by Wild, Bella
“You know,” Johnny started. “There’s one part in the show where the backup singers come out and dance with me. It’s all freestyle. So, technically, you’ll have to dance too.”
“Great,” I groaned.
Before I could argue that I needed to be excused for that particular number, we were at the airport. Kevin was the first to step out, but not before saying, “This had better work.”
I took a breath. I did not dare to speak.
The rest of us piled out of the limo, and followed him inside the airport terminal. Fred and Larry flanked us as we walked through the quieter section of the airport reserved for passengers of private flights. Our bags had been checked outside, so we made it through airport security fairly quickly. This time, our flight was on schedule, and the larger charter plane was ready for everyone to board, including the road crew, band members, FBI and security staff.
We got on without having to wait for very long. This plane looked more like a luxury commercial jet. It had six roomier pod-styled seats up front. They were the types that were self-contained, and installed on the diagonal, where individual passengers could elevate their legs and stretch out completely. At the back was seating for the crew, which looked more like the usual first class chairs. Johnny and I picked the two pods that were closest to the front.
“Comfy?” He asked as I settled into my seat.
“Yes.” I looked up at him. “I just need sleep. I’m so tired.”
“Same here,” he said, bending forward to kiss my hair. “Well, rest up.”
Chapter Twelve
Amanda
It was a long flight back to LA. I ended up napping almost the entire way home, except for the couple of times I had used the restroom—alone thankfully, as Johnny was asleep both times that I had woken up. I must have got nearly fourteen hours of comfortable rest this time.
At one point, as the plane was equipped with Wi-Fi, I had opened the email app on my phone to check for messages. I quickly typed out an email to Gary, explaining I wouldn’t be back in Miami for up to a few weeks, and asked if he could hold off our chat about the MMA Smackdown commentator gig until then. My finger had hovered over the send button for a few minutes. I mentally debated whether I was making the right choice. I set the phone down in my lap and looked over at Johnny’s face. He was still asleep, his gorgeous face and stubbled jaw resting on a pillow.
In less than a month, I would return to my normal life in Miami. It had been less than a week that I had flown into LA, and everything seemed so different for me. This contract had turned into much more than just a security gig. And it had something to do with the sleeping man beside me. For the first time in a long while, when it came to my emotions, I was careening out of control. I felt I was falling face-first down a very slippery slope. If I couldn’t find some way to hit the brakes, and soon, there could be one or more broken hearts left exposed. And love was not an option for someone like me.
I re-read the email to Gary and hit send. Regardless of what happened next, I knew that having a job interview lined up back in Miami would be motivation to get this job done and move on with my life. Johnny was infatuated with me. It was obvious to everyone around us, and the only way to stop his infatuation from growing into something more dangerous was to leave as soon as the job was finished.
At some point after sending the email, I shut the phone off again, rested my head back on my pillow, and drifted off to sleep.
*****
“Amanda?” Someone shook my shoulder, gently prodding me from my dreams.
I opened my eyes. It was Johnny. “We’re back in LA.”
I sat up and looked out the window. We were on the tarmac. Everyone had already begun to disembark, and Kevin stood at the cockpit door, checking his watch.
“I’d better not keep you all waiting,” I said.
I stood up and wobbled slightly. He instantly reached out a hand and set it on my back, steadying me. His touch, innocent as it was, got my heart racing and the rest of my body yearning for more. I thanked him for the save, grabbed my hand luggage, and followed him off the plane. He and Kevin did not exchange a word between each other. I felt a pang of guilt—it was clear I contributed to the strain in their relationship. I put it out of my mind just as quickly as the feeling surfaced—soon enough I would be gone, and they could work their shit out.
As it was late at night, most everyone went their separate ways once the luggage arrived. Fred announced that he and Larry would take the evidence from the gift basket to their field office. They planned to be back at the house in the morning. The road crew and security members were picked up by two large buses. Even Kevin took a separate limo and left just after we did. There was just Johnny and me—alone in our own limo.
“Feel like a bite to eat?” He asked, looking over at me when the vehicle took off.
“Maybe, but I’m so out of it. I don’t know if I should be starting the day, or ending it.”
“Welcome to life on the time zone highway,” he told me, squeezing my knee. “How about if I just pick up some takeout?”
“I can’t promise I’ll have much to eat, but sure.”
He told the driver to swing around to some all-night salad place—something I was sure could only exist in Los Angeles—and quickly went in to get a few dishes. We were back on the road in a few minutes, and at Johnny’s house soon after that. The driver brought our bags in, and Johnny took the food to the kitchen. I excused myself to go upstairs. I could use a long shower.
“What the…?” my voice trailed off as the bedroom door swung open.
I was overwhelmed by the sight before me. The room was full of flowers. Bouquets and potted arrangements, all with my favorite hydrangea blossoms. I stepped into the room and slowly turned to take it all in. The room and everything in it was infused with the fragrances. It was the most stunning thing I had ever seen. I still had no idea how Johnny could have possibly known what my favorite flowers were, but that question was drowned out by his sweet gesture.
I dropped my purse on the bed, and leaned forward to breathe in the faint scent of the nearest bouquet.
“So you like it?”
I turned at Johnny’s voice and lit up with a huge smile. He casually leaned against the doorway, and before I could think, I was across the room, in his arms. “This is incredible! Yes, they’re gorgeous. Thank you so much.”
“You’re more than welcome,” he said, running a hand down my back. “I figured it was the least I could do, after all the crap you’ve had to go through because of me.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” I answered, pulling away when I realized how close we were. “This is amazing, but you don’t have to give me gifts like this for doing my job.”
I turned and took in the scene again, still slightly in disbelief. I had never really been a flowers kind of girl. I didn’t think I was, but standing in the middle of this room, it was pretty spectacular to be pampered this way. I couldn’t recall any guy even treating me to flowers—then again, I hadn’t let that many of them get close enough for this kind of treatment.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said, suddenly with a more serious look on his face. “I would do just about anything to see you light up like this.”
He moved a hand up to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. I was suddenly unsure of myself, of what I should say or do next. He was getting too close, vaulting over the walls around me. It made me feel exposed. I could feel it compounding. Every over-the-top sweet gesture, dashing smile, and friendly joke made me weaker. And his touch. Oh God, his touch.
“There’s something else,” he said. “Hopefully it’s not too much.”
He reached into his pocket and produced a small, black, velvet-covered box. A rush of anxiety flooded my stomach as he took a step toward me and held it out in his palm.
“You really shouldn’t have bought me gifts like this, Johnny.”
“Just take it.”
“I don’t think I can accept it.�
�� My eyes were glued to Johnny’s face, afraid to look down at the box. Afraid of what would be inside.
“How would you know if you don’t see what it is first?”
“I can’t.”
“Just take it. Please. Trust, remember?”
I reached out and took it. “Thanks.”
“You’re supposed to open it.” He smiled gently, waiting for me to do something.
I nodded and pried the box open, slowly revealing what was tucked inside. It took my breath away. It was a rose gold oval-shaped pendant on a matching chain. There was a delicate imprint in the metal, creating an elegant design that wrapped around to the back. I flipped it over in my fingers, and realized there was a latch on the side.
“It’s a locket?” I said, processing my thoughts out loud.
Johnny nodded. He looked on as I used a fingernail to open the tiny latch and flip it open.
I gasped and covered my mouth with my free hand. “Oh, my God…”
My eyes flew up to Johnny. I could barely process anything as I looked back and forth between him and the picture inside. “That’s my—” My voice broke off. “But how did you—”
The tiny picture inside was a familiar one, and very dear to me. It was a picture of my father, taken about a year before he passed away. I kept Dad with me at all times on my phone screensaver. It was also the only photo I kept beside my bed at home in Miami.
“I hope it wasn’t too much of an intrusion. I noticed the picture when you turned your phone on a few times. And I noticed it again on your website—,” he cleared his throat, “—when we were looking into whether to hire you. I thought this would make it easier for you to take him with you.”
I shook my head and covered my mouth again, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. I kept staring at the picture. “Thank you, Johnny. I really…I don’t know what to say.”
He stepped closer, and brought a hand up to cradle the side of my face. I closed my eyes at his gentle touch, letting myself melt into its warmth. Moments later, his lips came down and briefly pressed against mine.
“I’m glad you like it.”
I looked down at it again, still open in my hand. “I do.”
“Great. Well, enjoy your night, Amanda.” He smiled, gave me a peck on the cheek, and left my room. I did not follow him out, and realized he left for a good reason—it would make me want him more.
Chapter Thirteen
Johnny
I woke up the next morning without an alarm, instantly thinking about Amanda. Leaving her room last night was tough to do. I wanted her, and needed to know she could feel the same one day. And for that, I was willing to wait. I had been tempted to go back and knock on her door more than a few times during the night, but thought better of it. If I wanted something real with her, I would have to take it slow. Up to that point, taking it slow was not something I had been great at.
I climbed out of bed, had a shower, and got ready for the day. On my way out, I noticed her room door was open. She had already gone downstairs. I made my way down and found there was a full house. Kevin’s office was open. He was sitting at his desk. Fred was back, and so were Larry, Jenny and Lucas. I didn’t see Amanda. She was not with them, so I turned to head to the kitchen.
“She’s getting her hair done.” I jolted to a stop and spun on my heel. It was Jenny.
“Her hair?”
“Yes. You have a big show tonight, remember?”
I relaxed, remembering Fred’s plan to have Amanda up on stage as a backup singer. The next stop on the tour was here in Los Angeles. It was a limited-seating concert to launch one of the singles on my new album. Kevin had mentioned all seven hundred tickets had sold out within an hour of being released a few months before. It was the perfect place to figure out whether Amanda could pull off her undercover stage performance.
“Got it. Thanks.”
She nodded and returned to the spare office.
I made my way to the kitchen. There were trays of catered food laid out on the kitchen island, so I heaped a plate full, grateful to be back home and on a normal eating schedule.
“So spending $3,000 is a reasonable thing to do now?” Kevin confronted me as soon as he stepped into the kitchen.
He stood at the counter, holding up a printout for me to see. I crossed the room and took it from his hand, not saying a word. One glance told me it was the flower delivery slip. I had phoned my friend Lindsey at one point back in the hotel in Athens, asking her to do me a solid. She let the florist in to arrange Amanda’s room, and must have left the receipt laying around for me.
“Leave it alone, Kevin. It’s none of your business.” I put the receipt on the counter and walked around him to open the fridge.
“I know you believe you know what you’re doing. But let me tell you, this is not going to play out the way you think it will.”
I rolled my eyes and turned back around to face him, refusing to react to his empty threat. “Let it be, okay? I don’t want to have to ask you to get out of my house again.”
“Johnny, so help me.” He paced across the kitchen. “You’re not thinking clearly. You’re getting too caught up in this woman. And it’s going to cost you more than money when the chips fall.”
I shrugged. “You manage my singing career, not my personal life. Keep overstepping and you’ll see how quickly I can figure out how to get you out of my life for good.”
Kevin’s face flashed with anger, with brows furrowed, eyes squinting, and nostrils flaring. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you these days. I’m used to you acting like you’re still a spoiled teenager, but this is something else. We used to be on the same team. Then, this—this girl comes around and you’re suddenly willing to throw away everything we built together for the last decade!”
I groaned. It was always the same issue with him. He used to call it creative differences. He would tell me I didn’t have the vision. Now, it was all about Amanda. It was too convenient to be believable. He would say and do just about anything to get me to step in line so I could live out the plan he saw for me, not the one I wanted for myself.
“It has nothing to do with Amanda. I’ve said it before. I’ll keep repeating it. It has nothing to do with her, so stop dragging her into this. Your hostility is getting really old.”
“Then what is it? If not her, why the sudden shift?” His voice was slightly calmer.
“We want different things, Kevin, we see the world, the industry, differently. You’re old school and you want things the way they were when you managed Lady. You want me to do it exactly like she did. But that’s not what I want. That’s never what I wanted for myself. You just never listen.”
“Johnny, you need to listen to me. I know what’s best for your career. You’re right. I’ve already gone down this road before, with Lady, and many other artists before and after her. Look where I got them! The ones who took my advice are all legends. People will remember them long after they’re gone.”
I knew what was coming next. I could practically hear the overused argument playing out in my mind. I was too damn tired for it.
“Enough!” I shouted, and finally he stopped and left the kitchen.
*****
I was about halfway through breakfast when I heard Amanda speaking to someone in the living room. I went out to see her. She stood there, talking to Larry as he held out an earpiece. She looked stunning, her hair and makeup all done to perfection, but I probably would have reacted the same way had she come in with bedhead and pajamas. It wasn’t about all the frills. It never was. I just wanted her. Way too much time had passed since we had spent any time together. I craved her. It took all my self-control to sit still, and not rush up to her and gather her in my arms.
“Looking great,” I said.
She smiled at me and touched the locket that now hung around her neck. I was about to tell her how impressed I was that she was wearing it, but Fred and Kevin came in from the front hallway.
“We’re going to take
Amanda down to the concert hall,” Kevin said. “We need to test out the sound equipment, to be sure this will work tonight. You should come along as well, Johnny. The band will be running through the new single.”
“Sure. I’ll come.”
“Okay. We can take my car.”
We all followed him out the door and to his SUV. I sat up front with Kevin, and the two of us listened to Fred and Amanda in the back seat. They discussed some of the features of the encrypted earpieces the FBI planned to equip the key security staff with for the rest of their investigation. Fortunately, the concert hall wasn’t too far away and the traffic gods were kind to us. I met up with the band members, and had a quick practice run while the production staff got Amanda fitted with her stage dress. Everything went smoothly.
“Sounds great, Johnny. You’re gonna kill it with these new songs,” Kevin said after he thanked the production staff.
“Thanks.” I hopped off the stage and stood beside him. He had been a huge pain in my ass, but he was always one of my biggest champions. All the arguing and conflict had gotten in the way of being able to enjoy what mattered most to us both—the music.
There was an awkward pause as we both stood there, unsure of how to transition back to normal conversation.
“Everything looks good,” Fred said when he returned with Amanda. “I personally briefed the venue security. We have their full cooperation. I also got us two more FBI agents for tonight. They will sit in with the venue staff and monitor all video surveillance in real time. We’ll debrief the private security team later this afternoon. They’ll be prepared to help observe the audience, and be ready for anything. Jenney, Larry, Lucas and I will be offstage in case Amanda needs backup during the performance.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Kevin said, and we left the main hall to return home.
I hoped he was right.
Chapter Fourteen
Amanda
“How in the hell did I get talked into this?” I asked myself.