Everything I Need (3 page)

Tristan

“So, I really like the material you and the guys put together for the song. Once Sophia arrives, we can start going over it with her and set up a date to start recording. You’re both almost finished with recording your next albums. This song will be placed on the Undead album, but she will get a percentage of the profits for doing some of the vocals.”

Lux is babbling to me about the track and I’m not even paying attention to him. All I can think about is
her
. I’ve wanted to see her for so damn long that I can’t fucking stand it. Leaning back in my chair, I look up when I hear the door open.
Fuck me.
There she is.

She is even more beautiful than the pictures I’ve seen and what I have remembered. I feel like I’ve just taken a hard punch to the gut. She’s wearing these little blue jean shorts and her shirt is hugging that tight body of hers perfectly. Of course she’s unbuttoned the top few buttons so them perfect tits of hers are showing.

She walks over to the table with grace and ease, smiling at Lux but not even glancing my way. Oh, Sophia, so that’s how you want to play? Okay, my girl, let’s play. Clenching my teeth, I try to stop the smirk that’s trying to make its way onto my face. I’m glad I decided to keep my shades on when I came in here. Now I can stare at her tits and she won’t have a fucking clue what I’m doing. She probably thinks I’m trying to be a dick or that I’m high. Let her. I want to get her all heated up. In some sick way, I get off on it.

Lux stands quickly to pull out a chair for her and she smiles sweetly at him, batting those long eyelashes.
What the fuck?

“Sophia! How are you, dear?” Lux asks her while he takes his seat again.

“I’m good,” she says softly.

Her voice . . . God, her voice, how delicate and silky it sounds when she speaks. Lux clears his throat and then proceeds with some papers he’s collected from the center of the table and slides them over to her.

“Sophia, I would like you to review these documents and contracts. It’s basically going over the terms and conditions of this project. This will be Undead’s song, but you will be getting your share of the proceeds.”

She reaches over and picks them up, her eyes scanning the pages. My dick twitches.
Fuck!
I shift in my chair but I manage to cover it up like I’m impatiently waiting for her or Lux to do something. Lux looks over at me then nods.

“Tristan and the rest of the guys went through the writing process with the studio. I’m sure you will like what they came up with.”

Just then she looks up at Lux.

“‘These Pieces Undone?’ ” she asks. “That’s the name of song we’ll be doing?”

Lux looks at me hesitantly but I make sure to remain emotionless. Does she like it or does she hate it? One thing about her is that she’s sometimes hard to read.

Lux leans in and starts nodding his head.

“Yes. You can read the lyrics here.”

He points at a certain section on the paper. She goes over it for what seems like five minutes, not saying anything. When she is finally done, she nods in approval and looks back up at Lux without even once looking over at me. It’s taking everything in me right now to not grab her by her little wrists and drag her off and fuck her. I bet she would notice me then . . .

“Does it sound good?” he asks her.

“Yeah, it’s good,” she says back to him, nodding her head and pulling her bottom lip into her mouth as she slides the pages back over to Lux. Then I notice her looking straight at me, squirming a little in her chair.
Good.
Now I know I’m doing something to affect her because she is starting to press her thighs together. I know this woman, and I notice how much tighter her legs are now than when she first sat down.

I remain still, just leaning back in the chair, but now I cross my arms. I notice her eyes shifting down, checking my body out.
Fuck.
I can feel my dick starting to get harder as her eyes look me over. Playing it cool though, I blow out an agitated breath. She looks up at me, annoyed. Then, Lux pulls out a pen and hands it to her.

“Just sign here and then we can go more into detail about when and where this will be recorded.” She raises one eyebrow at him.

“Um . . . I thought you said I had no say in this. That signing with the studio means I have to do what they say for five albums.”

Smart ass.
Lux looks embarrassed now. 

“Yes, they do, but I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable with the song. If not, then maybe we would work on something else.”

Now
she
looks embarrassed. I want to laugh right now at all of this but it might show her my soft side, and she doesn’t need to see that. Yet . . .

“Oh, okay.” She fumbles with the pen for a second, which I find cute, before she signs.

After she’s done, I find myself letting out a long sigh of relief. Lux stands suddenly and walks over to his desk. Keeping his back turned to us, he begins to speak.

“Since you both have gotten a great start and almost finished your albums, I think it would be great if you take a break and spend some time on this track. After all, this is what the studio and I believe will be financially profitable both for us and for the two of you.”

He eyes both of us before he sits down at his desk.

“I honestly think doing this at the studio may have too many distractions, so I’ve decided that maybe it’s best you guys go to one of my properties to record this. . . in Hawaii.”

Huh?
Hawaii? He must notice the looks on both of our faces because he continues on.

“You see, this song has so much potential. I personally think being in LA and recording it might taint it. We want the song to be at its absolute best, so I figured, why not record it at one of my houses? I have a little place on the Kona Coast in Hawaii that has a studio built right in. I’ve had other bands go there in the past and it worked out great. Not saying it wouldn’t here; I just think maybe a different vibe would make it better. I think it will be exactly what you guys need to get back into the swing of things.”

From the corner of my eye, I can see Sophia’s mouth drop wide open for a second before she hurries up and closes it. We both stare back at Lux as he sits in his chair with his hands crossed behind his head.

“You two and the rest of Undead will be on a morning flight the day after tomorrow, so I think you should get ready. I would like this to only take a week, which I feel is pretty generous, but just in case something doesn’t work out, you guys have the place for two. But no more than that,” he says sternly. “We have to get you guys finished on your own albums so we can start making touring arrangements.”

He laughs to himself while reaching into his desk drawer, pulling out an envelope. He tosses it at me and I look down, not touching it. I see Sophia’s hand reach over to pick it up. It must be photos of the house because her blue eyes widen.   

This is fucking crazy! We went to Vegas to record our third album, but it was nothing like this shit right here. I really don’t know what to think, but
hmm.
Having Sophia somewhere where I might be able to explain myself to her without her running does have some major possibilities. I make sure to speak up before she can get a word out.

“Just send me the flight shit, Lux. I have to go.”

Sophia whips her head around and I notice there is a little glare sparking in her eyes. She quickly recovers herself before looking away.

“Okay, Lux,” she says to him, handing back the envelope. Lux nods at both of us then stands.

Sophia rises quickly and pulls down on her shorts a little. No baby, don’t do that. I almost have a full hard on checking out her ass. I try to adjust myself so she doesn’t notice when I stand up, myself. Lux starts asking her about how things are going with her guys. She’s totally clueless that I’m back here drooling over her.

Right before she walks out the door, she glances over her shoulder at me. I clench my teeth together again, trying to stop the smirk that so desperately wants to make its way onto my face. She rolls her eyes at me then turns to Lux to give him a quick hug.

“Just call me tomorrow,” she says, then nods her head at me as she walks out. “Tristan.”

Her gentle voice stops me, and I cannot move. Lux turns slowly to me smiling like a creep.

“You will thank me later for this.”

Chapter Three

Sophia

What the fuck?
Am I really going to Hawaii to record this track . . . with Tristan?

Standing in the elevator, I go over what in the hell just happened. When the doors finally open to let me off, I start heading for the door in a complete daze. Okay, so I leave the day after tomorrow. I pull out my phone to call Benny. I have to get Tristan out of my head
right now
and I’m hoping my boyfriend will do the trick
.

After tapping on Benny’s face, it only rings once before he picks up.

“Hello, dollface,” he coos into the line.

He’s so sweet, but I can’t help but think deep down that I want it to be Tristan on the other line.
Shit!
Still feeling the aftershock of seeing him, I can’t think of anything to say to my boyfriend. I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

“Hey! So did you decide on what movie we’re going to watch tonight?”

“Oh, hon. I’ll have to make it up to you, I promise. I have a flight to France booked tonight. James wants me to meet up with Paul and Smith in the morning. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

What?
This sucks. I feel my heart drop at hearing this.

“Really?” I pout into the line as I get into my car.

“I know. But I will see you in a month. We’ve been apart this long before, haven’t we? It will go by fast, you’ll see. Besides, you’re going to be so busy with this new album you’re doing. By the way, how did today go?”

That right there instantly pulls me back to the one person I’m trying to forget.

“Um . . . good. Actually, I have to fly out the day after tomorrow. We’re recording in Hawaii.”

“Wow, Hawaii! That’s fantastic, Sophia. How are you going to get any work done there?” he laughs.

I reach over and pull my seatbelt across me while resting the phone between my cheek and shoulder. As I’m fastening it, Tristan walks out of the building. I stare at him, frozen. He’s so fucking good looking. It’s just not fair.

Just then a couple of very attractive women walk by him and turn around slowly to check him out. There are beautiful women everywhere out here. I see him smiling back at them and then he turns his head in my direction.

I just realized I’m staring, with my mouth fucking open again. Benny is going on about how beautiful Hawaii is and how he would like to take me some time, but I can’t focus on him. Tristan stands there for a moment with what looks like a mischievous grin on his face. After a moment, he turns and starts walking in the other direction down the street to his car.
Shit!
Once again, he caught me staring at him.

Benny clears his throat, pulling me out of my daze.

“Sophia, are you all right?”

Shaking my head quickly, I answer back.

“Yeah, babe. Trying to pull out, is all.”

That’s a lie.

“Oh, okay. Well, just focus on driving. I don’t want you to get hurt. I will call you before I board.”

I instantly feel bad for the little lie I just told to cover my fantasizing about Tristan. I’m the worst person ever.

“Okay, Benny. I’ll talk to you later, babe. Bye.”

“Bye bye, sweetie.” He hangs up.

I lean back and let out a breath. Damn it, I’m so annoyed with myself right now. Two years and he still does something to me. I know I still do something to him, too . . . annoy him. Big fucking jerk, still clenching his jaw like he used to when I was around and just like before, I have done nothing to him.

Shaking my head of the thoughts, I press play on my iPod dock. Twelve Foot Ninja’s “Shuriken” begins to blare through my speakers. Pressing my foot down on the clutch, I take off. I need to drown all these thoughts of Tristan out with music and speed . . .

When I walk through the door to my place, I throw my purse down beside it and stride into my kitchen. My place is smaller than what I could afford right now, I guess, but I don’t feel like settling down in just one place yet. I mean, it’s a beautiful townhouse, but Frankie is always giving me a hard time about purchasing something a little more “glamorous.” But this is nice. Everything is all light and airy with tons of windows, which I love. It’s way bigger than the place I had back in Ann Arbor, which surprisingly, I still miss.

I pull out a stool and sit at the island, then grab a granny smith apple from the bowl and pull my phone from my pocket. Since Benny is now not spending the night with me, I guess I will take Roger up on his offer to hang out.

It rings forever. Just as I am about to hang up, he answers it.

“Yo!”

I crunch loudly into the phone with my mouth full.

“So . . .” I try to chew up the last bits of apple before speaking again. “Benny is leaving early, so I thought I would swing by tonight. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.” I take another bite.

“Where are you going?” Roger asks.

“Oh, Lux thought it would be cool to record at his house in Hawaii,” I say casually.

“Get the fuck out!” Roger starts laughing. “Really? Hawaii? That’s fucking sweet. For how long?”

Swallowing my last bite, I clear my throat. “Just a week . . . maybe two.”

“Fucking eh, that’s awesome! What’s the song? I don’t think it will be lame because Undead usually tends to go hard.”

Roger bringing up Undead makes me start to think of Tristan again. Shifting on the stool, I sit the rest of my apple down.

“Ah . . . I didn’t really have a chance to go through everything yet. All I know is it’s called, ‘These Pieces Undone’.” Standing up, I push my stool back in.

“Damn . . . well, we’ll have a going away party, then.”

He starts cackling into the phone. Fucking Roger, always looking for an excuse to drink.

“How about I bring over some pizzas and we just chill tonight? Maybe watch a movie . . . like you said earlier?” I suggest, but Roger lets out a breath.

“You’re such a fucking girl. Okay, whatever. But we will have drinks, too.”

I roll my eyes at what he just said, but I agree.

“Make sure to get a hold of Matt and Jeff, too. I want to see them before I leave. Oh, and by the way, is Jared going to be there tonight?”

“Of course he is. He never does anything. Little bitch.”

I know Roger always gives Jared a hard time, but deep down, he loves him. I know it. It’s kind of like the Skipper and Gilligan. Roger being the Skipper and Jared being Gilligan. The thought makes me laugh out loud.

“What’s funny?” Roger asks.

“Oh, nothing. See you in a couple of hours.”

“All right, Sophie. See you.”

I think it would be nice to take a quick nap before going over there, so after I hang up, I go back into my bedroom. Looking down, I suddenly realize I have too many fucking pillows on this bed. Frankie is also my interior decorator, by the way, and when he did my bedroom, he went all out. He bought like eight of these throw pillows in different shapes and sizes, all white, lavender, and cream, even though he was kind of upset about my color choices. He wanted bold and exotic. I chose clean and crisp.

When I have only the two standard pillows left, I pull back the comforter and slide right in. I set my phone alarm and place it on the pillow beside me, then curl up in the blankets. I don’t know why I’m tired. I think I’m just spent from today’s meeting and my adrenaline running so high from being around Tristan. Soon, I pass out.

************

It is almost six and my alarm is going off. I stretch out once, blinking my eyes a couple times. The sun is already setting. It will be dark in a couple hours, but at this time of day, everything changes into beautiful shades of pink and orange.

I heard that it might rain later, so I don’t want to wear shorts. I walk over to my closet and I reach up on the top shelf for my most comfortable, but not modest, jeans. My lucky jeans. I rub my hand up and down them; they are so old and weathered that they are starting to feel more like cotton now than actual jeans. Remembering all the good times I had with them brings a smile to my face.

A little further inside my closet, one side of the wall has ten built-in drawers. I pull one open and grab the first folded t-shirt from off the top of the stack. It’s just a plain black V-neck tee. I change clothes before going into the bathroom to brush my teeth again. I pull my hair out of the braid I had it in earlier, which now is basically a couple of pieces in a band since I slept in it, and give it a quick rustle with my fingers.

The makeup I put on earlier still looks pretty good, so I don’t want to wash it off just yet. Instead, I run my fingers lightly under my eyes to wipe away the little black smudge marks from my eyeliner.

When I’m all done, I hear my phone ringing. I hurry my way out of the bathroom because I know it’s probably Benny calling me before he boards his flight. Sure enough, I was right.

“Hey, babe,” I answer.

“Hello, sweetheart. How are you?”

Benny, so sweet and so well mannered. Who would’ve thought? I mean, I’m not this hardcore chick or anything, but I can say I don’t usually talk with the best manners or the best language, for that matter. But he doesn’t care. He just likes me for me, and that’s why I think he is probably the greatest thing to ever come into my life.

Well, except after Tristan, that is . . .

God, I hate myself sometimes. Shutting myself up, I quickly speak up.

“So . . . are you at the airport now?”

“Yeah, I just arrived. I will be boarding in an hour, so I wanted to call you now. God, Sophia. I’m going to miss you.”

Aw, my. 

“Oh, babe. I will miss you too,” I say back to him, digging around to find my shoes. “But we’ll talk to each other every day. Well, whenever we get a chance to. Time zones, and you’re always so busy when you’re over there. But hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?”

Smiling at what I just said, I sit at the edge of my bed, putting my sneakers on. He lets out a sigh.

“Yeah, you’re right . . . but I’m going to miss you so much and when I get back, you’re going to start touring. I’ve never gone through anything like that with you yet, and it’s going to be so hard.”

I feel bad for him now. My smile fades and all I can think of is my boyfriend back home, without me for four to five months. We’re not only doing the U.S. this tour, we’re also doing Europe.

“Oh, I know, babe. Maybe your work will set something up again when I’m over in Europe. You’re always going over there. We can meet up if you do.”

“Yeah, they probably would. I swear, sometimes it might be easier if I purchased a flat over here or something. Something of my own, you know? After all, I’m over here three to five times a year.”

“Yeah, that sounds cool.”

We chat for a few more minutes then we let each other go. I tell him again that I’m going to miss him and ask him to be safe, and he does the same with me. After I’m done with Benny’s call, I pick up my purse and head out, setting the alarm code on the wall before I leave.

It takes me twenty minutes to get to Roger and Jared’s place. They live right down the road from me, and anywhere besides LA, the drive would only take a minute or two. As I pull into their narrow driveway, I notice Matt and Jeff are already here. Sweet!

I shift back into first gear before shutting my girl off. Yes, my girl. I don’t care if people think I’m weird for talking about my car like she’s a person, because to me, she is just as important.

Before I even get to the front door, I hear the familiar noises of loud music and guys laughing. I don’t bother to ring the bell; I just let myself in.

This space is very open, with the living area off to the left, kitchen straight ahead, and dining area to the right. They also have a catwalk you can see when you come in that crosses over the entire first floor and leads to the guys’ bedrooms.

It’s a nice place, newly built. Looking over to the dining area, there is a collage of black pictures in frames of various sizes, popping out against the white walls. They’re all of Cory. Some are from back in our college days goofing around at bar gigs, and some are of our first tour. My favorite is the behind-the-scenes candid shot Gage did of us back when we were recording our first album. It’s a close up of Cory, looking down and playing his guitar with the biggest smile on his face, just enjoying everything around him.

“What up?”

Jeff comes striding over with a beer in his hand and gives me a one-armed hug. He must’ve just smoked a joint because his eyes are red and squinty. He has long, dark hair. It’s not as long as Roger’s, but it almost reaches his shoulders. I love how he always wears a folded down gray bandana with a hat on. Not like Bret Michaels, more like how Synyster Gates used to wear his.

“Hey, you.” I tap down the front of his hat and smile at him. I notice Jared sitting there on the couch, trying to figure out the TV again. They have this huge, black leather sectional. It’s pretty much the only furniture they have in the living room area.