“I need your help,”
Jared said, fixing an intense gaze on me. “We have a live audition tomorrow for
The Sound. Problem is, our bassist quit last night, and we need a fourth
member of the band.”
“What?” Was he saying
what I thought he was saying? No. Impossible.
“I know—worst timing
ever. Can you play bass by any chance?”
“No…”
His face fell for an
instant, and some reckless part of me wanted to lie and say yes or promise him
I’d learn. How hard could it be to learn the bass if I knew how to play guitar,
right? Though I immediately realized how dumb that idea was because a) I could
never learn bass in time for an audition tomorrow; b) I shouldn’t care about
making Jared happy, even if his disappointed face broke my heart; and c) none
of that mattered because he couldn’t possibly be asking me to join his band
anyway.
“That’s okay,” he said.
“I can play bass, and you can play guitar. It’ll work.” His smile lit up his
face again, with a look that could charm any girl lucky enough to bask in it.
Right now, that girl was me. “So what do you think?”
Jared was asking me—me—to
play guitar in his band. In an audition on live TV. In front of four of the
greatest musicians ever, plus millions of people at home. Mind. Blown. Somehow
I’d been handed my secret dream on a silver platter. Next up, Jared would ask
me out, too. Yeah, and then we’d ride off into the sunset on a rainbow unicorn
with our million-dollar record deal.
“You want me to join
your band?” I asked slowly, studying him for any sign that this was all a joke.
“Just for the audition.
That should give us enough time to find another bass player to take Becca’s
place.”
Ah, there was the catch.
I would only play with them for one day, giving me a tiny taste of their
lifestyle, and then they’d drop me as soon as the audition was over. No, better
to never know what it would be like to play guitar on stage, to be part of a band,
to make music with Jared and Kyle. Besides, I couldn’t play guitar in front of
the world. Guitar was my secret, my fun escape, and nothing more. My internship
started on Monday, and I needed to focus on that—not on silly dreams of being a
rock star.
“I’m sorry, but I
can’t.” I spun around and rushed toward the exit before he could respond. I
didn’t want him to see my face and how much I desperately wanted to do it.
“Wait!” He ran after me,
but I kept going, past other students who watched us with curiosity. “Maddie,
wait!”
Damn his long legs. He
caught up to me, practically jumping in front of me to stop me in my tracks. I
kept my face glued to the floor, to the contrast of his black combat boots and
my green Converse. I couldn’t look up at him or I’d be tempted to say yes to
anything.
He lowered his voice.
“Please, you’re the only person who can help us. You’re an amazing guitarist,
and you already know our songs. We need you.”
I shook my head, looking
anywhere but at him. Hearing him say he needed me with his
whiskey-chocolate-sex voice made my legs a bit shaky, but what he was asking
for? It was too much.
Jared got down on his
knees, right in the middle of the hallway, and everyone stopped to watch us. He
raised his hands like he was begging. “Please, this is our one chance, but
without a fourth member, we can’t do it. You’re perfect and it’ll only be for a
day, and then I’ll owe you. I’ll do anything you want.” He topped it off with a
grin. “Help me, Maddie Taylor, you’re my only hope.”
Damn. How could I say no
to a Star Wars reference from a hot guy on his knees? The word slipped
out before I could stop it. “Okay.”
Writing for the young and new adult market, Stacey's books are all adventure filled stories with a lot of adventure, a good dose of danger, a smattering of romance, and plenty of KISSING! Hailing from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, she loves nothing more than immersing herself in the beauty and culture of the local area.
