The adrenaline surged in my veins as we rode through the tunnel of the wave and headed to the shore.
“That was awesome,” I panted when we got off the board.
“Catch another?” he asked.
I nodded. And we did it again. And again.
When we arrived at the bar, the rest of the band was already inside being rowdy and flirting with a group of women.
A blonde in skimpy clothes was perched on Wilder’s lap with her tongue down his throat. Jett was chatting up two similarly dressed women. Maddox and Brooks were talking to each other.
“I see the party started without us,” I said as we made our way over to the table.
“Nah, now it can really start since you’re here,” Maddox said with a huge grin.
The girls on either side of Jett slid closer to him, making room for us to join the table. Brooks shifted out of the booth. He turned a chair around and straddled it.
“What did you guys do today?” Brooks asked as we settled in the end of the U-shaped booth.
“Surfed,” I offered.
“When was the last time you surfed?” Maddox asked from beside me.
“Gosh, not since I was out this way for you guys’ first West Coast tour a few years ago.”
“Did you wipe out?” Jett piped up.
“Surprisingly not. But that’s probably because we surfed tandem today,” I said.
“Dawson’s been trying to get me to catch some waves since we’ve been back. But we probably wouldn’t look too cute surfing tandem,” Jett joked.
“I don’t know. I think it would be fun to watch you try,” I teased him.
“It would be hot as hell, the two of you half-dressed moving in sync with one another,” bimbo number one chimed in from Jett’s right side.
I shot a glare in her direction, but before I could answer her with some snarky comment, a grating giggle sounded from behind us.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” a sultry voice said.
Brooks shot Dawson a look I couldn’t read. “Sorry man,” he mouthed.
A woman draped her hand over Dawson’s shoulder. “Long time no see. Though not as long as before. Did you come by tonight to collect your raincheck from last time?”
She was nearly pouring herself into his lap. To his credit he didn’t even glance her way. And she was hard to ignore with her huge boobs and dark hair dipped in bubble-gum pink. Her fingers trailed across Dawson’s shoulder.
I was about ready to knock her hand off my man, but before I could Dawson lifted her hand off him and dropped it. “Hey, Cleo. Have you met Izzy, my girlfriend?”
I took my cue and leaned forward, holding my hand out to shake hers.
As she turned to me, I had a weird sense that I’d seen her somewhere before. Her face was familiar.
“Oh, it’s you,” she exclaimed, smiling brightly at me.
“Have we met before?” I asked as she continued to hold my hand.
“No, we didn’t get the chance. You rushed off before we could be properly introduced,” she said.
What the hell was this woman talking about?
“Oh. Sorry about that. Normally, I’m not that rude,” I offered with a shrug.
“Don’t you worry about that, honey. I don’t blame you. If I’d walked in on my best friend mid-blow job, I’d probably hightail it out of there too,” she said with a laugh. After giving my hand a squeeze, she let it go.
Dawson’s neck flushed red. At least now I knew where I’d seen her before. I was mortified that night when I showed up to surprise my best friend at one of his shows. The surprise was definitely on me.
“The way he chased after you that night made me think there was more than friendly feelings going on with you two. Glad he finally manned up and told you how he felt about you. Congratulations,” Cleo said.
“Uh… thanks,” I said awkwardly. This woman was something else.
“D, why don’t you go get your girl something to drink, like a gentleman,” she admonished him. She stepped out of the way, giving him a wide berth as he jumped up to flee the awkward situation.
Cleo laughed as Dawson beat a path to the bar like his pants were on fire. She slid into Dawson’s spot and turned to give me her full attention.
She reached up and fingered my hair. “Love this shade of pink. I should try it next. Mine’s a little too bright, don’t you think?”
The girl obviously had no regard for personal space.
“Actually, you know what would look really good with your hair color and complexion?” I found myself asking, taking a curly lock of hers between my fingers.
“What?”
“Blue, like a bright indigo.”
“You really think so? I never thought about blue.” She pulled out her cell phone and began tapping away. “There. I booked an appointment to have it done tomorrow. Thanks for the tip.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And sorry for the first impression I left on you and the second one a few minutes ago. I often forget to engage my filter,” she said with a half shrug.
“No problem.”
“Just so things won’t be awkward, you should know D and I were never more than a casual hookup when he first moved to New York. While I have to admit I was sad when all that ended, I am happy he found someone to be serious with. He’s a good guy, and a helluva lay.”
“Uh…” How was I supposed to respond to that? I was waffling between wanting to like this girl and wanting to claw her eyes out.
“Damn. Sorry. There I go again with no filter. Ignore me. Anyway, how long have you two been official?” she asked.
“Well, we were together for three years, then broke up for two. We just reunited not too long ago,” I answered, seeing no reason to lie.
“Three years?” I could see her doing the math. Her eyes lit up. “You’re the reason he stopped coming around and stopped letting anyone near him after shows. I should’ve known he’d found love.”
I smiled at her.
“And you said you guys broke up for a couple of years?”
My face fell as I remembered the pain of that time period. “Yeah.”
“So, you weren’t together when they shot the music video for ‘Love Rocked’?”
When she brought up the video, something clicked in my mind. “You?”
“Yeah, I was in the video. D and the guys here are my claim to fame. Between that video and the old photo of our makeout session going viral, I got tons of calls for other gigs. I owe a lot to the boys of LO.”
Cleo was the girl from the news article and the music video. I’d spent years hating her.
“What do you mean old photo?”
“That chick from the label was always snapping photos backstage when they first started out. She used them to generate buzz about the band in the gossip rags. She caught us in a lip-lock once. Then when they called me to do the music video, she circulated that old photo around to stir up new buzz for the music video. The timing was perfect for my career.”
And perfect for the destruction of my heart.
My face must have said as much, because Cleo patted my hand and said, “Don’t you lose any sleep over any of that. After that interrupted blowjob, Dawson and I never hooked up again. Not that I didn’t try, but he always turned me down. Even turned me down not that long ago when they got back from touring.”
Before I could say anything else, Dawson returned with a hot pink drink for me. “The bartender made you a hot pink Barbie.”
“And that’s my cue.” Cleo slid from the booth. “It was nice to officially meet you, Izzy. Make sure you enjoy D. He’s a good one,” she said a little wistfully. Then she stood tall and addressed the rest of the guys, “It’s been real, boys. See you at the concert.”
She blew them a kiss and walked away, swaying her hips as she went.
“Well, that was awkward,” Brooks said.
“Thanks for summing it up, Captain Obvious,” Dawson retorted with a snort.
&nbs
p; “Speaking of awkward, I have a bone to pick with you,” I said sternly, pointing my finger at Brooks.
“What did I do?”
“Did you hook up with my cousin, April, at my parents’ anniversary party?” I took a sip of my fruity concoction. The combination of fruit juices and coconut lit up my taste buds.
“A gentleman never kisses and tells,” he answered.
“We both know you’re no gentleman. I saw you flirting with her. Then you didn’t say goodbye. Neither did she. And Dawson said you didn’t come back to his dad’s that night. I’m just wondering if you hooked up with April?” I asked again.
“You worried I didn’t show her a good time, and that it’ll be awkward at your next family reunion?” Brooks teased.
“Gosh, no. I’m worried about you never being able to shake her. That girl is a stage-five clinger. I’d feel bad if she got her hooks in you, and I hadn’t warned you to steer clear.”
“Aww. You do love me. Your concern is really touching. But don’t worry about me. I can handle myself.” He winked at me.
I shook my head and turned my attention to Maddox who was grinning like a fool over something on his phone.
“What are you up to?” I asked, bumping him with my shoulder.
“Just texting a couple of people,” he said never lifting his eyes from his phone.
“Oh yeah. Anyone special?” Maddox had always been the shy one of the group. He was the one I knew the least about.
“Actually, yeah. This girl Gina. I’ve been seeing her for about six weeks. I actually met her a while back at one of our shows, and we ran into each other after the tour ended.”
“What’s she like?” I was curious.
“She’s beautiful and really nice. She’s a bartender.”
“You like her a lot?” I asked because of the way his eyes lit up at whatever text message he just read.
“Yeah, I do. I’m trying to arrange a double date with Sky and her boyfriend. That’s the other person I’m texting,” he explained.
“Sky’s your best friend from Ohio, right?” I’d met her a few times over the years.
“Yeah. She’s amazing. I haven’t talked to her much since she started dating the guy she’s with,” he said, the smile slipping from his lips briefly.
“Ah. Well, maybe you can spend some time with her when you go home for the concert. If she’s still in Ohio that is.”
“She’s still there. She’s a kindergarten teacher. I invited her and her boyfriend to the show,” he said, still tapping away on his phone.
“Awesome. It’ll be nice to hang out with a familiar face while you guys rock out,” I said.
“Hey, that band from last time is about to play,” Wilder interrupted.
Dawson turned to me. “These guys are pretty good.”
“Too bad we aren’t in a position to help them out yet,” Brooks said as he spun his chair around to face the stage.
“Yeah, but you know even when we get our label established and are ready to manage other artists, there are so many good acts out there just waiting to be discovered. How will we find them? How will we choose?” Wilder said, spinning his empty beer bottle on the table.
“You know what you guys should do?” I asked excitedly, laying my hand on Dawson’s bicep.
The guys all looked at me expectantly.
“When you’re ready, you should host a battle of the bands. Get some of the musicians you’ve met along the way to help you judge. The winning band gets a record contract at your new label.”
Dawson planted a loud kiss on my lips. “You’re a genius, flutterby. Highs and Lows Music can host a battle of the bands,” he exclaimed.
“Highs and Lows Music?” I asked.
“Yeah. Because life and love are both filled with highs and lows, and they’re the inspirations to our songs,” he said with a sheepish shrug.
“It’s perfect.” I beamed up at him.
All the conversation around the table halted as the house lights dimmed and a band took the small stage. We spent the rest of the night watching Steele Strings perform. They had a lot of potential. I saw in them what was under the surface with LO in the beginning. Those guys were destined for greatness too. I knew why the guys wanted to help them.
It was after midnight when we finally pulled into Dawson’s neighborhood.
“That was really nice of you to talk to those guys after they performed tonight,” I said, squeezing Dawson’s hand.
“It wasn’t a big deal. I just don’t want them to get discouraged. I remember what it was like playing small crowds and hoping someone would notice us. I mean, if that guy from Matthews’ Melodies hadn’t noticed us in that seedy bar back in New York, we might still be playing for free beer,” Dawson said with conviction.
“Gage seemed really nice. I’m glad you want to help him.”
“He was nice. He kind of reminds me of myself a few years ago, but I think he’s a little overwhelmed since his parents are making him pursue a college degree. It’s hard to find balance,” he said, pressing a kiss to the sensitive skin below my ear and stroking his fingers along my upper thigh. Thank goodness we were almost back to his place.
“What’s that?” I asked as the headlights illuminated something hanging from the gate at his house.
“I don’t know. Stay here,” Dawson said as he moved to open the door.
“You stay here too,” Joe ordered as he drew his weapon and got out of the car, leaving Ty behind the wheel.
Dawson and I both leaned forward, trying to get a good look at what Joe freed from the bars of the iron gate.
“It looks like flowers,” I said.
Joe got back in the car with a bouquet.
“Probably some fan,” I remarked.
“Yeah,” Dawson mumbled.
As soon as we got inside the house, Joe thrust the bouquet at Dawson and ordered us to stay by the door while he checked the house.
Now that we were in the light, I looked at the flowers. “They’re black calla lilies.” I hadn’t ever seen that shade before. I reached out and brushed my finger along one velvety bloom. Then I lightly touched the ribbon binding the stems. It was a bright blue. Almost like indigo.
“Is there a card?” I asked in a whisper.
“Let me look.” Dawson twisted the bundle around until he found a small, white rectangle.
He opened it. Cut out letters spelled out the message.
D,
Still waiting. Hope you enjoy your pink Barbie while you can.
Love,
Me
His fingers trembled as he kept staring at the note.
“Is that from your stalker?” I asked in a trembling voice.
“Yes,” he said, throwing the flowers across the room as he sank to the floor.
I dropped down with him. His body shook as I pulled him to me.
“Guess she didn’t disappear after all,” he whispered against me.
“No, but she’s getting sloppy,” Joe said as he came down the stairs.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“All her other communication has been sent through the postal system. This was hand delivered to your door. All the properties around here have security cameras. We may have her on tape, and that envelope is from a florist. Maybe she paid for the flowers with a credit card.”
“If she did, you’ll have a name. That’s great,” I said.
“It’s definitely more promising than anything we’ve had to work with so far. Anyway, Deke is going to stay out front tonight. Ty is going to stay in the pool house, and I’m staying downstairs on the couch, so I’ll be close to the door. That cool?” Joe said.
“Whatever you think is necessary, man.” Dawson got to his feet then helped me up.
“Let me get you a pillow and blanket,” I said and dashed up the stairs to where I knew Dawson had extra linens stored.
When I returned, the two men were huddled together, speaking in low voices. I sidestepped them and went to make u
p the couch for Joe.
By the time I was done, they were done talking.
“Goodnight, Joe,” I said and gave him a hug.
“’Night, Izzy.” He squeezed me.
“Thanks for everything,” Dawson said before turning to follow me up the stairs.
Once we were behind his bedroom door, we slowly undressed each other. Each move was deliberate and purposeful.
We climbed beneath the covers and kissed for a long time.
“I’m so scared, flutterby,” he whispered against my hair. His hold on me tightened. “Maybe you should go back to your place early.”
“No. I’m not running,” I said firmly.
“What if she gets close to you again? What if she hurts you again? Or worse?” his voice hitched on the last word.
“Shh. We’re going to be careful. Everything will be fine. We can’t stop living and loving just because we’re scared. I already did that once, and so did you. No one is going to take this away from us again.”
“Can I just hold you?” he asked. His tone was so vulnerable.
“Always. And I’ll hold you,” I whispered. “Forever.”
It was showtime. I stood backstage and watched Dawson work the crowd into a frenzy. He was a natural. My heart soared as he owned the stage and stole the hearts of every person in the crowd.
“Hey, Izzy,” a voice called from behind me.
As much as I hated to, I took my eyes off Dawson and turned to the person greeting me.
“Oh, hey, Cleo. Wow, I see you took my advice,” I said.
She fluffed her dark hair now striped with indigo. “Yeah. What do you think?”
“I think it looks fabulous on you. But the real question is, what do you think of it?”
“I like it. I think. But the pink made a bolder statement. I’m nothing if not bold,” she said, smoothing out the small scraps of fabric covering her important bits. “Anyway, didn’t mean to bother you. I’m actually on my way out. Got some stuff to take care of. Tell the boys I said hey.”
“I will. See you later. Maybe,” I called out after her.
“You definitely will. LA’s not that big.” Then she disappeared down the hallway.
Lyrical Odyssey Rock Star Series: Box Set 1 Page 72