Everything else being Sebastian.
* * *
Sebastian knew something was up with Tru. He just didn’t know what or how to talk to her about it.
He figured his usual approach of just blurting things out wouldn’t work this time. She deserved something more. Something better. He just hadn’t figured out how to approach the problem yet.
“Jesus, Baz, keep your head in the game, man. You fucked up that progression again.”
With a sigh, he shook his head at Zach. “Shit. Sorry. Let’s go again.”
They’d been working on this song for most of the morning. Nik, Trev, and Jase hadn’t come in yet. Probably sleeping off yesterday’s fourteen-hour session. But it gave Zach and Baz a chance to nail down this rhythm in the song Jase and Trev had written.
It’d been close to two in the morning before they’d split. They all had suites at Haven now, making it easy to keep track of everyone. If Baz had an idea at three in the morning, he could go across the hall and wake up Nik.
Trev and Jase had connecting rooms down the hall, and Zach’s suite was next to Nik’s. Tyler had fortunately been able to get them all on the same floor, but they were spending almost all of their time in the studio anyway.
And what little time he did spend away from the studio, he spent with Tru at her townhouse. Which hadn’t been more than a couple nights in the past two weeks.
“Nah, let’s take a break.” Zach shoved his sticks in the holder and stood, stretching his back. “Fuck, I could use a massage but I haven’t been able to find a masseuse I like since Sonya went and got knocked up.”
“When’re you gonna see Gina again?”
Zach busted out a goofy smile that made Baz want to shake his head. “Not for a while. They’ve got dates on the west coast for the next two weeks. Then they head up into Canada. I’m gonna catch up with them for a few days when they hit Chicago.”
Baz nodded, glancing down at his hands for a few seconds before figuring out how to phrase the question that’d been bugging the hell out of him.
“Baz?”
“Yeah?”
“What’s going on, man?”
Baz’s head popped up and he saw Zach staring at him. He didn’t look worried but he definitely looked concerned. And yeah, there was a difference.
He’d noticed that Trev and Jase kept watching him, like they were waiting for him to crack again. They were worried. He got that.
Hell, even Nik kept watching him, but he didn’t think Nik was worried. No, there was something else going on with Nik but Baz just wasn’t ready to deal with that problem head on.
Zach was the only one of the guys he felt able to talk to without watching what he said.
“How do you do it? How are you making it work?”
Zach held his gaze as he thought about his answer for a few seconds. “I’m not gonna lie, man. The time apart . . . it sucks ass. The first few weeks, I seriously considered calling it off. I spent a few weeks on the road with Gina and her band before we realized that wasn’t gonna work. I didn’t have enough to do and she had too much going on to babysit me. I was driving her crazy. And I was driving myself crazy because I couldn’t get out onstage and play.”
Baz shook his head. “I’m so—”
“No.” Zach held up one hand. “Wait. Just listen. I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on you. I’m just explaining where my head was because I don’t wanna see you fuck things up with Tru.”
A prickle of annoyance made Baz’s back straighten but he kept quiet. Because he agreed. He didn’t want to screw up with Tru.
“So I left. It totally fucking sucked to be away from her, but I knew if I stayed, we’d end up hating each other. We figured out a schedule. Every couple of weeks, I’d meet up with them and stay for a few days. Then I’d leave for a couple weeks. And it helped.”
“But weren’t you worried? I mean, you know what happens when we’re on the road. It all gets so fucking insane.”
“Yeah, I’d be lying if I said I’m not worried about what she’d up to. Is she screwing around? Did she meet someone else? Did she realize I’m a clingy asshole and be glad to get rid of me?”
Yep. Zach knew exactly what Baz was thinking.
“But if you truly care about each other,” Zach continued, “that shit all works itself out.” Then he shrugged. “Or it doesn’t and you go your separate ways. And yeah, that sucks but, man, you’re an ass if you don’t give it the work it needs because that girl out there is the real fucking deal. She’s smart, she’s beautiful, and she actually fucking likes you, which is fucking amazing.”
Zach’s smile took the sting out of those last words but Baz knew his friend was totally right.
Tru was amazing and he didn’t want to fuck up their relationship. But they’d been dating for all of a month and maybe she just didn’t feel the same way about him.
Hell, she hadn’t said she loved him and he’d thrown it out there like he said it all the time to everyone he met. Maybe she just didn’t believe him. Or maybe she didn’t feel the same. Maybe he was just another notch on her bedpost.
Maybe he just needed to fight a little harder for her.
Baz sighed. There was one thing he knew for certain. “She’s definitely amazing.”
“Yep. And you’re not so bad yourself, man.”
Baz couldn’t help himself. “You just wanna do me. I know you’ve got a crush on me. Just admit it.”
Zach’s laugh was a huge sound, which fit the man perfectly. “First off, you ain’t got the right parts. And second, you’re not as pretty as Nik so if I got hard up, he’d be my first choice, dude, not you.”
* * *
“Trudeau, Cory Shirk is here to see you. Can I send him back?”
For a second, Tru had no idea how to respond to Jess. She hadn’t been expecting Cory, and she had no idea what he was doing here. Unless it had something to do with the deal he was working on with Greg.
But then she remembered Greg had a meeting with the police department’s public relations deputy secretary.
“Sure, Jess. Send him back.”
Her immediate response was to check herself in a mirror or any reflective surface to make sure she looked okay. Which was ridiculous. She knew she looked decent enough to meet a man who was here on business. Just because they’d had one, unimpressive date didn’t mean she had to freak out.
And she wasn’t. Seriously. The fact that her heart was now pounding a mile a minute didn’t mean a damn thing.
And the fact that, when he walked into her office looking like he’d just stepped off a GQ photo shoot, auburn hair slightly mussed and blue eyes glittering, her lungs maybe did a little hitch, well . . . it didn’t mean a damn thing.
Yeah, it only means you’re one screwed-up chick.
“Hi, Cory. It’s nice to see you again.”
She stood and held out her hand, which he took with a slightly crooked smile. And if he held on a little longer than necessary and she didn’t make a fuss, well, it wasn’t like she was married. Or dead.
“Tru. Thanks for taking a few minutes for me.”
“No problem. What can I do for you?”
“I had a few more questions for Greg but he’s out so I thought I’d say hello.”
“I’m glad you did. I hope you’ve made up your mind to become an investor.”
He laughed, a deep rumble of sound that should’ve made her shiver with desire.
And didn’t. Despite the fact that she still found him one of the most attractive men she’d ever met.
“Greg did say you were dedicated to your job.”
She grimaced, though she tried to make it more of a rueful smile. “Guilty as charged. Sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped on you the minute you walked into my office.”
“No worries, Tru. And truth be told, I’m still hoping someday you might.”
Her cheeks flushed a bright red as he continued.
“I’m not a man who gives up easily, and I realized that about two seconds after I left you that night. So yes, I’m here with an ulterior motive. I did want to speak to Greg but I wanted to see you, as well.”