Page 111 of Hot Mess
And now I knew for sure she had my back.
* * *
Didshe have my back?
With Dani, sometimes it was really hard to tell.
It was also pretty difficult to read her intentions over brunch.
Ashley had never eaten at my neighborhood greasy spoon, so I gave him some recommendations. He went with my favorite frittata—spinach and chorizo—and we ordered a round of drinks. Mimosas for me and Dani, beer for him.
His bodyguard guy, Haz, who I’d met briefly after dinner the other night, hung out at a nearby table.
Ashley had a black ball cap on. I wasn’t sure how effective a disguise that could possibly be on someone so strikingly good-looking and unicorn-level special, but hey, whatever made him comfortable. Plus, it was sexy on him.
As we ate, I really had no way to know what he was thinking. He was on what had to be his best behavior, I supposed. He didn’t even flirt with me.
He also didn’t seem to be doing the compare/contrast thing as he looked from me to my sister, like so many men did. Or if he was, I didn’t pick up on it.
He listened, rather politely and patiently, to everything my sister had to say.
And my sister had alotto say.
One thing was definitely made clear to him: Daniella Vola had an opinion. About everything. Including the neighborhood, the restaurant, the menu and the decor, to name a few.
And Ashley.
His career, specifically, which she’d obviously researched.
It was like he was at a job interview.
“So tell me about your band situation,” she said, as we were finishing our meals. “You guys broke up?”
He looked at me, and I hoped he didn’t think I’d told her what he’d told me in confidence, about his new band. This was just Dani’s way. She’d taken it upon herself to dig around.
“I didn’t tell her anything,” I blurted, just to be sure. It was the first time I’d said anything in at least five minutes.
“Tell me what?” she asked. Or rather, demanded.
Ashley smiled at me, kind of halfway, and looked at her again. “I’m putting together a new band.” He glanced at me after he said it, and I got the feeling he’d told her because of me. Because he trusted me, and he was extending trust to her because of me.
I was pretty sure it wasn’t because of that drunken night they’d shared in Alaska four years ago.
“Cool,” Dani said. “What kind of band? Musical genre? Who’s in it? When’s the album coming out? Et cetera.”
Ashley smirked at me a little, like,Is she always this nosy?
I raised my eyebrows and sipped my drink, like,Yep.
“It’ll be a rock band with mixed influences,” he said, kind of vaguely. “Don’t know who’s in it yet. Et cetera.”
“Well, make sure it’s the right lineup,” my sister said, with authority, as if she was some kind of expert in the music industry. “You need the right people, and of course, the right wardrobe.”
“Wardrobe, huh? A lot of people would agree with you,” he said. “I’m not sure I’m one of them. I never really wanted it to be about what we wore.”
“That’s sweet,” Dani said, “but naive. Please tell me you’ve thought this through a little more than that.”
“Uh… Yeah. I’ve had some thoughts.” Ashley flashed me a small smile again. I just hoped my sister’s brand of directness was entertaining him instead of annoying him. Or worse, offending him. “All I know right now, though, is that it’s gonna be a supergroup.”
