Beautiful Rose (Beautiful Rose 1)

“Hey!” she said indigently. “I’ll have you know I was part of the school band!”

“On your recorder?” I clarified, amused.

“Yes. So how bad could I have been?” she asked smugly. I shook my head, not wanting to burst the poor girl’s bubble that they probably had a duty to let all students join, no matter how bad they were. Before I could respond Alex came flying around the corner, a stack of folders tucked under his arm. He stopped abruptly when he saw me.

"Jack." He looked at the girl then back at me, eyebrow cocked. "You've met Rose, I take it?"

"Not officially . . . Rose,” I murmured softly. Fuck, even her name was perfect. She blushed, her eyes sweeping away.

Alex cleared his throat uneasily. "Right. Are you ready?" He glanced back at Rose. "See you tomorrow, Rose."

"Bye." She waved at us, but her eyes were firmly on me.

* * *

Alex shook his head as soon as we were outside. "Please tell me you were not hitting on one of my patients."

"Relax. She was singing ‘Losing You’ by Seduce, and we got to talking. Trust me," I added as he rolled his eyes. "Besides, I've got Harmony, remember?"

"Oh, lucky you," he deadpanned.

"Shut up, Alex. Harmony is great. I think you're just jealous that the only thing that's been near your dick for months is your hand," I retorted. "Maybe that's why you were so pissed I was talking to Rose in there, hey? She's a hot little thing. Do you think of her while you're palming yourself?"

Alex’s cheeks flushed as he climbed into my car. "Grow up, Jack. She's a patient. And for the record, I could quite easily get an easy fuck like Harmony if I wanted to, but I don't want to. I'd rather wait for a real relationship."

"Fuck real relationships," I grumbled. I never wanted to put myself through that, ever again. Being in love had been incredible, but losing it almost broke me. I'd changed a lot over the past few years, but the pain of losing love was something that had never wavered.

We didn't speak the rest of the way to his house, lost in our own thoughts. I pulled into his driveway and waited until he had gotten out and shut the door.

"See you tomorrow?" I said through the window.

"Yeah. Thanks for driving me around, too."

"Anytime."

And, just like that, we were back to normal. That's the thing about guys; we don't stew over things like chicks do. We fight it out, then move on. Chicks bury it, let it fester, and then eventually it explodes into an issue a thousand times bigger than it should have been.

#

Most of the next morning was spent running around doing some last minute shit for the opening night. On top of everything, I still needed another waitress, something I should have asked Alex about yesterday. I pulled out my phone and brought up his number.

Dude, you promised me a waitress.

I still had to confirm the catering and the band, check the alcohol delivery was going to arrive in time, hold a last minute meeting for my staff, and confirm that the few critics I had invited were still coming. I grabbed the invoice list and began to cal

l the suppliers.

Caterer and alcohol confirmed. Message left with band manager. Critics confirmed. My phone buzzed.

Keep your pants on. I will bring her over tonight.

Awesome. That was another thing I could cross off my list. I glanced around the empty bar. It was hard to believe that, come tomorrow night, this place would be packed full of people. At least, I sure as hell hoped it would be. Fuck, what if nobody showed? Shit. I rested my elbows on the laminate surface of the bar counter, breathing deeply. Picking up my phone, I texted Harmony.

Don't come over tonight. Going out with Alex.

The last thing I needed tonight was drama from Harmony, and having a chick here who was taking the job she wanted was sure to cause plenty.

I walked over to the stereo and flicked it on. I laughed when I realized what song was playing. Losing You. Harmony texted back “okay.” I shoved my phone in my pocket and paced the floor.