Rock God_Book 1_A Contemporary Harem Fantasy Read online

  Yep, thanks for checkin’.

  A few seconds, later my phone beeped again.

  Great. Looking forward to seeing you again.

  Ugh. Holy crap. I probably shouldn’t see her ever again. I contemplated typing a response, but decided to just turn the phone off and get ready for bed. As if I would be able to sleep tonight. Fuck, she was hot.

  Chapter 6

  My alarm woke me up at eleven. It had been a rough night. I couldn’t get Aimee out of my head, and I had to jack off twice to get my dick to calm down.

  I rolled out of bed and brushed my teeth to banish the morning breath. I did a few stretches to get the cracks out of my joints, a couple sets of pull ups from the bar hanging in my apartment doorway, strapped on my iPod, and went for a thirty-minute jog around the apartment complex while I listened to the band Khoma. It was just angry enough music to get my mind off the events of last night and focused on the run.

  When I got back, I scrambled some eggs and turned on my phone. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Aimee hadn’t sent me any more messages, but I did get a text from one of my classmates, Kelly. She was a tall blonde whom I shared a statistics class and study group with last semester. We went out a few times, but I wasn’t really that interested, and I think she became discouraged by my lack of attention.

  Kelly was definitely my type: tall, lean, etc., but at the time, I was just going through the motions. I figured, that with her good looks, she would have no problem finding another man when I gave her the “it’s me not you” break-up line. At any rate, it really was me, not her. From the talks in class, study group, and on the dates, she was funny, nice, intelligent, and pretty. She knew about my parents, and I think she really wanted to be there for me, but I just pushed her away. She was smart enough to get the point and move on. Hot girls with good self-esteem shouldn’t waste their time putting damaged goods back together.

  Long time no talk. How’s it going?

  I considered my response. Thoughts of Aimee also snuck in there. Damn it.

  Doing better. I have a job interview tomorrow. How about you? Want to have dinner this week?

  I thought it would be good to see her again. It would help take my mind off trying to figure out what happened last night. I dropped the phone on the kitchen counter, grabbed a load of laundry, dumped it into the apartment’s coin-operated machine, and then took a shower. By the time I got out of the shower, I had a response from Kelly.

  That’s good news! I’ve been doing well. Dinner Tuesday? I’ll pick you up.

  Looks like it just took a night of social activity and a kiss from a beautiful woman, who just happened to be dating my best friend, to help me get my mojo back.

  Tuesday is good. 7ish.

  I spent the rest of the day cleaning up the apartment, doing laundry, and studying. I also inspected my wardrobe for proper attire for my interview tomorrow. I didn’t really know what the dress code was for interviewing at a high-end financial firm, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a suit and tie. I had two suits, a tuxedo, and a small assortment of ties from when I had guitar gigs. I was in good shape.

  I also checked my phone every twenty minutes to make sure Aimee hadn’t texted or called me. She hadn’t.

  I was going insane over this.

  Chapter 7

  Monday’s class went by quick. I got a few questions about my suit, but nothing else exciting happened. I was pretty nervous when I pulled into the parking lot of Patrick’s dad’s company. It was a posh building with plenty of mirrored glass and a Japanese-style garden. The parking lot was dotted with a few Ferraris, a Maserati, and a Bentley. The rest were BMW Ms and Mercedes AMG models. My trusty steed was quite out of place.

  Patrick’s dad’s name was Michael, and he looked like he either just got back from or was heading to a golf game. He asked me the usual interview questions and about my classes. It turned out he had gone to Cal State, so we had something in common.

  “So here is the deal: Most of us are hardly in the office, but we do need some help. We have a lead list we need cold calls made on so appointments can be sent; we have various analysis work that needs to be communicated to the sales staff, and there is the occasional clerical stuff we need done that none of the sales staff knows how to do. Since you don’t have your license yet, you can help us out on the back end, learn the processes, and we can see where you end up when you get out of school. How many hours do you think you can be here?”

  I didn’t need to think about the answer to the question. This sounded like exactly what I was looking for. “I can do about thirty max. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I can be here at ten in the morning till whenever you need me. Tuesday and Thursdays are my heavy load days, so I can get here around two o’clock.” I tried to hide my excitement with a smile.

  “Sounds good. Pay is twenty dollars an hour. Can you start tomorrow? I’m about to leave to meet some clients, and I’ll be able to plan out your tasks better if you start tomorrow.”

  “Absolutely! Thank you so much. I’ll be here at two o’clock.” Now, I couldn’t hide my excitement as I shook Michael’s hand. Twenty bucks an hour! I was excited to just have an internship where I would be working for free. Now I would be making a great wage and getting the experience I needed in my industry. I didn’t even remember the drive back to my apartment, but I do remember singing stupid songs of happiness at the top of my lungs with the windows rolled down.

  When I got into my apartment, a text beeped on my phone. It was Aimee, and a flood of different emotions hit me. Panic, desire, pleasure, and fear being the most prevalent.

  Sorry about yesterday. Was going to call. Want to hang out tomorrow night?

  I sighed, it would have been nice to see Jack and his friends again, but I didn’t feel like blowing Kelly off.

  Sorry have plans. Maybe this weekend? I texted.

  Ugh. Jack has an LSAT study course tomorrow and Sam has a late night class. I need someone to play with.

  I broke out into a cold sweat and reread the text eight times. That was definitely flirting. “Play with” insinuates more than just “hanging out.” I was also under the assumption it was going to be the gang, and not just her alone, so I was glad I made plans with Kelly.

  Sorry can’t change them. The weekend doesn’t work?

  Going to Catalina for my sister’s birthday. My parents already booked the rooms or I would bring you.

  Hmmm, that was interesting. She didn’t mention she had a sister when we were talking the other night, but we didn’t talk that much about her family. I knew her father owned a huge pharmaceutical company and her mother was one of the leading scientists. They had a shitload of money. Thinking there could be two girls as hot as Aimee out there seemed something worth talking about.

  I didn’t know you had a sister.

  It was ten minutes before she replied. I figured once she realized I wasn’t going to hang out with her tomorrow, I got downgraded on her list of priorities.

  Yeah. She is actually the pretty one. Lol. And she is way smarter than me too. Everyone is in love with her.

  Woah. Prettier than Aimee? I found it hard to believe.

  And you haven’t introduced us yet? I am deeply hurt. I thought we were friends.

  Her reply came in less than five seconds.

  This is her sixteenth birthday you perv. I don’t want you going to jail. Jack would never forgive me.

  Bah. There went that brief fantasy.

  Maybe the weekend after that. Sorry just swamped this week. Have fun in Catalina!

  I was still buzzing from the job interview, and I wanted to tell someone. Aimee hadn’t mentioned it; I didn’t think she knew about it. I realized I didn’t have Patrick’s number, or I would have thanked him again. I called up Jack and left him a message saying it went well. Then I pulled out the books and started to study.

  It was going to be rough to balance my class load with the job. Especially the Tuesday to Thursday jump, where I would be working all
day Wednesday. But I realized it wouldn’t be that bad. Most of the students in the state schools were working, so assignments tended to be based weeks apart. I also used studying as a crutch for my social inactivity. I probably could study half the amount I did and still get As and Bs. I currently spent so much time working on class work that I practically ran all the study groups and found the tests completely trivial.

  Jack called me later that night to congratulate me on the interview. I got a little nervous he would bring up Aimee kissing me, but he didn’t seem to know about it.

  “So, what did you think of Aimee? Isn’t she amazing?” he asked me almost immediately.

  “Yeah dude, she is smoking hot and seems really nice. Aren’t you glad you took my advice?”

  “Yes! Thanks again for that. She is great, dude. We are going to Catalina this weekend for her sister’s birthday. I’ve never met her parents before, but they are supposed to be really smart. I am nervous they may not like me.”

  “Dude, how could they not like you? You’re like a golden retriever. Complete with the slobber and licking,” I said with a laugh. I could hear him laughing on the other end. “Have you met Aimee’s sister before? Aimee was telling me at the party that her sister is smarter and prettier than she is.” Okay. So, I kind of lied about where the conversation took place.

  “No, I’ve never met her, but Aimee talks like she walks on water. I guess she is one of those child geniuses. She spent her last two years at Oxford getting a bachelor’s in some art thing.”

  “Holy shit.”

  “Yeah. Too bad she is sixteen or we could hook you up with her. Speaking of that, did you like Samantha at all? She’s been bugging Aimee and me about you.”

  “It’s like you said, dude. She is cute, but I’m not really interested in her.” I flopped myself down on the couch in my living room and fired up the TV. It was my parent’s giant, blocky one.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. It sucks. I think in any other group of girls, she would be gorgeous. But when compared side by side with Aimee, Daya, and Katherine, she comes off as plain. She is really nice, though.”

  “Yeah, she seemed cool when I was talking to her. Hey, do you have Patrick’s number? I wanted to thank him for setting me up with the interview.”

  “Yeah, sure, I’ll text it to you.” We talked for another fifteen minutes about classes and his LSAT study course. Jack figured he needed to take it next year, so he could start applying to law schools early. When we finished talking, he texted me Patrick’s number and I called the big guy to thank him again. He didn’t answer his phone, so I just left a message.

  Chapter 8

  My first day of work went great. Michael didn’t really have much of a plan; he just introduced me to the people who happened to be in the office that day, and told me to hang out with the cold-call/appointment-setting crew. They showed me the database with the various leads and info on potential customers. They had a script of basic questions they would ask customers in an attempt to build rapport and book an appointment for the advisors. If the advisor met with the client and sold them financial products, the cold-call crew who booked the appointment would get a commission. They also worked off a base salary. I spent most of the day listening to some of the calls they made and learning as much as I could.

  Kelly came by my apartment at a quarter past seven that night. She was dressed in a tight pair of blue jeans and a close-fitting yellow sweatshirt which was cut low enough to show off her neck. She had a dark-brown pair of those Puma shoes that looked like nothing more than socks. She gave me a hug when I first opened the door (that was more in line with the hug Aimee should have given me) and then held me out at arm’s length to appraise me, while I did the same to her.

  She was as tall as me at six feet. She had cut her blonde hair short in the back, with long strands in the front. The effect created an interesting angle that highlighted her ears and profile. I realized it was the popular style Victoria Beckham was wearing. Kelly’s face was tan, and her large, soft, brown eyes seemed perfectly placed above her thin nose and red lips.

  “So, where do you want to eat?” she asked. She had a big smile, so I guess she approved of my appearance.

  “There is a great Thai BBQ place nearby. Or we could go for Italian?”

  “Let’s do the Thai place. Are you still driving that POS Honda?” she asked, with her tongue sticking out.

  “Yeah,” I said, as annoyed with her as I could. “But I got the job yesterday, and the pay is pretty good, so I may be getting a new car.”

  “Oh that’s right! I meant to ask you about that. I’ll drive and we can talk more. I want to hear all about it.” She grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the apartment.

  Kelly was one of those girls who drove a big red truck and rode dirt bikes when she wasn’t playing volleyball. Her red Ford was stickered with various Fox Racing logos, along with stylized decals of volleyball and various outdoor activities. I had to grab on to a handhold attached on the door frame to pull myself up into the seat of the raised monster. She bounded gracefully into her seat in one smooth motion. It was a practiced move.

  She turned the ignition and classic rock blared across the stereo as the massive engine came to life in a fit of anger. I had to yell over the music to give her directions, but that was okay. Kelly seemed so carefree as she twisted the large truck through the streets that I was already having a good time.

  We got to the restaurant in record time. It was one of those family-ran, hole-in-the-wall type of places that had been there for years, so the food was amazing. We got to our seats and started looking over the menus when the conversation started again. She asked me about the interview, how I had gotten it, how the first day was. I told her about Jack’s friends (I spared her the full details) and how Patrick hooked me up with his dad. By this point, the waiter returned, and we placed our orders.

  It was my turn to ask her some questions, so I asked her about what had been going on since we last saw each other. Her classes were going well (she was an accounting major), and the school’s volleyball team was having the best year they’ve ever had. I didn’t really know that much about volleyball, besides that it hurt my hand when I did it back in high school and the girls who played the sport in college always looked sexy.

  Our food arrived and we dug in. I ordered duck, and Kelly got a separate beef and chicken dish. She wolfed down her food, and I made the comment that she must be burning a lot of calories playing volleyball.

  “I’ve always had a good appetite; you just didn’t hang out with me long enough last semester to experience it,” she said after a drink of water. Her eyes met mine, and I got the double meaning.

  “We are hanging out now,” I pointed out. “And I see you definitely have a big appetite.” She giggled.

  We finished dinner and looked over the dessert menu. Kelly wasn’t having it though.

  “Do you have any ice cream at home? I have a craving for rocky road and some TV. What do you say?” She tried to ask nonchalantly, but I could see her bite her lower lip slightly as she looked into my eyes.

  I thought about it for a moment. It didn’t take much deduction to realize what would happen if we ended up back on my couch eating ice cream and watching TV. I’d never slept with Kelly before, but we would definitely end up fucking if she came back. Seemed like she wanted to pick up our relationship exactly where I had left it last semester. Did I want that? I thought about Aimee for a split second and pushed the thought away angrily. She was my best friend’s girl, and I was going to try to forget about her from now on. Kelly was here, she was funny, sweet, attractive, and wanted me.

  “It sounds like a great idea, but I don’t have any ice cream, so we’ll have to pick some up on the way back.”

  She did a poor job of hiding her excitement. Last semester, I would have found a way to wiggle out of it, and she must have been pleased with the change in my personality. She smiled and looked down at her plate, drawing imaginary lines with her
fork against the porcelain.

  I grabbed the check when it came and we booked it back to her truck. She practically peeled out in the direction of the local store. “Gimme Three Steps” came on her radio and we both started singing it as loud as we possibly could.

  Chapter 9

  Back at my place, Kelly dumped herself on the couch and started flipping through channels, while I went into the kitchen to put the ice cream into bowls.

  “How much do you want?” I yelled into the other room.

  “I can never have enough... of ice cream that is.” She laughed at her joke and I smiled in the kitchen. “You like South Park?” she called out.

  “Yep!” I said back. It was actually one of my favorite shows.

  I put a scoop in my bowl and three in hers, threw the gallon into the freezer, and walked back out into the living room.

  “Mmmm…,” she said with a satisfied groan, “that has to be the best thing I’ve ever seen. A hot guy bringing me a big bowl of my favorite ice cream.”

  I laughed and handed her the bowl as I sat down next to her. I may have blushed, but I don’t think she noticed. The South Park episode was pretty funny and we laughed most of the way though. I was really having a good time; I don’t think I’ve laughed this much since before my parents died. I should have given Kelly more of a chance last semester. But, I was glad it seemed to be working out now.

  The episode finished and there was going to be another one on right after, so we decided to watch it. During the break, Kelly grabbed the bowls and walked toward the kitchen to wash them. I watched her legs and ass sway as she walked out of the room. I felt my stomach drop as I made the decision to follow her. I realized I was nervous to make the next move. It had been a while.

  She turned on the sink and grabbed a brush to clean the bowls. The entrance to the kitchen was behind the sink, so she didn’t notice me walk in behind her. Her hair was parted in the middle, high on her neck where her hair started to end at her scalp. I wrapped my arms around her waist and slowly kissed the back of her neck where the hair was parted.