Katie Ashley - Strings of the Heart

Breathless, she finally plopped down in the chair across from me. “So what did you think?” she asked, her dark eyes still dancing from the adrenaline high pumping in her veins.

I smiled. “You were amazing.”

Her brows shot up. “Really?”

“Come on, stop fishing for compliments.” When her brows creased slightly, I reached over to take her hand. “You’re good, Allison. I wouldn’t tell you that if it wasn’t true.”

A pink flush tinged her cheeks. “Thank you. Maybe I should invite Jake to the show.”

“Oh, I’m sure he would get a real kick out of your pole dancing on the microphone stand.” I couldn’t help laughing when she squealed and then covered her face with her hands.

“I would die…just die for Jake to see me like that,” came her muffled reply.

“You looked good up there.”

Peeking at me through her fingers, she asked, “Really?”

“Very kick-ass and very sexy,” I admitted.

When she removed her hands, she stared at me. “You really thought I was sexy?” she asked incredulously.

For reasons I didn’t understand, Allison genuinely cared about my opinion. “Of course I did. I would’ve been blind not to appreciate your microphone groping skills.” While I was being honest, she didn’t need to know everything, such as how she’d managed to get me hard. “You know, I wasn’t the only one either. Two chicks beside me had a lot to say about you.”

“They did?”

I nodded and leaned in closer to her. Lowering my voice as best I could over the booming house music, I said, “One was speculating on how good you would taste.” Allison once again squealed and covered her face. Her innocent response caused me to laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with having admirers.”

Pulling her hands away, she fanned her face. “I guess not, but I think it’s time to change the subject.”

“If you insist.”

Tilting her head, she asked, “So do you think Pink Magnolia could be opening for Jacob’s Ladder and Runaway Train soon?”

I laughed. “Not exactly.”

She giggled. “I didn’t think so. But in a way, I’m glad. It’s fun just doing it during the week, letting off some steam through the music. As far as ever really performing—” She wrinkled her nose. “That’s just not for me.”

“You are meant for bigger and better things in the world of fashion.”

“I sure hope so.”

An attractive girl with cropped black hair sat a fruity looking drink with an umbrella down in front of Allison. “Drink up, Sonny. You sure as hell earned it tonight. That Etheridge cover was out of this fucking world.”

“Thanks, Cassie.” Allison grinned as she picked up the drink. “I am feeling a little parched after all that singing.”

Glancing between the two of them, I teasingly said, “Wait a minute, she’s not twenty-one yet.”

Cassie’s dark eyes narrowed as she leaned in closer to me. “Yeah, well, you know what, pretty boy? I don’t give a fuck how old she is.”

I felt like I had to stand my ground with this chick who looked like she wanted to kick my ass at daring to question her. “The owner might. I’d hate to see you lose your liquor license.”

Both Cassie and Allison burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” I demanded.

“I am the owner,” Cassie replied.

Nodding, Allison said, “Rhys, this is my roommate I was telling you about, Cassie Broughton.”

My brows shot up in surprise. After all, Cassie didn’t look like she was much older than Allison, and here she owned a club. I threw out my hand. “Rhys McGowan. Nice meeting you.”

Pumping my hand, Cassie gave me a genuine smile. “Nice to see you again.”

“Again?” I questioned.

She nodded. “You probably don’t remember me, but our parents are friends. I think we were forced to attend some dinner parties together when we were teenagers. Knowing my mother, she probably tried desperately to get you to date me.” With a dramatic flair of her hand, she said, “It’s so unsettling to have your only daughter be a lesbian. One simply cannot spend every waking moment planning the society wedding of the year. Why you’d have to go up north with all those—” She lowered her voice. “undesirable liberal Yankees just to have a legal wedding.” Placing the back of her hand on her forehead, she gasped. “Heaven forbid.”

Suddenly, it hit me. I had met her before at party or two, and she’d been funny as hell. The much needed comic relief in the situation we found ourselves in. “Cassandra, right?”

Rolling her eyes, she huffed out a contentious breath. “Only society assholes call me that.”

I laughed. “Trust me, I have no love for our parents’ world.”

Cassie grinned. “I knew I was going to like you. Allison talks about you all the time.” She winked at me. “Nothing but good.”

With a strangled cry, Allison hurriedly corrected her. “The band. I talk about Jake and you guys.” She once again grabbed her fruity concoction and took two long pulls of it through the small straw.

An awkward silence fell over the table. Clearing her throat, Cassie leaned in on her elbows on the table. “So what do you think of my club?”

“It’s great,” I replied, enthusiastically. “How is it you came to own it?”

“My inheritance from my grandmother. It’s her house where Allison and I live.” A wistful smile graced Cassie’s face. “She was kind of a society rebel herself. You know the type—she drank and smoked when it wasn’t ladylike and cursed like a sailor. I like to think she would have approved of me buying an establishment that served hard drinks to people looking to engage in indecent acts.”

I chuckled at her summation of Saffie’s Tea Room. “Compared to a lot of clubs I’ve been in, this place seems pretty tame.”

“Trust me, it gets crazy on the weekends.”

My gaze flickered over to Allison. “Do you perform during these ‘crazy weekends’?”

A flush entered her cheeks. “We’ve done a set on Friday nights before, but mainly, it’s a DJ.”

Cassie snickered. “I like to keep Allison out of here on the weekends. It never fails that some drunk chick wants to convert her to bat for the other team.”

“So I’ve seen,” I replied, winking at Allison. Once again, Allison sputtered with mortification at mine and Cassie’s comments, and again I found it utterly endearing. She might’ve been twenty now, but in so many ways, she was still the innocent, naïve teenage girl I’d met so many years ago. Most of the girls and women I came in contact with were so worldly and stuck on themselves. Being with Allison was definitely a nice change.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to change the subject away from my alleged allure,” Allison said.

“Go right ahead, Sonny,” Cassie replied.

Allison focused her attention on me. “I have tomorrow night free. Would you like to get together for movie night?”

I grimaced. “I would love to, but I have this stupid bachelor auction thing I’m emceeing.”

With a teasing roll of her eyes, Allison said, “Like I haven’t heard that excuse a million times.”

I laughed. “I swear to you that it is the truth. More than anything in the world, I’d rather be watching Monty Python with you than in a monkey suit with a bunch of society assholes.”

“I think I’ve heard about that auction. Isn’t your mother heading it up?” Cassie asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. That’s how I got roped into emceeing. The only time she likes to admit my fame is when it can best be used to suit her purposes. This time it appears having a celebrity emcee will get more people out to empty their pockets. I would have told her no, but it’s for a cause really close to my heart.”

“And which one is that?” Allison questioned softly.

“Autism research.” While I kept my eyes on the table, I could feel Allison’s inquisitive gaze on my cheeks. I’m sure she was trying to decipher the motives behind why someone like me would possibly be interested in the charity.

“That’s so sweet that you’re thinking of Lucy. I’m sure it means a lot to Brayden and Lily that you’re working to raise money for research,” she said.

I jerked my gaze up to meet hers. Although she had missed the mark, I replied, “I suppose they do.”

“Who are Brayden and Lily?” Cassie asked, as she glanced between the two of us.

“My bandmate and his wife. Lucy, their youngest daughter, was just diagnosed as a child on the autism spectrum. Hers is more of a sensory nerve disorder that the doctors think can be helped, if not corrected, with a lot of extensive physical therapy.”

“That’s a rough diagnosis. At least it sounds like there are some positives in it.”

Allison nodded. “There are no two sweeter and more patient parents than Brayden and Lily.”

“That is the truth,” I replied.

With a sweet smile, Allison said, “Well, I’ll miss having movie night with you, but at least I know it’s for a really good cause.”

Leaning forward on the table with my elbows, I cocked my head at her. “Who says we can’t spend the evening together?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t you come to the auction with me? It should only run about two or three hours. We could have dinner afterwards.”

Gnawing her bottom lip between her teeth, Allison said, “Oh, I don’t know.”

Cassie nudged her playfully. “You should totally go. I mean, you’ll only end up sitting at home alone with a pint of ice cream if you don’t.”

Allison scowled at Cassie. “Thank you so much for reminding me what a loser I am with no life,” she replied sarcastically.

I laughed. “Come on. You’ll get to see even more of Savannah’s history and culture. The auction is being held at the Mercer Williams House.”

“Is that the house from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil?”

Nodding, I replied, “It sure is.”

“I thought that was more of a museum now?”

“While it is open for tours, Jim Williams’s sister still lives there. That’s how Mother was able to book the event. She goes way back with her.”

“It really does sound like fun,” Allison said, with a hesitant smile.

“Then why haven’t you said yes? I don’t think I’ve had to work this hard for a date in a long, long time.” Allison dark eyes bulged at the mention of the word “date.” Trying to backtrack, I said, “Well, you know what I mean.”

“I just don’t want this to be a pity thing.”

“A pity thing?” I repeated.

“I know that Jake asked you to check in on me because I was homesick. I don’t want you to feel like I have to tag along to everything or else I’ll be at home sitting in a dark room all depressed.”

I laughed. “This has nothing to do with pity or Jake. It’s all about you and I having fun out on the town. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“So does that mean you’ll go?”

“Yes.” But then her brow creased with worry. “It’s black tie, right?”

“Yeah. Is that a problem?”

Her hands fretted anxiously with the umbrella in her drink. “It’s just with me being new in town, all my nice dresses are back home.”

Cassie cleared her throat. “No need to fear. I have the perfect dress you can borrow.”

“You do?” Allison asked.

With a laugh, Cassie replied, “Yes, it’s a little, black couture number with the tags still on it. My dear mother brought it back from Fashion Week in Paris a few years back.” She winked at us. “It was one of her last ditch efforts at trying to feminize me.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind me borrowing it?”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “Does it look like I’m ever going to wear a dress, least of all some bullshit couture one?”

“Not really,” Allison replied.

“Exactly. So it’s yours as long as you’re not uncomfortable wearing a dress that is a few seasons old.”

Allison furiously shook her head. “No, I’d be happy to.”

Cassie grinned. “Then it’s all settled.” She turned to me. “Now you make sure to show our girl a good time.”

Fuck me that the words, “Allison” and “good time”, sent my perverted mind once again in a direction it shouldn’t have. Of course, it didn’t help I had such a delectable vision in front of me with her fitted dress and high-heeled boots on. Shit, I was so utterly screwed.

After sucking down the rest of my Crown, I met Allison’s gaze and plastered on what I hoped was a brotherly smile. “I’ll try my best.”

As soon as I could clock out, I peddled like lightning home. I only had an hour to shower and get ready before I was supposed to meet Rhys at the Mercer Williams House. Considering I reeked of pizza and beer, I needed some time to transform myself so that I would look and smell acceptable for him.