by Bev Dulson
‘Bloody hell, if this girl really does want to become famous, she needs more of a social media presence, if I was a fan how am I supposed to connect with her?’ Trina complained.
‘Don’t worry Trine, there are always ways to locate people.’
‘Ah, I forgot, we’ve got superspy on our team.’
‘Trine, keep it down.’
‘Sorry, I’m no good with all this cloak and dagger stuff.’
Hunter leaned in. ‘I was never a spy, I was a hitman.’
’Guess I should count myself lucky that you only ever smashed my kneecaps.’ Before Hunter could protest, Trina held her hands up. ‘Yes, I know, it was all about saving Mag’s life, I took one for the team.’
‘Of which, I am eternally grateful,’ Magenta reached across and squeezed her friend’s hand.
‘And you know I would never have done that if it hadn’t have been absolutely necessary?’
‘Don’t worry, all is forgiven.’
Hunter leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
‘Can anyone join in this conversation or is this a threesome?’
Trina scowled at her husband as he interrupted their conversation. ‘Dean, don’t be a dickhead, we’re just talking.’
‘Yeah, well you three always look dead cosy together.’
‘Mate, don’t be stupid.’
Dean squared up to Hunter, which was a fairly idiotic thing to do given that Hunter was at least a foot taller and had shoulders that were twice as broad as Dean’s. ‘I’m not your mate; I used to have a mate called Jason, but it seems his replacement thinks he’s better than everyone else.’
Magenta put her hand on Dean’s chest in an attempt to get him to back off; the last thing she wanted was a fight between these two. ‘There’s no need for you to feel left out Dean, you’ve been in my life as long as Trina, you’re my oldest friends.’
‘Paid skivvy more like, she has a family, she’s not on call twenty four hours a day to run round after you.’
‘Dean, seriously, shut your mouth, you’re embarrassing us both.’ Trina tried to take hold of the situation, but Dean just shrugged her off.
‘I’m doing what you wanted aren’t I? I’m here so you can have your ‘honeymoon’ in New York, happy now?’
Trina bit back her response, she didn’t want to cause a scene. Right now she wished she’d never told him she was surprising him with a trip to New York, she would quite gladly leave him behind right now.
Seeing the upset in her friends’ face Magenta stepped in. ‘Come on, let’s just get on the plane, Dean, you’ll love New York, I promise and you’ll love it even more cos’ you’ll get to share it with Trina, your amazing wife.’
Magenta didn’t wait for Dean’s reply; she just grabbed Hunter’s hand and headed out onto the tarmac. She couldn’t for the life of her understand what was going on with Dean and she hated to see Trina upset by it. When he referred to Trina as ‘she’ before, it sent Magenta almost apoplectic, he was being so bloody facetious.
As Trina got her first view of Manhattan the excitement she should’ve been feeling was quashed, all she felt was a pit of anxiety in her stomach. In her head she’d imagined a picnic in Central Park, shopping in Tiffany’s, getting a yellow cab around town. Falling in love with her husband again, him falling in love with her. She wanted to forget that they were Trina and Dean Fraser, parents of two kids and mortgage owner of one, she just wanted them to be Trina and Dean like they used to be. When he’d make stupid jokes that nobody else found funny, but would have her crying laughing, when he’d have tea ready for her after a day of working two jobs, when he told her she looked beautiful even though she knew she looked tired and had run out of make-up and her clothes were two years out of fashion. They’d really struggled financially, but they were still a team. She thought that by taking this job with Magenta and fixing their finances they would only become happier. She loved working with her best friend and she loved the new lease of life and confidence it gave her. She was no longer just a wife and mother, she was her own person, she was able to afford the clothes that were now fashionable, she could have her blonde hair complimented with highlights, not because she now had a disposable income and didn’t need to worry about money. No, it was because these were the things that gave her the confidence to do her job, almost like armour that she was putting on and shedding the Trine from the past, she was no longer the girl from Boots. It was important to her that the kids saw that she was happy in her job, it would hopefully instil on them a good work ethic. So despite all this positive change, the biggest change was Dean’s behaviour towards her and that was certainly anything but positive.
On the flight, she couldn’t help notice Magenta and Hunter, they were so in tune with each other, if they weren’t curled up watching a film, they were laughing together, deep in conversation or just completely absorbed in each other. How did that happen? Was it natural? Did you have to work at it? Magenta and Hunter had known each other as long as she and Dean had, back when they were Maggie and Jason, obviously their lives had taken them in different directions until over a year ago when they’d been reunited and the spark that had been there all those years ago had never gone out. Trina sighed, not only had her spark with Dean gone out, it felt like it had been completely extinguished and neither of them had any matches to relight it.
Had they reached the point of no return without them even realising it? She looked across at him, the twenty years they’d been together were evident in the passing of time, his hair now salt and pepper grey, more lines on his forehead, gone was the hottest lad in sixth form. She couldn’t believe her luck when Dean had asked her out; he was the lad all the girls had written over the cover of their books, Deano is fit. And he absolutely was with his dark shaggy hair that was collar length, cheeky brown eyes full of mischief, he was the guy who scored all the goals for the school footy team, he was the hottest lad in the year and he’d asked her out. Back then Hunter, or Jason as he was then was certainly attractive, but whilst he’d grown into his looks, Dean just looked like life had beaten him down, like he’d given up. She felt the opposite, she was raring to go.
Dean had pretty much ignored her during the flight, he’d kept checking his phone, the only time he’d smiled was when the captain announced there was WiFi on the plane. She may as well have been travelling on her own for the past seven hours. Well, if there was one thing she was certain of, this was her first time in New York and she was damn well gonna enjoy every second of it – with or without Dean. Magenta had arranged for Trina and Dean to stay at a hotel on Times Square, so they could get the full ‘honeymoon experience’. Magenta and Hunter would be staying in Logan’s apartment on the Upper East Side as she would be unable to stay at her own brownstone building. Trina tried to push the doubts away in her mind, if there was ever going to be a place that could save her marriage, then New York would be it...everything can change in a New York minute. She smiled her first real smile as the lyric played out in her head. She reached out and took Dean’s hand as the plane began it’s descent into Kennedy airport. She tried to ignore the confused look on his face.
CHAPTER SIX
Magenta didn’t even stop to fling her bags into Logan’s apartment, the limo from the airport then took them straight to Logan International Music headquarters in Midtown. Magenta wanted this Roxie situation sorting now. That meant Trina and Dean were still with them, she needed Trine to be involved in what was going on, but she could do with finding something for Dean to do, she didn’t want him involved in what was going on. Once they’d reached Logan’s office she’d asked his PA to take Dean to get some coffee and food. Dean seemed happy with that.
Logan greeted Magenta with a hug. ‘Hey gorgeous, it’s good to see you, even in these circumstances,’ he then embraced Hunter. ‘And you my friend.’ Logan may have been Magenta’s manager but it was very much she who ran the show, she’d gotten him out of a big gambling hole and he was also indebted to Hunter for s
aving his life. So yes, he was always glad to see them, he counted them as friends and people who he knew would always have his back. Which was why he was happy for Magenta to take her anger out on him, he knew it wasn’t directed at him, she was just frustrated and he could understand that.
‘Logan, I’ve just spent seven hours in the air and an hour in the limo, please tell me that’s given you time to find out who this bloody woman is.’
Before he could respond, Trina entered the office. ‘Sorry, I was desperate for the loo, what have I missed?’
Logan smiled wryly at Trina, he loved Magenta’s new PA, what you saw was what you got and after the balls up with Magenta’s previous PA, Jody, Trina was a welcome addition to team Magenta.
‘Nothing yet, I was just about to bring you all up to speed.’
‘On the edge of my seat over here, c’mon man, spill the beans,’ Hunter urged, he could see Magenta was about to kick off.
‘OK, so we located the bar Roxie was in from the screen shot Trina sent over, she sings there a lot, it’s in L.A., here’s the thing though, the label she’d released the song, your song, is Highway 65.’
‘Bloody hell, that’s off its head.’
‘Magenta, English please, babe, but I think I know where you’re coming from.’ Logan started. ‘How does a girl from L.A. get signed to a Nashville record label and release a country version of your song?’
‘Please tell me you have an answer to this?’
‘I’ve been on the phone to Deacon Claybourne, the owner of Highway 65 this morning. He said a contact of his sent him a video of Roxie singing a song in the L.A. bar and Deacon asked to see her. So Roxie rocks up to Nashville to audition for him and belts out your song. Deacon signed her on the spot.’
‘But how did she get the song? Was it stolen by Highway 65?’
Logan shook his head. ‘No, I’ve known Deacon a long time, he’s a straight up guy, rare in the music industry, I know. However she came across the song it wasn’t the records labels doing.’
‘So we have no leads?’
‘I’m working on it, obviously I didn’t want to say too much to Deacon, I don’t want it leaked that you’ve had material stolen until we know what we’re dealing with,’ he paused. ‘And there’s the other issue, like you I thought this had Max written all over it, especially as the girl is from L.A. as Max is still there...’
‘But?’
‘We sent security over to your house, there was a definite break in. Did you change the locks after Max left?’
Magenta looked confused. ‘What do you mean?’
‘He means did Max still have a key to the building here in New York?’ Hunter supplied the answer.
Logan nodded. ‘If Max still has a key he wouldn’t need to break in.’
Magenta sighed. ‘I would imagine he still has a key, I’ve hardly been in New York, I haven’t really given the house a second thought or asked Max for the keys either, I just assumed once everything was signed over to me then that was the end of it.’
‘Key or no key, it could still be Max, he’d want to keep a low profile, he wouldn’t just walk in and take the material, he’d make it look like a robbery to deflect suspicion from him,’ Hunter wasn’t prepared to believe Max’s innocence just yet.
‘Yeah, that’s what we thought too,’ Logan nodded. ‘So we checked on his whereabouts, he hasn’t left California for months and the things taken from your house weren’t just your material, it was jewellery, money from the safe.’
‘They got into the safe? Surely that can only be Max then?’
‘It was cracked open, looks like you were targeted. I’ve had security replace the locks and secure the place.’
‘So, sounds like we need to call the police,’ Trina who had been busily taking notes paused to comment.
Magenta shook her head. ‘Nope, no police, not until I find out the extent of what material has been stolen and how this Roxie girl got her hands on my song.’
‘You sure that’s the best idea, babe?’
Magenta turned to Hunter. ‘We’ve got more contact in the industry than the police, I’m sure we can get to the bottom of this before they can.’
‘I have a contact at NYPD, he owes me a favour, I can get him to look into this and keep it on the downlow.’
Magenta shook her head. ‘I’m not sure Logan, what if they leak it to the press? Can you trust them?’
He nodded. ‘I wouldn’t suggest it if I thought they’d go running to the media.’
‘Good, I don’t want anyone knowing about this until I know what we’re dealing with.’
‘I just have a feeling about this...’
Magenta put her hand on Hunter’s bicep, rubbing it, both to reassure him and also, because if your boyfriend had guns of steel it would be rude not to have a quick feel. ‘Babe, it’ll be fine, it’s just some stolen songs, OK. So I am massively pissed off about it, but it’s nothing that we can’t fix.’
Before Hunter could argue with her, the office door opened, before he turned to see who it was, Hunter knew, he could feel the star presence fill the room, that and the smell of Tom Ford’s Fucking Fabulous – if there was ever an aftershave that lived up to a self-inflated ego that was it.
‘Johnny!’ Magenta’s hand was off Hunter’s bicep as she flung herself into Johnny Kidd’s arms.
‘Hey kid, how’s it going? Heard you’d had some shit going on so I thought I’d check in, see if you were OK.’
‘Ah, you’re too sweet, Johnny, like I just said to Hunter it’s nothing we can’t sort out.’
Johnny’s eyes flicked to Hunter’s, who eyed him with equal caution. Hunter didn’t dislike Johnny, he just questioned whether his motives in life were about anyone but himself, which was why he was giving him the eye ball now. Checking if Mags was OK? Hunter had always had a suspicion that Johnny had a thing for Mags, not that he was worried about it, he and Mags were solid.
‘Hunter,’ Johnny nodded his head slowly in his direction.
Hunter mirrored his movements. ‘Johnny.’
As if picking up on the sudden atmosphere Mags, grabbed Johnny’s hand and pulled him across the office. ‘Johnny, you’ve met Trine, my best mate and PA before, haven’t you?’
Johnny grinned his megawatt super star smile. ‘Haven’t had the pleasure in person only by cell, I would never forget a face as beautiful as that,’ he reached down, taking Trina’s hand, raising it to his lips, planting a kiss. ‘Charmed to meet you, Miss...’
‘Fraser,’ she withdrew her hand. ‘MRS Fraser.’
He threw his head back laughing. ‘Of course Magenta’s friend was gonna be as feisty as she is. ‘It’ll be good to have you around.’
Having left Magenta with Logan, Trina had headed back to the hotel with Dean. They’d decided to walk, or rather Trina had, Dean was all for getting a cab, but she wanted to walk the streets of New York, take in the sights, the smells, the sounds. Besides, Logan International Music wasn’t far from Grand Central Station and Times Square, was according to her map only a few blocks away. She was in total awe as they walked by the New York library, she felt like she knew it so well from movies, they turned left after the library wandering along the street when to her great delight, the Empire State Building seemed to appear from nowhere, the iconic building rising high above the ones in front of her. ‘Oh my God, Dean, look!’
‘What?’
‘The Empire State Building, it’s real.’
‘Of course it is, you wally.’
She looked at him, he was actually smiling as he teased her, God she’d missed this, she’d missed him. She linked her arm through his, pulling him closer, she rested her head on his shoulder. ‘This is so magical.’
‘Yeah, it is.’
She tried to ignore how his body tensed and the mischief had gone out of his voice. They had to be OK. They had two children together, over twenty years together, that had to count for something, surely it was worth fighting for.
CHAPTER SEVEN<
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The following evening saw Magenta and Broken Arrow at a Charity event, to support a drug rehabilitation charity at City Hall. Logan had arranged for them each to do a set, then sing their combined hit ‘Fingertips’ as a grand finale. Before the event started they were all crammed into the green room backstage, along with Logan, Trina and Broken Arrow’s social media guru, Erika. Hunter was already at the bar, getting a prime spot to watch his girlfriend light up the stage.
‘So, we’ve gone through the set list, everyone OK with that?’ Logan asked.
‘Yes, boss,’ Fly saluted from the sofa. ‘Just need a beer and I’m good to go.’
Ignoring him, Logan carried on ‘Trina, you OK with what you need to do?’
She nodded. She had the least to do, just stand at the side of the stage and come to Mag’s aid if she needed it.
‘And Erika, you're in charge of taking photos, live Tweeting, Instagramming all that side of things.’
‘Just get the angle right Erika, no one needs to see my chins,’ Magenta laughed.
Johnny nudged her. ‘Yeah, right. No one will look hotter than you on that stage tonight, well other than me, obviously.’
Magenta elbowed him right back. ‘You are such a dick.’
Magenta might have been laughing and joking with him, but Trina couldn’t help agree, he was a dick and she wasn’t being complementary about it. He was all this rock star image persona, nothing else underneath that. She’d seen the videos, him shagging the American Star contestant, Savannah someone in the laundry room of a hotel, the endless women on his arm. He was the typical ego maniac celeb, look at me, everyone wants to be me, everyone wants me. Well some people were immune to that level of bullshit.
‘This is the best job ever, I think I’m a bit in love with Johnny,’ Erika whispered to her.