by Raine Thomas
“Ah,” he echoed her earlier sentiment. “What did you think of it?”
“It was excellent. I’m dying to see next week’s episode already. That’s the problem.”
Glancing over at her, he asked, “How is that a problem?”
“It’s hard to explain. I don’t like how the show is portraying Lily. Or how it’s casting doubt on Lily and Archer’s relationship.”
He nodded. “Got it. That’s all staged.”
She gave him a dubious look. “It sure seemed real when Archer and Keith got into it over Nikki flirting with Archer and her basically saying Keith was runner-up in her choice of love interests. And the shouting match between Lily and Archer when she found out about it didn’t look staged.”
“Yeah. All staged.” He swallowed his candy. “Well, not the part where Nikki acted all lovesick over Archer. That part really happened. She was really hung up on Arch and none of us had a clue. Lily scripted the rest of it.”
Rosemary’s eyebrows lifted. “The producers don’t care that it’s staged?”
“Not sure they know,” he admitted. “Even if they do, the show is bringing in stellar ratings. That’s all they care about.”
“Wow. Well, based on what I’ve seen so far this has been a rather volatile tour.”
“It’s had its moments. The show is creatively edited. A lot of what has aired is being shown out of order to add more drama.”
“Hmm.” She ate another Milk Dud as she considered that. “I haven’t seen as many cameras hovering around you guys as I expected.”
“You haven’t been with us traveling between publicity appearances yet. All of our rooms have cameras and mics in the common areas, as does the bus. They’ve started pre-wiring our green rooms in the non-dressing areas and you probably saw them at the after-party. That’s how they’re getting a lot of their footage. They’ve got the same setup with Suddenly Something. If Lily and Archer go off anywhere, they usually have a camera operator with them. Most of the rest of us get a break from that.”
“Which explains how you’re able to sneak out every night?”
“It’s not sneaking so much as exercising my right to privacy.”
She grinned. “Of course.” She shook a few more candies into his outstretched hand. “I just wish Lily wasn’t such a villain on the show. She’s nothing like how she’s portrayed.”
Sage grunted in agreement. He and the rest of the band felt the same way.
“I don’t know what it says that people want to watch the show structured like it is rather than the truth,” Rosemary went on. “Surely there’s enough drama without having to fabricate more.”
This time he made a noncommittal sound. The truth was, the only real drama generated in the early days of the show involved Lily. In particular, scenes with Lily and her family.
Sage didn’t know a whole lot about Lily’s family, but he knew enough. He knew she had largely been raised by her Uncle Ray rather than by her mother. The entire viewing audience of House of Archer had witnessed the exchange between Lily and her mother that ended in Lily receiving a resounding slap. It didn’t take a calculator to put two and two together. Lily hadn’t had a happy childhood.
Which meant the same for Rosemary.
He wasn’t about to delve into that discussion unless Rosemary brought it up. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable or dig up skeletons she wanted to keep buried.
“And what about that fight between you and Noelle?” she asked.
“Staged.”
“I wondered. You two seem close.”
“We are. She’s my best friend.”
“That’s nice,” she said in a tone that told him she meant it. “Did you first meet when the band formed?”
“Yeah. We met at auditions.” He smiled in recollection. “She was this blue-haired sprite sitting among all of these male drummers. That and her young age made her stand out.”
“Weren’t you all young back then?”
“Sure, but she was the youngest at fifteen.”
“Wow. She must have pretty understanding parents.”
“She does. They’re the best.”
He thought back to the first official band meeting after they’d formed. Noelle had invited everyone to have dinner with her parents, Poppy and Joe. They hadn’t been expecting to find her parents in the parking lot of the recording studio where they had held their meeting. They learned that Poppy and Joe lived a Bohemian lifestyle in an RV and that they enjoyed traveling the country. Even now, they occasionally met up with the band while on tour to spend time with their daughter.
That first day, they had all sat out in the parking lot eating barbecue chicken fresh off Poppy’s grill. It was one of the most fun and carefree days of Sage’s life. He’d felt an instant bond with not just his new band mates but Noelle’s parents. Sometimes he thought Poppy and Joe had known from that first day how much he needed someone like them in his life.
“Elle is really close with her family,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always envied, even though her parents and younger brothers treat me like part of their family.”
He felt her gaze on him and wondered if she was about to press him for more details about his own family. Part of him hoped she did because that part of him wanted her to be interested in learning more about him. The other part hoped she wouldn’t because he had his own skeletons he chose to keep buried.
“I can understand that,” she said at last. “When I first started hanging out with my friend, Monique, in high school, I was struck by the relationship she had with her mother. Don’t get me wrong, Ines is a tough cookie. She doesn’t show all of the mushy maternal love you read about in Hallmark cards. But she loves her children more fiercely than anyone I’ve ever met. She would never dream of hurting them and she will do anything to support them.”
Sage interpreted what she didn’t say: that her own mother hadn’t been that way. He knew she had surmised the same about him from what he’d told her.
“After a year or so of spending time with Monique, I sort of just became a part of their family,” she continued. “When I was old enough, Ines gave me my first job. It hasn’t been easy working for her because she expects a lot from us, but we know we’re working with the best in the business because she expects the same from herself.”
“It sounds like you’re right where you should be.”
“I am. And if I’m lucky, I’ll work my way up to partner in the near future.”
“I have no doubt you’ll do just that.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
They held each other’s gaze for a moment. She looked away first, focusing on shaking the last of the candy into her hand. He found himself disappointed and didn’t know why.
“Anyway,” she said as she reached over to place a couple of the Milk Duds in his hand, “I’ve come to believe that finding people with whom you can truly be yourself and find acceptance is more valuable than having a perfect birth family. I mean, haven’t you ever met someone and felt an undeniable connection?”
Sage wondered if she was referring to non-birth family members or to the connection between them. Either way, he issued a quiet, “Yes.” It was the way he’d felt since he first knocked her to the ground.
“Me too,” she said just as quietly.
Again, an intangible moment passed between them. This time, he was the one who looked away. This conversation was turning more serious than he’d anticipated. For the first time, it occurred to him that he might be sending Rosemary mixed signals.
Hell, he knew he was. His own brain’s signals had been crossed for days now. He had to straighten this out before things got even more muddled.
“I felt that connection when I first met my girlfriend, Kaila,” he said, keeping his tone mild.
Rosemary’s expression revealed only interest rather than disappointment. Maybe he’d been wrong about her interpreting any signals as possibly romantic. He should feel relieved that he hadn’t unintentionally hu
rt her feelings.
He did feel relieved, he told himself.
“We met in high school,” he said when she didn’t prod him. “We’ve been together since we were sixteen.”
“That’s wonderful,” Rosemary said with another of her sincere smiles. “Such a sweet story. You don’t hear many like that anymore.”
“Yeah.” He had often thought the same.
“Is she working?”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought maybe she had a job that wouldn’t allow her to tour with you.”
For some reason, the heat of embarrassment spread along the back of his neck. “Kaila’s a photographer. Specializes in wildlife.”
Rosemary smiled. “What a cool job! So she’s traveling then?”
He cleared his throat. “Well, she’s traveling, but not for work. It’s...complicated.”
“I see. I’m sorry, Sage.”
Now he knew why he’d felt embarrassed. He was admitting that Kaila was choosing not to participate in the tour even when she could spare the time.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he said, avoiding her gaze. “Kaila and I came to an understanding when I joined The Void. We were young and just graduating high school. She wanted to pursue her photography and I was focused on helping the band get going and working on my B.A. It just made sense to keep things casual.”
At least it had to Kaila, but he didn’t say that.
“So, she’s your girlfriend but you see other people?” Rosemary guessed.
“Something like that.”
He sensed her studying him and somehow knew she had reasoned out the truth. Kaila was the one who saw other people.
Until recently, he had convinced himself that he understood her need to spread her wings and find herself. They loved each other and he convinced himself that was enough. He had settled for accepting the time and energy that she was willing to commit to their relationship. It hadn’t mattered that his band mates thought he was nuts. His heart belonged to Kaila. He would do anything to make her happy.
Seeing Lily and Archer’s relationship progress from friendship to future marriage over the past six weeks had changed something in Sage, however. Despite what aired on House of Archer, their love for each other was unquestionable. They were fully committed to each other. He knew that no matter how many of Archer’s adoring fans threw themselves at him, his heart would never be turned.
That had planted the seeds of discontent in Sage’s mind. Watching Keith fall for Sydney had watered those seeds and given them roots.
Keith Connors was what one could call hardened. His approach to women had always been, at best, indifferent. Even when Keith had been with Nikki, Sage knew his heart wasn’t in it. That relationship had developed more from Keith’s disinterest in dealing with persistent groupies than from genuine interest in Nikki.
Sydney had changed everything. Sage knew something was up early on when he watched her and Keith together. Theirs was an unconventional pairing, but Sage didn’t doubt its strength any more than he did Lily and Archer’s.
That’s what had finally made him acknowledge his discontent. If someone as aloof about love as Keith Connors could commit himself to a woman, why couldn’t Kaila commit herself to him?
So Sage had issued her an ultimatum two weeks ago: commit to him or end it.
Now he lived every day in agonized anticipation, waiting for the woman he loved to either tell him she felt the same way or slay him by saying she wouldn’t fully give her heart to him.
“I’m getting the sense that you’re not quite as happy as you once were about the casual nature of your relationship,” Rosemary said, pulling him back to their conversation.
“Yeah.”
“That’s admirable, Sage. Kaila’s lucky to have someone like you. I think you should just tell her how you feel.”
He shifted in his seat. “Actually, I did. I’m currently waiting for her response.”
She reached over to give his hand a gentle squeeze. It felt like she was squeezing his chest, constricting his heart. For the life of him, he couldn’t make himself pull away.
“That must be hard,” she murmured.
For a number of women, the concern she showed could be a ploy to try and tempt him. He felt he knew Rosemary enough to gauge that she was merely offering him comfort.
“It is hard,” he confessed. “I’ve spent seven years viewing photos of Kaila with other guys on social media as she travels the world. Of course that bothers me, but it isn’t like she hasn’t been transparent in what she needs for our relationship to work. She’s even encouraged me to explore relationships with other women. She says she feels that we’ll both fully know how we feel about each other once we’ve seen what else is out there.”
“That’s...” Rosemary trailed off, her forehead furrowing. “Well, I suppose that could be healthy for some couples.”
Which he knew was a PC way of saying she thought the idea was idiotic. It almost made him smile.
“You never have, though, have you?” she surmised.
His humor faded. He didn’t reply. Thankfully, she didn’t push him.
“Do you think if you do what Kaila wants and, uh, explore other options, she might give you the commitment you want?” she asked.
There was no better time to bring up the subject he’d been avoiding since Noelle mentioned it. So he went against his better judgment and shared his best friend’s plan to get Kaila’s attention. Rosemary listened without interrupting, her expression never changing.
Rather than dismiss the idea outright like he expected, she seemed to give it careful consideration. “So you’d give the impression of exploring your options without really doing it,” she said.
Now he did smile over her continued use of the phrase “exploring his options” over the more overt “cheating.” She knew how to toe the line by not using inciting terminology. That probably came from her work with engaged couples.
“That’s the idea.”
She nodded. “Call me crazy, but I believe that people who love each other should do whatever it takes to preserve that love. If you think this is what it will take to get Kaila’s commitment, maybe you should make the attempt.”
He couldn’t mask his relief. He’d been worried that she would judge him for even considering this plan, which was why he had stopped himself from mentioning it to her that first night together outside of her hotel room. Her vote of support was reassuring. Now came the tricky part.
“Will you make the attempt with me?” he asked.
“What?”
He read genuine surprise in her expression. Had she really not sensed that this was where he was going by having this conversation?
“I’m hoping you’ll help me with this,” he said, wincing when he heard the imploring note in his tone. Was he that desperate?
He supposed he was.
“Sage, I really want you to have the relationship with Kaila that you hope to have. But I’ve been building my reputation in the wedding industry and working towards this partnership. You’re talking about featuring me on a reality show and in the media.”
God, she was right. What had he been thinking, asking her to throw all caution to the wind for a guy she’d known for three days?
“You’re right,” he said. “I’m—”
“Could it be done in a tasteful way?” she interrupted. “Something that won’t make me look like a man-stealing slut?”
Gratitude rushed through him. She was going to do it.
“Of course,” he assured her. “Just some hand-holding and maybe some kissing to make it look good for the cameras.”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth in another show of thought. His eyes lowered to her mouth and stayed there for an extra-long beat. When he felt his body reacting, he quickly looked back up into her eyes and reminded himself the kissing would be just for show.
“Would you put in a good word with Noelle about Petit Planning?” she asked at l
ast. “I’d love to plan her wedding.”
He smiled, relieved that he could offer her a mutually beneficial term to this agreement. “I’ll do more than that. I’ll hire you as her wedding planner as my wedding gift to her and Mandy.”
Rosemary returned his smile and held out a hand. “Deal.”
He took her hand and shook it. There was no denying the spark he felt when they touched. It had been that way from the first time he helped her to her feet in the concert venue’s hallway. He chalked it up to them having the connection she mentioned...like family.
Yeah, that was it.
As he pulled his hand away from hers, he wondered why he wasn’t happier that she had agreed to do this with him. They would be helping each other achieve their goals. It was a good plan that should make him want to celebrate.
Yet he couldn’t shake the sense that this experience wouldn’t leave either of them feeling the same way about each other once the tour came to an end.
Chapter Nine
The Void’s time in Nashville was even more hectic than usual as they geared up for the release of “Not Mine.” They had put much more effort and money into promoting this release than any of their other singles, knowing they were poised for success with House of Archer and Lily’s strong social media presence behind it. Archer had to believe this would be their best release ever. It was only fitting the song had been inspired by Lily.
The past two days had been a whirlwind of promotional appearances, meetings and a few filming sessions with the producers of the “Not Mine” video, carefully planned “leaks” of clips of the song to tempt listeners, and even a sneak peek of the song at one of their Nashville concerts a couple of days ago. Phone footage of the song from the concert—filmed by Lily—had gone viral within an hour. The last Archer had seen, the views were over two million and climbing.
Now the day had finally arrived. Today was the official release of “Not Mine.”
It had gone live at midnight. Archer had been battling an enormous case of nerves all day, wondering how the sales were going. He was now waiting with Lily and his band mates for word from Christopher, who was working on getting some preliminary sales data. The Top 100 charts wouldn’t officially be updated until the following day but their manager had connections.