Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Four months later...

Leaning back in my desk chair, I twisted my hair into a careless knot on top of my head. My focus was fixed on the computer screen before me, brow furrowed as I critically studied my most recent tee-shirt designs.

I didn't even flinch when the door banged open and a male voice shouted "Break time!" Within seconds, David Lynam, the drummer for the Birmingham based band Lynam, had pulled a chair up next to me and straddled it. He had his arms across the top of the chair, folded as a prop for his chin. His dark brown eyes--so much like Brian's--fixed on me with unwavering intensity.

This was a favorite pastime of his: annoying the hell out of me. After two months of working with the band, I'd almost mastered the art of ignoring him.

"David, man, leave the poor girl alone," scolded Lynam vocalist/guitarist Jacob Bunton. He set a cup of coffee on my desk and finally, my attention was diverted. I knew the coffee would be exactly to my liking because Jacob had my preferences memorized.

I sipped the coffee and looked up at Jacob with a grateful smile. "What time is it?" I questioned, only now aware of the pain in my lower back and how tired my eyes were.

"Almost midnight," Jacob replied, leaning on the desk with his arms crossed over his chest. In one hand, he held a cup of coffee. Black.

"You should come out with us," David suggested.

"Where are y'all going?"

"Iron Horse. We're meeting Cody and Jessica and some other people there."

"I don't know," I said hesitantly. "I really need to get this done."

"We'll give you an extension," David offered.

I shook my head. "I can't, Dave. I'm exhausted. I wouldn't be any fun."

"We just need to get a couple of drinks in you and you'll be--" David broke off at a stern look from Jacob. "Fine." He sighed and stood. "You owe me a show."

"Deal."

He gave my shoulder a little squeeze and ambled out of the room. I glanced at Jacob with a grin. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Jacob turned around the chair David had abandoned and settled his tall, lanky frame onto it. "What are you working on?"

"New shirts." I clicked on one to enlarge it. "I'm not sure what it is, but there's something off about these."

Jacob was silent while I showed him the five designs I'd been crafting for the last two-and-a-half weeks.

"I'm not fully satisfied with any of them," I said, twisting my chair to face Jacob. This put our knees touching. "They don't scream Lynam to me."

"That's because you didn't design these with Lynam in mind," Jacob commented.

I frowned. "I didn't?"

"No, you didn't." Jacob reached over and enlarged the photo of the second design. "This is dark and a bit wicked and something I'd expect on the tee-shirt of someone like, oh, I dunno...Avenged Sevenfold."

The members of Lynam were familiar with my story. Well, most of it. They knew I'd been engaged to Brian Haner Junior and that I'd called the engagement off and come to Alabama to lick my wounds. However, I'd never told them exactly what Brian had done.

I eyed the design, realizing that Jacob was right.

"He's been on your mind a lot lately," Jacob stated matter-of-factly, referring to Brian.

I toyed with the necklace Jimmy had given me for my birthday. That seemed like a lifetime ago now. "I miss him more than I should."

"More than you should?" Jacob echoed. "I didn't know there was a limit to how much you can miss someone you were ready to spend the rest of your life with."

"Let me rephrase that. I miss him more than he deserves."

Jacob stared at me and I could literally feel him restraining himself from asking what Brian had done.

I set my coffee down and rubbed my eyes. "Aren't you going to Iron Horse with everybody?"

Jacob shrugged. "Eh, I don't really feel like it tonight. I'll probably just go home."

"Your wife would probably appreciate that," I said teasingly.

Jacob chuckled. "Yeah." His expression sobered. "Jordan, you know if you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen."

"You're my boss, Jacob. This is a professional relationship."

Jacob snorted. "Right. Since when has this relationship ever followed the rules of the 'professional' world? You've known since day one that we view everyone who works with us as part of the Lynam family."

Like being part of the Avenged Sevenfold family, I thought, struggling to keep my face blank.

"Brian did something unforgiveable, and it still hurts some times," I said. "Let's just leave it at that."

"I'm going to make one observation and then, I'll let it go. There's nothing Liz could ever do that I would consider unforgiveable. I love her and I want to be with her. I would always forgive her, just like she would always forgive me."

"Even if you cheated on her?" I demanded. "Multiple times? With every fucking skank that was willing to get you off? While to her face, you dedicated all of your time to promising her that none of the rumors were true and that it was all just part of being a rock star?" I looked away from Jacob's shocked blue eyes, clenching my jaw as I fought back tears.

"He did that?" Jacob's voice was soft.

I nodded, still not looking at him. "I found out he'd been unfaithful from one of his best friends, then when I confronted him about it, he admitted that it had happened more than once." I let out a shaky breath. "He wanted to discuss it. He said I was irrational because I wouldn't let him 'explain.'" I lifted my gaze to meet Jacob's. "How do you explain something like that?"

"I don't know."

I swiped at the tears now trickling down my cheeks.

"C'mere." Jacob put down his cup of coffee, inched to the very edge of his chair, and drew me into his arms, albeit a bit awkwardly.

I snuggled against his chest, still slightly sniffling. A few stray tears dripped onto his shirt. "It hurts. It hurts so much that I can't breathe."

Jacob tightened his hold on me. "I'm sorry, Jordan."

"I'll never love anyone else the way I love him. He's the only one who's ever made me feel like I was...everything."

"Don't you think that's worth saving? Maybe you do need to talk to him and listen to what he has to say."

"I can't." I pulled away enough to look Jacob in the face. "If he'd only done it once, I might could stomach an apology, but I can't hear the words 'I'm sorry' after he did it multiple times. It's not a mistake if you do it over and over, knowing it's wrong." Straightening up, I scooted my chair away from his. "I need to fix these and make them a little less A7X and a little more Lynam."

Jacob got to his feet. "Alright. I'll see you this weekend." At my mildly puzzled look, he explained: "You owe David a show, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Guess I'd better get that over with or I'll never hear the end of it."

Jacob bent to kiss my cheek. "Bye."

"Bye."

The door clicked shut behind him and I was left alone in the silence with my thoughts.

*****

"David!" I yelled, running across the room and leaping on the faintly startled drummer.

Reacting instinctively, he caught me with his hands on the backs of my thighs. He then hitched me higher, getting a more secure hold on me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"I like this side of you," he said with a smirk. "Now how about a little kiss?"

"David." Jacob approached from the direction of the back room. "You do know she could get you for sexual harassment, right?"

"Yeah, but she won't," David responded confidently. "She likes it." Shifting his focus back to me, he persisted "What do you say? Give me some love?"

I gave him a sweet, very brief, kiss on the lips. He grinned and set me down. "That's my girl."

"And here comes your wife," Jacob remarked.

David and I both turned to find Lauren crossing the room.

"Lauren!" I shouted, and sprinted forward for a hug.

David glanced at Jacob. "Damn. I love my life."

"I can't believe you're actually at a show," Lauren said to me. "Can I safely assume that my husband had something to do with this?"

I laughed. "You know him very well."

"Sometimes I wish I didn't." Lauren greeted David with a kiss. She looked at Jacob. "Hey."

"Of course the two sexiest ladies in the room are over here with the band boys," drawled Lynam bassist Cody Elliott, sidling up next to me and slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"Watch it," David warned playfully, hugging Lauren close to his side.

Lauren arched an eyebrow. "Hmm. I think I should probably give Cody a little kiss." She shot David a pointed look.

I bit my lip to suppress a smile. She wasn't really angry, but she often gave David a hard time. We felt like it was good for him, since he was always annoying people.

"Baby, you know that meant nothing," David said soothingly.

"Oh, so now you're saying I mean nothing to you!?" I exclaimed dramatically. "You're a pig, David Lynam!"

"Whatever." Chuckling, David sauntered off. Lauren rolled her eyes, smiling, and followed him.

Cody faced me, his hands going to my hips. "Hey, babe."

Cody was a shameless flirt and he constantly used his good looks to his advantage, yet there was something different in the way he treated me. It was so much more than simply testing the waters to see how far he could get. And I had to admit that I loved the way his attention made me feel. We would never be more than just friends; still, a healthy dose of flirting and teasing with an attractive guy was good for the soul.

"There are beautiful women undressing you with their eyes right now," I commented, smoothing a strand of hair back from his face. "Why are you over here?"

"Because I want to be undressing you," he murmured.

I blushed. "Bullshit."

"It's not bullshit," he protested. "You're sexy as hell."

"We've only known each other two months--"

"Did I say I wanted something deep and meaningful?"

"A one-night stand?"

"Friends with benefits."

"Jordan." Jacob was suddenly next to us, one of his hands closing around my upper arm. "I need to borrow you for a second."

I let him lead me away, grimacing apologetically at Cody over my shoulder. Jacob and I walked outside. Jacob didn't speak as he began unloading equipment from the van.

I relaxed against David's SUV. "So...we can add cockblocking to your list of talents?"

"I don't want you to make a mistake."

"Cody would be a mistake?"

"Cody would be a rebound."

"Well, someone has to be the rebound," I pointed out.

"Not someone you work with," Jacob retorted, setting his guitar case down with unnecessary force. He exhaled loudly. "Listen, Jordan, if you want to fuck Cody, I don't care. Just...not as a rebound, okay? I don't want y'all to screw this up. I like you working with us. You're fun to be around and we all adore you and if you and Cody go down in flames, you'll leave us."

"Jacob." I went to him and slipped my arms around his tiny waist. "Cody and I play and flirt and tease, but that's all it is. I'm not up for any kind of relationship yet, not even the no-strings-attached kind." I smiled reassuringly up at him. "Besides, I fucking love this job, and I would never do anything to screw it up."

"Promise?" Jacob said.

I nodded solemnly. "Promise."