Unintentional Read online

  Cade stares for a moment. He looks at us strangely then closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Man, I didn’t know your ‘business’ was so organized. So, how much did Scott pay you?”

  “What? Oh, no. You don’t pay us. We work on commission.” I take a good look at Cade, his eyes are still hooded, and they seem a little hazy.

  Cade leans over, grabs the hem of my shirt, giving it a little tug. “If I were to do this thing, I’d pick you.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sophie’s shoulders shaking. She’s laughing. Hard. What the hell? She covers her mouth, trying to keep from losing it. What is so funny?

  “Sophie, stop it! What’s gotten in to you?”

  She’s shaking her head. Now tears are escaping. “He thinks we’re hookers, Laurel!” With that said, she doubles over laughing.

  No way. I look over at Cade, waiting for him to deny it.

  He looks at Sophie with an “Oops” expression on his face. “Scott didn’t send you?” There’s embarrassment and confusion written all over his face.

  I’m madder than I’ve ever been in my entire life and seeing red. Hookers? I look like a hooker to him?

  Before I my mind connects with my body, it’s too late. My hand, of its own accord, slaps Cade across the face.

  I grip Sophie by the arm and say, “Let’s get out of here,” and we leave.

  Cade

  I haven’t felt anything in a month, but damn, I felt that. That girl has quite an arm on her. My face burns as I splash cold water over it. What the hell just happened? All I remember is opening the door to two of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. That just doesn’t happen every day. I knew Scott had something to do with it, or, at least, I thought he did. Apparently, I was wrong. Who were they anyway? Why did they just show up at my doorstep?

  I’m mulling this over when I hear Scott yelling down the hall. “Hey, Cade, we’re here! I got everyone together. We’re going to party!”

  I leave the bathroom, turn the corner, and see Scott dragging a cooler in one hand while balancing three boxes of pizza in the other. Behind him are Mica, Ayden, and around fifteen other people. Some of them I recognize from the nightclub where we perform.

  Oh, hell no. I grab Scott by the arm and drag him into my bedroom. I fail at my attempt to remain calm. “Scott, what in the hell is wrong with you? I told you I want to be alone.”

  Scott gives me a huge grin. “I know. It’s been a month. How’s that working for you?” He hits me on the arm. “Loosen up, Cade. It’s just a few people. It’ll take your mind off things for a while.” He looks at me closer. “What happened to your face?” he asks.

  “Good question, Scott. You didn’t happen to send two incredibly beautiful girls to my front door, now did you?”

  Scott laughs. “No, but I would, had I thought of it.”

  It’s confirmed, I’m an idiot

  “I think one of the girls’ name is Lauren or Laurel or Laureli? Something like that. Do you know anything about it?”

  His brow furrows as he concentrates. He taps his finger on his head.

  “Well?” I ask.

  “Shh. I’m thinking.”

  “Scott!” I yell.

  He jumps back. “Okay, Okay. I think I might know. Just a second.” He takes out his wallet and starts rooting around for something. He pulls out a card. “Voila!”

  I snatch it out of his hand. On the card, printed very clearly, is Laurel Lawson, Music Agent. The beautiful girl who sat on my chair was a music agent. I let this new discovery settle in my now almost-sober brain.

  “I don’t want to think about this now. Let’s get this party thing over with, and you can fill me in tomorrow.” I’m going to fix the almost-sober status I’m in. The alternative would be to face the fact I just made a total ass out of myself.

  Laurel

  If it were possible to have steam coming out my ears, I’d currently look like a steam engine. My hands shake as I start the car. I just hope I don’t get in an accident on the way back to our hotel. Sophie is still doubled over laughing. I’ve already hit one person today; she’s up next.

  “Sophie, you better stop laughing right now. I’m not kidding. This is not funny!”

  Between gasps, she gets out, “I will never, ever forget the look on your face, Laurel!” She’s rocked by another wave of hysterics.

  “Do you think it’s my streak?” That seems to settle her down some.

  “Of course not, Laurel! I love your streak; it’s classy. Don’t you dare go thinking a streak in your hair makes you look like a hooker.” She wipes the tears from her eyes, now looking a little more serious.

  My hair is light brown, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a bright blonde streak about an inch thick framing my face on the right side. When I was younger, it was a source of embarrassment, so I would color it to match my natural shade. As I got older, I learned to embrace it, so I often color it to match my mood. Today, it’s red. Well, that’s appropriate.

  “Seriously, Laurel, don’t change your streak because of that ass. I love knowing what mood you’re in.”

  I take a deep breath. “I won’t, Sophie, don’t worry. But why do you think he was under the impression we were hookers. I mean, that’s so insulting. Aren’t you insulted at all?”

  Sophie breaks into giggles again. I’m seriously going to drop her off at the next intersection.

  She shakes her head, trying to control herself. “It’s so preposterous! You, of all people, a hooker!”

  “Um, Sophie, he thought we were both hookers, remember?”

  “Laurel, I don’t care about me. You, on the other hand, have to be the most prudish person I know. When was the last time you got—”

  My eyes narrow as I stare her down.

  “Oh, that’s right, Douglas. That’s got to be exciting.” She catches herself. “Sorry, Laurel. It’s just, I know you have that rule. The rule about not having sex unless you’re in love? So, I’m guessing things are stalled in that department with Douglas? And to think you were mistaken for a hooker today!”

  And off she goes again. I’m never telling her anything again

  Chapter 5

  Cade

  “May I speak to Laurel, please?” I hear a hesitation on the other end.

  “Speaking.”

  I gather myself. “Yeah, uh, this is Cade.” I don’t hear a click on the other end, so I continue. “Hey, listen, I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. Obviously, I was a little out of sorts.”

  Laurel’s voice is curt as she replies, “An understatement.”

  This isn’t easy. “Would you and whom I assume is your assistant like to meet me today for lunch? I’d like to make it up to you both.”

  Another moment of silence.

  “Okay,” she finally replies. “How about Elliott’s on Pier 56? Sophie and I were headed there anyway in about an hour.”

  I sigh. Tourists. “Okay, I’ll meet you there at one.” I click off. That was uncomfortable.

  ∗∗∗

  Sixty excruciating minutes later, I arrive at the restaurant. They aren’t here yet, so I ask for a table so I can sit back and figure out my strategy. Luckily, it isn’t as crowded as I thought it would be. Most restaurants on Alaskan Way are filled to the brim with tourists, not only for lunch, but for the entire day.

  The entire area is ideally situated for travelers: there’s the waterfront, of course, an aquarium, boat tours, restaurants, ferry boats, water taxis, and souvenir shops. It has a little bit of something for tourists and locals alike. I don’t come here often, and I’m surprised I’m actually enjoying the atmosphere.

  I’m seated at a table next to a huge window overlooking the sound. The smells are rich with seafood and baking bread. There’s an excited energy emanating from the many tourists enjoying the scenery for the first time. I’ve never grown tired of the views in and around Seattle, even though I was born and raised here. There’s an earthy, natural beauty not only in the city,
but in the outlining areas as well.

  Forcing myself to relax, I try deep-breathing as I watch the front door for their arrival. Now would be a good time to plan out what I want to say to them. I feel awful.

  I hear a low whistle coming from the table next to me. I look up in time to see Laurel and her assistant make their entrance into the restaurant. They walk in like they own the place. And they do own it. I mistook these girls for prostitutes? They don’t look like prostitutes. They look like models, the kind you see on the most glamorous fashion magazines.

  Looking around the restaurant, I notice every pair of eyes are staring at them, men and women alike. Holy shit, I must have been wasted. If I could slap my own face, I’d do it right now.

  Laurel’s eyes lock on mine. Something stirs inside me, something foreign. It’s not that I’m attracted to her, she’s not my type. No, it must be embarrassment.

  As she makes her way to the table, all heads turn her way. She doesn’t notice. Or, this happens so often, she’s used to it. She sits down right across from me, and her assistant plops down on the seat to her right. Her assistant looks like she’s trying not to smile. That’s right, she was laughing yesterday. I look back over at Laurel; she peers back intently.

  My breath escapes involuntarily as I look into her eyes, another thing I neglected to notice yesterday. Her eyes. Eyes like I’ve never seen before, light brown with threads of blue – exotic and stunning. Right now, though, those eyes look a little pissed. That would be my fault. Shit. Shit. Shit. I don’t think an apology will be enough for this girl.

  Okay, I better just launch right in. “Thanks for meeting me. I’m Cade, by the way. I don’t think we’ve been introduced properly.” I look closely to see if this has thawed her any. Nope.

  But she nods and reaches over, giving me her hand. “I’m Laurel, and this is my assistant, Sophie,” she replies in a very businesslike, professional manner.

  I take her hand and shake it, but, for some reason I don’t let go right away. This must be some delayed reaction to the humiliation I felt about yesterday’s episode. I reluctantly release my hold and reach over to Sophie. Sophie shakes my hand, accompanied by a knowing grin and a giggle. I immediately like her.

  I rub my sweaty palms on my jeans. “I’d like to apologize for yesterday. As I said, I haven’t been myself.”

  Laurel

  Should I make him squirm some more? Hmm. He looks so earnest, sitting across from me. I almost feel bad for him. Almost.

  I ask, “So, Cade, I’m curious, why did you think we were hookers?” I’ve said this a little loud, and a few people turn to look.

  Cade looks like he wants to be anywhere but here. He leans on the table and puts his hands over his face. It looks like he has a headache and is rubbing his temples.

  He shrugs. “Scott told me he had a surprise for me and to be ready at seven. You arrived at exactly seven. I, uh, thought you were my surprise.” He stops suddenly and holds up his hands. “I didn’t want that type of surprise, but it reminded me of something Scott would do. Not that I wouldn’t want you, but…” He shuts his mouth quickly, knowing he’s digging himself in deeper.

  Now I’m starting to feel a little bad for him. Sophie chokes on her water next to me. I knew she wouldn’t be able to get through this lunch without losing it. I don’t know why she thinks this is so hilarious. I give her shin a good kick and reply to Cade.

  “It’s forgotten. Obviously, you’ve given Sophie a good laugh.”

  I pause to glare at her. Cade smiles at Sophie. He seems grateful.

  He asks, “How did you get my address anyway?”

  This conversation has taken a sudden shift. Now it’s my turn to be embarrassed. I can feel the heat start to rise from my neck up to my face. He’s looking at me, waiting for my answer.

  I look over at Sophie for help. We didn’t plan this part of the meeting. She’s looking up at the ceiling, ever so nonchalantly, obviously enjoying my discomfort.

  “We kinda followed Scott,” I answer. “But wait. Before you come to any conclusions, it was only as a last resort. We really wanted to talk with you, but Scott wouldn’t give us any information. We sincerely are the most honest, reliable people to work with. Really.”

  At that very moment, I hear a loud British accent. It’s Handsome British Man. He’s headed right for our table.

  “Hey! It’s my beautiful friends from the airport.” He looks over at Sophie. “Are you feeling better?” he asks.

  She looks confused. “Sure. Yes, I’m doing fine, thank you.”

  He leans over to Cade, offering his hand. “You must be the husband. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Cade raises one eyebrow as he looks over at me. “Yes, I’m the lucky man. My wife is something else.”

  Handsome British Man replies, “If I had a looker like that, I’d be daft to let her out of my sight. Bloody hell, they don’t make beauties like these back home.”

  He’s practically drooling on me. This guy is starting to become obnoxious. He rests his arm on our table, his face is about four inches from mine, and I think he’s trying to smell my neck. This is not going well.

  Cade senses my discomfort. He leans back in his chair, casually crossing his arms. “Well, this little beauty is mine, so you’re going to need to sod off now.”

  It’s my turn to laugh. I look at him and smile with appreciation. I notice his expression changes for a moment. His smile falters, but he regains it almost immediately.

  Handsome British Man, who doesn’t seem so handsome anymore, takes the hint and leaves in a huff.

  Cade, still in his relaxed position says, “So, go on. You were telling me how honest and reliable you are?”

  So many feelings war with me at once. I’m still angry at him for thinking I was a hooker. I’m totally embarrassed about the, um, detective work we did. Now, he’s taunting me about trying to shake the loser at the airport. What’s with this guy? He’s infuriating!

  “What would you do?” I respond. “It’s usually the easiest way to get rid of unwanted attention.”

  Cade gives me a big smile. I need help, because those dimples are showing, and I’ve totally lost my train of thought. The feelings of attraction I had for him the first time I saw him a month ago make an unwelcome appearance. My entire body starts to heat up, and I’m so afraid he’s going to notice. Well, actually, it would be worse if Sophie notices, because she’d call me out on it. Here I was, enjoying Cade’s squirming, and now it’s my turn.

  “That happens to you a lot, doesn’t it?” he asks.

  “Sometimes. Why?” I respond.

  He shrugs. “I just figured as much. So you lie to get out of it?”

  Here we go, back to the honesty thing. Ugh.

  “I’m sure you have your share of girls approaching you, Cade. I’m not blind, so don’t sit here and tell me you don’t tell them a little white lie to spare their feelings.”

  He nods his acknowledgment. “Yes, I’ll admit to it, but I wasn’t sitting here two minutes ago telling you how honest I was.” I can tell by the expression on his face he’s totally enjoying this.

  I give him my best glare, and it only seems to improve his mood. “You like making me angry, don’t you? You’re enjoying this!”

  Cade chuckles. “Okay, okay. I’m done. It’s just that you get the funniest expression on your face when you’re backed into a corner. Did you know you have a little crease between your eyebrows every time you get upset?”

  Unconsciously, I reach up and smooth out the area in question.

  Sophie picks now to join the conversation. “Oh, you two! This is so fun to watch. It’s like watching a real-life sparring match.”

  Cade looks over at Sophie and laughs. “I knew I liked you.” And those dimples make another appearance.

  This time my body goes into total revolt. My palms are so sweaty, I think they may be dripping. My heart makes a treacherous leap, and resumes beating triple time. I have to force my breathing to slow dow
n, so I don’t look like I feel, like I’ve just completed a marathon. I need to quit looking at his face. He’s too good-looking. I decide to check out his tattoos. He’s wearing a t-shirt so I can see about an inch of inked skin.

  I’m staring so intently, I don’t notice the conversation has come to a halt. I look back up into those eyes. They’re so beautiful, and they’re looking right back at me. I can’t look away. I’m captivated, frozen. I’ve stopped breathing for a moment. It’s electric. Cade takes his eyes off mine for a moment to glance down at my lips. Damn, I’m busted. I think he knows what he’s doing to me. Thankfully, at the very moment I’m sure I’m going to melt into a puddle, the waitress comes over to take our order. I’m saved, for now.

  The lunch was actually very nice. Both Sophie and I take turns asking Cade questions, and he asks his own in return. I’m trying very hard to lay down the groundwork for a future business relationship. Having Hard Reign sign with me would be a great opportunity – for both of us.

  I started recruiting three years ago, and so far, things have gone remarkably well. Six talented artists have signed on, all scattered along the west coast. Two I’m pretty sure will get a recording contract in the next three months. The other four bands are still in the development stage, performing around their home towns, building up their fan base. Their situation is very similar to the stage Hard Reign is currently in. They’ve built up a great fan base here. Now is the time to make a demo and start shopping them to the music studios. I know I can get them a recording contract. They’re incredibly talented.

  I’m about to launch into my mega-convincing sales pitch, when Cade stops me abruptly.

  “I know what you’re going to ask.” He holds his hands up. “Scott told me you want to sign us.”

  “That’s exactly what I want to do, Cade.”

  He shakes his head, “Not going to happen. Not now, anyway.”

  My emotions are all over the place. One minute, I’m angry, the next, embarrassed, then the following moment, I want to jump him, and now, I’m back to angry. I slump back in my seat.