Page 5 of Revelry

Just then a frazzled redhead juggling a stack of paperwork and packages bursts into the room. No sooner is she in than she’s tripping over her own feet and throwing shit at mine. Packages land on my boots, and one hits me in the shin. For some reason, Zed finds her mortification hilarious. He snorts and then claps me on the shoulder. “She’s falling at your feet, Coop. This one’s like a super-charged fangirl.”

“Shut up, fuckstick,” I mumble, and then before my brain catches up I say, “Her. We want her.”

“I’m sorry,” Vanessa says with a laugh. “What do you mean you want her?”

“I need a personal assistant.”

“Um, hello?” Debbie says. “You already have an assistant, moron.”

“We need another. Leif’s been promoted to a roadie; we need someone to run errands.”

“Is Miss Jones here your only demand?” Guidelli says, emphasising the demand part of that question, as if he thinks it’s fucking endearing, or something.

“No, we want an extra five per cent on royalties,” I say, meeting his shrewd gaze squarely.

“Yeah, and we want a tour bus with our name on it and orange flames up the side,” Zed adds, looking all too pleased with himself.Sometimes I wish he were a mute.

Guidelli chuckles, and his jowls wobble in time with his enormous gut. “A tour bus with flames?”

I glance down at the beauty at my feet.Fuck. Seeing her on her knees, staring up at me is causing my dick to swell. Only when I look again she’s not gazing at me with the same level of adoration. Her big whiskey-coloured eyes aren’t softened with lust the way most women’s gazes are around me. She’s actually pissed. Her cheeks flame bright pink as she gathers her shit together and then she stands and turns her back to me.

“I was hired as a personal assistant and receptionist for Miss Robinson. I’m not sure being lackey to a bunch of rock wannabes is really in my job description,” she points out.

The entire room goes silent.

Guidelli’s face turns puce. “Your job description, Miss Jones, is whatever we make it. Assuming you want to hold onto it, that is?”

She sets her packages down on the table and folds her arms, pushing up her full tits and giving the entire room an eyeful, though I suspect she doesn’t know it. “You’d fire me for turning down a job that’s not part of my description? You can’t be serious?”

“Deadly,” he bites out. “And before you embarrass yourself further, Miss Jones, remember it’s very difficult to get anyone to take a chance on you when you’ve walked out on the biggest recording house in the industry.”

I really should say something here. Stand up for her, say I was just kidding, and that we’re not really interested in having someone around who is not interested in being a part of our team. In fact, I have no idea why I even suggested her as one of our demands. It’s ridiculous. I don’t have any fucking idea what I was thinking.

“Look, its fine,” I say. “We don’t need another assistant.”

“Finally. Thank you.” Debbie stands. Her tight-lipped expression tells me I’m going to hear all about it on the way to the studio.

“Miss Jones, clear out your desk.”

“You’re firing me?” she asks, exasperated.

“No, we’re keeping you on as personal assistant toTaint.” He smiles as he emphasises our new name. “You’re to make yourself available to these fine young gentlemen.”

“Sorry, looks like you’re stuck with the rock wannabes for a little bit longer. Don’t worry, Red. Levi here will take real good care of you,” Levi taunts. He licks his lips and all my muscles clench with tension.What the fuck?I’ve got enough fucking problems with the fairer sex, I don’t need my cock all twisted up over another redhead.

And then it hits me. Ali looks just like Holly. She doesn’t have freckles, and she hides those incredible eyes behind a half-arsed attempt at a fringe, and she’s a little bit taller, but there are definitely similarities there.

Panic roils in my gut. I can’t have this girl around me twenty-four seven. I’ll go fucking mad. I have enough shit reminding me of exactly what I lost.

“We don’t need her, really. She’s just gonna be a burden,” I say.

Ali turns to me and I think I see relief in her gaze, but then Levi chuckles, drawing my attention away from the girl. Levi’s studying me with his arms folded over his chest. He’s pushing me to my limit because he’s clearly pissed at me for letting them railroad us. I shake my head, but he just laughs and says, “No, we really do need her. I mean, Deb, you know how much I love you—we all do. But sometimes you just need another girl to get the job done.”

“Levi, honey, your ego is so huge it’d take every woman in the country to ‘get the job done’.”

“Baby, you’re confusing my ego with my cock.” He winks. “Let’s take a vote. Who here thinks we need the pretty Red?”

I keep my hands firmly fisted at my sides while Levi and Ash raise theirs. Debbie doesn’t budge, but then she’s not a band member, so she doesn’t really get a vote. Surprisingly, I see Zed’s arm shoot up in the air.

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