“It’s very nice,” Bijou said softly. She looked up, sadness and regret in expression. “I’m happy for you, KT.”
She took her hand back, wanting to tell them not to get too attached to the ring because it was going back in a couple weeks.
“I made some calls, Karma.” Her mom pulled some scribbled notes. “Elton can’t make it to officiate the ceremony on such short notice, but he sends his love. But don’t worry, I’ve contacted Conan.”
“I need to go.” She pushed away from the table. On her way out of the kitchen, she said, “I have a piano lesson with my student. See you guys later.”
“Karma—”
But she was already down the hall, walking faster and faster until she was running out of the house.
The piano lesson with Ashley was a lie, but because she’d said she was going there, she figured she should—at least for a little while. Outside she hopped in a cab and asked him to drop her off at the foundation.
Gwen wasn’t anywhere to be found, but Lola was sitting at a table with a teenager. They were both tapping away at laptops. Lola bobbed her head up and down to whatever music was piping in through her earphones. The girl looked completely engrossed, biting the corner of her lip in concentration.
Lola looked like a Barbie come to life. KT and Bijou had always shared an aversion to Barbie, so she’d been prepared not to like the woman, but beyond the blond facade, Lola was a funny, interesting person.
KT had intended to walk by and leave them undisturbed but then Lola looked up, smiled, and took her earbuds out. “KT! Is it your day to tutor?”
“Not really. I just thought I’d stop by to check things out.” She looked around. “Gwen isn’t here today?”
“She’s at her shop this afternoon. She got an idea for a series. You know she’s a gourd artist, right?”
KT leaned forward. “To tell you the truth, I have no idea what that means.”
“You wouldn’t be the first one. Stop by her shop sometime. Gwen’s an amazing artist. Seeing is believing.” She pointed to her laptop. “I’ve got to get back to work. Deadline, you know. Carly and I have a writing date.”
The teenager glanced up and smiled briefly before returning to her work.
Lola jerked her thumb toward the music room. “Ashley’s in there. I’d go check her out, if I were you.”
KT rolled her eyes. “In case I haven’t gotten my fill of agro-pounding music lately?”
“Because I think you’ll be surprised.” Lola raised her eyebrows.
Frowning, not sure what to think, KT got up and strode toward the room.
It wasn’t empty the way she’d expected. Ashley—
Spike
—was in there playing.
Playing
really
well.
KT stood in the doorway, gaping, her jaw on the floor. Ashley played with command, like the piano was her slave and beloved all at once, just the way it should be. She didn’t recognize the song, which made her think the girl wrote it.
Lola was right. She was blown away.
The keys crashed, and Ashley whirled around with a glare. “Are you spying on me?”
KT smiled at the irony. Stepping into the room, she nodded at the piano. “You lied to me.”
The girl just looked more belligerent. “No, I didn’t. You just didn’t listen to what I was saying.”
“Touché.” She pulled up a chair. “When did you write that?”
“How do you know I wrote it?”
“Because I know music, and I’ve never heard that before.” Stretching, she trailed her fingers over the keys, picking out part of the dark melody. “It was good.”
The girl looked at her suspiciously. “It was?”
“No, I lied. It was frickin’ fantastic.” She gave the girl a flat look. “I don’t say that lightly.”
“No kidding.” Some of her bravado fell away, and she played with the zipper on her pleather jacket. “You really think it was okay?”
“Better than okay. Just maybe consider this one part”—she nudged the girl over and sat on the bench to play the section—”like this.”
Ashley listened to her play the section over in the different key. “It’s more sinister that way.”
“Definitely more layered. It’s just a thought. There’s no right answer. It’s your composition, so you need to do what you think is right.” She sat back and stared at her. “I don’t get it. Where’d you learn to play like that?”
Ashley shrugged. “I just picked it up. There was a crappy piano in the school auditorium.”
“Then why’d you let me bug you about scales and stuff if you already know how to play?”
“I don’t know.” The girl shrugged, looking down. “It was just kind of nice to have someone care.”
Guilt stabbed KT in the chest. She could be accused of not caring either—she’d just been trying to get out of the concert.
But she
did
care, she realized.
“Whoa.” Ashley pointed to her hand. “That’s some rock.”
She grinned, remembering her own reaction. “Right?”
“Are you getting married?”
“Kind of.” She sighed.
“You don’t sound happy about it.” Then the girl frowned. ”You’ll still come here even though, right?”
She hadn’t thought about it. She’d thought she’d keep this gig until the concert and then leave. But now, Ashley needed her. That sort of talent needed to be nurtured. It wasn’t easy doing it on your own. But she wasn’t the most nurturing person. As a teacher, she sucked. But maybe she could find someone who’d take Ashley under her wing. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The teenager smiled for the first time—a true smile that lit her eyes.
Her fingers itched to pull Ashley into a hug. But she knew better, so she nudged the kid with her shoulder. “Play me more, Spike.”
“Okay,” the teenager said, showing enthusiasm for the first time.
KT closed her eyes and listened, amazed that talent like this could have been hidden for so long without anyone noticing.
Like yours?
a little voice that sounded suspiciously like her mom’s asked.
Shut up, she told it, even though she saw the irony.
Chapter Twenty-one
As he got dressed for his meeting with Leif, Chance glanced at KT, who lay on his bed scowling at the TV as she flipped through stations. Something was bothering her, but she denied it the couple times he’d asked.
It surprised him how much he wanted her to confide in him—how much he wanted to fix whatever was bothering her.
“You should just go naked,” she said without taking her eyes off the screen.
“You think that’ll increase my chances of getting hired?”
“I’d definitely hire you if you showed up naked.” She grinned at him as she turned the TV off.
He looked at her, lounging in his bed wrapped in just the sheets, and his chest filled with emotion. He wanted this—forever. He didn’t think of himself as a domestic guy, but he could see this as his future, with KT, and it was strangely appealing.
She waved her hand to him after he’d put his shoes on and slipped his wallet into his pocket. “Come here.”
He went to her.
Grabbing the front of his shirt, she pulled him down to her and gave him a bone-melting kiss. “Kick ass,” she said against his lips.
Nodding, he touched her cheek. “Thank you.”
She turned over and reached for one of the cookies she’d stashed on the bedside table. “Let the pig back in before you leave.”
He went to the bathroom and opened the door. Ante Up ran out, annoyed, and headed straight to KT like it wasn’t her who suggested locking him in there in the first place. She didn’t want him to see “mommy and daddy getting it on.”
“Don’t feed him cookies,” Chance said, strapping his watch to his wrist. “He’s getting chubby.”
“Don’t listen to him, Ante Up,” she said to the pig. “You’re just healthy.”
The porker snorted, as if he didn’t believe it either.
Chance drove to his lunch meeting with Roger Leif with a smile on his face. It was still firmly in place as he walked through the restaurant to the booth where Leif sat.
The man slouched in the corner, toying with the napkin under his drink. When he looked up, Chance knew immediately that something wasn’t right.
He sat down and faced it. “You look like you don’t have good news, Roger.”
Leif scowled at him. “I hear you’re getting married.”
“I’m not sure what that has to do with the job.”
“I need someone hungry, with an edge. I can’t hire you if you’re happy.” Leif made a face as if happiness tasted bitter to him.
“You think my getting married will affect the way I work?” he asked incredulously.
“Of course it will. It’s the end of a winning streak,” the man said glumly.
“Actually, I see it as the beginning of a bigger streak,” Chance said, looking the man in the eye. He sat back, thinking. “Where did you hear about my engagement?”
Roger shrugged. “What does it matter?”
He knew the answer, though: Tiffany Woods. He supposed he knew exactly what she’d told her boss.
As if reading his thoughts, Leif said, “You’ve put me in a bad place, Chance. I have no choice. Tiffany brought me more qualified candidates.”
“Everyone has a choice, Roger, and you thought I was more than qualified when we met.” Normally, he’d have countered Leif’s arguments and brought him around to his way of thinking, but Chance didn’t have the stomach for it. Maybe Leif was right—maybe meeting KT
had
changed his drive. Or maybe his priorities were skewed in the right direction.
In any case, he had no desire to justify himself or his relationship, and he certainly wasn’t giving up KT. So he stood and held out his hand. “It would have been good, Roger. Thanks for the opportunity.”
“That’s it?” The man stared sourly at Chance’s hand. “You’re not going to try to dissuade me?”
“Why would I want to?” Chance lowered his hand and looked the man in the eye. “You’ve shown me that you trust the wrong information. That’s the kiss of death for a gambler. Why would I align myself with that? I have skills, especially in speculating. If you don’t want to use them, I’ll find someone else who does.”
He stood up with a nod and began to leave.
“Chance, buddy”—the chair screeched as Leif stood—”maybe I was a little hasty.”
He turned and looked over his shoulder. “You were definitely hasty, but that’s your loss.”
“Maybe we can come to some sort of agreement.”
Chance smiled. “I find that unlikely, but thank you for the effort.”
He walked out of the restaurant, not feeling the least bit remorseful.
KT was still in his bed when he returned, snuggled with Ante Up. They were both engrossed in a movie, but she frowned at him when he entered. “What are you doing back already?”
“Joining you two.” He tossed his wallet on the dresser, kicked off his shoes, and climbed on the bed next to her.
“What happened?” She turned to face him, her hand on his cheek as she searched his face. She blinked incredulously. “You didn’t get the job? How is that possible?”
“Tiffany sabotaged my application. I guess she wasn’t pleased that I didn’t go for her.”
“He didn’t give you a job because of
her
?” KT frowned. “Isn’t he the boss?”
“Yeah, but apparently she has him by the balls, and I really don’t care.” He nuzzled her neck. “Are there any cookies left? I have a craving for something sweet.”
KT lifted his head, her hands on either side of his face. “You can’t just throw everything away on an engagement that isn’t real.”
“Not real, KT?” He sobered. “I’m not sure how much more real anything can be.”
“Don’t buy into the delusion.”
“This is reality, sweet pea.” He kissed her, showing her with his lips just how real they were.
“This is sex,” she said in between the kisses, “not reality. Reality is getting the job you wanted.”
Rolling on top of her, he pressed his hard-on against her hip. “My priorities have changed. That job isn’t what I want most now.”
“Oh,
hell
no.” She yanked herself away from him and kicked her legs to get free of the tangled sheets. “Don’t go there.”
“Too late.” He sat up, knowing what she was feeling because he felt it, too. But there was one difference between the two of them. “Don’t run away from what you feel for me, Karma. Don’t run from me.”
“This is just lust.”
“Yes, but it’s also love.”
“Bullshit,” she yelled, falling off the bed in her struggles.
“Play me. One round of strip poker,” he said. “If you win, I go back to Leif and accept his terms.”
She pulled at her hair, like she was going crazy. “This isn’t a game.”
“You’re right. It’s not a game.” He took her hands and pulled her into him. To him, it was forever. If only he could get her to see that, too.
Chapter Twenty-two
Being engaged wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. If she’d known she’d be required to attend parties, she might have thought of a different way of diverting her mom. KT yanked on a pair of pants, annoyed that she had to get dressed for the impromptu engagement party Lara was hosting tonight.
Except her mom was all excited about the “sacred union,” as she called it, and it was kind of sweet. KT played along because she couldn’t bring herself to squash her mother’s enthusiasm.
The one upside was since they’d announced their engagement, no one had talked about her performing in the concert. So there was that.
She grabbed the shirt off the bed and pulled it over her head. It got tangled in her hair, which her mother had told her to leave down, and then got caught on the ring Chance had given her. She tugged hard, not caring about the sound of fabric ripping.
Damn it, she wasn’t even really engaged.
She stared at the ring. She’d never tell anyone, but she loved it. It made her sad thinking about the day she’d have to give it back.
A lot of things made her sad about breaking up with Chance, which was crazy because their relationship was a sham. Even though every kiss, every touch, every conversation felt real.
She really wanted it to be real.
But not at the expense of his happiness. He was so gung-ho about what he saw as his purpose. Just because she didn’t have one didn’t mean he shouldn’t. She didn’t want him to look back in the future and regret being with her because it’d cost him a good opportunity.