Choosing America's Next Superstar

by Jeff Erno

  The three of them had made it through! And it all happened on the first day. This was a cause for celebration. After sitting in the auditorium the entire day, the three boys left a bit early. They were all starving and took a cab to the Hard Rock Café.

  It was after eight o’clock when they made it back to the hotel. Their spirits were high, and they were chattering nonstop, mostly about the competition, debating which song they’d choose for their group performance. As they walked into the lobby, Sam was at the front desk, and she had her suitcase.

  “Sam, what’s going on?” Corey rushed up to her.

  “I got called to sing today after all. They made it through about thirty of the contestants on the Day Two list. I didn’t make it through.” Her voice cracked, and tears formed in her eyes.

  “Oh no,” Corey empathized, grabbing hold of her and hugging her tight. “Sam, I’m so sorry.”

  She pulled back and shrugged, tossing her head to the side and flipping her hair from her face. “I guess it’s my own fault. I never really recovered from last night. I still don’t completely have my voice back.”

  “It’s not really fair,” Corey complained. “All day long you weren’t even planning on singing.”

  “I wasn’t even there for most of the day,” she said. “I happened to go back around four thirty and discovered they’d started calling from Day Two, so I had no choice but to hang around.”

  “Can’t you stay here one more night?” Corey asked. “You’ve got twenty-four hours.”

  She shook her head. “I just wanna go. It’s too hard… seeing everyone that made it. I’d just rain on your parade.”

  “Aw, no, you wouldn’t.”

  “It’s too late now anyway. I already got my ticket. My plane leaves in three hours. But listen, you’ve got my number, and you don’t live that far from me. We’ll have to get together. I know you’re gonna go far in the competition, and I’ll be rooting for you.”

  “Thanks,” he said, feeling his own eyes well up with tears.

  “And I’ll vote for you too, once you make it to Hollywood.”

  “Do you know if Jeremy and Teri sang today?”

  “No, Teri will be one of the first ones tomorrow morning, and I bet they’ll get to Jeremy by the end of the day.”

  Sam’s departure was sobering. It was a stark reminder of how quickly everything could change. Of course, she wasn’t the only one that day to face defeat. More than half the contestants received the crushing news that their journeys had ended. Although Corey was ecstatic that he and Jimmy had made it through, he couldn’t help but feel sad about Sam.

  When they got back upstairs, Tristan headed back to his room. He said he was going to take a shower and maybe a nap. Corey was kind of relieved. At last he’d have some time alone with Jimmy. Corey flopped down on his mattress as soon as they entered their room, and he let out a huge sigh. He felt an odd combination of exhilaration and sadness.

  “I can’t believe Sam didn’t make it,” he said. “How disappointing.”

  “I know, but we knew it could happen. Overall, we’re lucky. Both of us and Tristan all made it through….”

  “You know every single one of us is in the same situation,” Corey said. “Every contestant wants to win. For most of us, it’s been a lifelong dream. The worst thing about Sam’s case is that she got voted off on the first day. There’ve been all these weeks of anticipation after the auditions in Detroit.”

  “I know what you mean,” Jimmy said. He sat down on the bed beside Corey. “I’d lie in bed at night and listen to my own heart pounding in my chest. Then I’d close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to be up on that stage performing for the whole world.”

  “And you know, we could be the next ones to go. Any one of us could be cut. In fact, most of us will be cut, and when I think about it that way, I’m scared shitless.”

  Jimmy placed his hand on Corey’s chest. “No matter what, we’re in this together,” he said.

  Corey stared directly into Jimmy’s eyes and nodded. “I’m so glad it was Sam and not you,” he whispered.

  Jimmy leaned over him and they kissed.

  Chapter Six

  REUBEN had just finished with a bath and was relaxing in his silk pajamas and robe when the phone rang. He set down his scotch and picked up the receiver. “Yes?” he said curtly.

  “Mr. Jameson, there is a young man here to see you.”

  “Very well, send him up,” Reuben said.

  About four minutes later, he heard the knock on his door, walked over, and let in the boy he’d summoned.

  “Hello, Tristan.” Reuben smiled as he motioned for the boy to enter.

  “Mr. Jameson, I got this note. It was delivered to my room, and it said you wanted to see me.”

  “Yes, yes indeed. Won’t you come in? Can I offer you something to drink? A beer, perhaps?”

  Tristan laughed nervously. “Is this a test or something? I’m not old enough to drink, and it’s against the rules.”

  “Ah, well, I won’t tell. And no, it’s not a test. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.”

  “It’s okay, sir. I don’t drink anyway. Maybe a soda or a water.”

  Reuben stepped over to the bar and opened the refrigerator. “Cola?”

  “Sure, that’d be fine. Thank you.”

  Reuben led the boy into the living room area of his suite. “You’re probably wondering what this is all about. Why don’t you have a seat? Get comfortable. I just want to talk to you.”

  “Thank you, sir,” he said again. Reuben could tell the boy was nervous. “I really appreciate you giving me another chance today. I know I screwed up a little bit.”

  Reuben laughed. “Indeed you did. It was quite horrendous, actually. You must’ve been quite surprised to make it through.”

  “Pleasantly surprised. Like I said, sir, I really appreciate it.”

  “Where are you from again, Tristan?”

  “Denver,” he said, sipping his cola.

  “Ah, that’s right. I remember now. I’ve thought about you quite a bit since that audition. You were quite impressive, and like I’ve always said, success in this industry is about memorable performances.”

  “Thank you,” Tristan said, gulping.

  “You have a decent voice, young man,” Reuben went on, “but more than that, you are the whole package. You have the look. The perfect, cherubic face with the big blue eyes. You’re angelic, and you’re sure to be the next teen heartthrob.”

  He could see the boy’s cheeks flushing. His embarrassment only added to his appeal, and Reuben sat down beside him on the sofa. “You’ve nothing to be embarrassed about,” Reuben assured him. “I’m only speaking the truth.” He reached over and placed his hand gently on the boy’s shoulder.

  “Thank you, sir.” Tristan’s voice was quiet, very meek.

  “But if you’re going to truly succeed in this business, you need someone to guide you. You need a mentor, someone to look out for you. There are a lot of vultures. A lot of people would be eager to take advantage of boy like you—so pure and innocent.”

  The boy slid away from him, inching his way down the leather sofa. “Uh, sir, I don’t know what you mean.”

  Reuben was not dissuaded. He moved closer to the young blond, reaching up to run the back of his hand across Tristan’s smooth cheeks. “Tristan, you want to win the competition, don’t you?” he said.

  “Uh, yes. Yes, sir, of course I do.”

  “I’d like that too… really, I would. But you know, sometimes winning involves more than talent.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, it’s not all about you. It’s not just about you having a good voice. You have to win over the hearts and minds of the entire country. I can help you do that, Tristan. I can make sure you succeed.”

  “I appreciate it, sir. I really do….”

  “Tristan, why don’t you take off your shirt, get comfortable?”

  “My shirt?”
/>   “Yes, relax a little, and let me see your body. I want to see how smooth your chest is.”

  “Sir?”

  “I want to touch you, make you feel good.”

  Tristan jumped up off the couch. “Mr. Jameson, I… uh… I’m not like that. I think you got the wrong idea about me….”

  “Tristan, take off your shirt and sit back down.” He patted the sofa cushion beside him. “I’m not going to hurt you. I swear. I’m your friend here, and if you cooperate with me, I can guarantee you that you will succeed. You do want to succeed, don’t you? You don’t want to go home just yet, not when you just got here?”

  Tristan stared at him for a moment, not saying a word. Then slowly he reached down and began unbuttoning his shirt.

  JIMMY had gone down to the lobby to get some refreshments from the vending machines. He purchased a couple Cokes from the soda dispensers and was headed back to the elevators when he happened to glance up and see a boy standing outside by the main entrance. It was Tristan. He decided to go over and check on him, see if he wanted to watch a movie again. Just as Jimmy made it to the automatic doors, a limousine pulled up. The driver got out and walked around to let Tristan inside.

  That was weird. Where would Tristan be going in a limo? Maybe it wasn’t Tristan after all. Maybe there was another kid at the hotel who looked like his brother. Maybe it was Justin Bieber. Jimmy laughed and shook his head. No big deal. He really wanted some time alone with Corey anyway.

  When Jimmy got back to their room, Corey was lying on his bed. The television was on, but Corey didn’t seem to be watching it. He was just lying there, staring up at the ceiling.

  “Are you all right?” Jimmy asked, placing the cokes on dresser.

  “I was just thinking,” Corey said.

  “About?”

  “About how lucky I am.”

  Jimmy stepped over to his bedside and lowered himself onto the mattress. He placed his hand on Corey’s arm. “You mean ’cause you made it this far in the competition?”

  “Because even though I didn’t have the easiest life growing up, I had a mom and a sister who loved me. Because I have friends who believe in me. Because the one single thing I’m good at and that I love with all my heart just might be the thing I’ll be doing with my life.

  “For a lot of people—most of them—that’s all it ever is. Just a dream. A fantasy. What if I’d never gone to that audition? What if I’d told myself that the chances of winning were too slim, that I couldn’t risk losing my job, that I was too scared to take a chance? That’s probably what a lot of people do. They’re too scared to step out on a limb.

  “I know what Megan did to you wasn’t right, but if she hadn’t pushed me to go to that audition, I wouldn’t be here. And if I hadn’t gone to the audition, I’d have never met you.”

  “Well, I’m glad she pushed you,” Jimmy said. “I’m real glad.”

  “How many people settle for a job and put their passion on the back burner?” Corey asked. “How many people know in their hearts they are destined to do one thing, but allow the events in their life to lead them away from that calling?”

  “And that’s what music is to you? Your passion? Your destiny?”

  Corey pushed himself up to an upright position and leaned back against the headboard. “Yeah. It’s more than just something I enjoy. It’s my food. It’s my water. It’s the air I breathe. I can’t describe it, but without music—without singing—I’m nothing.”

  “It’s a kind of weird industry,” Jimmy said. “So many of us—people like you and me—feel this way about our music, yet the number of people who succeed is so small.”

  “What if we don’t make it, Jimmy? What if we get voted off before we ever make it into the Top Twenty-four? What then? Can you just go back to being a grease monkey at the quick lube? Can I go back to running a cash register?”

  “For me it’s about more than just being a star,” Jimmy confessed. “Music is so much a part of my heart, that no matter what I do, it’s always there. It’s my salvation. It’s my therapy. It’s what I turn to when I’m happy or sad or scared. So, yeah, I can go back to being a grease monkey if I have to. No matter what happens in this competition, nothin’s gonna take that away from me—my passion for music.”

  “When did you figure out….” Corey’s words trailed off, and he left the sentence unfinished.

  “That I didn’t like girls?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I played Little League, and when I was about twelve, I started noticing how cute the other boys were in their uniforms.”

  Corey laughed.

  “Wasn’t a big deal back then. Folks would tease me, say I was gonna be a lady killer when I got older. Said stuff like, ‘You’re gonna be a heartbreaker.’ I just always expected that at a certain age I’d start to like girls. Then when all the guys I knew started talking about girls, sayin’ stuff about their boobs and things like that… well, I didn’t know what to think.

  “I kept waiting for myself to change. I kept thinking that one day I’d just wake up and realize I liked girls. The day never came, though. Instead I started to see that it was guys that I liked.”

  “And it scared you?”

  “Kinda,” Jimmy admitted. “I thought it was a sin. I prayed about it. Then I met another boy who was like me. Keith was in my history class, and he lived just two blocks over from me. We started to hang out together, and I really liked him. I thought he was kinda cute too. He was cute. Big brown eyes. Really skinny. One day I couldn’t help myself. I kissed him.”

  “Like you did to me?”

  Jimmy smiled. “Almost exactly like that.”

  “What happened?”

  “I dunno. I guess the same thing that usually happens. You meet someone in high school and fall in love. You think they’re the love of your life and you’ll be with them forever, but after a while, things change.”

  “So you broke up?”

  “He was different than me. He started telling people about himself.”

  “He wanted to be out of the closet, and you weren’t ready for that?”

  “Yeah, I guess so….”

  “But now?”

  “After high school, everything is different. I finally told my brother, then my mama and my daddy. With Charlie being sick, it made me realize life was too short to live a lie. I didn’t choose to be how I am. If I’m this way, it’s ’cause the Good Lord made me, and if people don’t like it, that’s their problem.”

  “Jimmy, I never felt this way about anyone before—the way I do about you. You’re the most wonderful guy I’ve ever known.”

  “You drive me crazy!” Jimmy said, suddenly standing up and pacing across the room.

  “What’d I say?” Corey said, confused.

  “Corey!” Jimmy said, exasperated. “You’re all I can think about. Day and night. I can’t get you out of my head. The things you say, the way you smile, even the way you walk. Last night when you curled up behind me in bed, I thought I was gonna just die!”

  “And this drives you crazy?”

  “You know the rules!”

  “Fuck the rules!” Corey shouted.

  Jimmy couldn’t contain himself any longer. He lunged toward the bed, grabbing Corey by the waist and pulling him flat on his back. He then took the boy’s head in his hands and kissed him passionately. “I want you so bad,” he moaned.

  “Jimmy, please….”

  Jimmy continued to kiss him, driving his tongue into the boy’s mouth, groping him, grasping at his clothing. Within seconds, their shirts were discarded, followed by their pants. They lay atop the mattress, caressing the smooth skin of each other’s body. Jimmy felt Corey trail his fingertips up his back, then wrap his hands around Jimmy’s shoulders. All the while he buried his face in Corey’s neck, sucking and lapping his skin with his tongue.

  Slowly Jimmy made his way down Corey’s smooth body, finding his nipples. He took them in his mouth, one at a time. Corey cried out, bucking beneath
him on the mattress as he grasped Jimmy’s head, running his fingers through Jimmy’s hair. Jimmy was so excited, his heart pounding, and his arousal raging in his boxers. He reached down to grab hold of Corey, and his anticipation increased exponentially as he realized the boy was equally aroused.

  Unable to hold back a second longer, Jimmy peeled off Corey’s shorts and took him into his mouth, savoring the hardness, the feel of that smooth skin against his tongue. He inhaled the musky scent as he devoured the young man he’d been obsessing over for the past twenty-four hours.

  PART of it might have been the exhilaration Corey felt from making it through the first round of competition. It might also have been something as simple as hormones. Two young gay guys sharing a hotel room together, both attractive, both single. Those would have been the easy explanations.

  But Jimmy was more to Corey than just a sexual outlet. He couldn’t deny how attractive Jimmy was. Damn, he was hot as hell. With his tight-fitting jeans, deep voice, and confident swagger, Jimmy was the man of Corey’s dreams. But even more importantly, Jimmy had a heart. He was a person of integrity. He loved his family, especially his little brother. He didn’t tell mean jokes about other people, didn’t laugh at someone else’s expense. He was polite and kindhearted.

  And it didn’t hurt that Jimmy knew what he was doing sexually. When Jimmy went down on Corey, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. The smooth, silkiness of Jimmy’s warm mouth was unlike anything Corey had ever felt.

  Of course Corey was eager to return the favor, and that part was even more exciting than being pleasured himself. Taking Jimmy inside of him, tasting him for the first time, was almost enough to make Corey come again. Corey had never known it was possible for a man to be both gentle and aggressive at the same time. Jimmy kissed passionately. He took control and was clearly in charge, yet the way he touched Corey made him feel as if he were being worshipped. He just seemed to know when to push and how far. When to lead and when to back off. When to dominate and when to make love.