Night Shifts Black (24 page)

“Should we get back to
the movie?” I ask, taking his hand and loving the fact that it’s mine now, too.
I can’t wait to cuddle up with him without questions. No more wasted brain
cells and heart beats on hesitation and speculation.

“Not yet. I have
something for you,” he says, pulling away.

“Huh?”

His sheepish smile is
accompanied by a casual shrug this time as he grabs the guitar.

“I got bored of the
chair drama last night, so I wrote one for you.” He laughs. “Luke even helped, although
he mostly just made fun of me. It was late so it’s totally stupid, but it’s all
yours,” he laughs.

I freeze. Tears spring
to my eyes as I stare at him in disbelief.

His face falls. “Are
you upset? I’m sorry…I…”

I shake my head with a
vehemence that brings back his smile, and wipe my eyes.

“Of course not! I
just…thank you.”

His grin returns in
full force as he lowers himself to the couch and does a quick tune. “Might want
to wait on the gratitude. You didn’t even hear it yet.”

I don’t have to to
know I’ll love it.

But then he starts to
play the incredibly sweet and goofy song, leaving no doubt.

“They say I’m a rock star, baby

But that’s just what they made me

Ignore my wall of Grammys, right now I’m only yours.

I’m a superstar or pathetic cover, it’s all in
your power, lover

You’re everything I need to know, let me be
yours

I’m no titan, hon, a liar, maybe

I’m no one else you need to know

You unravel my maze, the light in my haze

You’re everything I need to know

You may drive me crazy

But when I’m with you I’m just Casey, and
that’s how I know, that’s all I need to know,

I’m yours”

∞∞∞

Casey and I return to Luke, different, better,
and he gives us a knowing smile when we enter hand-in-hand.

“I didn’t pause it.
You’ll have to just figure out what’s going on,” Luke mutters as we take our
places on the bed again, but I can tell he’s not nearly as annoyed as he’s
letting on.

I grin and shove him a
bit with my shoulder. “Thanks,” I whisper, leaning close and giving him a quick
kiss on the cheek.

He seems surprised, but
not upset, almost pleased. He returns my smile before focusing back on the
screen, this time with a content expression I’ve never seen before.

∞∞∞

Casey spends several more hours on the phone
that night, pacing throughout the suite, arguing with invisible opponents, nodding,
cursing, shaking his head.

Luke and I order some
food and watch with a mix of amusement and pity as he battles the world on our
behalf. His “people” seem to be confused about why he didn’t just explain I was
actually his girlfriend, and not Luke’s, the first time they talked, but he
covers it well and they seem to buy his story. The rest is just a long list of
warnings and instructions, repeated several times, from several consultants, in
several ways.

My heart goes out to
him as I see the frustration and weariness settling into his features.

“Still questioning his
loyalty?” I shoot at Luke as Casey unleashes yet another exasperated iteration
of the same story.

“He’s a saint, no
question,” Luke agrees.

“He’s doing this for
you.”

Luke shrugs. “I don’t
know. You’re his girlfriend,” he teases, and I give him a mock glare.

“Seriously, you’re ok
with all of that? I know maybe it’s weird.”

Luke almost looks
annoyed. “Am I ok that two of the best people I know have found happiness in
each other and someone they deserve? I think I’m good.”

I roll my eyes. “You
could have given your approval without the sarcasm,” I mutter, and he grins.

“Hey, you got it,
didn’t you? Anyway, if anything, my approval is more selfish than anything. It
guarantees I get to keep both of you in my life.”

I squeeze his hand,
wishing with all my heart he could be as happy as I am at that moment.

Then Casey hangs up
the phone with a curse and slams it down on the table. I try to be
appropriately sympathetic, but it’s just too insane not to laugh.

“Oh, I’m glad you guys
think this is funny!” he quips.

“Eat something,” I
say, pointing to a chair. “It’s bar food. Not a single vegetable.”

He sighs, and I know
there’s a smile in there somewhere that wants to come out. There always is.

“I’ll get you a beer,”
I continue, half serious and half teasing him about the last time I owed him a
“thank you.”

It works, the smile
breaks, and I can’t help but squeeze his arm as I pass. I’d do a lot more to
cheer him up if Luke wasn’t sitting right there.

“What’d they say?”
Luke asks, and I listen closely as I retrieve the beer and pop the cap.

Casey sighs again, and
I hand him the bottle.

“Alright, so here’s
the deal. Lawyers are pretty sure there isn’t much legal risk. The leaked
footage clearly shows the restaurant manager giving you permission to take the
chair. The only person endangered was Callie when you took a swipe at her, and
I’m going to assume she doesn’t intend to press charges.” His face changes.
“Really, man? You swung at Callie?”

Luke looks away. He
seems like he might be ashamed which is a good sign. Maybe he’s starting to
understand what he is when he loses control of himself.

Casey shakes it off.
“Anyway, legally we’re good. Publicity-wise, they actually think we’re good,
too, as long as nothing else comes out and we lay low. While the blow up part
with the chair isn’t great, we can spin it as a painful outburst of a hurting
icon on the mend. With no laws broken, the public is going to like that Luke is
back out of hiding and clearly reconnecting with people again, even if it is with
his best friend’s girlfriend.” He turns to me. “Which, for the record, now
means you have to be seen with me at, at least, two high profile events in the
next month. Sorry, but it was non-negotiable. We need to prove that you and
Luke were just hanging out as friends, and you and I are madly in love. If they
see the three of us together, even better.”

He stops and surveys
us like we’re his second-grade class. “Any questions?”

I raise my hand, and
he rolls his eyes.

“Yes, Callie.”

“Are you going to
finish those mozzarella sticks?”

Luke laughs, and I
duck as Casey throws one at me.

Tuesday.

Casey and I fall asleep on the couch that
night after being up late talking. I learn a lot more about him, all minor
compared to the game-changing character traits I’ve gotten to witness over the
last several days, but still worth every second. I can’t believe it hasn’t even
been a week since all this started. It feels like a lifetime. Casey doesn’t
seem as concerned with the timeline, and I wonder if it’s because the pace of
his life doesn’t allow him to be overly cautious. Once he let go of his fear of
getting close, he seemed to have no problem abandoning his soul completely to
me. It’s an amazing feeling to have someone’s trust, their heart. I accepted
the gift with reverence and offered the same in return, revealing things to him
I thought I’d tucked away forever. We laughed a lot, cried a little, and I
realized there was nothing about this person I didn’t find fascinating.

When I wake the next
morning, still resting against him, I don’t want to move. My body gets in the
way, however, and eventually I force myself up as quietly as possible. He
stirs, but doesn’t wake, and I make my way to the bathroom. I decide to shower
and dress while I’m there, never sure what the day will bring with these two.

I’m glad I did.

I can hear voices when
I turn off the water, multiple voices, actually, and realize we have guests.
There’s a lot of laughter, so I can at least assume they’re welcomed guests.

I’m startled by a
knock on the bathroom door and wrap the towel around myself.

“Yeah?” I call through
the door.

“Hey, it’s Casey. Can
I come in for a sec?”

I swallow, excited and
terrified at the thought that I’m naked five feet away from him. That’s normal,
right? I’m still getting used to this whole boyfriend thing.

“Um…sure. Hang on, I’m
coming out.”

I wrap the towel more securely,
just in case. I’m not concerned or anything, this just isn’t how I pictured our
first intimate moment as a couple.

I open the door and brush
past him into the guest room to get dressed.

He stops. “Wow.”

I roll my eyes, but
can’t help the smile. “Don’t get too excited. It sounds like we have guests.”

“Yeah but…wow…”

I laugh and shake my
head. “You knew I was showering. What did you expect?”

He nods, but I’m not
even sure he hears me. “Yeah…um…”

“You came in here for
a reason?” I remind him, helping him along.

He clears his throat,
and I’m tempted to completely unhinge him with a peek, but have mercy.

“Yeah, so, ok.” He
shakes his head and actually looks away to regain his thoughts. “The guys are
here,” he explains finally.

“The guys?”

“Sorry. Sweeny and
Eli.”

His shy smile makes an
appearance, and I immediately brace for whatever triggered it.

“Ok…”

“Yeah, so TJ told them
we were hitting the studio Friday.”

“Hitting the studio?”

“Recording.”

“They’re recording?”

“Songs? Music?”

I give him a look. “I get
that. I mean, I’m surprised they’re here to record. I thought you were just going
down by yourself on Friday to fool around.”

Casey cringes. “Yeah,
about that…So TJ pretty much wet his pants when I sent him the work tape. The
Label went nuts and is sending a trailer with our gear.”

I stare at him. He’s
clearly not finished explaining what that means.

“Ok…”

“Well, so, basically
they booked the studio for the day and want us to track the entire song.”

“The song? What song?”

“‘Greetings from the
Inside.’”

My eyes widen. “Wait,
our song? You’re going to record our song? Your actual band. Night Shifts
Black.”

Casey grins and nods.
“Yeah. I think we are.”

I let out my breath,
stunned. I don’t even know what to think, let alone say. “But, I thought...we
were just messing around, right?”

He shrugs. “Maybe at
first, but it’s really good, Callie. Even Luke thinks it’s worth a shot. The
guys are here now and we’ve got three days to work on it together. By Friday we
should have something worth laying down.”

I shake my head,
amazed, terrified, confused. “Won’t they be upset?”

“That we’re actually
moving again?”

I shrug. “I don’t
know. I mean, they don’t even know me and now I’m butting in?”

“Butting in?”

“Lyrically speaking.”

He laughs. “Is that
even a thing?”

“I don’t know. Is it?”

“If it’s good, they
won’t care. Luke and I do most of the writing anyway. We’re the ones getting
our toes stepped on. Ok, well, I should get back to them.”

 
I nod. “How’s Luke with all of this?”

Casey shrugs. “Good,
actually. I’m surprised, but he’s with them now. It’s almost noon so we’re
having some food sent up.”

“And how are you with
it?”

He looks confused.
“What do you mean?”

I shrug. “I don’t
know. You’re about to introduce your controversial new girlfriend to your
band-mates?”

He grins. “I’ll be
fine as long as you don’t let them see you like that.”

I laugh and swing at
him, but he ducks away, suddenly pulling me toward him instead. My blood starts
to pound as his eyes meet mine with a breathtaking intensity. He’s going to
kiss me again. Right now. Right here, and I almost gasp at the fire ripping
through my body when our lips collide. I reach into his hair, pulling him against
me with a greedy abandon that surprises both of us. I’ve never wanted anything
so much in my life.

“Casey…” I breathe,
eyes closed as his lips caress my neck, his hands gripping my towel,
dangerously close to starting something we both know we can’t finish right now.

“I know,” he groans.
“I know.”

But he just feels so
good. My own fingers are on the waist of his jeans, instinctively pulling at
the clasp. I almost hate our guests for taking this from me. I don’t care, I
don’t want to let him go, and allow our kiss to take on an urgency I know he
won’t be able to resist. Especially when I undo the top button of his jeans and
pull his hips into mine. It’s not fair, but I want him to suffer as much as I
am right now.

He breathes a curse,
pausing as he rests his forehead against mine. We hover like that for a minute,
momentarily paralyzed by our mutual denial. When he finally manages to pull
away, I can see the longing all over his face. We’re both breathing hard,
staring at each other, wondering if there’s some way to alter Time so we can
have this moment we both so desperately want.

He takes a deep breath
and shakes his head with a wry smile. “You did that on purpose,” he charges.

“Did what?” I ask with
a mischievous smile of my own.

He gives me a mock
glare, but his return grin betrays him. “Come out when you’re ready, you vixen.”

∞∞∞

I spend a little extra time on clothes and
makeup after Casey leaves, still burning from our heated encounter. I almost
regret trying to stir him up, since I’m paying just as high of a price now. I
can still feel his firm body pressed against me, begging to be explored, to
give itself over completely. He was mine for a second, and now I’m addicted. I
suck in a deep breath, willing my racing pulse to calm itself, and finally
manage to focus on reality and the unnerving prospect of meeting the rest of
the NSB “family.”

I glance at my reflection
again and sigh. There’s no hope for my hair, which is soaking wet, so I comb
through that and hope for the best. At least my casual look will prove Casey,
Luke, and I are close enough to be past the “trying too hard” stage. If only
they knew.

I brace myself and
draw in a deep breath, nervous for some reason. It’s not that I care what the
others think for my sake, but for Casey’s. Obviously, his life will be a lot
easier if they like me.

The conversation dies
the second I come into view, and I plaster a warm smile on my face.

“There she is!” Casey
cries, jumping up from his stool before anything can get awkward. “Guys, this
is Callie.”

“Callie, this is Eli
and Jeff, but everyone calls him Sweeny.”

I wave. “Nice to
finally meet you,” I say.

“You look great,”
Casey whispers, kissing my cheek. It’s sweet, but I can’t tell if he’s sincere
or acting for his band-mates. My guess is they need to believe our relationship
is legit, too.

“Thanks,” I say with a
genuine smile once I conclude that Casey’s is also. What a weird situation,
pretending to date my actual boyfriend. He gives me a knowing look that
indicates he’s still reeling from our bedroom scene also, and my blood starts
pounding again.

I swallow. “You guys
just came in this morning?” I ask, somehow managing to ignore the throbbing in
my veins.

“Yeah, as soon as we
could,” Eli says. “Had to once we learned this guy rejoined the planet.”

Luke gives him a
smirk, but only shakes his head.

“Heard you guys have
been working on some stuff. Can’t wait to hit Jackson Street Friday,” Sweeny continues.

Casey grins and slings
his arm around me. “Actually, yeah. Thanks to Callie. She got me writing again.
We can drop some ideas over the next few days and see if any stick.”

Their expressions
change a bit, and I wonder what they’re thinking. Are they annoyed that I’ve
invaded their turf or impressed that I got the ball rolling again? I decide
it’s best to just smile and stay out of it. I certainly didn’t expect what
actually happens.

“Callie’s for real,
guys,” Luke chimes in. “You’ll like her stuff. It’s good.”

Casey and I both stare
at Luke in shock. The others seem to visibly relax at his approval.

“Looking forward to
it,” Eli says.

“You’re a writer?”
Sweeny asks.

I almost laugh at the
ironic question and catch a subtle glance from Casey.

“Apparently,” I reply,
and Sweeny looks appropriately confused.

“She is,” Casey
clarifies, squeezing my shoulders.

“Cool,” Eli says. “Oh
hey, it’s still downstairs, but we brought some of your stuff, Case. TJ said
you were looking for a few things to prepare for Friday.”

“My gear?” Casey asks
as though Santa himself just offered him the pick of the North Pole Warehouse.

They return his infectious
grin. Apparently, he has that effect on everyone.

“What we could anyway.
Just your small controller and the acoustic. Don’t get too excited, we weren’t
going to mess with the amp, so we didn’t bring your electric.”

Casey doesn’t seem
concerned. “What about my recording stuff?”

“Assuming you’ve got
your laptop and drives, but the interface, mics, and boxes are in the case with
the controller. No kit though. You’ll have to wait for the trailer on Friday,”
he adds with a smirk.

“Come on. You couldn’t
spring for an extra carryon?” Casey teases. He looks about ready to run from
the room in search of this mysterious cart of gifts.

I’m not entirely sure
what any of this conversation means, so I remain silent and keep my ignorance
to myself.

“Just go, Case,” Luke
mutters, but seems amused more than anything.

Casey nods and gives
us an apologetic look. “I’ll be right back. Gonna go find my stuff.”

“They said they’d
bring it up as soon as someone was available,” Eli explains, but clearly that’s
not an option.

“It’s fine. Be back in
a minute!”

With that, Casey is
gone, and it’s just the rest of us staring after him in amusement.

“Good call, guys,”
Luke observes to the other two. “He deserves to catch a break for once.”

They seem confused,
but not enough to ask. “How are you doing, man? We heard what’s going on.”

Luke shrugs. “Fine. I
have my girl Callie here to keep me from going completely nuts.”

The other guys are no
more surprised than I am by Luke’s comment. I glance at him, but he’s not
looking at me. In fact, his tone is so casual, so nonchalant, I almost missed
the significance of that statement.

“Is she your
girlfriend or Casey’s?” Eli snickers, and Luke only gives him a mischievous
shrug.

“She was mine first.
He stole her,” he teases, and I shove him.

“What? It’s true!”
Luke cries good-naturedly.

The others laugh.
“Yeah, right. Barrett stole a girl from Luke Craven. That’ll be the day.”

I shrug. “It’s kinda
true,” I return lightly, and Luke and I exchange an amused look.

“Man, next you’re
going to tell us this whole thing with Jackson Street was all Casey, too.”