Tempting Perfection, page 3
Don’t think about the past. Things are better now.
“Sawyer, what are you doing out here?” Mom asked.
“Just enjoying the view.” It was breathtaking to watch the seagulls dive into the ocean as the sun set.
In the morning, I would be heading to LA. Earlier, my parents accepted an offer on this house—my childhood home. Before I returned from the tour, it would be someone else’s. My last day here was bittersweet. A sense of nostalgia and relief swept through me. There were irreplaceable memories of this place with Mattie. Yet it had also been my prison until right before I met Knoah. Grief affected people in different ways, and I had been a convenient outlet for my parents and sister to use as a verbal punching bag. At least things were better, now.
And when things had been bad or Cameron and I had been ignored as children, there had been Nan. Our next-door neighbor had taught us how to cook, play cards, and be part of a family. I hadn’t seen my parents very often when I was a child. They were more concerned about their social circle. I could remember maybe three times my parents hugged me. Once had been in the hospital in front of the doctors when I broke my arm. Mattie seemed to soften them some, but they were still uninvolved. The dynamic was weird, but at the time, I’d thought nothing of it. Now I wasn’t so sure.
The rocking chair creaked with each back-and-forth movement. I ran my fingers over the spot under the edge of the seat where Mattie and I had carved our initials. Mom and Dad had no idea, or the chair would have been gone. Only a few memories of Mattie remained on this Earth. Maybe that was why I’d held onto this house for so long.
Mom wanted Mattie and Adriane to disappear as though they’d never existed. It was hard. Sometimes I felt like they wanted me to disappear, too, with how distant they’d become. This had gone on for years until Knoah came into my life. Yet they refused to give up the Colorado house, which had worse memories. It was odd. But I would never ask.
Thinking about how they acted still hurt. As it was, I blamed myself for what had happened. I was responsible for Mattie’s death. Over the years, Cameron and I had tried several times to bring her up, but at one point, Mom slapped me so hard it had left a bruise. Cameron wanted me to tell someone; I wanted it forgotten. It had been bad. And now, it was as if Mattie never existed. So instead of dwelling in the past, I focused on the fact that things seemed better now.
Mom touched my hand in a rare show of affection. “Everything will be fine. You always worried too much about things you shouldn’t.”
I wanted to talk about Mattie, but I pushed it aside. With my perfected fake smile frozen in place, I said, “You’re right. And I’ll get to see you guys a couple of weeks after you move to Colorado when the tour comes through town.” Though I’d rather go anywhere but the house in Colorado.
Mom retracted her hand and said, “Good. That’s for the best.”
My throat grew thick. Sometimes I felt like my parents didn’t even know me.
Chapter Six
Sawyer
I stepped off the plane and smiled. It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles. The sun shone bright in the cloudless sky. My email confirmed the surprise for Kurt in Denver was all arranged. I hoped he liked it. His mom had been more than touched when I’d asked, and she loved the idea of it being a surprise.
My phone vibrated.
Kurt: Waldo should be there to pick you up. We’re going over some last-minutes changes to our set.
Oh, I loved Waldo, the band manager.
Me: Sounds good. Have you seen the clothes yet?
Kurt: No, why?
Me: No reason.
My phone rang, and I answered it with a smile. “Why hello, Mr. Rockstar.”
“What did you do?”
“Who, me?”
“Sawyer…”
I stepped off the elevator and searched for the short, balding man. “Hold, please. I need to play Where’s Waldo?” I saw hands waving toward me and said, “Point to Sawyer. I see him. See you soon, Mr. Glitter Sparkles.”
Quickly, I ended the call and walked over to Waldo. “Hey there. How are you doing?”
“I’m good, Ms. Wade.” His phone chirped. After reading the text, he said, “Oh dear. Looks like you’re in trouble with the boss man. He wants us to come to the studio immediately.”
I gave him a wink. “It would probably be best if we took our time. He’s going to be a little pissed. I may have added some rhinestones to one of the leather jackets he wears for the tour.”
Waldo’s eyes grew wide.
“What?” I asked with a shrug. “It tested well with the female audience. I made an executive decision.”
He busted out laughing. Inside my purse, my phone rang.
“Are you going to answer that?”
“Nah. Let’s give Mr. Glitter Sparkles a chance to cool down. I don’t have to be on the bus for a few hours. How does some shopping sound?”
“Oh, you’re going to get me into trouble.”
I linked my arm with Waldo’s. “Life isn’t fun without causing a little chaos. We’ll get Kurt a present. That’ll make everything better.”
* * *
Waldo had disappeared into a tie store. Oh, Where’s Waldo had a thing for a flamboyant tie. We’d agreed to meet in the park across the street in about forty minutes. I was walking on the sidewalk taking in my surroundings as kids played Frisbee in the area beside me. It was a gorgeous day in LA. My phone vibrated again. For shits and giggles, I pulled it out.
Kurt: Waldo said you kidnapped him to go shopping?
Me: I will neither confirm nor deny that traitorous statement.
I nearly gasped when my phone rang. Poor guy. It was time to throw him a bone.
“Hello?”
“Seriously? You’re all chipper when you have completely emasculated me.”
“Sparkles help everyone. They aren’t gender specific. Don’t be prejudiced against glitter.”
“You realize this means game on, right?”
I gave a hearty laugh, and at that moment, some cute puppies caught my eye. “You are a funny man, Mr. Glitter Sparkles. Gotta go. I need to squeeze some puppies. See you in a few.”
“Sawyer—”
Before he had a chance to finish, I ended the call and walked over to the pen set up ten feet away from the sidewalk in the grassy area. “Oh my, these are adorable puppies. What kind are they?”
“Lap oodles.” The woman had a strong accent, and her sweet smile endeared her to me.
I reached in to pat the white one, who sat ever so calmly among the sea of craziness. “Lap poodles?”
“Yes. They’re good dogs. My daughter breed them. Sorry, my English not great. I’m from France. My daughter get lunch.”
I smiled. “That’s totally fine. You’re doing better than me, considering I don’t speak any French.”
The woman’s face lit up. I imagined it had to be hard being in another country where you weren’t totally fluent in the language. “Are these small little lap dogs?”
She shrugged. “Umm…they lap poodles. I don’t know size in English.”
They were so fluffy and the perfect size. The little white dog licked my hand. “May I pick him up?”
“Of course.”
I picked up the puppy and snuggled him. He was probably fifteen pounds or so. My heart instantly fell for the little bundle of fur. I was a goner. In an instant, I decided. “How much?”
“Six hundred.”
That was a lot of money. Snap decisions normally get you into trouble. The puppy licked me. His chocolate-brown eyes implored me. I had to have this puppy. “He is so cute. I think I must buy him and call him mine.”
She laughed. “He likes you very much.”
“I think so, too!”
I pulled out the money from my wallet—good thing I’d gotten a lot of cash before leaving for California. I handed her the six hundred dollars, and she gave me an envelope. “Papers. My daughter number on papers if you have question.”
“Thank you. I hope you enjoy your time here.”
“Thank you. I will.”
As I turned to leave, I saw Waldo walking toward me. Oh, now I had to overcome the next hurdle—get Waldo on board. He was a good guy. From what Kurt told me, Waldo was one of the few band managers who hadn’t been jaded from the industry.
Waldo was carrying four large bags. If all those were filled with ties, he needed an intervention. “Looks like we were both successful. You found the mother lode of ties. I got a puppy. Isn’t he cute?”
Waldo smiled. “I had no part in this.”
I stuck my hand out. “Deal.” Then I leaned in to whisper, “We need to make a quick stop at the pet store and get to the bus before Kurt gets out of his meeting. Come on. We gotta burn rubber.”
Waldo took his handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed his forehead. “This is going to be an interesting afternoon.”
We hurried to the car. “Live on the edge, Waldo. It’s more fun that way.”
He gave me a hearty chuckle. “What are you going to name him?”
“George. I think George is the perfect name.”
Chapter Seven
Sawyer
We pulled up to the parking lot outside of the building Kurt temporarily rented where a monstrous bus was parked. Well, it was larger than a bus. It was custom built for him and this tour. The band members’ faces were plastered across the sides. It was like my bedroom, but on wheels. Behind it were two smaller buses. Kurt had had them custom made to give the band more privacy.
“Wow, these are a lot bigger in real life.”
“Yeah, it’s like a home on wheels. Kurt’s is the first one. The rest of the band will travel in the second one. Additional staff in the third.”
When we’d come to LA, the buses were being worked on. I had only seen pictures, which hadn’t done them justice. I bit my lip and looked at the building. “Is Kurt still in the band meeting?”
Waldo checked his phone before wiping his forehead with his designer handkerchief—a nervous habit. “Let me check.” He typed a few things and waited for a response. “You’ve got ten to fifteen minutes.”
That wasn’t much time at all. We’d bought a lot of stuff at the pet store. My pulse picked up. “Okay, go keep him distracted until I can unload all of George’s shit in my room. I’m going to try to stow him away until we’re on the road. Then once we’re on the way, he’ll have no choice but to let me keep him.”
Waldo shook his head. “Good luck. I don’t think this is going to go too well.”
I beamed. “Me either. But George and I are a package deal.” Cuddling George closer, I said, “Look at this face. It’s too cute. And Kurt owes me.”
“From what I’ve heard, seems like you give it back to him.”
Wait. Kurt talks about me to Waldo?
That gave me pause. But I’d have to process this information later.
Giving George a pat, Waldo shook his head before getting out of the car.
“Okay, George, you have to go potty really quick. Then we should get on the bus before meanie head comes on. He’s kind of grouchy, but he’ll grow on you.”
He licked me in response. It felt like my heart was beating double time. I mean, what in the world had come over me that I’d bought a dog? A dog? I’d always wanted one as a kid, but there had never been any time. This lap poodle was going to depend on me to keep him alive. My eyes widened at the realization.
Later. I will process this later.
I opened the car door and rushed George over to the grassy area off to the side of the private parking lot where the buses were parked. Since Kurt had filed a lawsuit against his current label, he’d decided to open his own record company. They had a temporary office in LA until it was decided what to do.
George squirmed. “Okay, George, go pee. Don’t leave the area.”
I set the puppy down and raced to the back of the car to grab all his stuff. Who would have thought a dog required so many things? George sniffed the nearby grass. “Go pee-pee, George. I need you to be a good boy and go on the grass.”
“Kurt said I should be expecting you.”
With a scream, I jumped, and George began to bark.
A man stepped around me. “I’m sorry, Ms. Wade. I’m Frank, your driver for this first leg. Thomas and I will alternate for the duration of the tour.”
Holding my hand to my heart, I tried to calm myself. Thank goodness, I remembered him being on the itinerary. The older gentleman stuck out his hand. I shook it and said, “Oh, geez. Hey, Frank. You scared me to death.”
It was then Frank must have noticed there was a dog with me. His eyebrow quirked. Glancing back nervously toward the building where Kurt was still in his meeting, I knew I had to get Frank on my team fast.
“Listen. I’m going to come clean with you. I got a dog today. A lap poodle. And Kurt has no idea. I need help hauling all George’s sh—I mean, stuff into my room before Kurt gets done. It’s a code red.”
“Lap poodle? Code red?”
“Yes. A dog. We need to be fast. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. If you help me, we’ll be the bestest of friends.”
George gave another yap and then lunged forward to pee. “Oh my gosh! You’re such a good dog! Good boy, George! Good boy!”
Frank looked to the left and to the right. “Umm…has Mr. Hendrix approved?”
Oh man, I had another loyal Kurt lover on my hands. I needed to sweet-talk this man and fast. “Look at that cute face. Can you seriously say no to him? Where would he go? He can’t be abandoned after being adopted only two hours ago. Think how you would feel.”
Silence.
Frank appeared to be at a total loss, judging from the blank look on his face. Finally, he recovered. “If Mr. Hendrix gets mad—”
I grinned, knowing I’d convinced him. “You had nothing to do with it. In fact, when I got on the bus, you were using the restroom.”
He smiled. “Deal.”
It was a race against the clock, and we made several trips. George thought it was a game, so he tried to nip at my heels. “Don’t be naughty, George. We have to hurry.”
I heaved out a breath. Maybe I should start working out some. At least all the stuff was on the bus in the living area. “Which room is mine?”
Frank leaned against the wall, worn out. “I think the first on the right.”
The interior of the bus had been customized. The size of Kurt’s room had been reduced so that I could have my own room. In addition, the living and kitchen areas were smaller. It was boringly plain with the gray walls and black couches. Color was a must if we were going to be on this thing for three months. A narrow hallway on the left of the bus had three doors on it. I tried the first one. It was a bathroom. The second one made me pause, horrified.
“Oh, he did not!”
“What’s wrong, Ms. Wade?”
Frank came up beside me and looked in. “Oh dear. Is this your room?”
“Yes. And do you see why Kurt has driven me to get a dog?”
“Maybe.”
All the Reverence stuff had come here. George looked up at me. “When you get a chance, pee on Kurt’s favorite pants. I promise you won’t be in trouble, George.”
George’s mouth opened and his little pink tongue stuck out. I swore he was smiling at me in agreement.
“Sawyer, please hurry. Kurt’s stepped out of the building and is talking to Waldo.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Text Waldo and tell him to stall Kurt! He’s in on it, too. He’ll know why.”
I heard a faint chuckle.
I rushed to throw everything into my room. The mess would have to wait. I threw a blanket and a toy in the crate before grabbing the dog. “Okay, George. You need to go in here and be super quiet until we get down the road, okay? If not, Mr. Meanie may make you leave since this is his bus. So be super quiet. You don’t want to be an orphan dog.”
I gave George a hug and put him in the crate. He circled twice and then lay down. Being a dog parent was easy. I had this in the bag. I grabbed a magazine from my purse and dashed to the living room to plop on the couch at the moment Kurt came up the steps. Poor Frank looked like he might have a heart attack as he tried to get back to the driver’s seat. His jacket caught on the knob of the door that led to the front. He barely got it freed.
Whew.
As Kurt ascended, his eyes connected with mine. My stupid heart did that pitter-patter thing. And I swore Kurt’s blue eyes lit up. He was freshly showered and wore a vintage T-shirt and jeans. He did sexy casual very, very well.
I tried to remain calm. “Hey, stranger. How’s it going?”
“What did you do?” Kurt scanned the room before his eyes landed on me.
Innocently, I smiled. “What? Why would you think I did something? I just got here. Nice digs, by the way.”
“Frank?”
“Yes, sir?” Frank came from the front, his eyes wide as saucers.
Subtle, Frank. We would have to work on his accomplice skills.
“Were you here when Sawyer got on the bus?”
I could tell Frank was seconds away from folding like a cheap suit. Distract. I cocked my eyebrow as poor Frank broke into a sweat. “Listen, what in the world could I do?” Deflect. “I see my excellent bedroom décor made it here.”
Kurt smirked. “I knew you would miss your sheets and bedspread.”
I dramatically wiped my brow. “I don’t have to worry about losing sleep now. Thank you.”
Behind Kurt, Frank’s shoulders sagged as he visibly relaxed. He gave me a thumbs-up and said, “We’re going to pull out, Mr. Hendrix, if that’s all.”
“Sounds good, Frank. Thanks for coming on this trip with us.”
A few seconds later, the bus began to move. I shifted on the couch and opened my magazine. “It’s like a house on wheels. Home sweet home for the next three months.”
