XAVIER SCURRIED BACK TO his room and shut the door, leaning against it before he slid down on his butt to the floor. He got her number. The “ah, shucks, wow, Karlee knows Rob and Zenith,” sprinkled with a bit of honesty while keeping his discussion centered on her and not on Rob actually worked. He gathered she liked his bumbling awkwardness if he could pull it off. He hoped he didn’t come across like a hero-idol worshipper of her family.
He found an in. And now he had to milk it for the long game. Slow and steady. No pushing her. She seemed glad when he didn’t ask to meet Rob or get his autograph or anything else that was personal and didn’t fit into the conversation. His dream would be if she invited him to her house to work on their project and he casually managed to meet Rob. But still, he needed more than one measly introduction. Much more than an autograph. He mostly needed the time to build a trust and a rapport that convinced her he had no ulterior motives. Then, somehow, in a spontaneous way, his ability to sing would be introduced. But it had to be unforced or else nothing would work.
He rubbed his hands together like an evil-villain in an animated Disney movie. Damn. Their first encounter was just as casual, easy-going, friendly and unsuspicious as he could have hoped it would be.
But something more happened. Something surprising, which he never dared even hope for: chemistry. A zing in his blood pressure when she gave him certain looks or gazes and smiles that suggested a lot more than just paired up students for a class project. There was a real connection he couldn’t have imagined or manufactured. Could luck really be on his side?
The next day, Xavier finished his work with practiced speed and vigor. He was fueled by the initial results of his plan, eighteen months in the making, and the success it promised. His first step in meeting Rob Williams was a piece of cake. He made his first contact and it was pretty huge to his ultimate goal. He’d come so far already, there was no reason to blow it now. Besides, Karlee was so cool, cute, and interesting to be around that she motivated him. It gave him more confidence that this was indeed the path he was destined to follow. They clicked from the onset. There was no denying it. He couldn’t have wished for that development, so he felt blessed. Always intent on making his plan work, he’d have sucked up to her just to get access to Rob even if he detested every word she said, and how she acted, spoke and smelled. It wouldn’t have mattered. He was that committed. But he liked her right off the bat, a total bonus that only reconfirmed he was on the right path.
The path to change his life. When he said he didn’t want to get stuck in his former lifestyle, she had no idea how burdensome it had become. He was prepared to do almost anything to elevate his standing and potential. She could not begin to comprehend how limited his opportunities in life would be. Karlee fucked around, obviously finding community college a joke, below her skill set and dollar-store cheap, while Xavier couldn’t afford the tuition it cost for him to go. Along with paying for room and board. He had to drive the crappiest car, live in the crappiest housing and eat the crappiest food he could get away with. She enjoyed fine living compared to where he was from. Karlee would never get it. So sure, he was slightly bitter when he saw her blasé attitude and lack of gratitude. Compared to him and all that.
So what if it was wrong to use her? In the end, he hoped she’d never know or feel hurt. As if she would fall hopelessly in love with him. Hah. No. He didn’t intend to take it that far at all. Just an infatuation. Hell, if having a friendship with Karlee could get him an audience with Rob Williams, he’d stop right there. He didn’t care what it took to develop a relationship with Karlee. He’d go as far as necessary. There was too much at stake for him to chicken out now. Or get a weak stomach. Yes, it totally sucked. But this was the scheme he’d devised and now there was no undoing it. She couldn’t be scarred from it, nor feel particularly betrayed. At most, it might injure her pride a little bit.
The end justified the means, even if it was reprehensible.
Xavier had spotted Karlee the first week he’d been on campus. With barely eight thousand students enrolled, he figured he’d see her with her bodyguard at her some point. When it turned out so easy for him, he was grateful for the access.
She was walking across the commons right in front of him. He was headed to his first lab science class and there she was with her bodyguard. He almost laughed out loud with glee when he stopped and pretended to check his phone. Stepping off the main sidewalk, he hung back and watched Karlee Randall.
Rob’s daughter.
The girl he intended to meet, but not in an obvious way. It had to be airtight and accidental. After the unfortunate and terrifying church shooting years before, Rob had beefed up the security to all but hermetically seal his family from danger. Xavier had to be as close to the real deal as he could manage or he’d fail to get past their security. He expected a full background check, starting at his freaking birth certificate, no doubt. His grades, work schedule, past addresses, co-workers, etc. would all be scrutinized with an eagle eye to find anything lacking. They probably expected to reject him and he understood that. Hence, he had to attend and complete the winter, spring and summer quarters of the college. Ever the hard-working student, Xavier hoped this fall he would finally be established well enough to actually meet Karlee Randall.
He got into her class at the last minute without a transfer. Even something so small as that could raise a red flag on any security check, he was sure. A little flirting with a pretty but lonely student volunteer in the registrar’s office allowed him to see Karlee’s classes before the registration period ended. He could only take one class with her so he knew he had to make it count.
It included a lab and was centered on a large, partner-driven project. That was pure gold to Xavier. Again, more proof that Xavier’s path was one of divine inspiration.
All of his patience and planning were finally culminating into his masterpiece. It would happen soon.
If he were a little disappointed at his first glimpse of a real life rock star’s daughter, it was because she was so easy to miss. Eh. Pretty enough, sure, but not like a social media star, or someone on a TV show, or a model. She had no particular features that were unique or unusual enough to make her stand out. Everything about her was pleasant. Yes. Rather petite in height and weight, even her shoulders were narrow. She was attractively slim. But nothing spectacular to draw one’s attention to her. Nothing about Karlee said fame. Nothing about her indicated she was the daughter of a famous, legendary father, who ignored his celebrity to live in a nowhere town.
Hell, why was that so confusing?
Karlee wasn’t nearly as namby-pamby or nice as Xavier thought. That part surprised him today. No easy smiles. Nothing about her came easy. She made you work to get the slightest smile, or hell, to even acknowledge you. The initial sweetness vibe she gave off was really just a look on her face, not the real person she was. She had a steely side that not only shocked, but also pleased him. Now that, he could work with.
So Xavier launched his clever scheme. He told himself if it failed, what did he lose? Nothing. If he failed, he’d simply finish the work towards the stupid degree from the community college. Go on to a university maybe. Or find something else to do with his life. No matter what, he’d survive doing whatever. He didn’t consider failure as an option. Glad to be out of his dad’s house and the city he was raised in, anything else was more than he ever hoped for or expected to have. So there were no negative reasons for him not to follow through with his plan.
Xavier quickly did the research for his end of the project, working late into the night so he was all ready the next time he saw her. Annoyed with his other classes, his stupid job, his menial routine, and ordinariness, exactly what he didn’t want, he could not wait to see her. He smiled at her in class across the lecture hall, sitting in the same seat he always sat in. Again, he was erring on the side of caution in approaching her. He couldn’t risk crowding her or scaring her off. Her heightened sense of suspicion for users, abusers, and autograph hounds was finely tuned. So Xavier went slowly, steadily and unobtrusively. He urged her to take the lead as he gently set out his crumbs to draw her towards him, hoping to draw more flies with honey than with vinegar.
At last, the long evening of making stupid expensive coffee ended and Xavier was off the clock. An easy gig, he liked the tips and it filled the time for now. It matched the image he wanted to convey, and it gave him a decent place to invite Karlee. A place away from the utterly annoying presence of his three roommates who were indeed rabid fans just as he described them to her. That was all true. Forget the cold library, or a random, crowded café or a fast food dive. They could meet there, where it was quiet, semi-private, and cozy, but totally safe and non-creepy. Her bodyguard came along so she never felt threatened. Xavier was glad he resisted the urge to ask her to take him to her house.
Luckily, she still lived with her stepdad and mom. Why she did not have a posh condo somewhere downtown was a mystery to Xavier. Why would she prefer to commute more than a half hour each way to school? It seemed so ridiculous when he tried to imagine the family’s immense wealth. Perhaps it was for her own protection, or her parents’ protectiveness, or else, she was just afraid.
Xavier wiped off the stray coffee grounds, cup rings and germs from the counter with an antiseptic spray and a clean rag when Karlee walked in. This time, Gail did not accompany her; she was followed by an older, gray-haired man, packing heat, of course. The guy glanced quickly at him before scanning the establishment and proceeding to check the restrooms as Karlee ignored him. She truly seemed unaware of the extensive sweep he did as she looked at Xavier.
She didn’t automatically give him a welcoming hello or even a smile. The light of recognition shone in her eyes, but other than that, she gave no indication that she knew him. Again, she was not a bubbly, outgoing person, despite what her looks suggested. Rather sedate and quiet, but not shy. Her self-confidence glimmered when she made eye contact.
“Hey.” He smiled at her. It was casual and full. He wanted her to see him as non-threatening. He didn’t have a huge build so he did not appear overly strong or intimidating. The youthfulness he sported was appealing and tended to draw the chicks to him. Xavier quickly learned to take advantage of his vibe as the friendly friend. His shaggy hair, frequent smiles and evocative glances made him seem more open and casual with barely an edge to suggest he wasn’t totally tame yet.
“Hi.” Her gaze didn’t skitter around like she’d never been inside a coffee shop before. He liked that; she wasn’t insufferable. Turning towards a table, she looked up and asked, “This okay?”
“Yeah. Take your pick of any table. I have to let Jett know I’m done for tonight. He’s manning the drive-through. But he’s all the way back there so he won’t disturb us.”
“Sure. No problem.” She plunked her backpack onto the floor and dropped down into a chair. Her slim legs were pleasantly encased in jean leggings that were rolled at the bottom with a pair of brown half boots. A scoop-necked sweater ended at her hips. She looked like almost everyone else at the school in her stylish outfit.
Taking off his apron, Xavier stashed it with the others in the laundry pile and ran a hand through his shaggy, black strands of hair. He ran back to tell Jett what was going on he then grabbed his bag, smiling as he sauntered over to her. After he slipped out his laptop, he dropped his backpack next to hers.
“So did you do all the work, slacker?”
“I sure did. No worries. When others are involved, I’m not an asshole.”
He tilted his head, smirking. “But otherwise, you are?”
She had to crack a small smile. “I set that up for you.”
He nudged her foot with his under the small, two-person, round table. It was not even large enough to cover their laps. But it didn’t come across as inappropriate. “You did. Quite well.”
She gave him a nudge back and arched an eyebrow before pressing her mouth into a straight line and conceding, “I did. Damn it.” She glanced down and shuffled through her bag before pulling out a notepad, a pen, and her laptop. “Okay, so what have you prepared for the basis of this project?”
They started comparing their notes and briefly ran down the list of preliminary questions that had to be answered. They went far beyond yes or no questions, featuring many discussions before they could determine what the professor really wanted and how much information to include. They tossed all kinds of ideas and thoughts back and forth until Xavier temporarily forgot the end game.
This was all an act. Another step in his plan. But to his surprise, their conversation was stimulating. Engaging. For several moments, Xavier actually cared about what they would include in their paper and how best to present it. It seemed as if this project really mattered in his life and he became so carried away with how well they were working together that he truly forgot he had no real interest in any of the subject matter. No more than tools to facilitate the final product. He was good-natured, but swiftly moved to a heated discussion of how to proceed and where to look for the information they still needed.
Xavier was arguing with Karlee as if it mattered.
It really seemed to matter in that moment, and he won. He refused to back down and Karlee agreed to forfeit her side by doing things the way he suggested. “Not because you’re right; it’s only because I’m tired and I don’t want to argue anymore,” she said, thereby ruining their truce with her last quip.
He tossed a pencil at her as she ducked and smirked in response. Letting the legs of his chair drop down, he replied, “You are not tired. I’m right about this and you’re too stubborn to admit it.”
“I hate to bruise your fragile ego.” Her look took on a sour expression. “Well, I mean, I really should let you hold onto what little you have.”
He pressed his lips together and teased, “Ooh, that was kinda mean, rock star girl. I’m beginning to see how nasty you can play.”
“We could share my hair tie if you need it.” She smiled sweetly, being totally fake as she tugged the elastic band free and held it out to him. He watched the cascade of strands that fell down her back and reached her shoulders. She noticed how he watched her hair falling and she smirked, asking, “Jealous?”
“No.” He scowled in return. Speaking honestly, without a thought of the image he was trying to imprint on her, he blurted out, “I was going to say it’s pretty. But you’re an asshole.”
She had to laugh. “I am. I can be anyway. But you know, you’re right, I should tell you, yours is real pretty too.”
Dear God, she was so sarcastic and mean, as this was the only time she smiled sweetly.
To his utter annoyance, he thought he dug their interactions. There was nothing saccharine or fake now. “Well, at least mine is in style. Do your bodyguards keep you so isolated that you don’t know girls are allowed to let their hair down and unbraid it nowadays?”
Glowering at first, Karlee had a small smile as she nodded her appreciation. “Oh, like that bothers me. You don’t like my braid today? Ooh. Forgive me while I climb under the table and cry my poor, little, female heart out.”
He snorted, raising his eyebrows, “Poor, little, female heart? That’s a stretch.”
“About as much of a stretch as you looking macho with skinny jeans and bouffant hair. Do I weigh more than you? Could be.”
“True. You’re skinny in all the wrong places.” He wagged his brows alluringly at her. Then he froze as he realized what he said and did. She might take it wrong. Bringing in her small curves might be going too far…
“All the places you’d get lost in. Your comments don’t sting me too much.”
He snorted. “It’s not easy to piss you off or offend you, right?”
She smiled finally and replied, “Right.”
“You’re not pretending to be digging this? I mean, the… sarcasm?”
“Yeah… aren’t you?”
“Totally. I just never met a girl who could dish it out and also take it.”
“Well, now you have because I can. Quite honestly, in my experience, only guys get their egos bruised, which is why I often treat them like delicate, brittle eggshells. Maybe you’re not so much of a boy.”
“I’m man enough to take your tongue.”
Her head tilted and her eyes gleamed as she gave him a cocky nod. “That was pretty good sexual innuendo and sarcasm.”
He burst into raucous laughter. As their interaction continued, it always ended that way. Her minor insults made him laugh and her dirty innuendo was both harmless and stimulating. They were both careful to never cross the line of classmates, but finding a rare and fun connection was just frosting on the cupcake.
Thank God, Xavier never predicted this.
They spent several more study sessions at the café after hours. It was perfect for its quiet atmosphere and impersonal location. Karlee became more and more comfortable with Xavier. They threw zingers back and forth, sometimes getting really mean, and he’d cringe. He worried he went too far sometimes and feared she would stomp away, disgusted by him before ordering her bodyguards to keep him far away from her. But then she’d surprise him by laughing out loud. Her sense of humor was sharp and sarcastic. Like his own. She smiled often and he caught a glint in her eye, but outright laughing was always a rarity. She leaned towards dark sarcasm. Not for the faint of heart or the sensitive. She kept her voice dead calm and dry so he didn’t always know if she were kidding or serious. Xavier learned how to eye her up and figure it out a few times. Most times, yes, she was kidding. But a few times, maybe she wasn’t.
As they slogged through their raw research, Xavier felt odd when he realized how hard he was trying. Harder than any class assignment he ever attempted. It might have been the best work he’d done at anything. Was it because of Karlee? She pushed and prodded him so he didn’t dare show up without having all of his shit done, memorized and ready to regurgitate to her. As lazy as Karlee claimed to be, she was just as sharp as a freaking butcher knife. The woman could remember everything she bothered to read. Motivating her to read it was the only challenge, he deduced. Karlee wasn’t lazy outside of school. But having never worked a menial job, who could say?
She moved with short, clipped steps apace, seemingly as energized as he was. His whole life had always been busy. He had work to do of some kind for as long as he could remember. Karlee exhibited the same restless energy and she liked to get moving and done with her goals. She just failed to put that ambition into her schoolwork. Unless it involved other people. Then she was the perfect student on steroids.
Together, they pushed each other to do their best. And they pushed hard. Damn. Their collaboration on the project was definitely A-plus caliber, in his opinion. The teamwork became a competition between them that was motivational. She was like oil to his car engine, becoming the lubricant that kept him working on the project late into the night if need be. The drive to show up and beat her at the homework game grew strong.
More accurately, the drive to share information. But it was fun when he had more than she did or got further into it. As hard as he tried, it didn’t always happen. Karlee sat back with a tiny, infinitesimal smirk on her face. She didn’t reveal her feelings with anything so normal as a facial expression. No. She retained all the tiny changes so one had to watch her carefully to notice. But oh, hell, were they all there. When she was right or wrong, she found it hard to admit, he noticed. He could also tell when she felt embarrassed or annoyed or unsure. There was a different line on her mouth for each emotion, and the light in her eyes would also change as well as the way she tilted her head.
He noticed it all and catalogued it, saving it for… what? Later? As a way to know her? To use it against her?
Many times, he had to remind himself, it had nothing to do with this project; all that counted was the plan.
Crap. Karlee could be too engaging, too invigorating and too much fun. Yeah, Xavier had to admit he enjoyed being around her. Few people or maybe none, challenged him. For some reason, this rock star’s daughter knew how to do it the best.
After a good two weeks of fun, joking, ribbing, light banter, and a competitive relationship, and meeting at the coffee shop at least half a dozen times, Karlee said, “Hey, I’m sick of getting home at midnight. I’m always tired and grumpy. Why don’t you come out to my place tomorrow tonight?”
Xavier froze. Bingo. Taking his best shot and hoping for a miracle, he finally aced a bullseye.
Naturally, he couldn’t admit that, so he shrugged. “I could switch shifts with someone. So it won’t be so late for you.”
“Well, why should I be the only one who has to drive so late at night?”
“It’s not my fault you live out in the middle of nowhere and are too lazy to get a job and support yourself so you could live somewhere that people can reach more easily.”
She puckered her lips. “Ouch. I figured you’d eventually say I’m a spoiled diva from famous parents and should be able to support myself like anyone else my age. Bravo. Well played.”
He got up, sliding the chair back and pretended to bow, while flipping his hand with a flourish and saying, “I try so very hard, milady.”
“No, seriously. Why not come out to my place for once?”
He flopped back into the chair and dropped his hand on the table. “Uh, because you have bodyguards always watching us for one thing. Seems weird to casually show up at your house.”
He leaned back in the chair, lifting the front legs off the floor and leaning all the way back as if the conversation were that ordinary to him and not a matter of life or death to his plan.
God, please don’t talk her out of it. He hoped this was another phase of their faux-contentious-but-mostly-for-fun bickering but he dared not risk being uninvited. The odds of her saying, “Fine, let’s just keep meeting here then” loomed over his worried mind. Please not that.
She snickered before she replied, “Well, yeah. What do you think we live on? A space station or something? Drive up there. Get out. Go through the door. I’m sure even you can manage that.”
He dropped his chair with a sharp snap. “Really? I don’t know. I mean, showing up at your house? Sure, I get your point. But I can’t think of anywhere else to meet and hang out and work this late that is halfway between us.”
“That’s because there is none. It’s either here or at my house. You just come over.”
“To your house.” His expression instantly grew serious and she knew he was not playing around anymore. “Karlee, come on. You know the reason for my hesitation.”
Her head shook and her lips pursed primly. “I really don’t. Most people would kill for this invite. Most of them would act phony and lie and preen and compliment me for the chance to be invited. You sound unnerved by it.”
“Yep. That’s exactly how I feel. And I’m certainly not seeking that from you.”
Her face lit up with a genuine, and yes, sweet smile. It included her eyes and her entire face went from somewhat plain to arresting. His heart swelled and he didn’t know how to catalogue the strange, unfamiliar feeling. “Yes, Xavier. That’s the reason why I can invite you. You haven’t tried to use me. You avoided it at all costs, but not as a reverse-psychology. You do it because you’re not sure about my life outside of this coffee shop; you pretend it doesn’t exist.”
His small smile vanished and he looked more reserved. “Actually, that’s exactly right.” He wasn’t lying. The epiphany jolted through him. “I gave myself a few pep talks to overcome the thrill of Rob, Zenith and all that shit. We don’t need to rehash it. It was hard at first to see you without thinking of them. In the end though, I liked seeing you. Experiencing you. Staying focused on our project and continuing to work as a team. And I think we managed to be pretty awesome at doing that. I don’t want to ruin it now. What if I can’t help acting like every other asshole?”
She gulped and tapped a finger. Her nails were not polished or manicured or fake; they were her own natural nails. Seeing her soft, small hands made him inexplicably want to cover them with his own. No… yes… His jumbled brain was plagued with indecision. He wanted to get back to the plan and lose the “aw, shucks” attitude that suggested he liked her but didn’t want to trespass into the fame that surrounded her. Their neutral, fun, easy friendship was mutually satisfying so far. And it wasn’t a lie. None of it. That also threw him.
“You won’t because you’d already be one and you aren’t. You are well aware of my family connections and cognizant of the fame, but you treat me like…”
He snorted. “Crap. Don’t use how I treat you against me.” They shared a smile over their joint treatment of each other with sarcasm and teasing. “But you’re my favorite college friend that I’ve met to date. Maybe ever. Your unparalleled sarcasm and personality are the most fun I think I’ve ever had at school.”
She glanced down. “Me too. That’s why I want you to come over. You can meet Rob and maybe the rest of Zenith. Get it over with. And I can give you shit over the fanboy you’ll no doubt become. I’ll have to catch you with my arms when you swoon with the vapors. It’ll be okay, I swear. We have insurance if you should happen to pass out.”
He glanced down and started grinning. “See? You’re so full of crap. You dole it out so well, you make me laugh all the time. It’s not about Rob and Zenith. I want us to be… you know, whatever…”
“Friends?” she supplied when his tone drifted off. He visibly gulped as his nerves bolted to high alert again.
“Friends.” He tried out the word and nodded. “Yeah. Friends, that’ll work. We are friends. And I don’t want to ruin that.”
“By meeting my dad?”
“This isn’t a joke. He’s famous and I worship his band. You can’t pretend it doesn’t exist or that it couldn’t come between us.”
“Just meet him and see how ordinary he is so you can get over knowing the daughter of the great Rob Williams and the legendary Zenith. After you see him being all dad-like, your fanboy devotion and the intrigue and mystique you find in him will completely evaporate. I promise. Then you’ll see him for what he really is: my dad getting in our way while we try to hang out.”
“Karlee, I honestly can’t foresee myself being that blasé about your family. I’m sorry. I just can’t be.”
She sighed. “No one is. But you’re so honest about it, I suppose I can tolerate it with you. How about that? I’ll let you be a weird, annoying, stupid fanboy, as long as I can continue making fun of you. I’ll accept you as you are. Like you have black hair, and you’re a lame fanboy.”
He shook his head and his expression was incredulous as he caught her smirking and saw the glint in her eyes. It was not from humor, but, to his surprise, vulnerability. She didn’t have a lot of friends. He gathered that. All she had was the bodyguards that made her feel so isolated and kept her safely inside her own tunnel. Alone. Different.
Xavier knew there were no screaming girlfriends running up to Karlee to gossip, hug, smile, laugh, or just hang with her. No guys either. No one. She was always available to work no matter what time he said. He assumed few visitors came over to her house. He was different. Exactly as he intended to be in the long game. But now, his heart tugged with feelings of sadness for her… and wanting to be with her felt so sharp, it alarmed him.
She invited him over.
Wow. He epically accomplished his plan and the way he wanted to impress her. But his damn conscience suddenly ignited his insides on fire. No. Damn it. He was helping her. Being her true friend with a small ulterior motive. There was no reason this could not be a win-win. She found a friend, someone who was real and genuinely close to her, and he would soon meet her dad and hopefully, strike up a mentorship with him. The results could only increase his closeness to her. Right?
No harm, no foul. Win-win for both parties. That helped to alleviate his guilt because he really did like her. And it helped him commit to his decision.
“Okay. I’ll come over. But you’ll have to promise to be with me the whole time and not leave me alone. I will be your fanboy until you lose all respect for me and order me to leave; and warn your bodyguards to keep another crazy fan away from you guys. I’m giving you fair warning and you could end this all…”
She sighed with relief as she sunk into her chair when he said yes. Damn. He was better at this than he could have ever dared to imagine or hope for.
“Deal. How about driving out after your classes tomorrow?”
“Fine. But try not to laugh at me if we run into your dad, okay? And when we’re in front of your dad, can you promise not to humiliate me? Just play it cool.”
She pressed her lips together, returning to their usual kidding and stuck out a hand for him to shake. He slipped his into hers as she said, “I will, if you will. Play it cool, that is. But after that? Later? Oh, hell, you are going to hear about it.”
He shook her hand, and for a brief second, the zing of their fingertips touching made him realize he never felt that before when shaking someone’s hand. Never. Ever.
But he had the invite. The entry to his new life was about to begin.