Page 224 of Hot Mess
I put in about an hour of work on my laptop, sitting at Ashley’s kitchen island and sipping my wine. I shuffled around some work I’d been planning to do tomorrow, including rescheduling a couple of client calls.
Meanwhile, Ashley sat by the fireplace in the adjoining living room, working on a song on his guitar. It was an acoustic, and whatever he was playing sounded pretty cool, though I couldn’t make out any words. He was kind of whisper-singing under his breath, making notes on a pad of paper.
When I was finished my work, I topped up my glass of wine and took it over to sit by him.
“New song?” I asked him.
“Sort of an old song that I never really finished writing.” He set his guitar aside and got up, stretching. His T-shirt slid up, revealing a yummy slice of skin and inked flames. “I like to write a lot, but it’s mostly just an exercise. I feel like I’m better writing in collaboration with other musicians. You just never know when you’re gonna come up with that amazing riff or melody or lyric that catches fire, though.” He wandered over to the fridge to get himself a fresh beer.
“That’s cool. I do the same thing with jewelry, sometimes. Just start working without any kind of design in mind.”
Interesting, that I’d never really talked to any of the guys I’d dated before about my jewelry making. But then none of those guys had ever taken an interest in it like Ashley had seemed to when we’d gone to dinner. Same as he did right now, listening as I spoke.
“I’ll start putting a chain together, link by link,” I told him, “and then hooking stones onto it, and before I know it, it’s many hours later, the sun’s gone down, my fingers are sore, and I’ve put together some kind of crazy Frankenbracelet that’s the best thing I’ve ever made.”
“Sounds a lot like writing a song on guitar,” he said, as he came back over to sit next to me. “I think that’s what we’re aiming to make with this band, actually. Frankensongs. I picture four or five amazing musicians, creators, coming together, writing songs together and bringing in all our different styles and influences to make something new and unexpected. We’ll throw all our best ideas into the forge and see what takes shape. Which parts we actually use and how we put it together… that’s what’ll make it magic.” He took a swig of his beer and shrugged. “Or a total failure.”
“I doubt failure’s an option.”
“Who knows,” he said.
“Have you written many songs for the new band yet?”
“No. We’re not really writing yet. We pretty much decided to hold off until the band is whole, before we officially write any songs. But I’ll keep writing on my own, as usual. Just let the ideas flow, at least. Summer will, too. Then when we all get together as a group, hopefully we’ll all have some ideas and little pieces of things to bring to it.”
“Cool. It seems like that would be fun… And a lot of work? And, I don’t know, kind of scary? Like, do you feel pressure to write something as good as your best hits with the Penny Pushers?”
He snorted. “Yeah, not so much. Honestly, I’d like to be a part of writing something way better than what the Pushers ever put out.” He shrugged again. “I really don’t want to reinvent the Pushers or any of the other bands I played in before them. Whatever we do with this new band, it’ll be a departure from the Penny Pushers’ sound, for sure. More sophisticated. The Pushers’ thing was pretty much alt-rock for skater kids. It made sense for us when we were twenty-two, but then we never really evolved. I don’t want to be stagnant like that again. I guess that’s why the supergroup thing, and working with Summer, feels right. I want to work with musicians who are as good as I am, or better, even. People who can push me to be better. You know… I guess I’m done with mediocre.” He looked closely at me when he said that.
“I can’t wait to hear it,” I said. “Whatever you come up with together.”
Ashley stared at me for a moment. “You know, I can’t wait for you to hear it, either.”
I smiled. Actually, I was pretty sure I beamed rainbows at him.
He settled back right next to me on the couch, stretching his arm out behind me. And we spent most of the evening right there, in front of the fire, nursing a drink and talking while the summer night eased down around us.
Then when the fire died out and our drinks ran dry, we spent the rest of the night in his bed.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Danica
The next morning, I woke up in Ashley’s bed feeling…incredible.
I’d definitely never felt this way waking up in a man’s bed before.
So, I knew I was in deep here.
Already.
Well… I was in deep long ago.
Like pretty much the moment I met him… and couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I should’ve maybe been a little concerned about that?
But I wasn’t.
