Encore Worthy: a Mountains & Men prequel novella (8 page)

“Answer my question,
Rosemary.
”

She rolls her eyes, which makes me think of Millie, and then she speaks. “I’ve smelled it on you and the guys enough to know, dummy.”

I look into her eyes for a moment, searching for the reassurance that that’s the
only
reason she knows. I nod when I’m sure she’s telling the truth.

“You’re
such
a hypocrite.”

“Wrong. I’m the guy any douche has to get through before he’s allowed between my sister’s legs.”

She groans, lifting Sophia away from her and towards me. “You’re the biggest pain in my a-s-s. Here. Take your niece.” Before I can reach for her, Rosy changes her mind, hugs Sophia close, kisses her cheek, and whispers, “You’re so screwed, baby girl. With your dad, and your brothers, and your uncle—you’ll never get laid. Don’t worry, though. You’ve got me, too.” She kisses Sophia’s soft, chubby cheek once more. “And ignore the smell. Uncle Sage is the best, I promise.”

I playfully rub my knuckles against the top of Rosy’s head and she ducks away from me before I gently scoop Sophia into my arms and make my way to the couch. Pepper catches my eye as she enters the room and shakes her head in disbelief. I chuckle, amused that she’s surprised.

The three of us are pretty close, always have been. Granted, it didn’t always look that way, what with all our bickering and arguing growing up, but we wouldn’t trade each other for anything. That said, Rosy and I have always been really tight. Besides the fact that we’re closer in age, Pepper was out of the house and married by the time I was sixteen. Pep is the sensible, wise, motherly one—she’s our rock; but Rosy is my best friend, and I hers.

That is, when I’m not trying to keep guys out of her pants.

It’s a fucking hard job to do, but someone’s got to do it.

“So, who was the unlucky lady who had the misfortune of waking up after being ditched by the likes of you?” Rosy asks as I stretch out on the couch with Sophia.

I let out a long sigh, gazing down at the sweet little girl bundled in pink against my chest, and then mentally replay my morning. I remember the way it felt to hold Millie in my arms; how she wrapped herself around me when I kissed her; the sound of my name on her lips . . .

I’m yanked from my thoughts when I look down and see Pepper pulling my shoes from my feet. “I can only imagine where these things have been; they
do not
need to be on my couch,” she tells me before she sits and drops my feet into her lap. “Also, judging by the look on your face, Rosemary’s question requires an answer. What groupie has your head so foggy the afternoon after?”

“
Not
a groupie, sis. Not even close.” I free another sigh, propping my head against the back of the couch. “God—she was amazing. I have to see her again.”

“What?”
gasps Rosy, tossing her textbook onto the floor as she curls her legs up underneath her. “Now I’ve
got
to know! What’s her name? What does she look like? Did you get her number? Are you going to call her? You hardly ever call!” She gasps again, cutting me off before I can even utter a single syllable. “Is she why you didn’t answer Pepper’s call? Were you still with her when you told Pep you were busy? Is that why you still smell like last night in the middle of the afternoon?”

“
Jesus,
Rosy—take a breath!”

Pepper pinches my ankle and I jerk my foot out of reach with a frown. “
Language,
” she mutters.

“Sorry,” I grumble.

“Do you
not
remember how long it took me to get Henley to stop saying s-h-i-t every other minute? That was totally
your
fault.”

I chuckle and she smacks my leg. “Alright, alright, stop with the abuse.”

“Stop
stalling!
” Rosy insists. “I want to know about this girl. She came to your show, right? Is she going to be at the next one? Can I meet her?”

I sit silently as I stare at her, a blank expression on my face, waiting for her to stop. “Are you done?” She gestures with her hand that she’s zipping her mouth closed, and I wait another second before I continue. “Her name is Millicent.”

“
Millicent?
” Rosy scrunches her nose. “She sounds . . .
interesting.”

I shake my head at her, irritated that she’s already formed a negative opinion about Millie based solely off of her
name.
“Yeah,
interesting.
She’s interesting. You guessed it. Nothing left to tell.”

“What?! No! I didn’t—” She stops stuttering when Pepper starts laughing. “What’s funny?” she pouts, folding her arms across her chest.

“Nothing,” Pepper says with a smile. She turns to look at me as she continues. “She knocked you on your a-s-s. I can tell. I’ve
never
seen you shut down over a girl so fast in my life.”

I shrug, sure there’s no reason to deny it. Truth is, s
he doesn’t know the half of it.

“
No,”
Rosy whines, jumping out of the chair as she crawls across the floor to kneel beside me. “I’m sorry I got judgy. Millicent—that’s a—it’s a very pretty name.” I arch an eyebrow at her and she huffs out a sigh. “Okay. So it makes me think of an old lady who works at a library and is constantly telling everyone to be quiet, I can’t help it! I’m
sure
anyone who could knock you on your a-s-s is far more interesting than that.
Please?
Tell us everything.”

Knowing that I won’t be able to keep my mouth shut if Rosy keeps begging, I concede. “I met her last night at The Brew Cycle. She’s—she’s got these eyes. And her lips—even her nose . . . she’s gorgeous; flawless, like one of those glass dolls mom collects?” I cough out a laugh, remembering when she asked me what her name was out on that dance floor. “Her mouth,
god—”

“Okay, don’t get gross,” Pepper interrupts.

“No, I don’t mean it like that. I mean,
yeah,
” I say with a smirk. “But it’s more than that. She’s such a smart-aaaa—
a-s-s.
She’s different. She didn’t watch me perform and then go on and on about the band and how good she thought we were. She didn’t throw herself at me or anything like that.
Definitely
not a groupie.”

“So, what happened? Did you ask her out?”

“Well,” I begin to say, reaching up to run my fingers through my messy hair. “Not exactly. She didn’t really give me a chance before she kicked me out of her apartment.”

“
She
kicked
you
out?” Rosy asks, her eyes wide with shock.

“She freaked when she found out I was only twenty-one.”

“
Only?
How old is she? Did you bag a cougar?”

I furrow my brow at my baby sister, then shake my head once. “Rosy—don’t talk like that. And
no,
I didn’t. She’s only twenty-six.”

“That’s not so bad,” Pepper says with a shrug.

“Yes!
Thank you.
My thoughts exactly.”

“Then again, I married a man seven years older than me. My opinion is a bit bias.”

“Okay, yeah, my opinion is a bit bias, too—
obviously,
because you’re my big bro, but honestly? She just doesn’t know you,” says Rosy, resting her hand over mine. “It doesn’t take long for anyone to figure out that you’re not the average twenty-one year old male. Sure, you can get a little wild—but you’re also really driven, goal oriented, smart, and responsible. Mountains & Men wouldn’t be half of what it is and what it’s going to be without you.”

“Thanks for the highlight reel of my resume,” I tease.

“Hey, I’m serious,” she says with a little laugh. “If she’s really worth it, you just have to make her see how great you are.
If
she’s worth it. Maybe take into consideration she spread her legs for you already,” she tacks on softly.

“Don’t talk about her that way,” I reply, feeling surprisingly defensive. “She’s worth it.”

“There you go again,” Rosy huffs. “
Hyp-o-crite.
But fine—I’ll take your word for it.”

“She’s different, Rosy,” I say, ignoring her dig. “I can’t explain it, I just—” I try and find the words,
any
words that won’t make me sound like such a fucking pansy. Then I remember—“The second I met her, I had these lyrics in my head. When I walked away from her, I heard the melody—it happened so fast.”

“A muse,” hums Pepper.

I nod, but I don’t tell them that I think she’s more than that. I don’t tell them that I had this undeniable urge to sing to her the moment I was inside of her. I don’t tell them how badly I wish I could call her
right now.
Instead, I close my eyes and sigh before I assure them, “I’m definitely going to see her again.”

“Well, I’ll be d-a-m-n-e-d. My big bro is falling for a girl.”

A smirk curls at my lips but I don’t open my eyes or confirm her statement. “Right now, your big bro is going to fall asleep. Wake me when it’s time to eat.”

“I’m sure Sophia will wake you when
she’s
ready to eat.”

“Fair enough,” I say, holding her closer. “Now leave us be. We’re bonding.”

“DWEEB, WE’RE GOING
out after JJ gets home from work; you comin’?” asks Derrick, plopping down on the couch beside me. Maestro follows him into the room and paws at my legs. With one arm, I scoop him up and he circles my lap a couple times before laying down between my legs, his head propped on my thigh.

I look away from my phone, still unsure whether or not I want to call.
Again.

It’s been two days since Millie kicked me out of her apartment. The first time I called, it was Sunday night after I left Pepper’s place. She answered, but I soon found out it was only because she didn’t recognize my number. The conversation didn’t last long. When I called her yesterday, she ignored me. Today, I’ll admit it—I’m going fucking crazy.

I haven’t been able to finish her song. I don’t know how to end it. The last verse has been eluding me, as if it knows that our story isn’t over—that Millie and I don’t end after one night. I have to see her again. I’m dying to taste her, to feel her come apart beneath me, to hear my name on her lips as she shatters.

“Sage, seriously?” mutters Derrick, elbowing my ribs to get my attention. “Since when has a little pussy left you so distracted? It was
one night,
dude. Come out with us. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

The thought of bagging another girl has never felt so unappealing. If I needed any more confirmation that I’m on the verge of losing my mind, that was it. “I need to get her out of my system. One night wasn’t enough. I just need—I need more.”

“Maybe it’s not the girl. Maybe it’s just the chase. I know in
Sage World,
girls jump at the chance to hook up with you, but this chick doesn’t seem all that interested. Why don’t you just skip the hard part and
come out
with us?”

“She wants me, D,” I mutter, remembering the look on her face just before she slammed her door in my face. I said her name and her eyes . . .”She wants me, she’s just too fucking stubborn to admit it.”

“
Or,
” he pauses as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he looks back at me. “This could just be a classic case of rejection. I know you haven’t fallen victim to it in a while, maybe you forgot what it looks like, but when a girl doesn’t answer your calls—
she’s not that into you.
”

I shake my head, knowing he’s wrong. I haven’t told the guys about how things ended Sunday afternoon. They don’t know why Millie refuses to take my calls. They don’t understand that her reluctance is based on her bullshit idea that I have the maturity level of a
fifteen
year old. They don’t even know about the half-ass song that’s been playing on repeat in my head for the last three days.

Fuck it,
I think before I scroll through my contacts and make another call.

“I’m studying; but since you’re you, you’ve got two minutes. Hit me,” Rosy says in greeting.

“I’ve got to bring Maestro by. You good with that?”

She gasps before she speaks. “Did she call you back?”

“Not exactly. Listen, you might only have him for an hour—but it could be all night.”

“Yeah, no problem. I have class at nine, but you have a key. Or I might be able to drop him by the house in the morning on my way.”

“Doesn’t matter to me. Let me know what you decide. I’ll be there in thirty.”

“Does this mean you’re coming out with us?” asks Derrick as I end the call and urge Maestro out of my lap and onto the floor.

“No. I’m going to see her.”

“Wait—what?” he mutters in shock. “This chick got a magic pussy? You’re entering into stalker territory, man.”

“Her name is Millie, asshole, and don’t fucking talk about her pussy.” He just laughs, throwing himself back on the couch. “Come on, Maestro. We’re out.”