Janie wasn't sure what to say. Maybe all of Robby's assertions that he would love her forever were true. Maybe he really did mean that. She was suddenly tearful as she glanced back to the stage and looked at him. “Thank you for your candor, Mercy,” she said.
“Anytime,” Mercy smiled.
They both turned their attention back to the show, and Janie watched as Mercy went about her job of capturing some amazing still photos of each of the guys in action. The rest of the concert was every bit as amazing as the show she had seen a few days earlier, only better from this new position.
The guys left the stage and filtered into the wings just before going back out for their encore numbers, and Janie watched as Cory and Benji went straight for the Gatorade while Noah downed nearly an entire bottle of cold water. Otis pulled his t-shirt over his head and wiped his face with it like a towel before tossing it aside and reaching for a sip of water himself. And she was so captivated with watching the goings on around her that she didn't notice Buz until he swept her into his arms.
She yelped in surprise and laughed as he spun her around, smiling at her. And when he set her back on her feet she felt lightheaded. He didn't give her a chance to speak; he simply kissed her, long and slow as she melted against his chest.
“Come on, lover boy,” Otis smiled as he tapped him on the shoulder and headed back toward the stage.
“They kiss a lot, Uncle Otis,” Bobby said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.
“I bet they do, buddy,” Otis said, laughing at the expression on the child's face. “I bet they do.”
Reluctantly, Buzzy let go of her, smiling at Bobby and O's exchange. “I love you,” he silently mouthed to her as he turned and mussed Bobby's hair as he followed the others back out, returning to the stage to perform their two encore numbers. And Janie and Bobby both got a huge kick out of watching Buzzy tackle the drum solo at the end of 'Rockin' You.' He seemed so buoyant and in such high spirits, and Janie couldn't help but hope that she and Bobby had something to do with his lighthearted mood. He was truly happy that they were here. She could easily see that. Maybe she and Bobby did have a place in his crazy rock and roll life somehow. She wasn't exactly certain how it would work, but maybe they could figure it out together.
She knew that there wasn't much more time left. The show was almost over and she and Bobby would have to head back to Cleveland soon, and Robby would be on his way with the band. And yet, they still had so much to discuss. How were they going to handle things with Bobby going forward? How were they going to handle things between the two of them? Would they be together? Is that what this was? Were they getting back together? Would they have a long-distance relationship? Would he spend more time in Cleveland with them? Would he want them to spend time in Los Angeles? There were just so many questions and so little time to talk about it all. He had already stated that he wanted her and Bobby to come out to his place after this leg of the tour was over, and Janie had no clue how she was going to make that work with Bobby's school schedule. But she knew that she wanted to try. She owed them both that, didn't she?
Her thoughts stayed jumbled and clouded throughout the end of the concert, and when the show was over and the guys all filed off the stage, Robby bent down and picked their son up, swinging him over his shoulder to the child's delighted squeals of joy. And with his free hand, he reached out and took Janie's, and led them back to the dressing room with the others.
The atmosphere in the dressing room was excited and electrically charged. Everyone seemed to be feeling the love as Buzzy's euphoria trickled down to the rest of them. And as she watched them interacting with one another, Janie could easily tell that there was a great deal of mutual admiration and respect between the Jagged Ivory boys. They did relate to each other as family, and it was nice to witness. And Janie suddenly found herself feeling happy for Robby. Happy that he had found this particular group of men to chase his dreams with.
The dressing room began to fill up with people, and Janie took hold of Bobby's hand and tried to keep from getting in the way as they watched the band sign autographs and take pictures with various VIPs and lucky fans. But even with those commitments, she noticed that Robby never strayed far away from her and their son. It was almost like he wanted to make sure they didn't get lost in the crowd or something. He was laughing at a raunchy comment Otis had just made when suddenly a pissed-off voice rang out beside them.
“You know, if you're going to kick me to the curb, asshole, you could've at least given me some airfare to get back to Charlotte.”
“Yuko!”
Buzzy's voice held a certain anxiety to it that instantly made Janie uncomfortable, and she stared at this woman wondering who the hell she was. She was gorgeous in an overdone, way-too-much-makeup sort of way. Japanese, tall and thin, and dressed like she had just stepped off a fashion runway. And Janie noticed that she looked at Robby with a definite attitude.
“Hey, Dad! Can you show me how to play the drums?” Bobby asked excitedly as he lightly tugged on Buzzy's belt loop.
“Dad?” the woman repeated loudly, looking from Bobby to Janie and then back at Buz. Then she gave him a hateful smile. “Oh, now I see. So this is why you kicked me off the bus. Because the little woman showed up unexpectedly.” She turned to Janie once more, looking her up and down as she gave her a good once over. Janie glanced down at her skinny jeans and peasant blouse, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “Boy, you really do have a major thing for us yellow girls, huh?” Yuko said smiling at Buzzy.
“Yuko, let's play nice, okay?” Buz said, trying to stop this train wreck from happening. But it was no use, because the woman was feeling rejected and Buzzy could see that she wasn't interested in making this easy for him.
“Now why in the hell would I want to do that, Buz?” she asked loudly, clearly intent on causing a scene. “For the last two months, you've been screwing my brains out from one city to the next, but the minute wifey here shows up, you don't know me? I don't feel much like playing nice! And maybe I think your girl needs to know what a hound she's got.”
“Stop it,” Buz snarled at her as the panic quickly took hold.
“And maybe I'd like you to dial it back in front of my son,” Janie snapped, glaring at her. She may be shy and introverted, but she wasn't about to let this glorified groupie traumatize her little boy.
“Hey, Bobby,” Mercy said, stepping in with a big smile. “Why don't you come with me for a while and we can watch the roadies tear down the stage. It is really cool!”
“Can I?” he asked, looking at Janie with wide, excited eyes.
“Sure,” Janie smiled, feeling relieved to get him away from this drama. Then she glanced at Mercy and mouthed a silent “thank you,” and Mercy winked at her. And as Bobby skipped off with her new friend, Janie turned back to the scene unfolding in front of her.
Yuko laughed as Mercy ushered the kid away from the action, and then she turned to Janie. “Here's a little bit of advice, sweetie. If you plan on keeping him, you might want to invest in a thick collar and a short leash, 'cause this is one dog that really likes to play around, if you know what I mean. He was with some Chinese chick when I first met him. Probably has a few of us in each city, right, Buzzy?”
“That is enough,” Buz hissed at her through clenched teeth. Then he quickly turned to Janie, taking her gently by the arm and leading her a few steps away. He looked at her with an uneasy gaze. He couldn't believe this was happening. Not now. Not in front of Janie. The very last thing he needed was for something to screw up his chances of getting Janie back for good. Was this karma biting him in the ass or what?
“Baby, I am so sorry,” he began, his words coming out in a panicked rush. “This is all my fault. But don't listen to her, okay? Listen to me. I'm not going to lie to you, Janie. Not about women. I will tell you everything, I swear. But first, I have to take care of this and send her on her way. Just … give me a few minutes, okay? And then we'll talk. Please?” he begged, looking into he
r eyes.
Janie said nothing as she stared at him, searching his eyes for … what? The truth? Remorse? She felt as though this woman had come in and snatched her mellow, love-struck vibe right out from under her feet. And once again, she was left wondering how she and their son would ever fit into Robby's hard and fast rock star lifestyle.
She said nothing as she watched him step over to that woman, motioning to his bodyguard at the same time. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw Robby reach into his pocket and pull out a small wad of cash. He counted off what looked to Janie like a few hundred dollar bills and handed them to her. Then he said something to Shawn and stood watching as the large man followed her through the crowd and out of the dressing room door. She watched Robby take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he shook his head slightly as Cory lightly slapped him on the arm.
“You alright, man?”
He nodded his head as he stared down at the floor for a minute, and Janie could see the concern on his bandmate's faces as they gathered around him and stole quick glances her way. She got the feeling they were all sort of worried about what her reaction might be. Why did they care? This was between her and Robby. But as she watched them rally around him she slowly understood. They cared because they cared about him. They weren't so much worried about her reaction as they were about how her reaction would affect him.
Slowly, Buz turned to face her, fixing her with a determined look. Then he walked toward her and took her by the hand, leading her out of the crowded dressing room and into the now deserted Green Room.
Janie said nothing as he sat her down on one of the couches and took both of her hands in his own. Looking into her eyes with grave concern, he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, and Janie could see the fear and uncertainty playing over his face. He was terrified of what she might say or do. The revelation took her by surprise.
“Janie … baby, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to see that, and I'm sorry if any of what she said upset you,” he said as his eyes bored into hers with apprehension. “Look … I promised you that I wouldn't lie to you about women, and I meant it. Okay? Yuko … she was not my girlfriend or anything, but … I have …”
“Robby, stop,” Janie blurted out, pulling her hands from his and raising them in a halting motion. “Just stop, okay?” She sighed, shaking her head slightly as she took a deep breath. “You don't owe me any explanations, Robby. I mean, yes, that was definitely unpleasant to watch. And I really don't like the fact that that bitch went off in front of my son!”
“I know. I'm sorry!”
“But I'm a big girl, you know?” she continued. “I know that you haven't exactly been celibate these last eight years. And neither have I. I mean, we've been back together for all of twenty-four hours, so it's not like you were cheating on me.”
Buzzy suddenly smiled at her and took her hand again. “Are we back together, Janie?” he asked softly, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest as he studied her.
Janie was speechless for a moment as she pondered his question. Were they back together? It was one of the many questions that had been plaguing her earlier, and she still had no answer for it. And suddenly, her own heart was beating way out of control.
“I … I mean, I … well, it was just a figure of speech …”
Buzzy's smile grew bigger as he watched her stammer, and he reached out and touched her face in a tender caress. “Tell me you love me,” he softly commanded.
“What?”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes! Yes, I love you,” she replied.
“Janie Kim … would you go steady with me?” he asked softly. And Janie stared at him like he had lost his mind. “Will you be my girlfriend?” he asked, rephrasing the question.
“Robby?” She couldn't stop the goofy smile spreading across her face as he sweetly propositioned her, using all the high school charm he possessed.
“If you don't say yes soon I'm going to have to ask you to the prom,” he warned with a smile.
“You're crazy,” she said, trying not to giggle.
He took her face in both of his hands as he looked into her eyes. “I am completely crazy about you,” he whispered before he kissed her. Then he grew serious as he said, “I love you, Janie. And I want to be with you. I want you and Bobby in my life.”
Janie didn't know what to make of his declaration, and she had no clue how any of this would ever work. But she knew that she didn't want the rest of her life to be as lonely as the last eight years without him had been. “Bobby and I want to be in your life,” she confirmed with a whisper, and Buz kissed her again, deeply, as he pulled her into his arms.
“I told you they kiss a lot,” Bobby sighed, and Buz and Janie looked up to see their son being escorted into the room by Otis.
“Hey, I feel for you, buddy. My parents still kiss a lot too, and it is gross,” Otis said, commiserating with the kid while Buz and Janie laughed.
“I'm going to tell Monroe and Kay that you said that, man,” Buzzy smiled.
“I tell Monroe and Kay that all the time,” Otis replied, talking about his and Noah's mom and dad.
“Mom, I'm hungry,” Bobby pouted as he walked over to them.
“Me too, sweetie. I guess we did skip dinner, didn't we?”
“So, what's going on tonight, man?” Otis asked as Buzzy stood up.
“Hmm. I know you're asking where the party is tonight, O, but I'm afraid you're on your own, man,” Buz said, smiling apologetically at him. “Apparently the family's hungry, so … we'll probably just grab a bite, go back to the room and crash.” Otis smiled at him and nodded his head, saying nothing as he held his friend's gaze for a long moment, and Buzzy grew a little self-conscious. “What?”
“Nothing,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders, but still unable to stop the grinning. He shrugged again, saying, “It's nice to see you so happy, brother.”
Buz smiled at him.
“Come on, Bobby,” Otis said, holding his hand out to his new friend. “Let's go find some food.”
They made their way back to the dressing room, and Janie sat Bobby down with the Nintendo game his father had given him to keep the child occupied while all the guys finished getting cleaned up, and she spent the time talking to Mercy and Fae. They both seemed to be really nice and very welcoming, and Janie liked them right away. And it was interesting to listen to them talk about the band's family dynamic and what it was like to tour with them.
When the guys were all ready, they headed out in a small caravan of limousines and went to the nicest hotel Janie had been in since her and Robby's prom night experience. The place looked like something out of a movie to her with marble floors and crystal chandeliers and plush furnishings everywhere. They strolled through the lobby surrounded by what seemed like a mass of security personnel to Janie, and she couldn't help but notice that Shawn was among them as they entered the hotel's very posh restaurant.
The place appeared to be nearly deserted at this time of the evening, but Janie saw a few patrons inside and she noticed the bulging eyes, pointing, and gasps of surprise as the large, conspicuous group walked in and made their way to a private room at the back of the restaurant.
Once they had been seated and everyone sat studying their menus, Janie turned to Buz and lightly placed a hand on his leg.
“Robby, it's really very late,” she whispered. “It's way past Bobby's bedtime. He is going to need to get to bed soon or he will be cranky tomorrow. Maybe he and I should just grab something to go. We'll need to get on the road to get home soon.”
Buz looked at her with a slight frown. “Janie, it is much too late to send you guys on a two-hour car ride back to Cleveland now. I figured you would just spend the night here with me and I'll get you back home tomorrow.”
Janie raised an eyebrow at him. “You never mentioned staying overnight, Mr. West. Bobby and I didn't pack anything. No pajamas, no toothbrushes, no change of clothes for tomorrow!”
&n
bsp; “Well, I didn't mention it because I honestly didn't think about it before,” he admitted, smiling at her. “But it's not a big deal. We can get you both whatever you need in the morning.”
“We won't need pajamas in the morning,” she admonished him, trying not to smile.
“You won't need pajamas tonight,” he replied, lowering his voice so that no one could overhear. And he flashed her that movie star smile as he watched her blush slightly and glance nervously around the table. “But Bobby can wear one of my t-shirts or something.”
She said nothing as she just smiled at him, shaking her head.
“See? No problem,” he stated. Then he leaned in and kissed her, not caring at all that they had an audience.
Bobby looked over at them from his position beside his dad and shook his head, bringing his little hand up to his forehead. Then he looked across the table with a sigh and returned his Uncle Otis' shoulder shrug with one of his own.
“So, Janie,” Noah said, getting her and Buzzy's attention after the waiter had taken their orders, “have you lived in Cleveland long?”
“Yes,” Janie answered somewhat timidly as Buz lightly held her hand, letting his thumb play over her fingers. “Born and raised, I'm afraid.”
“Okay,” Noah smiled as he studied her. She was a cute little thing, petite and graceful. There was something sort of elegant about her, and Noah could understand how she had captured Buzzy's heart so completely. There was something very unassuming and genuine about her, and those were qualities he always associated with Buz himself. “So … I suppose that probably makes you a Cleveland Brown's fan too, huh?” he asked her as he stole a taunting glance at Buz.
Buzzy rolled his eyes at him. “Don't answer that,” he told Janie as he smiled at Noah. “He's just trying to start some football shit. I mean stuff,” he quickly corrected, frowning as he glanced at Bobby, and Noah laughed at him.
“So, what do you do, Janie,” Mercy asked, smiling at her.
Janie returned her smile, feeling sort of bashful. She understood that everyone was just being polite, and that they were attempting to get to know her. But she had always hated these sorts of social situations where she knew almost no one. She felt very put on display at the moment, and she was suddenly grateful for Robby's reassuring hand, still playing with her fingers.
The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set) Page 71