Transitions (A Thousand Words Book 1)

by Brooks, Tori

  The kid upped the ante by making his shoes smoke and adding a heating element to his microphone. Jess retaliated with a super soaker squirt gun in the next show, which was so popular with the crowd, Dev countered with water balloons in the show after. He even built a compartment into the back of his guitar with a trapdoor release mechanism to feed him small water balloons. Kenny threw a fit when he saw it, but Jess didn’t think it looked too bad. It was painted to match so it really just made his guitar look thick if you happened to catch it end-on.

  Jess thought the next logical step would be to fill the water balloons with something other than water, but Jello turned out to be a mistake. The first one he threw at the kid genius didn’t break on impact. Jess was annoyed, and Dev spent the rest of the song kicking the small Jello-filled balloon back under Jess’s own feet. Jess kicked it back at Dev with the lingering hope the balloon would break all over the brat’s Italian leather shoes. It was like playing soccer with a jiggly time bomb.

  The balloon was near Dev when the song ended and he reached down to pick it up and inspect the new toy. The kid tossed it in the air and caught it a couple of times, making Jess’s heart soar with possibilities. It still didn’t break.

  “What’s in this thing?” Dev asked into microphone.

  “Jello,” Jess answered with a shrug.

  “Nice.” Dev tossed it in the air once more and altered his stance. Jess recognized he was going to throw it back at him, most likely much harder than Jess threw it the first time. It would almost certainly break.

  Dev pulled his arm back to throw the balloon, and Jess ducked aside. The crowd went wild when the balloon broke on Kenny’s shoulder. Jess and Dev looked at each other in horror, then sheepishly at their band mate. The rules were to keep Bryan and Kenny out of their little war.

  Kenny looked pissed as he brushed bits of Jello off his shirt and guitar.

  Jess picked up another Jello-filled balloon from his stash by the drums. He held it up for the audience to see and pointed to Dev. Pandemonium. Part of the crowd cheered for Jess’s proposed revenge, and part adamantly cried out ‘no’ in defense of the kid now quietly standing on his side of the stage ready to accept his fate. Jess stepped closer to Dev, and the crowd grew louder. He moved closer again, some girls in the front near his target screamed for him to stop. Dev just stood there. Jess got closer and chucked the balloon right at the back of Dev’s big head.

  His victim flinched and it bounced off. Dev looked around at Jess, then the balloon lying on the floor in surprise. The crowd laughed in relief, except for a quarter of them in front of Kenny that yelled for him to try again. Again the balloon bounced off. Jess couldn’t believe it.

  Dev laughed this time, and that was the final straw. Jess picked up the balloon, held it over Dev’s head, and dug his thumb into the thin rubber side. It exploded lime Jello all over both of them. Dev hung his head and let the goo drip off him and Jess wiped his hands on the kid’s partially dry jacket. The crowd clapped and cheered more than he’d hoped for.

  Alec got it all on video too, from multiple angles. Plus the crowd’s reaction. Jess was surprised Dev went along with putting that one up on the website. Usually Dev won, so he didn’t hesitate to add the video clips when Alec suggested it. This time though . . . Jess savored the win. It was messy, it was dramatic, and he could relive it online over and over again.

  Of course Dev got even, but they were banned from using anything messy anymore by the tour director. Next year, when they were the headliners . . . Jess contemplated the havoc he could wreak on Dev when they didn’t have another act following them to consider. The reverse was true too, but Jess didn’t dwell on that.

  Now the tour was over. No more shielding the kid from the girls backstage after the show, not that it was a great hardship. No more groupies hanging out in the hotel lobby, which frankly Jess didn’t mind so much. No more sitting on a bus for hours with a dozen other musicians, managers, and groupies, listening to incomplete riffs on guitars. He’d be able to sleep in, eat a real meal, and unwind a little.

  Dev spent all his time video chatting with Lindsay. That irritated Jess. He tried to introduce him to some of the nicer, smarter-sounding girls back stage, but Dev didn’t take to any of them. Jess finally gave up even trying. At least Miss Former Death-Warmed-Over was too young to join them on tour was a small comfort. Hopefully Dev would get over her before that became a problem.

  They were in L.A. now. The weather was great and the girls were hot. It was the cherry-on-top reward for a long summer. Jess looked forward to spending some time here after they were done shooting the music video that kept them from going directly home.

  Jess sat by the hotel pool, watching a group of girls sunbathing. It was a pleasant sight. A curvy brunette stood up and adjusted her bikini top. She kept her eyes on Jess, and he toasted her with his ice tea. He got caught ogling, Jess knew the polite thing to do would be look away. He also knew he wouldn’t, and the girls didn’t mind. In fact . . . Jess smiled to himself as the brunette headed over. She had her bag slung casually over her shoulder, like she expected to go somewhere. She could be leaving, but he doubted it. No, she was walking directly to him, ready to go. Jess awarded her points for confidence.

  “You know, you don’t have to watch from afar,” she said, standing so she blocked the sun and shaded Jess’s eyes. It allowed him to look at her and created a halo effect around her glossy hair. Nice touch, he thought. Nice curves too.

  “There are too many of you.” Jess shook his head. “I’m shy.”

  The brunette laughed. “No you’re not. Try again.”

  Jess sipped his ice tea before responding. “Okay, I’m not shy. I’ve been touring all summer and I’m taking a well-earned rest. A group of young women in swimsuits is always fun, but at the moment, I’d prefer . . . less.”

  “Women or swimsuits?” the brunette asked.

  Jess smiled. “Both. One woman, the swimsuit is negotiable.”

  “Come on then,” she beckoned with a finger and shifted her weight to show off the curve of her hip. Jess put down his drink.

  “We don’t even know each other,” he said with a smile.

  “You’re Jess, I’m Blossom. Good enough?” she asked, raising one eyebrow. The natural pout of her lips drew Jess’s eye, and he nodded.

  “Good enough.” Jess stood and followed Blossom away from the pool and upstairs to her room.

  Once the door closed behind them, Blossom dropped her bag on the floor and turned into Jess’s arms. Her skin was hot in his hands, and her kiss was even hotter. In seconds, he had her backed against the wall and let his hands creep up toward her bikini top where her breasts strained to be free of the binding.

  Blossom was a step ahead of him, pulling Jess’s T-shirt up and he had to pause to remove it for her. Her fingers slid across his shoulders, nails leaving light trails that felt warm and lingered even after she’d passed. Manicured fingers ran down his chest, her touch sent shivers through him. When she reached the waistband of his swim trunks, Blossom eased just her thumbs inside the elastic and slowly circled Jess’s waist.

  He stepped closer, untying the strings on her bikini top, letting the small garment fall to the floor. Her full, round breasts sat in his hands and Jess leaned down to kiss the tops. The position was awkward. Wrapping an arm around Blossom’s waist, Jess pulled her against him and kissed her. He backed her farther into the room to the bed.

  Once he had Blossom lying comfortably on the bed, Jess settled down on her and she wrapped her legs around his. They still had some clothes to be rid of, but that was part of the fun in his mind. Right now, her perfect breasts called to him. He didn’t want her to feel used though.

  Jess let one hand gently caress one breast, running a thumb over the stiffening nipple, as he nuzzled Blossom’s jaw.

  “Where are you from?” Jess asked, kissing her cheek then mouth again.

  “Here actually,” she answered. Damn, he was half hoping for her to say Seatt
le. Plus she wasn’t breathless enough yet. He felt himself getting hard. Wait . . .

  “Here? Los Angeles? Then why are you in a hotel?” Jess hesitated. Something was very wrong. His senses were tingling with hyper-awareness bordering on paranoia.

  “I moved to New York, but I’m back for a visit. I have a room at home, but I don’t want to deal with my family,” Blossom answered, her voice getting deeper and husky. Jess liked where this was leading much better.

  “Understandable.” He slid down her body, kissing her neck, shoulder, and breastbone before devoting his attention to her breasts. Magnificent.

  “I have a dinner tonight actually. You should – oh, that’s good.” Blossom moaned as Jess sucked one nipple into his mouth and teased it gently with his tongue.

  “You were saying?” Jess prompted with a slight laugh as he switched to the other side. It wouldn’t be fair not to make them even.

  “Dinner tonight. Come with me. You should meet my dad.” Blossom gasped as Jess worked on her nipple and gently squeezed her breast to complement his actions.

  Normally he’d brush off an invitation to meet the parents, but there was something about the way Blossom said it. She was somebody’s daughter. It couldn’t hurt to meet Daddy. Maybe. Of course this was a short-term relationship, but she didn’t seem to get that. Pissing her off now or in a week or two didn’t really matter. It didn’t have to be about ditching a dinner. He could enjoy her luscious company, then start teasing her about being named after a cartoon character and she’d probably leave him.

  Whatever, meet the father? Kenny would want him to, it could be useful.

  “Fine, I’m game,” Jess said edging farther down Blossom’s flat stomach. He kissed a trail down to her navel. It was hard because she was breathing heavily now. “Who’s your dad?”

  “J.C. Michaels,” Blossom said with a gasp.

  Jess froze, his lips an inch above her bronzed skin. “What?”

  “J.C. Michaels. You know, the actor? Director too. Don’t tell me you don’t know who he is.” Blossom propped herself up on her elbows to look at him.

  Jess raised his eyes to look at her. Dark hair, great cheeks and lips, but Blossom didn’t look like – actually, she had J.C.’s eyes. Jess’s eyes.

  Jess rolled off Blossom and stared up at the ceiling. She was his half-sister. His erection wilted at the thought.

  “I know who he is,” Jess said. “This isn’t happening.”

  “Dinner? He’ll love you.”

  “No, he won’t. Especially not if I continue this with you.” Jess slid off the other side of the bed, not looking at the half-naked woman sitting there. He walked over to get their clothes.

  “This, right now, this isn’t his business,” Blossom said, an edge of anger in her voice. Jess tossed her bikini top over to her. It landed neatly in her lap, but she didn’t pick it up. “You’re afraid of him,” Blossom said in surprise.

  Jess chuckled as he turned his back on her and pulled his T-shirt back over his head. “I’m not afraid of him, sweetheart, I’m irritated with him. More than happy to pick a fight, actually. I’m just not willing to go this far to do it.”

  She sniffled and Jess looked back at her, trying to avoid looking at her breasts. A tear ran down her cheek as he watched. Clear blue eyes looked up at him and Jess sighed. It wasn’t her fault, she obviously didn’t know. Plus he hated it when women cried.

  “Listen, you’re gorgeous, it’s not you. Ask your . . . ask J.C.. Although, I seriously doubt he’ll answer, or at least give you an honest one. If he does, and you want to talk about it, he knows how to reach me.”

  Jess shook his head, unable to think of anything else to say. He should tell her, but he didn’t think he could. Too many memories, and he didn’t need a sister. Besides, Blossom seemed nice at a glance, but everything associated with J.C. was crap in Jess’s opinion. She was probably as nuts as his mom. Worse maybe, Blossom grew up with the bastard.

  He glanced back. “I’m sorry, really. I’d love to do some really fun things with you, but I just can’t.” Jess left before she could respond.

  ○ ○ ○

  Dev sat in Kyle Mercer’s office, thinking. The last time he was here was the reading of Paul’s will. Where Paul, at the time the single person he hated the most, acknowledged him as equal to his own children and his mother as the love of his life. He’d misjudged Paul and always regretted it.

  A secretary came in and offered Dev a drink, breaking him out of his disturbed thoughts. He declined and she left, although he should be grateful for the interruption. Whenever he considered Paul, and how wrong he’d been to hate him, his thoughts inevitably turned to Flynn. Dev didn’t want to think about Flynn, and he looked around the room to find something else to distract him.

  Dev didn’t know exactly why he was even here. That stupid groupie and her false accusations had him tied in knots. He was ducking reporters and running from cameras. Dev had hardly slept since the news broke a couple weeks ago and it was sapping his energy for the shows. At least it gave him an excuse to sneak away after their part was done.

  Lindsay gave him unwavering support. Dev was so grateful he didn’t even protest when she practically demanded he go to her father for help. Kyle protested when Dev told him and called him to New York to discuss it. To Dev, it felt like being called to the principal’s office.

  “So you want to switch lawyers to humor your girlfriend,” Kyle said, keeping his eyes locked on Dev’s.

  Dev felt ashamed for the weakness, but he needed Lindsay. He didn’t sleep with this girl, whatever her name was, so the truth would come out in the end. He just nodded.

  “How long have you been going out with this young lady?”

  “A little over a year,” Dev whispered.

  “Okay. Tell me about her and her father,” Kyle ordered. Refusing didn’t even cross Dev’s mind. He told Kyle about meeting Lindsay on a plane, meeting Jack, dating during her goth phase, what drew them together. After a brief hesitation, Dev also told Kyle about his alter identity as a hacker and that Lindsay knew about it. To his credit, Kyle’s eyebrows twitched, but otherwise he didn’t react.

  When Dev finished, Kyle sat for a moment before responding. “Devin, for your own protection and interests, I’m going to say no. You can’t transfer this to an attorney I haven’t vetted as having sufficient experience and skill to handle this or other problems that may arise. However, I know it’s important to you, and a big step for you to have a girlfriend. I can see why you’d want to humor her. Don’t let her push you into acting contrary to your own self-interest.

  “Bringing Jack Caffey on board as part of the team isn’t unreasonable. It should help you with Lindsay and he may be useful. I know a great deal about you, but we haven’t spent much time together. You and Jack have. I’ll contact him, brief him on the situation, and extend an invitation.”

  “Thanks,” Dev said, relieved that Kyle was reasonable. Then he realized Jack did know him and he just told Kyle that he was a hacker. Not just a hacker, he was associated with a group on the FBI’s most wanted list.

  “You don’t look as happy as I thought,” Kyle said.

  “I am, it’s just,” Dev considered how to voice his concern before deciding to just say it. “Jack doesn’t know about my hobby.”

  “It’s unlikely to prove relevant to this case,” Kyle answered. “As such, I don’t feel a pressing need to mention it.”

  Dev sighed in relief and realized Kyle was smiling at him.

  “Who else knows?” Kyle asked.

  “Lindsay; her sister, Becky; and one person in my study group at MIT who happens to also be in the same group. We found each other by accident.”

  Kyle nodded. “I’d keep the number of people you confide in as low as possible. I suspect you already knew that.”

  Dev nodded.

  Now, as he sat in Kyle’s office again after the tour was over nearly a month later, Dev was relieved Jack proved himself to be useful. He didn�
��t realize how nervous he was before about Kyle viewing his request as something more than a desperate attempt to keep his girlfriend happy. Jack knew Dev well, as Kyle suspected, and immediately spotted the tiny holes in Gloria Whatshername’s story.

  Suddenly, simply proving Dev wasn’t the father was a technicality. A paternity test was easy, but neither Kyle nor Jack wanted to settle for the easy road. It was about Dev’s image, his reputation, and they took their job of protecting him seriously. They were going to prove outright fraud, not a simple misunderstanding. They were out to show that this girl didn’t have an intimate encounter with Dev or, as Jack suspected, any meaningful interaction at all.

  The girl did her homework: her stated time, date, location, and setting of this mythical tryst was exactly where Dev was. No one remembered her to confirm she was backstage and at the hotel later, but neither could they confirm she wasn’t.

  Jess stepped up to make a press statement denying the incident and defending his friend’s character. Dev should have done it, but he was too shaken and Jess sensed that. Kyle and Jack quickly determined Dev wasn’t going to hold up well in the public eye during this either, and chose to remove him from the playing field. In fact, they didn’t even want him in the same room as Ms. Fincher. It’d make their case harder, but not impossible.

  And so Dev sat, alone and sweating, in Kyle’s office while Jack and Kyle went over the deposition with the troublesome fan. Jack had something better than just Dev’s statement at his disposal: he had Dev’s girlfriend on speed dial. Dev had no idea what Jack planned, Kyle wouldn’t tell him. He had to trust them to get him out of this, and he did.

  The door opened and Jack and Kyle walked in. Dev searched their faces for a sign as to how it went.