“So, man, are you ready for tonight?”
Standing at the mirror in the bathroom of Jonathan’s St. Charles Avenue condominium, Toby finished buttoning the last of the buttons on his shirt, then went to work on the two at his wrists.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”
“I’m cool as ice. I know everything is going to be perfect,” Jonathan said as he moved away from the door and into the bathroom. He picked up the bottle of moisturizer and squirted a dime size amount into his palm, rubbed his hands together then smoothed them over his close cut hair.
“This bathroom isn’t big enough for the both of us,” Toby said. “And, not trying to jinx you or anything, but how do you know everything is going to go off without a hitch?”
“I prayed for it,” Jonathan said. “Works every time.”
“I can’t argue with that. I need to remember that I have that option.”
“That’s the only option that matters.”
“I know. I know. Have you been hanging around with my mom or something?”
“She’s a smart woman.”
“A smart woman who can also cook. She wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow night.”
“I’m there.” Jonathan glanced at his watch. “It’s almost that time. I need to get down to the club.”
Toby held out his hand, and when Jonathan grabbed it, he pulled his friend close and patted him on the back.
“It’s going to be good,” he said.
“I feel it,” Jonathan said, reciprocating the embrace. “And don’t worry about Aria. She’s about to blow up. I’m just lucky she’s using my place as her starting ground.”
Once Jonathan left, Toby turned back to the mirror. Gripping the sides of the bathroom counter, he stared hard at his reflection. Sometimes he was unsure he even knew the person staring back at him. The life he now lived was so drastically different from what he had envisioned.
How had he ended up here? What made him think he could succeed in the music industry? He didn’t know a damn thing about music. Yet, here he was. About to launch a star.
Was it just a lucky break?
Did it even matter?
Luck or not, all that should matter is that with the right marketing strategy and enough exposure, Aria Jordan could be the next big thing. He was due. He’d had enough unlucky breaks in his life.
Unlucky breaks. He knew about those, didn’t he?
Toby nearly laughed out loud. It was either that or put his fist through the mirror. He didn’t care what anybody said, he was still bitter. He missed playing basketball. He missed the rush he got when he ran out onto the court at the start of the game, high-fiving his teammates. He ached to experience, just one more time, the crowd’s excitement when he slam-dunked the ball over an opponent’s head. He used to live for that stuff. Now, every time Toby thought about the accident his resentment was reinforced.
But he was not thinking about the accident. Not tonight.
Tonight was the start of a new beginning. He was strong. Resilient. Tonight, the lemons in his life would finally start to make some sweet tasting lemonade. And he was ready to drink it up.
Nervous excitement caused a shiver to race down Toby’s back. He could barely grip the razor.
In less than a week, circumstances had radically changed. Lord knows he had not prayed as much as he should have, but somebody must have been looking out for him all the same. It was too perfect to be coincidence. Having Marshall Kellerman spot Aria right before the opening of Jonathan’s club was an act of God. Her performance tonight was mutually beneficial to both of them. Jonathan’s advertising was certain to bring in a huge crowd, and Aria’s performance, which Toby had no doubt would be stellar, would bring subsequent business to the Hard Court. It was perfect.
And with Sienna’s brilliance behind it all…
Sienna had impressed the heck out of him. He should not be surprised. Sienna excelled at whatever she put her mind to. It had always been that way. But it was still funny to see little Cee Cee play the grown-up professional.
And, damn, but she had grown.
Toby thought back to Jasmine’s graduation picnic, and the feeling that had gripped his chest when he first spotted Sienna in that airy sundress. She still had the body of an athlete, with defined muscles in her arms and her calves, but her body had become more delicate. Delicate looked really, really good on her.
Remembering the scrawny girl with cornrows and a basketball permanently tucked in the crook of her arm, Toby could have never imagined she would turn into such a gorgeous woman. Even on those few occasions when he’d seen her during one of his rare trips home, Toby couldn’t remember her being this fine. Or, maybe he just hadn’t paid attention.
He passed a final glance in the mirror, then exited the bathroom and picked up the freshly pressed linen jacket that matched his bone-colored slacks. The dark brown silk shirt and patterned tie were the perfect compliment to the ensemble.
Because The Hard Court was centrally located on the edge of the French Quarter, where Dauphine Street met Esplanade Avenue, it took him only fifteen minutes to get to the club. At just after 9:00 p.m. there was not a full house yet, but it was well known that the party didn’t get started in New Orleans until nearly midnight. Considering that, the crowd was a respectable size.
He was hoping for the club’s success as much as he was pulling for his own. Jonathan had helped him through some of the toughest times of his life; days when he had thought about giving up. Days when he had desperately missed the best friend he had left back home in New Orleans. In a way, Jonathan had taken Sienna’s place as confidant. Yet, there were still some things he would not disclose to Jonathan that he would not have had a problem sharing with Sienna.
Not anymore, though. These days, there was an indescribable tension that stretched between he and Sienna like a valley between mountain peaks. It was strange to not have the companionship they once shared. Maybe now that they were working together things would get back to normal.
But tonight was about The Hard Court. Jonathan was like a brother, and like his blood brothers, Toby wanted to see him succeed.
Since Aria was not scheduled to perform until 10:00 p.m., Toby decided to stroll around the club and play spy. Hopefully he could glean some insights from club-goers that Jonathan could use when making future adjustments. He went over to the bar, and was not there more than a minute before someone clamped an arm across his shoulder. He looked back, finding Jonathan.
“Looking good,” Toby said by way of greeting.
“I wasn’t expecting this many people so early in the evening. The kitchen has been hopping.”
Toby had fully agreed with Jonathan’s decision to turn the club’s second floor into a trendy bistro. During his clubbing days, he had spent many an hour driving around trying to find something to eat after a night of club hopping. The Hard Court’s patrons had to go no further than the glass enclosed elevator or the curving staircase when they were ready to leave the party atmosphere in exchange for light conversation and a decent meal. The bistro’s menu ranged from tasty appetizers, like Buffalo wings and cheese-slathered potato skins, to succulent pasta dishes.
“I could use a little something myself,” Toby said, rubbing his stomach. “I’ve been so nervous about tonight’s performance that I haven’t eaten anything all day.”
“I’m way ahead of you. I’ve got a table secured upstairs.”
Toby turned to follow Jonathan, then stopped as he spotted Sienna striding in from the front entrance. At least he thought it was Sienna.
“Good God,” he heard Jonathan say.
His thoughts exactly.
What she wore gave the phrase “Little Black Dress” brand new meaning. The dress was damn near non-existent. As she came closer, Toby noticed the straps holding up the bodice were even thinner than spaghetti. The fact that she had mile long legs was undisputable, but in a dress that barely reached mid-thigh, those legs looked as tall as the Empire State Building.
Unwillingly, he acknowledged the accelerated beat of his pulse. Feeling like an incestuous fiend, he tried to block out the thoughts that had jumped to the forefront of his mind at the sight of Sienna.
Where in the hell had she even gotten a dress like that? The skimpiest thing Toby had ever seen her wear was a one-piece bathing suit.
Sienna came to stand before he and Jonathan.
“Well, I’m here.”
“You most certainly are,” Jonathan said. Stretching out his hand, he continued, “I’m Jonathan Campbell, proprietor. And you are?”
Sienna looked from Jonathan to Toby, smiling. “I’m Sienna Culpepper.”
Jonathan’s jaw dropped. “You’re Sienna?” He turned his incredulous stare to Toby. “This is not what I call a tomboy?”
Sienna cut her eyes in Toby’s direction. He shrugged. “Well, you were a tomboy back when we were in school.”
“She’s not anymore,” Jonathan commented. “Would you care for something to eat? Toby and I were just going up to get something from the restaurant.”
Sienna placed her hand in the crook of Jonathan’s pro-offered arm. “I’m starved. I worked late today and only had time to grab a stale energy bar that’s been sitting in my desk drawer for months.”
“Then, by all means, you must try the sautéed shrimps over angel hair pasta.”
Sienna closed her eyes and let out a seductive purr. “That sounds wonderful.”
Toby’s heart skipped three beats at her sensuous-sounding moan. He was torn between taking off his jacket and covering up her half naked body, and finding a dark corner and relieving her of what was left of that dress.
Whoa! Where the hell had that come from?
To even think of taking off Sienna’s clothes was…well…unthinkable. It was more than unthinkable; it was down right sick.
Toby caught the subtle expression on Jonathan’s face, and a cold knot formed in his stomach. He knew all too well what the gleam in his ex-teammate’s eyes meant. How many times had they gone scoping for women after games? Toby had participated in enough of that locker room talk to know that he did not want Sienna’s name associated with it.
And to think he had actually thought about hooking her up with Jonathan? Chalk it up to temporary insanity. But he was in his right frame of mind now. He would lay things out for Jonathan as soon as he could get him alone.
Sienna led the way up the wide, winding staircase, with Jonathan following and Toby bringing up the rear. At the top of the staircase, Jonathan took the lead, guiding them to a small round table in the corner. It was lit by one of the basketball wall lights.
“The décor is absolutely amazing,” Sienna said.
“Thank Toby,” Jonathan said.
“Toby?” Sienna turned to him. “Since when do you decorate?”
“I gave him Indina’s number,” Toby clarified.
Nodding, Sienna laughed. “That sounds more like it. She sure outdid herself this time. As much as I love basketball, I could have never imagined it could be used in such a tasteful theme.”
“I’m happy with how it worked out,” Jonathan said, nodding as his eyes roamed over the bistro.
“It looks as if everyone is enjoying it.” Sienna followed his gaze. “I’m not sure if it is the novelty of this being a new club, or what, but to have this kind of crowd an hour before the opening performance is pretty amazing.”
“Speaking of that performance, did you have a chance to drop in on Aria?” Jonathan directed his question to Toby.
He shook his head, taking a sip of his drink. “Not yet. She gets nervous if I hang around her too much before a show. I’ll stick my head in a few minutes before she goes on just to give her a little encouragement.”
“I heard her rehearsing earlier today,” Jonathan said. “With the jokes they have signing record deals today, I don’t know why this girl has not been discovered yet.”
“Excuse me,” Toby said. “She has been discovered. We’re just taking the scenic route to stardom.”
The waitress, cloaked in a sequin basketball jersey dress, took their order.
As they sipped drinks while their food order was being prepared, Jonathan laid the charm on Sienna as thick as peanut butter on sliced bread. And, worse, she seemed to be falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
Why should he care? Sienna was a big girl. She could take care of herself. What was wrong with two of his best friends hooking up?
It no longer seemed like the brilliant idea Toby had once thought.
“So, Jonathan, of all the business ventures you could have chosen, what made you choose a nightclub?” Sienna asked.
Jonathan tilted his shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “I had been on the club scene for a while, and had grown tired of it. I figured there were a lot of people out there like me, so I thought, why not open the kind of place I’d like to go to after a hard day at the office.”
“That makes sense.”
“What made you go into marketing?” he returned.
“I’ve always been good at making the mundane seem magnificent and putting a positive spin on anything, no matter how disastrous.”
Jonathan shot out a bark of laughter. “You should have become an image consultant. You could have made a killing in D.C.”
“Is that where you’re from?”
Jonathan nodded.
Toby didn’t trust the smile that tipped up the corner of his ex-teammate’s mouth. The two of them had practiced that smile together. Toby knew exactly what it did to women.
A Brian McKnight ballad cruised out of the speakers tucked unassumingly against the bistro’s tall ceiling.
“Oh, I haven’t heard this song in years,” Sienna purred.
There she was with the purring again. Didn’t she know what those little seductive sounds did to a man?
“Do you want to dance?” Jonathan asked.
“In the restaurant? We can’t do that.”
“Remember, you’re talking to the owner, baby.” Jonathan kicked the smile up a notch.
“Our dinner will be here in a minute,” Toby reminded them, his voice terse.
“We’re not going to Africa,” Jonathan said. “Just right over there.” He gestured to a miniscule area between the only set of empty tables in the restaurant. It guaranteed a very snug dance.
“Watch my purse, Toby,” Sienna said as she placed her hand in Jonathan’s and allowed him to pull her from her chair.
Toby watched in frustrated silence as Jonathan placed his hand on the small of Sienna’s back. As low cut as the dress was, Jonathan had no choice but to touch skin. All Toby could think about was how soft it must feel.
Where were these thoughts coming from? Sienna was like a sister. Of course, she wasn’t his real sister, and Toby was enough of a man to acknowledge a beautiful woman when he saw one. And tonight, in that dress, Sienna wasn’t just beautiful, she was amazing.
He glanced around the restaurant, searching for someone who even compared. A half-dozen fine women sat two tables down. A couple of them were pretty cute. One was damn cute.
Toby caught her eye. She smiled.
Now, that’s what he was talking about.
It had been way too long since he had made any type of connection with a woman. That’s probably why his mind had been focused on Sienna. She was about the only female, other than his mother and Aria, that he had been in contact with in the last couple of months. He needed to find himself some additional options.
And the first option of the night was sending some pretty serious signals with the look she shot his way.
Toby nodded toward another small area that had been created between two tables that had just been vacated. The woman smiled. She whispered something in the ear of the friend on her left, who looked over at Toby.
Toby grinned. She could be next.
Opportunity numero uno rose from the table and sauntered toward him like sex for sale. The night’s outlook got a whole lot brighter.
Toby stood and matched her seductive smile. “Hello. I’m Tobias.” He reached out his hand.
“Amneris.” She placed her hand in his, and Toby brought it up and offered it a gentle kiss.
“A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Would you care to dance?” He asked, just as the ballad ended. Thankfully, the deejay was in his corner, slipping on another slow tune.
Toby settled his hands at the curve of her waist, and irrationally hoped Sienna and Jonathan were both catching an eyeful. He cautioned a quick glance their way.
The two were rocking from side to side, lost in conversation.
“So, Tobias, are you from around here?” the woman in his arms asked. What was her name again?
“Born and raised,” Toby answered. “Although I’ve moved around a little bit over the past few years.”
“What do you do, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Toby looked down and realized she really was hot. If he had any sense, he’d get his mind off those other two and concentrate on the sure thing pressing her body more firmly against his.
“I manage recording artists,” he answered. “I also do a little producing and songwriting.”
“Yeah, right,” she said with a look that said she didn’t believe a word of that. “Is that the answer you give every woman you pick up?”
Toby laughed. “It’s the truth. One of my artists is performing tonight.” He glanced at his watch. “In just about a half hour, actually.” Toby noted the waitress bringing three steaming plates of pasta to their table.
“Are you talking about Aria Jordan?”
He nodded.
“That girl can sing. I was too excited when I heard she would be here tonight.”
“Let her know it when she walks out on stage.”
“I most definitely will. So, you’re really a record producer. That must be exciting.” She pressed a little closer.
Jonathan and Sienna headed for the table.
Stop thinking about them.
The song ended and his dance partner reluctantly pulled away, dragging her hands down his arms in a slow caress. “I should probably get back to my table. We’re celebrating my sister’s birthday tonight.”
“Tell her I said happy birthday.” Toby smiled.
“I will. And,” she slipped her fingers into the low cut bodice of her skin tight dress and came out with a small, folded paper. She certainly was prepared, wasn’t she? “If you’re looking for something to do later, why don’t you hit me on my cell?”
Baby girl was definitely a sure thing. But, for reasons he would probably debate for the rest of his natural born life, Toby was more turned off than anything. What was up with that? When had he ever turned down guaranteed sex?
Toby gestured toward his table where Sienna and Jonathan had already started on their food. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday, and if I don’t get to it now, I probably won’t have time to eat anything until after Aria’s performance.”
“That’s fine. Just. Call me.” She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his cheek. “I will blow your mind,” she whispered in his ear.
Have mercy.
It had been a long time since he’d had his mind, or anything else, blown. Toby sent her a smile and headed in the opposite direction to his table.
“Welcome back,” Sienna said as he approached.
“I was about to send for a bucket of ice from the bar. That was some hot and heavy dancing,” Jonathan said.
Yeah, he could say the same about the two of them. Thankfully, Sienna had not pushed all up on Jonathan while they danced. Toby knew he would have lost it.
“She did get kind of close, didn’t she,” Toby said, taking a bite of his pasta before he was even seated.
“You had better watch yourself, Toby. I doubt Aria would be too happy hearing about you snuggled up with some random chick.”
Here she was again, mentioning Aria, as if she were his girlfriend or something.
The light bulb went on.
Damn, he could be stupid sometimes. Hadn’t Eli thought the same thing? Maybe it was because it was the furthest thing from the truth that it didn’t even cross Toby’s mind that people would automatically assume he and Aria had something going on. It’s not as if he intentionally flirted with her. Sure, they kid around a bit—those days in the studio could get long—but Toby had never intimated to Aria that she was anything more than his client.
Before he could correct Sienna’s erroneous assessment of the relationship between him and Aria, Toby heard, “Mr. Holmes?” It was the waitress in the sparkly jersey dress. “Ms. Jordan is asking for you.”
“Hmm.” Sienna murmured, a knowing smile creasing her eyes. “You see, she’s psychic. You are in for it.”
“It’s not like that,” he said as he rose from the table.
“You need me?” Jonathan asked.
“No. Finish your dinner.”
Unsure what could have Aria calling for him when she usually didn’t want to see him before a performance, Toby practically raced to the back of the club where Jonathan’s office was located. He rapped on the door.
“Aria?”
“Come in.” Toby heard the slight tremor in her voice. He found Aria perched upon Jonathan’s desk, her fisted hands rubbing against her thighs.
“What’s wrong?” Coming to her side, he put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze.
“I’m just a little nervous.”
“Why? You’ve played to bigger crowds than this.”
“I know, but tonight’s different. This is my first performance since being picked up by the show. The cameras aren’t even out there yet, and I’m still nervous.”
“Even if they’re not there tonight, you will eventually have to perform in front of the cameras, Aria. And in front of much larger audiences.” Toby stepped in front of her. He grasped her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Tell me one thing. Is this what you really want?”
Aria nodded.
Toby shook his head. “No. You tell me. Do you want this?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want everything that goes with it? Do you think you can handle the press? The fans?”
“I think so. Maybe.”
He shook his head again. “There are no maybes. Either you can do it or you can’t. We’ll drop out of the show if you’re not ready.”
Toby hoped she was, because he sure as hell was ready. Turning down this opportunity would be the absolute hardest thing he would ever do.
“I’m ready,” Aria said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I can do this. I promise I won’t let you down.”
“Don’t do it for me. This is all about you.”
“But it is about us,” she said. A sense of dread shot down Toby’s spine at the way she said us. Maybe Sienna wasn’t the only one getting mixed signals. “Besides,” Aria continued. “This is your friend’s big night, too. When I get up on that stage, I won’t be thinking of just me.”
There was a knock at the door.
“Hey.” Jonathan stuck his head in. “Everything all right in here?”
“We’re good,” Toby answered.
“Okay, then. It’s about that time.”
Toby focused his gaze on Aria. “Forget about everybody else. Just do what you do best.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He turned back to Jonathan. “All right, man. We’re ready.”