If this was heaven, I didn’t want to leave.
Chapter Seventeen
With the release date looming now, I decided to take Ethan up on his offer to show up unannounced at some of his gigs. We planned out what song or songs we’d do together. Now, it was time to put the plan into action. Not only was it a good way for me to get back on stage, it gave Ethan and me some time together. It also didn’t hurt that the media was always around his venues. Some of them having gotten a prized interview, some merely hoping for a word with the young superstar.
Beth and I flew into Los Angeles where Ethan and his band were playing two sold out nights at the Staple Center. There was to be an after-party following the first night’s show. An interview had been arranged to be held between the two. Beth had quietly promised the interviewer there would be a surprise. Me. It was a subtle way to get some attention for my upcoming CD.
I was pumped at the idea of being on stage at such a large venue, even if it was only for one or two songs. I was also scared to death. Scared of how I would be received. Seattle had been different. I was a local. Hometown boy done good, sort of thing. Here, I was going to get a shot to play one of my own compositions in front of a huge crowd of Ethan Maverick fans. What could possibly go wrong?
It was a gorgeous, Southern California afternoon when we stepped out of the limo Ethan had provided and into the hotel. The boy had class, I had to give him that. That and he had an uncanny sense of what it took to maintain a high profile image. Something I would never have thought of at his age. He made sure he and his band were booked into one of the legendary, Beverly Hills hotels.
I tipped the young man who’d brought our luggage to our suite and closed the door. Beth was walking through the suite, checking out the rooms. She stopped and looked at me, a faint smile on her face.
“There’s a huge jetted tub in the bathroom,” she said, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I wonder if we’ll have an opportunity to use it.”
“Is it big enough for two?”
“Yes, most definitely.” She was now at my side, wrapping her arms around me.
I did the same, pulling her close. “Why don’t you call Ethan and see what the schedule looks like. Perhaps we can make use of some time to ourselves.”
“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” she asked coyly, rubbing herself against my now throbbing dick.
“Fuck yeah, Bethie.”
I leaned down and kissed her hard. The times we had completely alone were few and far between. When we were together, I cherished ever second. For the past few days, I had done nothing but fantasize about this trip. The two of us alone with our passion.
She broke the kiss, stepping back. But not before teasing me by placing her hand over my erection and squeezing.
“You’ll pay for that, woman,” I growled, as I watched her take her cell phone out of her pocket.
“Promises, promises,” she teased, walking a safe distance from me.
I decided to look around while she spoke with Ethan. Partially to give her space, and in part, it was a way for me to walk off some of this tension.
Finally, I sprawled out on the huge bed and waited for her to finish the call. I could faintly hear her voice, but couldn’t make out the words.
She came in and crawled up next to me. “Ethan and the boys are on their way back from the sound check and rehearsal. We’ll meet him in a couple of hours.”
“So, we have a reprieve? Some time to ourselves?”
“Yes. Just the two of us. Can you handle that, Tudor?” She giggled.
“Oh, I think I can more than handle that,” I said, as I turned on my side and covered her body with mine.
****
Time to rock. The excitement of the crowd was so intense it could be felt all the way in the dressing rooms. Beth and I sat to one side while Ethan and his band mates had a last minute pep talk and discussed anything that needed to be known. Before hitting the stage.
I could feel the adrenaline rush in the room. Hell, you could smell it, the sheer build up to what was about to happen. As much as I wanted to pace, I sat, Beth holding my hand, my foot tapping in anticipation.
Ethan strode over to us. If he was nervous he masked it well. “You ready to rock n’ roll? Let’s go show them how it’s done.”
I don’t remember what I said. I vaguely remember guiding Beth through the long corridors of the arena as we followed Ethan to the stage. I thought we’d never get there.
We stood off to one side in the wings as the band was announced. In a second, they were passing us, Ethan bringing up the rear. He shot a thumbs up at me, grinning.
Beth and I stood and watched as they ran through hit after hit. Bloody Queen. Snake in the Grass. Strange titles for songs, but it didn’t seem to matter to the fans. They roared for more.
I was to come on toward the end of the set. Ethan and I had chosen one of my more popular Rypp Tyde songs. It was one that we could both sing. That and it rocked and was still popular. If the crowd approved, I would solo on one of the three songs of mine sitting on the charts, done by other artists. Call me old fashioned or superstitious, but I was not going to play anything off the new album. Even with one song having been released early to radio stations.
Ethan, however, didn’t agree and had prepared the band to play it. If the two songs went over well, I had the green light to launch into “Ain’t Life Grand.”
One of my greatest fears was my sometime issues with my balance. On my right side. It was a lingering after effect from the stroke, the one that had taken me the longest to overcome. It seemed to come on under stress, and Lord knows, I was feeling it right now. It would mean I would have to concentrate harder if I didn’t want to have an incident.
I barely remember Ethan calling my name, Beth squeezing my hand, and walking out on the stage in front of thousands of people who’d paid good money to see my son perform.
We launched into the piece without a problem. The crowd was eating it up. And yeah, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t as well.
Then, it happened. I could feel my right side wanting to give way. I willed myself to stay upright. The song was so fast-paced, the audience wouldn’t have picked it up. That and the fact that Ethan realized something was off. He launched into me, butting his left side against my right. The fans took it as us being into the music, but in reality, he’d saved me from a most embarrassing situation.
At the end, Ethan and I were standing side by side, a bright spot blasting down on us. He was revving up the crowd. He leaned over to me. “You want to cut to just one more? Your new one?”
“If they’ll have it.” I grinned.
Ethan made banter about us and how proud he was that I was launching my first solo work. That got them ready, and for the next four or five minutes, I was on that stage singing by myself. Though it was an upbeat song, I kept myself more in check this time. This had to be perfect. This was my so-called debut back into the industry I had a love-hate relationship with.
This time, it was pure love.
A while later when the three of us were in the privacy of his limo, Ethan asked about the incident. “What happened out there?”
I sighed. “It’s from the stroke I had. Sometimes, when I’m excited or under stress, I find keeping my balance harder to do. Always on the right side. I’ve worked my ass off to teach myself to control it. You saved my ass out there.”
“Wow. Now, I understand your reluctance to perform or tour.”
“Keep this to yourself, Ethan. It’s not for public knowledge,” Beth said quietly, squeezing my knee. It was moments like this that proved to me we were meant for each other.
“I know nothing,” he replied, winking at me. “You’re really incredible, you know it?”
“Me, no. I just had to learn to make the best of the hand I was dealt. One of these days, when we both have more than an hour or so off, I’ll tell you about it.”
“I’d like that. Courtney and Brittney mention
ed it in passing, but that was all.”
“Yeah, they were a lot younger, so I’m not sure exactly what they remember of that time.”
“Well, the crowd loved you, especially your new song.”
“They did, didn’t they?” I beamed.
“Yes, they did,” Beth agreed.
The limo slowed down as it approached the venue where the after-party was being held. It was a club that had been closed to the public for the night. A few hundred of Ethan’s closest friends had been invited.
“How many interviews did you say?” he asked Beth.
“One. This is an exclusive for both of you.”
“Both of us? Who is it, Beth?”
“Rolling Stone. They approached me about doing an exclusive interview with the two of you. Father-son rockers. You know Jim Zapo.”
“And you’re just now telling us this, Mom? I thought it was one of the local rags.”
“Oh no. Jim contacted me after hearing about the club gig in Seattle. He saw a story and contacted me. I gave him the homogenized version of Damien’s relevance to you. I told him this would be a one-time only opportunity, or I’d let it go to someone else.”
“Pretty clever, aren’t you,” I interjected, grinning at her.
“I told him it’s an after party, but he had twenty minutes. Which, of course, horrified him. I indicated that if the two of you were comfortable with it, another could be arranged.”
“Can’t we just get it over with now? I had plans for us tomorrow.” I gave her my best pouty face. I did. I had huge plans for us tomorrow. “Besides, this is Ethan’s tour, not mine. I’ll tag along, but I think if he wants an interview about us, it needs to be at another time.”
“He’s got a point. If he really wants it, he’ll clear his schedule for another chance,” Ethan put in.
“Okay, okay. I’ll speak with Jim.”
The limo came to a halt, and the door opened. But not before Ethan had changed into a clean t-shirt. He was the first to emerge, stopping to sign autographs and take pictures with a few fans who had managed to break through security. Beth was next. She paused for a second before heading to the door. I followed her, trying to keep my head down as I passed the young women. We waited a moment on Ethan before being led inside by one of the club’s owners.
The room overlooked the club with tinted windows. Obviously the VIP room. Someone asked us what we wanted to drink, and Ethan and I chimed in at the same time. It made us laugh as we looked out at the crowd.
I turned to see what Beth was doing. She was seated on one of the sofas, watching us.
“I thought these windows were tinted so no one could see inside,” Ethan said quietly.
“They are,” one of the other gentlemen replied.
“Then, how come that woman is smiling and waving as though she can see me?”
I glanced back around and found myself doing a double take. Julia. How in the hell had she gotten herself invited, and better still, how did she know I was here? “How the hell did she get in?” I said, my voice raising in anger.
“You know her?” Ethan asked, looking at me.
“Unfortunately, that is my ex-wife, the girl’s mother.”
“Julia?” Beth stood up for a look.
“Do you want me to find out how she got in? I can have her escorted off the property,” the nameless dude said.
“No, don’t bother. At least not yet. That would only make matters worse. It would feed her need for attention.” I glanced at Ethan, who was taking a long drink off his beer. “Before you ask, the girls wouldn’t have mentioned it to her, because neither one of them talk to her. Haven’t in years, as far as I know. Not on a very regular basis.”
“That’s what Court said. She also said she and Britt changed their phone numbers because of her.”
I’d completely forgotten about that. We all had. “Yeah, we all did. It’s been so long ago, I forgot all about it.”
I noted Jim Zapo had walked into the room. I recognized him from somewhere. Probably a long ago interview. Beth had gotten up and was talking with him about the changes.
Ethan winked at me. “So, what do you two have planned for tomorrow?”
“Like I’m going to tell you.” I snorted.
“You ought to take her to Venice Beach. I don’t think in all the trips she’s made here that she’s ever seen the beach.”
“But she has seen the Pacific Ocean?”
“Yeah, but not from here.”
“I’ll have to remember that for next time. We have so little time here, I was thinking along the lines of closer.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He looked over my shoulder at where Beth and Jim were standing. “I think it’s show time.”
We shook hands and sat down. I sat next to Beth and let Jim talk with Ethan about his tour, and most interestingly, his new record label. I smiled at Ethan, and then Beth. That made me proud.
A few minutes into the interview, Jim turned to me. “I was blown away by your performance earlier. I’ve had a chance to listen to your CD. Phenomenal stuff. I was hoping to get to talk this evening, but Beth explained. I look forward to an interview regarding it. And both of you.”
“It’ll be my pleasure, Jim. Just contact the office, and we’ll set something up.”
I was sitting enjoying my brew after Jim finished, waiting to leave the sanctity of this room for mingling with the masses. An altercation or disturbance at the door made me cringe as I heard a voice I’d hoped I’d never have to hear again.
Julia, shoving past Beth and Jim. She walked over to me in heels and shoved a business card in my face. “Since you’re giving interviews, I demand my turn.”
“Hello, Julia. I see some things haven’t changed,” I said quietly. I peered at the card. “The Los Angeles Underground? Never heard of it. Not surprising though. I can’t imagine your skill set is good enough for anything but a gossip rag.”
“Just give me a damn interview, Damien.”
“Sweetheart, I’m not giving interviews here tonight. I’m here as a guest of Ethan Maverick. Nothing more.”
“Save that crap for someone else. I saw you on stage.”
“Oh good, your eyes still work. You need to read my lips. I’m not doing interviews tonight. It will be a cold day in hell before I sit down and talk to you about anything. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
I started to turn away from her. Needed to. My temper was going to flash any second if she didn’t get out of my space.
She decided to try another angle. “Wasn’t that a Rypp Tyde song you did this evening? You know I still manage them.”
“Yes, it was, and your point would be?”
“Think about it long and hard before you perform any of their tunes, Damien.”
“I believe I wrote or co-wrote ninety-nine percent of the material they used. Go try your commando tactics with someone else. I’ve nothing to say to you. If you want to talk, contact my attorney. I believe he straightened you out on this matter once before. I’m sure he’ll be glad to give you a refresher course. On your dime, of course.”
Julia never did know when to shut up and leave things alone. “No problem. We’ll just see how hard you fall. I’m sure the media will just love to talk to me.”
“And what are you going to say? That I took off and disappeared, leaving you with two teenage daughters? Yeah, I didn’t think so. This conversation is over.” I turned and faced the window.
“I see the rumor’s true.” I heard her say from behind me. “I always knew you were keeping something from me. And here he is, standing in front of me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Julia. I could say the same of you. You’ve always been too caught up in yourself to think about anyone else around you. Hell, you haven’t even asked how Court and Britt are. Too self-absorbed. Well, don’t let the door hit you in the butt, because it might break coming into contact with that fake ass.”
“This isn’t over,” she hissed.
I couldn’t
bear to turn around. I saw Ethan’s reflection in the window. It was taking all he had to hold it in.
“She’s gone,” I heard Beth say, as she put her hand on my forearm.
“I thought I was going to have to get security to haul her out. She thinks she can waltz right back in after all these years and get a piece of the pie. Unbelievable. No, actually with Julia, it’s right on cue.”
Ethan passed me a beer. “Here, I think you need this worse than I do. I have to say though, you handled her well.”
“I had plenty of practice.” I shook my head. “She didn’t even ask about her own daughters. Totally self-centered and self-absorbed.”
Just like Alana. At that very moment, I wanted to grab Beth, and get out of here. The adrenaline rush that was coursing through my veins was powerful. What I needed was to take Beth back to our suite, strip her naked, and bury my cock as far as I could. I needed to fuck. I needed to fuck her hard and get my frustrations out. But I didn’t want to scare her. This was one side of me she hadn’t seen. Alana had, but she was into that sort of sex. She’d thought that’s what sex was all about. Julia too. I needed to get them out of my brain forever.
My god! Where was this coming from?
We followed Ethan out into the club. People naturally flocked to him, just wanting to get near him. Beth and I sort of stood to the side and watched. I was pretty damn impressed and proud.
A fella around my age that I recognized as a DJ walked up to us and asked me if I was Damien Tudor. I nodded my head. He shook my hand and began going on about how great my CD was. Said it was in his hot rotation. I felt Beth squeeze my hand.
So much for my trying to stay low key. As the night wore on, it kept happening again and again. I glanced down at Beth and could tell by the way she was standing that she was getting tired.
“Do you want to go sit down someplace? You look beat.”
“It’s been a long day. I think it’s catching up with me.”
“That’s understandable. We’ve been on the go since early this morning.”
Tudor Redemption (Tudor Dynasty Book 4) Page 19