Starting From Here (Starting From #3) - Lane Hayes Page 0,19
time, and I gave up trying once I realized she couldn’t be trusted. I should have caught on sooner than I did, but I had a tendency to overlook glaring issues when they upset the narrative I wanted to believe.
But Xena was like a bad penny. Every time she turned up, life turned to shit. No joke. In a way, she was directly responsible for killing a few opportunities for me, not to mention my relationship with Tegan. Okay, maybe that was my fault, but she was the mischief-maker behind some really bad ideas. And the worrisome part was that she kept coming back for more…even after she alienated everyone around her.
I chose the wrong team more than once and gave her far too many chances. I wished I’d cut ties when she asked me to start a band with her last year, but more than anything, I wished I hadn’t introduced her to my mom. Fuck, I was an idiot.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Scratch Records. Is it a sex fuck thing or a band fuck thing? I know you have an angle, Dec.”
“Yeah, it’s called music.”
Xena snorted. “Naturally. So, how did you manage to get in? They hate you. They used to, anyway.”
“They still do. That’s not important. What do you want?”
“I need your help.”
“No.”
“Don’t be like that, Dec. We’re still friends. Besides, this could be good for your band too. I just signed a contract with a new agent. I’m playing Carmichael’s next month, and I need an opening act.”
“Sorry. We book through our manager only.”
“I get it. And I respect that. However…you need to break your contract and sign on with Julio. Charlie is adorable, but he’s in over his head. He hasn’t been able to get either Zero or Jealousy a gig at Carmichael’s or any local spots lately. Did you know that?”
“No, but—”
“He had a little success in the beginning, but now he’s asking for too much money, and no one is biting. Ask him about it if you don’t believe me.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“You might want to rethink that. I can help you.”
“We’ve tried that before, Xena. It didn’t work, so no thanks.”
“One gig, Dec. Just one.”
“Look, I couldn’t do it if I wanted to. We’re down a drummer.” I explained Cade’s recent injury as I locked up and made my way to the parking lot. “Anyway, thanks for thinking of me but—”
“My drummer will cover for you. Not a problem. I’ll text you his contact info later.”
“Xena…”
“Don’t thank me. I’ll talk to you later. And give me the date of your mom’s black-tie party when you get a chance. I’ll make sure to put it in my calendar. Bye, Dec!”
Ugh. Fuck.
Turned out, you had to wake up very fucking early to beat the crowd at Scratch Records.
“Good morning! You’re here early and I’m so glad to see you,” Charlie chirped.
“Hey, Char. Hang on. I need…coffee.” I pointed longingly in the general direction of the kitchen when he pulled my sleeve and drew me toward his office.
“Oh, honey, me too. And I’ve already had three cups this morning. Sit.” He pointed at the black leather chair in front of his desk, then closed the door.
I obeyed because I was too tired and under-caffeinated to think for myself yet. And though I wasn’t exactly sure what time it was, I knew it was too early for Charlie to be here. He and Ky lived in Venice. They usually waited for traffic to clear before venturing to West Hollywood.
“What’s up?” I asked, furrowing my brow.
He perched on the seat next to mine, plucking at an imaginary piece of lint on his perfectly pressed khakis and sighed theatrically. “I’m in trouble.”
“Uh…excuse me?”
“Justin called me last night. Apparently, he ran into Tegan in the studio and heard about our idea and…didn’t like it. Not the idea itself, but the fact that we didn’t clear it with Zero first. I suppose he’s right, which irks me to no end. I should have called a meeting of the bands. But I was busy, and you were desperate and…according to my boyfriend, I have a bad habit of doing what I want and asking for forgiveness after the fact. It’s true. I’m terrible.”
“Oh.” I cocked my head, unsure how to respond.
“I apologized to Justin, but it looks like we’ll need to have an official powwow to clear the air.”
“Okay. Sounds reasonable. We were going to start at nine. Can we meet first? I don’t know who’s here yet, but—”