Happily Ever After

Sage silently fumed in her seat, arms crossed, frowning at the wall. Damn, Hunter. Why would he even say something like that? She could barely stand Cadeau. As if she’d sleep with her. Is that what they all thought? That her original distaste for the new drummer would morph into desire. No. Absolutely not. No matter how pretty Cadeau was.

And she was gorgeous.

And talented.

And useful.

And she probably looked pretty good naked, too. All smooth and womanly, not like Sage’s past partners. She could imagine it. Pretty, manicured feet attached to long, shapely legs that led to her round ass. She probably shaved everything, left herself vulnerably nude and unprotected by rough hairs. Her stomach trim from working out, but not overly done. Sage doubted Cadeau had much more than the ghost of abs. That suited her just fine. And her breasts, they were nice. They’d dust red, flush the closer she got to her peak, and her rosy nipples would press against Sage’s tongue, begging—

Sage blinked away the image, hid her shock under her well-maintained scowl. What the hell was she thinking? And in the middle of a meeting. She had been overwhelmed in a moment of weakness, distraction. That was all.

“She’s cool,” Blake said with a shrug. “Why?”

“I’ve drafted her contract,” Andy said, “gotten it approved by the label, and I plan on offering it to her this week. She’s going to be your drummer. If any of you have a problem with her, I need to know.” He shot an expectant look at Sage, which she ignored. “Now.”

“Is that why we’re here?” Blake asked.

“Shut up,” Hayden said, disbelief drawing out the words.

“We had to call a formal meeting for this?” Hunter asked.

Still glowering at the wall, Sage mumbled, “This is such a waste of time.”

Andy gave her a look, which she ignored. Again. “You’re the one I’m most worried about. I thought you might kill her before I got back.” Before she could object, he said, “I know you.”

Sage gave him the most intense glare she could muster, one that would certainly make anyone else shrink back and cower. Andy didn’t flinch.

“I wouldn’t kill her,” she grumbled, turning her eyes back to the wall.

No one acknowledged her statement.

“Cadeau seems nice enough and she’s a good drummer,” Blake said, “The only thing I see becoming an issue is how the fans might view her. She’s not exactly the type of person they like.”

That was an understatement.

“She’s the kind of girl they wish death on,” Hunter said.

Far more accurate.

“You think anyone would boycott over that?” Hayden asked. “It’s not like she’s a total bitch or something.”

She wasn’t. Not really. Sage could give her that. They had said very little to each other, and most of what Sage had said wasn’t nice, but Cadeau hadn’t been a bitch. And Sage gave her every reason to be.

Alright, maybe she had been trying to make her blow up so she could have a legitimate reason to have her kicked from the band. Technicalities.

“I don’t know,” Andy said, “I hope not. As long as you guys like her, I want her in. The fans will have to live with it.”

“She’d be a good asset,” Blake said, “Based on talent alone, she’d fill Reese’s spot perfectly.

“We can do something about her image, can’t we?” Hunter asked.

“Makeover,” Hayden cheered.

Change her? No, they couldn’t do that. She’d fit in with the band in photographs, sure, but she wouldn’t be right. She didn’t belong in heavy eyeliner or bright hair colors or the mix of neon and dark colored clothing Sage wore. She looked right in her clothing, like a Barbie doll, stereotypically feminine and sexy. They couldn’t change her.

Besides, Cadeau couldn’t take Sage’s look.

“I call makeup,” Davy chimed.

Hayden glared. “You’ll get shoes and like it.”

“We could do that, dress her differently for appearances and shows,” Andy said, “Paparazzi might not even recognize her when she’s in her normal clothing.”

“It could work,” Blake said, “You can talk to her at prac—”

“No,” Sage blurted.

All eyes turned to her, an uncomfortable combined gaze that made her fidget. She probably could have performed a smoother interjection.

“Sage,” Davy said, boredom coating his voice, “you don’t like anyone. You’ll get over it.”

Her jaw dropped. That asshole. How dare he presume to know her well enough to think he already knew what her complaint would be? Never mind that he probably would have been right a few days ago and that he was one of her best friends, second only to Blake.

“I wasn’t going to,” Sage stopped herself. An argument with him was pointless. She wouldn’t get anywhere. “We can’t change who she is just to make her part of the band,” Sage said, “It wouldn’t work.”

“You just don’t like her,” Blake said.

Damn them.

“I don’t know her,” she snapped. “And I’m trying to give her a chance.” She crossed her arms. “We’ll have to find a way to let the fans give her a chance, too.”

Silence. Startled stares. No one seemed to know how to react to Sage’s change of heart. She didn’t quite know how to react herself. It had happened quickly, at Saylor’s urging and under the newfound of knowledge of just what Cadeau could do—though she wasn’t quite positive about those skills yet, she’d wait on the results of her guitar before making a solid opinion there. But she was letting the idea of Cadeau grow on her. Barely.

Blake broke the silence, “What happened to you?”

“Did you already bone her?” Hunter asked. At Sage’s glare, he held up his hands in mock surrender and said, “Scissor, sorry.”

Sage rolled her eyes, feed up with his insistent sexual claims, and looked at Blake. “Your wife is very persuasive.”

Blake grimaced. “That’s why our puppy sleeps on the bed.”

“You know,” Davy said, “I think you might actually have a point. For once.”

And now everyone’s eyes turned to him, waiting for an elaboration of some kind to make his statement clear. But, ever the drama queen, he stared thoughtfully at the ceiling, leaning back in his chair, drawing out his moment far longer than necessary. As if what he had to say was some prophecy that would alter their lives forever.

Finally, he spoke, “We can’t change Cadeau. Not really. That would go against everything the band stands for.” He glanced at each curious band member for confirmation. “Right?”

What they stood for? Something about acceptance, Sage recalled from various interviews where Blake would talk for twenty minutes about their beliefs.

Those beliefs were important to Blake.

“It would be hypocritical,” Andy mused.

Andy’s dramatically different change of stance nearly gave Sage whiplash. He actually changed his mind. Because Davy said something. So whipped.

“So no makeover?” Hayden clarified

“No,” Andy said.

“Damn.”

Thank whatever spiritual powers existed above. Sage managed to change their minds and she didn’t even have to backup herself. Cadeau wouldn’t be transformed into a sexpot rock star and steal Sage’s role. She’d stay Barbie.

A very sexy Barbie.

“So the only other thing I can think of to do is to let her do a Youtube video or an interview about her suicide attempt to make—”

Blake choked on air, ending his thought. “Suicide attempt?” she asked through coughs.

Hunter followed up with a stunned mumble of “Cadeau?”

The words seeped into Sage’s mind, fighting to register. Cadeau attempted suicide. Suicide. That gorgeous blonde was so sad, so upset, so depressed, she tried to end her life. She tried to erase her existence from the world. Just leave.

Why?

“Are we talking about the same Cadeau?” Hayden asked. “Silky hair, legs for days, great ass? Attracts everything with a pulse?”

“You didn’t know?” Andy asked.

“How would we?” Blake returned.

“Reese told me. I don’t think he meant to,” he added quickly. “But I thought he might tell you, too.”

Silence descended over the group, heavy and filled with unasked questions. The less-than-polite remarks and critiques Sage had given Cadeau flashed through her thoughts, followed by a surge of guilt. She treated someone who had attempted suicide horribly. It wasn’t Sage’s fault. She didn’t know. She treated everyone the same. Until they forced her to get to know them.

She still felt terrible.

“Should we talk to her?” Hayden asked, tentative.

“I don’t know,” Blake mumbled.

“Probably should if she’s going to do a video about it,” Hunter said.

“How do you bring that up?”

“I’ll do it,” Sage blurted.

The least she could to make up for her behavior was try to understand.