Strings Attached, page 10
“Good to see you again, Drew,” Jaymi said after the fans left. She gave Nikki the kind of knowing smile you share with an old friend. “You’re on time. What’s the occasion?” She nudged Nikki playfully.
Drew bet that Jaymi might be the only person who got away with teasing her. It was good to see that someone could knock her down a peg.
Nikki turned to Drew and smiled. “I had good reason to be punctual.”
Crap. Here we go with the flirting again. Just ignore it.
Jaymi smiled crookedly and raised an eyebrow. “I see. I love the new Jeep, by the way. I might be tempted to trade in my truck for one myself.”
Shawn straightened and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “What gives, Nikki? No vanity plates?” There it was again. That unspoken tension between Shawn and Nikki.
Nikki smiled and cocked her chin in Shawn’s direction. “Don’t you think I have enough vanity already?”
“You said it, not me,” Jaymi said dryly. “Now come on, you guys, behave.”
“How about we get this meeting under way?” Drew asked. She couldn’t afford to waste time, and she was irked with this side of Nikki that seemed to show itself whenever she was with these two.
Once they settled down and started tossing ideas around, Drew was thrilled with their enthusiasm and even more excited about the plans they put together. Shawn was all about giveaways. Jaymi’s focus was on teaching. Kay and Brian hashed out advertising ideas.
Considering what she’d disclosed about her father, it wasn’t surprising that it was Nikki who’d put a profitable twist on every promo. Weekly raffle entries with every purchase, in which the recipient won a one-hour jam session with the band. Sign-ups for kids seventeen and under to participate in a music workshop with them. Autographed photos for purchases over fifty dollars and autographed CDs for purchases over one hundred dollars. Anyone who signed up for lessons could enter for a chance to win a one-on-one session with one of the band members. Any single purchase over one thousand dollars earned an entry for the grand prize of four tickets and backstage passes to a concert on their next tour.
Everything would be on a limited-time basis, since the band’s break would end in about six weeks, but the holiday season was the perfect time to add purchase incentives. In addition to printed materials, Brian offered to have the group do a YouTube video to publicly endorse the store.
Nikki spoke with such passion that Drew couldn’t take her eyes off her. Not only did Nikki have great business sense, but she seemed to genuinely care about the success of her store. Her sincerity tugged at her heart. Nikki’s beauty tugged at another, much lower, place. Damn it. She needed to keep her feelings in check. She was relieved whenever someone else picked up the conversation, and she could turn her attention elsewhere.
The meeting broke up just as Melissa arrived for her lesson. She got a fist bump from Shawn, and they all treated her as if they’d been pals forever.
“Go get set up, Melissa,” Drew said. “I’ll be right in.” She turned to her guests and said, “I don’t know how to thank you for all this. It’s amazing. I’ll start putting together advertising materials this weekend, and we’ll kick it off on Monday.”
“I can’t wait,” Jaymi said. “This’ll be a real treat for me. If the band hadn’t taken off, I’d be a music teacher, too.”
Shawn added, “Yeah, and those jam sessions and workshops will be a blast.”
“Well, we better get going,” Jaymi said. “We don’t want to keep your star pupil waiting. We might want her as our opening act someday.”
Drew’s heart swelled, and she thanked them again. Nikki lingered behind, standing with her thumbs hooked in her jeans pockets and with a giant grin on her face. She braced herself for the predictable come-on that she knew was coming. Be strong.
“Do you need to shop for something today, too?”
Nikki shook her head. “You really do have the most beautiful eyes. I love seeing them all lit up when you’re happy.”
“I’m ready.” Melissa called from the doorway of the lesson room.
Saved by the bell. Or something like that. “Okay. Be right there.”
“There it is again.” Nikki walked to the store entrance and stopped. She pointed in Melissa’s direction. “Showtime, Professor.” She flashed a smile and was gone.
Drew let out a long breath, relieved. Or was she? Of course she was relieved. She’d told Nikki she didn’t want to go out with her again, and Nikki hadn’t asked her out. She got what she’d asked for. She wasn’t disappointed. Not at all. So what if it was the first time since they’d met that Nikki hadn’t hit on her? Flirted a little, but she’d already spent enough time with Nikki to know that that was just how she was. Flirtatious.
All she had to do was continue to ignore the flirting, then Nikki would grow tired of trying and give up. She would eventually see that keeping their relationship strictly business was definitely the right way to go.
She nodded resolutely and headed to Melissa’s lesson room.
***
Nikki found Jaymi with her face pressed to the Jeep’s driver’s side window, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun-drenched snow. Shawn was crouched on the ground at the front end, looking at the underneath.
“You want me to pop the hood, Shawn?”
Shawn craned her neck and smiled. “How’d you know?”
She gladly obliged, and while Shawn inspected the engine, marveling at this and that, Jaymi motioned Nikki aside. “So, that went well, don’t you think?”
“I didn’t ask her out again, if that’s what you mean. She made it clear she’s not interested, believe me.”
Jaymi frowned and placed the back of her hand on Nikki’s forehead. “Hmm. No fever.” She took her by the wrist. “Maybe I should check your pulse.”
Nikki pulled away. “Very funny.”
“I’m just giving you shit. I’m proud of you.” Jaymi zipped her coat and flipped up the collar. “Don’t forget what I said about patience and feeling out a possible friendship.”
“I’m not sure she’s even interested in friendship. Didn’t you notice how she was all business today? I should just cut my losses and move on.”
“Of course she was all business. It was a business meeting, you knucklehead. And she’s at work. What do you expect?”
She paced for a moment, trying to formulate words for what she was feeling.
Jaymi’s eyebrows knitted together. “Put yourself in her shoes, Nik. You’ve been hitting on her since you met, and she’s been turning you down. I know it goes against your nature, but quit trying so hard, and let the pieces fall where they may.”
“We got along well on the phone last night. We even joked around a bit.”
Jaymi smiled. “There you go. I was watching her during the meeting today. She had her eyes glued to you every chance she got. I think she likes you.”
“Jaymi’s right.” Shawn carefully closed the Jeep’s hood, pressing it down with a click. She gave Nikki’s shoulder a little shove and grinned. “Not sure why, but she does seem to have the hots for you. Poor fool.” She ducked and scampered away as if Nikki would chase her for the tease.
“Yeah, laugh all you want, you spoiled brat,” Nikki shouted at Shawn. “You were one sorry sap drooling over Jaymi not too long ago.”
Shawn made a show of wiping her chin and continued her exploration of the new vehicle. Normally, she would’ve found Shawn’s antics amusing, but today, they only served to make her feel totally inadequate. How could Jaymi and Shawn see something in Drew that she couldn’t? Were her instincts that far off?
Jaymi waved a hand in front of her face. “Hello?”
“How do you put up with her?”
Jaymi just smiled.
“Never mind. Are you sure, Jaymi? You think Drew likes me?”
“Yes, but for some reason, she doesn’t want to.”
“Thanks. That really helps.”
Jaymi smiled her trademark crooked smile. “Listen to me. You said she seemed to have a problem with you being famous. Do you know why? See, this is what I meant about taking time to get to know each other. She seems to be attracted to you. There might be a specific reason why she’s hesitant to get involved with you.”
Nikki folded her arms, the cold seeping into her bones, but the small glimmer of hope Jaymi was giving her kept the shivers at bay. “How do I get to know her if she won’t give me the time of day?”
Jaymi must have heard the desperation in her voice. She pulled Nikki into a hug. “Let her see you for you, and who knows? Maybe she’ll let down her guard.”
“This isn’t going to be easy.”
Jaymi took a few steps backward. “That’s never stopped you before. In anything.”
She chuckled. “Good point.”
“So, are you going to take us for a spin in your fancy new four-by-four or what?” Jaymi gave Shawn a quick glance. “Look at my poor girlfriend over there. She’s champing at the bit worse than a dog who loves going for rides.”
Nikki grinned in Shawn’s direction. “She’s gonna ask to drive, isn’t she?”
“You might as well hand over the keys now.”
Forty-five minutes later, after Shawn and Jaymi had each had a turn at the wheel, Nikki dropped them off at Jaymi’s truck. She watched Jaymi drive away. She was beginning to like this new development in their friendship. Who knew Jaymi was so good at relationship advice?
Maybe if she’d had a friend like this before Shawn came along, she could’ve used the advice to win Jaymi over. Then again, Jaymi’s relationship with Shawn was probably the reason Jaymi had such good advice.
Nice fucking irony.
The front door of DJ’s opened. Drew held the door open while Melissa stepped out with her guitar. Drew’s fondness and protectiveness was obvious as she watched her student get into a bronze-colored sedan that was well past its prime.
Drew suddenly looked her way as if startled by her presence. She was too far away for Nikki to read her expression, but she stood there unmoving for much longer than necessary.
Did Drew think she’d been out here this whole time and was stalking her now? Not exactly the impression she wanted to give.
She drove toward the front of the store and lowered her window, but it was too late. Drew slipped back inside. What to do now? Chase her inside? Would that make things worse? At least she could explain herself. Or maybe she should just give Drew her space.
Damn it all. This seemed a whole lot easier with Jaymi by her side telling her what to do. When did I become such a bumbling idiot when it comes to women? She stared at the glass storefront, hoping for another glimpse of Drew, when she heard the sputtering engine of Melissa’s car stall and go silent. She pulled into the neighboring space. Melissa cranked the ignition, and it started again, but its revival was short-lived. Melissa noticed her then and seemed to shrink with embarrassment. Poor kid.
She hopped out of the Jeep and motioned for Melissa to open her window. “Too bad cars aren’t as easy to keep in tune as guitars, huh?”
“Especially when you run out of gas. I was supposed to get some before school this morning and forgot.”
“I don’t know much about cars, but I do know they don’t work without fuel.” She tapped her temple. “See this? It’s more than a hat rack. My Jeep came with a gas can, so I can run down the street and get you some. You’ll freeze if you stay in the car. Would you like to come with me, or would you rather wait inside with Drew?”
Melissa checked her watch. “We gotta hurry. I’m supposed to pick my mom up from work at four and get us home for supper in time for her to get to her other job by six.” Her head dropped back against the seat. “I can’t believe I forgot. She gave me money for it and everything.”
“Then quit wasting time and let’s go.”
Melissa hopped in and buckled up. “She let me take the car today so I could go to my lesson after school.” She checked out the interior of the Jeep. “Man, someday I’d love to have the money to buy something like this.”
Nikki recalled Drew’s comments about being up front with Melissa about the downfalls of life on the road. She’d just walked into a perfect opportunity to share them.
“It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get this far. Fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, you know. I’m not saying it isn’t nice that people admire us for what we do, but it’s tough having your personal space invaded every time you turn around.”
Melissa was quiet for a few minutes. “I don’t care. I’m sick of my mom having to work herself to death, and we still barely scrape by. I’m gonna make sure she doesn’t have to do that anymore. I don’t care what it takes.”
Nikki was tempted to ask about the girl’s absent father, but it was none of her business. She pulled in next to the gas pump and shivered in the energy emitting from the frustrated adolescent beside her. A father’s physical presence didn’t guarantee him being present in other ways. There were times she would have been better off if her father hadn’t been around. Still, she’d somehow found a way to steer away that bitterness when she needed to. Most of the time.
“That determination will take you far, but don’t make the mistake of not caring. There’s a right way and a wrong way to break into this business. The wrong way ends up with a lot of people getting hurt.” She jumped out and added, “Including yourself.”
She grabbed the plastic gas can from the back of the Jeep, one of the many accessories included in an options package she’d added to the deal as an afterthought. Was she taking those types of purchases for granted now? Had she become that spoiled and out of touch that she’d grown insensitive to those who couldn’t afford such luxuries? Maybe it was time to follow Jaymi’s example and start sharing more of her wealth. She made a mental note to research some worthy causes.
She was about to swipe her debit card through the reader when Melissa rushed to her side. “I can pay for it. I have the money she gave me.” She held up a ten-dollar bill as proof.
Nikki slid the card back into her wallet and held out a ten of her own. “Suit yourself. But do me a favor and get me a hot chocolate while you’re in there.” Melissa stared at the bill for a moment and then took it. “Get yourself one, too. And that’s not charity. It’s a bribe so you won’t forget about me when you’re rich and famous.”
Melissa shook her head and finally smiled. “Okay.”
She loved the kid’s spirit, but Melissa’s pride was going to be a hindrance if she wasn’t careful.
The return trip to DJ’s was quiet as they sipped their drinks. As Melissa poured the gas into her car, Nikki couldn’t help watching for glimpses of Drew. Nothing. Maybe she was with another student. Drew was right about one thing, though. Melissa needed guidance. Maybe she wasn’t the only one to give it to her.
“Hey, if you want to learn how to take care of your car, I know someone who’d love to show you.” Two people, actually, if she counted Randi. But there was a more logical choice.
“Who?” Melissa replaced the gas cap and handed Nikki the empty can.
“Shawn. She’s almost as good at playing guitar as she is at fixing cars.”
Melissa’s face flushed pink. There was definitely a crush there. Her shoulders dropped along with her head. “Nah, I don’t wanna bother her with this stuff—”
“Are you kidding me? She’d be in her glory showing off all her expertise of automobile doohickeys and whosie-whats-its.”
Melissa held back a smirk. “Whosie-whats-its?”
“I believe that’s the technical term for some wingy dingy thingie under the hood.” She mirrored Melissa’s grin and winked. “Now you know who writes all the best rhymes in our songs. A secret we only let insiders like you know.”
Melissa laughed. “You’re kind of a dork, you know that?”
She gave Melissa a friendly shake and laughed with her. “Another insider secret.” She secured the gas can in the back and closed the hatch. “You don’t have any ambitions of becoming a tabloid journalist, do you?”
“No way. Those people are wacked.”
“Agreed. There are some crazy fans out there, too. You need to be very careful. Something else to keep in mind.”
“That’s for sure.”
“What’s going on out here? Melissa, don’t you have to pick up your mother?”
They both turned at the sound of Drew’s voice.
“Shit! Oops, sorry. I mean shoot,” Melissa added sheepishly. “I gotta go. Thanks, Nikki.”
“No problem, bud. I’ll talk to Shawn, okay?”
“Yeah. That’ll be good because as soon as I get a job, I’m gonna save for my own car so my mom won’t have to share hers.” She climbed in and started the engine.
“You do that,” Nikki said. “Be careful driving.”
“I will. Thanks again.” She waved and drove off.
Nikki turned in Drew’s direction. She wanted to step closer, but Drew’s body language told her to maintain the five-foot gap between them, and her expression begged for an explanation. It didn’t matter what kind of look she had on her face. Drew’s beautiful eyes took her breath away. Every time.
“You’ll freeze out here without a coat.”
Drew kept her stance, arms folded, feet apart. If Drew had any idea of how her confidence was affecting Nikki’s insides, she didn’t show it. “I’m fine, but I need to know that Melissa’s okay. Her mother trusts me to look out for her while she’s here.”
“And you don’t think she’s safe with me?”
“I don’t know. Is she? You do know she’s sixteen, right? She’s at a very impressionable age—”
“Why don’t you ask Melissa?” She couldn’t believe Drew would think she’d have anything other than Melissa’s best interests at heart. Her thrashing heartbeat now simmered in anger. “That’ll save you the trouble of deciphering which story to believe. You obviously trust Melissa to tell you the truth, even if you don’t think I will.”
She climbed into the Jeep and cranked the key. She watched Drew’s shocked expression shrink in her rearview mirror as she sped out of the parking lot. Minutes later, she turned into the same gas station she’d just visited and pulled off to the side.
Drew bet that Jaymi might be the only person who got away with teasing her. It was good to see that someone could knock her down a peg.
Nikki turned to Drew and smiled. “I had good reason to be punctual.”
Crap. Here we go with the flirting again. Just ignore it.
Jaymi smiled crookedly and raised an eyebrow. “I see. I love the new Jeep, by the way. I might be tempted to trade in my truck for one myself.”
Shawn straightened and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “What gives, Nikki? No vanity plates?” There it was again. That unspoken tension between Shawn and Nikki.
Nikki smiled and cocked her chin in Shawn’s direction. “Don’t you think I have enough vanity already?”
“You said it, not me,” Jaymi said dryly. “Now come on, you guys, behave.”
“How about we get this meeting under way?” Drew asked. She couldn’t afford to waste time, and she was irked with this side of Nikki that seemed to show itself whenever she was with these two.
Once they settled down and started tossing ideas around, Drew was thrilled with their enthusiasm and even more excited about the plans they put together. Shawn was all about giveaways. Jaymi’s focus was on teaching. Kay and Brian hashed out advertising ideas.
Considering what she’d disclosed about her father, it wasn’t surprising that it was Nikki who’d put a profitable twist on every promo. Weekly raffle entries with every purchase, in which the recipient won a one-hour jam session with the band. Sign-ups for kids seventeen and under to participate in a music workshop with them. Autographed photos for purchases over fifty dollars and autographed CDs for purchases over one hundred dollars. Anyone who signed up for lessons could enter for a chance to win a one-on-one session with one of the band members. Any single purchase over one thousand dollars earned an entry for the grand prize of four tickets and backstage passes to a concert on their next tour.
Everything would be on a limited-time basis, since the band’s break would end in about six weeks, but the holiday season was the perfect time to add purchase incentives. In addition to printed materials, Brian offered to have the group do a YouTube video to publicly endorse the store.
Nikki spoke with such passion that Drew couldn’t take her eyes off her. Not only did Nikki have great business sense, but she seemed to genuinely care about the success of her store. Her sincerity tugged at her heart. Nikki’s beauty tugged at another, much lower, place. Damn it. She needed to keep her feelings in check. She was relieved whenever someone else picked up the conversation, and she could turn her attention elsewhere.
The meeting broke up just as Melissa arrived for her lesson. She got a fist bump from Shawn, and they all treated her as if they’d been pals forever.
“Go get set up, Melissa,” Drew said. “I’ll be right in.” She turned to her guests and said, “I don’t know how to thank you for all this. It’s amazing. I’ll start putting together advertising materials this weekend, and we’ll kick it off on Monday.”
“I can’t wait,” Jaymi said. “This’ll be a real treat for me. If the band hadn’t taken off, I’d be a music teacher, too.”
Shawn added, “Yeah, and those jam sessions and workshops will be a blast.”
“Well, we better get going,” Jaymi said. “We don’t want to keep your star pupil waiting. We might want her as our opening act someday.”
Drew’s heart swelled, and she thanked them again. Nikki lingered behind, standing with her thumbs hooked in her jeans pockets and with a giant grin on her face. She braced herself for the predictable come-on that she knew was coming. Be strong.
“Do you need to shop for something today, too?”
Nikki shook her head. “You really do have the most beautiful eyes. I love seeing them all lit up when you’re happy.”
“I’m ready.” Melissa called from the doorway of the lesson room.
Saved by the bell. Or something like that. “Okay. Be right there.”
“There it is again.” Nikki walked to the store entrance and stopped. She pointed in Melissa’s direction. “Showtime, Professor.” She flashed a smile and was gone.
Drew let out a long breath, relieved. Or was she? Of course she was relieved. She’d told Nikki she didn’t want to go out with her again, and Nikki hadn’t asked her out. She got what she’d asked for. She wasn’t disappointed. Not at all. So what if it was the first time since they’d met that Nikki hadn’t hit on her? Flirted a little, but she’d already spent enough time with Nikki to know that that was just how she was. Flirtatious.
All she had to do was continue to ignore the flirting, then Nikki would grow tired of trying and give up. She would eventually see that keeping their relationship strictly business was definitely the right way to go.
She nodded resolutely and headed to Melissa’s lesson room.
***
Nikki found Jaymi with her face pressed to the Jeep’s driver’s side window, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun-drenched snow. Shawn was crouched on the ground at the front end, looking at the underneath.
“You want me to pop the hood, Shawn?”
Shawn craned her neck and smiled. “How’d you know?”
She gladly obliged, and while Shawn inspected the engine, marveling at this and that, Jaymi motioned Nikki aside. “So, that went well, don’t you think?”
“I didn’t ask her out again, if that’s what you mean. She made it clear she’s not interested, believe me.”
Jaymi frowned and placed the back of her hand on Nikki’s forehead. “Hmm. No fever.” She took her by the wrist. “Maybe I should check your pulse.”
Nikki pulled away. “Very funny.”
“I’m just giving you shit. I’m proud of you.” Jaymi zipped her coat and flipped up the collar. “Don’t forget what I said about patience and feeling out a possible friendship.”
“I’m not sure she’s even interested in friendship. Didn’t you notice how she was all business today? I should just cut my losses and move on.”
“Of course she was all business. It was a business meeting, you knucklehead. And she’s at work. What do you expect?”
She paced for a moment, trying to formulate words for what she was feeling.
Jaymi’s eyebrows knitted together. “Put yourself in her shoes, Nik. You’ve been hitting on her since you met, and she’s been turning you down. I know it goes against your nature, but quit trying so hard, and let the pieces fall where they may.”
“We got along well on the phone last night. We even joked around a bit.”
Jaymi smiled. “There you go. I was watching her during the meeting today. She had her eyes glued to you every chance she got. I think she likes you.”
“Jaymi’s right.” Shawn carefully closed the Jeep’s hood, pressing it down with a click. She gave Nikki’s shoulder a little shove and grinned. “Not sure why, but she does seem to have the hots for you. Poor fool.” She ducked and scampered away as if Nikki would chase her for the tease.
“Yeah, laugh all you want, you spoiled brat,” Nikki shouted at Shawn. “You were one sorry sap drooling over Jaymi not too long ago.”
Shawn made a show of wiping her chin and continued her exploration of the new vehicle. Normally, she would’ve found Shawn’s antics amusing, but today, they only served to make her feel totally inadequate. How could Jaymi and Shawn see something in Drew that she couldn’t? Were her instincts that far off?
Jaymi waved a hand in front of her face. “Hello?”
“How do you put up with her?”
Jaymi just smiled.
“Never mind. Are you sure, Jaymi? You think Drew likes me?”
“Yes, but for some reason, she doesn’t want to.”
“Thanks. That really helps.”
Jaymi smiled her trademark crooked smile. “Listen to me. You said she seemed to have a problem with you being famous. Do you know why? See, this is what I meant about taking time to get to know each other. She seems to be attracted to you. There might be a specific reason why she’s hesitant to get involved with you.”
Nikki folded her arms, the cold seeping into her bones, but the small glimmer of hope Jaymi was giving her kept the shivers at bay. “How do I get to know her if she won’t give me the time of day?”
Jaymi must have heard the desperation in her voice. She pulled Nikki into a hug. “Let her see you for you, and who knows? Maybe she’ll let down her guard.”
“This isn’t going to be easy.”
Jaymi took a few steps backward. “That’s never stopped you before. In anything.”
She chuckled. “Good point.”
“So, are you going to take us for a spin in your fancy new four-by-four or what?” Jaymi gave Shawn a quick glance. “Look at my poor girlfriend over there. She’s champing at the bit worse than a dog who loves going for rides.”
Nikki grinned in Shawn’s direction. “She’s gonna ask to drive, isn’t she?”
“You might as well hand over the keys now.”
Forty-five minutes later, after Shawn and Jaymi had each had a turn at the wheel, Nikki dropped them off at Jaymi’s truck. She watched Jaymi drive away. She was beginning to like this new development in their friendship. Who knew Jaymi was so good at relationship advice?
Maybe if she’d had a friend like this before Shawn came along, she could’ve used the advice to win Jaymi over. Then again, Jaymi’s relationship with Shawn was probably the reason Jaymi had such good advice.
Nice fucking irony.
The front door of DJ’s opened. Drew held the door open while Melissa stepped out with her guitar. Drew’s fondness and protectiveness was obvious as she watched her student get into a bronze-colored sedan that was well past its prime.
Drew suddenly looked her way as if startled by her presence. She was too far away for Nikki to read her expression, but she stood there unmoving for much longer than necessary.
Did Drew think she’d been out here this whole time and was stalking her now? Not exactly the impression she wanted to give.
She drove toward the front of the store and lowered her window, but it was too late. Drew slipped back inside. What to do now? Chase her inside? Would that make things worse? At least she could explain herself. Or maybe she should just give Drew her space.
Damn it all. This seemed a whole lot easier with Jaymi by her side telling her what to do. When did I become such a bumbling idiot when it comes to women? She stared at the glass storefront, hoping for another glimpse of Drew, when she heard the sputtering engine of Melissa’s car stall and go silent. She pulled into the neighboring space. Melissa cranked the ignition, and it started again, but its revival was short-lived. Melissa noticed her then and seemed to shrink with embarrassment. Poor kid.
She hopped out of the Jeep and motioned for Melissa to open her window. “Too bad cars aren’t as easy to keep in tune as guitars, huh?”
“Especially when you run out of gas. I was supposed to get some before school this morning and forgot.”
“I don’t know much about cars, but I do know they don’t work without fuel.” She tapped her temple. “See this? It’s more than a hat rack. My Jeep came with a gas can, so I can run down the street and get you some. You’ll freeze if you stay in the car. Would you like to come with me, or would you rather wait inside with Drew?”
Melissa checked her watch. “We gotta hurry. I’m supposed to pick my mom up from work at four and get us home for supper in time for her to get to her other job by six.” Her head dropped back against the seat. “I can’t believe I forgot. She gave me money for it and everything.”
“Then quit wasting time and let’s go.”
Melissa hopped in and buckled up. “She let me take the car today so I could go to my lesson after school.” She checked out the interior of the Jeep. “Man, someday I’d love to have the money to buy something like this.”
Nikki recalled Drew’s comments about being up front with Melissa about the downfalls of life on the road. She’d just walked into a perfect opportunity to share them.
“It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get this far. Fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, you know. I’m not saying it isn’t nice that people admire us for what we do, but it’s tough having your personal space invaded every time you turn around.”
Melissa was quiet for a few minutes. “I don’t care. I’m sick of my mom having to work herself to death, and we still barely scrape by. I’m gonna make sure she doesn’t have to do that anymore. I don’t care what it takes.”
Nikki was tempted to ask about the girl’s absent father, but it was none of her business. She pulled in next to the gas pump and shivered in the energy emitting from the frustrated adolescent beside her. A father’s physical presence didn’t guarantee him being present in other ways. There were times she would have been better off if her father hadn’t been around. Still, she’d somehow found a way to steer away that bitterness when she needed to. Most of the time.
“That determination will take you far, but don’t make the mistake of not caring. There’s a right way and a wrong way to break into this business. The wrong way ends up with a lot of people getting hurt.” She jumped out and added, “Including yourself.”
She grabbed the plastic gas can from the back of the Jeep, one of the many accessories included in an options package she’d added to the deal as an afterthought. Was she taking those types of purchases for granted now? Had she become that spoiled and out of touch that she’d grown insensitive to those who couldn’t afford such luxuries? Maybe it was time to follow Jaymi’s example and start sharing more of her wealth. She made a mental note to research some worthy causes.
She was about to swipe her debit card through the reader when Melissa rushed to her side. “I can pay for it. I have the money she gave me.” She held up a ten-dollar bill as proof.
Nikki slid the card back into her wallet and held out a ten of her own. “Suit yourself. But do me a favor and get me a hot chocolate while you’re in there.” Melissa stared at the bill for a moment and then took it. “Get yourself one, too. And that’s not charity. It’s a bribe so you won’t forget about me when you’re rich and famous.”
Melissa shook her head and finally smiled. “Okay.”
She loved the kid’s spirit, but Melissa’s pride was going to be a hindrance if she wasn’t careful.
The return trip to DJ’s was quiet as they sipped their drinks. As Melissa poured the gas into her car, Nikki couldn’t help watching for glimpses of Drew. Nothing. Maybe she was with another student. Drew was right about one thing, though. Melissa needed guidance. Maybe she wasn’t the only one to give it to her.
“Hey, if you want to learn how to take care of your car, I know someone who’d love to show you.” Two people, actually, if she counted Randi. But there was a more logical choice.
“Who?” Melissa replaced the gas cap and handed Nikki the empty can.
“Shawn. She’s almost as good at playing guitar as she is at fixing cars.”
Melissa’s face flushed pink. There was definitely a crush there. Her shoulders dropped along with her head. “Nah, I don’t wanna bother her with this stuff—”
“Are you kidding me? She’d be in her glory showing off all her expertise of automobile doohickeys and whosie-whats-its.”
Melissa held back a smirk. “Whosie-whats-its?”
“I believe that’s the technical term for some wingy dingy thingie under the hood.” She mirrored Melissa’s grin and winked. “Now you know who writes all the best rhymes in our songs. A secret we only let insiders like you know.”
Melissa laughed. “You’re kind of a dork, you know that?”
She gave Melissa a friendly shake and laughed with her. “Another insider secret.” She secured the gas can in the back and closed the hatch. “You don’t have any ambitions of becoming a tabloid journalist, do you?”
“No way. Those people are wacked.”
“Agreed. There are some crazy fans out there, too. You need to be very careful. Something else to keep in mind.”
“That’s for sure.”
“What’s going on out here? Melissa, don’t you have to pick up your mother?”
They both turned at the sound of Drew’s voice.
“Shit! Oops, sorry. I mean shoot,” Melissa added sheepishly. “I gotta go. Thanks, Nikki.”
“No problem, bud. I’ll talk to Shawn, okay?”
“Yeah. That’ll be good because as soon as I get a job, I’m gonna save for my own car so my mom won’t have to share hers.” She climbed in and started the engine.
“You do that,” Nikki said. “Be careful driving.”
“I will. Thanks again.” She waved and drove off.
Nikki turned in Drew’s direction. She wanted to step closer, but Drew’s body language told her to maintain the five-foot gap between them, and her expression begged for an explanation. It didn’t matter what kind of look she had on her face. Drew’s beautiful eyes took her breath away. Every time.
“You’ll freeze out here without a coat.”
Drew kept her stance, arms folded, feet apart. If Drew had any idea of how her confidence was affecting Nikki’s insides, she didn’t show it. “I’m fine, but I need to know that Melissa’s okay. Her mother trusts me to look out for her while she’s here.”
“And you don’t think she’s safe with me?”
“I don’t know. Is she? You do know she’s sixteen, right? She’s at a very impressionable age—”
“Why don’t you ask Melissa?” She couldn’t believe Drew would think she’d have anything other than Melissa’s best interests at heart. Her thrashing heartbeat now simmered in anger. “That’ll save you the trouble of deciphering which story to believe. You obviously trust Melissa to tell you the truth, even if you don’t think I will.”
She climbed into the Jeep and cranked the key. She watched Drew’s shocked expression shrink in her rearview mirror as she sped out of the parking lot. Minutes later, she turned into the same gas station she’d just visited and pulled off to the side.
