London Calling (3 page)

“Well?” Tim asked. “Jenna?”

She blinked. “I think you found your coat.”
What is my
problem?

“Smashing. Sold. Anything else?”

“One more thing,” Jenna said, rubbing her thumb along her
lower lip.

In twenty minutes, Tim had found the perfect black suit
coat, which Jenna insisted he wear to the audition. He looked incredible in it.

He pulled back the sleeve and checked his watch. “I should
probably go. Don’t want to be late. I’m hoping they’ll let me warm up before
the actual audition.”

I had the perfect warm-up exercise in mind.
“Oh,
okay. Of course.” Jenna’s mind scrambled for a way to see him again.

“Do I still get to have your number?” Tim pulled his phone
from his pants pocket. “So I can let you know how it goes?”

Jenna beamed at him and rattled off her number while digging
for her phone in her bag. “I get yours too, right?”

Tim reciprocated, but then Jenna felt as if she was back at
square one.
Now what?

“Uh,” he began, “I’ll need to have a proper dinner tonight
if I’m ever going to get on a schedule. Would you like to join me?”

“Yes,” she blurted. She pursed her lips, wondering if she’d
seemed too enthusiastic. “We can celebrate when you get this job.”

“If I don’t, I’ll need someone to put me in a cab after many
pints of beer.”

She tried to keep from bouncing on her toes, unable to wipe
the grin from her face.

“I’ll call you when I’m done.” He shifted the shopping bag
that contained his warmer coat.

“Here.” She reached for it. “Let me take that. You’ll look like
a homeless guy if you show up to your audition with this.”

He grinned and extended his arm, their fingers brushing as
they made the exchange. “I see how you American girls are. Now I have to call
you. You’ve got my coat.” His scent flooded her senses, his eyes soft and
dreamy.

Jenna caressed her throat with the tips of her fingers. She
couldn’t begin to imagine how an instant of eye contact could feel so
intoxicating.

* * * * *

The audition went brilliantly. The manager offered Tim two
nights a week, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Pay plus tips. He was thrilled. Jenna
was right, the restaurant was plush. He was glad she’d made him buy the dress
coat.

He rang her as he made his way across Sixth Avenue. Her
voice sounded sweet and sexy, which brought an instant smile to his face.

“Are you ready to celebrate?” he asked.

“You got the job?”

“Yes, I start tomorrow night.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks. Should I come around and pick you up?” He glanced
at his watch. It was already past six, by the time he got to her place it would
definitely be dinner time.

“Actually.” She paused and he felt his stomach fall. He
thought she was about to back out. “I have to drop something off at the café,
so I was just about to head over. We could meet there. I know a great place, if
you like Mexican.”

“Perfect.”

He put his phone back in his pocket and felt it buzz against
his leg. Thinking it was Jenna calling back, he opened it without looking.

Gavin’s voice greeted him instead. “So, how did it go? Are
you employed?”

“Yes.”

“Fantastic. I knew you’d get it. What are you doing to
celebrate? Off to a pub to pick up some lovelies?”

“Actually, I have a date.”

“With whom?”

Tim felt the smile rolling back across his face. “That girl
from the coffee shop. Jenna. I ran into her again last night and we hung out
this afternoon.”

“And now you’re going out to dinner?”

“Yes.” The smile broadened.

“Careful, Tim. Hanging out four times. That’s practically a
relationship.”

“I don’t know what it is. I haven’t even kissed her yet.”

He heard static on the line and thought perhaps Gavin had
dropped the phone then he realized he was just talking to Phillip. “He hasn’t
kissed her yet. I’m putting you on speaker.”

“Gav, wait.”

“Hi, Tim,” Phillip chimed from the background. “Tell me
about the girl.”

“There’s nothing to tell. Yet.”

He could hear Gavin laughing. “You like this one, I can
tell. Good for you. Don’t muck it up.”

“Thanks.”

“Well you’ve not got the best track record, you usually just
shag whatever girl literally falls into your lap after a show. When was the
last time you actually asked a girl out?”

“This afternoon.” Tim scrubbed his hand through his hair. He
wasn’t in the mood to have Gavin analyze his dating patterns or lack thereof.

“And before that? Six months? A year?”

“A while. I know.”

“I’m just saying, if you like this girl, don’t do anything
stupid. Where are you taking her for dinner?”

“Dunno. She said she knows a good Mexican place.”

“Well, don’t eat any onions. Even you’re not
that
charming.”

After Tim hung up he couldn’t help tossing around Gavin’s
words.
Don’t muck it up. Christ.

The closest thing he’d had to a relationship lately was a
girl he’d dated on and off for a few months. She’d seemed relatively normal at
first. Nicer than most of the groupies he’d met at shows, but she’d always been
pretty pretentious. She name-dropped every chance she got and insisted on going
to the “in” places rather than just hanging out someplace that might actually
be fun.

When he told her he wasn’t taking her with him to the States,
she’d had a holy fit and broke off with him. He was relieved. He’d been
dreading calling things off and she’d saved him the trouble. She was, however,
the most recent sex he’d had and that had been well over a month ago.

His mouth was suddenly dry. He popped into the market on the
corner and grabbed a bottle of water and a tin of Altoids. Whatever happened
tonight, fresh breath seemed a good idea.

Jenna was standing at the counter when he arrived, talking
to the blonde woman. The second she saw him she smiled, making his nervousness
melt away. She’d changed into a short patterned skirt, a black sweater and
chunky-heeled black shoes, giving her a sweet but sexy schoolgirl look that
made him swallow hard.

“Hey,” she said. “Tim, this is Natalie. She owns the café.”

Natalie waved as she continued taking cookies off the silver
pan and placing them into the case. The two women exchanged a look that Tim
couldn’t quite interpret but when Jenna turned back to him she was smiling
again. “You ready? Oh. I brought your jacket.” She handed him the shopping bag.

“Thanks. Pleasure to meet you, Natalie.”

“Likewise.” She grinned and tossed Jenna another look. “You
kids have fun.”

Jenna scooted out the door and Tim followed. There was no
breeze and it felt much warmer than the night before. Or maybe it was just her
presence. Being around her made him feel warm all over. “Mexican?” she asked,
her head cocked to the side, hair falling across one eye before she tucked it
behind her ear.

“Sure. But would you mind a quick stop at my place? I’d like
to change.”

She hesitated, surveying him up and down. “Okay.”

They turned the corner onto his street. “How long have you
worked for Natalie?”

“Since I came to the city, six years ago.”

“That’s a long time.”

“It is. I was only eighteen when I got here. I was enrolled
at NYU but I had a falling out with my father and he stopped payment on my
tuition. I couldn’t earn that much on my own, but I did manage to make enough
to stay here, so I did.”

“You’ve been on your own ever since?”

She nodded. “My dad and I don’t see eye to eye on some
pretty major issues. Right after I moved to New York my brother, Ethan, came
out. My dad went totally caveman. ‘No son of mine is gonna be a…’” Her voice
trailed off and for a second he thought she might cry. “He disowned Ethan and
threw him out. He was only sixteen. I told my dad if Ethan wasn’t his son
anymore then I wasn’t his daughter either. He said if he didn’t have a daughter
there was no sense paying NYU all that money.”

“That’s awful. Do you think he expected you’d come back?”

“Probably. He’s used to people doing exactly what he wants
them to do. He’s the president of a very successful record label. Most people
kiss his ass all day.”

“Well, I can see why you didn’t. What happened with your
brother?”

Jenna sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. “He
disappeared, but a few years ago he tracked me down. He’s living in Miami with
a serious boyfriend. They run a guest house together.”

“Do you get to see him?”

“Not often. We both work a lot and Miami’s pretty far away.
I’m just glad he’s happy.”

“Sounds like you both made the right decision to leave
home.” He stopped at the steps to his building. “I just need a minute. You want
to come up?”

She squinted at him and he could tell she was still
struggling with trusting him.

“I haven’t eaten quite all of the Pretzel M&M’s yet. You
could have some while you wait.”

Her lips tugged into a smile.

He held the door for her when they got up to his flat. She
walked in and slowly turned, her eyes scanning the kitchen. “This is a nice
place. Is it a lot like your apartment in London?”

“Not really. Same overall size but I’ve got a lot more books
and far fewer kitchen gadgets.”

“Don’t cook much?”

“Never had the need. Gavin’s a chef and my mum and sisters
cook up a storm, someone’s always trying to feed me. I’m totally incompetent in
a kitchen. I don’t even know what half these things do.”

Jenna giggled. “Like what?”

“Well I couldn’t figure out the coffeemaker, for one.” He
pointed to the elaborate stainless steel espresso machine.

“Ahh, so that’s why you frequent the coffee shop.”

“That was why initially. Now I stop by to check on the cute
counter girl.”

Chapter Three

Five minutes later, Jenna’s cheeks were still flushed.
The
cute counter girl. He thinks I’m cute.
Tim’s face had lit up when he first
saw her reaction to the comment and that had made her blush even more.

Now he was in the bathroom changing clothes. He yelled to
her through the door. “Don’t go eating all of my M&M’s while I’m in here.”

She shook her head and smiled. “Don’t you have some hair
styling to do?”

“Oh, right. Forgot that. Need another minute.”

Jenna wandered around the apartment, although there wasn’t
far to go. In the corner of the living room sat his guitar case, propped
against the wall. She was amazed that she’d mentioned that her dad was a bigwig
at a major record label and he didn’t even flinch. Every other musician she’d
dated had tried his best to take advantage of the connection. One guy literally
pulled a demo CD out of his back pocket and asked her to mail it to her dad
while they waited for the waiter to bring their appetizers. It wouldn’t have
been that bad if it hadn’t been their first date.

Tim was different. There was no denying that. It was enough
to make her nervous. In some ways, it was easier when the guy was a known
quantity. Even though he’d said she was cute, he could have just said it to be
nice. She wasn’t even sure if this was a real date.

The bathroom door opened and she heard him flip off the
light switch. She casually turned and he was steps away, looking good enough to
eat in nothing more than a black t-shirt and a well-worn pair of jeans. His
thick mop was expertly arranged into a tousled mess and the cologne he wore was
warm and musky. If she were a different kind of girl, she would have pushed him
down on the couch in a heartbeat, slipped her hands under his shirt and across
his broad chest, finally seen what was under there. But she preferred it when
the guy made the moves, did the chasing.

Tim put on his new pea coat and they walked a few blocks to
the Mexican place Jenna had suggested. A cluster of people stood outside
waiting, and she overheard the hostess tell the people at the front of the line
that it would be ninety minutes until they’d have a table. She frowned and
looked at Tim, wondering what they should do.

He rubbed his belly. “I’m pretty hungry. My stomach is still
on London time.”

She looked up and down the street. Picking a restaurant
seemed like a dating minefield. She had no clue what he wanted or liked.
And
this might not even be a date.

“Why don’t we walk a few blocks and see what we come
across?” he asked, bending his arm for her.

“Good idea,” she said. She hooked her arm into his, trying
to decide how close she could get without it being too obvious how much she
liked him. They passed a dozen storefronts—a tailor, a café that was only
open for breakfast and lunch, a tiny bookstore. The smell of soy sauce and
sesame oil drifted toward them when they got to the corner. “I wasn’t even
thinking,” she said, pointing across the street. “Ming Palace. Great Chinese
food, but it’s takeout only.” She turned to look up at him. “There’s nowhere to
sit.”

“We could take it back to my place.”

Her heart flip-flopped. “Great idea.”

They ordered their food and Tim insisted on paying, even
though Jenna argued with him about it. He’d won the discussion by putting his
hand on hers, a move so distracting that she didn’t remember giving in. Jenna
waited for their order and Tim ducked into the market next door to grab a
six-pack of beer.

When they got back to Tim’s building, he held the door open
for her again and she tried to remember if any other guy had ever done that for
her before. She thought he might be the first. So simple, so nice, and he
likely had no idea he’d done a thing.

Jenna took off her jacket when they got inside his apartment
and he swiftly took it from her and hung it on the coat rack next to the front
door. She moved the food to the kitchen table.

“Let’s eat in the lounge,” Tim said. “Then we can listen to
music. Is it too low-rent if we sit on the floor, at the coffee table?”

“Not at all.”

She picked up one of the takeout bags and Tim took the
other. He disappeared into the kitchen, returning with plates and two bottles
of Brooklyn Lager.

“I hope this is good,” he said, opening a bottle for her.
“Bloke next to me bought it. He looked like a big beer drinker.”

“It’s local. My favorite.”

“Well, then, I’m changing my story. It was all my idea.”

She laughed and held out her bottle. “Congratulations, Mr.
Piano Bar. You are officially a working man.”

“Thank you, my dear, but I owe it all to you. They were so
impressed with my jacket, they didn’t even ask me to play.” He winked at her.
“Kidding.”

Tim docked his iPod and put on some Van Morrison. Jenna sat
on the floor next to the long wooden table and reached down to unbuckle her
Mary Janes. Tim took a seat alongside her. They unpacked white cartons filled
with pork dumplings, spicy Szechuan noodles, sesame chicken and rice.

Tim handed her a pair of chopsticks and her heart rate
picked up—being close to him was wonderful. All she wanted to do was curl
into him. It would have been typical if he liked her as a friend. She was so
drawn to him that it made her chest hurt, which only meant something would
eventually go wrong.

Tim dug into the pile of food on his plate, placing an
entire dumpling in his mouth. “Mmm. These are fantastic,” he said between
chews.

“I’m glad you like it. I think it’s the best in this part of
town, but everybody has their opinion.”

He clinked his beer with hers again. “Congratulations on
introducing me to my new favorite Chinese restaurant on the planet.”

She wiped her mouth with a napkin after a particularly messy
bite of the noodles. “How are you feeling about the new job? Are they okay with
the fact that you’re only going to be here two months?”
Shit. There’s the
wrinkle.
She scrunched her lips and decided she wouldn’t think about it.

“They aren’t thrilled, but I guess I’m good enough to have
on a temporary basis.”

She took a long drink of beer.
A temporary basis.
That
was a depressing thought. She leaned forward to grab a fortune cookie.

He clapped his hand down over the top of them and the
cellophane made a crinkling sound. “I don’t know the American rules, but isn’t
opening the fortune cookies before the end of the meal cheating?”

“Well, sort of. But I want to play the ‘in bed’ game.”

“The ‘in bed’ game? Okay, now you have my full attention.”

She sat back and dropped her hands into her lap. “You know.
You read your fortune aloud then tack on the words ‘in bed’. Here…” She reached
for the cookies again and he slid them along the table away from her.

“I think I remember seeing that in an American movie.” His
eyes, dark in the dim light, flashed at her. “Still, I cannot allow you to
violate the international ban on premature fortune cookie opening.”

She smirked. “Come on. I do it all the time.”

Jenna’s hand flew to his but he clutched the cookies and
jerked them away. She gripped his arm for balance and reached farther, wiggling
her fingers.

“You’re quite the feisty one,” he said.

Their faces were inches from each other. He smelled
irresistible. She watched as the color in his eyes became deeper and his smile
softened. Electricity surged in her body, pulling at her, tugging her closer to
him as if she had no control. She searched his eyes, hoping like she never had
before that this was real.

Watching the impish look on Jenna’s face as she tried to get
the cookies was more than Tim could handle. Her eyes were sparkling with
mischief, her lips pursed in defiance. All he could think about was kissing
her.

He leaned forward, hesitating for a fraction of a second to
make sure she wouldn’t pull away, then placed his lips on hers. Her warmth
overwhelmed him, sending a rush of heat straight through his belly and down his
thighs. Her mouth moved against his and she drew nearer. He relinquished the
cookies and cupped the back of her head, his thumb stroking the silky skin of
her neck.

He pulled back, breath knocked from his chest, his hand
still in her hair. She looked equally breathless for a moment, then a wicked
smile crossed her face and she grabbed the cookies he’d dropped.

She popped one packet open and cracked the cookie in two,
wagging the thin slip of paper between her fingers. Her eyebrows arched as she
cleared her throat. “Always rise more times than you fall,” she paused
dramatically, “in bed.”

He snorted. “Sound advice.”

“Your turn.” She held out a cookie and he took it, his
fingers grazing her palm.

He wanted to kiss her again but he didn’t want to push his
luck. The cookie snapped neatly in half. His brows drew together. “Idle time is
wasted time. In bed. That’s total rubbish, I’ve spent many a happy idle hour in
bed.”

“Oh really? Here, try another.” She tossed a second cookie
at him. He caught it just before it hit his lap. “Let’s see.” He opened it,
trying to look pensive as his mind rushed to create a good fortune. “A wise man
cannot resist kissing the beautiful woman.”

“In bed.” Her breath caught as his mouth descended on hers
again.

He took his time, brushing his lips against hers, trying to
gauge her response. She was so much harder to read than most girls he’d been
with, or maybe it was just that he liked her so it mattered more. Her tongue
took a tentative lick at his and he pulled her closer, his fingers curling ’round
her narrow waist. She sank her fingers into his hair and he felt an electrical
impulse that shot straight to his groin. The spiciness of dinner mingled with
her natural sweetness, making him crave more of her. He deepened the kiss, his
tongue circling hers as waves of heat rippled through him.

The sensation of her fingers against his scalp was driving
him mad. He had to resist the urge to lower her onto the carpet and climb on
top of her. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden vibration in his pants.
Bugger.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, hoping to turn off the ringer without
further interruption, but it was too late, she’d already pulled away.

“Sorry,” he said, glancing at the phone and seeing that it
was the band manager. “Shit. I should get this, it’s work.”

She nodded, running her finger along her enticingly full
lower lip.

He answered the phone, trying to ignore the throbbing in his
jeans. “Hello.”

“Hey, glad I got you. I’ve got an opening for a recording
session on Friday, should take most of the day and probably the early part of
next week. You available?”

“Yeah. What’s the gig?”

“New alternative band, local guys. Their guitarist bailed.
They need somebody to fill in.”

“Sounds great. What time? And where?”

He looked at Jenna; she was trying to adjust her skirt and
he had the sudden urge to chuck the phone out the window and pull her down on
top of him. Instead he covered the phone and whispered, “Have you got a pen?”

She nodded, fumbling with the flap of her purse and handing
him a ball-point. He smiled, overwhelmed by how lovely she looked, all the more
so with her lips slightly puffy from their kisses. She slid a napkin in front
of him.

He jotted down the info. “Thanks for the call. Appreciate
it.” He hung up, eager to refocus on Jenna.

“I take it you’ve got another job.”

“Yeah, studio work. West Twenty-Third Street. Is that far?”

“Not too bad. I can draw you another map.”

He set his phone down on the table and she craned her neck
to look at the background photo. “A teddy bear?” She bit her lip, looking ever
so amused.

“My niece Lucy’s idea. She’s four and was afraid I might
feel homesick so she had me take a picture of her favorite bear so I’d have it,
just in case.”

“That’s adorable.”

“She always is. Would you like to see a photo of her?” He
scrolled through some images then turned the phone toward her.

She touched his hand to tilt the phone so she could see.
“She’s beautiful.” Her eyes darted between his face and the picture. “She’s got
your eyes.”

“Well, she’s got her mum’s eyes.” He scrolled to the next
image. “This is Jane.”

“She’s gorgeous too. You said she’s older than you?”

“Yes, Jane’s thirty, four years older than me. Melinda is
thirty-two. Here.” He positioned her finger over the proper button. “Press
this, have a look.”

“So your whole family is stunning. Does Melinda have kids
too?”

“No kids, not married. She’s a barrister, all business.
Jane’s her total opposite, real homebody. She’s pregnant with her second, due
February. She’s worried I’ll keep getting jobs in America and won’t be there
when the baby comes.”

An odd look flickered across Jenna’s face as she scrolled
through the images. “You’re really close with your family, huh?”

He nodded, sensing that was the source of her sadness.
“There’s no one in your family you’re close to?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. You’re really lucky. To
have so many people who care about you.” She clicked the button again. “More
relatives?”

He looked and laughed. The photo was of Gavin grinning like
a lunatic behind an elderly couple. “Not exactly. The blond git is Gavin. He
counts as family at this point. The couple are part of Project Random Photo.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“Gavin and I were walking past the National Gallery a few
years ago and a group of tourists were posing for a photo. Gavin said ‘take a
pic’ then snuck behind them and popped up with a huge smile on his face. It was
hilarious, this maniacal prat grinning behind a gaggle of Japanese senior
citizens. We must have a hundred photos by now.”