Chart Toppers (Star Maker Book 3)

by J. M. Nevins

  She sighed. “Ok. I get it. Obviously you can’t know what goes on behind closed doors. Can you tell me how many he has taken back to his room?”

  He nodded. “Two. But, one of those two he took back for a party. And I was at that party briefly along with Bryan, Danny and some of the crew. It was a standard after party, nothing too crazy. I have no idea what happened after I left, but you can consult with Jay to find out if the girl stayed in his room or left in the end. I believe he was there the entire time until Sully kicked everyone out.”

  She let out a long sigh and stared at him. “And the other one?”

  He swallowed hard. “All I know is he took her back to his room with him, but I have no idea what happened.”

  She leaned forward and gulped her scotch. “Were they physical in the dressing room before they left from what you saw?”

  He nodded, confirming solemnly. “I’m sorry, Kit.”

  She let out an embarrassed chuckle, still completely numb to the situation. She felt like a naïve idiot for expecting her famous rock star husband to stay completely faithful to her. She nodded and patted Sean on the knee. “You’re a good man, Sean Finley. Thank you for being straight with me.”

  Before he could comment, she asked the driver to take them back to the hotel. He glanced over at her. “Right. I hated doing that, you know. What are you going to do now?”

  She snorted and shrugged her shoulders as she met his concerned eyes. “What can I do, Sean, huh? I should have known better. There isn’t much I can do at this point. If we were a normal couple, this might be grounds for a divorce, but we’re not normal. We’re a high-profile couple in the public eye, and he’s a major celebrity. On top of all of that, we work together. I’m his manager, and his career is on the rise. We can’t afford the bad publicity right now—too much at stake. I’m going to have to look the other direction on this one, Sean. I’ll keep my mouth shut and hope he gets his shit together. And I’d like to keep this conversation off the record, ok?”

  He nodded. “Of course.”

  She sat back and stared straight ahead. “I expect you to be my eyes and ears going forward. You don’t have to alert me to occurrences when they happen, but do file them away in the back of your mind. I’ll inform you whether or not I want to hear about them in the future.” She shook her head and looked away as tears welled up in her eyes. “But, I do have to be honest here. Ignorance sure was bliss.”

  Sean changed his position in the limo to sit next to her. He put his arm around her, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Anything I can do, love, please let me know.”

  She nodded and patted the top of his hand that rested on her shoulder. “I will. Thank you, Sean-Bon. Now, please tell me some funny story to get my mind off this bullshit before we have to head back and have that band meeting.” He grinned and launched into one immediately.

  Kit stood in the middle of the living area of her suite; the band and Sean assembled around her, all sitting at attention, ready to take in her every word. “Ok guys, I’m going to make this as short and sweet as possible, so I need you to listen and be open-minded. I think we all know that Sully has had some challenges lately with his voice.

  “He’s encountered some trials with his vocal chords. He saw a doctor yesterday, and it’s not good, guys. He needs to have surgery when the tour is out. It may seem like he’s not hanging out as much with you, or chatting it up or missing soundcheck. This is all by design. He needs to rest his voice. He’s not supposed to be speaking. The doctor has said no soundcheck—it’s shows only and lots of vocal rest.”

  Remo couldn’t resist a smart-assed dig as he looked at Sully. “Wow, you even got a doctor’s note for this? Impressive shit, man.”

  Sully glared at him. Kit shot him a look of warning and pointed. “Shut up, Remo.” She glanced around the room at all of them. “Any more stupid comments from the peanut gallery? C’mon, you may as well get it all out.”

  They all stared at her, silently awaiting her next word. She continued. “Guys, I need you to step up, ok? You’re professionals, start acting like it. Bryan, next to Sull and Jimmy, you have the best voice in the band. You’re going to lead backing vocals.”

  Jimmy frowned and stared at her, his patience growing thin. “What about me? That’s my job.”

  She shook her head. “Not anymore. You’re backing Sully directly.” She shifted her attention to Sully. “You’re going to back off of some of those higher notes and Jimmy’s going to pick them up. Your voice can’t handle the strain.”

  Jimmy leaned back and folded his arms in front of his chest with a satisfied grin on his face. “I can handle that.”

  Sully’s eyes were wide, and Kit could see his anger bubbling up. He raised his voice. “What? No fucking way! He is not doing that. I can hit those notes. I did it last night! I don’t need his fucking help. I’m the lead singer of this band, not him!” He glared at Jimmy and folded his arms in front of him as well.

  Kit shook her head. “Sully, you know what the doctor told you. You are only one day into vocal training. Your voice is not ready to do what you did last night. I know you felt good from the shot, but you’re still putting strain on those vocal chords, even if you can’t feel it. Do you really want to set yourself up for permanent damage?”

  He glared at her and then at Jimmy again. “He doesn’t fucking deserve to back me. Asshole.”

  Jimmy stood up and headed toward Sully. “Oh, it’s on! You’re the one that’s the fucking arrogant asshole!”

  Their chests were both puffed up, ready to brawl. Sean and Kit leaped across the room quickly at the same time. Sean held Sully back, while Kit stood between the two of them, her hand on Jimmy’s chest.

  “Guys, relax. This is a temporary solution only. No one is better than anyone else in this band. Without any one of you this band wouldn’t function. There would be no more platinum records or sold out shows or Grammy awards. Cool your jets and listen to me!” When they both refused to back down, she lost her patience and yelled at the top of her lungs. “Sit the fuck back down, both of you, now!”

  They took their seats across the room from each other, stewing. Sean stood tall next to Kit, his arms folded across his chest, looking more formidable than usual. He never thought he’d be serving as a bouncer at a band meeting.

  She sighed. “Listen carefully, all of you. I need you guys to be on top of your game. We have about ten weeks left on this tour. Fans love you. Don’t let them down. Jimmy you will be taking the higher notes where needed and Sully you will back off of them. You guys have done this in the past. You’ll need to do it again and be in sync. Bryan, you’re leading backing vocals for the rest of the band. I want to see you own that. Can I trust all of you to get the job done or are we going to have to cancel the rest of our tour and disappoint all those fans?”

  Sully and Jimmy exchanged a reluctant silent acknowledgment. They were still in complete resistance to the idea, but understood what needed to be done and the level of professionalism needed to execute the show seamlessly.

  Kit surveyed all of them carefully. “Ok. Are you guys all in?”

  They agreed and left the meeting one by one to return to their rooms and prepare for soundcheck. Kit talked with Sean about a few additional minor details and then he left.

  Sully sat on the couch, reclined and watched her, waiting for her acknowledgment. She glanced over at him silently, and before she could speak, he launched into a tirade. “How the fuck could you do that to me? I thought you had my back! I’m the star of this band remember? Fans rely on me to lead the show. How the fuck can I lead the show when you’re telling me to back down?”

  He shook his head and shifted his eyes away for a moment. “Y’know, Kit, I’ve known you for a while and there are times when I still don’t get you, like right now.” He met her eyes again and glared. “You fucked me during that meeting and not in a way that I like.” He looked away again, his anger still intense.

  She stared at him and when she spo
ke calmly, an icy tone resonated in her voice. “Then I suggest you get yourself a groupie who will fuck you all the ways you like to get fucked in the day or night and tell you exactly what you want to hear. Get over it, Sully. I’m not going to see you destroy your career by straining your voice more than it’s needed. Get your ego in check because right now it’s out of control.

  “I told you when I agreed to manage this band that I would make you a star and I did. Now, you have to stay on top. I’m trying to help you do that. If you want to go against that now and for all the shows going forward, be my guest. When the doctor comes back and tells you that you’ve done permanent damage to your vocal chords, and you’re finished as a frontman, don’t come to me asking me rebuild your career.

  “Being on top takes a different level of responsibility. Stop being such an egomaniac and start thinking about all the lives you’re going to effect in addition to your own. It’s your choice, baby. But if you expect me to stand by and watch you wreck your voice and your career, you’ve got the wrong woman.”

  Kit seized her handbag and stormed out. She ran down to Giselle’s room and pounded on the door. She swung it open, jarred by the urgency. Kit noticed Bryan in the background sitting at the table by the window.

  She connected eyes with him and yelled. “Go!” He scrambled to get up and scurried past her making a run for his room down the hall.

  Giselle stared at her with wide eyes. “What the hell is going on, Kit?”

  CHAPTER 21

  The plush leather seat and cashmere blanket on the chartered jet offered little comfort to Kit as it sped through the sky toward its destination, Rio de Janeiro. She gulped her scotch and chain-smoked cigarettes in hopes of keeping herself from a full-blown meltdown.

  She used work as an additional vice, reviewing documents and frantically jotting notes for calls she’d have to make once she was back on land. Anything to stay distracted and keep swirling thoughts of Sully at bay.

  She was grateful for the long flight and having an entire plane to herself. The first few hours were all about numbing her existence, but it was short lived. She got a wake-up call she wasn’t expecting. Her over indulgence in cigarettes and alcohol led her back to the small bathroom at the back of the jet where she proceeded to get sick. She composed herself and returned to her seat, hoping she wasn’t coming down with a flu bug.

  Now that she had pushed through all her work and had no desire to hop on the scotch and nicotine train again, there wasn’t much else to do but deal with the pink elephant she had been avoiding.

  On the heels of the discussion with Sean in the limo, the band meeting to follow and the concluding blow up with Sully, she promptly hired a pilot and chartered a jet out of Heathrow from Giselle’s hotel room. She was wheels up on her way to Rio two hours later, a full day ahead of the band.

  She booked an extra room for herself as well, not knowing if she’d be ready to deal with Sully when he arrived. She’d been in and out of crying spurts since she left the hotel. She couldn’t hold her discoveries in anymore. She needed to talk to someone about her conversation with Sean and get an opinion. Her head was spinning with confusion. She had been tempted to confide in Giselle, but thought it was too personal. Involving her could jeopardize the budding relationship between her and Bryan, and she didn’t want to thwart their happiness.

  She sighed and shook her head. There was only one solution. She had to call Alexa the moment she touched down in Rio. In the meantime, she needed to get her thoughts straight.

  Learning of Sully’s assumed indiscretion left her feeling emotionally raw and betrayed, easily leading her thoughts back to her past—a place she had been visiting more often in recent weeks. She sighed, allowing her thoughts to run rampant recalling memories of her relationship with Kirby.

  Having shoved all of those memories down for almost a decade and choosing to recall them recently hadn’t been the best strategy, she assessed. With all the pressures in her new position at Diamond, the band’s discontent, tension with Sully and now these splinters of her past, she felt like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

  She kindly asked the flight attendant for ginger ale, hoping it would settle her stomach. When she received it, she started sucking it down, desperate to rid herself of the queasiness she felt.

  She stared at the empty seat in front of her and wished Joe was still alive sitting across from her. If he was there, she knew he’d have the perfect answer. He always gave the best advice. She leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes and silently posed a question to him. She had been doing this on occasion since his passing, and it usually yielded positive results.

  Her eyes popped open moments later when the jet hit a patch of turbulence. She threw on her seatbelt and glanced out the window, chuckling as she recalled Joe’s fear of flying, especially when turbulence occurred. He was born into a very wealthy, jet set family, yet never found ease in flying. She quickly recalled the good times, before Kirby was gone, when the three of them were in college. Joe would make visits to Philadelphia with his girlfriend, Alli, and stay the weekend. Kirby and Kit would reciprocate, spending time with them in Boston.

  A vivid memory flashed into her mind that drove her to tears—the day Kirby took her engagement ring shopping at Tiffany on Fifth Avenue, letting her pick out whatever she wanted. She gently fingered the half-carat diamond studs that graced her earlobes, still her favorite pair of earrings. They were one of the purchases he made that day in addition to her ring.

  Until the day he passed, Kirby always strived to do whatever necessary to make her happy, and that trip to Tiffany was no different. It was one of her childhood dreams come true and she still deeply treasured the memory.

  She took a gulp of her ginger ale and wiped her tears. Sully never knew she shared such a rare, deep love with another man nor had been engaged years before she met him. She had kept that a secret, sensing it wouldn’t have been well received, nor did she want to compare the two relationships, both being the most significant in her life, past and present.

  But now with the new developments occurring in her relationship with Sully and thoughts of Kirby flooding her consciousness, she couldn’t help take a trip down memory lane and compare the two. She had hours at her disposal, and when she had completed her evaluation, she found herself even more depressed and confused.

  She was desperate to speak to Alexa and sort this mess out. She quickly realized she still had some feelings for Kirby, her real reason for dismissing all thoughts about him in the first place. His death had been way too painful for her at the time and recalling the beauty in what they had only made that pain worse.

  She started sobbing again, willing to work through it now all these years later, hoping she would be free from her love of a ghost that her husband had no idea ever existed. She had never felt so deeply submerged in a sea of hot water.

  Sully was still battling exhaustion as he headed off stage. All he wanted to do was head back to the room and go to sleep. There were more fans than usual that night, and he found himself posing for pictures and signing autographs more than he normally did. He was only able to manage a few breaks in between and knock back some whiskey.

  At one point, Jimmy approached him and patted him on the back. He gave him a positive nod of acknowledgment. The show had faired well. They had all cooperated and done what Kit had asked in the meeting.

  The fans had finally dwindled, and he was desperate to get out of there. He found himself packed into a limo with Sean, Remo and some girls that were hanging on him. Even though it was only a five-minute jaunt back to the hotel, it seemed like an eternity. He wanted another drink, his bed, and Kit – the one person in the world he knew he owed the biggest apology.

  Sully walked into his suite to find it completely dark. After turning on the lights, he noticed that Kit wasn’t there nor were any of her belongings. He went into a panic calling everyone he could, including the hotel manager, unable to get in touch with most of them, hitting
nothing but dead ends. He laid back on the bed feeling defeated and wondered where she went.

  Kit didn’t bother to get settled into her suite in Rio, her first matter of business was picking up the phone. Her body clock was off and even though she was exhausted; sleep was not on the agenda—resolve was. She had calculated the time difference with her driver’s help on the short trip from the tarmac to the hotel. New York was three hours behind.

  As she dialed Alexa’s number by heart, she prayed she wouldn’t be waking anyone, especially the children. She grinned when she heard Wes’ deep voice answer. She giggled and couldn’t resist joking. “Hey, baby. Can you talk or is your wifey around?”

  He stifled an immediate chuckle and played along, using his sexiest voice possible. “Ooh, she’s in the other room; we gotta be careful, pretty lady.” He wasn’t able to hold his composure and burst out laughing. “Good evening, Kitty-girl. This is a pleasant surprise. You never call this late. Is everything ok?”

  She sighed, the gravity of the situation hitting hard. “Um… do I have to answer that question honestly right now?”

  “Oh God. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. Anything I can do to help or do you need the Mrs.?”

  She grinned. “You know me well, don’t you?”

  He chuckled. “If I didn’t by now, that would be worrisome, wouldn’t it? Hold on, sweetheart. I’ll grab her for ya. She was putting the baby down.”

  Kit interjected. “Oh no. Don’t take her away from that. I’m going to be up for a while. She can call me when she’s done.”

  “Naw. I’ll take over and do my daddy duties. Hold on.”

  She sat back and immediately felt better when she heard the lilt of Alexa’s voice greeting her. “What’s up, Kitty? I guess one of two things. This is either a doozy you’re struggling with, or you’ve got insomnia because of a time zone change. Which one is it?”