Best Friend's Ex Box Set

“Hi, I was supposed to be here over an hour ago, but there was a huge accident that blocked all the lanes on the freeway. I was supposed to see Owen for a second interview. Is he still here?”

“Oh! You must be Miss Dean. Yes, they’re all still here. I think they're packing up, but they usually hang around and chat for a bit before they leave. They should still be back in one of the rehearsal spaces, though. Come on, I’ll take you back. So sorry about the traffic. It can be such a beast sometimes,” she said, her voice unbelievably chipper and sweet.

“Thank you so much,” I offered her a smile despite how frustrated I felt about my commute there. She put her phone to voicemail then got up and motioned for me to follow her. She led me down a few different corridors to a door at the end of a long hall. It looked like a recording room with a booth full of expensive looking soundboards and equipment. Past it, there was a window and another door leading to the practice space where the guys were packing up their equipment.

Owen looked pissed, and I was initially afraid to go in, but he looked up when his secretary opened the door, and his expression immediately softened into a sweet smile.

“Owen, Miss Dean is here to see you. She was caught up in the traffic jam caused by that big accident I heard about on the newsfeed,” she explained to him. He nodded to his secretary before she excused herself. I swallowed hard as I realized that all the guys had stopped packing up and were watching me.

“Owen, I’m so sorry. I tried calling the agency to let you know, but I couldn’t get a hold of anyone. The number kept giving me a busy signal. And then I tried to call here, but was told you were in the studio and couldn't talk to anyone. There was an accident with an eighteen wheeler and a multi car pile-up that had traffic backed up for miles. I swear I left early enough so that I could get here on time, taking into account that traffic would probably be bad. It's just that that accident really threw a wrench in the plan.”

“It’s okay,” he smiled. “I’m just glad you finally made it. I didn’t think you were still interested.”

“Hell, yes, I’m still interested! I wouldn't have missed this for the world!”

Everyone laughed at my unexpected upsurge. Owen introduced me to each of the guys in the band, and I recognized each one from the internet stalking I’d done the night before. I had thought it would be a good idea to have a little head start on today’s meet and greet.

“So you’ve done bigger tours before?” Talon asked me.

“Yes,” I smiled at him. I couldn’t believe how well I was lying through my teeth, but deep down, I knew I could do this. “This tour won't be much of a problem to organize, trust me.”

“You excited to go on tour with us? Going to be a lot of work,” Jeremiah added.

“Definitely. And, I don’t mind a lot of work. It’ll keep me busy and on my toes. And, of course, I aim to keep all of you guys on your toes, as well. Owen explained to me just how important this tour is to all of you—and to all of your fans, of course. I'm going to do my absolute best to make sure it all comes together as perfectly as it possibly can.”

Owen grinned, sitting back and letting the guys pepper me with questions. I was guessing this was the second interview, to see if the band also liked me.

“You sure you’ll be able to put up with us for three months?” Talon waggled his eyebrows at me. “I dunno how much you know about Bleeding Heart, but we do have a certain, hmm, how do I say this, reputation that precedes us.”

“Yeah. I won’t lie. I’ve heard the rumors. But I feel pretty confident I can manage. I’ve dealt with my older brother for twenty-six years. You guys can’t be any more difficult than he is,” I laughed at him. His grin widened, and he looked over at Owen, exchanging a look, to which Owen only smiled back. It had to be a brother thing, I guessed. Still, I couldn’t help grinning at them.

Jay and Talon asked me more questions, although the things they were asking about didn't seem to have much to do with the tour. Most of the questions seemed to be more about getting to know me. After they were done, Owen glanced around at the guys, a wide smile still plastered on his face.

“So, what do you guys think? I’m totally down with the idea of Nalia joining us on tour. Who all’s in?”

All of them answered in unison with a hearty “I am,” and I had to fight to contain my excitement and put on a façade of calm collectedness. Owen looked over at me. “All right, Nalia, it looks like we're all in. What do you think?”

“I’m all in, too,” I smiled at him, trying not to gush. God, he was handsome when he smiled like that.

“Perfect. Early dinner…at my house? We’ll talk about everything and lock down the details.”

“Sounds good!” I nodded, those nervous flip flops in my tummy returning. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if it was the excitement of the new job or that smile that caused them.

Chapter Thirteen

Owen

I was thrilled that Nalia had shown up after all. And damned if she hadn’t worn another outfit that drove me crazy. She had on those tall, black heels again and a black, high-waisted pencil skirt that hugged her hips and ass perfectly with a cute top that showed off her voluptuous chest. I could hardly take my eyes off of her, and I was struggling to keep my fantasies about her from just totally taking over my thoughts.

Damn, I was beginning to think I was going to have to require her to wear baggy clothes if I intended to get any work done. I suddenly wondered if it would be such a good idea having someone so distracting around. How could I maintain my focus on the music and the tour schedule when she was near me?

Then again, where was I going to find someone capable of doing the job and not going all fangirl every time they were around us? I was just going to have to deal with my attraction and do my best to put it aside.

She followed me out to the parking lot, and I couldn’t help looking back at her a few times, just to watch her walk. At one point, I almost walked into a door. If she noticed, though, she was polite enough not to laugh at me. I led her out to my black Porsche and opened the door for her before making my way around to the driver’s side. I slid into my seat and smiled at her until I realized how cheesy I probably looked just staring at her.

Nonetheless, she returned the smile from the passenger seat. I almost melted at the sight of those gorgeous eyes staring deeply back at me. I turned on the ignition switch and gave the powerful motor a good rev, eliciting a grin from her.

“Nice car,” she said. “Didn’t really take you for the muscle car type. Black is one of my favorite colors on cars.”