by Lacey Black
“The way you guys - especially Jase - are in the media right now? It’ll be ugly, guys. It’s hard to gauge how bad, but with Jase being in the public eye the way he is, everyone will be talking. Even if we can prove she’s lying, I’m afraid of the damage that will be done. Professionally and personally,” Phil responds with direct eye contact.
“So, what next?” I choke out. The thought that I’m going to have to put myself in the direct spotlight sickens me. The media are going to pounce on me. Everything. My personal life. My family. My past. It’s all going to become public and scrutinized in the worst way possible.
“My assistant is drafting a press release with Publicity right now. She’ll email it within the next few minutes and we’ll review it. Once we’ve both approved it, she’ll send it out to the major news sources. Publicity is also working on lining up some appearances for tonight and tomorrow with a few major networks on the east coast. We’ll get this squashed as quickly as possible, Jase.”
Phillip’s phone rings almost immediately after he finishes talking, and excuses himself to take the call. The guys all offer their encouragement, but I can see it in their eyes. They’re worried about me, but also their careers. This is their livelihood, too. This band is their life as much as it is mine. Suddenly, my decision to step back from touring for awhile takes on a whole new light. It’s not just me who is stepping away, I’m taking it all away from my band mates – my friends – too. Shit. Something I’ve never thought of before.
I excuse myself and step back into my room. I fire off another text message to my parents and my brothers telling them what I’m sure they already know. That these latest accusations are false and just a desperate publicity stunt by a desperate woman.
Then I call the one person I’m actually scared to call. What’s to keep Holly from tucking tail and running for the hills with these accusations? She doesn’t really know me yet, and to her, this could be a deal breaker. Hell, I wouldn’t blame her for running far, far away from me. Fuck.
I run my hand through my hair as I wait for her to pick up the phone. It rings five times before I hear her angelic voice.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” I say, exhaling loudly. Holly is quiet for a second, causing my heartbeat to skip and my breathing to pick up pace. “So, I imagine you’ve already seen the latest?” I ask.
“Yeah. Avery and I were just watching The Toni Shaw Show and they did some sort of dramatic breaking news thing.”
“It’s not true, Holly. I know we just met and you really don’t know me, but I would never do what she’s accusing me of. I would never flip out like that to the point of destruction. I would never intimidate a woman like that.”
“Why is she doing this?” Holly asks in a quiet voice.
“I have no clue, babe. Phil said she confirmed the break-up to the media and said I flipped out because of it. The truth is we broke up over the phone because I’m on tour. I haven’t seen her in almost three weeks. The last time was when she flew into Tulsa and we met up at a show. She left the next day to head to St. Thomas for a photo shoot. I knew it was over before she even left Tulsa, but because of my schedule, I didn’t get to talk to her and end it with her until last week. I swear on my mother’s life that I never freaked out on her like that.”
“I believe you, Jase. I know we just met and I don’t really know you that well, but I just…I just feel like you are someone I can trust.”
“You can trust me, babe. I promise. We’re working on getting this shit taken care of. I can’t ask you to stand by me while this shit-storm comes down on me. I wouldn’t blame you for taking off and never speaking to me again. I just pray like hell that you don’t. There’s something about you. I need you. And if I’m being completely honest, that scares the shit out of me. I’ve never depended on or needed anyone before, but the thought of not hearing your voice on the phone or seeing your beautiful face on my phone screen brings me to my knees. Holly, what the hell is happening to me?” I ask, sighing deeply, not able to camouflage the pure anguish in my voice.
“I don’t know what’s happening, Jase, but it’s happening to me too. I think about you all day and dream about you all night. You consume me. And that scares me, too,” she whispers.
“Fuck what I wouldn’t give to hold you in my arms right now. I would give a year of my life just for a few moments of holding you,” I tell her honestly.
“I’m not going anywhere, Jase. I’ll be right here waiting for you,” she tells me and its music to my damn ears.
“I promise I won’t let you down, Holly. I’m going to get this taken care of and come for you. You know that, right? I’m coming for you and when I see you next, plan on being tied up for a while. Maybe even literally,” I add with a chuckle.
Holly laughs and says, “Well, I can’t wait to see you.”
A knock sounds on the door and Phillip pops his head in, indicating that he wants me in the main seating area of the bus. “Listen, babe, Phil needs me so I better go. I will talk to you later tonight, okay?”
“Definitely. Bye, Jase.”
“Bye, babe,” I tell her before hanging up. I drop my phone in my pocket and head out to hear the latest from Phillip.
“Okay, here is the press release,” he says as he offers me a piece of paper. “We’re lining up a few interviews still, but this release is about to go nationwide. We’ll let everyone know that her accusations are fabricated and unwarranted, that you guys broke up via phone last week, and that you haven’t seen her in three weeks.”
“I had a phone full of text message and voicemails from her this morning. She was asking me what was going on and with each message she became more aggravated and hostile. By the last message, she’s the one who completely flipped her fucking lid.”
“Good, good. Don’t do anything with those message,” Phillip tells me.
“Well, I deleted most of them, Phil. After I started getting into them and she started to change her tune, I decided to save them. I have the last several. Plus, all the text messages.”
“That should still be good. We’re almost to Columbus, Ohio and we’re there for the night. We’ll arrange for the interview with the band first and then we’ll talk about the accusations at the end of the interview.”
“Sounds good,” I reply, rubbing my forehead as if trying to fight off the headache forming. “If you don’t need me anymore, I’m heading back to take a nap.”
“Fine. I’ll work on the questions for the press,” Phillip replies as he turns and heads back to the front of the bus to the table he uses as his makeshift office.
Once back in my room, I flop down on my bed, stretching out my long body. My shoulders are tense and it feels good to stretch out, but relaxing isn’t happening. Not right now. I contemplate calling Holly, again, just to hear her voice, but I don’t want to bother her again so soon. I’ll call her later. I opt to call the one woman who I can always talk about what’s on my mind without judgment and criticism. I grab my phone and call my mom.
Chapter Nine
Holly
I’ll be honest. Completely freaking honest. You ready? I am completely smitten with Jase Bentley. Not in a crazy fan-girl way, but in the crazy girlfriend way. We talk every night before he takes the stage and usually as soon as he can get away from the post-show festivities afterwards which tends to be very early in the morning. Every free moment I have at work, at home, in the car, wherever, I spend it with him. Via phone, of course. We’ve taken up SnapTalk this week, too. I never, ever would have thought I’d download that free app that all the teenagers use, but I definitely see the advantages of it lately.
It’s been a month since the Camille scandal rocked Jase’s life, but he’s handling it well. The press is split with half of them crucifying him and buying into Camille’s claims, wondering when he was going to enroll in anger management therapy, while the other half support him and are smearing Camille’s not-so-good, lip gloss covered name.
Camille sticks by h
er claims and when interviewed, even manages to turn on the waterworks as she recounts how scared she was and how she feared for her life during her rage-induced nightmare.
Jase did a handful of interviews both on television and on radio sticking to his side of the story. The one thing I’ve noticed though, his fans are still loyal. They still buy Bent tickets nightly. Concerts are still sold out and their music is flying off the shelves. America feeds off drama, doesn’t it?
I try to ignore the magazine covers in the grocery store, but it’s harder than I thought. Pictures of Jase and Camille from the past are plastered all over the cover of every major magazine and newspaper in America.
I find myself falling more and more for the man I’ve only seen in person for a very short period of time. He knows everything about me at this point, and I feel like I’ve gotten to know the real Jase. Not the man he portrays to the public. No. I see the sweet, gentle, loving man underneath his tattooed exterior. I hear his real life. I see his real smile. I know his true heart.
Tonight, I try to push all thoughts of Jase out of my mind. Tonight, I have a date. Not just any date, but dinner and a sleepover. Brooklyn will be here any minute for our one-on-one play date and sleepover. She’s been a fabulous big sister to Ryder, but Avery has felt that she could use some Aunt Holly one-on-one time without her two month old brother in the spotlight. So, that’s why I’m pulling out all the ingredients for Bean’s favorite chocolate chip muffins on a Wednesday night. I don’t have to work tomorrow and Bean doesn’t have preschool. So, tonight we’re having dinner wherever she wants, watching Grey’s Anatomy on Tivo, and snuggling on the couch.
I hear Avery’s vehicle pull in the driveway that I share with my neighbor a little after five. I hear the car doors open and close moments before my front door flies open and slams into the entryway wall. My favorite little blue eyed, blond haired five year old bounces into the room like she owns the place.
“Aunt Holly, I’m here,” she exclaims from the entryway.
“And she may have taken off a chuck of your drywall,” Avery hollers behind her daughter, stumbling in with an overnight bag and princess pillow.
“It’s fine. I know this handy cop that I can call to fix things like that,” I holler back from my kitchen.
“What are we doing, Aunt Holly?” Bean asks cheerfully from the entryway of the kitchen.
“We are going to make chocolate chip muffins, sweetie,” I say as Brooklyn jumps up and down with excitement.
“Really?! My favorite!” Brooklyn exclaims.
“Yes, really. Run in the bathroom and wash your hands, and we’ll get to work,” I tell her just seconds before she takes off down the short hallway.
“So, how’s McHotty Rockstar?” Avery asks with a sly grin.
“It’s a little weird that you call him that, you know?”
“It’s not weird. It would be weird if I said it to his face,” she replies.
“Yes, I imagine that would be weird…for you. He’s probably used to it,” I reply.
“So, how’s it all going? I thought for sure that whole Camille debacle would die down by now, but the stupid story seems to keep plowing, full steam ahead.”
“I know,” I reply with a sigh. “Jase is acting like everything is okay, but I know it’s bothering him. I can tell in the tightness of his voice when he talks about it, even though he tries to smile and tell me everything is fine.” I grab the hand towel and re-dry the counter tops so that I have something to do with my hands.
“When are you going to see him?” she asks.
“The tour has one more month, so I assume maybe then. He keeps saying that he’s coming here as soon as he’s done,” I confide in my best friend.
“And that makes you feel…what?” she asks.
“Happy. Elated. Excited. Take your pick. I don’t understand what’s going on with us, Ave. We talk so much that I had to up my data plan on my cell phone because I was hitting my limits halfway through the month. I’m just nervous, you know? I have all of these crazy feelings swarming around inside, and I don’t know what to do with them. Do you think this is rushed? Is this all too soon?”
“Too soon?” Avery asks with a chuckle. “I slept with Maddox on our first date. We were engaged two months later and married three months after that. I’m probably not the best person to tell you if this is all too soon or not,” she says.
“Yeah, but you and Maddox were practically in love before you went on your first date. Everything else was bound to happen.”
“Maybe, maybe not. The point is that only you and Jase can determine what is too soon and what isn’t. If it feels right, then go for it. You guys are on the phone day and night and have been for four weeks. You guys are becoming friends before lovers. If and when that happens - and I better be your first call with all the dirty details - only you can determine what’s next for you guys,” she says.
I think about her words for several seconds before she adds, “What are you nervous about?”
I choose my words carefully as I say, “What if he gets here and realizes that I’m nothing special? What if he gets here and realizes he made a mistake in wanting to be with me?” I say quietly.
“Impossible. You are the best person I know, Holl. You are funny and passionate and have a great fashion sense. Why do you think I steal your clothes all the time? Jase Bentley already worships you, and when he gets here, he’s not going to be able to let you go. I guarantee that great things are ahead for you and McHotty Rockstar,” Avery says with a beautiful smile.
I walk around the kitchen table and pull my best friend into a fierce hug. “I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you more,” she says, returning my squeezes. “And besides, if he hurts you, I’ll have Maddox and Jake arrest him for stupidity.”
I laugh at the thought of Maddox and Jake taking pride in torturing Jase. Poor Jase.
It’s just after eight o’clock, we’re neck deep in McDreamy, and we’ve consumed a half dozen chocolate chip muffins when my phone pings from the end table next to me. I look down at Brooklyn and notice her eyes are starting to glaze over as she continues to munch on popcorn on the couch. It won’t be long and she’ll be out cold for the night. I grab my phone quickly and smile when I see Jase’s name on the screen. It’s a text message.
Whatcha doing?
Grey’s with Bean. Girl’s night .You? I type out my reply and hit send.
It takes him several minutes to reply, but when he does, he sends a photo. I click on it quickly and stare down at his smiling face. I smile back at my phone for several lovesick seconds before I take in his surroundings. Just over his right shoulder is my neighbor’s bright blue fence across the street and over his left shoulder is my car.
As I slowly start to stand up, a knock sounds at the door. My heart stops. My mind blanks. My breath sucks in hard. Standing on the other side of my front door is Jase.
I release the lock, throw the deadbolt, and fling open the door. His smile could light a thousand homes with the wattage. He’s wearing worn jeans that fit him oh so right, and his trademark black t-shirt. We both stare at each other with big, goofy grins on our faces for what feels like forever. Eventually, Jase steps forward and places his right hand on my hip. Heat inundates my body at his touch. My mind floods with vivid recollections of my late night fantasies starring Mr. Jase Bentley. And now, the fantasy is standing right in front of me. It’s been thirty-two days, but he’s actually standing here.
I step forward as he gently tugs my hip towards him. His body is hard as I move into his embrace, wrapping my arms firmly around his waist. His other arm snakes around my back as we revel in the feel of each other.
After several heartbeats, Jase pulls back and runs his hand down the side of my face. I’m lost in his emerald green eyes as my breath comes out more of a little pant. Talk about the best kind of surprise.
“What are you doing here?” I finally ask.
“I needed to see you. I couldn’t sta
y away any longer,” he replies as he continues to stroke my face, his pointer finger dipping down and caressing my bottom lip. His eyes drop down and he stares at his finger and my lips. You can see the internal struggle he’s fighting as his eyes become stormy and intense.
Kiss me, I want to scream from the top of my lungs.
“I didn’t want our first kiss to be in public where anyone can see,” he whispers as he steps forward until he’s mere inches from my face. He’s losing the fight, I can tell, and I’m ready for him to concede.
“Aunt Holly? Who’s here?” Brooklyn hollers from her place on my couch.
We both freeze, eyes wide, with the realization that we’re really not alone.
“Who’s that?” he asks with a slight raise of the corner of his mouth.
“That’s my niece, Bean,” I tell him. “I’ll be right in, sweetie,” I holler over my shoulder. “Do you want to come in?” I ask, hopeful.
“I didn’t fly for two hours in my disguise, rent a car and drive for over an hour just to stand on your front porch,” he replies with that devilish smile.
“What’s your disguise?” I ask, again taking in the t-shirt that molds to his arms, his worn Levi’s, and his black boots.
He reaches down and pulls a dirty red baseball cap out of the side pocket on his duffle bag. He places it on his head, adjusting it until it sits low, covering his eyes.
“That’s your master disguise? My five year old niece could pick you out anywhere,” I tell him with an ornery smile.
“I didn’t say it was a good disguise,” he adds, feigning hurt, with a gentle flick of my nose.
“We better step inside before my neighbors start snapping pictures and selling them to the tabloids,” I tease and turn back towards my condo.
“Who dat?” Brooklyn says from the couch, pointing at Jase.
“This is my friend, Jase. He stopped by for a visit,” I tell her before turning towards Jase.
“Is he having a sleepover, too?” Brooklyn asks with big, innocent eyes.