I wanted to get laid.

I also needed to stop drinking and drunk-texting Cute Little Thing because alcohol aided Jim Junior in taking over my brain, and, judging by my last text to Ava, my fingers.

I told her I wanted to fuck her hard and fell asleep. I also hoped she would use the imagery in our latest music video to think about me with her hands. That one time on the phone was fire, but if I called her and said I wanted to touch myself while listening to her voice, it wouldn’t be cute. It’d probably be crass verging on pervy.

Not that I could touch anything in Kennedy’s apartment, anyway. It was small, and someone was always there, be it Kennedy, Ellie, Blondie, or Lover Boy. Sometimes, all of them.

I leaned back in the chair on the terrace of the cafe I chose to wait for Kennedy and took a sip of my third coffee. We were going to the gym when Aiden and Liam finished work. Kennedy said I could work out in peace there because the owner was his friend, and I was grateful for the chance to relax and burn some of my frustration.

My phone vibrated on the round table. A groan pushed past my lips when I saw the caller’s ID.

“Wyatt.”

“Well done, Jimmy boy. It was hot, pure fire. Watch Fire and Rain become number one in the charts by the weekend.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks. We tried.”

“The fangirls are going crazy. I already arranged promo stuff, and a live talk show on Channel One wants to interview the band when you’re back. I’ll send you the agenda.”

“‘kay. Anything else?”

“Nothing for now. Relax.”

We hung up. That the fucker insisted on calling me and not Andre drove me nuts. It was as if he couldn’t go a week without talking to me. I was about to expose his niece to him more than once, but it’d direct his attention to Ava, and I’d do anything to avoid that.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, man.” Kennedy stood by my side, shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun with his palm. “Ready?”

I jumped to my feet. “More than. And Lover Boy?”

“In the car. Jeff’s waiting at the gym,” Aiden said as we strolled to the underground garage in his business center.

“Listen, Kennedy.” I scratched the back of my head.

Aiden’s dark eyes studied me. “Yeah?”

“I need to be done with the workout by eight p.m.”

“Sure. Why?”

“Have somewhere to be. Can you accompany me? I’d go alone, but I don’t know the area well.”

“Done.” Aiden nodded. “Let’s go.”

☆☆☆

Liam was a fitness freak. So was I, but the last few months took their toll on my endurance. Who was I kidding? They took their damn toll on everything, and each time I tried to relax, more shit came up.

“Watch how it’s done, O’Brien.” Lover Boy winked at me, starting the third round of pull-ups. 

I took a drink of my water and smirked, pressing my fingers to the right side of my neck. “You had a good morning, huh?” 

Liam’s panicked gaze darted from me to Aiden, who was running on a treadmill. Liam let go of the bar and landed on the rubber mat. A burst of laughter left my mouth when he walked up to the mirror.

“There’s nothing there,” I said. “Blondie was careful not to leave a love bite.”

Liam swatted me with a towel. "Aiden deserves a fucking gold medal for putting up with you."

"Everyone loves me."

"Sure," he huffed and went to the lifting area. I accompanied him there and stood next to the dumbbells.

"Careful with that." I pointed to the weight bar Liam grabbed.

He frowned. "Why?"

"Just keep it away from my manhood. The world needs more O'Briens."

"The world has enough with climate change. Let's not add insult to injury."

Kennedy's laughter echoed in the gym. The little fucker must've been following our exchange. 

"Need a partner?" he asked, wiping the sweat off his temples as he walked over to me.

"One set only. I can't be late, and we'll need to shower. We'll come back here tomorrow so Jeff can take pictures for the gym's Instagram."

"He's gonna wait to post them." Aiden chuckled. "If fans know you're here—"

"I know, Kennedy. It'll help him regardless, and I like the guy. Let's lift."

☆☆☆

When I asked Aiden to park next to a bookstore downtown, he failed to hide his puzzlement. 

"A book signing?" His brows rose.

"Yeah. Allister Davis is my girl's favorite writer." 

I grabbed the hardback I'd bought the previous day while Aiden was at work and got out of the vehicle. 

The book was the dude's new release. Ava and I talked about him once, and when I saw his name pop up in several promo ads, it clicked.

He lived in Paris, and even though he was famous, it wasn't my level of fame. He could walk on the street unnoticed, but I didn't have two months to stalk him by going to his favorite coffee shops and waiting for a chance encounter. I only had two weeks left in France.

"Holy shit, look at all those people," Aiden said. "They don't know you're coming, do they?"

"No, Kennedy. They're here because of the guy's mysteries. The world doesn't revolve around me, although Lover Boy might think otherwise."

Kennedy snorted. "You bring out the caveman in him."

"I'm good at pissing guys off," I said, putting on a cap. It was a shitty attempt at hiding, but I wasn't comfortable with people staring while I waited to go into the store.

The line serpentined along the pavement and almost reached the entrance to a small park I'd already been to. Aiden and I had waited for at least half an hour before it was finally our turn to go in.

But once we were inside, I made sure I was the last guy to approach the table. 

"Mister Davis," I said, handing him the book. 

The guy peered at me over the rim of his glasses. They left a red mark on the bridge of his nose, and I thought about how tiring the whole signing thing must be.

"Who is it for?" he asked, opening the novel.

"For Ava. She's a big fan of your work."

The guy smiled and shifted in his chair, almost as if…

"Yeah, I'm Jim O'Brien from Rebellious Hearts," I whispered. "Are you a fan?"

The guy's cheeks reddened slightly. "My kids are. I'm sorry. They've been talking about the new song all day today."

My gaze traveled around the store. It was empty now, save for a few people lingering by the shelves.

"I could meet your kids," I said. "But I also have a small favor to ask you."

Allister laughed. "You're just as bold in real life as you are in some interviews, but it's okay. It's my son's birthday tomorrow. You'd make him happy if you could sign something for him."

"When I said meet, I meant it. Tell me where, and we'll be there. My friend Kennedy and I." I pointed to Aiden, whose eyes flared.

"The favor you want to ask isn't that small, then."

I put a memory stick on the table. "My girlfriend is an aspiring author. She wrote her first mystery. Ava isn't looking for endorsement or anything, but she'd appreciate your honest feedback because she looks up to you and loves your work. She'd be happy to know what works and what doesn't. If you want, I can print out the manuscript for you. Or pay you for spending your time on it."

The man in front of me was busy, and I was aware that he had every right to decline the bold offer. But if he agreed, he would save Ava hundreds of hours of figuring out how to do things better. I wouldn't be where I was without the people who helped me. Cay's input and the conversations I had with other songwriters shaped my style and sharpened my skills. If I could do anything for the person I loved, it would be helping her get a little closer to making her biggest dream come true.

"No problem," Allister Davis said. "I'll read through it and give you my opinion. How long will you stay in France?"

"Two more weeks."

"Alright."

He grabbed a post-it note and scribbled something on it. "My address. I'll see you and your friend tomorrow at noon."

I grabbed the paper rectangle and the signed book he gave me. "Thank you. It means a lot." 

"An unusual request, not gonna lie." His eyes twinkled. "But I'm curious to see what's in that manuscript."

"You'll like it," I said, shaking his hand.

He could hate it and rip Ava's work to shreds, but I had to trust he'd be gentle. And I always had the option of keeping quiet about giving her novel to him.

Kennedy and I said goodbye and left the store. 

"So, we have a party tomorrow," Aiden said as we strolled down the street.

"Sorry, man. I had to use my chance."

"I get that. I would do the same for Ellie. I still think you didn't need a break. You're in love, Jim, and that's awesome. The two of you will figure out the rest."

A squeal came from somewhere behind us. I turned my head and regretted it almost instantly. 

A girl rushed toward me, her heels clicking on the cobblestone.

"A picture?" she said with a French accent.

Another girl stood a few feet away, her smartphone poised to take photos.

I nodded because she was a fan. She gripped my bicep, and to my utter astonishment, pressed her lips to my cheek.

I freed myself from her grasp and stepped back. Kennedy let out a low whistle.

"Sorry." The blond giggled, retreating.

She wasn't fucking sorry. And I was a fucking idiot for taking so long to react.

"Let's go," I said and pivoted to go to Kennedy's car, not in the mood for an evening stroll anymore.

"That was...shit, that was fast," Kennedy said, pressing a button on the small remote.

The vehicle door clicked open. I got in and fished my phone out of my pocket.

A couple of taps on the screen were enough to see the pictures of me with the blond fan. Her lips and hands on me against the backdrop of the Parisian night told the story of a famous musician who enjoyed the female attention.

And the one I loved didn't answer a single message of mine.