I ran a hand through my hair, grinning. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“So, how are things with you and Kin? Getting anywhere with her?”
“I’m working on it,” I assured her.
“Good. I like Kin. She busts your balls. Not many chicks can do that.” There was a pause on her end and I realized she was getting an incoming call. “Crap, that’s Gray. I’d better answer it before he has another hissy.”
“Another one?” I couldn’t keep from asking.
“It’s a long story,” Kassa told me with a groan. “I’ll tell you about it later. I have to take this before he loses his shit and I have to spend three hours talking him out of getting on a damn plane.”
My eyes widened at that but I told my sister I loved her before hanging up. Gray wasn’t normally an emotional kind of guy, but then again, where my sister was concerned he was anything but his normal self. Shaking my head, I finally opened the apartment door and left, hoping that Kin would come to open mike so I could see her again.
Chapter 11
Kin
“Are you planning on going out tonight?”
I lifted my head from my history textbook and lifted a brow at my step-monster. What the hell was she doing in my room? I hadn’t even heard her open the door, but there she was, standing over my bed like she had every right to invade my privacy. “I’m going to First Bass with Lucy.”
Jillian nodded. “Good. Georgia is going with you.”
I sat up on my bed quickly. “No, she isn’t.” No way was I going out with Georgia. Not to First Bass, not anywhere. First Bass, like Lucy’s house, was becoming my safe haven and I wasn’t about to let Georgia spoil that for me. And I sure as hell didn’t want her there to listen to one of my new songs I’d written in the last few weeks.
Jillian crossed her arms over her very fake chest and lifted both her brows at me. “Yes, she is. Georgia needs more exposure. I want her in the tabloids just as much as you are these days. That means she needs to show up at First Bass with you and that Thornton girl. I want to see her on TMZ tomorrow night, McKinley. Being seen with you and the rocker’s kid will accomplish that.”
Before I could even respond to that, Jillian turned and slammed the door behind her as she left my room. Ah, hell. Really?
Well, she’d lost her freaking mind if she thought I would just fall in line with that shit. Pushing my textbook and notes away, I quickly grabbed my guitar case and silently headed for the stairs. I felt like a damn ninja as I made my way down the hall toward the stairs. Jillian would throw a fit if she caught me sneaking out alone. As I passed Georgia’s room I glanced inside and nearly dropped my guitar when I saw what she was wearing.
She had on six-inch heels, tattered fishnet stockings, shorts that ended right under her ass cheeks, a T-shirt that barely covered her chest and enough makeup that qualified her for clown school. Her hair was teased and put in some kind of complicated twist that fucked with my head just trying to figure out how she had accomplished that hair style. She looked like a cross between a really expensive hooker, a mime, and a total skank.
It took everything inside of me not to burst out laughing but somehow I contained myself and quickly made my way downstairs and out into the driveway. Lucy was supposed to pick me up and I prayed she hurried because I didn’t want to have to take Georgia with me. Fuck that shit.
The Range Rover pulled to a stop at the end of the driveway and I ran to get in after tossing my guitar into the back. “Go!” I commanded Marcus who was behind the wheel as usual. My heart was racing as I dared to glance out the window and saw Jillian stepping out onto the front porch.
Her eyes were narrowed and her face was set in hard lines that told me I was going to get an earful when I got home later that night. Ah, hell.
“What did you do, Kin?” Lucy asked with a laugh as she followed my gaze while Marcus did as I had asked and pulled out of the driveway so fast the tires actually squealed.
“Damn bitch wanted me to take Georgia with me,” I explained as I covered my face with both my hands so it would muffle my scream as I tried to release some of my frustration into them. Groaning, I lowered my hands and faced my best friend. “Jillian wanted me to take her because she said Georgia needed more exposure with the paparazzi, and being seen with us at First Bass would get her on TMZ.”
Lucy’s mouth fell open for a second before she snickered. “Wow. She’s a real trip, huh?”
I shook my head, trying to get the picture of my step-bitch out of my head. “Georgia was still getting ready when I came outside, but what she was wearing…” I shuddered. “Promise me if I ever leave the house looking like a cross between a high-end prostitute and skankzilla, you will do the right thing and slap some sense into me.”
Lucy started giggling uncontrollably but I was serious, damn it. “It’s not funny, Lu. You should have seen her. I guess she thought that since Harris owns First Bass and is the son of a rocker, she should try and look like a groupie or something. But she over-jumped the boundaries completely. I think it’s against the law to wear the clothes she had on in public. If she was going for shock value, she hit it hard. Her hair was as high as a Texas beauty queen’s and her makeup…” I couldn’t help shuddering again. “It was horrible. That eye makeup alone will haunt my dreams tonight.”
“Stop,” Lucy pleaded, laughing so hard she was holding her sides. “You’re killing me.”
Despite what I knew would be waiting on me when I got home that night, I couldn’t help but grin. “I’m being serious here.”
“I know,” Lucy said with another giggle. “That’s what makes it so freaking hilarious.” She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands and turned in her seat to face me better. “I’m surprised you were able to ditch her.”
“It wasn’t easy. Going home tonight isn’t going to be an option, either.” I grimaced. “Can I stay with you?”
Some of the amusement left Lucy and she reached for my hand. “Of course you can,” she assured me and I let out a relieved breath.