Page 20 of Flawless Aria
Laughter fills the air as he strides out of the room. Dammit!
Now that the after-sex glow has disappeared into thin air, I mull over the whole conversation. I’m such an idiot. I swear an alien took over my mind and body and just vomited shit all over the studio floor. What the hell was that? A mistake is what it is, Aria. You made an ass out of yourself, is what you did.
Tiptoeing out of the studio, I glance both ways. When I notice the bathroom door is closed, I make a run for it. I stopped over after work to get everything off of my chest and the only thing that came off were my clothes! Look how that turned out. Hey, no complaints in the sex department because that man has skills, but I don’t know when to leave well enough alone.
Nope, not me.
I marched into the studio and was struck stupid when he was immersed in his music. I’ve never been known to walk away from a private concert and I’m not about to start.
Embarrassed as all hell, I back the car out of the drive and hit the road. It’s time to put some distance between us and see what happens. Nowhere does it state that engaged couples need to see each other daily. So this is me making my escape and waiting for him to text or call. It’s high time he makes the first move since he concocted this crazy plan in the first place. Yes, and I’m the foolish one who went along with it. Thought I’d say it first before you did.
By the time I get home, I’m starving with no ambition to cook. I set my purse on the counter and rifle through the cupboards in search of food. There’s not much to choose from. I have no choice but to settle on a yogurt and a few stale crackers that I had left over from a party. How long has it been since I had that party? I get the urge to tip over the box to look at the expiration date. Then decide against it when my stomach protests. What’s the worst-case scenario if I eat outdated crackers?
I’m brushing the crumbs off my chest when my phone rings. Ignoring it, I head for the bathroom so I can take a long, leisurely bath. Oops, almost forgot. Wine is delicious with a bubble bath.
After grabbing the bottle out of the fridge, I hunt for a glass. Then I decide, why dirty another one? It’s not like I’m entertaining. It’s only me, myself, and I.
Setting the water to get the temp just right, I throw in some brown sugar vanilla bubble bath. It was a Christmas gift from Macy.
Oh no! Macy called and sent me several texts after our engagement hit the tabloids and I’d forgotten to get back to her. She’s going to kill me.
It must be around ten, so I decide it’s too late to call her back tonight. I make a mental note to do it first thing in the morning. Before leaving for work. Now I just need to decide if I should tell her the truth or lie through my teeth. Apparently, I still have the sex afterglow because I’m not thinking straight. The truth it is. She’d see right through me if I didn’t tell her anyway. Hard to pull anything over on her. She’s seen it all. Probably lived it, too.
Slipping into the luxurious bath, I grab my bottle of wine and take a sip. It’s exactly what I needed after a long and emotional day. Telling Jax about my sordid affair with Rex wasn’t the highlight of my day, but he didn’t judge. I’m forever grateful for that. And if I’m being honest, for the great sex, too. I’m already sore in spots that I’d forgotten existed since it’s been months without.
Another sip of wine and I sink down a little further. Until I’m neck dip in the sudsy warmth. Best not to stay in here too long because the wine’s making me sleepy. It’s either that or the fact that I didn’t have much to eat today. Oh, and I did get a good workout today too. A workout of the best kind.
Time ticks by and as soon as I feel myself slipping away, I drain the bath and step out. Thankfully, I had set the bottle on the floor earlier, otherwise I would have spilled the wine. That would have been horrible since it’s my last bottle.
After drying off and slipping into my tank and shorts, I stroll into the kitchen and grab my phone. Wow. I have several missed calls and a few voicemails from Jax. He hates texting because he claims he’s all thumbs and never can spell anything correctly.
I chuckle when I listen to his first voicemail. “Do you know what I do to naughty little girls when they leave without a goodbye? A spanking.”
13
JAXON
I meantevery single word I said to Aria last night when I sent her those voicemails. Every word. I’ve no doubt when I leave my handprint on her sexy ass, she’ll think twice. Then again, she might enjoy it and act out just so she can get a spanking. I have a feeling my naughty girl is going to enjoy it very much. I’m fucking getting hard just thinking about it. Not good, since I’m just pulling into Morris Music. Today’s the day we get the tour schedule and I’m both dreading it and embracing it as well. I’m itching to play our new songs in front of a sold-out crowd.
Walking down the halls of this iconic record label is like a blast from the past. There are so many awards hanging on the walls and sitting inside a glass cabinet. It’s also surreal to see a Grant Award for producer of the year, by none other than Bruce Reynolds. The man who produced all three of our albums. The man’s a genius.
I can ’t help smiling when the hall opens up to the visitor lounge and Grace sits at the helm. She’s Caleb’s secretary and a real gem.
“Jax, it’s great to see you again. Are you ready for the big tour?” She stands, ready to let me into Caleb’s office.
“I was ready a month after our vacation started.” We all like to keep busy, but I get that Zander and Micah had their hands full with everything they had going on. Me, not so much.
“Well, in a few more months your wish will come true.” Grace opens the door and it’s like coming home again.
“Jax, I hope all is well. Now that you’re all here, let’s get down to business. I’d like to congratulate all of you on your third album,Nothing to Lose. It’s scheduled for release June tenth, and your tour begins on July first. With a huge Fourth of July bash in Boston. You’ll be the headliners for the live music for the weeklong celebration. It’s going to be epic.”
Boston’s always been one of our favorite places to play. That and New York, of course, since it’s where we all started out and where we all live.
“June’s one of the best months to release an album since it’s the beginning of the summer months. What better advertisement is there than open car windows and sunroofs blasting out your tunes? And an overcrowded beach with your music blaring out of a boombox? And when the DJ reveals the name of the song and lets them know it’s by Rebel Riot, record sales will soar.” I’ve never seen Caleb so excited about one of our albums before.
“Before you get too ahead of yourself, what’s the timeline for this tour, Caleb? Oh, and are we just in the US or is it a world tour?” Hey, I thought it was a good question to ask.
It’s never a good sign when he steeples his fingers, tapping his chin. Which translates to: we’re not going to like what he has to say next.