Don't Mention the Rock Star

by Bree Darcy

  Adele was keeping a close watch too. “What’s he doing now?” she squealed as Andy whipped off his T-shirt. Zara licked her lips as Andy bent over her desk to sign the shirt with a flourish. And she had the nerve to haul me over the coals for inappropriate conduct!

  “Oh look, tattoos,” Adele said. “I can’t see from here what they are.”

  “The one on his right hip is a heart, the one on the left says Danger, and the one on his arm is a Cherokee Indian symbol,” I replied automatically. “What?” I continued as Adele looked at me astonished. “Ryan has posters of his band all over his walls. You can’t help but notice.”

  Lenny perched on the edge of my desk. “I don’t understand why women go gaga for him,” he said. “He’s rather tiny, isn’t he? If he wasn’t in a band and didn’t have a brass razoo to his name …”

  Lenny trailed off as Andy emerged from the office with Zara still clutching the signed T-shirt. In its place, Andy was wearing a red T-shirt from our last promotional giveaway. “Need a fix?” it said on the front, with “You can’t overdose on Starfix” on the back. Zara still had boxes and boxes stashed away after we received complaints from community organisations about its drug connotations.

  I tried to catch his eye but Andy didn’t even glance my way.

  “What a character,” Zara gushed as she returned from escorting him to the ground-floor foyer. “An absolute charmer.”

  Then with a snap of her fingers, the starstruck Zara disappeared and our steely boss returned. “Kellie, I need to see you in my office. NOW!”

  I jumped up to follow her. Oh no, Andy. You and your big mouth. I’m gonna kill you if you’ve said anything.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  “To the happy couple,” Dan raised his champagne glass.

  “To the happy couple,” we echoed.

  Corey’s arm was wrapped tightly around a beaming Dawn as we toasted their engagement at a function which doubled as Dawn’s nineteenth birthday party.

  “You two might be next,” she whispered to me. “I’ll drop a few hints, wouldn’t it be amazing if we were both planning a wedding together?”

  I rolled my eyes – I couldn’t think of anything worse than getting married at this stage of our lives.

  Dan came over to give Dawn a congratulatory peck on the cheek, before wrapping his arms around me. “I hope there’s not some rule about the best man having to keep his hands off the bridesmaid,” he said. “Otherwise Corey, mate, you’ll have to find someone else.”

  Dan and I became a couple not long after I broke up with Andy. After wallowing in my misery for a few weeks, I was determined to put that cheating bastard behind me. Nikki tried to convince me to give it some time, that I might one day forgive Andy. But how could I ever trust him again?

  Dawn revelled in the character assassination. “I always had my doubts about him, you know. There was something about him that made me uneasy. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that people with green eyes can’t be trusted. Or maybe it’s people with green eyes don’t trust easily. Whatever … you have to admit Andy was a bit strange.”

  I rolled over on her bed and stared morosely at the ceiling.

  “When you love someone, you give them a licence to hurt you,” Dawn continued. “So you need to find a guy who will never use that power.”

  She meant someone like Dan.

  Determined to get on with my life, I reset my plans – no more saving for trips to America. I started writing for the university newspaper; returned to playing tennis, with Dan as my doubles partner; and even though Mr Hunter’s political party lost the “unloseable” election, he set up work experience for me at an MP’s office over the summer holidays. Now we had Dawn and Corey’s wedding to look forward to too.

  * * *

  I’d never been back to see Andy’s mum since that awful phone call. So I was surprised to hear from her out of the blue, asking me to visit. My fears that she was playing matchmaker because Andy was back in town were unfounded as she led me into the empty house. Turning down the radio, Maria reached for a large yellow envelope on the top of the fridge. “Andrew is turning twenty-one soon. He wants you to meet him in London where the band will be performing,” she said. “He’ll pay for your ticket.”

  “What? That’s crazy. Andy can’t afford that. And I certainly can’t accept.”

  I made to hand back the envelope but Maria ignored my outstretched hand.

  “When I ask what he wants for his birthday, he says for you to be there with him. So this is gift from myself and Tony. A fresh start for you both.” Maria bustled around the kitchen, plating up some almond biscuits and slicing a lemon drizzle cake. My mouth watered – I had really missed Maria’s cooking.

  The truth of the matter was I missed Andy too. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t want to be back with him. Not a chance after what he did. But I missed chatting with him about the stupidest things, such as whether all the other clouds were jealous of cloud nine, who killed Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks and what was Captain Hook called before he got his hook.

  Maria dunked a biscuit in her coffee. “You are nearly finished your studies, si?”

  I nodded. “Just one year left. But Maria, I can’t go to London. I’ve got another boyfriend now.”

  “This boyfriend of yours, does he make your heart sing? Because I can’t see your eyes lit up like when you were around my boy.” Maria clasped my hands. “Andrew should never have hurt you, I’m so sorry that he did. But he loves you. Apart from mia bellissima nipote Emma, he has no other woman in his life. Go give him another chance.”

  Before I could respond, the phone rang. As Maria gabbled on to one of her friends, I pulled from the envelope a large black and white photo of Danger Game standing on a pier, with guitar cases at their feet. Andy was at the front, propping up the collar of his leather jacket. Gerry and Dom came next, with Heath at the back, standing side on, hands in pockets, smouldering at the camera.

  Also enclosed was a short note from Andy:

  Kellie Beldon is invited to be the speshal guest at my 21st birthday party on January 28th in London, ENGLAND. Entertainment by Danger Game.

  PLEASE COME. I miss you. It is my one and only birthday wish to have you cellerbrate with me. And you cant deny someone his birthday wish! You always said you wanted to see London. Just say when you can come and I’ll arrange it. Well ma will but you no what I mean. Study hard and see you soon.

  Love Ax

  * * *

  “You CANNOT be serious.” Dan did an impressive impersonation of an incensed John McEnroe.

  The students sitting at the end of our cafeteria table glanced over at his raised voice.

  “I know it sounds crazy,” I said, pushing the rubbery spaghetti around my plate. “But it’s London. How can I say no to London?”

  “You mean, how can you say no to that ex of yours?”

  I knew my best tactic was to focus on the attractions of the city, rather than Andy’s presence. Visiting London was a rite of passage for most young Australians. I would be crazy to pass up an opportunity to see all those famous places like the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square. I even had an argument prepared on educational grounds – since I was enrolled in double political electives next semester, any time spent checking out the Westminister parliamentary institutions would only boost my grades, right? And that would make it acceptable to spend the last of my scholarship money on a plane ticket – I certainly wasn’t letting Andy pay.

  “What is it with that tosser – how can you forgive him after what he did?” Dan asked. “And what about your work experience? Dad had to pull a few strings to get you that placement.”

  “I’ll explain it to your father. He’ll understand. You’re only young once and London’s calling.” I grinned hopefully at him before sticking a limp piece of lettuce into my mouth.

  “And where does this leave us? I won’t exactly be sitting around, waiting for my girlfriend to come home, after she roots her ex all over th
e place.”

  “Dan,” I hissed, nodding towards the two girls who had abandoned their revision to listen in to our conversation. “That’s not what this is about.” I placed my hand on his forearm. “Why would you even think that? Andy and I will never …. I’m with you now. Anyway it’s not just him, the rest of the band will be there too.”

  Dan balled up a crisp wrapper and threw it towards the bin. He scowled when he missed.

  “This is something I really want to do. It’s a trip of a lifetime. And maybe it’ll prove to you once and for all that Andy and me are over. He’s just a friend.”

  “I don’t want you around that guy, period. He’s not who you think he is.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Remember when Andy gave up his Saturday shifts to spend more time with you. What did he tell you?”

  “That he’d come into some money from his father’s payout…”

  “Or perhaps he found a more lucrative way to make some cash. Didn’t he start doing a lot of deliveries around that time? From what I heard it wasn’t the legal sort of greens he was delivering.” Dan pretended to inhale from an imaginary joint.

  “So now he’s a drug dealer. That’s ridiculous. I know you don’t like Andy and he isn’t exactly a poster boy for saying no himself but -”.

  “Come on, wake up and smell the pot fumes. Andy was flogging shit all over the place. Why do you think the guys in my basketball team were so distraught when he left? All those parties where Andy would disappear to check out someone’s car, I can’t believe you’re so naïve that you didn’t realise he was off peddling his dope.”

  Dan stood up and leant heavily on the table. “You need to choose – him or me. If you prefer to hang out with a druggie muso who gets groupies pregnant, then off you go. But I won’t be here when you get back.” And with one final glare, he stormed off.

  The girl from the end of the table passed behind me, carrying her tray to the rubbish bin. “If you don’t want him honey, give me his number. He’s a spunk!” As she and her friend walked off giggling, I made up my mind once and for all.

  London, here I come. And if Dan couldn’t trust me, that was his problem.

  * * *

  A few days later I was waiting at the bus stop when Dan pulled up in his car. “Come on, hop in. I’ll give you a lift.”

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll wait for the bus.”

  There was a rumble in the sky and the first drops of rain fell.

  “Get in, you’ll get soaked.” Dan opened the door from the inside. “So?” he said moments later, glancing over at me sitting ramrod straight in the passenger seat. “Bought your ticket yet?”

  “Nope, I’m seeing the travel agent on campus today.”

  We fell back into an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the screech of the windscreen wipers trying to clear the pelting rain.

  “I don’t suppose there’s room on the flight for a boyfriend to tag along?” Dan laughed at my gobsmacked expression. “If you insist on going, then I’m coming too. Like you said, it’s London and no one should pass up on London. And it’ll be worth every cent to see the look on that loser’s face when he realises you’re not alone.”

  * * *

  Dan and I were swamped with wellwishers at the airport. Mrs Hunter was telling my mother about how she lived briefly in Earls Court during the Swinging Sixties, while Dan’s father offered tips on getting the best exchange rates.

  Dawn moved me out of everyone’s earshot for her last-minute advice. “Right, bugger off then, have a fab time. Give my regards to the Queen. Don’t worry about little old me back here organising my entire wedding without my bridesmaid or the best man.”

  “You’ll be fine,” I reassured her. “If anyone can organise a wedding, it’s you. And we’ll be back with a month to spare so you can count on us then for anything.”

  Dawn pressed a bag of Minties into my hand. “For the plane, to help your ears pop. Now be wary of pickpockets, particularly on crowded streets and the Tube. Don’t steal the Crown jewels and watch out for skinheads. And my final bit of advice – for goodness sakes, get Andy out of your system, once and for all. Let go of your past and focus on your future with Dan. He would never treat you the way that Yank did. I still can’t believe he’s bonkers enough to go along with this trip. You must see it’s not fair to him to still have your ex in the picture.”

  “Andy’s only a friend now.”

  “Kell, don’t kid yourself. You will never, ever see Andy as just a friend. That boy still has a hold on you. But maybe just maybe this time you’ll see why he isn’t right for you. And why Dan is.” Dawn punched me on the shoulder. “And seriously, if you stuff things up with Danny boy, you might as well stay on in England. Cos I’ll kill you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Andy hadn’t spilled the beans. Instead he’d saved my bacon. In town for the Hitmaker finale, he’d come to our office to apologise in person for Siena’s false accusations against me. According to Zara, he assured her I’d been the consummate professional the entire time. The best reporter who’d ever interviewed him, no less! He also told her, off the record, that his wife was dealing with some personal issues that prompted her to react irrationally to a few harmless texts. So I was off the hook, although Zara said to be on the safe side, she still didn’t want me reporting on anything to do with them.

  As I walked, weak with relief, out of Zara’s office, Lenny came charging over with an urgent message from a guy called Mario to meet him on the steps of the Hyde Park war memorial because he had some information for me.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Lenny asked, looking worried as I picked up my bag. “There’s plenty of psychos out there. And he seemed to be putting on this terrible Italian accent.”

  It’s okay,” I reassured Lenny. “I know who Mario is, I’ve had dealings with him in the past.”

  And with that I swept out of the office. I found Mario at the foot of the memorial, lying back with a magazine over his face.

  “Great disguise,” I said, nudging his leg.

  He sat up and grinned, pointing at the magazine cover which showed the Danger Game frontman leering at the camera. “Ingenious, huh? No one would be stupid enough to hide behind a magazine with their face on it. And let me tell you this T-shirt from your boss has been causing me nothing but grief. I’ve been approached by four different people looking to score drugs. What bright spark came up with the ‘Need a fix’ logo?”

  “Are you sure they weren’t people who recognised you from your druggie days?” I said, picking a leaf from his hair.

  “Very funny. You know that’s long behind me now.” Andy pretended to look offended.

  “Hmmm,” I said. “I suppose I should thank you, for clearing things up with Zara.”

  “No problem, it’s the least I could do,” he said, assuring me that he knew nothing about Siena’s complaint until an Atticus staffer let it slip a few days ago.

  He reached for his satchel bag. “Now I might not have any drugs on me, little girl, but I have something even better. Ta-dah!” He pulled out a selection of Krispy Kreme donuts. “Sit yourself down and tuck in.”

  “Actually, under my boss’ strict instructions, I’m not allowed to fraternise with you.”

  “And here I was thinking you’d be the kind of girl to make a stand against fascist regimes.” He settled back, munching on a sugar donut, the white crystals shimmering on his lips.

  I crouched down opposite him, sighing in bliss as the caramel glaze hit my taste buds. “You didn’t drop any hints to Zara about us knowing each other, did you?”

  “As in knowing each other in the biblical sense? No I didn’t. I’m fully aware of my current status as your dirty little secret. You do have to wonder though what people have against us – your boss wants to ban us from seeing each other; your husband knows nothing about us; and your son thinks I’m an apparition.”

  “Let’s not forget your best friend barely tolerates me and your
wife’s out to get me fired,” I added. “But you’ll be pleased to hear Ryan doesn’t think you’re an apparition anymore.” I explained how he figured it out while watching Hitmaker.

  Then it was Andy’s turn to explain why he hadn’t been in touch for so long.

  Siena had gone ballistic when she found our phone messages. As a result his phone – and my phone number – had ended up at the bottom of their swimming pool. He had contacted the Starfix office to get my personal number again but they wouldn’t release it. And he’d left scores of messages which I obviously never received – Heidi really was a useless secretary.

  “You have to understand Siena’s been through a rough time with Chandler,” Andy said. “In fact, you don’t know the half of it. His heart attack is only the tip of the iceberg.”

  Chandler Ellement was a tough old boot, having survived plenty of hard knocks over the years, from the early days when his talent agency went bust to turning dilapidated venues across America into a chain known as the Rock Barns. His drive and innovation created a multi-faceted business involving not only recording but also band management, concert promotion, ticketing and merchandise.

  But according to Andy, the self-made billionaire’s whole empire was on the brink of collapse. Chandler had always been a serious gambler but the extent of his debt was only uncovered while he was in hospital. It was highly likely he’d have to hive off parts of his company to recoup his heavy losses.

  “Siena’s worried that any more stress will kill her father – and I don’t want another death on my conscience,” Andy said. “So …” His cheeks flushed and he refused to meet my eyes. “So me and Siena are staying together. We need to be united in focusing on Chandler – not tearing our family apart.”

  Andy continued to unload about his family’s problems and it wasn’t until more and more workers streamed into the park, that I realised how late it was.

  “I’ve gotta get back to the office and find a story that looks like it has come from my contact Mario,” I said, slightly panicked. “Otherwise I might have to resort to reporting that a shady-looking AJ Dangerfield was spotted with known drug addicts in the Hyde Park area. Although the way you charmed Zara, I bet you’ll only get glowing coverage from us from now on.” I stood up, shaking the grass off the back of my trousers.