’t have you. Now I want her and I can’t fucking figure out if that’s because I can’t have you or if it’s all about her.”

Sabrina blushed a very pretty pink that made him grin but not for long. Because he really didn’t know what to do here and it was a weird position for him to be in.

“Baz—”

“I know that makes me sound like a complete and utter fucking dickwad but . . . I think I’m finally ready to move on, and I’m afraid she’s gonna tell me to fuck off.”

Sabrina had been shaking her head for the past few seconds. “You are not a dick. I mean, sure you can act like one, but that’s not who you are. I know that. Greg knows that. And Tru knows that. And if she doesn’t, then she’s not the person I think she is.”

“I don’t know if I’m the person you think I am.”

“Bullshit. Stop that. Of course you are.” She gave him a haughty look. “I’m never wrong.”

Baz laughed, exactly like he was supposed to and looked down at his drink. “So, tell me. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Do you really want my advice about a woman?”

“Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Then I’m gonna tell you to stop acting like a pussy and go after what you want.”

“Did you just call me a pussy?”

“You know I did.” She smacked his thigh again. “Suck it up, Baz. Go after what you want.”

The intercom buzzed and Sabrina bounced up to respond, entering the code that allowed her guests to get the elevator to the fourth floor.

Tyler had given Baz one of the prized black keycards that allowed him access to the fourth floor, where Tyler and Jared Golden had their apartments and where Greg and Sabrina also stayed in one of the other two suites.

Baz knew Greg wanted to find a house for himself and Sabrina but he’d been too damn busy to actually look at any yet.

“Jimmy and Brian are here.” Sabrina headed back toward the kitchen but quickly turned and made straight for him. Putting her hands on either side of his face, she smiled directly into his eyes and rubbed her nose against his in an affectionate gesture that made him smile.

“I think she’s crazy if she doesn’t see you for the smart, funny, sometimes-irritating-but-altogether-hot guy you are. Now stop moping and get the fuck up and help me.”

She smacked a quick kiss on his lips and shoved him away, leaving him laughing as he followed her to the kitchen.

When he returned with bowls of chips and pretzels in his hands, Baz saw Jimmy and Brian walk in.

“Hey, apparently this beauty was headed to the same party,” Jimmy laughed. “Imagine that.”

Holding a platter of brownies, Tru’s gaze immediately shot to him, then flashed away to smile at Sabrina, who was directly behind him.

“I’m so glad you came!” Sabrina bounced around him, took the tray out of Tru’s hands, and put it on top of one of the bowls he was carrying, then gave Tru a hug, which she returned with a sweet smile that made him want to drop the bowls and kiss her. Lay a claim to her.

But Jimmy and Brian started to hassle him as Jimmy grabbed one of the bowls Baz had in his hands and they headed for the seating area.

The apartment was big enough to have three couches in a U shape facing a huge-ass television with a state-of-the-art sound system.

Right now, music flowed out of the speakers with some weird psychedelic thing happening on the screen.

“Whoa. That’s kinda freaky.”

Jimmy stopped next to Baz, staring at the swirling patterns, his brain busy trying to make sense of it.

Brian stopped on the other side of Baz, his blond head cocked to the side as he stared as well. “Shit, that’ll give you nightmares.”

Actually, Baz saw music. Not the music Sabrina had playing. That shit was old-school Whitney. Not bad, just not his style. The music in his head was . . . different.

His type of music.

The melody stuck with him the entire night, which turned out to be a couple of hours of shooting the shit about music, movies, politics, and weird crap like Bigfoot, who happened to be the star of the film Sabrina had chosen to watch.

Sabrina and Kate, who’d shown up a few minutes after Tru, apparently loved cheesy movies, and they loved to watch them together and tear them apart. Kind of like Mystery Science Theater 3000 but without the robots and with a hell of a lot more profanity.

Perfect stress relief. And with the other people around, it gave him the chance to interact with Tru without being alone with her.

So he tried to show her he wasn’t just a Neanderthal rock star. That he had a little depth.

Yeah, good luck with that.

As the movie wound down to an asinine conclusion featuring snowmobiles and way too much fake blood flowing in rivers through white snow, he’d pretty much fallen silent, laughing when someone said something funny and stopping after one beer and switching to soda.

But underneath it all, he still heard that music. Actually, he heard more of it now.

And then it was all he could think about.

“Hey, Sabrina, it was fun but I gotta skip out.”

Jimmy turned to look at him, and Baz caught concern in the guy’s dark gaze. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need a piano.”

Jimmy’s eyes now flew open wide. “Seriously? You’ve been getting music together?”

Jimmy was a huge, his word, not Baz’s, fan of Baseline Sins, and the look on the guy’s face made Baz smile. Pure, fanboy anticipation.

He knew what it looked like because he got it whenever he heard about a new album from a band he loved.

“Yeah. And I need to get it out of my head.”

“Dude, please, you go right ahead.” Jimmy waved toward the door. “Work all night. The sooner we get more Baseline Sins music, the happier everyone’ll be.”

Rising to his feet, Baz gave Sabrina a twisted grin.

“I’m gonna run down to the music room. Sorry for cutting out early, but I got something stuck in my head and I wanna get it down before I lose it.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes but waved a hand in his face. “Sure, sure. Blow us off. Whatever.” Then she smiled to let him know she was joking. “I wanna hear it when you’re finished.”