Best Of Everything (17 page)

“Oh, yeah, of course. He’s available?” Sebastian says.

“Last I heard. I ran into him at the Rainbow a couple nights ago. He just got back.”

They drift off and I’m standing with Melody, taking in the tapestry of lights that is Los Angeles spread out before us, when a loud voice calls out from behind me.

“Sebastian! You made it!”

We turn around and there’s a tall guy in his thirties, longish hair framing his face, two bags of groceries in his arms, walking toward us.

“Casey, did you think I’d miss it? Come on. Free booze and a chance to trash your new place? That’s irresistible,” Sebastian says. “You need some help with that?”

“Nah, I got it.”

A second young man, maybe twenty-five, is behind him, a case of Corona in his hands. Melody leans toward me. “Oh, my God. That’s Ashton Rinks.”

“Who?”

She stares at me like I’m a complete idiot. “Only the hottest new star on TV. He’s in that zombie show –
Good Day to Die
?”

“Oh, yeah. Of course.” I’ve never heard of it, but then again I don’t watch TV, other than MTV to keep up with the trends.

“He is
so
gorgeous. And may I just say, even better in person,” she murmurs.

“Thank goodness you’re a virgin with the man of her dreams,” I remind her.

“Not just with him,” she says, winking. “Although thanks for the reminder.”

“Just keeping you honest.”

Casey sets the bags down near the bar and Ashton follows his lead. They approach and Casey hugs Sebastian before giving us a warm smile. “And who might these two visions of loveliness be?” Casey asks with exaggerated formality.

“This is Sage. I just finished her record. She won a big TV talent show.”

Casey grins again, but I see there’s no recognition. Figures. Most people who are successful are busy doing something besides watching TV. “Nice,” he offers, shaking my hand.

“And this is Melody, her friend,” Sebastian says. There’s a moment of awkwardness as Casey looks her up and down and purrs, “Hello, Melody.”

“She’s in town for the weekend from San Francisco,” Sebastian adds. Melody holds up her champagne in a toast.

“Hi.”

Ashton steps forward. “Nice to meet you both. I’m Ash.”

We shake hands, and I can’t help but notice that he’s really handsome. He too looks Melody over and then returns his attention to me. “I saw you on that show. You’re incredibly talented.”

“Thanks,” I say, blushing.

“Do you live in L.A.?” he asks, as Casey and Sebastian head to the bar to put the supplies away.

“Um, yeah, for now. But I’m leaving on tour in a little while, so I’ll be living out of the back of a bus until who knows when.”

“That’s exciting. I’ve never been on a tour bus before,” he says, grinning. He has deep dimples when he smiles, which make him look even more boyish.

“That makes two of us. I just hope the bathroom works. I have low expectations,” I say, and silently curse myself. Why do I have to go straight to potty humor when I’m nervous?

“Well, maybe you’ll give me an invite once you figure it out.”

I’m not sure how to respond to that, but he saves me from the awkwardness of being struck dumb. “Is Melody in your band?” he asks, giving her a glance.

“No. I’m just a groupie,” Melody says. We all laugh easily, and she finishes her champagne. “Time for a refill,” she says, and moves to where Sebastian is talking to Casey while the bartender stows the beer.

Ashton looks around the party and then refocuses his intense stare on me. His eyes are pale blue, and if pressed, what I’d describe as dreamy. “Can I say something and not have you take it the wrong way?” he asks quietly.

“Depends on what it is,” I say.

“You’re more beautiful in person than on TV. The camera didn’t do you justice.”

I can feel heat radiating off my face. I must be beet red. I take a sip of my drink to buy time, and opt for a demure “Thank you.”

“I don’t want you to think I’m hitting on you or anything. It’s just that you’re…really something in person.”

There are so many responses that race through my mind. The leading candidate is, “So are you,” but I bite that back. Instead, I go for feeble humor. “Keep drinking,” I say, my delivery dry.

We both laugh. “Speaking of which, I’m empty. What are you having?” he asks.

“Just soda. I don’t drink much.” I point to my throat. “Bad for the vocal chords.”

“What? I thought you were a rock star. How can you sound like Janis and not drink? What kind of deal is that?”

“Dries my throat out,” I say, which is true. I don’t go into the long version about my dead alcoholic mother. Seems like kind of a buzz kill for party banter.

He looks at me doubtfully. “Not even champagne?”

“Well, maybe just a little.”

His eyes light up and he smirks. “I’ll be right back.”

Melody returns and gives his ass a long glance before looking to me. “I could really get used to Los Angeles. I am so moving here.”

My voice is almost inaudible. “Melody? I think Ash is hitting on me.”

Her eyes widen. “Get out of here.”

“I’m serious. He told me I’m really something.”

She shakes her head. “Wait. So you have Derek wrapped around your little finger, and now the hottest stud in Hollywood is making goo-goo eyes at you, while I’m having to fight for a few hours with Sebastian? Where did I go wrong?”

“What do I do?” I hiss as Ashton holds up a champagne glass from the bar.

“You can’t be asking what I’d do. I think it’s pretty clear where I fall on the hot guy subject.” She grins impishly. “Which you can try. Falling on him, I mean. ‘Oops, I lost my balance. Is that your Corona, or are you just happy to see me?’”

We’re both giggling when Ashton returns with my champagne. He takes my half-drunk soda from my hand and exchanges it for the bubbly, and sets the warming glass on the deck railing. Melody’s gaze could scorch his shirt off, but he doesn’t seem to notice – all his attention is on me.

“Better?” he asks, and clinks his flute against mine. I take a cautious sip. It’s pretty good.

“My limit is one,” I say.

“Fortunately I don’t have that rule,” Melody chimes in with a raised eyebrow. “I’m young Sage’s chaperone. To see that she doesn’t get led astray by any silver-tongued devils.” She winks at Ashton, tilts her head forward, and lowers her voice to a stage whisper. “Satan is everywhere.”

“So you’ve met my agent,” Ashton says, and we laugh again. I find myself warming to him in spite of myself.

Sebastian returns with Casey, and soon the men are discussing show-business stuff, which is interesting for a little while but gets less so as the level of my champagne glass drops. Melody and I go for a bathroom break, and afterwards we stay inside the house, which is decorated in contemporary bachelor chic, admiring the view through the pocket doors.

“I can’t believe Ashton digs you,” Melody says, shaking her head.

“Why? Am I that repulsive?”

“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything…”

“You can break it to me. I can handle it.”

“Remember, anything I say is meant with love.”

“Such a liar.”

“It’s just that you’ve got Derek, who is like the most awesome-looking guy in the world, and now Ashton, who’s a close second…” For the first time ever, I think Melody sounds a little envious.

“It would take ten Ashtons to make one Derek,” I say more forcefully than I mean to. “I mean, he’s cool and all, but Derek…well, Derek’s a whole ’nother level.” I eye her. “Besides, you have Sebastian. What’s with the down look?”

“I don’t really have him, though, do I? I mean, not like you and Derek. I’m hoping, but you saw how he was acting yesterday. This isn’t even close to a done deal.”

“I seem to remember a friend of mine telling me that a little naked oil dancing could solve a lot of problems.”

She nods. “Absolutely. But Sebastian’s being a total gentleman. I mean, I like it, but I’d also like to, you know, have crazy monkey sex in his Porsche.”

“Crazy monkey…”

“Just an expression. I watch a lot of
Animal Planet
. Bonobos are as nasty as a bus full of drunk construction workers.”

“You missed your calling. You’re a poet.”

“I’m serious. They have orgies.”

“They show that on TV?” I ask skeptically.

“Google it.”

“No, thanks.”

Sebastian comes looking for us after a little while, and I have to stifle a yawn as I glance at my watch. We’ve only been here about an hour and a half, but the long day of working the street, topped off by two hours of rehearsals, has gotten to me, and the alcohol’s got my lids fluttering. Melody doesn’t want to go, I can tell, but Sebastian understands, and we make the rounds saying our goodbyes.

When we get to Ashton, I smile. “Thanks for the champagne. It was nice meeting you.”

“You have no idea. Hey, here, dial your cell on mine so I have your number.” He holds out his phone and I hesitate to take it. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to show up outside your window at midnight or anything. Just to keep in touch. It’s a small town. In case you ever want to grab a pizza or something…or let me grab a ride on your bus.” He can tell I’m unsure, and he offers all this with a disarming grin.

“I don’t know. I have a boyfriend…” I say.

“My intentions are strictly honorable,” he insists. “Maybe not strictly, but mostly. Honest. I’m okay with friendship. Really.”

My eyes narrow as I study his face for any sign of duplicity, but I don’t see any, so I dial my cell, which vibrates in my back pocket. I hand him back the phone. “There. But only pizza or bus rides, right?”

“And champagne.” He sees the look in my eyes and tries another smile. “With the pizza. That’s all.”

“I’m not old enough to drink.”

He chuckles. “I started when I was a sophomore in high school, so I don’t shock easily.”

“That’s good to know.”

My head’s spinning on the way home. Sebastian has dropped the top and the wind feels good in my hair. I’m flattered that Ashton seems so taken with me, but it doesn’t matter – all I can think about is Derek, and I manage to turn what should be a great finish of the evening into something unpleasant with my inner speculations about what kind of offers he must be getting in my absence.

Melody wants to hang out with Sebastian when he drops me off at the apartment, and I tell her to come up with me so I can give her a key. My light buzz turned into a headache on the ride home, and now all I want to do is crawl into bed, banishing the visions of Derek being hit on by female equivalents of Ashton. I know I’m just being insecure, but I can’t help it. What makes it worse is the little tingle of excitement I felt when talking to Ashton. There’s no way I’d act on it, but Derek’s a guy, and Melody’s drilled home that guys are basically horn dogs, especially when they’re young.

And she’d know, even if today she’s a virgin.

I call Derek but he doesn’t pick up, and when I drift off to sleep, my rest isn’t pleasant.

Chapter 23

When I see Melody the next morning, she’s in the kitchen humming to herself. I have no idea what time she got in, and I don’t ask. The less I know about her developing relationship with Sebastian, the better. My life is more than complicated enough without having to be in the middle.

I call a taxi for her as she packs, and check my messages. There’s one late last night from Derek. It’s short, and I can hear music and noise in the background, which is becoming a regular occurrence when I talk to him at night, causing further anxiety in the pit of my stomach.

“Hey. Sorry to call so late. Time kinda got away from me. Hope everything’s cool. Let’s talk tomorrow. I miss you.”

I listen to the message again, but my unease only grows. He sounds like he’s had a few drinks. I know I shouldn’t react the way I do, but every time I hear him like that my mind automatically flits back to him drunk in our studio apartment, his hand broken, with an extra bonus serving of my mom passed out over the years.

He’s not doing anything wrong, and I know intellectually there’s a world of difference between him having a few beers and being out-of-control wasted, but it still makes me uncomfortable – and a little guilty over my borderline flirtation with Ashton. I mean, I gave him my number. Sure, I protested, but I gave it to him all the same, and I wonder how much more persuasive he would have seemed if I’d had two or three glasses of champagne instead of one.

That’s totally my deal, I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I wish I could talk with Melody about it, but there are limits to her helpfulness, and I already know she’d tell me to just take a chill pill and stop driving myself crazy.

I walk her downstairs, and when the taxi comes I give her a big hug.

“Let me know your tour dates. I am so open to coming with you and keeping you company,” she says.

“That sounds like it would be fun. But there may be some legal crap your mom needs to sign. Lawyers and minors, that kind of thing.”

“I’ve mastered her signature, so send them on to me. I’ll keep a bag packed.”

“Let me know if you decide to come back before I leave.”

She stares at the taxi and then says off-handedly, “I hope I can, but if not, I can always stay at Sebastian’s.”

“You…did you…?”

“No, but my willpower only goes so far. I have a feeling he could convince me to let him have his way with me, with enough romance and candlelight.”

“Or fifteen minutes in his Porsche.”

She shrugs. “Girls just wanna have fun. So shoot me.”

I watch the cab pull away and shake my head. If only my problems were Melody’s. The little mini-vacation from my real world concerns has been nice, but with my first show in only three days and a tour starting practically hours after that, I need to kick it into high gear.

Today the band’s on Hollywood Walk of Fame, near the TCL Chinese Theater. We’re having trouble thinking of decent places to play because now that word’s spreading on social media, fans are seeking us out, which defeats the purpose. But Hollywood Boulevard is a freak show where it’s easy to get lost, so I like our odds of playing for a while without attracting attention.