His Distraction (Assured Distraction Book 2) (3 page)

He took another deep, calming breath. He didn’t want to lose what they had. He needed to talk some sense into her in a way she would know this was the right thing for them at this point. “Krissy, this is so important to our future. We’ve just signed with 13 Recordings, and we have this huge opportunity on this tour with Frission. The bottom line is the label wants us to go, and we have to listen to them. The tour lasts three months, and then we will be back at home and in the studio for a few months finishing up recording the music for the new album. Everything we’ve worked for has been to get to this point, and the things that are going to happen over the next six months.”

Once they finished laying down the tracks for their first album under the label, the Austin, Texas-based recording studio would have all of their music mixed and ready to go as soon as the end of the year. With that out of the way, AD would be ready to headline their tour promoting their new music with opening acts.

“But you’ve toured with Frission already, and I saw what went on with those guys. You know it’s not our lifestyle.”

He knew Krissy couldn’t get past the sex, drugs and rock-and-roll stereotype, and he hated with a passion whoever coined the phrase, no matter how clichéd or accurate it was to the musician lifestyle. At this point, the biggest obstacle he wondered about was the fact she didn’t trust him. If she couldn’t understand he was doing the right thing when he was away, what kind of relationship did they have?

Ryan realized Krissy was seemingly hell-bent on punishing him for something he wasn’t even guilty of, and they were at an impasse. He’d been as faithful as a guy could be to her their entire relationship. He was crazy about her, had done everything he could think of to make sure she knew that, and he needed her to realize the partying and sex with random groupies on the road held no interest for him in comparison to being in Krissy’s bed.

“Look, Krissy, you knew when we started seeing each other that our goal was to be huge. We never intended to stick locally. We dreamed of making it big. I can’t understand now that it’s happening; you’re not on board with our dream. Maybe you never had enough faith in us from the beginning. I don’t know, but what I do know is, we have to do this, and it hurts me that you don’t support what we are doing.”

She stared at him with a look he didn’t quite understand. Was she angry still? Was she finally thinking over what he was saying? He was praying that’s what was going on in her head.

“I promise it will be different when we are the headliners, but right now we have to continue to go along with what the label wants and what Cash wants us to do. How can I tell the band no? We’ve worked too hard for this, and they’re counting on me. And Cash, he has worked hard right alongside us to get the band where we want to be.”

“Look, Kitten. I know this is hard for you right now but just think of how great our lives will soon be. You’ll never have to work another day because I’ll be making tons of money for us. We can have the best of anything you want. Nothing will be too good for my girl.”

“Ryan, you know I want us to be together. I don’t want to give up on our dreams either, but this is too hard.” Krissy seemed to be relenting somewhat. At least she stopped yelling at him. He knew if he stooped low enough to tie it to working and money, he might have her eating out of the palm of his hand, but the idea those things finally swayed her so easily didn’t sit well with him.

“But that’s just it, Kitten. The hard parts will be behind us. When we make it big, you’ll be able to travel with us when you want and stay home when you want. The money we’ll make will afford us the time we need to be together.”
Oh man, I’m digging this money hole deeper and deeper,
he thought.

”
I’ll be alone for twelve full weeks; that’s a quarter of the year, Ryan. I hate it.” The big tears welling in her rich chocolate eyes, pulled at his heart. “Well, I don’t like it, you know. I’m still not happy, Ryan. I want you home, with me. How can we ever be a couple if you’re always taking off?”

“I’m sorry baby, but that’s just how it’s going to be for a while.”

When they met months ago, he’d been immediately smitten, and that’s how he’d come up with her “Kitten” nickname. Their relationship had burned hot and intense, like a grassfire in the Hill Country, and while he hated being away from her for even a day, he thought they were both on the same page. He had truly believed the girl he was devoted to was a big supporter of him chasing his dreams. Had he been so completely wrong about her loyalty and commitment to his vision of their life together? The realization made his blood run cold.

He had to win her back and convince her to hang in there for a year or two. He ran his hands down her arms slowly, loving the feel of her silky skin. “Listen, let’s get dressed and we’ll have a date night, just the two of us. Wear something smokin’ hot for me. I’ll even put on a suit for you. I’ll call Peri to see if she can get us into the Driskoll Grill and we’ll spend the night at the hotel, too. I know how you love the classy old place.”

“I see what you’re doing, Ryan. You’re trying to change my mind with your sexy eyes and a nice dinner and mind-blowing sex.” He wrapped his muscular arms around her middle and showered her neck and collarbone with tender kisses. Leaning her head to one side giving in to his soothing caresses for a moment, she said, “I’ll say ‘yes’ to dinner and the hotel because you and I both know I deserve it for all I have to put up with..” He knew there were some things she couldn’t resist.

What he couldn’t resist was her fragrance. She always wore a scent that drove him wild. She always applied it below her ears and smelling it now drove him crazy with need for her. When he kissed up the side of her neck, it made him want to skip the hotel and take her right then. He had missed everything about her and was ready to make up for lost time.

Pulling back from her, he gave her the panty dropping smile he knew was his best weapon against her rage. It thawed her on the spot every time. “Listen, Kitten, why don’t you go shopping for something to wear tonight, my treat? Here’s my card, pick out something sexy so I can spend the evening imagining all the things I’ll get to do to you once we get to our room.” He pulled out his phone to call Peri, still holding his credit card in his hand that Krissy had yet to snatch from him, and he watched her prepare to leave.

Now that he had smoothed that over hopefully for another twenty-four hours, at least, he was going to have to figure out something about the tour. He had been thinking about doing this night at the Driskoll after they argued during his first weeks on the road. He never dreamed it would be on the night he got home and after picking her up from jail. He didn’t know how he was going to keep Krissy happy with this whole second leg. Spending day-after-day on the bus wouldn’t allow for privacy so they could talk alone too often. He couldn’t exactly placate her with date nights from long distance. She didn’t have vacation time from work to visit him at each location they would play, and he played the concerts weekends. Leaning back against the wall, he flexed the tension filled muscles in his neck. The future was not looking good for him right now.

Krissy finally plucked the card from his hand and skipped from the apartment, ready to shop to her heart’s content. He wanted her to feel beautiful and sexy, and knew she would take him up on this offer. Sometimes he wondered if she used her looks and seductive skills to take advantage of him but what he really wanted was for her to be happy for his success. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t see that the more success the band had, the better things would be between them. He hoped she let this scheme drop and not spend the entire afternoon devising a plan to keep him home. He didn’t want to deal with this anymore.

While Krissy was off getting the princess treatment Ryan was gladly paying for, he headed to the studio at 13 Recordings to check in on tour updates and band news. Walking into the lobby, Ryan hung back to enjoy Peri charming the pants off of some kid standing at the front desk with his back to the door. Ryan didn’t recognize the kid, but young musicians were always showing up here looking for a break or a job. He planned a quick stop, hoping he might get to catch a nap before his night out with Krissy.

“So, you’re telling me you a relative to one of the band members we’ve recently signed?” Peri’s bright red lips were turned up in a beautiful smile that Ryan was sure had almost completely derailed the kid. The kid would be lucky to remember his name when Peri finished with her interrogation. She always dressed like a knock-out in her classic pin-up girl style and today was no exception.

“Y-Yes, ma’am, I am.” The ma’am thing caused Peri to cringe and give him another look that said,
“Damn, do I really look that old to you?”

“And what’s your name,
junior
?”

“Hayden Devillier, ma’am.” He gave her a boyish grin, as though he thought his response sounded flirtatious.

Peri, laughing to herself at his technique, replied, “Okay, kid, cut the
ma’am
business. You are making me feel old, which I am definitely not at twenty-five. Now, who exactly are you supposed to be related to here at 13 Recordings?”

Ryan found himself stepping up to the counter, spellbound by Peri’s sexy confidence and take-no-prisoners attitude. Her coal black hair pulled back into a wide headband was shining under the recessed lighting above the desk. She was a beauty, and he hoped that her boyfriend appreciated how hard she worked to get ahead. He watched the exchange with rapt attention and had to laugh at Peri feeling she was old just because of some kid’s good country manners. “Got a newbie here, Peri?”

She rolled her eyes at Ryan. This kind of thing happened all the time with their studios being easy to find near the popular South Congress area in Austin, and musicians were constantly stopping in, asking for help in the music business. “Yes, he claims to be related to one of our musicians.” Redirecting her dark, shrewd eyes back to the kid, “Now, spill it, kid. Who are you related to?”

“His name is Ryan Powell, and he’s in the band Assured Distraction, but I’ve never actually met him. My mom is his cousin and told me all about his family.”

Ryan whipped his head around and glared at the kid. “What the fuck? I’m Ryan Powell, and I damn sure don’t know anyone named ‘Devillier.’” Ryan, standing at six-foot-two, towered over most people, but this kid was close to looking him eye-to-eye. His baby face did not match his size, so it was easy to tell he had to be still in his teens.

“That’s what my momma said you would say when you and me finally met. She said to tell you that her name is Kylie Thibodeaux and you would know her.” Ryan could tell Hayden was intimidated by his glare, but the kid didn’t look the type to back down from much.

“Kylie Thibodeaux, huh? I haven’t heard that name in a long time, Hayden.” Ryan turned and looked at Peri, who was hanging on every word exchanged between the two as though she was watching an episode of
Outlander
. “How about we get a drink and talk about it?” Hayden nodded in agreement, and before Peri could ask any questions, the two were out the swinging door.

Ryan remembered Kylie from his childhood from when his parents went to family gatherings or he visited his grandparents’ farm in deep East Texas. These relatives were country folk who talked with a definite southern drawl. He always had a great time when they visited his grandparents because some of the best fishing in Texas was located a few miles away in Lake Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend. Some of his favorite memories were of his grandfather and dad teaching him how to land a big bass in those lakes.

“From the looks of you, I’m taking it you’re not old enough to drink, right?” Again, Hayden nodded his affirmation. Ryan was trying to figure out how this kid located him or what he could want. He had many relatives running around Louisiana and the eastern half of Texas, but he had not seen or spoken to them since his grandfather passed and his grandmother moved in with his parents. That had been over five years ago. He certainly never expected someone from that part of his past to show up here, where he’d lived for years, looking for him.

When they walked into Outsiders Grill, a few blocks from the studio, they found a table and he ordered a beer and the kid a soft drink. When the waitress backed away from their table to fill their drink order she continued to stare at Ryan until he turned and looked at the kid. “Hayden, you hungry? They make great hamburgers here.” The look on the kid’s face said it all, so he added, “I’m hungry myself, and I’m buying.”

“Sure, I guess, wouldn’t want you eating alone. Yeah, I’ll have one, too, thanks.” He gave Ryan a big grin.

“Yeah, something like that.” When the waitress returned with their drinks, Ryan ordered them both double cheeseburgers and Buffalo fries. He rarely ate like this at lunch, but Hayden looked like he was probably trying to conserve money by skipping some meals, but he wouldn’t be responsible for letting the kid go hungry. Ryan remembered when he was that age he was constantly hungry and ate whenever food was available.

“So, Hayden, what the fuck are you doing here in Austin?” Ryan was eager to get to the bottom of this story.

Hayden sat down across the picnic table from him and looked him straight in the eye. “Well, the truth is, I’m looking for a job. My mom said you’re in some kind of badass rock band, and maybe you would help me land an audition or a job with your band to help get me started in music.”

“Oh, she did, did she?” Ryan ground out behind his steeple-tented hands. It was all Ryan could do to contain his anger at the mother of this kid. Who sent their kid across Texas to find someone they had never met on a crapshoot of a chance at some pipedream gig? And without even a phone call before sending him down the road? “How old are you, Hayden?”

“I turned eighteen last week, sir,” he proudly admitted.

Ryan had to chuckle at the kid’s youthful enthusiasm, but damn his mom for kicking the kid out so soon after becoming of legal age. Maybe Hayden had been counting the days until he turned eighteen to leave. Ryan didn’t know but he was going to find out and the sooner, the better. “Happy belated birthday, Hayden. So, how did you get to Austin?”

“I’ve got my truck. I drove in last night.” Hayden was tearing into his burger, leaving Ryan certain that the kid hadn’t eaten much since he’d left home for Austin.

“Last night, huh? You have friends here in Austin you’re staying with then?” Ryan couldn’t wait to hear the answer to this question but was afraid he already knew the unfortunate answer.

Hayden didn’t answer for several minutes as he continued to shove the food into his mouth. Ryan couldn’t decide if he was starving or avoiding the question, but Hayden had yet to look him in the eye. After the last of the burger was swallowed, Hayden finally looked up at Ryan and wiped his mouth.

“I stayed in my truck. I have money, but I didn’t want to waste it on a hotel room since I could sleep in it. I didn’t get here until after midnight, and I thought renting a room that late was a waste.”

“In your truck, huh?” Ryan couldn’t believe he’d heard the kid correctly, and he prayed he hadn’t.

“Yeah, in a park I found over on the other side of the interstate.”

“Damn it, Hayden. That was a dumb shit idea. Sleeping in your fucking truck isn’t safe, at all. What were you thinking? Oh yeah, you could save some money.” As mad as he was, he felt bad that he was taking his anger out on the teen. He knew what it was like to be a struggling musician; he’d been there himself not too long ago.

“Look, kid. I know it’s hard as hell getting into the business and make enough money to support yourself, but our band doesn’t need anyone now. What do you play?”

“Guitar, and I’m a good singer. Everyone says so.” Ryan could see the pride Hayden’s face.

Ryan smiled at him, “I bet you are.” Hayden’s enthusiasm almost made Ryan excited for him. He remembered those days all too well. “I’ll tell ya’ what, come on over and you can crash on my couch until you can find you a place to stay other than your fucking truck.”

“I don’t want to interfere with what you have going on. I have some money for a room, but I need a job, and then I’ll find a place to stay permanently.” Ryan could picture the kind of room he could rent with the money he had. He might be safer sleeping in his truck.

“Absolutely not, that is all kinds of fucked up, kid. I can’t have you risking your life staying in some damn park in east Austin at night or some sleazy motel. No telling what would happen. I don’t know exactly where you came from, but this isn’t small town East Texas. Austin’s a great place but it’s a big city, and you could get yourself killed just by landing yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Come over to my apartment and we’ll get you settled for the night.”

Ryan could tell Hayden was deciding if going with him was a good idea. When he finally agreed, it relieved his fears. He didn’t want the kid staying another night in his truck, and understood Hayden’s plight of living in BFE while trying to start a music career. AD might be able to help him, or Ryan thought they could. He hoped the kid had talent like he thought he did.

“You won’t regret this, Ryan. My mom and all of my friends tell me all the time how good I play guitar and sing which is always what I’ve loved. I write music, too. I need a chance to prove myself to people.”

“Hey, let’s walk back down to the studio since I need to get some info from Peri, and then we’ll head to my place.” Ryan needed to get the date night settled first.

Ryan helped Hayden carry his things into the apartment. “It’s not a great place, and I sure as fuck don’t plan on living here too damn much longer, but it’s clean and safe, at least.” Ryan rented the apartment after the first paycheck he received from 13 Recordings. He and Krissy didn’t live together, but they might as well have. He hadn’t even considered what she was going to say when she found out they would have an audience for their wild times in the bedroom. Those nights may have to move to her apartment, but she had a roommate, too.

“Hey, it’s great of you to let me stay. I appreciate it. My mom said you were a great guy, and she hoped maybe you would help me out.”

“Have a seat and let’s talk about your momma.” Ryan wanted to know exactly how he had gotten mixed up in this boy’s life without any warning. “What’s your story, Hayden?”

“Okay, I guess that’s a good idea.” Hayden seemed unsure to Ryan at this point. Maybe he thought he would kick him out after hearing the story.

“So, you know my name is Devillier, but my mom’s name is Thibodeaux. She told me y’all are cousins, but hadn’t seen each other since the two of you were young. Now that we’ve met, I guess you had to be young because you’re damn sure not too much older than me.”

“That’s exactly what the fuck I was thinking. I’m twenty-four. How old’s your mother?”

“She’s thirty-four.” Hayden wouldn’t look at him. It didn’t take Ryan long to figure out how young his mom was when she had him:
Kylie was a mom at sixteen.

“Look, Hayden, I’m not here to judge you or your mom, so no need to be fucking embarrassed. Shit happens. What makes a difference is how life plays out once you do get some control. It sounds like she tried to do right by you. Someone sure as hell took the time to teach you right from wrong.”