Chapter Two
As I lounged on the wooden railing of the wraparound front porch, I fought the urge to cry for the millionth time today. Nibbling on my bottom lip, I brought my legs up to rest my chin on my knees. In my hand I held the item that had set off my emotions yet again—my phone. Just as I was trying to delve into my assigned reading of a tome on the life of Coco Chanel, my phone had dinged, alerting me of a text. For most people, a picture of twins sporting matching onesies wouldn’t necessarily cue the waterworks. But in my case, it was just a tangible symbol of the homesickness that cloaked itself around me like a heavy coat.
At her baby shower, I had gotten my sister-in-law, Abby, a joke gift to go along with the other presents I’d bought my soon-to-be niece and nephew. They were a pink and blue onesie with the words: Watch your language, a*shole. I’m a baby! I had done the embroidery myself. Considering the mouth Jake had on him, coupled with his bandmates, I knew the twins were going to be exposed to a plethora of four letter words. Abby had squealed over the onesies, and even Jake had found them funny.
I’d forgotten all about the onesies until the picture had come through via text of my almost one-month-old niece and nephew sporting them with Jake giving a double thumbs-up over their heads. Immediately an agonizing burn tore through my chest, and I wanted so much to be back home where I could hold them in my arms. Although my older sister, Andrea, had married two years ago, she hadn’t had kids yet, so Jax and Jules were my first niece and nephew. It wasn’t just the fact that I loved babies and children that made me want to be around them. It was more the fact that I was so very close to my family, especially Jake, that I needed to be with them.
So it didn’t help that I found myself almost three hundred miles away in Savannah. Not only was I so far from the twins, but the rest of my family, my friends, and everything I held dear in the world. I’d decided that instead of attending the satellite campus for the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, I needed to go four hours away from home to gain freedom and independence. With ten and twelve years between me and both my half-siblings, I’d grown up pretty spoiled, not only by my parents, but by Jake and Andrea as well. I’d lived in an almost cocooned world of safety and comfort for almost twenty-one years. There was a part of me that felt to truly mature and grow as a person, I needed to clip the strings that were tied so tightly to my parents. I needed life experiences outside of the comfortable suburb I’d grown up in. Looking back now, I had been utterly delusional.
Practically the moment my parents’ SUV, coupled with a U-Haul, left the driveway of my new home, I realized I’d made a huge mistake. Now two months later, my misery still hadn’t dissipated. Of course, it also didn’t help I was licking my wounds from a breakup with my boyfriend of six months right before leaving home. So now I was in a strange city without my friends, family, and a boyfriend. More than anything in the world, I wanted to be back home where everything was familiar and comfortable. In the end, I guess you could say I wasn’t a big fan of change.
A lot of people in my situation would have just accepted defeat, thrown in the towel, and gone back home with their tail between their legs. But I wasn’t that kind of person. Tenacity resided in my DNA, and I was determined to see at least this semester through. Then, and only then, would I allow myself to pack it up, move myself home, and transfer to SCAD-Atlanta.
Although seeing the picture of Jax and Jules had tested my resolve on seeing things through. They were already growing so fast. I’d flown up the weekend after they were born, but since Jules was in the NICU, I didn’t get to see that much of her. Now that they had been released from the hospital, I wanted a chance to snuggle them both.
Knowing that Abby was waiting on a reply, I quickly texted OMG, J & J look so cute. Would give anything to be holding them.
Her reply came right back. Next weekend that u can get free, Jake & I want to fly u up 2 see them.
A strangled cry came from deep within my throat when I read the text. With shaky hands, I started texting back my thanks. I was wishing I didn’t have to work the next day, and I could actually get away. Abby promised to FaceTime with me and the twins soon. I was so thankful that Jake had married such a sweet and caring woman. She had embraced me as the sister she’d never had, and it meant so much.
Long after Abby had texted a final See u soon! I remained unable to focus on my assigned reading. Instead, I sat with my head in my hands fighting the urge to cry. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, three little words caused my entire world to tilt and spin on its axis.
“Hey, Allie-Bean.”
Jerking my head up, I peered down the porch to the top of the stairs where he stood. “R-Rhys?” I stuttered.
He grinned. “Yes, it’s me.”
“But what are you—” In a rush to see him, I tried sliding off the railing. Instead, I made a total ass out of myself by getting my legs tangled together and falling off the side. Thankfully I only fell into the shrubs that ran the length of the porch. “Oomph,” I muttered, as I tried clawing my way out of the greenery that was scratching my bare arms.
“Hang on. Let me help,” Rhys said, leaning over the banister.
The last thing on earth I wanted was for him to help me out of the mortifying situation I found myself in, but when I realized I was getting nowhere fast, I relented. I grasped his hands and let his strength pull me back over the railing. Once my feet were back on solid ground, I went to readjusting my top and jeans.
When I thought I was thoroughly put back together, I finally looked at Rhys. “Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome. It’s not every day I get to save a damsel in distress.”
I laughed. “You seem to be saving me more times than I would like to admit.”
A genuine smile stretched across Rhys’s face. I knew, that like me, he was thinking back to that first weekend we had ever spent together. “At least these shrubs seem a little less dangerous than that downed tree.”
“That is true.” Rhys snickered for a moment, which caused me to throw him a puzzled look. “I’m sorry. I’m just having a shrubbery moment from Monty Python.”
“Monty Python?”
His eyes widened as he held up a hand. “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail?” When I shook my head, he tsked at me. “We’ll just have to remedy that one ASAP. You can’t go through life without the cheeky, sarcastic humor that is I.”
I smiled at his enthusiasm. “Sounds good to me.”
Sweeping his hands to his hips, he asked, “So how are you, Allie-Bean?”
My response to his very general question was to burst into tears. I detested my out-of-control emotions, but the very fact he was standing before me today, not to mention partially rescued me, was just too much. Regardless of other boyfriends over the years, I had never stopped loving Rhys. He was the ideal man that no other guy could ever live up to. He was the dream I hoped to one day come true.
Even though his reflection was wavy, I could make out his concerned expression. Good lord, was it possible for me to do anything else mortifying in front of him? Swiping the tears from my eyes, I said, “I’m so sorry.”
“Do I need to go?”
“No!” I shouted a little too quickly. At his raised brows, I tried backpedaling. “I’m sorry for flaking out on you. It’s just been a hard day.” After a mirthless laugh, I added, “Actually, make that a hard two months.”
“Jake mentioned you were a little homesick.”
“He did?” Immediately my heart plummeted into my stomach. Of course Rhys hadn’t come to see me of his own volition. That would have been far too much to hope for. He had been coerced by my well-meaning brother, which crushed my hopes and dreams.
“Yeah, he asked me to check in on you when I got to Savannah.”
“When did you get in to town?”
“Just this morning.”
“And you came so soon?” I couldn’t help asking while trying not to let my traitorous heart get too excited.
Rhys smiled. “Of course I did. Jake’s my family, and that means you’re my family, too.” He patted my cheek. “Truth be told, I couldn’t bear the thought of you homesick and miserable.”
“That’s so sweet,” I murmured.
Cocking his head, Rhys said, “Well, it would be pretty unchivalrous of me to say that you’re a good excuse to get out of the house and away from my f*cked-up family, right?”
“Just a little.”
“So I guess the crying jag there tells me all I need to know about how you’re holding up?”
I sighed. “Yeah, pretty much.”
Fiddling with his collar, Rhys said, “Jake also said you’d just been through a break-up.”
I swept my hands to my hips. “Was there anything Jake didn’t tell you?”
“He just said you were homesick on top of the fact your boyfriend broke up with you because he didn’t want to do the long distance thing.”
With a laugh, I replied, “The long distance thing is just what I told my parents and Jake. There was more to the story.”
“Oh?”
“Since you’re Mr. Inquisitive today, I’ll give you the full scoop. Then you can decide if you’ll report in all the details to Jake.”
Rhys chuckled. “All right, Miss Sassy, hit me with it.”
“Mitchell didn’t think our sex life was adventurous enough, so he wanted me to start going to this private sex club his father belonged to.”
Rhys’s usually tan skin paled, and he staggered back. “F*ck me, I didn’t need to know that.”
“Well, that’s the truth about what happened. We actually broke up a few weeks before I left, but I figured my parents could handle that story better. I mean, if Jake found out, Mitchell probably wouldn’t need to worry about his sex life because Jake would render him dickless.”
After staring in disbelief at me for a moment, Rhys finally threw his head back and howled with laughter. “Yeah, you got that one right. Of course, I’m tempted to find this a*shole myself. Who the hell does he think he is trying to corrupt you like that? He should be happy some beautiful girl wanted to waste her time with him at all.”
My heart beat wildly like a jackhammer in my chest at his words. “Thank you. He really was a decent guy. I just didn’t know there was all that seedy stuff below the surface.”
“Don’t let a jerkoff like that bring you down. You’re better than that.”
“That’s sweet, Rhys. Thanks.”
“And now I think it’s time for a conversation change. Somehow I feel like I fell into the Twilight Zone by standing here talking about sex with you.”
With a scowl, I countered, “I’m almost twenty-one, Rhys. I’m not a baby anymore.” I’m sure my petulant tone did nothing to prove my point. All I needed was to stomp my foot, and I would look like I was throwing a tantrum like a toddler.
“Okay, okay, you’re not a baby. That has been fully illustrated to me today,” he replied, with a grin.
“Good. Now we can officially change the subject.”
Rhys glanced around the porch. “So this is a really nice place. I expected you to be in some of those converted hotel room dorms or any of the other shitty housing for college students.”
I laughed. “I lucked out on finding this place in a Craigslist ad of all things.”
“You’re shitting me?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “Totally serious. Of course, after I met the owner, Cassie, I wasn’t too surprised that she listed the room like she did.”
Cocking his brows, Rhys inquired, “Is she an eccentric old woman with a house full of cats?”
I grinned. “Actually, she’s twenty-five. She rents out four of the five bedrooms.”
“Nice.”
“My parents were much more sold on me living here than in some of the SCAD dorms, especially since I lived at home the past two years commuting to Georgia State.”
With a wink that got my poor heart stuttering and sputtering again, he said, “They wanted to keep their little angel out of temptation and trouble once she went away from home for the first time.”
“Something like that.”
As Rhys leaned in closer, an impish look twinkled in his eyes. “Tell me, Allie-Bean, how much trouble have you been up to? I promise it’ll just stay between you and me.”
“Ha, like I’d fall for that one,” I countered.
“Scout’s Honor,” he replied, holding up the three finger salute.
With a sigh, I leaned back against the banister. “The truth is actually worse than anything I could lie about.”
“Seriously?”
I nodded. “I don’t go anywhere besides school and work.”
“Ah, but you could be holding back the truth about what kind of work you do. Art students get into all kinds of seedy and salacious jobs. Like nude modeling, for instance.”
“I-I don’t t-think so!” I sputtered, my face flooding with warmth.
Rhys laughed at my embarrassment. “Then what is your innocent place of work?”
“The same place I worked at back in Atlanta—the Mellow Mushroom. They just gave me a hook-up for the one down on Liberty,” I replied.
“You work at Penis Pizza?” he asked, his voice laced with amusement.
“Excuse me?”
He grinned. “Sorry. That’s just what the guys and I used to call it when we lived in Atlanta.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why am I not surprised by that?”
“Come on. Anyone would call it that with the smiling mushroom head décor.”
Holding up my hand, I said, “No need to explain. I get the comparison—I promise.”
As a smile continued to play on his lips, he said, “You know, the one thing I love about you, Allison, is that I don’t feel like I need to censor myself. Even though you’re Jake’s little sister and I probably should watch myself, I can be exactly who I am.”
“I’m not sure if that’s such a good thing or not.”
“It’s good. I’m sure of it. It’s quite a novelty when I’m here in Savannah, that’s for sure.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“So why don’t we get out of here for a little while?”
“Really?”
He nodded. “You said yourself that you haven’t been able to see much of Savannah.”
“That’s the truth.”
Opening his arms wide, he said, “Then let me show you all that my beautiful hometown has to offer.”
“Okay. Sure, why not? Just let me throw my book inside and get my keys.”
Always the gentleman, Rhys bent over and picked up the Chanel biography that had gotten knocked to the floor during my fall. “Thanks for getting that,” I said, when he handed it to me.
“You’re welcome, Allie-Bean.” When I started in the house, he grabbed my arm. “Mind if I see inside?”
“Of course not. I guess it was rude of me not to ask you inside.”
“Don’t worry about standing on ceremony with me, Allison.”
I smiled and held the door open for him. I could tell he was impressed when he stepped inside the foyer. I’m sure it paled in comparison to the mansion he’d been raised in, but it was quite an impressive older home—the kind that Savannah was famous for.
“This place is huge when you get inside,” he remarked.
“Yeah, my bedroom even has a sitting area in it. The one way that it’s just like the dorms is I have to share a bathroom with one of the other girls.” After tossing my book down on one of the marble top tables in the living room, I grabbed my purse and slid it on my shoulder. “Ready.”
Rhys turned from craning his head up the staircase to eye me curiously. “Don’t I get to see your bedroom?” he asked, causing my stomach to do a flip-flop at the potential innuendo.
Ducking my head, I replied, “Oh, I, uh, well, it’s kind of messy.”
“That’s okay. You can clean it before I come over next time.”
“Next time?” I questioned lamely, jerking my chin up to meet his gaze. So this wasn’t just going to be a one-time deal of checking in on me just for Jake? He actually wanted to spend time with me? That was a major newsflash.
“Yeah, I thought you could host our movie night of Monty Python.”
Like an overeager puppy, I quickly replied, “Oh yeah, of course I will.”
He smiled. “Good. It’s all settled then.”
“Ready?” I repeated again.
“Let’s go.”
After locking the front door, I followed Rhys down the porch steps and onto the sidewalk that ran along Oglethorpe Avenue. “You really haven’t been able to explore the city while you’ve been here?”
I shook my head. “Between work and school, I usually spend my downtime being emo and staying locked in my room.” A laugh bubbled from my lips at Rhys’s almost horrified expression. “I’m just teasing about staying locked in my room.”
“I would hope so.”
“The truth is I have been staying pretty busy. I’m applying for a summer internship in fashion design.”
“Good for you. What does it entail?”
Giggling, I said, “Entail? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk so proper than I have in the last ten minutes.”
Rhys scowled. “It’s a hazard of being back home around pompous sounding a*sholes. It usually takes me a few weeks of being back on the road with the guys to get it out of my system.”
“I like it. There’s nothing wrong with an expansive vocabulary.”
Cocking his brows at me, he asked, “Are you trying to say using big words is sexy?”
“Mmm, hmm. Totally.”
“Then I’ll just have to keep giving you an illustrious repertoire of wording, eh?”
“Ooh, I like it very much.” Those words were certainly an understatement. I mean, Rhys wanted me to think he was sexy? He didn’t say he wondered if other girls found it sexy. Just me. Call me crazy that I was probably reading too much into it, but I couldn’t help it. I would take anything I could get.
Rhys grinned and shook his head at me. “So what’s this internship about?”
Part of me was reluctant to talk about it because I didn’t want to jinx it. Getting full college credit for what I wanted to do was almost too good to be true. But Rhys’s interested expression made me forget my resolve. “It would be designing and implementing a collection of my own.”
“That sounds intense.”
“It is. I would receive credit not just for this summer, but it would also take the place of several other fashion design classes.”
“Who would you be working for?”
Here was the kicker of revealing everything. After nibbling on my bottom lip for a moment, I replied, “Runaway Train.”
“Huh?” he asked, his expression waxing confusion.
“I would be designing and making some of the wardrobe for Runaway Train and Jacob’s Ladder. I would also be doing hands-on work with the current stylist.”
“Does that mean you’d be touring with us?”
“Yeah, it would.”
Rhys’s expression was hard to read. It seemed like many different emotions filtered through him. When he smiled, I exhaled a breath of relief. “That sounds like an amazing opportunity, Allison.”
“Really?”
“Hell, yes. I mean, it’s one thing getting to come out on tour and work firsthand with a tried and true designer and stylist, but then there’s the fact that you would be creating your own collection at your age. That’s very impressive.”
“You sound as if it’s a done deal, and I’ve already gotten it. I won’t know for a few more weeks if I’m accepted or not. There are a ton of applicants, too.”
Shaking his head, Rhys said, “There’s no doubt in my mind you’ll get it.”
“But how do you know how good I am at fashion design?”
“I don’t have to know how good you are at it. I know you, and that’s plenty enough to tell me that you’re one of the candidates at the top of the list.”
I couldn’t help feeling extremely flattered by his high praise of me and my abilities. “Thank you for believing in me.”
“No need to thank me, Allie-Bean.” He cocked his head at me. “Now are you ready for our tour?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, with a smile.
After taking a left, Rhys motioned at an imposing mansion. “Do you know what that is?”
I nodded. “The Juliette Gordon Low House—the founder of the Girl Scouts lived there.”
He smiled. “See, you’re not totally lost about Savannah culture and landmarks.”
“I’ve never got to go inside it though.” Tilting my head, I asked, “Want to be my tour guide there?”
“I would love to.” After peering at the sign giving tour hours, he then glanced down at his expensive-looking watch and grimaced. “Unfortunately, it’s four and just closing.” Flashing a grin, he said, “I could try to use my VIP status, but I’m not sure how many of the tour guides would actually know me.”
“I’m sure a lot of the Girl Scouts would. Runaway Train’s audience is pretty vast on the age scale.”
“Maybe.”
“Well, bummer on the tour. Guess that means you’ll have to bring me back another day, huh?” I teased.
With a roll of his eyes, he replied, “You act like it would pain me to spend time with you. That is not the case.”
“Really?” I asked, as my heartbeat sped up.
“Of course not. Plus, I love history.”
As I dodged out of the way of some Girl Scouts leaving the museum gift shop, I eyed Rhys curiously. “Hmm, I never pegged you as a history buff.”
He laughed as he shoved his hands in his jean pockets. “Actually, I’m pretty sure I was more of a history nerd.”
I couldn’t help laughing at the absurd thought of him being a nerd. Sure, it would seem from the way he had been speaking very formally and properly this afternoon that he could be a nerd, but at the same time, I’d spent lots of downtime with him, and he was the furthest thing from a nerd. That wasn’t just my crush talking either.
“You can laugh, but seriously, I have photographic evidence of my nerdom,” Rhys argued.
“I find it very hard to believe considering who you are now that you were ever even remotely in the category of a nerd.”
Rhys tsked at me as he checked left and right for traffic. “I’m going to gloat pretty badly when I show you the pics and get to say ‘I told you so.’”
“Ha, we’ll just have to see.”
We then stepped into one of Savannah’s many squares—Wright Square, as Rhys was quick to inform me. He practically dragged me over to a giant rock sitting to the right hand side of the square. “This is the rock dedicated to Tomochichi. When English settlers arrived in Savannah in 1733, he was the Yamacraw Chief who gave them assistance. This stone was erected over a hundred and fifty years after his death…”
As Rhys continued rattling along about Tomochichi, I tried to feign interest when I frankly could have cared less. When he eventually finished, I cocked my head at him and grinned. “Ooh, talk nerdy to me some more,” I teased.
He laughed before playfully nudging me with his shoulder. “Twerp.” Patting the stone, he said, “What if I was to tell you that the stone had some mystical qualities?”
“Seriously?”
He nodded. “The legend is that if you circle the stone three times while continuously saying, ‘Tomochichi,’ whatever you wish will come true.”
Sweeping my hand to my hip, I eyed him suspiciously. “That sounds like a load of bullshit. Like a very warped ‘wish upon a star.’”
Rhys shrugged. “It may or may not be. But isn’t it worth trying a chance at having a wish come true?”
I glanced between him and the rock not really believing that at twenty, I was actually going to take superstition seriously. While looking at Rhys, I could tell he was silently daring me to do it. “All right. Fine.”
“You’re really going to do it?” he asked, a little incredulity in his voice.
“Oh yeah, I’m doing it.”
He chuckled. “Guess that internship is a wish heavy on your heart, huh?”
I fought the urge to laugh in his face if he thought that I would actually waste my wish on the internship. Sure, it was important, but there was nothing more important to me than finally being with him. Without another word to Rhys, I reached out my hand and touched the stone. “Tomochichi, Tomochichi, Tomochichi…,” I began, as I started speed walking around the rock.
When I made my first lap, I found Rhys grinning at me like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. Ignoring him, I kept walking and reciting “Tomochichi.” Of course, while I might have been saying the dead chief’s name out loud, it was Rhys’s name I was saying inside my head.
Once I was finished, I took my hand off the stone and turned questioningly to him. “Now what?”
“You just wait for your wish to come true.”
“Have you ever done it?”
“Nope. Not even when I was a kid here on a field trip, and the tour guides told us about it.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “I guess I didn’t have anything to wish for.”
“Well, that’s just sad. Life is all about having wants and desires, isn’t it?”
“I suppose so. I just never gave much time and effort to thinking about them.”
It was so strange that I had known him for seven years, spent hours and hours of time with him in different places, yet when it came down to it, I felt like I didn’t know him at all. He was a puzzle that needed to be solved, but at the same time, I had the feeling that some of the pieces were missing. Pieces that I would somehow have to dig deep to unearth.
“Where to now, Captain Tour Guide?”
“River Street is just a few blocks down there.” He motioned to the north.
“Okay, sounds good.”
“I’ll sweeten the tour by taking you in to River Street Sweets for a famous praline.”
“Mmm, I love pralines. I don’t think I’ve been down on River Street since our 8th grade overnight field trip.”
“I think you’re totally overdue for one then.”
As we continued the walk down to River Street, Rhys pointed out different landmarks of interest. He didn’t just keep it to a history lesson. He also told me great places to eat and hang out. Of course, I didn’t care about any of the places unless he planned to bring me back to them.
When we got down to the cobblestoned pavement of River Street, Rhys and I stopped into a few shops. I especially enjoyed the ones with gag gifts and T-shirts. Once we’d laughed and dared each other to buy several obnoxious ones, Rhys steered me into the huge candy store. The moment I stepped inside, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. “That smell is pure heaven,” I murmured.
He laughed. “I would have to agree.”
After eyeballing the many delicious goodies under the glass, I decided on some chocolate covered pecan clusters along with a caramel apple dipped in nuts. I also added a famous praline. As I munched on one of the samples of chocolate bark, Rhys put in an order that caused my eyes to bulge. “What?” he asked.
“You’re getting all that for you?”
“I’ve been known to have them ship stuff to me when I’m out on tour,” he replied, getting out his wallet.
“Who knew you had such a sweet tooth?”
“It’s epic. Trust me.”
I couldn’t help protesting when Rhys had them ring up my sweets with his. “No, let me get mine,” I protested.
“It was my idea, so let me treat you.”
“But only this one time since I’m a poor, struggling college student, and you’re mister money bags.”
Rhys laughed. “Whatever.” Once he had paid, he gave them his address to ship the candy to. I had been wondering how he would possibly get it out of the store, least of all back to his house.
After that was sorted, we walked back out into sunshine. “Are you hungry?” Rhys asked.
“Maybe a little,” I replied, after polishing off my second pecan cluster.
“How about some good seafood?”
“I’d love some.”
“Follow me then.”
When he started into Huey’s, which looked like a higher-end restaurant, I grabbed his arm. “No, I’m not dressed for this place,” I hissed, motioning to my jeans and T-shirt.
“It’ll be fine.”
“No, Rhys, please.”
His brows shot up. “Does it really bother you that much? Because I could give two shits about the way you’re dressed, and I’m a VIP.”
A smile played on my lips at his words. “Are you sure?”
“I’d hardly call my Ralph Lauren shirt and shorts black tie. Besides, it’s a tourist trap. Lots of people stumble in not realizing.”
“Fine. If you say so.”
“Trust me,” he said, holding my gaze with his dark eyes.
“Okay,” I muttered lamely.
He grinned as we walked up to the hostess stand. When the hostess glanced up from a pile of menus, she did a double take at the sight of Rhys. I think it was safe to say she totally recognized him not from being a hometown boy, but from his Runaway Train fame. “Oh, um, hi, how many?”
“Just two. Can we get a table with a river view?”
“Sure, yeah, one second.” She wrote and rewrote some numbers on a whiteboard before grabbing two menus. “Right this way,” she replied, with a megawatt smile that belonged on a Miss America contestant.
As she started leading us through the maze of tables, I leaned in close to Rhys. “I’m pretty sure your VIP status just jacked someone else’s table for us.”
Rhys chuckled. “I’m surprised she even recognized me. The bass player is never the noticed one in a band.”
I fought the urge to tell him that not all bass players were as hot as he was. Instead, I replied, “Here I thought it was the drummer lost behind the kit.”
“Do you think AJ could ever be lost to fans?”
I laughed. “Not really.”
The hostess motioned to our table, which gave us a great view of the river past the crowds sauntering down the street. Once she sat the menus down, she swept a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled broadly at Rhys. “Have a great dinner.”
“Thank you. I’m sure we will.”
Once she was out of earshot, I couldn’t help laughing. “Frankly, I don’t think she even noticed I was alive. She had total Rhys tunnel vision.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he teased, as he picked up his menu.
“Now you’re starting to sound like Jake or AJ.”
“That’s an awfully cocky combination.”
I laughed. “Exactly.” Glancing at my menu, I asked, “So what’s good here?”
“Since I’ve eaten your nana’s cooking before, I know you like Southern food.”
“What kind of Southern girl would I be if I didn’t enjoy collard greens and fried green tomatoes?”
“Not a very good one,” Rhys replied. Waving his menu, he added, “This place is f*cking fabulous when it comes to Southern food. The fried green tomatoes here are kick-ass. Plus there’s low country boil on the menu, so you should be able to get the greens I know you love.”
My stomach rumbled in appreciation at his words. “Sounds good to me. Of course, everything looks good.”
When our waiter, with the name-tag, Lance, arrived, he had a star-struck moment as well at Rhys’s presence. “I know you’re here to eat and I don’t want to bother you, but I’m a huge Runaway Train fan,” he said, after he got our drink and appetizer orders.
“Thank you. That means a lot,” Rhys said politely. With the charm that I’m sure that had been bred into him from the time he was born, he added, “I’d be happy to sign something for you.”
Lance’s eyes bulged, and he momentarily fumbled with his leather envelope for taking orders. “That would be awesome. Thank you. Seriously, thank you!”
He then proceeded to back into another waiter and almost mowed him down along with a tray of alcoholic beverages. I had to bring my napkin up to my face to hide my laughter. When I recovered, I put down my napkin and asked, “Who would have thought it would have been the guy who lost his shit for you, rather than the girl?”
“Oh, I guarantee she’ll manage to find a way to slip her number to me.”
“You can’t be serious.” When he nodded, I said, “But you’re here with me.”
He shrugged. “You could be a friend or a sister. To some women it wouldn’t matter if I was sitting here with a wedding band on.”
“That’s disgusting,” I huffed, while reaching for my glass of water.
Rhys chuckled. “Why are you getting so incensed?”
“Because marriage is a sacred thing. A woman should see a gold band and understand that a man is off limits.”
When Rhys raised his brows at me, I felt warmth flood my cheeks. With just that one action, he had made me realize the irony of my comment. After all, I wouldn’t even be here if my parents hadn’t had an affair. Obviously, my mother hadn’t let the gold band on my father’s hand stop her. With my gaze focused on the white tablecloth, I asked, “Mind if we change the subject?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It isn’t your fault.” I glanced up to meet his gaze. “I guess I should say that I truly meant what I said. Regardless of what my parents did, I think cheating is very wrong. It’s something I could never do.”
Leaning forward, Rhys patted my hand tenderly. “You don’t have to worry about it. I know as well as anyone that we are not our parents.”
“You’re right,” I murmured.
“Now why don’t I tell you about Jax peeing in my face when Jake made me change his diaper last weekend?”
I giggled. “Oh no, he did?”
Thankfully, the conversation then flowed just as easily between us as it had all day. While it certainly wasn’t the first time we had ever been together, it was the first time it had been just the two of us. Usually we were with at least Jake and Abby, if not AJ and Brayden and their families. Rhys wanted to know about the classes I was taking. In between the appetizers of my gumbo and Rhys’s fried green tomatoes, I steered the conversation away from me and to him. “So how long are you here in Savannah?”
He took a bite of crispy fried tomato. “It just depends. Two weeks, three weeks, or until my parents drive me absolutely f*cking nuts, and I have to flee for my sanity.”
My spoon filled with gumbo paused in midair as my heart ached for him. “Is it really that bad?”
With a shrug, Rhys replied, “Now they’re more annoying than anything else. Once they realized they weren’t going to be able to control my life, they eased up a bit.”
“Jake told me once they had disowned you,” I said, softly.
“Oh yeah, they did that after I left law school when the band got its first deal. As their firstborn son and keeper of the family name, they were not exactly thrilled I was ‘throwing away my life on a foolish dream.’”
Processing his words, I took another steamy bite of gumbo. Once I had swallowed it, I asked, “Did they change their mind when you had more financial success?”
Rhys speared a piece of tomato a little more forcefully than necessary. “No, it had more to do with my grandfather’s death, and the stipulations of his will.”
“Oh?” I asked, but I was interrupted by the waiter bringing out dinner. Although I was already half full from chocolate and now gumbo, the platter full of fried shrimp, oysters, and scallops made my stomach rumble in appreciation. After Rhys and I both dug in, a silence hung over the table while we began devouring our dinner.
After we both made a dent in our plates, I gave Rhys a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry about your grandfather.”
“Thank you. He was actually one of the most decent men I knew in spite of his wealth.”
“What was it in his will that made your parents change their minds?”
“One thing my grandfather believed in was family unity and putting on a strong family front to the world. As the only surviving son, most of the business investments would be going to my father. In order to receive them, he could not have his only son disowned. So in a way, my grandfather’s death paved the way for our reconciliation.” With a mirthless laugh, Rhys added, “It wasn’t so much that they cared about me. They cared about the money they would otherwise be losing.”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe that. Your father could have always rigged something on paper and continued ignoring you in real life. He must’ve wanted a reason to reconnect with you.”
After dabbing his mouth with his napkin, Rhys leaned back in his chair. “Not everyone’s family is like yours, Allison. They don’t all have honest motives for what they do, and most don’t experience or share much love. My parents have never hugged and kissed me like your parents do. I don’t know if I ever even remember them telling me they loved me.” When I gasped in pain for him, he shrugged, “It’s just something I’ve come to terms with over the years, and something I’ve learned to accept.”
“But it’s so wrong.”
“I don’t need your pity. I’m perfectly fine with the way things are.”
“No, you’re not. I can tell you’re putting on a front for me when truthfully, the situation with your parents is something that bothers you a lot.”
“Dabbling in psychology along with fashion design, are you?” he asked sarcastically.
“I just don’t like to see people I care about hurt. I hate what your parents have done to you so much.” Before I could stop myself, I reached across the table for his hand. “You deserve so much more, Rhys.”
Disbelief at my words and actions momentarily flickered in his eyes. “You are aware that there aren’t many people in the world like you—people who are truly kind-hearted and care about their fellow man.”
“Maybe not in the world you grew up in, but there is in your band world. I hope you know how much you’re loved by them…by us.”
“I do,” he said softly.
“You’re loved by all your fans, too, but I know that isn’t a tangible love. You think that if they really knew you besides your persona that they might not love you. But it’s still love and admiration you should appreciate. Take that and couple it with the real love of your band family. So whatever the past was, you just have to see that you have so much love surrounding you now.”
“You know, you’re awfully wise for just a twenty-year-old kid.”
Ouch. Had he seriously just called me a kid? I so did not want to be in “kid” territory. After I recovered from my slight horror, I said, “Well, I’m different because I’m an old soul.”
“Yes, you are. That’s one thing we have in common. I was always old for my age. I never really fit in with the kids around me. That, plus my intelligence, made me somewhat of a misfit. I didn’t exactly feel like I belonged until I met Jake, Brayden, and AJ.”
“And they completed you.”
Rhys snorted. “That sounds completely sappy and emasculating.”
“I like the sound of it. I know Jake had a terrible hole within him that needed completing. You and the guys did that.”
“And Abby.”
“Yes, she did.” Tapping my fork on my plate, I decided to address something that was still bothering me. “For the record, I’m not a kid, okay? I’m pretty sure that you hated for the guys to call you that back in the day.”
“Back in the day? Hell, they still pull that bullshit on me.”
I laughed. “Am I going to have to have you repeat after me? Allison, you are a woman.”
With a scowl, he replied, “I know you’re a woman.”
“You called me a kid two seconds ago,” I countered.
“Even if it’s hard for me to believe you aren’t the same thirteen-year-old I rescued all those years ago, I am aware that you are indeed a grown woman.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.”
“You’re welcome, kid,” he replied, with a teasing wink.
“You, sir, are impossible.”
“Want some dessert?” he asked.
Tilting my head, I tried reading Rhys’s watch. “Wait, what time is it?”
“Almost six thirty.”
I slammed my napkin down on the table. “Oh shit, really?”
“What’s the problem?” Leaning forward, he gave me an impish grin. “Don’t tell me you turn into a pumpkin at eight?”
With a grin, I replied, “Ha, ha, not exactly.”
After taking a sip of his wine, Rhys’s expression darkened a little. “You didn’t tell me you had a date tonight.”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” Part of me debated lying to him and telling him I had to go to work. Where I needed to be was somewhere secret—something I hadn’t even told my parents or Jake about. It wasn’t something I was ashamed of. It was just something I wasn’t sure how they were going to feel about it.
When I continued to remain evasive, Rhys said, “Are you sure? You’re certainly acting like there’s some mystery man you have to get to.”
As he continued staring me down, I finally decided to give in. “Do you promise not to tell Jake?”
Rhys’s dark eyes widened. “You’re doing something Jake doesn’t know about?”
“Seriously? I’m twenty years old. Jake certainly doesn’t know half of what I do or don’t do,” I replied.
“Interesting,” Rhys replied.
“You didn’t answer me.”
Holding up his hands, he replied, “Fine, fine. But only if it turns out not to be something dangerous or illegal.”
“Okay, here it is. I have to get back home and change because at ten tonight, I’m singing at Saffie’s Tea Room.”
Silence permeated the table as Rhys didn’t have a quick response or retort. Instead, he sat motionless, ingesting what I had just said. Finally, he replied, “Did you just allude to the fact you’re singing at some club tonight?”
“Yes.”
“And just how is that possible? You’re only twenty.”
“The owner happens to be Cassie, the woman who owns the house I live in.”
“I see.”
Taking my napkin back in my hands, I twisted it nervously at his response. I don’t know why I was so concerned with his approval. In the end, he wasn’t my parents or Jake. He was just the guy I was completely in love with.
“You see, she has this band that plays during the week. Well, when the lead singer broke up with the drummer, she left the band, and in turn, she left Cassie without entertainment.”
“What’s the name of this band?”
“Pink Magnolia.”
Rhys’s brows shot up, sending my already frayed nerves into overdrive. I couldn’t help hoping that the name of the band had made him think of the magnolia charm he’d given me on my sixteenth birthday. I was probably desperately clawing at straws on that one. “I see,” he once again replied.
“Anyway, so after she heard me singing in my room when I was unpacking, she totally ambushed me to take the singer’s place until she could find a replacement. At first, I didn’t want to because Jake is the entertainer in the family, not me. Truth be told, I’m not that great a singer. But she was desperate, so I finally agreed to do it.”
“Saffie’s Tea Room,” he repeated in an even voice. “Am I correct in assuming this is named after Sappho, the Greek poetess?”
“Yes, it is,” I replied, twisting my napkin a little farther.
“The lesbian Greek poetess.”
“Yessss,” I hissed like the sexual orientation was supposed to matter.
Leaning in on the table with his elbows, Rhys cocked his head at me. “Let me get this straight. You are underage and singing at a lesbian nightclub?”
“Mmm, hmm.”
Rhys stared at me for a moment before howling with laughter. “What I wouldn’t give to see Jake’s face when he finds out.”
“It’s not funny,” I huffed indignantly. “It’s a perfectly respectable establishment. And the girls in the band have been nothing but sweet and helpful to me.” When he snorted back his laughter into his napkin, I said, “As a matter of fact, I’m having so much fun doing it, I told Cassie not to worry about finding a replacement. I would just stay on until I went back home.”
The mention of home sobered Rhys up. “You’re going back to Atlanta?”
Glancing down at the table, I sighed. “I guess I’m just a big baby. I miss my parents and my friends. I even miss my dog, Toby. Most of all, it’s hard not being able to see the twins whenever I want to.”
“But that will change when we go out on tour.”
“I know,” I murmured.
Reaching across the table, Rhys took my hand. “It’s okay to be homesick, Allison.”
“It shows a total lack of character strength not to be able to embrace difficulties and challenges.”
“Bullshit.”
I couldn’t help my brows shooting up at his word choice. But then I shook my head. “Oh really? I bet you’re never homesick,” I challenged.
Sadness flickered in his eyes, and instantly, I regretted my words. “There has never really been much of a home here for me. You don’t really bond with your parents when it’s your nanny who dries your tears after a nightmare or sits by your bedside when you’re sick. When I was far too young, I got shuttled off to boarding schools where I only came home on the weekends. Then I moved to Atlanta for college and now I live on and off of a tour bus.” Running his fingertip over the rim of his wine glass, he said, “There’s really never been a home for me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It is what it is. So while it’s true I don’t really get homesick, there are times I long for Savannah. I get homesick for my nanny, Trudie, for the familiar landmarks, and most of all, for my sister.”
Latching on to the mention of his secretive sister, I quickly said, “I hope to get to meet her while you’re here.”
Refusing to look at me, Rhys stared at his wineglass, lost in thought. “Maybe,” he finally murmured.
I didn’t have to look at his watch again to know I had to go. As if sensing my need, Rhys jerked his gaze to mine and grabbed his phone. “I’ll get us a cab, so you can make it home quicker.”
“Thank you,” I replied, as Rhys began texting furiously.
After motioning the waiter over for the check, Rhys reached his hand in his pocket for his wallet. When he started to hand the envelope with his card in it to the waiter, I shook my head. “No, please, I can pay for my own,” I protested.
Rhys shook his head. “I told you earlier I would treat you to dinner, and I meant it.” With a wink, he added, “What kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed you to pay?”
“The kind who believes in women’s equality and Dutch treat?”
“Not when it comes to you, my love.”
That statement combined with the tender expression on Rhys’s face caused a shudder to ripple through me. “Okay, fine then. But when we do movie night, I’m covering dinner. Okay?”
As Rhys rose up from his chair, he grinned. “Will it be Penis Pizza? Because I’ll totally let you buy me some of that.”
I laughed. “Yes, it will.” Wagging my brows, I added, “I’ll make sure you get an extra-large slice of sausage, too.”
Rhys’s eyes bulged at my comment. As we started out of the restaurant, he shook his head. “Not quite the sweet and innocent little Allison I used to know, huh?”
“Not by a long shot.”
“I’ve missed a lot not seeing you as much in the last few years, huh?”
“You have a lot to catch up on.”
“I look forward to it.”
I tried not letting my mouth gape open when we stepped out onto River Street to a chauffeur driven car waiting for us. “This doesn’t quite look like a cab.”
Rhys’s response was to open the door for me. After I slid across the seat, I glanced expectantly at him. He shrugged. “It’s an app on my phone that brings a car to you.”
After taking in the sleek interior of the town car, I nodded. “Nice. Very nice.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
We drove along the dusky streets in silence. Occasionally, when we hit a bump in the road, Rhys’s leg would knock into mine. Each time, he would apologize. When the car pulled up outside my house, Rhys once again held the door open for me. He asked the driver to wait a moment, and then he started to walk me to the door. “Would I be overstepping my bounds if I asked to come see your set tonight?”
His question sent me reeling. I had never in a million years thought a Grammy winning musician like him would want to hear me sing with a nightclub band. It seemed like today was the day for wonders to never cease. At my hesitation, he held up his hands. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, that’s not it at all.”
“It isn’t?”
I shook my head. “It isn’t that I don’t want you to see me perform. The truth is I would be honored. It’s just I’m surprised someone like you would want to spend their evening listening to me sing in a lesbian bar.” I shrugged. “I guess I thought you had better things to do with your time.”
He barked out a laugh. “Well, the setting will certainly prove to be interesting, although it might be nice not to worry about being hit on for once.”
“Yes, how troubling it must be for you to be such a handsome and desirable millionaire rocker,” I teased.
Cocking his head, he asked, “You think I’m handsome?”
My chest began to rise and fall in rushed, heavy pants as I desperately tried to catch my breath. “Of course I do,” I quickly replied. At Rhys’s smile, I quickly added, “In your mind, doesn’t everyone?”
“I’m not talking about everyone—I’m talking about you.”
“Yes, you’re very, very handsome, okay? Now can you please get out of my way so I can get ready?”
“Excuse me. I wouldn’t dare to deprive your adoring public of your presence.”
“Smart ass,” I mumbled, as I started digging my keys out of my purse.
As I started to unlock the door, Rhys sidestepped me. Bracing his hand on the doorway, he smiled one of the smiles that had captured my heart when I was thirteen and now made me both lovesick and horny. “My very handsome self will see you at ten tonight at Saffie’s Tea Room.”
“Okay,” I murmured.
Just being in Rhys’s presence was enough to make my libido go into overdrive, but when he started to lean in closer to me, I fought the urge to combust from both nerves and hormones. It didn’t help that he smelled so amazing, or that I could feel the heat pouring off his body. Feeling lightheaded from the closeness of him, I tried not to faint.
After placing a chaste kiss on my cheek, he pulled away. “See you later.”
Extreme disappointment at the simple kiss ricocheted through my body. “Bye,” I replied forlornly, as he pounded down the porch steps.
Why did he have to seem so approachable and so acquirable in one moment, and then in the next seem totally and completely unattainable?