Parker nodded. “Yeah, I do. It was hard work getting the company off the ground but rewarding. I like being able to juggle the technical element of the work with the other aspects. The variety keeps it interesting, you know? I like working for myself and being able to focus on the clients and doing the parts of the job I love, rather than a never-ending struggle to hit someone else’s business targets. What about you? Has it always been music for you?”
“From the day I was born.” Rafe chuckled softly. “Mum says from the minute I could talk, I never shut up and was always singing. I think she regrets buying that firstWigglesvideo. I must have watched that damn thing thousands of times, and I probably still know all the words to ‘Big Red Car.’”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.” Parker turned his head to look up at Rafe, who had a gentle smile on his face. “Your Porsche is red, isn’t it? It all makes sense now.”
Rafe swatted him with the washcloth. “It’s jet black, arsehole.”
Parker laughed and turned back around. He reached for the small disc of soap and turned it over between his hands. “So, did you ever want to pursue a different career?”
“Didn’t finish school, remember?”
“Lots of occupations don’t require you to finish high school. My dad left school after year ten to become a plumber.”
Rafe’s hands stopped moving. “I didn’t really have a choice. Mum was on her own, and things got tough. Someone had to earn the money for the rent.”
“Oh.” Parker didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t meant to take the conversation down a darker path, he just wanted to understand more about what made Rafe tick. “She was lucky to have you.”
Rafe started making small circles with the cloth again. “By the time my stepfather came on the scene, I was sixteen and there was no way I was going back to school; not that the arsehole would have supported it.”
“You and your stepdad don’t get along, I take it?”
Rafe sighed. “He’s good with Mum and she loves him, but he made things hard for me. I don’t think he appreciated having to take care of someone else’s son and wasn’t shy in making his feelings known. He basically thought I wouldn’t amount to anything—I was just an untrained labourer and another mouth to feed, so I got out of there as fast as I could. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t thrown out of home, but I jumped on the chance to move to Sydney.”
Parker was sure there was a lot more to the story than that, but he chose not to pry. “I’m glad you had your music.”
“Me too. It gave me something to aim for.”
“It must be nice to follow your passion and spend your days doing something you love.” Parker turned again and smiled up at Rafe. “And you made it.”
Rafe shrugged. “I guess.”
“You guess? Holy shit, Rafe. HyperOctane has definitely made it in Australia, and you’ve got legions of fans.”
“There’s still more of the world to conquer.”
Parker raised his brows. “I guess no one could accuse you of being an underachiever. I just hope you’re taking the time to enjoy making music and making people happy.”
He knew that Harvey had huge ambitions too and wanted to take the band as far as it could go—that’s why Parker was here, after all. However, he also knew that as much as Harvey loved the music, he wouldn’t be devastated if they didn’t make it in the US. Immensely disappointed? Sure, but not distraught. He just hoped Rafe felt the same way, because he’d achieved a hell of a lot so far and deserved to celebrate and bask in his successes.
Rafe’s gaze wavered, and for once he appeared a little thrown, but within seconds his smile was back. “I’ll always enjoy my music.”
Parker waggled his brows. “Want to make sweet music with me?” he said, putting as much innuendo into those words as he could muster.
“With an offer like that? How can I refuse?” Rafe’s lips lifted in a smile that, this time, went right to his eyes. He stood and held out his hand. “Let’s get you out of here. I seem to remember we had plans—room service and then an early night?”
“Yes. Although maybe we can skip straight to the early night part?” Parker said. Straight to bed sounded great to him. He grabbed the offered hand, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. Water and bubbles ran down his body before Rafe draped a huge white fluffy towel around him and stepped back. Parker reached for him. “But—”
Rafe laughed and stopped at the door. “I’ll order some room service. Pizza?”
“With anchovies?”
“Is there any other way to eat pizza?” Rafe winked.
19
“Sorry for the short notice, guys. One of the interviews has been brought forward. I would have pushed back but it’sWorld of Rock, so I didn’t want to risk a delay that might lead to no interview at all. They have a lot of weight in the industry, so it’s an opportunity we don’t want to miss out on.”
A collective groan went up from the guys.
