He steps down out of the doorway and into the backyard.
I go to the kitchen to get some spoons and I turn to see my mom behind me.
“Hope, can you run him to the store real quick after we give him a chance to eat something? He surely must want to put on fresh clothes after that shower. It should only take a minute.”
“Um…yeah, sure mom.”
“Thanks sweetheart. I’d do it if I have time, but I have cleanup to do and tons of work I need to catch up on on my laptop later today.”
“Yeah. No problem.”
“Thanks,” my mom says turning to go. “And you might need to keep a close eye on him. I imagine if the other girls in the area spot him it could get crazy really fast. I’ve seen the paparazzi chases on YouTube.”
“Sure mom. We’ll…wear sunglasses.”
“That’s a good start.”
My mom grabs a tray and heads back outside. Does she even know she just dropped a gift right into my lap? Talk about Christmas in July.
Chapter Six
Hendrix
“How do these look?” I say as I slide on her oversized sunglasses from the center console of the family car?
She bursts out laughing and practically swerves out of her lane. “Well, you are a rock star so you can pretty much wear anything and get away with it. I mean anything will look good on you,” she says.
Maybe anything, but the only thing I want on me is her. On me. Under me. And most importantly next to me for life.
“But you’re so much taller and bigger than anyone else that I don’t think those sunglasses are really going to help much. If anything they’re so big and obnoxious they might just draw more attention to you.”
“Then there’s only one thing we can do?”
“I have to pick out the clothes for you while you sit in the car?”
“No way. We’re in this together.”
“Um…ok,” she says. She smiles wide again and it hits me right in the gut. I like the honesty of her smile. The way her eyes move in tandem with her mouth letting me know it’s a real smile. She’s having a great time goofing around with this little game we’re creating and now it’s time to take it up a notch.
“We’ll have to…pretend…to be a couple,” I say.
“Phhh!” she exhales as she leans forward closer to the wheel. She pulls her body back in her seat and then slaps the wheel. “Nobody’s going to believe that.”
“Why not?”
“Well, because…I don’t know. Because you’re you and I’m well…me.”
“That’s exactly why they’ll believe it.”
“You’re crazy,” she says. Crazy about you, girl.
“Hear me out. Do I have a reputation as a womanizer?”
She squints and I see her really considering my question. “Actually…you don’t, do you?”
“Nope.”
“Wow, that’s strange.”
“What’s strange? That I have certain standards for myself and women?”
“No. I didn’t mean to offend you, it’s just that with rock and roll stars you always assume that they have women at their beck and call everywhere they go and so they…I don’t know. Indulge?”
“Not me.”
“But I’ve seen the pictures and videos from your shows. I’ve seen the woman flashing the stage and trying to get on the tour bus…everything.”
“But did you see any of those woman succeed? Did you see me with any of them?”
“Come to think of it…no.”
“And that’s why our story works. Here I am in some small town hiding out with the girl I really want. The one I really have a real relationship with away from all the bright lights and big cities.”
“And glitz and glamour and glitter.”
“Glitter was an 80’s thing. We’ve moved on.”
She laughs again. “Yeah, 80s parties are my favorite.”
“Have you been to many?”
“A few, but not recently.”
“Why is that?”
“I’ve been…busy.”
“Busy? You’re twenty-two years old. It’s the time of your life. You should be out enjoying yourself.”
“I am enjoying myself. Now for instance.”
“Hanging out with your dad’s old buddy?”
“I never saw you like that.”
“How did you see me then?”
Her eyes focus on the road ahead and her mouth closes just when I want her to open it most and tell me exactly what she feels. Not that her answer will matter much anyways. I’d never force myself upon her, or anyone in any way, but I already know there’s a big spark here that’s about to erupt into a fire. A blaze that can’t be put out. And I know I’m going to make her mine. I just want to hear her say it.
I write my own songs and lyrics are everything to me. The power of words. And as powerful as any of my songs may have ever been, what she says next will blow me away more than any lyric or guitar riff.
“I see you as…someone I’d like to get to know more.”
She took the easy way out.
“That’s funny,” I say.
“Why is that?”
“Because I see you as someone I’d like to get to know a lot more too.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, but when I mean a lot more I mean a lot, lot more. As in I’m going to make you mine for good.”
I feel the car accelerate as we suddenly round the corner and turn into the mall.
We almost missed the turn, but get it at the last second…at what must have been double the speed allowed.
And pursuing my buddy’s daughter is anything but allowed, but I don’t care. I’m going to do it anyways, and for one reason and one reason only.
I have to make her mine no matter what even if it means risking the best friendship I’ve ever had.
She’s worth it. She’s worth everything.
Chapter Seven
Hope
A million thoughts are flashing through my mind as we enter the mall.
Him. Life in California. Being onstage at those concerts. The electricity. The emotion. Holding a huge crowd spellbound in your hand.
I can only imagine.
And I never really imagined it was possible until five minutes ago.
My head is still spinning at the thought, but apparently I’m not the only one now.
A couple of girls in front of us do a double take on Hendrix and seconds later they’re screaming with their phones out trying to take selfies with him.
“I’m not who you think I am,” he says. “I just look like him, but I’m a German tourist.”
“Oh…,” they say, the wind coming out of their sales as they lower their phones and dart into Hot Topic.
We both laugh.
“A German tourist?”
“We can use Italian next time, if it happens again,” he says. “I like to mix it up. Practice my geography. Americans are pretty bad at it you know.”
“I love geography!” I say.
“Great, where’s Orange County?”
“The one in California?”
“The one where you’re going to come and stay with me,” he says placing his arm around my shoulder.
I can’t believe he’s claiming me here in public. It’s only a matter of time before somebody else tries to take a picture and it might not be a selfie. What if a picture of us winds up on the Internet?
Am I really even prepared for all of this? For this life? This is happening way too fast, not that I’m complaining.
It’s crazy to think I wanted this so bad and now that it’s happening I have to actually stop and think through exactly what I might be getting myself into. But time is the last thing I have right now. I know he’s walking slowly but those long legs of his require me to keep moving just to keep up. And as a second group of people approach us my mind is already wondering what this life of fame is really like.
Now I know why all those rich people hang out in Malibu, C
alifornia. They need their privacy. It seems so obvious, but it really makes sense once you experience it for yourself. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Is that your girlfriend?” one of the girls asks.
“Hope?” someone says. “You’re with Hendrix?”
I look up at him and he’s already looking down at me.
“You don’t have to say anything. It just gives them fuel to whatever fire they’re trying to start.”
I pull myself in close to him and feel his big muscles. I instantly feel safer and thankfully I see the men’s big and tall shop straight ahead.
We enter and the security guy at the door stops the crowd that’s following us.
“No drinks in the store,” he says. They quickly congregate outside the entrance, some even throwing their drinks away so they can enter.
“We’ve got five minutes I’d guess.”
“Okay,” I say. “Any specific things you’re looking for?”
“At this point anything clean will do. Basics like T-shirts, underwear and denim.”
“Got it!” I say and we split and begin stuffing things under our arms.
Not a minute later we’re both at the register dropping the haul on the counter.
“Will that be all…oh!” the cashier says.
“That’s it,” he says and Hendrix already has his wallet out ready to pay.
The cashier rings us up and Hendrix lets him take a quick selfie and we’re back out the front. But the crowd of maybe five to ten in now approaching fifty.
I hear girls screaming and men talking.
“Take my hand,” he says.
He walks me through the crowd. They just give him space partly due to his celebrity and partly do to his size.
We exit the mall and he asks for my keys.
He helps me into the car like a gentleman, despite our rush, and quickly makes his way to the driver’s seat.
I love how he’s taking control. I’d have no idea how to get out of a situation like this.
He hits the horn a few times and a space clears allowing him to carefully exit the lot.
We’re back on the road and headed home.
“Wow, that was crazy.”
“Yeah, when they saw us it turned into one of those zombie apocalypse movies didn’t it?” he says.
I laugh. “Yeah, and you didn’t even take off your sunglasses the entire time.”
“Your sunglasses,” he says. “But they do look good on me don’t they?”
I pinch him in the side and we both laugh.
I’ve been to that mall hundreds of times and usually the workers ignore me entirely. Not today. This adventure was fun. I can still feel my heart thumping in my chest from the excitement. I can only imagine how his life must be.
And strangely enough I can see how much he seems to be enjoying the simplicity of this all. How he’s so relaxed driving our family car and just doing normal things…with me.
My dad always said he’s a really down to earth guy…after you strip away the private planes and the million dollar vacations. Ironic, but I’m seeing now it’s very true.
Just like my feelings for him. Sure he’s one of the most desired men in the world but I’m not attracted to him for all those other things. I only want him.
And I think back to his words reminding me that he only wants me too.
My phone beeps and I check it.
A picture of the two of us is already online and there are all kinds of big news sites reporting on “Who is Hope Hill?”
“Are you okay,” he says noticing my shock.
“Yeah. I just. Whoa.”
Chapter Eight
Hendrix
“You look like a couple in this one,” Samantha says.
I look at the computer monitor in the Hill’s living room. She’s right.
“Imagine that?” Steven says. “How crazy would that be?” He’s laughing at his “joke” immediately and pats me on the back.
Breaking the news isn’t going to be easy for him. That’s for sure.
Harley scroll through more of the gossip websites and I see Hope stepping outside.
I quickly join her.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she says. I’m not buying it.
“What’s wrong?” I want to put my arms around her and tell her everything’s going to be okay, but I know her dad is watching through that window. I can feel his eyes on us without even turning around.
“Nothing. It’s just. Nothing.”
“What? You can tell me. Come on. We’re sunglass sisters,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.
It works. “See, even my women’s sunglasses look better on you,” she says.
“Nonsense. I know for a fact they look better on you.”
“I didn’t even put them on.”
“But everything looks better on you because you’re beautiful.”
Her chin rises up and she makes stronger eye contact.
“Really? You think so?”
“I know so. Now tell me what’s bothering you so I can see that beautiful smile of yours again.”
It works. The sides of her lips start to move and she smiles. It makes me feel so damn good that I can make her smile like that. And smiles are the only thing I ever want to see coming from her. I want her happy every second of every day, because of me.
“It’s just that you’ll be gone in a week and then that’s that.”
“You’re going with me. You know that.”
“How? My parents don’t even know and there’s no way my dad’s going to let me run off with the band. Just the thought of it sounds absurd.”
“You’re not running off with the band. You’re running off with me. And we’re not running anywhere. We’re going as a team.”
“I know but I just…I don’t know.”
“You do know and it’s hard,” I say, taking a step closer. I want to show her just how hard I am myself right now. “Just give it a few days. We can’t spring this on your parents right now or they’ll flip. I know your dad. He’s a logical guy. With time he’ll understand.”
“With a week?”
“No. He’s definitely going to flip,” I say. She smiles again. There it is. “But over time he’ll come around. But let me pick the moment to tell him. I’m a man. It’s my responsibility.”
“Okay, but what about until then?”
“Remember how we played that game with the sunglasses?”
“Yeah.”
“Well we’re going to play games again. It’ll be fun.”
“What game?”
“It’s called don’t get caught.”
Her happy smile turns to a devilish grin. “I like the sound of that game.”
Chapter Nine
Hope
I swear I hear a light knocking on the wall and I roll over and look at the time on my phone.
1:37 a.m.
And wipe my eyes to make sure I’m not dreaming.
I’m not. I hear the tapping again and look over at my sister’s bed.
I’ve moved from the couch to an air mattress in my sister’s room. I’m on the floor so she can’t really see me. Also the light from my phone isn’t high enough to wake her. If I keep low enough and quiet enough I can investigate.
Not that it takes a Sherlock Holmes to figure out where it’s coming from.
I crawl on my hands and knees over to the door and slowly open it.
I carefully crawl out into the hall and twist the knob above my head carefully making sure it closes without making a noise.
It does. I turn the handle shut and then stand taking a deep breath.
I survey the hallway and the entire house. Nothing. It’s completely quiet. Everyone must be asleep and at this hour they’re probably deep in REM sleep.
Everyone except the one who was tapping on the wall. But how did he know?
I walk over to my room and see that the door’s cracked.
I look through the crack and imm
ediately see the moonlight coming through the windows reflecting off his crystal blue eyes, which are locked on me.
He’s got the sheet up to his waist and nothing on top. His chest muscles are wide and thick, even with him on his back.
He motions with two fingers for me to come inside.
It’s my room after all. I should be able to go inside whenever I want, right?
I step inside and shut the door.
He raises a hand ordering me to stop, which I do.
He brings his free hand behind his head to join his other hand as he just lays there staring at me.
I’ve got on an oversized white T-shirt and a pair of boxer briefs for women which are also white.
I can see the hunger in his eyes and after what’s at least a minute passes he moves his hand from behind his head and motions in a circle in the air.
I turn and when I’m facing away I hear his fingers snap. I freeze.
I turn around wanting to see him look at my ass, but before my head gets all the way around I jump in surprise as he’s up and out of the bed and standing right behind me.
I feel his hands on my hips and I push my ass back feeling his uncovered erection pressing against the fabric of my underwear.
Years of want for him can’t be stopped and I immediately pull down my underwear, pull my shirt up and over my head and turn to face him just as naked as he is.
The biggest rock star in the world is in my bedroom and I’m here with him.
And the best part is it’s not a dream.
His hand comes up to my cheek and I feel the calluses on his fingertips from years and years of playing the guitar, but I like them. They’re masculine and artistic at the same time and they brush across my cheek and then down to my jawline as he takes my chin in his fingers.
“I can’t control myself when I’m around you.”
A moan escapes me as I’m still not sure how a man who’s so powerful and can have any woman in the world is so infatuated with me.
A Man Who Knows What He Wants Box Set 5 Page 47