Free RockMySenses by Lisa Carlisle Page B

engineers.”
    “VC keeps growing in popularity. Do you see a time you might
have to quit your day job?”
    “You sound like an interviewer.” He laughed. “They ask us
that question all the time. And the answer we give them is we can do our jobs
from just about anywhere. Just need a laptop and occasional WiFi to check in.
So even if we’re on a tour bus one day, we could geek out instead of drinking
and passing out like the cliché of the rock star on the road. We have a tour on
the west coast coming up. Our biggest tour yet.”
    “That’s fantastic!” I grabbed his arm in my enthusiasm. “You
guys deserve it.” When the idea sank in, I realized he’d be on the other side
of the country for an extended period. For some reason, that bothered me.
    “It would be a game changer for us. But like the saying
goes, I’m not going to quit my day job yet.”
     
    While hazelnut coffee brewed, Mike cooked us scrambled eggs
and I cut up a honeydew melon.
    “I need to leave after breakfast,” I said.
    “What’s the rush?” He gave me a naughty smile over his
shoulder. “I thought we could have breakfast in bed.”
    “I thought we just did.” I smiled back. “I want to go by my
place and shower first.”
    “I have water that flows through my pipes.” He extended his
arms to the walls in a dramatic gesture. “Behold, a shower!”
    “You’re such a goofball.” I bumped his hip with my own. “But
I have to go.” When I saw a dark shadow pass over his face, I asked, “What’s
wrong?”
    “Nothing.” He forced a smile. “Want me to drive you to the
studio? I’d like to check it out.”
    “I need to go alone. Get my head straight and see what mess
I’ve gotten myself into.”
    “Fine. But promise me a private tour later.”
    I paused my cutting. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
    “Why not?” He scooped some eggs onto two blue china plates.
    I took the time while I added the melon to the plates to
formulate a response. “Because we said one night, Mike. No empty promises.”
    “It’s not an empty promise. I want to see what your new
venture is. After all, I toasted to it last night.”
    “It doesn’t sound like a good idea for either of us.”
    “How so?” He opened a drawer and pulled out silverware.
    “It hints at something, I’m not exactly sure what. But I
have no brain capacity for anything else right now.”
    “I get it.” He carried the plates into the dining room. “No
more bandwidth.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Geek talk. Never mind.”

Chapter Six
     
    Mike
    This is weird.
    After Allana left, I should have felt content to have my
space to myself again. It was New Year’s Day and I had a rare day off. No work
and nothing with the band. The perfect day to chill out, maybe play some video
games without thinking about what else I should be doing.
    But no, I thought about her. How was she doing in her new
studio? Why was she reluctant to let me visit it?
    Because you’re a jackass. After blowing her off and
forgetting her name, she knows better than to expect anything more from someone
like you.
    When I entered my room and saw the bed messed up from our
activities last night and this morning, I thought about all we had done there.
I thought about washing the sheets, but then wondered if I could discern her
scent still lingering when I went to bed tonight. For some reason, I wanted to
hold on to that memory for one more night.
    You need to man up. You’re acting insane. How many girls
have you banged without getting all soft like this? You know you’re only doing
it because she was the one who put the limits on this thing, not you.
    Was that what it was? If she had insisted I call her, would
I feel the same way right now?
    One part of me thought I might actually like the idea.
    No, this is all Nico’s fault. All his parading around in
a relationship with Lily. It’s rubbing off on me. I’m going to kill him.
     
    Allana
    After I signed final paperwork, the landlord gave me the
keys