Laughing, I backed out of the parking space, revved the engine and sped off to the storage facility I found yesterday and all the while, I didn’t give Audrey the chance to prepare herself and she clung onto me tight again, hugging my waist and I could feel her chest pressed against my back. For a moment, my body relished the feeling of her breasts pressed firmly against my body and I could feel my heart race, the heat spreading all over my body and this time it wasn’t because of the blazing sun.
Get a grip, Julian.
Making a sharp turn, I heard Audrey squeal behind me and felt her tighten her arms around me even more. “Stop trying to kill me, Julian!”
I added more gas on the motorcycle and whizzed past a couple of cars and Audrey’s grip on me continued to tighten and I swear I could feel her heartbeat race quicker as she pressed herself against me even more. Finally, I could see the storage facility and then made another turn, slower this time, and finally, put the motorcycle to a stop and Audrey got off quickly, a little dizzy as she held onto a lamp post.
I removed my helmet, running a hand through my curls and chuckling at the sight of Audrey clad in her professional outfit with a helmet on. I approached her and then slowly removed her helmet and wide brown eyes stared back at me. “You could’ve gotten us killed!”
Smirking, I cocked my head to the side. “But you’re still here. My efforts were in vain.”
Audrey let out a sharp exhale and then clenched her fists. “Just for a month, Audrey. Just for a month.”
“Keep telling yourself that but I doubt it’s working.”
I could feel her glare piercing behind me as I turned my back on her, letting out my own shaky exhale as I could now put distance between us and my body couldn’t react to her the same way when she was pressed against me. I had full control of myself now and the teasing and banter could commence once again now that I was fully reminded that she was Audrey Finch and I detested her in the same way that she hated me and there was nothing between us but animosity.
Animosity and not attraction.
“Why are we here anyway?” Audrey asked behind me as she followed closely. “You’re not going to murder me and then hide my corpse locked in a storage unit, are you?”
I turned to face her, pondering for a moment. “That’s the only idea you have that I’d like to entertain but considering that you’re acting as my assistant and I’m the last person you’re with, I’d be the prime suspect. I do not want to be hassled with your death.”
She pursed her lips and scoffed, turning away as a staff from the office approached us and shook my hand. “Mr. Hudson. I’m Harold Gold, the one you talked to on the phone earlier. I have one unit available for you.”
Audrey and I followed him to check a unit and I checked the space to make sure all the things that I intended to keep could fit in the unit. “This is good. I’ll take it.”
“When do you intend to move the things you want to keep? We’ll have out truck available for you. If you could just follow me to the office…” Gold’s voice trailed on and I glanced at Audrey who was looking around, looking confused as she slowly followed Gold and I out.
“Why do you need this?” she asked once we arrived in the office and Gold was in another room, looking for something.
I wondered if I should tell her what I intended to use it for but then decided not to. “There’s some stuff that I need to buy but wouldn’t fit in the house we currently live in and I need to get them now before I head back to Irving and would be unable to provide those things for the…”
I stopped before I could reveal anything more to her and Audrey eyed me closely, brown eyes suspicious. “For what?”
“Nothing,” I replied, shaking my head and let out a sigh of relief when Gold came back and then we began to discuss when I needed them to the items from me with their truck. I could see Audrey listening closely so I turned to her and flashed her a thin smile. “This is confidential so can you please step outside for a moment.”
Audrey pouted and let out a huff. “If you’re doing something illegal, Julian, I swear to God that I’ll kill you if you drag me into this.”
I let out a laugh and then watched as she left and finished the discussion with Gold. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and grandpa was the one who introduced me to music. But more than that, he was a carpenter and he always wanted to build proper homes for those who couldn’t afford to rent a better place and in a better neighbourhood. As I grew older, I ended up sharing the same dream as him and developed the habit of purchasing a simple home for people I knew deserved it but doing so required extensive research on my part and although it was a lot to handle, it felt rewarding by the end of it.
Not everyone who knew me was aware that I did this and only my family knew about it. Even my bandmates didn’t and we lived under the same roof whenever we were here in LA. I just didn’t really see the reason why I needed to share it with other people because I felt that letting other people know of all the good that you do lessens the sincerity of the act.
Gold stepped outside with me where Audrey was waiting, standing beside the motorcycle and looking so out of place in her outfit. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “It seems to me that you and your girlfriend must be in an argument.”
I let out a bark of laughter and shook my head. “She’s my assistant. Not my girlfriend.”
“Ah, but I’m sure soon she’ll be. Spitfires often make the best lovers.”
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Oh, she will never be my girlfriend. I doubt we’ll ever head into that direction.”
But Gold only smiled and watched as Audrey approached us, her trademark scowl on her face. “Don’t be too hasty in making conclusions, Mr. Hudson. Keep that in mind.”
I made a face as I watched him give Audrey a nod of acknowledgment and then left us alone. Audrey thrust my helmet towards me. “Can we go now?”
She had an arm around her stomach and looked like she was just ready to murder someone. Someone could also mean me. “Why are you suddenly pissed off?”
She let out a huff and then pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t understand why you had to bring me along, Julian, when you kicked me out of the discussion you were going to have with that guy.”
“Do you think we’re already done?”
“Is there more things that you want to do?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re my assistant. Aren’t you meant to go everywhere with me?”
Audrey pursed her lips and let out a strangled groan of annoyance and I looked at her in surprise, wondering what was so wrong with my statement. “Did you honestly bring me along because of that?”
The answer to her question was a simple no, I did not bring her along just because of that when just like her, I could barely stand her too but because of the podcast and the fact that I had to check out the unit first, I completely forgot that I wanted to talk to Audrey alone. “I need you to find us a new manager.”
I hadn’t discussed this with the rest of the boys and I knew I should but there was a part of me that felt like they would be against the idea. Aside from me, Pete was their hero because he was the one who finally signed us with a label only to be the same person to stab us in the back with the deal he made with them.