Imperfect Harmony (House of Archer #1) Page 2

  She had actually bought more than just a party dress while on their shopping excursion. Dane had invited all three of them to accompany his band, The Void, on their summer tour, so Lily had stocked up on a number of new outfits. Her credit cards were screaming in protest by the time she was done.

  “I don’t want everyone to notice me,” Lily said as Aria searched through her lip colors. “Didn’t either of you think of that?”

  “You may hate the celebrity drama and attention that comes with Archer’s lifestyle,” Aria said, “but you know this tour is your chance to finally get your writing career off the ground.”

  There was no use denying that, Lily thought as Aria started applying her lip liner. This tour was nearly all the music industry talked about these days, largely because it would reunite Dane and his former band. The Void and Suddenly Something were scheduled to perform over thirty shows across the country during the next two-and-a-half months. The managers of both bands were hyping the tour as a sort of reconciliation, even naming it the Under the Bridge Tour.

  Lily, however, was seasoned enough to know that the only reason the media was really interested was because they couldn’t wait for the inevitable meltdown that would lead to Dane and Brandon killing each other. After eight years, Lily also knew her best friend well enough to understand that he wanted her on the tour to keep said homicide from happening.

  Dane hadn’t worded it that way, of course. He had just pointed out the benefits to her of being on the tour, particularly in regards to her having access to celebrities and musicians she could potentially interview. Her current attempt at a writing career had taken the shape of human interest biographical pieces...not exactly a hot commodity in a world of sensationalist journalism. Being on the tour would certainly help her get content she could sell, which Dane had pushed heavily when he wheedled her into agreeing to go.

  She saw little harm in going on the tour with Aria and Sydney there to help balance her normal life with the much different lifestyle Dane led with the band. Although Lily typically avoided the limelight, even going so far over the years as to insist that Dane not mention her in the media, she had decided that the tour’s potential boost to her flagging career outweighed the risks.

  “Done,” Aria announced, stepping back and turning Lily so she could look at herself in the mirror at long last.

  Lily was usually her own worst critic but even she couldn’t find fault in Aria’s efforts. Her strawberry blonde hair fell in loose waves around her face and down between her shoulder blades. Aria had woven a single braid along Lily’s left temple and pinned it with a sparkling clip, adding a sophisticated but edgy touch. Her eyes actually did look purple thanks to whatever eye color Aria had chosen. Her lips looked full and way too kissable for a celebrity-filled party in L.A.

  Aria bent down so her face was next to Lily’s in the mirror. “Well?”

  “As long as I’m not standing next to you, I look hot,” Lily consented.

  “Well not everyone can compare to all this mocha deliciousness,” Aria said, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder and giving Lily a smoldering look she had perfected for the cameras.

  “I hate you,” Lily announced. When Sydney once again stepped out of the bathroom, this time with perfectly-styled blonde hair, an unblemished sun-kissed complexion, and makeup that highlighted her cornflower blue eyes, Lily added, “And I hate you, too.”

  “You’re just nervous because you and Archer haven’t actually seen each other in nearly two years,” Sydney stated.

  Lily considered that. In the six years immediately following their first meeting, Lily and Dane had seen quite a lot of each other. Lily spent the summer months between her sophomore and junior years of high school helping Dane during a critical transition in his life, sitting in on the interviews with potential new band mates and helping him make his decisions on each of them until he had assembled his current band. She had also helped him choose the best manager for his new band and had attended more of The Void’s early performances than she had ever expected, serving as something of a mascot and cheerleader for them. Whenever something came up that caused Dane doubt, he turned to her for advice.

  Over the last couple years, The Void had been doing well. Dane had been busy with band obligations and Lily had been working hard to get her writing career off the ground. She’d been so busy interning at a couple of newspapers and magazines that it had been all she could do to keep up with Dane via phone and e-mail.

  Was Sydney right? she wondered now. Was she nervous about seeing Dane again in person?

  “Nah,” Lily said at last, waving Sydney off. “I just hate that I’m going to a party with you two hotties.”

  Aria and Sydney laughed. Lily’s phone beeped, drawing her attention. She picked it up and saw a text message from her twenty-year-old half-sister, Caroline.

  pls let us come wi u lil, it read.

  Lily sighed, not because her sister was asking for the millionth time to come along on the tour and bring their nineteen-year-old half-sister, Bridgette, but over the lack of capitalization, proper spelling, and punctuation used by someone of her own flesh and blood. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised. It had taken a lot of prodding to get Caroline and Bridgette to graduate high school at all.

  That didn’t mean Lily had to be happy about their poorly written texts. Nor did she have to reply right away to tell them yet again that they couldn’t come with her. Why they seemed to believe that sending persistent texts and leaving numerous voicemails would sway her she had no idea. Curse Uncle Ray for telling her sisters that she was attending the tour in the first place.

  A low-grade headache sprang to life behind Lily’s eyes. She ignored it, just as she ignored the pain in her stomach that resulted from thinking of her sisters. She had grown accustomed to dismissing such discomfort over the years. When a woman had a family like hers, she learned to either ignore the drama or get sucked right into it, usually ending up damaged in the process.

  Looking up from her phone, Lily noticed that Aria and Sydney were both studying her. Without a word, Aria held up the tub of antacids that Lily kept around the apartment. Appreciating her friends, Lily held out her hand and accepted the two tablets that Aria shook into it.

  “Let’s get you dressed,” Sydney suggested in a clear bid to take Lily’s mind off her latest text.

  “You need to get dressed, too,” Lily said, getting up from the vanity chair. “Besides, Aria has barely started getting ready. We all know we’re going to be late at this point.”

  “A girl’s gotta make an entrance,” Aria said, taking Lily’s seat in front of the vanity. “We’ll damn well be worth the wait.”

  “Dane won’t be happy if he has to mingle with Brandon and Suddenly Something at this party without me there to talk him down,” Lily said.

  “Dane?” Aria repeated, turning to give Lily a look.

  “Archer,” Lily corrected. She usually referred to Dane as Archer when discussing him with others since that’s how he preferred to be known. In her mind he was just Dane, which meant she occasionally slipped.

  “Dane or Archer, he’s a big boy,” Sydney said, linking her arm with Lily’s and dragging her towards the door. “He’ll be able to manage for a while without you.”

  Lily wasn’t so sure. She knew Aria and Sydney didn’t fully understand the bond that had developed between her and Dane after their fateful meeting eight years ago. She hadn’t met her roommates until she was in college. By that time, her friendship with Dane had been firmly rooted.

  “I hope you get to write about some cool celebrities while we’re on this tour,” Sydney said as they maneuvered down the hall to their bedrooms.

  “Me, too.”

  “You know,” Sydney said breezily, “I’m sure if you asked Archer he’d give you any story you want.”

  As was often the case, she was right. Lily had also told both Sydney and Aria that she didn’t want to use Dane that way. Her friends had yet to fully unde
rstand her firm stance on the issue. In their minds, a young woman who often ate Ramen for dinner and couldn’t afford cable should take any hand up she could get. But Lily was Dane’s only friend who never asked him for anything. It was important for her to keep it that way. It was equally important that she build a successful writing career on her own and not as a result of her friendship with him.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Lily said as they reached their rooms located across from each other. “Get some clothes on, would ya?”

  Sydney grinned and blew her a kiss as she bounced into her bedroom. Shaking her head and wishing for some of her friend’s energy, Lily detoured into her room and stared at the lacy purple dress hanging on her closet door. The sleeveless dress had a deep V neck, a keyhole back, and a skirt that fell a few inches above the knee...very unlike anything else she owned. She knew it was bound to draw attention.

  It’s just a party, she reminded herself. It’s the first step towards an amazing opportunity to write some excellent stories.

  What she didn’t add to that thought was that this tour was also the means for some time away from her boyfriend, Johnathan Wingerson. She and Johnathan had initially met in college at the University of California Irvine and then reconnected eight months ago while researching the same story. Taking their second meeting as a sign, he had asked her out and they’d been dating ever since.

  Lily had been enjoying their time together. They had a lot in common and he was a sweet southern guy from Alabama who treated her well.

  Only two days ago, Johnathan had asked her to marry him. She’d been caught completely off-guard. Although she knew it wasn’t the answer he’d envisioned, she had asked him for some time to think about it. Being the patient and understanding guy he was, he said yes.

  So while her friends were going on the tour to be supportive and have fun, Lily had much more weighing on her. For her, the next two months would be more than a potential career kick-start. They would very likely shape the rest of her life.

  Chapter Three

  The beat of The Void’s latest single, “Your Best Goodbye,” pumped through the sound system at Magellan’s, one of L.A.’s hottest nightclubs. Archer tapped his fingers in rhythm with the drumbeat as he stood at a high, linen-covered cocktail table in a roped-off section of the club. Beside him were two of his band mates, Xander Phillips and Keith Connors. Archer didn’t bother trying to strike up a conversation with either of them over the loud music. No sense straining his vocal chords right before going on tour.

  So far there had been a great turnout. The Void’s manager, Christopher Donahue, had mentioned that the club could hold close to a thousand people. Archer had seen a long line of people waiting to gain entrance on the drive in. The club itself was thriving with dancers and minglers, making him think they were staying at capacity. The separate VIP area had been designed to accommodate only about a hundred to keep it more exclusive. Many of the people in the VIP section had already approached his table to introduce themselves and request autographs. This was the first time that evening that Archer, Xander, and had Keith been on their own.

  “I never get tired of hearing this song,” shouted Keith’s latest squeeze, Nikki Calvey, as she approached the table with the drink she had just gotten from the bar.

  Archer gave her an appreciative nod. Nikki seemed to fit in well with the band, which made her okay in his book. She had been a Void groupie for a few years, traveling with them from place to place. Archer was pretty sure she’d made plays for all of them, even their drummer, Noelle Fox. Keith was the only one who took her up on it. They’d been trying the exclusivity thing for a couple of weeks now and Nikki was tagging along on the tour. Archer secretly hoped it would help improve Keith’s normally serious and dour demeanor. The guy could absolutely kill it on the bass and backup vocals but he was the last one Archer would ask to represent the band in a press conference or any other important PR opportunity.

  The band’s backing vocalist and turntable virtuoso, Sage Strickland, also approached the table. Archer eyed the frothy pink drink in his hand and exchanged glances with the other people at the table.

  “Is that for me?” Nikki asked with a puzzled expression.

  “Nope,” Sage replied over the music. “I asked the bartender for something that didn’t taste like gasoline and this is what she gave me.”

  Giving the drink a long stare over the tinted lenses he wore, Xander said, “Next time just ask for water, my man.”

  Sage shrugged and sipped the drink out of the ridiculous curly straw that had come with it. Archer didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. With his signature round glasses, neatly trimmed hair, clean-shaven face, and short-sleeved collared shirt worn under a sweater vest, Sage was hard to imagine as a rock star. Archer would have completely overlooked him during auditions if it hadn’t been for Lily, who had said fans would eat up Sage’s squeaky-clean geeky image. Girls, she had said, would fantasize about roughing him up a bit. As usual, she’d been right on the money.

  That memory had him once again looking to the club’s entrance in search of his best friend. Lily was usually early to everything but she had warned him that they’d be on what she called “Aria Time,” meaning they’d be late. He was far from a punctual guy himself so he was trying not to sweat it, but every minute that passed was another that could usher Brandon Evans and the rest of Suddenly Something through the door.

  He shouldn’t have allowed his brain to go there. No sooner did the thought cross his mind than the paparazzi just outside the club’s entrance started shouting and taking photos with brilliant flashes of light. He knew he was about to face Brandon again for the first time in nearly eight years.

  “You got this, man,” Xander said, obviously arriving at the same conclusion as Archer.

  “And we’ve got your back,” Keith added, his gaze level and cool.

  “Thanks, guys.”

  Despite their encouragement, Archer couldn’t deny the anxiety that always seemed to plague him when Brandon was involved. He had never understood why Brandon made him question his own abilities, especially because he had proven himself time and again. Hell, The Void had won a People’s Choice Award and had been nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist. Suddenly Something hadn’t achieved anything like that. It should have been enough for Archer to feel like he had the upper hand in this reunion.

  But as Brandon made his way into the club with his usual cocky smile in place, Archer’s confidence flagged. He was careful to keep that from his expression, knowing that there were a number of cameras focused on him.

  Image was everything.

  He had been wondering what approach Brandon would take to this event. His nemesis couldn’t be any happier about this reunion than Archer was. Would he make the rounds at the club and ignore Archer or would he take the direct approach?

  His question was answered moments later as Brandon led the way through the crowd to the security-manned VIP section. He and the other members of Suddenly Something were immediately welcomed in and approached by fans. Archer knew Victor Crawford and Hunter Davis from his time with the band. The fourth member had joined Suddenly Something a few years after Archer left. His name was Malcolm O’Dell, someone Archer didn’t know personally but who seemed to know his way around a rhythm guitar.

  Brandon smiled at the fans who tried to get his attention but he didn’t stop to chat with them. He bee-lined right to Archer’s table. Archer was all too aware of the cameras that closed in on them. Although he knew he was imagining it, the music even seemed to have lowered in volume for this moment.

  Cameras flashed as Brandon walked purposely up to Archer with his charming grin in place. Knowing it was the thing to do, Archer grinned back and extended his hand. Brandon grabbed it and pulled Archer close in a bro-hug style of greeting.

  “Knew you’d crawl back eventually,” Brandon said right into Archer’s ear as the cameras clicked away.

  Years of professional acting made it easy for Archer to keep
his own fake smile in place as they parted. The remark had hit Archer’s pride in just the right spot, though, much as Brandon had intended. A defensive reply flew to the tip of Archer’s tongue and lodged there as Brandon turned to his band mates.

  “Archie, you remember Vic and Hunter, right?” Brandon said over the music. “And this is the talented guy who fills your old shoes now...Mal O’Dell.”

  Cameras again flashed as Archer smiled at Mal and reached for his hand. Leaning in far enough that only Mal and Brandon could hear him clearly, he said, “Congrats on lasting this long, Mal.”

  Brandon’s smile faltered briefly at the reminder that he had gone through a number of backup vocalists and guitarists over the years. Before he could reply, the bands’ managers, Regina and Christopher, approached the table. They appeared oddly united as they looked around at their bristling clients.

  “All right, everyone,” Regina said with a camera-ready smile, “we know you’re all excited about this reunion, but this is a PR event. Circulate among your fans and have some fun.”

  Christopher added, “You’ll have plenty of time to catch up with each other on the tour.”

  There was an awkward moment where everyone just looked at each other. Eventually, Xander extended a hand to Vic and introduced himself, effectively breaking the ice. Everyone began exchanging pleasantries and handshakes, sheering off in small groups to go mix with the crowd or place orders at the bar.

  Eventually Archer stood at the table with just Keith, who was waiting for Nikki to return from another trip to the bar. Archer wanted to make sure he was in the right mindset to rub elbows with people and smile at the cameras after his brief encounter with Brandon. He sipped his drink and watched Regina approach Brandon at the bar. Whatever she said to him made his eyes flash, though he disguised his annoyance with an easy shrug and nod. Regina strode off on her high heels and Brandon turned to follow her.