Risk Worth Taking: Music For The Heart - Book Three

by Faith Starr

  “About?”

  “About you and me being together again.”

  “I’m assuming I don’t have her blessing?”

  His displeasure made me feel worse. I pulled into a small shopping center and parked the car, too riled up to continue driving.

  “I don’t really care. I’m so tired of trying to please my parents. Nothing I do is good enough for them.”

  “Where are you now?”

  I glimpsed at the stores in front of me. “Parked in front of Bed, Bath & Beyond.”

  “Why don’t you go to my place?”

  “It’s okay. I’ll call Eric and go to his.”

  “No. Go to mine. My neighbor has a key. I’ll give him a heads-up you’re coming to get it.”

  “It’s not the same without you there.”

  “Fuck, babe. That’s sweet.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Seriously, go to my place. I don’t care if you stay there until I get back. Hell, I’d love it if you did. That would mean you’d be there when I get home.”

  “I can’t hide out in your house. I have to face my parents.”

  “Whatever you want, but the invitation is out there. Let me know if you change your mind so I can have my neighbor give you the spare key.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate the offer. How’s Hollywood?”

  “It’s New York, babe. We’re on a lunch break.”

  “How’s the actress?” I hated to sound so infantile and jealous.

  “You’re much prettier.”

  Finally I could smile. “Thanks, smooth talker.”

  “What? You are. Listen, the director’s calling for me. I’ll give you a call after we wrap up for the day.”

  Why did that seem too long to wait?

  Knowing Eric would be at work, I called anyway. He told me to go to his apartment and wait for him. I had a key to let myself in. First I stopped by my house to get some clothes. I told Eric I wanted to spend the night. He informed me he had a date later but didn’t mind if I crashed there. I figured I’d rather hang at his place alone than at mine with my parents.

  My mother tried calling me again, but I didn’t answer. When my father called, I did.

  “You can’t just pick up and leave work because you’re upset. Behave responsibly. We have a lot of patients to see, and now your mother is stuck up front instead of taking care of her own work in the back office.”

  I should’ve figured he’d call to reprimand me rather than ask about my emotional well-being. I had never once called in sick, at his beck and call any and every time he or my mother asked for help. So he could take his explanation about me behaving responsibly and shove it up his ass.

  “If Mom didn’t upset me, I wouldn’t have left. If she wants to keep our business and personal lives separate, she shouldn’t bring up personal shit at the office.”

  “Language. Please show some respect.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be in on Monday.”

  “Mom tells me Logan’s back in the picture.”

  Of course she did.

  “Yes, he is.” My inner child had her boxing gloves on, ready to fight and defend.

  “I see.”

  The front door opened, and Eric strolled in. I held up a finger, so he’d know to give me a minute. He set his stuff on the kitchen counter and plopped on the couch next to me.

  “Dad, I’m hanging out with Eric. Is there anything else you need?”

  “Yes, for you to get your head out of your ass and grow up. You’re behaving like a child.”

  Such harsh words. How dare he!

  “What a horrible thing to say. I’ve always been reliable and dependable so let’s stop with the insults.”

  “I don’t appreciate your attitude.”

  “I’m sorry to have to say this, but I’m not a little girl anymore. Why can’t you accept that?”

  Eric’s eyes went wide. I shook my head, letting him know I had run out of patience with this nonsense.

  The problem I faced was that my father allowed me to work around my school schedule. Every semester it changed. Some of my classes were only offered at certain times of the day. He never complained, telling me my education should come first. I kept reminding myself I wouldn’t be his employee forever. I simply had to bide my time, but it became more difficult as the seconds ticked by. I didn’t know how much longer I could remain sane living under his and my mother’s roof.

  “I know you’re not a child. Please don’t speak to me in such a condescending tone. Case in point, when you behave like one, I treat you as such. And right now, you’re acting spoiled. You had a tizzy because you didn’t agree with what your mother said to you, so you threw a fit and left work. That’s both irresponsible and childish.”

  “I’m sorry I left you in a bind.” I said what he wanted to hear in an attempt to get him off my case. Plus, I knew part of his accusation was true.

  “Thank you for taking personal responsibility for your actions. I understand you’re an adult. I’m not trying to baby you. But while you’re living under our roof, your mother and I would appreciate if you gave us a heads-up about your comings and goings. We don’t want to worry at night if you don’t come home. All I’m asking is that you show us some respect. Fair enough?”

  “Fair enough.”

  We finished the call, and I sighed. I properly greeted Eric with a giant bear hug.

  “What was that all about?”

  He listened to the day’s events.

  “Sorry. That sucks. You know you can stay here whenever you want, unless I have a night guest.” He winked.

  My mouth opened in faux surprise. “You’d kick out your best friend for sex?”

  “You know it.”

  Knowing he teased, I laughed.

  “Tell me about your hot date for tonight.”

  “I met him through a colleague.”

  Using my hand, I made a rolling motion, prompting him to elaborate. “And…”

  Eric worked as a paralegal in a law firm and attended law school on the weekends. He lived an obscene schedule. I didn’t know how he did it, but he knew in the end his sacrifice would pay off. I only hoped mine would too.

  “He’s a bankruptcy attorney, thirtyish, single, and handsome.”

  “So you’ve seen him already?”

  “Not in person. He’s so good-looking. Want to see?” He brought his phone to life and showed me a picture.

  “Wow. He is nice-looking. Too bad he’s gay.”

  “Stop being selfish. You’re spoken for, woman.”

  Hmm, that sounded nice, being spoken for. Logan and I hadn’t discussed not seeing others, but I knew that’s where we stood.

  “What time are you picking him up?” I had to know when to make my exit. I’d changed my mind about staying over.

  “In about an hour. I have to shower and change first. You know you’re welcome to stay for as long as you want.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll leave when you take off. I want to see how cute you look for your date before I go.”

  He beamed and headed to his bedroom. I clicked on the television and watched garbage reality shows until he came out, all debonair in slacks and a polo. He smelled even better. Eric was a prize: smart, gorgeous, and soft-hearted. Any guy would be lucky to have him.

  He escorted me to my car, and we parted ways. When I got home, I saw Kate’s car parked in the driveway. Great. Now I’d have to deal with her too.

  “Hey Drew.” She sat at the kitchen table, drinking tea with my mother whose eyes pierced into mine.

  “Hey. How’s Joe?” I knew they’d been talking about me by the silence that took place when I entered the room. I cringed at the thought. My mom used to sit in that same seat and complain to me about Kate.

  “He’s working late, so I figured I’d stop by.”

  Sure she did. I bet she had called, and my mother filled her in on all the juicy drama taking place at home, so she came by to become an active participant in it.
r />   “I’m going to take a shower.” I went to leave.

  “Why don’t you join us?”

  Damn Kate!

  I knew if I stayed, they’d push me over the edge, and my feet stood too close to it. If I left, they’d continue to talk about me. Since it was a no-win situation, I chose to excuse myself and take a shower.

  31

  Logan

  After the video shoot, I called Drew, then went to dinner with the guys and Dani. Camilla tagged along with us.

  “We received another e-mail from your fan.” Camilla focused her attention solely on me while speaking. All the other eyes at the table went to me too.

  “What did it say?” My knee shook underneath the table. I hated this situation.

  Camilla opened the e-mail app on her phone and showed us the letter.

  Dear Logan,

  I know you’re out of town for the weekend. Your social-media pages say you’re in New York City with the guys taping a music video. I can’t wait to see it. I met your new girlfriend. She’s cute. Not the type I thought you’d be interested in. I thought you preferred more voluptuous women, like me. You’re surprising me in so many ways. I know you have a few weeks off before your tour resumes. I want us to meet up again. It’s been too long. I’ll be in touch next week.

  I pounded my fist against the table. It hurt too.

  “She met Drew? Where? Drew never mentioned anything about it. This has to stop, Camilla.”

  “Like I said previously, since no physical threat has been made, there’s nothing we can do. I made a file and am saving all correspondence from this fan in it.”

  “Either way, I have to warn Drew. The sad part is I don’t know who the fuck this woman is, so how can I effectively warn her? According to this psycho, she and I have met. That doesn’t help for shit.”

  “This is worse than I thought.” Joey sighed.

  “No shit. It was bad enough when the lunatic sent me letters, but now she’s bringing Drew into the picture.”

  “I think you should call the police and let them know what’s going on,” Trevor advised.

  “And I think you should take me up on the suggestion to heighten security until we figure out who this woman is,” Camilla added.

  Maybe she was right. I wanted to get this video shoot over and done with, so I could get home. I hated being on the other side of the country while this crazed fan remained in the same town as Drew. I also didn’t want to add to Drew’s stress. She sounded pissed about her mother on the phone earlier.

  The following morning the guys and I picked up on set where we’d left off. The model understood she could only touch me during scenes. She had inquired about taking our onscreen kiss backstage. Crazy enough, I couldn’t remember a time in the last several years when I had ever rejected a come-on from a hot chick. That’s how pathetically I had behaved, something I wasn’t particularly proud of.

  The director kept badgering me to kick up the sex appeal when I had the girl in my arms. I never had a problem doing so in the past. I did now. The dick wanted tongues, touching, as much as television would allow, which in this day and age, I considered too fucking much.

  It felt so wrong to have my tongue down another woman’s throat. I could only imagine how Drew would feel when she saw the finished video. The guilt penetrated deep, as if I blatantly cheated on her all over again, even though this time it wasn’t intentional and merely an act, with a limp dick to prove it.

  After the hot-and-heavy scenes finished, I took a well-deserved break.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Trimble. I’m Lorraine from Entertainment News Daily. We’re here getting some footage of the video shoot and to promote Steam’s new song. I wondered if I could ask you a few questions.”

  My jaw clenched with tension. Nobody had mentioned anything to me about an entertainment reporter with her camera crew in tow coming on set to take footage. I put my finger up and excused myself, finding Camilla ASAP.

  “What the fuck, Camilla! Why didn’t you tell me reporters were going to be here?”

  “If you had listened during the meeting I had with you guys before break and read the email summing up what I discussed, you would have known an entertainment show was covering the shoot to help promote the new song.”

  “Drew’s going to shit when she sees the footage.” I balled my hand into a fist.

  “Wow, I’ve never seen you act so smitten over a woman. I have to say, I find it kind of cute.”

  Really? I smirked as her sarcasm. “Cute?”

  “Yeah. You’re my bad boy, and here you are, turning all soft on me.”

  Female bullshit. “Whatever. So yeah, about the reporter. She wants to interview me.”

  “So go get interviewed. You’ve never been one to act shy around a beautiful woman. You surely aren’t with Hauser. As cute as it is that you’re gushing all over this girl, Drew, we still have an album to promote and records to sell. We’re here to do a job. Now please go and do yours.”

  God bless Camilla, all business.

  The reporter sat on a chair, waiting for me. She hiked her leg up, giving me a nice view of her gams. Sadly for her, I showed no interest. It didn’t stop her from continuing to flirt. I ignored all her subtle gestures.

  She asked basic questions about the new album, easy stuff. She wrapped up our session by asking about the mysterious girl with me in the pictures on the Internet. I told her I didn’t want to discuss it. She tried to convince me otherwise. I reiterated my stance on the subject.

  After the interview, I headed back to the set. The shoot took hours. We didn’t end until almost midnight. I didn’t want to call Drew so late.

  The following morning the guys and I got up at the crack of dawn to visit the hospital. As sad as the visits were, I took pleasure in participating in these types of events. I felt humbled that I could bring joy to sick children. It made me appreciate my job immensely.

  We took pictures and sang a few songs, then hit the road for lunch. We didn’t get back to the hotel until early evening. Trevor and Dani had taken off earlier for a Broadway show. Joey and I did a bit of shopping. I picked up a toy airplane at a kid’s store as a gift for Drew. I wanted it to remind her of our night at the airport, where we’d parked and kind of watched planes take off and land as well as remind her of her initiation into the Mile High Club.

  I left her a voice mail then Joey came with me to Camilla’s room so I could play Drew’s song for them. I knew Drew had told me she wanted to think about me sharing it with others, but the timing was perfect, especially since we were in Manhattan, and Camilla planned to stay in town for the week to meet with record execs. I couldn’t with good conscience let Drew miss out on an opportunity of a lifetime.

  Camilla and Joey sat tight and listened to the rhythm and lyrics. When the song ended, Joey glared at me. “Fuck, you did a number on that poor girl.”

  “Thanks for sharing, asshole.”

  He chuckled. “Just sayin’. I guess I could also say you did her a favor because that song rocked!”

  “I agree.” Camilla leaned forward in her chair. In Camilla’s world, that meant it piqued her interest. “Does she have any others?”

  “I think so. She loves to write. She hasn’t played me any others, though.”

  “Would it be possible for me to speak with her?”

  “Can you get me some feedback first? I would hate to get her hopes up for nothing. She’s kind of shy about performing in front of others. Besides, she doesn’t know I played the song for you.”

  Joey pressed his lips together as if he wanted to whistle but didn’t. He spoke instead. “You’re digging yourself into a deeper grave, my friend.”

  “No, I’m trying to pull her out of the shithole she’s currently in. If her song sells, it’s worth it no matter what the outcome.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  No need for Joey to warn me. I did. I knew in my heart I did right by her. My gut told me so.

  “If that’s
how you want it, I’ll bring it with me to my meetings this week and try to shop it around. You know if there’s an interest, she’s going to have to get involved, possibly perform.”

  “Of course, but I’d rather give her good news than bad.”

  “Listen to you, Trimble. If I didn’t hear it with my own ears, I wouldn’t believe it.” Camilla grinned.

  “What?” I was clueless as to what she referred to.

  “She’s referring to you being pussy-whipped.” Joey chuckled.

  “Call me what you want. That’s how it is.”

  Camilla frowned. “You’re being too nice. I miss all your drama.”

  No comment.

  “I’m all for the union. Drew is far from the trash you bring into your room on a nightly basis. And she won’t intentionally screw you over.”

  I nodded in agreement with Joey’s sentiment.

  “Okay. You guys sound like a bunch of women. Go back to your rooms and resume whatever it was you were doing prior to your spontaneous visit.” Camilla chased us out.

  “Want to shoot pool?” Joey asked as we strolled down the hall to the elevators.

  “You bet.”

  A short walk outside led us to a pool bar. We tossed back a few drinks and played a few rounds. It felt great hanging out with him without Teva in tow. She’d remained at home.

  “How was your vacation?”

  “Incredible.” Joey hit a striped ball into the corner pocket.

  “Things are serious between you and Teva, huh?” I stood with my cue stick, waiting for him to miss a shot.

  He looked up at me from a bent-over position before hitting his next ball. “She’s the one.” He took the shot, getting it in the side pocket.

  “I’m happy for you.”

  “Yeah. I’m happy for me too. I’m also happy for Dani. As much as I argued against her and Trevor being together at the beginning, he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to my sister. And the fact I know him so well means I know he’ll do right by her. He’s a good guy. Solid, you know? What about you and Drew? What’re you going to do when we go on tour?”

  “I don’t know, man. It’s going to be tough. I can’t stop thinking about it.”