“Where’s the rest of the band?” she asked.
“Oh, we scratch out enough of a living to afford our own rooms,” he said.
Annie laughed. “I bet you do. Look, Mr. Jones…”
“Kip,” he said. “Please. I am only thirty five. I haven’t reached ‘Mister’ status yet.”
“Kip, then. I am very eager to get started, but…”
“Then let’s do it. But what, Annie?” Kip asked, once again patting the couch.
Annie sat down but on the farthest edge from him.
“Well, Kip, I mean, I just thought we would start during normal hours, like tomorrow. You know, when we’re both fresh and can think straight,” Annie said.
“Well, I am fresh, Annie. And if I might say, you look pretty fresh yourself,” he said half laughing. He looked at his watch. “Besides, it is tomorrow. I’ve got two thirty six am.”
Annie smiled and looked down at her smooth legs. She realized she had turned her knees toward him, a clear come on. Why had she done that? She moved them non-chalantly in a safer direction. “Okay Kip, let’s get this out of the way now, shall we?”
Kip raised his eyebrows at her.
“I just came out of a very bad relationship, and all I can think of now is about not getting into another one. Besides, I have a lot of baggage. I am sure you wouldn’t want to get mixed up in any of it. And…”
“And?” Kip said, his smile never fading.
“And, anyway I have a rule,” Annie said.
“A rule? Go on…”
“I never date rockers, Kip. Never. I write about them. I don’t date them. Even ones like you that have the face and body of Adam Levine. It’s why I do such a great job. I don’t get personally involved. It makes the story pure. True. You know?”
Kip looked at her, keeping his smile. He cocked his head to the side and sized her up again. He said nothing. Adam Levine? Damn, maybe I should cut my hair to have the full package.
“Well?” Annie asked.
“Okay, Annie. I get it. And I apologize. I was acting like a dick anyway. I mean you look great. I am a sucker for a hot chick. I saw you tonight. I wanted you. And I acted like a dick. It’s not the first time. Probably won’t be the last time. Please forgive me.”
Annie looked at him for a moment and then smiled. “Forgiven,” she said.
“Good,” Kip said. “So, where shall we begin?”
“Well, that’s really up to you,” she said. “But I like to get some initial back story to work with starting out. Like family. Where you grew up. What made you want to do what you do…Do you have any secrets? Stuff like that.”
“Well, I have no living family,” Kip started. “My father passed away while I was in the Marine Corps. I’d really rather not talk much about that right now.” He looked down at her shoes.
“You don’t want to talk about your father or the Marines, which one?” Annie asked.
Kip looked back up at her and looked serious for a change. “Either one, really.”
“Well, clearly there is a story there,” Annie said. “Are we going to talk about it at all?”
Kip looked back at her shoes. “We’ll see.” He nodded at her feet. “Those shoes must be absolute torture.”
“You have no idea,” Annie said. She kicked them off and they rolled on the floor. She opened her notebook and pulled a pen from the binder.
Kip woke to Jack Treme pounding on the door. He stirred and then he pushed himself up on the couch. He looked around confused for a moment until the pounding on the door happened again. He staggered to his feet and shuffled across to the door, catching a glance of Annie bundled up on his bed in the other room. She was buried in a sea of silk and blankets. He spotted bare thigh between the waves of sheets, and decided her flesh was the silk. The sheets were only a cheap frame around the true masterpiece. And she’s wearing my T-shirt. I hate it when a plan comes together but doesn’t include me getting with the girl. Maybe I’ll get her next time, he thought.
He ran his fingers through his hair and continued on to the door. He pulled it open and walked away, knowing it was Jack that was doing the pounding.
“Damn Kip. Four o’clock is late in the day even for you,” Jack said as he walked in, leaving the door open behind him.
“Stayed up all night, Jacky.”
Jack followed him to the kitchen, where Kip was pouring himself a glass of Crown. He saw Annie stirring in the bed as he walked by the open door of the bedroom.
“Well, that explains the late night,” Jack said as he took the bottle from Kip and pulled a mouthful from it. “Who’s the coin purse?”