Strings Attached, page 11
She left the engine running, hugged the steering wheel, and dropped her head onto her arms. Why did people always assume the worst about her? More importantly, why did Drew have to be one of those people? Why didn’t anyone take the time to get to know her?
Maybe she was wasting her time. Drew didn’t like her; she was just being nice to her because she was a customer.
No. Her instincts weren’t that bad. If there was one thing she was sure of about Drew, it was that she wasn’t a phony. She’d seen glimpses of interest.
She switched off the stereo and headed home. As she drove, an uneasy prickling teased her thoughts. Maybe Drew was the one with the good instincts. Maybe Drew’s gut is telling her that I have no experience with relationships—romantic or otherwise.
Dad was wrong. There were times when taking no for an answer was not only okay, but it was the right thing to do.
She wanted to do better. She wanted to be better. She wanted to prove that she had it in her to change. Not to Drew. Not to Jaymi. Not even to her father. She needed to prove it to herself.
She pressed the button on the garage door opener and put the Jeep to bed for the night. Once inside, she poured a glass of wine, put on some classical music, and turned on the gas fireplace. She stared at the flames as they flickered and danced, mesmerized by their ability to clarify her jumbled musings as she sank onto the couch. She imagined hanging out with Drew as friends. She bet it’d be fun.
She sipped her wine. Could she overcome her crush and handle just a friendship with Drew? Maybe if Drew was willing to spend a little more time with her…
How was that going to happen?
A string quartet played at a slow tempo through the six wall-mounted speakers. The beautiful blend of sounds was soothing, but instead of slowing down, her pulse quickened. She sat up, excited. If they were on Drew’s turf, in Drew’s comfort zone, focused on a common interest that had nothing to do with dating…
She grinned as the idea formulated. I think I’m on to something.
Chapter Sixteen
It’s official. I’m an ass. Drew stared at Melissa’s phone number on her cell. The brief conversation with Melissa had confirmed it. She’d assumed the worst when Nikki had not only done Melissa a huge favor, but she’d also given her some sound advice. Just like she’d asked Nikki to do. Hell, if she hadn’t rushed out of the store and barged in on them, she wouldn’t have even known about it unless Melissa mentioned it.
Yep. I’m an ass. She burrowed deeper into the couch and wrapped her arms around Fret, who was napping on her chest. Her purrs relaxed her body, but they did nothing for her warring mind. The Segovia record had ended almost an hour ago, and she hadn’t noticed the silence until now. Maybe the yelling she’d been doing at herself in her head had been too loud.
“What am I going to do?” she asked her feline friends. “One minute I hate her guts. The next, I think she’s the sweetest thing ever. And why does she have to be so friggin’ gorgeous? Answer me that, will you?” They offered nothing. Not even Vinnie, who pawed her shoulder from his perch on the back of the couch. She reached up and scratched his head. Fret stirred and let out a tiny, annoyed mew at the movement. “Aw, poor Fretty. Am I disrupting your eighteen hours of sleep? You poor thing.” She kissed her nose and gave her a little squeeze.
Fret stretched and settled back in. Drew got up, much to Fret’s dismay, and powered off the stereo. She didn’t even bother putting away the record. What was wrong with her? It would collect dust if she left it there too long. She headed to bed. She’d take care of it in the morning. She needed to take care of her heart tonight.
No woman had ever had such a strong effect on her. Of the few girlfriends she’d had, none of them had taken over her thoughts the way Nikki had. Not before they’d dated, not during, and most certainly not after they’d broken up. She’d gone to lunch with Nikki once. And that wasn’t even a date.
But it felt like a date. Until she’d put Nikki in her place and told her they couldn’t see each other anymore. She looked in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. She told her reflection it was the right thing to do. Right? Right. No matter how sweet and charming Nikki could be, it didn’t change the fact that she spent half her life on the road in the limelight.
Sure, she could take Geena’s advice and have fun with Nikki when she was home, but then what? Sit home alone while Nikki did whatever she wanted with whomever she wanted?
She spat and rinsed. Then again, there’d be nothing stopping me from doing whatever I wanted while she’s away. Huh. She’d never thought of that before. Not only am I an ass, I’m an ass with double standards. Trust worked both ways. Should she continue her assuming ways and label Nikki as untrustworthy? Based on what? Her reputation in the media? Or her personal observations?
She hated the way they’d left things today. That was twice now they’d parted on a sour note. At the very least, she needed to apologize. Before she could talk herself out of it, she picked up her phone and sent Nikki a text.
I’m sorry I misjudged you.
Simple. Short and to the point. Just a little olive branch so things wouldn’t be awkward next time Nikki came in shopping. Because really, she needed Nikki the wealthy customer more than she needed Nikki the potential love interest. Right? Right.
She waited for a reply. Nothing.
She crawled into bed. Vinnie curled up on the pillow by her head. Andres nudged his way under the covers behind her knees. Fret, now wide awake, began her nightly prowl.
One observation was making itself crystal clear. Nikki was occupying her thoughts more and more often. And more and more often, those thoughts weren’t unpleasant. Not unpleasant at all. Quite the opposite, actually.
Damn it.
***
Drew dropped her head onto the desk. Maybe no one would notice if she took a five-minute snooze. The way she was feeling, it would turn into five hours. She’d flip-flopped in bed so many times last night it almost qualified as exercise. Even the cats had gotten fed up and found other places to sleep. Obsessively checking the phone on an hourly basis didn’t help.
Payroll wasn’t going to finish itself. She pushed off the cool, hard wood and tried to make her eyes as big as silver dollars. Dollars. Yes, focus on dollars. She glanced at the clock. She had less than an hour to send in the figures to their paycheck vendor. Pissing off your employees by screwing with their pay was not an option. She stood, stretched, and went across the hall to the break room to pour another cup of coffee, her fourth of the day. The acid was already burning a hole through her stomach, but she ignored it. She already felt like shit, so what difference did it make?
Nikki still hadn’t replied to her text. Fine. Text or no text, Drew got the message, loud and clear. Screw Nikki Razer. The caffeine jolt boosted her resolve. It was easier than she thought. All she had to do was think about her mother.
“Hey, Drew?”
She flinched when Geena peeked around the doorway into her office. “Yes?”
“I need your help with a customer. Can you spare a minute?”
She groaned. Normally, that made her day. Today? Not so much. Despite her pep talk, she hadn’t the time or energy to be a perky saleswoman.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. Just tired. Can you handle it? Do you mind?”
“I can try, but cellos aren’t really up my alley. I need your expertise. How close are you to finishing payroll?”
Drew narrowed her eyes. “How’d you know?”
She tossed her hands up as if it was obvious. “I do pay attention when you teach me stuff, you know.”
“I know you do.”
“So, how close?”
“Ten, maybe fifteen minutes.”
“Well, okay then. I wanna get paid, so I can stall her while you finish payroll, and I’ll see you out there in ten or fifteen minutes.” Geena left before she could reply.
She’s gonna make a great manager someday. Too bad it probably won’t be here. She wrapped up payroll in record time. A cello sale was a huge deal. Depending on how much the customer was willing to spend, she could hit today’s numbers in one sale. She hit send and hurried to the orchestral strings room.
“Good afternoon, Professor.”
She screeched to a stop. Nikki sat before her with an eight-thousand-dollar cello between her knees and a smile as wide as the bow was long.
“Careful, Drew. If your jaw drops any lower, you’ll scrape your chin on the floor.”
She closed her mouth. “Hi,” was all she could get out. She was going to kill Geena. Her matchmaking skills were getting as savvy as her business acumen.
“Could you play something on this so I can hear how it sounds before I buy it?”
“Sure, but…” Did Nikki think buying her a cello was going to change her mind about dating her? This was definitely going too far. She couldn’t be bought—big fat potential sale or not. “I’m quite attached to the sound of my own, thank you.”
Nikki’s gorgeous smile vanished, and her eyebrows crinkled. “That’s great, but that doesn’t help me unless you want to sell me yours.”
Don’t play coy with me, Nikki Razer. Still, the look on Nikki’s face said she was genuinely confused. What was she up to?
“Drew, are you all right?” Nikki adjusted her position on the stool and set down the bow. “I never thought I’d say this, but you don’t look so good today.”
Thanks to you. Or me. However you want to look at it. “Gee, thanks. Your charm is off its game today, too, I see.”
Nikki’s grin grew slowly. She got up and handed Drew the cello. “So, you do think I’m charming.”
“That’s not what I said.”
Nikki shook her head slightly and pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. I didn’t mean to put words in your mouth.” Her tone sounded sincere.
“Apology accepted.”
Nikki’s smile returned, and she stepped closer. “I appreciate that. I’m relying on your expertise here, so play me something sweet so I can make a wise decision. I’m very selective about my instruments.” She stepped away and motioned for Drew to sit. “You must at least know that about me by now.”
Way to charm me and make me feel like an ass at the same time. She stumbled over her own feet reaching for the bow and planted her butt on the stool. She seethed at how off balance Nikki made her feel and then quickly blamed it on sleep deprivation.
Nikki sat across from her on the wooden bench. She extended her legs out in front of her, crossed her ankles, and folded her arms. Her shit-eating grin was about to break her face. “I’m waiting.”
Drew positioned her bow. “Whomever you’re buying this for must be very special to you.”
“It’s not a gift.”
Drew froze. “You’re buying it for yourself?”
“Yes. Who’d you think it was for?”
Heat flooded her cheeks. She wasn’t about to answer that question honestly. “But you don’t play the cello.” Good sidestep there, ass. “Do you?”
“Not yet.” Nikki leaned forward. “I just signed up for lessons.”
Comprehension swiftly replaced her private embarrassment. Nikki was going to spend an hour with her once a week. An hour alone. As a student. As her student. Did Nikki really want to play the cello? Or had her rejection bruised her ego so badly that she was willing to spend thousands of dollars and take cello lessons just so she could keep trying to win her over?
She couldn’t help herself. She started laughing. It was utterly ridiculous. Either Nikki couldn’t handle people telling her no, which was pathetic, or…or she really likes me.
Nikki leaned back. “Well, you sure know how to instill confidence in a new student.”
Drew wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry. I just can’t believe—never mind.”
“Never mind what?” Nikki was dead serious now.
“Nothing. I’m overtired, so I’m feeling a bit silly. Anyway, I’d strongly suggest renting a cello for now. See if you like playing it first before you invest so much money buying one.”
Nikki straightened. “Let me tell you something, Drew. Once I commit to something, I see it through. Renting is not an option.” She settled back and crossed her arms again. “Now, play me something, damn it, because come hell or high water, I’m going to learn to play the fucking cello.”
Drew returned her glare and drew the bow across the strings. Loudly. If Nikki wanted a challenge, then she’d get one. Both musically and personally. Getting romantically involved with a student was strictly against DJ’s policies. It was a matter of professional ethics. If Nikki thought that taking lessons was going to get her into Drew’s pants, her plan was going to backfire.
That thought wasn’t as gratifying as she wanted it to be. Luckily, she didn’t have time to ruminate. Nikki was up and presenting her with another cello. They made the exchange and resumed their positions.
A half hour later, Drew had played DJ’s entire cello inventory twice, and Nikki was walking out the door with the most expensive one. She’d not only exceeded today’s sales goal, she’d made a dent in tomorrow’s threshold as well.
“Now you see why I needed you?” Geena teased. They were behind the counter together running the five o’clock register tally.
“Shut up.”
“Oh, methinks someone has a crush,” Geena singsonged. She flipped the spring-loaded bill holders down and shut the drawer.
“Shut up.”
“Nice way to talk to your favorite employee.”
“You could’ve told me it was her.”
Geena smiled. “And miss the fun of seeing you all hot and bothered? No way. What happened in there?”
“Nothing.” Drew “accidentally” shoved into her as she squeezed behind her on the way back to the floor. “Get back to work.”
Geena’s smile widened. “I’m off now. Hockey game tonight, remember?”
“Then get out of here. I’m not paying you overtime.”
“Hey, after that sale, you can afford it.”
Drew hooked elbows with her and dragged her toward the break room. She tossed Geena’s Army jacket at her, and she donned it proudly. It was her mother’s.
“You could at least split the commission with me.”
“Go.”
Geena stiffened her posture and saluted. “Yes, ma’am.” She marched out.
A few minutes later, Drew’s phone dinged. Nikki.
I’m sorry I lost my temper about the Melissa thing. Truce?
She smiled and typed one word.
Truce.
At least tonight she’d sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Drew hit the snooze button for the third time. Another sleepless night was the last thing she needed. She couldn’t call in sick. Her dad had a dentist appointment, and Geena had classes this morning, so it was up to her to get the store open. She wished they could hire one more person.
She’d never needed to worry about it before because she never took an unscheduled day off. She wasn’t sick. Not physically. Frustrated. Confused. Angry. She’d been content with her single, uncomplicated life for years. With the lousy example of marriage her mother had exposed her to, it was no wonder she’d shied away from relationships.
Four failed marriages. What a joke. Granted, she was nothing like her mother. Her father hadn’t dated much since the divorce. He was still single and doing just fine. Anytime she asked him if he was lonely or had a longing for a girlfriend, he always said if the right person came along, he’d know it, and there was no sense forcing something.
His philosophy had apparently rubbed off on her.
So why couldn’t she stop thinking about Nikki? Why did the sight of her gorgeous face, smoking hot body, and endless charm have to affect her so intensely? Not to mention what it was doing to her libido.
The alarm went off again. Good thing, or she’d be late to work because she needed to satisfy a sexual craving more than she cared to admit. Geena was right. It had been far too long since she’d dated or had sex.
She begrudgingly fumbled out of bed and readied herself for work. At least Nikki’s first cello lesson wasn’t until next week. Although at the rate she was going, she would need more time than that to work Nikki out of her system. At least she wasn’t obligated to see her any more than once a week in a working capacity.
By the time she got to work and occupied her mind with her morning opening routine, she was feeling much stronger.
Until Nikki walked in an hour later. She didn’t recognize her at first. She was bundled up in a black parka with violet piping, a matching purple scarf, and a stocking cap with a huge pom-pom on top. This cold spell must have finally knocked some sense into her to dress for the season.
Drew smiled in reflex at how cute she looked. Nikki smiled back as she pulled off the cap and smoothed down her sleek hair.
“Good morning.” Nikki’s perfect teeth accentuated her smile, but the way it reached her dark eyes was even more enticing.
“Good morning. I wasn’t expecting you until next week.” Drew felt her resolve melting like a Hershey bar left on a dashboard in July. It didn’t help that Nikki had untied the scarf and was unzipping her coat to reveal a skintight red sweater beneath it. And she was still smiling that killer smile.
“You’re not returning the cello, are you?”
“Not a chance.”
She needed to stay behind the counter. Keep a safe distance. That was key. Treat Nikki only as a customer. Stay behind the counter.
“So, what can I do for you today?”
“I’m here to buy a couple more guitars.” Nikki flipped up her collar and draped the scarf over her shoulders. “Phew, it’s hot in here.”
“I can hold on to your jacket while you shop if you’d like.” What am I doing? She was five steps away from helping her off with her coat. Stay behind the counter.
“God, I hate these single-digit days.” She peeled off her coat. “You freeze your ass off outside, then roast inside. I’ll take you up on that offer to hold on to this. Do you mind?”
