He hugged his mother. “How’s everything at the new place?”
“Wonderful,” she gushed. “Everyone is just so nice. Although I do have a bone to pick with you, mister. How come you didn’t tell me that Gaynell Hollis was moving into the block with us?”
Jonah’s heart sank. “She’s here?”
Vi nodded and pointed to the vivacious brunette in the corner, holding court with her son and her daughter. He hadn’t expected to see Jacinda. When their eyes met, he was reminded of their complicated history together, including an ill-advised one-night-stand. He turned away from her glare. “They haven’t caused any problems, have they?”
“Indirectly, I suppose. Jules doesn’t want them anywhere near Cody, so she lives almost like a prisoner in her new apartment. Leah babysits for her so she can leave the house once and a while.”
His frown deepened. “I doubt they’re going to even acknowledge Cody. They haven’t so far.”
“That’s what I told Jules. But she thinks that Gaynell moved into the complex with an agenda.”
He glanced back in the Hollises’ direction. “I think she just wants to be close to Tony Paul, though I can’t imagine why.”
Vi recognized the look in Jonah’s eyes. He didn’t like Tony Paul. And she knew her son well enough to know he had a damned good reason why. She patted his hand. “Don’t you worry about all that. You have a job to do. I can’t wait to see you perform tomorrow,” she confided like a giddy schoolgirl.
“You won’t have to wait long. I perform first. Although I found out tonight that might not be a good thing.”
She asked why and he explained the Curse of First. She wasn’t worried at all. “Guess you’re just going to have to do something to make them remember you,” she winked. She then threaded her arm with his and began to introduce him to all the new friends she had made.
She stopped at Jules, who stood in stony silence with Lacy. “Hi, Lacy,” Vi said at once, offering her hand. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“Thank you,” Lacy muttered.
Leah, however, was beyond mere handshaking. She threw her arms around Lacy’s waist. “I don’t care what they said. I thought you were great.”
A ghost of a smile hovered around Lacy’s mouth. “Thanks, Leah.”
“I brought something,” Leah said as she dug into her new purse. She withdrew a photo of a mother frog swimming with her tadpoles. It was crudely colored, with “To Mama, from Cody,” written in bold, black letters.
Tears immediately burned in Lacy’s eyes as she clutched the drawing to her chest. “Thank you,” she breathed before she took the young girl back into another grateful hug. Her night had been so awful, this unexpected gift was priceless.
Jonah had to turn away as tears stung the backs of his own eyes. Her pain was palpable. It broke his heart. Vi touched his arm. “We should probably go say hello to Courtney, honey.”
He glanced down at Lacy, but she wouldn’t look at him. Finally he nodded to his mother. Vi squeezed Lacy’s arm with a warm smile before she led her kids away, to give Lacy some privacy.
Jules looked at the drawing in Lacy’s hand. “They’re good people.”
It was really the first positive thing she had ever said about anything in Lacy’s life outside of Cody. Lacy nodded. She spotted Giovanni standing in the corner, chatting up one of the reporters for an entertainment program. “I’ll be right back,” Lacy said to her mother before she inched her way through the crowd.
Vanni’s eyes lit up as she drew closer. “And this,” he said to the reporter, “is Lacy Abernathy. Lacy, this is Yolanda Perez.”
Lacy nodded and shook her hand. “I’ve seen your show. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Yolanda said with a picture-perfect smile. “You had a rough night out there. Is there anything that you think you might have done differently for your debut performance?”
“Probably everything,” Lacy admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. Vanni wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“I’m sure the audience will see a brand new Lacy next week.”
“If I make it through,” Lacy interjected, but Vanni shook his head.
“Trust me. They’ll see what we see. A diamond in the rough. That’s what this show’s about, Yolanda,” he said, turning his attention back to the reporter as he kept his arm draped around Lacy. “No one expects these kids to be perfect yet. Her fans will rally and put her through. I know it.”
Yolanda laughed. “Well, it looks like you have quite the cheering section,” she told Lacy. She thanked Vanni for his time before she moved through the room to talk to other contestants, including the surprise leading performer of the evening, fourteen-year-old Sydney Lambert.
Lacy turned to Vanni. “I was wondering if it would be okay if I went home with my mom tonight, instead of going back to the mansion.”
His brow furrowed. “Is there anything wrong?”
She couldn’t hide the tears even if she wanted to. “Yeah. I miss my son.”
He softened immediately. He glanced around before he pulled her into a hug. It was all she could do not to sob into that solid chest. “I get it,” he said softly, resting his chin on the top of her head. “Touring is a bitch because I can’t see my family whenever I want.” He pulled away to look her right in the eye. “But they’re the reason I tour at all. So I make it work.”
“So the answer is no,” she answered for him. She was afraid of that. She didn’t think she could stand going back to that mansion and risk running into that smug asshole, Tony Paul, in every corner.
He sighed. “That’s your call, Lacy. Like I said, I really believe that you’ll last another week. If this is what you need to get your head in the game, then by all means. Do what you gotta do.” His voice softened. “Just don’t run. What you want is right here. And you know it.”
She met his firm gaze. She nodded at last and he gave her one last smile before he too moved on to yet another contestant.
She returned to her mother, who now stood next to a tall, blond man who wore an easy smile. He reached out a hand immediately. “It’s so nice to meet you, Lacy,” he said at once. “I’m Don Lambert.”
“Sydney’s dad,” she said with a nod. She knew him from the introductory video package preceding Sydney’s heartfelt performance. He had cried when he had talked about his deceased wife, and stood proud, with tears streaming down his face, when Sydney finished the performance of a lifetime that night.
It made Lacy long for the father she thought she knew a long time ago. Lucas Abernathy had always preened so proudly whenever she was on stage, her loudest cheerleader and biggest fan. He had supported her singing career one-hundred-percent. She was Sydney’s age when she realized that only happened when there was something in it for him, too.
“Dad!” Sydney called from across the room, where she was chatting with Yolanda.
“Duty calls,” he chirped happily before he left Jules and Lacy with a friendly salute.
“He seems nice,” Lacy said. “Sydney’s a lucky girl.”
Jules nodded as she watched Don wrap his arm around his daughter and smile for the camera. How she wished that she could have given Lacy a father like that instead of the sonofabitch she married. She wanted to apologize to Lacy for her mistakes once again, but before she could open her mouth, Lacy turned to her.
“I talked to Vanni. He said I could leave with you tonight.”
Jules studied Lacy’s eyes. She was afraid to ask Lacy if that meant she’d be leaving the competition the following night, so all she said was, “If that’s what you want.”
Lacy nodded. There was only one thing she needed, and that was to hold her little boy.
Jules put her drink on the table and led her daughter out to her used car. She drove her to their new place, arriving well before all the other families returned home.
Many didn’t even know she had gone.
She didn’t care about any of them, though
. The minute she walked through the front door, Cody launched into her arms like a rocket. She finally cried the tears she had spent the whole night holding. She showered his face with kisses before collapsing onto the couch with him.
“Did you win, Mama?” he asked.
She shook her head with a sniffle. “No, baby. I haven’t won yet.”
He wore a big smile. “You will.”
She cuddled him to her chest and held on tight.
Chapter Six
Jonah searched the party high and low for Lacy, but it was clear that she had left almost immediately.
Ironically, it was right after he spotted her in Vanni Carnevale’s embrace. He tried his best not to connect the two incidents, but his mood was sour as he caught a limo back to the mansion with a few other people who couldn’t wait to escape the festivities. Penelope Crane rode with him, along with Sylvester, Maddie and Shiloh. They didn’t say much on the way back to the mansion. For those who had already performed, there was a lot of second-guessing about song choice and performance. For those who had yet to hit the stage, there was the soul-crushing realization that no matter how much they rehearsed or how confident they felt, they, too, could end up on the chopping block for any minor mistake.
They scattered once they got back to the house. Sylvester headed up to the bedroom, claiming that he needed to get his rest for their big day. Shiloh disappeared into the studio, to put the finishing touches on his song. Maddie decided to go for a late-night swim. She had a lot of nervous energy to burn off.
That left Jonah and Penelope alone in the kitchen, as both rifled around in the cupboards for a night cap. She uncovered a bottle of whiskey, which she poured into a couple of glasses for them. They clinked their glasses, but didn’t offer any verbal toasts. It almost seemed like it would jinx anything to actually say the words out loud.
She drained her glass in one gulp. “I wish I could have done that four hours ago.”
His eyes swept over her. She wasn’t a misfit like the rest of them. She was actually quite striking. She was tall and lean with wavy chestnut hair and light blue eyes. He knew from her package that she had already tried to make a go of the music, but was led astray by some dishonest producers who simply wanted to get her into bed.
Her imperfection, as it turned out, was that she was too pretty.
In fact, if he had met her in a bar a year ago, he would have definitely tried to take her home. But that was a long time ago, and he was a different man now. Even as she stood closer and gently brushed his arm with her hand, he gave no quarter. All he said was, “You did great. I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”
Her perfect eyebrow arched. “Not everyone can say that, I suppose. Man that was rough.” He nodded as he sipped his drink. She poured herself another one. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t come back to the house at all.”
“She will,” he assured her. Penelope studied him thoughtfully.
“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” she said.
He shrugged. “She’s a fighter. That’s what fighters do.”
She drained her glass and poured another. “I guess I’m more interested in what lovers do.” Their eyes met. “Tell me, Jonah. Am I going to be one of the millions of brokenhearted females who hear all about your faithful, devoted girlfriend tomorrow night?”
“No,” he said simply.
She stepped closer. “Can I pour you another drink?”
“No,” he repeated as he stepped back. “You should probably stop too. This stuff is pretty strong.”
“I can take it,” she said as she poured more in her glass. “I’m a big girl.”
“I’m just here to sing, Penelope.”
She shrugged. “You can do both. I mean look at this place. If this doesn’t look like some millionaire swingers’ pad, I’ve been watching the wrong porn. Let’s have a little fun. Hell, I could be gone tomorrow. So sue me if I want to fuck the hottest guy on my season of Fierce while I still can.”
He smirked down at her. “Well, that was your first mistake.” Off her look, he explained, “No one ever said you could.” He set his glass on the counter before heading for the stairs. He wanted to wait for Lacy, but was in no mood to fend off some horny drunk.
He told himself that he would check on Lacy in the morning, but a nagging voice in his head whispered that she might not be there.
Like a knife right to the gut, his thoughts returned to her hug with Vanni at the party. He lay awake for hours, unable to sleep. Tony Paul stumbled in sometime around four o’clock in the morning, reeking of whiskey and Penelope’s perfume.
Across town, Lacy likewise struggled through a sleepless night. She lay on the queen-sized bed in the second bedroom of the house, which was fully furnished and homey. She wore some of her mother’s pajamas and settled in with Cody, who slept soundly in the crook of her arm. “Sing for me, Mama,” he said as snuggled up to her. Since the last thing she felt like doing was sing, it ended up being the hardest gig of her life. She sang the song the way she should have sung it in the first place, before she let her bitter rage sidetrack her.
She used to blame all the seedy bar managers for that. This time it was one-hundred-percent her fault and she knew it. Her biggest shot to give her baby boy the life of his dreams, and she blew it. Over nothing more than her stupid pride.
Her voice cracked as she sang to him, but he didn’t care. He reached up to trace her chin with one finger as his eyes drooped lower and lower. He was asleep before the song was done. She finally dozed around daybreak.
Cody was waking her up an hour after that. She giggled and played with him before they headed for the living room for some cold cereal and cartoons. Then she chased him through the place with tickle-fingers poised to attack him right before his bath.
For a few blissful hours she could forget all about Fierce.
That ended just before ten o’clock in the morning, when Vanni sent her a text that he’d be sending a car to pick her up. He wasn’t about to let her wallow. They still had work to do.
They had two group numbers that week, one for the girls and one for the guys. She still didn’t have her part all the way down. She was no dancer by far, and resented the hell out of being forced to do it. That meant their stage director had to corral everyone for one last dress rehearsal.
The only thing worse than the dancing was the sympathetic look on every face she encountered from the parking lot to the stage. No one said much. They just tilted their head and offered a compassionate smile.
Her performance had been torn to shreds in the media, which was the talk of the set. Everyone assumed that she would be on the chopping block that week. The two girls with the lowest votes had to sing for their lives, and the judges would vote for the weakest of the two to send home.
There wasn’t anything she could do it about it now. All that was left was the peppy group number where she had to summon some joyful enthusiasm she didn’t feel.
Their choreographer,Terrell Simmons, was like a drill sergeant. He kept them sequestered in the dance studio in the building next to the soundstage, where they could hear the guys putting the finishing touches on their performances for the evening. But they didn’t have a spare minute to worry about it. He had broken the number down step by step and was determined to perfect each and every one before they moved on to the next.
Lacy was covered in sweat by the time he finally let them have a small break outside. The January weather was mild, but she shivered anyway, closing her arms around herself, moving past the smokers who had congregated to puff away their frustration with the grueling rehearsal.
They probably blamed her for that too.
“Are you okay?”
She recognized his voice immediately. It only made her shudder more. She turned to look into those familiar tawny eyes. They were eyes that were gentle and kind… and full of concern. She turned away while she still could. “The show must go on,” she said with a shrug.
“I was w
orried about you last night,” Jonah said softly.
“I’m okay,” she lied without looking at him.
He reached for her, which made her shrink away from him in surprise. His hand dropped to his side. “If you need anything… a friend to talk to, maybe. An ear to bend.”
She nodded. “Thanks,” was all she could say.
“Lacy,” he began. Her eyes met his. He sighed. “Good luck tonight.”
“You too. Knock ‘em dead.” She attempted a weak smile, which he mirrored. He nodded before turning away. He had the second to the last spot of the night, right before Tony Paul. He had to take care of business.
Tonight, though, he would find her. And they would talk.
And he would hold her. By God he was going to hold her. If she was leaving the competition, he wasn’t letting her go without showing her how much he still loved her.
By three o’clock, they herded the contestants back into wardrobe. By five o’clock they began taping for Night Two. Lacy sat next to Maddie and Lila in the front row as Dominique Prejean took the stage to introduce all the male contestants. They started the show with twenty-year-old Jermaine, a street performer whose dance in the opening number got everyone on their feet. Sylvester Tyrell was next, and won the hearts of every single female in the joint with a bluesy Motown number. He wasn’t as flamboyant as Amos Tucker, who came next, throwing down a Tina Turner tune that he finally got to sing as himself. The next performer added a little comic relief. He was born with a stutter and somehow had made a living in standup comedy. Oddly enough, he could sing just fine, which made his performance even more amazing. He had everyone in stitches as the judges critiqued the entertaining performance.
As guy after guy performed, Lacy became increasingly nervous. They were clearly saving both Jonah and Tony Paul for the end. They ended the show strong, with Shiloh, Jonah and Tony Paul, in that order.
Shiloh had done exactly as he had advised her to do. He took a popular pop song and turned it into a heavier tune that made it dark and sexy. He knew exactly what he was doing on that stage, playing to the audience, playing to the judges, giving the crowd something they didn’t even know they wanted. And somehow he didn’t give up who he was in the process.
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