by TM Watkins
“Alright, Jerry. I’ll fly to Glasgow if you’re willing to pay for the flight and accommodation regardless of my decision.”
“Absolutely. I’ll email you the details once I’ve booked everything.”
As they said goodbye, Sam smiled to himself, wondering if it would have been better for him to book the flight and hotel room. Did Jerry know how to do it? Sam had no idea.
The guards guided everyone out of the building to the waiting limousine. Jerry wanted to talk to all of them about the phone call to Sam, but he wasn’t sure if Curtis would be coherent for the conversation.
“Gentlemen, please join me in my room for a meeting. Dominic, if you could bring Curtis in please?”
The man nodded, turning to find Curtis. Jerry waited by the open door while the four band members made themselves comfortable on the small lounge. Dominic brought Curtis in, sitting him on the edge of the bed.
“I rang Sam, and I intend on meeting with him when he gets here. I am going to beg him to come back, and if any of you don’t like it, then you can find another management team to look after you. After one day of doing his job, I’m fed up with all five of you. When I have convinced him to return, all of you will apologize to him, and then you will make a serious effort to behave yourselves. I don’t have anyone else to replace him so you will have to make amends and hopefully, we can get through this year without losing him again.”
“Wait a minute,” Curtis slurred.
Jerry turned with a mighty frown, not in the mood for any of their nonsense. He looked at Curtis who could barely keep his eyes open, Jerry wondered how he managed to perform when he was this messed up.
“When did Sam leave?”
“In London.” Jerry returned.
“We’re in the UK again? When did that happen?”
Jerry sighed softly, feeling his heartbreak. Curtis was getting worse, and as much as he tried to escape, there was always something that dragged him back down.
His eyes rolled back, slowly Curtis fell back and slumped on the bed.
With a frustrated huff, Jerry checked Curtis, rolled him onto his side and ensured that he was okay.
“Alright, this is how we are going to deal with this little nightmare. I will find a counselor to come on tour with us. In the meantime, you,” Jerry said, glaring at Jaxon. “You will be on him like a fly on shit.”
“Why me?” He snapped.
“Because you are the reason that Sam is not here.”
“It wasn’t completely me.”
His eyes darted to Fraser who was frowning at him, ready to take him down if he ratted him out.
“Alright then. You can all take turns. One of you is to be with him constantly. I mean every single damned second, your eyes need to see him. If you have to go to the bathroom or shower, you have to find a replacement.”
“What about sleep?”
“I’ll find a minder for that. You guys are on daytime babysitting duties while the minder sleeps. And I mean eyes on him. No alcohol at all. You’re all on a booze ban.”
They all protested, and Jerry gestured to Curtis angrily.
“Look at him.” He snapped harshly. “He has no control. We are all that he has in this world, we are the only goodness left in his life, and we are not helping him, are we? You will do what is right for him, and you will make it easier for him to become dry.”
A phone rang, Jerry searched for the noisy thing, finding that it was coming from Curtis’s pocket. He pulled it out and saw mom written on it.
“And this is the other demon that needs to be dealt with. Whoever is looking after him has possession of his phone. He is not to speak to his family on his own, if he insists on talking to them, then the call is to be put on loudspeaker. If it gets negative, the call is to be ended. Is that clear?”
They nodded, a somber look shrouding their faces. Each and every one of them knew that the relationship Curtis had with his parents was toxic. He was better off without them.
Jerry discarded the call and tucked the phone into his pocket. He stalked to the dining table and opened up a new email. One quickly typed an email to El asking her to make a few changes, Jerry ensured that all of their rooms were alcohol-free. He picked up the phone and called the front desk and requested another room for their entire stay here, hoping that Sam would agree to come back.
Opening the airline website, Jerry frowned at the options.
“That one there.”
Jerry looked at the finger that pointed at the screen, slowly his gaze lifted to Fraser. The man always had a stern look on his face, almost like he was overthinking something.
“It will get pokey to Glasgow before the show, we can pick him up on the way.”
He didn’t think that Fraser would willingly help to get Sam back, but he had. Jerry was bewildered but grateful. Clicking on the flight details, Jerry quickly sent Sam a message, asking him if he could get to the airport within an hour. It was possible, provided Sam was willing.
Chapter 11
Sam hesitantly walked up the steps of the bus, gripping the shiny metal pole for support. Usually, he didn’t need it, but today, it felt like his legs were going to give out from under him. Anxiety filled him, the dread festering in his stomach. He wanted a fresh start if he was going to come back, but Sam worried that nothing will have changed.
As much as he liked the way that the boys were, there were times when it was too much. He could get past what they’d done with the naked photo of him so long as there weren’t any more incidents. Sam was lucky that his parents would never see it and Greta didn’t care.
They had talked about it, and Greta told Sam that he should go back on tour for the rest of the year. Even after a day, she could see that his disposition had changed. He was happy, but it was a different kind of happy. Sam looked lost even though he had so many things that he could have done. He was a tourist in London, he had a gorgeous girl by his side, and still, he looked like he was missing something.
He knew it was the reason that Greta put her own feelings aside and told him to follow his heart. They would cool things down, take the year and maybe pick things up at the end. Their details were exchanged, they’d keep in contact.
After a day of knowing her, Sam couldn’t say what he felt. They’d essentially broken up but weren’t really anything to begin with. The term relaxed when used with long-distance relationship was an out for both of them. He’d been given permission to do whatever he wanted and in return, Greta could too. It was a risk that she’d be happy with someone else by the time they met up again but there wasn’t anything that he could do about it. She’d suggested it which made Sam think that maybe she wasn’t really into him.
Jerry was first in the line of people to greet him. It might have been too much for a hug, but Jerry was an affectionate kind of guy. Moreover, he was really happy to see him. Sam winced as he was crushed into the hug, the heavy hand slapping on his back.
“Good to see you again.”
“It’s been one day.”
“A very long day,” Jerry said dryly.
“Walked a mile in my shoes?”
Jerry nodded with a reluctant smile pressed into his lips. Yes, he’d walked that path and no, it wasn’t easy.
The bus began to move, Jerry gripped the edge of the table as he turned to the end of the aisle. Four of the band members were waiting, behaving themselves. The fifth was still in the lounge, now snoring.
“I see Curtis had a good night.”
“Yes,” Jerry hummed with derision. “We have rules in place now, I’ll bring you up to speed once I’ve won you over.”
Sam sighed as they sat at the dining table.
“Jerry,”
“Sam, I know. They’re little shits but hell, I need you. I’m not trying to guilt you into this, but I can’t cope by myself, and there is no one to replace you. Well, one girl who is eighteen and eager to put five notches on her belt.”
For a few minutes, Jerry regaled Sam with the detail
s of the interview. He said that she was a bright young lady with grand aspirations for her future. The interview had gone reasonably well, and Jerry was almost ready to agree to her placement as their assistant. That was until he asked her what she thought of Night Fire. The very second that she gushed her love for them, the brakes in his mind slammed hard, and the realization that she would cave to their demands and desires smashed his plans into oblivion.
Sam nodded, pressing his lips tight with a grim smile. He’d like to say that he was surprised but he wasn’t. It was easy to become enamored by these five guys, they were fun, a little crazy and good looking.
“So, you can understand why I’m reluctant to bring her on board. What can I do to convince you?”
He wondered how much he could push Jerry, how much he could extract out of the tour fund. But that wasn’t the way that he worked. Sam Easton was not a greedy man, not when the perks of this job were so good. He got to eat for free, his accommodation and transportation were all paid for, phone, laptop, and internet was included, and even after all that, they paid him rather generously.
But, he had to save face too. They had to realize that he could not be walked over and that there were consequences to their actions. Sam didn’t want a repeat performance.
He glanced up the aisle of the bus, four of the band members were waiting for Jerry to let them approach. There had been a lot of warnings, but the biggest was that they had to stay put until Jerry called them over.
“I’m fine with returning Jerry.” He said in a low voice. “I’m happy to ride this year out for as long as I can, but I don’t see how I can do that when there is no respect. Would they dare do that to you?”
Jerry shook his head, understanding where Sam was coming from.
“Is it because of the age? Is it because you were the one made them into what they are today?”
“Now Sam, you were there almost from the start. It was only a few weeks into their stardom, but it could be considered from the beginning.”
“So, what do I have to do to ensure that they treat me the same way? What I do, I do for them.”
He nodded, raising a hand.
“Hold that thought.”
Jerry turned around and frowned at the four coherent men, wishing that the fifth wasn’t passed out.
“Come here please.”
The four of them lumbered down the aisle, dumping themselves into the bench seat that sat opposite the dining table.
“Continue Sam.”
He hesitated, looking at Jerry with a lot of panic.
“You said, what do I have to do to ensure that they treat you the same way they do me.”
“Yeah.”
The whole line of thought had disappeared, Sam was lost and struggling to remember what he wanted to say. This was his flight from London to Glasgow, mulling over the angry thoughts and what he wanted to say. Now that he was here, he had nothing.
“Maybe I can start off,” Jerry said tersely, his gaze turning to the band.
“What he does, he does it for you because he wants you to be great. He gets up earlier than any of you ever have done, he makes sure that your days begin with as much ease as possible. Waking you up, helping you get ready, ensuring that your possessions are not stolen by the groupies that you insist on bringing back to your hotel rooms. He checks their phones to make sure there are no pictures of you that would cause damage to your careers. Then he gets you into the waiting vehicle that takes you to the gig, interview or airport. There are five of you, and he does it without complaint, and he does it well. You are not easy by any means, I’ve done it for one day, and I can attest to that.”
Jerry’s finger thumped on the table as he thought about how much Sam did for them and how little these boys saw.
“He puts up with your antics, and for most of the time, it’s done with a sense of humor. If you want something, he does his damnedest to get it for you. Austin, where did you go in London?”
“The eye.” He murmured.
“Do you think that I would have let you do that?”
Austin shook his head because he knew the truth and, he knew Sam’s worth. If anything, he was grateful that he had very little to do with Sam’s departure. Yes, he’d got the handcuffs and the mask, but that was his limit.
“And what about the time that Jaxon found himself in,”
“Okay,” Jaxon snapped, his cheeks flushing. “We get it.”
Jerry smirked, that little tale was something that he didn’t want the world to know. He’d gotten so drunk that he had wandered off from the group and thought that he’d found himself a pretty lady to have fun with. The woman was, in fact, a man who didn’t like that he wasn’t getting the fun time that Jaxon had promised. Sam told Jerry that it was really obvious and Jaxon should have known, that is if he wasn’t drunk. He alleviated the situation, yet again helping Jaxon.
Jerry’s eyebrows raised at the men, trying to gesture that they needed to speak. Austin was the first, mostly because he liked Sam. He didn’t want him to go anywhere, even if he was a pain in the ass.
“I think you’re a valued team member Sam. Can I go now, daddy?”
Jerry narrowed his eyes at Austin. Relenting, he flicked his hand. Austin stood, murmuring that he’d check on Curtis.
“We are sorry Sam.” Evan began, nudging Fraser.
“Yeah, it was a bit of fun that got out of hand. Sorry dude.”
It was his turn to nudge Jaxon, with a soft huff, Jaxon grimaced.
“We didn’t want you to go, we love you pokey.”
Sam was grateful but thought that the offer of love was a little farfetched.
“Thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate it.”
Jerry flicked his hand again, telling them they could go.
“So, you’re back?”
“Yes, Jerry. I am back.”
Something caught Jerry’s attention, he turned and saw Austin who was dragging Curtis up the aisle. With a heavy sigh, Jerry stood from the table and moved to join them.
Evan and Fraser returned to the back of the bus, the loud gunfire from the game they were playing echoed down the aisle.
While Jerry was dealing with Curtis and helping him look refreshed enough to venture out of the bus and into the view of the public, Sam tipped his head at Jaxon. If there was ever a ringleader of the pranks, dares and the competition, it was him.
“Pokey.”
“Jaxon.”
“No more Mister Ryan?”
“I’m not here on business.”
Jaxon grinned darkly, he knew why Sam was here.
“Well, step into my office.”
His hand turned out to the lounge. He’d been sitting on the lounge behind the driver with the intention of continuing his work on the bands next number one song.
Sam glanced up the aisle, the door to the bathroom was open. Austin was leaning on the frame, watching Jerry who was in the small room with Curtis. He mindlessly thought that it was going to be a long year if Curtis didn’t sober up soon.
Sitting down, Sam took a deep breath in and sighed heavily.
“Yes, you can return to the game, and yes you can keep that little minx that you managed to score at the gig.”
Jaxon leaned forward to whisper.
“You’re far behind us pokey, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
“Who is in the lead?”
He twitched his nose with derision, wondering if Austin was going to win again. It didn’t surprise him in the slightest, the girls swooned over Aus.
“Aus, again.”
Sam chuckled, finding it funny.
“He’s up by two, so the gap isn’t wide. Yet. This is how it started last time.”
“Do you realize how he creates that gap?”
He didn’t want to give away Austin’s game plan but hell, it was obvious.
“Yeah, has at least two every time.”
“Do the same, you might tie with him. What happens in a tie? You never told me.”
Jaxon shrugged.
“Joint winners, I guess.”
His gaze lifted, Sam turned and saw Jerry walking towards them. Flicking his head as he sat down, Jerry called Sam over.
“I’ve called for a minder to watch him during the night. They can sleep on the bus during the day.”
Sam looked at the area, wondering how the poor person would find any sleep with this lot.
“The bigger bus is coming earlier than scheduled. In the meantime, we’re taking turns in watching him. El has emailed hotels to ask them to remove the alcohol. I think it would be wise to make a confirmation call before we get to each one.”
He nodded, writing it on his to-do list.
“All their rooms are to be alcohol-free, I don’t want him to come in contact with a single drop. They have been told to help out, this is supposed to be a family and his brothers can be the support that he needs.”
Sam glanced at Jaxon who was quietly picking at his guitar. The sharp gaze lifted, a solemn look passed between them.
“Curtis is to be watched every single second. He needs a whole lot more than this, but it will have to do until I can get something more permanent for him.”
“He needs help, real help.”
“I know,” Jerry said woefully. “We can drag a therapist around Europe I suppose. How much do you think that will cost?”
“A lot.”
But it would be worth every cent. Would it help Curtis? Probably not but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try.
Jerry leaned to one side, pulling out two phones and dumping them on the table. One Sam recognized as his own, the other he knew belonged to Curtis.
“Whoever is watching him has ownership over the phone to screen the calls and messages. If he is insistent on speaking with them, then it is on loudspeaker, and if it turns ugly, the call is to be ended.”
“I wish they’d leave him alone. Why can’t they be happy for him?”
“They’re jealous.”
Sam and Jerry turned to the quiet one in the corner. Jaxon shrugged, his gaze lifting from the strings of his guitar to the men who were watching.