Back-Up

by A. m Madden

  Malcolm appears with two cocktails and hands one to Jennifer. “Hello Leila. It’s so nice to see you again.”

  Jack turns towards me with raised eyebrows. Feeling the need to explain, I say, “Malcolm and I met at your birthday party.”

  “How are you, Jack?”

  “I’m great Malcolm. Fucking great.”

  Malcolm throws him a patronizing grin and turns his focus back to me. “So have you given our last conversation any thought?”

  What the hell? This guy is pushy and I don’t respond well to pushy.

  “No, I’m good, thanks.”

  Jennifer slinks an arm through Malcolm’s and takes on a very territorial stance. She can just relax. I want no part of her boyfriend. Thankfully Malcolm clarifies his statement to Jennifer and Jack.

  “Jeez, Malcolm. She’s been a member of Devil’s Lair for all of five minutes. Can you back off please?” Jack looks pissed as hell.

  “I merely pointed out to your talented back-up singer that she is too talented to be a back-up singer.” Shrugging he adds, “She’s not ready. But I’m patient and I’ll wait.” Focusing on me he says, “You have my card. You know where to find me. I can make all your dreams come true.”

  Jack mumbles an epithet under his breath, which Malcolm ignores. “Jen knows how competitive I am, don’t you baby?”

  Jennifer doesn’t look upset in the least that her sleazy boyfriend is trying to take one of her clients. That makes me wonder if this is a little plan she hatched up to get rid of me. She hasn’t liked me since day one. “I know baby. You’d steal a client from your own mother. I’m not offended.”

  She smiles at her man and he bends to kiss her lips.

  This is beyond ridiculous. Ignoring them I turn towards Jack and ask, “Do you want to go get a drink?’

  “Yes!”

  He drapes his arm around my shoulders. See you guys later. Malcolm, stay away from my band member or I’ll hurt you.”

  Giving them his CCDS smile, he steers me towards the bar.

  Jack looks down at me. “He’s right, you know.”

  “Jack, I’m not going anywhere. I have no idea what I’m doing. This is all so new to me. I really want to tour with you guys. I believe in you and you’re about to explode. I want to be part of that.”

  He skims his thumb along my cheek. “I would never hold you back. I just thought we could enjoy you for a while. But I would never stop you from excelling in your own career.”

  “I know.” I lean in closer and add, “I love you.”

  He smiles warmly. “Me too. Let’s celebrate.”

  The room has been set up with food and drinks. The boys take advantage and head right to where Jack and I are standing at the bar. Hunter orders a tray full of shots and I feel a little uneasy when I realize its tequila. Jack laughs at my expression and holds one out for me to take. “Do you want me to order a girly shot for you?”

  He winks and downs one in a single quick motion.

  “No.” I down mine effortlessly. I’m actually getting used to tequila.

  Raising his eyebrows, Jack smiles cunningly. Leaning in, he whispers, “You said you loved me the last time you had tequila.”

  “I did not.” His mention helps me to vaguely remember that. “Oh my God.”

  “What? It was hot.”

  Our friends end our conversation by piling in. My dad is the first one through the door.

  “Lei!”

  I look up to see him smiling from ear to ear. I run towards him and can tell he’s been crying when he catches me in mid-air. He hugs me so tightly that I can barely breathe. “You were so amazing tonight. I am so proud of you.”

  Evan embraces me next. “You were awesome up there. You guys rocked this place.”

  “Thanks Evan. I have never experienced such an adrenaline rush in my life.”

  “I’m sure. This tour is going to sky-rocket you right to the top.”

  Lori and Alisa grab me next. Lori says, “Oh my god Lei that was so fucking hot. You and Jack should totally do it.” I let out a nervous laugh while catching Evan’s eye.

  As the night progresses, our guests are having a great time. Evan and Lizzy are already attached at the hip. As he is introducing her to my father, he sees me watching and winks. I blow him a kiss. I’m happy he is coming around. Lori and Trey are attached at the lips. Matt, Gina, Logan, Alisa and Joe are all drinking and mingling. Matt introduced me to Gina, and she’s a sweetheart. That will not work out.

  Jack has been by my side most of the night. “Your outfit has me throbbing.”

  If we were alone in this room, I would have him naked by now. Huffing out a breath, Jack looks at me deviously. “You ok? You look a little flushed.”

  I mutter bastard under my breath just as his parents walk over.

  “Hi guys.” Jack greets them with a tight hug. His dad whispers something and pats his back while his mom grabs his face and kisses both cheeks.

  “Mom, stop.” He says as he pulls out of her grasp. It’s so cute and funny. Rock star or not, he’s a momma’s boy.

  Jack’s dad pulls me into a warm hug. “You are the perfect addition to this band, Leila.”

  “I’m flattered. That is really a nice thing for you to say.”

  Renata grabs me away from her husband and hugs me tight. “Leila I can’t wait to get to know you better when you guys get home. You’ll come to the house, and bring Evan?”

  “I would love to.” She smiles and kisses my cheek. I can see where Jack gets it. It’s heartwarming to know that he comes from a very affectionate family.

  “Ok, stop man-handling Leila.” Jack says scolds. She gives him a look and hugs me tighter.

  Our party is going strong. I am having so much fun mingling with my friends, reliving our performance on stage. My face is nearly splitting in two from all the smiling and laughing. That is, until I spot Jack frowning at his cell phone. Hunter is beside him, holding Amanda’s hand and shaking his head. Amanda looks very uncomfortable. Jack says something else and Hunter shrugs. Their conversation looks like an argument. I wonder what’s wrong.

  My dad calls me over and forces my attention away from Jack. As I walk over, I worry over what just happened. No sooner do I turn towards my dad, than a gorgeous brunette walks into the room. She looks around, spots Jack, and seductively strolls right over to him. This woman is stunning. She has a tall, killer body and hair like a black, silk curtain. I watch Jack’s facial expression change when he sees her and he meets her half way. He looks upset as he grabs her arm and yanks her into the hallway, while many of us watch. Who the hell is she?

  His parents exchange a few words just as Lizzy makes her way over to them, and immediately begin an animated discussion. A weird hush fell over the room that’s hard to ignore. Plastering a smile on my face, I try desperately to ignore what just occurred, and I’m failing miserably.

  I really need to use the bathroom, but I don’t want Jack to think I’m following him. I decide to wait a few minutes before I walk down the hall hoping not to run into Jack or the brunette. I’m so lost in thought that I barely hear Dylan calling my name. Smiling wide, Mr. Harvard walks towards me and is clearly a bit tipsy.

  “What so funny.”

  “I’ve been wanting to get you alone all night and it figures it’s when we both have to pee. Go and meet me back right here.” He says and takes off. He is most definitely drunk.

  A few minutes later I come out of the ladies room to see Dylan leaning against the wall waiting for me. As I walk over to him, he turns his body so I am now against the wall and he is in front of me. I’m really not in the mood for Dylan right now.

  “Dylan, I want to get back inside.”

  He doesn’t speak. He just bends and kisses me. It’s soft and sweet and I instantly feel guilt.

  I’m so confused and annoyed, it takes me a few seconds to realize what’s happening before I push him away.

  “Dylan, I thought I made it clear I don’t have feelings for you.�
� He steps back and nods. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have done that. I was so overwhelmed with pride and, I don’t know I just got caught up in things.”

  “I value our friendship and wouldn’t want anything to ruin it, but…”

  He cuts me off. “No need to continue.” Shrugging, he adds, “Leila, I’m dense. It was really a stupid move on my part. I’m really am sorry.” He smiles at me and his eyes are full of longing.

  “I need to get back in there.” He nods and motions for me to go first. As soon as we get back into the party room, Dylan heads right for the bar.

  I finally see Jack come into the room alone like fifteen minutes later. My heart sinks as I see the look on his face. Where was he? Did he see us? He moves to Hunter and starts talking to him in the same agitated state, as he was earlier.

  I continue to search his face but he doesn’t make eye contact with me.

  I’m unable to enjoy myself any longer. Something happened to cause him such pain. It’s written all over his face. Our eyes meet when he starts to walk towards me. I close the distance between us.

  “Are you ok?” I ask hesitantly. I want nothing more than to ask him who that girl was, why was she here and what did she want. But I need him to want to tell me. I need to trust he will.

  “I am now.” He steps a bit closer so our arms touch. My skin tingles instantly from his touch. “Is everything ok with you and Dylan?” He looks down at me anxiously. He must have seen us in the hall. Is that why he’s so sad?

  “He kissed me again. I set him straight.”

  Jack’s posture immediately changes as his gaze flies to Dylan across the room. His glare is cold as ice and his fists clench automatically. He looks livid until he looks at me, and then his eyes soften immediately.

  “Do I need to kick his ass?”

  “Please don’t. I don’t want you spending the night in jail. I have plans for you.”

  “I love you.” He whispers, so only I can hear him.

  “I know.” I squeeze his hand and walk away. I’m disappointed he didn’t open up to me. He may need time. As the party winds down, I’m consumed with theories and speculations.

  Saying goodbye to my dad and friends distracts temporarily. I’m exhausted from the continuous goodbyes so I decide to end the pattern. I tell them so, as I hug everyone I love and say that I would see them soon. No more tears.

  My dad surprises me and says, “Ok kiddo…see you later.” He hugs me, kisses my head and walks out. Evan and I look at each other stunned.

  Evan kisses Lizzy and says he’ll see her next week. Lori and Trey try to get months and months’ worth of good-byes in before they separate. Hunter and Amanda are whispering in a corner. Scott is holding a sobbing Patti. Jack is hugging his parents. The merriment we were feeling a short time ago now completely gone.

  Once everyone leaves Dylan comes over and says he’ll be meeting up with us in Boston. He reminds me to call him or Cathy if I need anything.

  He runs his hand down my arm and offers, “If you change your mind...”

  I move away from his touch. “Sorry, Dylan.”

  He nods, and walks over to Jack. He says something and Jack’s jaw clenches at whatever it is. Dylan looks back at me and leaves the room.

  Jack is very quiet as we make our way to the bus. The guys start sitting around the bus reliving highlights from the show. He takes my hand and walks straight to the back.

  “I want to get out of this sauna suit and shower. I’ll be a few minutes.”

  “Ok…find me when you’re done.”

  As I’m getting ready for bed, I can’t shake the feeling of dread that is coursing through my body. Something is very wrong. My concerns are confirmed when minutes later I find him in his bunk staring into space.

  “Hey.” I say

  “Hey” he says back. “Did you have a good time?”

  “I did. Are you ok?” I ask.

  He shrugs and says “Not really.” I walk over to his bunk and look up at him.

  “You were awesome tonight, Jack.” I say.

  He leans forward and caresses my face. “So were you.”

  Sitting up he takes my hands in both of his. “Can I talk to you?”

  Bile rises, making me feel sick to my stomach. He jumps off his bunk and takes my hand leading me to the bedroom. Once inside, he closes and locks the door.

  “Leila, I need to tell you something.” His words cause my knees to give out, and I heavily sit on the edge of the bed.

  “Is this about that girl?”

  “Yes. She’s my ex.” He says watching my face. I wasn’t expecting him to say that.

  Pathetically, all I can say is, “Oh.”

  I try to shake the thoughts that immediately come to mind. I remind myself he loves me and he wouldn’t do that to me.

  “Babe, we need to talk.”

  I feel I’m about to have my heart broken. Panic takes hold and it leaves me ice-cold and shaking.

  Chapter 26–Jack

  I was literally on top of the world just a few hours ago. We couldn’t have had a better start to this tour. We were in our hometown, the crowd loved us, Leila rocked their asses off, and even the after party was the perfect way to celebrate with our friends and family.

  That is until she came.

  When I got her text I wanted to punch something. She is relentless. I didn’t take her seriously when she admitted she would see me after the show. Fuck, she has no boundaries.

  Why was she showing up now? Actually, it’s because she smells success. When I was nothing, she could easily fuck me over and move on. Now that she sees us on the climb to fame, she wants in. The news she dropped on me though, shook me to the core.

  When I saw her walk in, I dragged her ass into an empty dressing room so fast her feet barely touched the ground. “Jess, what the fuck are you doing here?” I asked inches from her face.

  “Nice to see you too, Jackson.” She replied sweetly.

  “Cut the crap. How did you get back here?” She yanked her arm free of my grip and walked a few steps away from me.

  “One of the stage hands here is an acquaintance of mine.” She strolled around the room pretending to be interested in it’s décor. “I miss you. You’ve been avoiding me.”

  She has got to be kidding. She couldn’t be serious. “I was very clear during our last mistake. I am done. So why are you here?”

  “Several reasons, the first one being that I still love you.” She walked closer to me and put her hands on my chest.

  I grabbed her hands and she smirked, assuming victory.

  I practically spat in her face as I hissed, “Love? You are delusional. You think what happened between us was love?”

  Her smile faltered slightly but she recovered quickly. “Yes, I absolutely love you and you love me, too.”

  I pushed her away forcibly. “I now know what we had was not fucking love.” Turning my back to her, I attempt to walk out the door.

  “You now know? Jackson Lair, you love someone now?” Her words halt me in my tracks.

  I neither turned around nor responded. “Oh my God. Jack Lair thinks he’s in love.”

  I clenched my fists as she continued. “It’s her, isn’t it? It’s that new singer you hired. I can tell you want into her pants. Or have you already? Is she pulling you around by your dick? Are you confusing that with love?” She stopped to laugh again. “Wait, did she fuck you to get into your precious band?”

  I was instantly in her face and she took a step back. “Get the fuck out of here before I have you thrown out.”

  She immediately composed herself. Leaning up, she kissed me briefly before I pulled away. “I hit a nerve.” Ignoring my outburst she moved to the couch and calmly sat down. “The second reason I came is to warn you.”

  “About what?” I ask through clenched teeth.

  “I’ve tried to call and text you, and you’ve been ignoring me. I needed you to know before you left on tour.
Regardless of what you think, I do care about you.”

  My patience was wearing thin, quickly. “Jessa, just say what you have to say and get the fuck out.” My entire body was shaking. I would never hit a woman, but I wanted to put her through the wall. I haven’t been this angry since high school. Ironically, Jessa was the reason back then as well.

  “I ran into Danny.”

  “Danny? Danny Sorenson? So?”

  “He was pretty upset when he saw me and wanted me to give you a personal message. He said you stole his career and he’s definitely not over it. Jack, he scared me. He looked and sounded so angry. It was definitely a threat.”

  What the hell was I supposed to do with this info? Danny Sorenson was the bass player we hired and fired a few years ago. What Jessa told me sent a tiny prick through my body. He is a degenerate drug addict and he could definitely be dangerous. Danny is a dark person. I sense that he wants what he thinks he deserves, especially now that we are on our way to fame. We could take care of ourselves, but if anything happened to Leila because of that maniac, I would kill him with my bare hands.

  “Consider me warned. Now get the hell out.”

  Jessa stood and walked over to me. My fists were still clenched. She grabbed one of my hands and pried it open. “In spite of what you think Jack, I don’t want anything to ever happen to you.”

  I pull away. “Thank you. Are you done?”

  “No, there’s one more thing.” She paces the room without speaking. When she finally does, my knees almost gave out on me. “I’m pregnant.”

  I felt like I swallowed shards of ice.

  This can’t be happening. I won’t let this happen.

  Recovering quickly, I arrogantly said, “So?”

  “It may be yours.”

  Letting out a snort, I said, “Yeah, ok. I’m supposed to believe that.”

  “It’s true. I’m about three and a half months along. Do the math. I wanted to tell you sooner but you’ve avoided my texts and calls. So here I am.” I wanted to wipe the smirk right off her face.

  “We used a condom. It can’t be mine.”

  “Not the second time.”