Manipulated: a Rockstar Romantic Comedy (Hammered Book 3) (18 page)

“Oh my God, you can’t be serious. Do you know you’re talking to? I married my bodyguard. That was definitely a conflict of interest, don’t you think? And you’re worried about getting too friendly with Owen causing issues? What might you do if you like him a little more than, say, Zach? Take too many pictures of Owen in his guyliner?” Keys shook her head. “Girl, I get being nervous about being in a new relationship. Feelings are pinging all over the place, not to mention hormones. But don’t put extra strain on things that doesn’t need to be there.”

“I signed a contract,” I said stiffly.

“A contract that said you couldn’t fuck a member of the band? If that’s actually a clause for a photographer, I gotta see it.”

I swallowed hard. Guess Keys was okay with saying the word
fuck
. I was getting better with it too, just not quite that good yet. “It’s frowned upon. It’s not professional.”

“Yeah, well, life is messy. We all try to do the right thing, and sometimes we don’t manage it. And sometimes we break one rule that leads us to the most perfect thing we ever imagined.” Keys jerked a shoulder. “Want my advice? Skip dinner, eat dessert first. Apologize if you need to, but don’t ever let worry about consequences keep you from going on the ride of your life. Some tickets aren’t around to get punched twice.”

I nodded. “You’re right. Speaking of apologies,” I took a deep breath, “any ideas for how I could apologize for jumping off the handle at one impulsive Irishman?”

He’d still been wrong to upload that photo, but it had been innocent. He hadn’t wanted to get me in trouble—if it even happened. All he had wanted to do was share his joy.
Our
joy.

Joy I’d stomped on unintentionally.

I’d had so little of it in my life in recent years, I might as well have been a kid juggling a priceless crystal. I didn’t know how to handle the gift I’d been given, and in my inexperience, I kept creating cracks. At some point, I’d probably cause one that couldn’t be repaired.

Still, I couldn’t run back and talk to him just yet. Not before I womaned up and spoke to Lila about that photo. I wasn’t going to be a coward and wait for the hammer—ha—to come down. For once, I’d meet it head on.

And hey, I still made a mean omelet. If this job didn’t work out, I’d find a job somewhere, and I’d keep moving toward my dream if this version of it imploded. I’d be a better person for having had the courage to reach for the stars.

Also, I could always sell my sex tape and make millions. A girl always had options.

God, I couldn’t even joke about that in my own head.

“You know the best way to apologize to a guy,” Keys said. “Don’t play coy with me. It helps if you can feed them first, but yeah, flash some T and A, and they won’t care if you burned the casserole. Oh, and Owen likes sweets. Buy him some mousse and paint it on your breasts. Boom, forgiven.”

A laugh sneaked out of me as I bent to start unpacking my equipment. “What kind of mousse? Irish cream?”

“God, no. He’d skin you alive for buying him something that twee. Dark chocolate.” Keys gave me a thumbs up sign. “Mousse and nipples. Problems solved.”

“I wish it was that easy.” But at least I managed to smile.

“Pretend it is. Fake it until you make it. Along the way, you just might find a lot of your roadblocks don’t exist anywhere but in your mind.” Keys moved to the antique armoire near the bed and started sorting through clothes. “So what should I wear? I have a crotchless teddy I just bought on Rodeo, but I don’t want to skeeve you out with any beaver shots if that’s not how this works.”

Beaver shots
. God. I had to clutch my chest to hold the peal of hysterical laughter inside.

“The teddy is fine if it fits your comfort level. Grab a couple of other things too. As sexy as you like. I recommend a sheer robe for part of the session if you have one, though you can be naked underneath it if you’re okay with—”

“Really? Fully nude. Wow. Hmm.” Keys cocked her head. “Quinn would probably pop a vessel.”

“Just as long as he doesn’t lose function anywhere important.”

Keys pointed at me. “True that, sister. Okay, yeah, I have a sort of sheer robe. I can open it up a little. As long as you’re sure you won’t be weirded out.”

“Nope. This is my business.” The confidence in my voice pleased me immeasurably. Maybe I finally was finding my way back to that self-assured woman I’d once been.

Finally.

“It’s up to the comfort of the client. Some stay covered head-to-toe. Some prefer almost naked. I’m fine with anything, as I have all the same parts.” I shrugged. “Besides, it’s art. The woman’s form is beautiful in all shapes and sizes.”

Even mine. I needed to remember that.

More than two hours later, I’d snapped Keys from more angles than she’d probably ever expected. Once I’d even climbed up on a chair so I could shoot her from above. She gave me plenty to work with. Not only was she a remarkably lovely woman, she was at ease with her own body and it showed. Nothing I suggested made her nervous. That included encouraging her into poses with her hands in places that nearly crossed a few boundaries.

Guess that was just what I did nowadays.

When Quinn finally walked in, Keys and I were laughing over a bowl of popcorn. We’d put on a crappy horror movie, which Keys hadn’t been sure about watching. Halfway through, she’d decided it was the best thing ever.

Quinn stopped in the doorway. “Calliope,” he said in his gruff voice. “This is a surprise.”

“She’s staying with us until we move on. She’s quiet as a mouse, promise.”

I cleared my throat. “Sorry I curtailed your banging.”

Keys nearly choked on a piece of popcorn, she laughed so hard.

Quinn barely cast me a glance as he headed off to shower. Only his raised eyebrow told me I’d even been heard. A moment later, he shut the bathroom door with a definite click.

“One woman is frightening enough to him. Two? Horrifying.” Keys slipped her arm through mine and shoveled in popcorn with the other hand. “So let’s make sure we giggle a lot.”

Quinn went from the bathroom to the bedroom, where he hid for the rest of the night. We watched movie after movie, and I didn’t check the phone I’d turned off. I hated shutting out Owen like this because he didn’t deserve it, but I had to talk to Lila first. I’d texted her and asked her for a meeting on Monday, which she’d fit in during the afternoon. I owed her the professional courtesy of not proceeding with Owen until I informed her what happened.

As if she didn’t already know, social media maven that she was. I liked living in denial. The tacos were delicious.

After my meeting with Lila, depending on what she said, I’d talk to Owen. Oh, I’d be talking to him regardless. He was far too important. But her response might change the tone of mine, if not the message itself.

I wanted him, and for far more than just sex. Talking to Keys had only reaffirmed how much. He’d awakened me in more ways than I had words to express. He made me laugh. More than that, he made me happy, and I hoped he could say the same about me. Owen truly was a wonderful man, one any woman would be lucky to call her own.

It was time for me to get lucky, dammit.

Sunday Keys and I went shopping. Lots of shopping. I mostly browsed, and worked on ignoring my phone. Whether Owen called or not, he’d be there to talk to on Monday.

I hoped. I was almost positive he’d hear me out.
Please God
.

The only way I could be certain that he’d have to talk to me at least for a minute after the way I’d closed down on him was because I still had his car. He only had two hundred of them, but I was rather certain he wouldn’t let me just toodle around in his Jag forever.

A Jag. Good lord.

Monday passed at about the speed of a turtle crawling backward up a hill. I was a hot mess by the time my meeting with Lila rolled around.

Saying I was about to hyperventilate would not have been an overstatement by much.

“Callie, thank you for contacting me.” Lila shut her office door and walked around her desk to take a seat. “I’m impressed you took the initiative after Saturday’s incident.”

So she knew. Surprise—not.

She spoke again before I could. “Before you say anything, I feel behooved to tell you that when I was caught in a similar situation, I was not nearly so proactive. I sneaked around and hid from Donovan until he confronted me. So your professionalism is to be commended.”

“Lila, you don’t understand—” Her words finally sunk in. “What?”

“You met my husband. We didn’t meet in church.”

Her deadpan delivery made me snort. “I didn’t meet Owen in church either. But I’m pretty sure he used to go. Irish. Probably Catholic or Protestant.” I didn’t know, and that made a pang reverberate in my chest.

There was so much I didn’t know about the man, and I wanted to. I wanted him to learn everything there was about me as well. I didn’t want to rush through a temporary relationship when I could have something more permanent.

If that was what he wanted too. I wouldn’t know for sure until we talked after the concert tonight.

I’d stocked mousse in a cooler in the trunk of the Jag just in case. I wasn’t above bribing the man with boobs if it got him to hear me out until I’d said my long overdue piece.

“We don’t encourage fraternization at Ripper Records for obvious reasons. That said, we’re aware how the world works. Sometimes thing happen in spite of everyone’s best intentions. I’d certainly not be one to cast stones considering my background.”

“You met Nick while he was in one of the bands you manage obviously. Since you still run herd on—” I cleared my throat. “Manage his band.”

“Oh, run herd on would be an accurate description if you asked him. You’ve seen what bands are like behind closed doors. I work closely with all of the bands I manage. Oblivion was always special to me because they were one of my first big hits.”

“And because of him?” I guessed.

“Not for a very long time. He was the thorn under my skin. There was no love at first sight there, but once it hit, it was like a hurricane. Time only matters when you run out of it. Speaking of,” she glanced at her slim bangle watch, “I’m afraid I have another meeting in ten. I hate to rush you along, so maybe we can continue this another day?” She smiled. “Or perhaps we could have lunch sometime. Do you like sushi?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. I was probably still asleep, and that was why this was going so well. Nothing went this well in my life. Ever.

Maybe you need to stop saying that, huh? Since your life has been pretty damn awesome lately. And it might get even better if you stop holding yourself back.

“I’m not certain you’re grasping what happened,” I said finally. “I’m in a relationship with Owen that people know about now, due to that photo—”

“Are you his priest?”

More church references. “Um, no. I’m not baptized anything.”

“Are you his physician?”

No, but that had some interesting ideas. “I failed high school science twice.”

“What about his teacher? Possibly a blood relative?”

“No, and ick, no.”

“Then I’m sorry, I don’t see a crisis. Donovan on the other hand was concerned. He’d initially needed a bit of convincing to bring you on board, but with your past work and the Ava connection, we decided that—”

“What about Ava? What does my sister have to do with me touring with the band?”

At once, I knew. Ava had mentioned they’d courted her to write the coffee table book when we’d first discussed Donovan’s weird out of the blue call. All along, I’d wondered how my name had popped for them as a contender. I’d known Ava played in, of course, considering the conversation with the receptionist that day at Ripper. But playing in was a lot different than Ripper wooing me so they could get close to my sister.

My sparkling, vivacious sister who never said the wrong thing or fled from awkward situations. She definitely didn’t doubt her worth, or allow people to use her as a stepping stone.

I rose. “Lila, I like you, and I don’t blame you for your boss wanting to use me as a conduit. But I hate to tell you that Ava makes her own work schedule. She decides all on her own the projects she takes on. Even I put in a good word for Ripper and the coffee table book, she’d probably still say no. I just don’t have that kind of sway.”

Not with her or probably not with Owen either. I might as well get a T-shirt that said
Second Place Callie
, because that was sure as hell what it felt like from where I was standing.

Lila paled. “Callie, I think you’re misinterpreting what I said.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I’m not. You have to realize I’ve been passed over in favor of my sister plenty of times. I don’t mind, because she’s incredible. But it’s time I shine on my own.”

“You can’t quit.” Lila placed her hands flat on her desk and jerked to her feet. “You absolutely cannot. I won’t let you.”

“Oh, I’m not quitting, and it’s not because you won’t let you. I’m going to show all of you that I was absolutely the best photographer for this job, and not because my sister is Ava Templeton. I’m worth it in my own right, and I’m going to prove it.” I slid my purse higher on my shoulder. “As for sushi—”

“For what it’s worth,” Lila said, voice low, “I fought for you. Your work spoke for itself since day one. What you’ve turned in since that time and the proofs we’ve seen since have offered irrefutable evidence that you were the perfect choice.”

“Thank you.” I truly appreciated her comments, but my spine was already stiff enough not to need her praise. The time had come for me to praise myself. “If I may respectfully say this—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

I made it to the door before she spoke again. “I have all the faith in the world in you, Callie. I’m glad to see that fire in your eyes now. It wasn’t nearly so strong during our first meeting, so this job has been good for you.”

“Not all that’s been good for me,” I said under my breath, gripping the knob. “You had a job to do and you did it. So yes, we’ll go for sushi. I’ll call you. Thank you, Lila.”

I walked out and texted my sister. I didn’t look at the messages that whizzed by on the screen. I didn’t want to see them right now. Not when I felt so raw and shaky. My bravado was strong, but so was the sting of never quite being first.