Brooklyn & Beale (3 page)

“You’ve been holding out on us, bro.” Greer threw his empty cup at Reid, hitting his shoulder.

Reid turned from the door Chloe had disappeared through and looked from the cup on the floor to Greer. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t play stupid,” Drew laughed. “She’s smokin’ hot. You could have at least warned us. We assumed she would be more like Valerie.”

“And that girl,” Greer cut in, “is no mousy Valerie.”

Reid shook his head, his annoyance clear. “Listen, guys, I didn’t hire Chloe so you two would have new spank bank material. I hired her because I was running out of options, and she happens to be really damn good. I don’t need you two assholes playing a game of who can get in her pants first, so get that out of your heads right now. I have a lot riding on this tour. I won’t let anything screw it up.”

Silence lay thick in the air as the three stared at each other. Drew was the first to speak. “All right, man. I feel you.”

Reid cut his eyes to Greer, whose face twisted into an incredulous expression. “So, wait, you’re not going to hit that?”

“What the hell, Greer? What’s the matter with you?”

“What’s the matter with
me
? What’s the matter with
you
? Did I miss something?”

Reid scrubbed his hands over his face before taking a step back and peeking down the hall. The last thing he needed was Chloe walking in on a conversation revolving around having sex with her. When he made sure the coast was clear, he turned back to Greer, and when he spoke, his tone left no room for argument.

“I get that y’all are used to a different version of me, but I can’t be that person anymore. Not after what happened.” Reid balled his fists as memories of the night that changed his life surfaced. He could almost hear the blaring music and manic laughter. Almost see the soft white lines, the red and blue flashing lights, and the vacant green eyes that haunted his dreams. With a sharp exhale, Reid relaxed his shoulders. “I need to focus on the tour. The last thing I need is drama if one of you hooks up with her and things turn ugly. There will be more groupies than you know what to do with if you need to get laid. That will need to be enough.”

Drew and Greer nodded in agreement. The tension faded from Reid’s body until a sly smile crossed Greer’s face. “What?” Reid asked with narrowed eyes.

“So, just to recap, you’re not going to hit that?”

“Oh, Christ,” Reid groaned just as the sound of approaching footsteps alerted him someone was coming. “Not another word.”

He turned toward the sound as Chloe appeared in the doorway. The moment he saw her, he knew his entire conversation with Greer and Drew was shot to hell. Her long blond and purple hair had been pulled into a ponytail, offering an unobstructed view of her face he hadn’t seen in New York. However, it wasn’t her wide-set blue eyes, the slope of her upturned nose, or the plump arch of her full lips that caused his mouth to dry. The culprit was a tank top that revealed a colorful sleeve covering her right arm and creeping up her shoulder before disappearing beneath the fabric.

Various patterns swirled over Chloe’s skin, creating a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colors. Ashamed for staring, Reid cleared his throat and looked away. “You ready to get started?”

“Sure. Just let me set up and we can jump right in.”

Reid exhaled and turned toward Drew and Greer, who were clearly not ashamed. He discreetly snapped his fingers, letting them know to stop gawking. Drew looked away and began adjusting the drum pedals, but Greer remained unmoving. When Reid followed Greer’s line of sight, he noticed more ink peeking out from under the hem of her shirt as she retrieved her violin from its case.

With a quiet groan, Reid crossed the room to his guitar and yanked the strap over his head. “Greer, you all set?” The sharp bite of his tone was enough to command everyone’s attention.

“Yup,” Greer answered distractedly.

Reid flexed his jaw and cut his eyes to Chloe, who gave him a sheepish smile as she tugged the metal piercing in her lip with her teeth. He let out a humorless chuckle and moved into position before instructing everyone what to do. When the music started and the seductive sounds of Chloe’s violin saturated the air, Reid didn’t dare look in her direction. Instead, he watched Greer, who seemed transfixed by Chloe. Returning his attention to his guitar, Reid realized Greer’s new fixation might not be such a bad thing after all.

The sun had set by the time Reid called an end to rehearsals. Chloe rotated her shoulder and let out a grateful sigh as she packed away her things. She’d expected the rehearsals to be taxing, but the level of intensity Reid demanded from each of them was more than she’d prepared for.

“You okay there?”

Chloe looked at Drew and smiled. “I’m great. Although, with my long flight and adjusting to the time difference, I’ll probably sleep until I’m due back here tomorrow.”

Drew nodded. “I bet. You did really great today, though. I think Reid’s just nervous about having such a significant change this late in the game. He should ease up when he gets a little more comfortable.”

“Or he’ll continue to kick our ass,” Greer added. “He’s funny about his music. I have a feeling he’s going to be like this for a while.”

Chloe looked between her bandmates. They were similarly built to Reid: tall, lanky, and sporting an array of colorful tattoos. But where Drew had long blond hair that fell just below his chin, Greer’s dark hair was buzzed close to his scalp. “Have you guys always played with Reid?”

Drew gave Chloe a reassuring smile. “We were the session musicians hired when he cut his first album. God, he was a moody bastard. Hell, he still is. Only difference now is we have no problem telling him to go to hell.”

Greer laughed. “Damn straight.”

“Greer’s right, though. He doesn’t like letting people mess with his music. I think that’s the only reason he kept us around, so he wouldn’t have to find new musicians for the next album. We’re familiar. So don’t feel like you’re alone. When it’s all said and done, even though we’ve been around longer, we’re in the same boat.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you want to grab some dinner? I can answer any questions you might have about the tour,” Greer offered as Reid walked back into the room.

“If Chloe has any questions about the tour, I can answer them,” Reid said. When Chloe looked in his direction, he appeared stiff, annoyed.

“Are you going to feed her, too?” Greer challenged. The hint of mischief in his expression made it clear to Chloe that something was going on between them, and she had no interest in getting in the middle of it.

“Thanks, but I’ll pass. It’s been a long day and I just want to crash.” Chloe smiled when she noticed Reid’s posture relax.

“Do you have a place to stay?” Greer continued, undeterred.

Chloe laughed and rolled her eyes. It was obvious Greer was flirting. Even though she wasn’t interested, his attention would help keep her focus off Reid. “I’m crashing with my friend Josie, who’s probably wondering where I am. If we’re done, I’m going to head out.”

“We’re done for the day. Get some rest and we’ll see you tomorrow.” Reid grabbed his keys and held the door open for Chloe. As she stepped into the hall, he followed behind her. “Do you mind getting here about an hour early tomorrow? I wanted to go over a few things with you that I noticed today. I think it will be easier without any distractions.”

Chloe looked over her shoulder at Drew and Greer before turning her attention back to Reid. Her throat tightened when she realized how close he was. Straightening her shoulders, she nodded. Surely with time it would become easier to be around him. “Sounds good. I’ll see you at eleven.”

After sending a text to Josie that she was on her way, Chloe made a quick detour to In-N-Out Burger to grab dinner for the two of them. A surge of adrenaline hit Chloe as soon as she pulled into Josie’s driveway. Even exhaustion couldn’t curb her excitement about seeing her old friend.

As soon as she killed the engine, the porch light came on and the front door opened. Grabbing the takeout bag, Chloe jumped out of the car and jogged up the front steps just as Josie stepped out to meet her.

“I can’t believe you’re here! It’s been too long.” Josie wrapped her arms around Chloe and squeezed before taking a step back. “Why do you smell like In-N-Out?”

Chloe laughed and lifted the bag. “I thought I’d spring for dinner. Have you eaten?”

Josie dismissed Chloe with a wave of her hand and pulled her inside. “Doesn’t matter. I’m still eating whatever you have in that bag.”

“I’m glad to see your appetite hasn’t changed.” Stepping inside, Chloe looked around the room. “Wow,” she exhaled. “Your place is amazing.”

Josie shrugged and motioned for Chloe to follow her into the kitchen. “Thanks. I really lucked out with this place. It was in foreclosure, so I got it for next to nothing. It needed some work, but it was worth it. It’s a mess right now. I hate packing. Anders hates packing. Actually, Anders hates any kind of manual labor, but I refuse to have a bunch of strangers going through my things, so I’m sucking it up and doing a little bit at a time.”

Chloe sat at the island and pulled the burgers and fries from the bag as Josie grabbed two glasses from the cabinet. “You’ve got so much space. I wouldn’t know what to do with it.”

“It’s not that big. It only seems that way to you because you live in one of the most expensive cities in the country where the average apartment is the size of a shoebox. Do you want a glass of wine? I have beer, too.”

“A beer would be perfect.” Chloe bit into her burger and sighed. “God, I missed these.”

Josie grabbed a handful of fries and fell onto the stool next to her. “If you lived here, you could have these all the time.”

“Not all of us can eat like it’s the end of the world without consequences. I already work out far more than I’d like.”

“Whatever. You look amazing. I love the purple hair, by the way. It suits you.”

“Thanks, I did it a few months ago when my mother was being particularly annoying. I would have gotten another tattoo to get under her skin, but money was a bit tight at the time.” Chloe shook her head and took a sip of beer. “Now I’m going on tour with Reid Ryder. Funny how quick things can change, but I’m sure you know all about that.”

Josie grinned. “You have no idea.”

Chloe opened her mouth to speak when she realized something. “Where’s Maddie? I thought for sure she’d be here.”

“Oh, she wanted to. She and Holden both, but they knew you’d be tired after such a long day. They decided to let you rest tonight, but don’t expect it to last. They’ll be here bright and early in the morning. Holden’s going to make breakfast, and Maddie’s going to help us eat it.”

Chloe’s expression turned wistful. “Your brother has always made amazing food. I wasn’t surprised at all when he became a chef. Please tell me he’s making what I hope he’s making.”

Josie lifted her brow. “Do you think he’d pass on the opportunity to make Mom’s famous apple pancakes with maple cream cheese sauce?”

“Oh, God. I just ate and I’m already hungry again. Living next door to you growing up was so awesome.” Chloe squeezed Josie’s hand and blinked away the unshed tears blurring her vision. “Thanks for letting me stay here. I’ve missed you.”

Josie stood, pulling Chloe with her. “I’m glad you called. I’ve missed you too. Mom said if we didn’t send her pictures, she’d disown us.”

“Well, we certainly wouldn’t want that,” Chloe joked. “I like your mom more than I do my own.”

“That’s because your mom makes the devil seem friendly,” Josie grumbled as the pair moved into the living room.

“I don’t know what happened to her. She wasn’t always like this.”

“Roller derby happened. The moment you wanted to do something other than what she deemed appropriate, a stick went up her ass and petrified.”

“That’s the most disgusting mental image I’ve had in a long time. Thanks a lot.” Chloe laughed through her yawn.

“Don’t worry. Maddie will top that in no time.” Josie looked at her watch and grimaced. “It’s late. You have to be wiped out. Let’s get your stuff and I’ll show you where everything is. You’ll be here for a week, right? We’ll have lots of time to catch up.”

“We leave in eight days. I still can’t believe I’m going on this tour.” Chloe followed Josie down the porch steps to her rental car and popped the trunk. While she heaved her bag onto her shoulder, Josie pulled her smaller bag from the passenger seat.

“I can’t wait to hear about the tour. I love his music; I’m excited to see how you’re going to fit into his sound.”

“I promise to tell you everything I know, which, unfortunately, isn’t much yet. I have to be at the studio by eleven tomorrow to go over a few things with Reid before rehearsal at noon. I’m hopeful that after a couple of rehearsals, things will settle down.”

“I’m going to make you explain what you mean by that once you’ve had some rest. Plus, Maddie threatened to break the heel off the shoes I let her borrow last week if you revealed anything juicy while she’s not here.”

Chloe laughed as Josie led her to the guest bedroom. “I know better than to ask if you’re kidding.” Dropping her things, she looked longingly at the bed before turning toward Josie. “As much as I want to fall face first onto that bed, I need to shower. I feel disgusting.”

“I can imagine. Second door on the left. Everything you need should be there. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.” Josie gave Chloe a quick hug and wished her goodnight before disappearing down the hall.

With a tired sigh, Chloe pulled out her things and headed to the bathroom. Once she’d showered and brushed her teeth, she tiptoed to the guest room and crawled into bed. Not a single thought passed through her mind before she was fast asleep.

In what felt like no time, Chloe woke to the aroma of apples and coffee. She rolled onto her back and squinted against the weak light filtering through the window. Muffled voices drifted down the hall, slowly rousing Chloe from the lingering traces of sleep.

The familiar laugh of Holden, Josie’s older brother, caused a smile to break across Chloe’s face. She climbed out of bed, made a quick detour by the bathroom, and then walked into the kitchen. As soon as she stepped through the doorway, she was greeted by three smiling faces.

“Runt!” Holden crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Chloe, lifting her into the air and spinning before setting her on her feet and stepping back.

“You know I hate that name,” Chloe groaned, her face scrunched in displeasure.

“That’s my fault. I think I’ve exceeded the number of times it’s safe to hit someone in the head with a frying pan.” Madison grinned before embracing Chloe. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“You too,” Chloe answered, following Madison to the island where a steaming cup of coffee waited for her.

“What about me?”

Chloe looked at Holden and rolled her eyes. “How could I not be happy to see the brother I never had or wanted, but ended up with anyway?”

“Maybe if you and Josie hadn’t made a habit of sneaking to parties you had no business at, I wouldn’t have been forced to threaten half the school.”

Chloe opened her mouth to argue but shrugged instead after looking at Josie’s not so innocent expression.

“I’m so glad I avoided the protective older brother zone,” Madison sighed. “It would have made the fantasies I had so inappropriate.”

“Maddie!” Josie laughed and covered her face. “We’ve talked about this. You aren’t allowed to talk about my brother like that when you’re within a three-mile radius of me.”

Chloe giggled when Madison waved her hand dismissively. “When have I ever listened?”

“Never.” Josie dropped her hands in defeat and wrapped them around her coffee cup.

Holden turned from the stove and placed plates stacked with pancakes in front of each of the girls. “How about you girls dig in so you stop talking? Please.” The girls laughed quietly and nodded in agreement.

“This is so much better than the instant oatmeal I had for breakfast yesterday.” Chloe shoveled another bite into her mouth and closed her eyes.

“Careful, you’ll cause Holden to have a stroke saying things like that.” Madison patted Holden’s back and poked out her lip out, mock pity coloring her expression.

“I’m completely outnumbered,” Holden mumbled. “Where the hell is Anders?”

Madison gasped and Josie’s mouth fell open. Chloe looked between the two of them, wide-eyed. She had no idea why they seemed so shocked by Holden’s comment, but Chloe was more concerned about the possibility of meeting Hollywood royalty in her pajamas.