by Tammy Coons
A lump formed in her throat and she felt her eyes misting. Blinking wildly so that no tears could form, panic overtook her as the reality of what she’d done set in. She finally had her dream assignment and she was about to take the “walk of shame” back to her hotel room. Humiliated, she racked her brain for a smooth exit line. Finding none, she kept silent.
“This wasn’t a drunken mistake,” Scot whispered, snatching her into his arms. He delicately kissed her but Cheyenne pulled away from him and quickly gathered her clothes.
”I’m here to work.” She went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She threw on her clothes, as if somehow they were to blame for falling off and allowing the previous night to occur.
After she washed her face, she opened the door, avoiding Scot’s eyes. “I have to go.” Grabbing the door handle, she paused for a moment as Scot touched her shoulder. Cheyenne continued out the door. She found an elevator and headed for her room.
Steph awoke to find David still asleep in her chair. She shook him gently. He blinked in a daze.
“What time is it?” He asked.
“Around seven I think.”
“Oh, I have to go. I have to call my girl. She lives in another time zone and I don’t want to miss her.”
“Thanks again for checking on me. Tell your girlfriend she’s a lucky lady.” Steph opened the door for him.
“Thanks,” He replied. Upon opening the door, Steph came face to face with Phillip, who had his hand raised to knock. David was already dialing his phone, as he gave Phillip a knowing smile and sidestepped him. Stephanie watched Phillip look after David and saw his hands close into fists. Phillip turned back to Steph and looked her up and down. Without a word, he stormed away. She watched him go, bewildered.
Not two minutes later, Cheyenne enter the room. Once inside she immediately went to the wet bar and poured a shot of whiskey, downing it.
“Breakfast of Champions? A little early for that isn’t it?” Steph asked. Cheyenne poured herself another shot and lit a cigarette.
”Where the hell have you been?” Steph demanded as she looked at Cheyenne’s disheveled appearance. Cheyenne sat down and took a long drag from her cigarette. Her expression wiped the smile off of Steph’s face.
“I called you like a million times.” Steph sat down next to Cheyenne.
“Sorry.”
“What’s up?”
“I did something stupid.” Steph eyed her warily. “I’m supposed to be here to do a job and I get swept in the bullshit.”
“What are you talking about?” Steph’s concern grew with every syllable Cheyenne uttered. Cheyenne downed the whiskey.
“I slept with Scot” A single tear slid down her cheek. “I couldn’t control myself.”
“Don’t blow this out of proportion.” Steph was stunned, but managed to keep the surprise out of her voice. Cheyenne never dated and Steph had begun to think she’d taken a vow of celibacy in some attempt to make up for her torrid past.
“How am I going to face him?” Cheyenne asked.
“You’ll do what you always do, put on your game face and move on.” Steph put her arm around her.
“I feel like such an idiot. I let my guard down.”
“You’re not the first person to ever sleep with somebody they work with. For God’s sake, Chey, you work so many hours a week, who the hell else are you supposed to meet/ If you were a guy, no one would bat an eyelash. Just take a breath.”
“Ugh, I have David’s interview this morning,” Cheyenne said, standing.
“Don’t worry about it, he’s calling his girlfriend. Go take a shower, get yourself together. I’ll text him and after his interview, you and I are going out for lunch.”
Cheyenne nodded. “Thanks Steph.”
“You’ve been there for me….Have you seen Goddess?”
“She was with Scot and me last night. She went in your place and made an ass out of herself. We parted ways in the lobby, and I haven’t seen her since. Why?”
“I was just wondering how her hospital trip went. Did she say anything to you about it?”
“She’s fine. The doctors said it was jet lag.”
“And you believe that?” Steph asked.
“I think we need to have a long talk with her. We can’t have her working for The Sound Wave while she’s using.” Cheyenne crossed her arms.
“I agree,” Steph said. “She’s definitely an issue we need to address.”
Cheyenne turned to go get ready, but stopped and turned back to Stephanie.
“Hey, Steph, Thanks for not judging me.” She retreated into the bathroom and shut the door. As Steph watched her go, her anxiety level began to rise. Cheyenne was always level headed and constant as the Northern Star. If Steph had to be the stable one, this assignment was doomed.
Knowing she needed to buy Cheyenne some time to regroup, Steph decided to go grab some breakfast and push back David’s interview. She texted him asking if he minded delaying for an hour. He agreed and asked that she meet him for breakfast in the courtyard and bring her photos.
When Steph arrived, laptop in tow, she was pleased to see Fury gathered at the table, minus Phillip and Ian. Nathan pulled out a chair for her. After pulling up the pictures, she passed the laptop to David.
“So where’s Cheyenne this fine morning? Nathan asked. Steph willed herself not to look at Scot.
“She slept in.” She kept her face neutral.
“Well she did say she was very tired.” Scot chimed in.
“That she did.” Nathan agreed, shooting Scot a suspicious look.
“Well, in her defense, some randy fellows left me on her bed. So she was stuck trying to sleep in my room. It can’t be easy trying to get ready for your day with some slug sleeping in your bed,” Steph lied.
Steph could feel Scot’s eyes on her and turned to look at him. He covered a conspiratorial smile.
“Wow these pictures are unbelievable. How do you make me look like that?” David said as he clicked through the photo album.
“You do look like that.”
“I think not. Nate certainly doesn’t look like this.”
“Thanks for your support.” Nathan held up a backwards peace sign that Steph recognized as the British version of the middle finger.
“Am I supposed to go to Cheyenne or is she coming to me?’ David asked.
“She’s coming to you.” Steph replied. Bret, who’d been silently reading the paper, flipped the page and burst into laughter. The entire table looked at him expectantly.
“You two made the society pages.” He chuckled, folding the paper. Scot snatched it from him, read it, and started laughing as well.
“What the hell?” Steph demanded.
“Here ya go.” He handed it to her, and Nathan peered over her shoulder for a quick look. She gaped at the half page picture. Paparazzi had taken her picture at the most inconvenient moment. It was from their trip to The Eiffel Tower when David had caught her and was lifting her into his arms. Out of context, it looked as if David had dipped her. Steph’s eyes were closed and David’s face serious. It appeared they were about to kiss.
“Nice.” Steph looked apologetic as she handed the paper to David. David looked at the photo and the color drained from his face.
“No good deed goes unpunished.’ Nathan teased.
“I don’t speak French. Do I even want to know what it says?” Steph cautiously eyed David, who continued to scan the paper.
“Probably not, Stephanie.” He replied his lips pressed in a tight line. Her stomach sank.
‘Well, on that happy note, I think I’ll go see if I can talk Phillip into letting me take at least one photo of him.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” Nathan looked serious for a moment. “He’s in a mood.”
“When isn’t he?” Steph mumbled.
“How was dinner?” Nathan asked turning to Scot. “Must have been quite an event. This morning I noticed your bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in.”
Scot shuffled uncomfortably in his seat and leaned his elbows on the table.
“Dinner was fine.” He looked at Nathan drolly.
“I’m sure it was a blast having Goddess along,” Steph chimed in.
“Oh yes, she’s lovely.” Scot’s sarcasm made Steph smirk.
Nathan continued to eye Scot. Steph thought he seemed angry.
“If you guys come with me, maybe you all could engage in a little peer pressure and convince Phillip to pose for some group shots.” It was an attempt to change the subject, but she was starting to get nervous that she would have virtually no photos of the front man.
“I think that could be arranged.” Bret snatched the check from the waitress.
“David, you could join us later, of course. I know Cheyenne will kill me if I delay your interview any longer…” David nodded at Steph curtly and her stomach sank. Her badly timed migraine had caused him unwanted media attention. She thought of his girlfriend and wanted to crawl into a hole.
Cheyenne was grateful for the extra time Steph had bought her, and was using it to transcribe Scot’s interview. She was nearly to the end of the recording. His voice was making it very hard to concentrate; she had goose bumps when she played back the part where he asked her to go to Brazil. She broke out in a sweat, thinking of him on top of her. Pushing through, she managed to finish typing and lit a cigarette.
As she sat shaking, Goddess entered the room. Cheyenne was so used to Goddess entering without knocking that she didn’t even look up from the computer.
“Hey.” Goddess plopped down with an open laptop, pushing it in front of Cheyenne’s face. “I was wondering…do you think I should use any of these pictures from last night?”
Cheyenne’s stomach turned as her eyes focused on the picture of her with her head resting on Scot’s chest. It looked like Scot was kissing the top of her head. Goddess reached out and clicked onto the next photo, in which Scot sat very close to Cheyenne in the limo. He was staring at her, a suggestive look on his face.
“Oh, my God, no. Goddess, you can’t show these to Steph, or anyone else.”
“Ok.” Goddess shrugged. “Seems like a tragic waste. It was obvious he didn’t want me there, and now you don’t want to use the pictures. Too bad. They’re good if I do say so myself.”
Cheyenne heaved a sigh of relief and started gathering her things.
“It’s time for me to find David for his interview.”
Goddess closed her laptop with a shrug.
"You know, Cheyenne, if Scot looked at me the way he looks at you, I would lose my mind. I’m not sure why it bothers you so much. The way he reacts to you…the chemistry you have...it’s a rare thing.”
With that, Goddess disappeared out the door. Stunned at the intern’s uncharacteristic insightfulness, Cheyenne stood looking after her thoughtfully.
As she gathered her equipment for David’s interview, it occurred to Cheyenne that she’d intended to check into Ian’s background. With all of the Scot/Nathan drama, it had slipped her mind. She dialed Gerald’s number and waited for an answer.
“It’s about time you called me, Tramp.”
A smile made Cheyenne’s lips twitch. “Hey!”
“So how are things…Has Steph bitch-slapped the intern yet? She’s been texting me since you left.”
“Not yet…but we’re planning an intervention.”
“Sounds intriguing.”
“Speaking of intriguing, there is something up with Fury’s manager. Do you have anyone in research that you trust?”
“I have a couple of fact checkers who can keep their mouths shut. What do you want?”
“I want them to check into Ian Corneilus. Anything they can turn up would be helpful.”
“I’ll work some magic,” Gerald replied.
“Hey. If you can get to it, call L.A. and see what the story is with Goddess.”
“Your wish is my command.”
Cheyenne’s gut told her calling Gerald was a good move. Something about Ian seemed off, but she just couldn’t put a finger on it. She continued to contemplate his odd behavior as she approached Fury’s suites. As she stepped off the elevator, she was nearly plowed down by Bret who was pushing Nathan wildly down the hall on a housekeeping cart. A middle age maid chased after them yelling in French.
Ignoring the commotion, Cheyenne proceeded in the opposite direction and noticed that Scot, David, and Stephanie were gathered around the open door of a suite.
“Hey,” Cheyenne said. “What are you guys up to? Watching the races?”
“No. We’re waiting for Phillip to get gussied up,” Steph retorted. Cheyenne gazed into the open suite and saw Fury’s hairdresser, with her magenta hair and dragon lady fingernails, dousing Phillips hair with hairspray.
“I didn’t know you were doing any group shots today.”
“I figured Phillip would have no choice if I brought the rest of the band along. Instead he’s just gonna stall, until I have no time and they have to go to sound check.” Steph looked exhausted.
“How are you this morning?” Scot asked Cheyenne, as he reached out to place a hand on her lower back. As she pulled away, she bumped into Nathan, who had appeared at her other side with Bret.
“Well, good morning to you too.” Nathan’s suggestive tone sent a shiver down her spine.
“I think we’re going to get kicked out of this hotel,” Bret, who was still a little out of breath, interjected.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” David remarked.
“You look a little sleepy, Cheyenne. Still having trouble with jetlag?” Nathan leaned close to her and placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. Cheyenne looked at Scot uncomfortably. Scot face turned red and in his brown eyes a storm was brewing.
“I’m sure that all this traveling is taking a toll.” Scot’s tone was ill humored. As Cheyenne moved to David’s side, she felt everyone eyeing her.
“Are you ready for your interview David?” To her own ears she sounded businesslike.
“I’m ready.” Phillip appeared at the doorway, looking airbrushed.
“You’re so sexy!” Bret said, moving in for a kiss.
“Up yours, Tosser.” Phillip dodged him, while trying to look dignified.
“Well, Hallelujah. Let’s get the show on the road,” Steph said, glancing at her watch.
“Shall we?” David asked Cheyenne. She nodded and he led her away to his suite. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Scot and Nathan glaring at each other.
David’s suite made Cheyenne and Steph’s rooms look like an hourly hotel on Skid Row.
“Tea?” David offered.
“No, thank you, David. Sorry for the delay,” Cheyenne chimed in.
“That’s quite alright. You shouldn’t trouble yourself with the tension between Scot and Nathan. There was bad blood there long before you arrived.”
“I don’t know what means.” Cheyenne blushed as she pulled her laptop out of its bag.
“Ok.” David shrugged.
“Come on, let’s get started.” The interview with David was fascinating. He’d been playing drums as long as he could remember and his earliest childhood memories were beating on a drum set in his grandfather’s music store. His apprehension regarding Fury’s success was sure to intrigue his fans. David said he would just as soon live anonymously in the countryside as be famous.
“But God help me, I love to play.”
He was the youngest son of a large family, had a twin sister (who he called “Kid”). Being on the road with the band reminded him of family gatherings. Everyone thought he was ‘the shy one’, however David insisted he wasn’t shy. He explained he just felt that ‘one only needed to speak when there was something relevant to say’.
“Thanks David. That was fantastic. You’ve given me a ton of information.” Cheyenne stood and they shook hands. David flashed a dazzling smile and nodded. They made their way to Phillip’s suite to join the photo shoot already in progress
&n
bsp; “David, join us!” Nathan called from the bed. He sounded like Caesar at a Roman orgy. Cheyenne smirked, taking in the scene before here. Steph had all the guys draped on the king sized bed. Cheyenne took a seat across the room inconspicuously to watch Steph work.
“Where do you want me?” David asked. The comment was innocent enough, but in this context, Cheyenne started laughing. Everyone else joined in.
“Why don’t you move over here beside Phillip?” Steph looked up from the tripod and pointed to a spot on the bed. Goddess busied herself, assisting Steph with lighting adjustments and handing her new lenses.
Cheyenne watch as Steph photographed the band in various poses on the bed. Phillip seemed to be getting into the spirit, practically knocking David on the floor as if demanding to be the focus of the photo. Whenever Steph moved to get a different angle, Phillip seemed to move into the frame. His need to be the center of attention was laughable after the way he’d shunned them.
“Let’s move to the balcony,” Steph said with a sigh. Phillip had just stood up and blocked her view of the rest of the group. “Goddess, why don’t you take these and go develop them. We’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
She handed Goddess her mom’s camera and pulled out the new camera Nathan had bought her.
“More pictures of that bloody tower.” Phillip pouted like a spoiled child, and marched out onto the balcony.
Scot walked over to Cheyenne as the rest of the band filed onto the balcony. She sat up straighter in the chair and braced herself for whatever he might do or say. He leaned toward her and a sigh escaped her lips. She was sure he would kiss her; their faces only inches apart. He fixed her with an angry gaze and moved away suddenly. He had snatched his cigarettes off the table next to her. Scarlett faced, she stood and followed him to the balcony.
Phillip wasn’t exaggerating about his view of The Eiffel Tower. It stood predominantly in the background as Steph photographed the band. Phillip continued to ham it up and Cheyenne thought Steph was getting some pretty entertaining shots. She continued to position and reposition the group and change their location on the balcony.