Money For Something

1 - Burning Down the House

**Ace**

Blah. Blah. Blah.

The feminine buzz of voices was impossible to ignore no matter how hard I tried. Let me tell you, I was really trying. I did not want another lecture on my general irresponsibility, but it looked like I was going to get one.

It sucked and it sucked hard. Mostly because if you ask me, I would not describe myself as irresponsible. Impulsive, yes. Adorable, yes. Original, hell-to-the-yes. More fun than a basket of puppies, unquestionably yes. Irresponsible, no.

No.

NO.

Unlucky, frequently yes. How else can you describe my habit of frequently finding myself in situations where, through no fault of my own, things went bad. That was it. I was very, very unlucky.

Bad luck was the only way you could describe the way in which my house had burnt down. Well, it was actually Van's house, but it was the house where I lived. Josh lived there too but somehow the blame for the fire was coming back to me. It didn't matter that I was on another bloody continent when it happened, oh no. Somehow it was all my fault.

"Honestly Ace, what were you thinking?" Lucy, our manager sighed as I tuned back in. How the hell was I supposed to answer that? When I found out my house burnt down I clearly hadn't been thinking anything other than 'oh shit'.

Because.

I.

Wasn't.

Even.

THERE!

Outrage would have been a good go to emotion right about now but honestly, the disappointment in her face killed me. A bit like my mother's face when I smashed another window at home. She looked like she was upset but hadn't expected anything better of me.

I cleared my throat. "Might I point out I wasn't even there?"

Kim, Van our lead singer's wife who also managed us alongside Lucy, snapped the cover of her tablet closed and blew out a breath far too long and gusty to be described as a sigh. For some reason I frequently had that effect on her. "Ace our house was burnt down by one of your women."

Hey, hey, hey. That was a bit much. I'd shagged the bird, but she wasn't my woman, our hook-up had been a very long time ago. And I'd been paying for it ever since.

"She isn't my woman. She's just a chick I shagged. Over a year ago," I attempted to clarify.

"That you brought back to the place where you live." Lucy rubbed her temples and gave Kim's wine glass a longing look. Our illustrious leader's Hollywood husband had managed to get her up the duff and although her pregnancy seemed to be smooth sailing sometimes the alcohol ban gave her the irrits.

"I didn't invite her back! Anyway, it could happen to anyone. Josh brings birds back all the time." It felt mad that it seemed necessary to defend myself.

"Well, he's just as bad as you are then." Kim didn't really do disappointed; she just went straight for pissed off. I felt a pang of remorse for throwing Josh under the bus like that, he was my best and oldest friend. If you didn't count my sisters that is. "But it wasn't one of Josh's women that burnt down my house!"

"Your husband's house," I grumbled.

Kim rolled her eyes heavenward. "Our house. If by some miracle you ever grow up enough to find some woman willing to marry you, you'll realise that it doesn't matter who owned what to start with, in the end you share it all." She gulped at her wine like it would give her strength. Maybe it would, sometimes it seemed like Kim was powered by wine and sarcasm.