by Seven Steps
Backstage passes hung from the necks of several girls and an older woman. They’d hunkered down near the food table, stuffing their faces with cheesy chips while eyeing him nervously. He saw the awe in their eyes as he walked over. Reveling in their excited expressions and little squeals of glee, he gave them hugs and kisses and posed for pictures. Normally, this would be his favorite part of the evening. These fans would support him until the end of his career if he treated them right.
His father always said that a successful musician needed two things, talent and loyal fans. Talent would only get you so far, he’d said, but dedicated, loyal fans would pay your bills forever.
He didn’t know how right he’d been.
Even through ups and down, good albums and bad ones, the Rocktards had always been there for him. In times of darkness, their letters, cards, and support kept him going. In times of light, he shined for them, trying his best to use his fame to give them a bit of joy in their otherwise mediocre lives. With special appearances, meet and greets, and video chats he did his best to make himself available to them. And if he couldn’t be there, he always sent a special gift in his stead. Some artists just said they loved their fans. Noah LaRock lived it. And God knew he loved the attention.
Tonight, however, he found himself distracted from his faithful followers. He scanned the room, searching for honey colored eyes in the crowd.
“Noah?”
The middle-aged woman, chaperone to the three girls, snapped her fingers to gain his attention. He posed, throwing up his arms in the classic LaRock stance.
After the camera flashed, one of the girls showed him a ‘Rocktard’ tattoo she had on her arm. The letters were written in cursive, the word surrounded by orange and blue flames. The same flames that branded most things Noah LaRock. The tattoo was fresh. She had to peel the bandage off to show him.
“Aren’t you a little young for that tattoo?” he asked her.
The girl’s eyes went to the overly excited chaperone. “My mom did it for me,” she said. “Besides, I’m older than I look.” The girl licked her lips and threw her head to the side. Her strawberry blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders.
“How old are you?” Noah asked, his gaze roving over the girl’s full figure.
“Fourteen.”
Noah cleared his throat, took a step back. He felt shame sweep over him. “Well, you stay in school, little ’tard. You can’t rock without an education.”
He gave her a side hug, felt her disappointment in it, then dismissed his followers in a hail of hugs and kisses.
They screamed, “Rocktards for life,” as they waved goodbye and made their way out of the green room. His eyes followed them as they walked under the arch of the door. There he found the one person he’d been searching for all night.
Cassie leaned against the doorframe, her eyes skimming over the crowd in search of an emergency.
Does she always stand there? he wondered.
Beneath her white lab coat, she wore fitted jeans and a blue t-shirt. Her hair wasn’t as big as it was yesterday. It seemed more curly than kinky.
Too bad, he thought. I liked it kinky.
Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself walking toward her.
She saw him approach. Her eyes widened and she turned her head, pretending to look around the room.
The act startled him. No one had intentionally ignored him in years.
Who did this girl think she was?
His pride was wounded. Women didn’t ignore Noah LaRock. His walking turned to stalking. He wouldn’t be overlooked, especially not by this woman who’d taken it upon herself to distract him in the first place.
How’d she do that exactly? he wondered.
He arrived next to her, placing one arm on the door above her head, intentionally trapping her.
She acknowledged him with a nod and continued to study the room. To the untrained eye, she seemed completely unaffected. But Noah was far from untrained. He saw the quickening of her breath, felt the heat coming off her body in waves. She tilted her neck ever so slightly, exposing her tender throat to him. He didn’t think she realized it, but it was a definite sign of interest, something women had been doing for as long as time was time.
It crossed his mind to devour her neck, to give her what her body craved, though her mind didn’t admit it.
He pushed the thought away and instead cleared his throat, put on his best smile, and said, “Do you always stand at the door?”
She didn’t look at him when she replied, “Yes.”
“Why don’t you come inside? There’s food.”
“No, thanks. I’m going to go back to the hotel in,” she pulled out her phone, then slid it back into her white coat, “two minutes.”
“Come on, I insist.”
He grabbed her hand, and her body immediately stiffened. At first he thought it was in anger, but as he led her across the room to the couches, her grip softened. Her fingers laid lightly on the back of his hand. Her walk eased. She was allowing him to lead her. He tried to ignore the tingles that raced through him at the thought.
Finally arriving at the couches, he let out a breath and let go of her hand. He missed her warmth as their fingers separated.
But why? he thought. I barely know this girl.
She smoothed down her coat and slowly leaned back to sit on the couch next to his recliner, the same recliner that he’d been sitting in since he started in this business.
“Hey, doc!” Dondo said.
Cassie smiled tightly. “Hey, Dondo.”
She looked around for her father, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“Cassie?”
She looked up at the girl who called her name, a tall, dark skinned girl with blue eyes and bone straight black hair down to her waist.
“Cassie Washington?”
The two girls locked eyes, then broke out into smiles.
“Kelly Manning!”
They hugged each other before interlocking their hands to exchange excited grins.
“You know each other?” Noah asked.
“We went to high school together in LA,” Kelly said. “We were best friends.” Kelly looked back at Cassie, her eyes frowning. “What happened to you? You graduated and fell off the map.”
“My mom moved us to Connecticut and I guess I was just trying to find my feet. I lost touch with everyone back home.”
“I called you. I called you a lot.”
“I know. I’m sorry about losing touch.” Cassie gripped Kelly’s hand, turning the conversation back to safer waters. “I’m in medical school now,” she said. “I got my nursing license, and now I’m going back to be a doctor.”
Kelly’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful. My parents and I left LA too. My dad got a job offer to run a hedge fund in Manhattan and here we are. Oh, Cassie, I missed you so much!”
The two women embraced again as the crowd around them discussed dinner, drinks, and nighttime excursions.
Noah’s attention didn’t waiver. Cassie was smiling for the first time since he met her. He leaned back in his recliner and enjoyed the sight.
“How did you get back here?” Cassie asked.
“Dondo spotted me in the crowd and asked me to come back.” She turned proud eyes to Dondo, who glanced her way. “He’s taking me out after. We’re going to talk about a recording contract.”
“A recording contract?” Noah asked. “Dondo?”
Kelly nodded her head vigorously, her eyes sparkling as she took in her king.
He wondered if the girl knew that she was in for a grave disappointment. Except for being Noah’s best friend, Dondo had zero connections in the music industry.
“That’s amazing,” Cassie said. “He’s a really great guy.”
“Is he? I hope so.”
Dondo tapped Kelly on the shoulder. “Ready to go, babe?”
She nodded, reached in her pocket, and pulled out a pen and paper. She scribbled something down and handed it to Cassie
.
“Here’s my number. Call me anytime. I’d love to get together.”
“Definitely.”
They exchanged hugs and said their goodbyes. Then Dondo grabbed Kelly’s hand, quickly pulling her out of the room.
Noah grinned, watching with pleasure as Cassie leaned back in her seat. “Look at you. Five minutes in the green room and you’re reconnecting with old friends.”
“Yeah, I guess. Kelly and I were so close. I’m sorry we lost touch.”
“It happens to the best of us.”
Cassie’s eyes wondered around the room, then settled back on Noah.
“I’d better go.”
“Why? It’s early.”
“My shift’s over. And this isn’t really my scene. The drinking and,” she gestured around the room, “women and such.”
He shrugged. “What did you expect on a Noah LaRock world tour?”
“I expected to stay on the other side of the door.”
He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. “Fair enough. I’ll walk you to your car.”
She waved him away. “No, that’s all right.”
“Nonsense.” He stood and led the way to the door. “The streets are covered with tourists and I do not want you molested.”
She stopped short, surprise stretching her face. “Guys and Dolls?”
His smile widened. “Guys and Dolls.”
She let out a small, approving huff and caught up with him in the corridor.
He kept his pace steady as he walked next to her.
“Cassie, I just want to say that I’m sorry again for what happened with your dad.”
“It’s okay. Really. I’ve been thinking about it and it’s not your fault. It’s his. He’s the one who left. You were just a kid with a dream. I shouldn’t have blamed you. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” He nodded. Though he heard her words, guilt still sat in his belly like a stone. “But I wanted to do something to show you how sorry I am for how things turned out. So, I’m sending you and Walter to have breakfast at LaRock’s tomorrow morning. I figured that you two could spend some time together, catch up.”
She gasped. “You mean your restaurant in Morris Township?”
“That’s why it was so easy to get reservations.”
“I heard that place is amazing!”
“I only hire the best.”
She shook her head, a small smile sliding across her lips. “You know, you didn’t have to do that.”
They arrived next to her car. He leaned against the door. “All I’m asking is that you give Walter a chance. Hear him out. He’s a really good guy.”
“I wish I knew him like you do.”
“Here’s your chance. Don’t lose out on an awesome future just to dwell on an awful past. You deserve better than that, Cas.”
She gave him a long, appraising stare.
He stood still, allowing her time to find what she had been searching for.
When she found it, she nodded. “Fair enough.”
She gestured to her car, and he moved out of the way, allowing her inside. She strapped on her seatbelt and rolled down the window.
Noah sighed. I wish she was going in my limo tonight. The confusing thought disturbed him, and just as quickly as it floated through his brain, he pushed it back out.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Noah said. “You can tell me how it went.”
He gave her a genuine smile and watched her melt a little. His pride given its proper due, he stepped back as she sped away, and hoped that he’d done enough to start to mend her heart.
Chapter 6
Cassie
New Jersey
John, Noah’s father, opened Bronners ten years earlier in his hometown of Morris Township, New Jersey. A ruined pastor, out of work musician, and failed businessman, John began the restaurant as a storefront take-out burger joint. It was on the verge of shutting down when Noah stepped in, turning the place into a world famous five-star restaurant and changing the name to LaRock’s. Unfortunately, John never got to see his only successful venture. A week before opening, he died from aggressive pancreatic cancer.
Cassie had never been to such a fancy restaurant, especially not for breakfast.
“It looks like a concert hall,” she said.
White silk curtains dressed the windows. The soft material gently waved in the air conditioned room. The walls were painted a soft green, the same color that accented the carpet and the chairs. High ceilings were decorated with gold fleur de lis. Large clear hanging tubes encased golden chandeliers, as if they’d been beamed down from some sort of luxury spaceship.
Walter sipped champagne out of a glass embossed with the letters LR. The entire restaurant had been reserved for the morning. Only the wait staff remained. “Noah spares no expense.”
Her eyes slid around the room, clearly impressed with what she saw. “I can see that.”
She looked for the waitress, wondering when her steak and eggs would arrive.
Sixteen years ago, Walter walked out on Cassie and her mother, choosing instead to dedicate his life to managing the great Noah LaRock. This year, he had come from hiding behind his bottomless checkbook and decided that he wanted a bigger role in her life.
She didn’t know what pushed him to want to reconnect now. Maybe he was getting old and sentimental? Maybe he was thinking about his future? Maybe he was just lonely? At any rate, when he offered Cassie the opportunity to be an on-staff nurse for Noah’s world tour, she’d accepted the position in hopes that it would draw them closer together. After earning her nursing licenses several years earlier, she was more than qualified. But for the last two months, they’d exchanged no more than awkward greetings and silences filled with things unsaid.
Maybe this was a bad idea, Cassie thought. Maybe he should just have stayed a checkbook.
Walter took another sip of champagne then cleared his throat.
“Look, Cassie, I know why Noah did this. And I know that I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I’m sorry.” Walters face squeezed tight, his eyes bloodshot and drooping.
Cassie was unmoved.
Walter pressed on. “There are so many things I wish I would have done differently.”
“Why didn’t you visit?” she demanded. “You left and never came home. Not for birthdays, Christmases, graduations, nothing.”
“I always sent something.”
“I wanted you, not a check!” Cassie’s voice went up an octave.
Walter sat back in his chair. “I know that now, and I’m sorry for it. You may not believe me, but it was painful for me too.”
“I doubt it.”
“It’s true. It was painful for me to see my family broken, upheaved. I loved you, and your mother, and I would have given anything for it to be different.”
“Why did you leave?” she asked, her voice beginning to crack with emotion. “Was it something I did, something that Mom did? What?”
Walter leaned back and placed his hands in his lap. “When your mother and I first got married, I didn’t have a pot to piss in. She was fresh from Ireland, working as a seamstress, and I took a job in a factory, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wanted to be in the music business. So, I started spending nights at the studio, working with artists, learning all I could. That brought in a little more money. I wasn’t home much, but I was living my dream. Then this opportunity came to me. This kid, this scrawny kid with an angel’s voice, needed to get his career off the ground. So, I dropped everything and worked with him, turned him into what he is today. I’d hoped that I could finally give you and your mother what you deserved. A nice house, a good, running car, plenty of food, new clothes. And I did. Noah got big, and the money started to flow.”
“And then you left.”
Walter nodded. “I did. I didn’t know that giving you and your mother the things you deserved would cost me so much. I’m sorry for that.”
“It hurt us when you weren’t around. Mama cried, I cried. Then
, one day, we stopped crying and started to move on.”
His eyes grew intense. “Please know that I never stopped loving you, or your mother. I just wanted to give you the best.”
“We didn’t need those things. We needed you.”
“I know that now.”
She nodded, wiped her eyes as their food was set before them.
“Do you think that we could start over?” he asked
Cassie nodded her head and focused on her plate. She cut a small piece of steak and popped it into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully.
“Time is a funny thing,” she said. “I don’t know about Mama, but as for me, I’m here.” She stabbed at her eggs with a fork. “I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t want to give this a chance.” She met his eyes. “To give you a chance. But you have to be willing to put in the work.”
“I am. More than you know.”
The tension eased a bit, and she took a breath.
The boy who had torn her family apart was now the man who had given her the first step to putting it back together.
She made a mental note to thank him.
Walter raised his glass. “To new beginnings,” he said.
She raised her orange juice. “To new beginnings.”
***
Cassie and her father parted ways at the hotel, sharing their first hug in a long time. It was awkward, but sweet nonetheless.
It’s a start, she thought with a smile.
Stepping into the elevator, she dialed her mother’s number.
“Hello.” Janice’s voice was soft, almost lyrical.
“Hi, Mama.”
“Oh, my Cassie girl. I was just praying for you.”
“Thank you, Mama.” She took a deep breath. “I had breakfast with Walter this morning.”
“Really?” Janice scoffed. “Did he stay for the whole thing or did he leave midway through the meal?”
Cassie chuckled and opened the door to her hotel room. Her mother always knew how to make her laugh. “No, Mama. We had a really nice talk. I think he’s ready to change.”
“Always on his terms. That’s Walter Washington for you. Just be careful, lass. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”