Right before she could walk in to me, I cleared my throat, and she stopped, startled.
When Chloe recognized that it was me, she gave an unsure smile and said, “Oh, uh, hello, Reardon.”
“Chloe,” I replied with a stiff nod, cursing myself silently. I was always such a moron around her. First, I’d been resentful of the fact that she’d picked Gabe, then wary when she showed up with a teenaged son, saying it was his. The lawyer in me had taken over, and I’d come off pretty harsh until we knew she was telling the truth. I knew she thought I didn’t trust her, didn’t like her, and I’d done nothing to dissuade her from believing that. It was better than her knowing the way I really felt.
After an awkward pause, during which I noticed that her long dark hair was hanging straight and shiny down her back, and her large brown, doe eyes were watching me warily, her smile dropped and she said, “I’m just looking around, acquainting myself with my new home… I’m sure you have to get back to work, uh, see you tonight.”
“Tonight?” I asked dumbly, apparently being in her presence made me a total idiot.
“Dinner at Zoey and Gabe’s?” she said slowly, and I remembered that they’d invited me over to help welcome Chloe to town, permanently. I knew Dillon and Jasmine were going, but I’d been planning on begging off for work, but now, if I didn’t show after talking with Chloe about it, she’d think I was avoiding her.
Which had definitely been my plan.
“Oh, yeah, right, see you there,” I replied, then turned before I stuttered around any more and let myself into my office.
I was a funny, confident, successful man. I’d dated a number of women, and could even be considered a catch, why then, did I always turn into my geeky high school alter ego whenever I was around Chloe?
I’d dated beautiful women before, what made her different?
I needed a distraction, something to get me through the night without making a complete ass of myself.
She’s just a girl… right? Pulling my phone from my inside pocket, I scrolled down until I found the name I wanted and pressed send.
“Shauna, hey, how’s it going?” I asked, when the whisper soft voice answered. “Great, yeah, me too. Hey, I was wondering… I know it’s last minute, but are you busy tonight? Care to join me at a family dinner? Six o’clock? Perfect, see you then.”
Sexy, single, and always ready for a good time, Shauna was just who I needed to help get my mind off of the fact that Chloe, the one woman I wanted, but could never have, was in my life to stay.
Chapter One of Imperfect Harmony (House of Archer, #1) by Raine Thomas
Archer wanted blood. Hot temper burned in his chest as he stormed down the tunnels of the venue where he and the rest of
Suddenly Something had just wrapped up another concert.
He’d absolutely had it.
Catching up with the band’s lead singer, Brandon Evans, Archer grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and got right in his face. “I’m so sick of your shit, Brandon!” When Brandon snorted and tried to shrug him off, Archer tightened his hold. “No way. You’re not walking away this time, you prick.”
“Archer, now isn’t the time for this,” came a female voice from behind them.
Archer whipped his head around to pin Regina Greene, Suddenly Something’s manager, with a dangerous glare. “It’s never the right time, Regina. Back the hell off.”
Brandon smirked and nodded dismissively at Regina. She gave them each warning looks before clipping away on her ice pick heels in the direction of the security guards manning the end of the long tunnel. Archer figured she was telling the guards to keep anyone from entering the tunnel while his “conversation” with Brandon took place. God forbid word got out to the public about the band members arguing.
“What are you whining about now, Archie?” Brandon asked in a bored voice, leaning negligently against the tunnel wall.
Archer’s already seething temper threatened to ignite over Brandon’s use of the hated nickname. “You know why I’m pissed, Brandon. You stepped all over my vocals tonight. You’ve been doing it more and more and I’m sick of it.”
Brandon rolled his eyes. “Who the hell cares? No one comes to hear you sing. You’re the backup vocalist, Archie. I’m the lead singer. It’s time you got that through your huge head.”
“My huge head?” Archer echoed. “You’re the one who seems to think this group revolves around you.”
“That’s because it does,” Brandon retorted. “I’m the face of Suddenly Something. You’re nothing.”
The barbed comment hit a bull’s eye, but Archer wasn’t about to let Brandon know it. “That’s bullshit. I’ve played a big part in our success. Hell, I’m more talented than you and you know it. That’s why you keep trying to step over me.”
Brandon’s blue eyes frosted. His nostrils flared. Archer knew how to get his digs in just as well as Brandon did.
“You’re joking, right?” Brandon said, pushing away from the wall. “You seriously think you’re more talented than I am?”