Always Sometimes Never: Sometimes Brooke Part 1

Sometimes Brooke.

The ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER Rock Star Romance Series.

Sierra Avalon.

One.

Brooke.

The sun is so bright it's almost unbearable. I wish there was some way for me to tell G.o.d or the universe or whomever controls the sun to dim it. I riffle through my purse in an effort to find my sungla.s.ses. Instead I find: Lotion.

Hairspray.

Eyeliner.

Perfume.

I've got an entire drugstore beauty aisle in my bag, but no sungla.s.ses. I lay a palm over my eyes and groan instead.

"Do you need to borrow a pair of sungla.s.ses?" My best friend, Harper Leigh, asks. Of course she carries a spare pair. She's perfect in nearly every way.

The only way in which she's not perfect is in her choice of lifelong best friends.

And she's a bit style inept. She has a way of matching clothes that makes her look like some kind of hippie librarian. Even now that she's living with Nic Rayne, arguably one of the biggest celebrity rock stars on the planet, her wardrobe hasn't improved one bit.

"Glove compartment," she prods.

"This is a great car, by the way."

Her hands tighten on the steering wheel and I watch as the tension spreads through her body. Harper and I have been friends since elementary school and she's always been frugal. Her parents struggled financially over the years to maintain a middle cla.s.s existence. I'm sure living with a multimillionaire has taken some getting used to.

When I open the glove box I see not one but three pairs of extra sungla.s.ses. All high-end brands. "What happened to the Harper I used to know? Buying a pair of sungla.s.ses at the Dollar Store used to be a major purchase. Now you're driving a brand new Audi with a thousand dollars' worth of spare sungla.s.ses in your glove compartment."

She grimaces. "Nic insists on buying stuff for me. It's not worth protesting. He just does it anyway."

"Such a rough life," I tease.

"It's not all unicorns and rainbows," she fires back.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"He wants to get married. Like yesterday. I want to take things a little slower. I'm not even twenty-five yet. I never thought I'd be married before the age of thirty."

"At least the guy wants to put a ring on it. Not many of them do these days."

"I know. He's just very persistent. He's used to getting everything he wants when he wants it. And what he wants now is to marry me."

"To have your problems..."

"So how was it?" she asks.

"How was what?" I feign innocence.

She laughs. "I just picked you up from rehab."

"Oh, yea, right. That place. I was trying to forget all about it."

"Was it really that bad?"

"It was long."

"You were only there thirty days."

"Thirty long and miserable days. But I'm taking it one day at a time and living in the now because sobriety is a journey, not a destination. Recovery is a road littered with one-line slogans."

"I'm so glad you haven't lost your wry sense of humor."

"You may be the only person on Earth who actually thinks I'm funny. Most people can't see beyond my b.i.t.c.h faade."

"I know one person who's extremely excited to see you. You are all he's been talking about since I mentioned you'd be staying with us."

"He?"

"Leo. Remember the guy you shared a night of hot pa.s.sionate s.e.x with."

How could I forget? Leo Donovan is by far the s.e.xiest guy I've ever been with. Just thinking about him sends a wave a heat through my entire body. His magical hands that seemed to know just the right place to move at just the right time. His luscious lips and tongue that I couldn't get enough of no matter how hard I tried. Don't even get me started on his ma.s.sive c.o.c.k...Ugh. Why did she have to bring up Leo when I've worked so hard to erase all memory of that spectacular night from my mind?

"I've had hot pa.s.sionate s.e.x with a lot of guys," I say dismissively, trying to get Leo out of my head. "Too many to even count. I don't even have enough fingers to count all the guys I screwed in rehab."

"Were you supposed to be having s.e.x with guys in rehab?"

I can't help but laugh. "Of course not. Having s.e.x in rehab is verboten."

"But..." She leaves the word hanging in the air and I know it's my cue to fill her in on the details.

"Apparently I'm not just hooked on drugs and alcohol. I'm also a d.i.c.k addict."

"Really? You?" She fakes surprise. "Say it isn't so."

"I just couldn't give up the c.o.c.k no matter how hard I tried. My first week in treatment they put us in expressive arts therapy. The art therapist was this young guy right out of grad school. Working at the rehab center was his first job. He was kind of cute in a puppy dog sort of way. When he went for art supplies I volunteered to help. I seduced him in the supply closet. I spent quite a bit of time in that supply closet with the guys in my art therapy group. People thought I was really into expressive arts, but I was really into getting guys into the supply room and getting f.u.c.ked."

When Harper doesn't respond immediately I have a feeling she's disappointed in me. I'm disappointed in myself, but I'm used to letting myself down. She should be used to it too. I've been disappointing her ever since we were kids.

"Of course I remember Leo," I admit. "The guitarist in Nic's band." I heave a sigh. "I was just hoping he'd forgotten about me."

She shakes her head. "No such luck. Apparently you're his great white buffalo. The one who got away. And now that you're coming back he's ecstatic."

I grimace. "If I had anywhere else on Earth to go I would, but I'm homeless. I have no job and no job prospects. I have an eviction notice and some spare change in my pocket. That's about it."

"Nic's got close to twenty thousand square feet. And that's just the main house. Leo, Xander and Raven have been spending a lot of time in the guest house. That's where they've been working on the new alb.u.m."

I swallow. I'm not sure I want to hear the answer to my next question, but I ask anyway. "Are Leo and Xander still both-um-with Raven."

The guys all consider Raven a member of the band, but her contribution to their success has always been s.e.xual. Apparently Leo and Xander are brothers who like to share everything-including the women they f.u.c.k. And from what I've heard they f.u.c.k Raven a lot.

"I've been super busy running Chatter so I don't spend a lot of time with the band. I have noticed the three of them spending the night in the same bedroom on occasion."

My stomach knots and I'm angry at myself for feeling a twinge of jealousy. Leo and I spent one night together. And as mind-blowing as the s.e.x was I certainly don't have any claim on him. And it's not like I haven't been with my share of guys since the two of us were together.

"Do you mind having her around the house?" I ask. It's no secret that Raven was also with Nic before he fell for Harper.

Having her around would make me uncomfortable. I'd want to scratch her eyes out. But Harper is much more restrained and mature than I am.

Harper shrugs. "As weird as it sounds she treats the guys more like her brothers than her lovers."

"Brothers she just happens to f.u.c.k when she feels like it. That does sound weird."

"Leo, Xander and Raven are Nic's only family. I know they're important to him so I don't question it."

"Spoken like a woman in love."

"We have a bit of a drive ahead of us. Do you feel like talking or do you want to listen to some music?"

"Let me guess. You want to listen to Always Rayne?"

She laughs. "Just because I'm in love with Nic doesn't mean I love his music. You know hard rock isn't really my thing."

"It hasn't grown on you?"

"Maybe a little," she admits.

"I have to be honest. After talking about myself and all of my problems for the last thirty days I'm kind of talked out."

"I'll let you off the hook this time, but I want to know what happened with your mom and dad. I still can't believe they turned their backs on you."

"That's something I definitely don't want to talk about. I'd rather listen to your ridiculous jazz music than talk about my parents right now."

"Jazz is not ridiculous," she corrects.

"Maybe not to you. I'll always be a rock chick."

"Holy s.h.i.+t!" I exclaim when Harper parks her Audi in the driveway of Nic's mansion. And I do mean mansion. The lovely old Spanish-style Hacienda is enormous and completely breathtaking. "I'm totally jealous."

"I think it's a little too big."

"There's no such thing as too big. That goes for houses and c.o.c.ks. The bigger the better."

Harper laughs. "I've been trying to find a single way in which rehab has changed you. I haven't come up with one yet."

"Just wait until we get out of the car," I tell her. "You'll see me twelve stepping all the way to the front door."

She rolls her eyes at me.

"Just a little recovery humor," I explain as I hop out of the car.

"Let's grab your suitcases and I'll take you to one of the guest rooms."

"How many guest rooms does the place have?" I ask as she opens the trunk.

"Way more than we'll ever use."

As spectacular as the front entrance of the home is my jaw drops when we walk inside. Colorful tilework complements the rustic Mexican decor and I can't help feeling like I'm in a vibrant Frida Kahlo painting. As we make our way through the museum-like furnis.h.i.+ngs I'm floored by the breathtaking mountain views out of nearly every window.

As cynical and jaded as I tend to be I can't seem to control my excitement when Harper opens the door to my new digs.

"This guest room is nearly as big as our old apartment." As I scan the vast area I realize it's more than just a guest room. It's more like a suite at a ritzy hotel. Harper got a good taste of that lifestyle when she went on tour with Nic's band Always Rayne. The band stayed at some of the top hotels in the country.

"There's a small kitchenette. And a private patio. You share a bathroom with the room next door, but there's no one staying there, so you've got the place to yourself."

"You're not giving me much incentive to ever leave," I tease.

"You know you're welcome to stay as long as you need to." When she turns to face me her look turns serious. "But I am going to put you to work."

My eyes narrow. "What do you have in mind?"

She takes in a long breath before she says, "I'd like you to be my a.s.sistant. My entertainment website has undergone tremendous growth. I've got a staff of ten reporters now. The only position I haven't filled is my a.s.sistant. I was hoping when you completed rehab that you'd consider taking the job. After Nic you're the person who knows me best and I trust you."

I have to laugh. "Why in the world would you put your trust in an addict?"

When she places her hands on my shoulders and looks into my eyes I feel like she's gazing into my soul. My instinct is to try to run away and hide, but I know it's futile. Even though Harper says Nic is the one who always gets what he wants when he wants it, my best friend is no different.

If she wants me to be her a.s.sistant it's going to happen.

'Fine," I tell her. "I'll be your a.s.sistant. I've resigned myself to that fate."

And it's not like I have any other options. I earned a degree in American Studies and the only job I've ever held was running my dad's smoothie shop on a beach in San Diego. Not exactly a stellar resume that has potential employers lining up to hire me.

Before I know it Harper is hugging me. Displays of affection always make me uncomfortable. Maybe it's because I come from a family where there was very little affection displayed. I hold my breath until Harper finally releases me.