Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by Jenna Galicki

  Angel could barely speak for fear of sounding like a babbling fool. He pulled the phone away for his ear, covered it with his free hand, and fell to his knees. He brought his hands to his chest and mumbled a short prayer of thanks in Spanish. He heard Mr. Abelman’s voice and quickly brought the phone back to his ear. “Yes, I’m here. I’m sorry. I’m just overwhelmed. Thank you for believing in us and giving Immortal Angel the opportunity to share our music with the world.”

  “You earned it, Mr. Garcia. You all did. I may not give your bass player and drummer a lot of praise, but they’re top shelf. One more thing, before I miss my meeting altogether I want you to play Rock Goddess at your next show. It’s your first single.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  They left earlier than usual for the arena so the band could practice Rock Goddess. They were all nervous about debuting the song in front of a live audience, when they only learned it a few days ago. Tommy knew it because he wrote it for Jessi, but it was still relatively new material for everyone else.

  Fans were already lining up outside the venue when they arrived. The band was hours earlier than expected, so it was only a small crowd of about 20 people. Still, it was exhilarating to see their faces light up when the band stepped off the bus and to hear the girls squeal when they stopped to sign autographs and take photos.

  Once inside, they went to work right away so they could run through the new song and work out any deficiencies. It was the first time Jessi would hear the transformation from the acoustic version Tommy sang to her in the hotel room only three days prior. She sat in the empty stadium seats with Alyssa and waited for them to start. Tommy looked around the vacant arena. They were like two small dots in a fishbowl that held over 15,000 people. It was hard to believe that in a few hours the seats would be filled to capacity.

  He watched as Jessi folded her arms across her chest and settled into the metal folding chair with ease. Alyssa stretched her legs and rested her boots on the back of the seat in front of her. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they were both huddled together laughing and whispering the way two girlfriends often did. He couldn’t remember the last time Jessi sat in on sound check or the last time she sat in the audience while he played. It reminded him of the old days at The Quadrangle when she was always front row rocking to the music and pumping her fist in the air.

  The first time they played the song through, it was a little rough, but Jessi perked up and sat on the edge of her seat. With her hands braced on her knees, she leaned forward and listened intently. Since the song needed to flow with the rest of Immortal Angel’s material, the lyrics changed a bit and the beat was faster. Even though it was marginally different, he knew she loved it by the dreamy look on her face.

  Jessi approached the stage as soon as they finished the song. The heels of her shoes echoed in the silent arena as everyone waited for her. Words weren’t necessary as she gazed into Tommy’s eyes and fed him the sentiment that was in her heart.

  “Do you mind that we changed the song a little?”

  The smile that spread across her face was the most beautiful sight Tommy ever saw. “I love every bit of it. It’s a hit and every time I hear it on the radio, I’ll know it’s because of me that you wrote this song.”

  He took her hand and kissed it. “I could write a song for you every day of the year.” He swung his guitar to the back and took her into his arms. His face was lost in her fragrant, rosy hair and created a curtain of cherry-scented decadence.

  “Excuse me.” Angel placed his arms around both of them. “I think we need to tighten up the timing on this song a little more.” He wore a teasing smile. “But we can continue this little love fest as soon as we’re done.” Angel gave Jessi a quick peck on the cheek. “Sit back down, sweetheart, while we practice.”

  “No. I think I’m going to wait backstage or go outside to visit with the fans. I want to hear you play the song tonight with a fresh ear. It’s going to be very emotional for me to hear the audience’s reaction to it.”

  The familiar rush of energy filled Tommy’s gut as he peered out at the waiting crowd from the side of the stage. The fans expressed their impatience with a series of howls and whistles. The lights went down and the screams began.

  The wail of Tommy’s electric guitar announced their presence as he ran on stage and slid to his knees. His fingers ran up and down the fret board with rapid fire, delivering notes with alarming velocity. He was so engrossed in watching the speed in which his fingers moved that he didn’t realize the rest of the band was waiting to start the show. One long twang of the whammy bar and he held his guitar over his head offering it to God above. The stage shook as the crowd screamed and stomped their feet. Angel put his hand on Tommy’s shoulder and beamed a proud smile down at him.

  Angel looked into the crowd and took in their thunderous applause and shouts of praise. He took a step back and pointed at Tommy and yelled into the microphone, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Tommy Blade, the Prince of Punk Rock!”

  A roar coursed through the arena that made Tommy’s inner ears vibrate. A rose landed at his feet and he weaved it through his guitar strap. Angel leaned over, put his nose to the flower and smiled at him with sweet affection in his smoldering dark eyes.

  Damien joined them and they took in the cheers of the audience together. The sense of self-esteem that it instilled in Damien was visible in his proud stance. He teased Tommy with a pierced eyebrow. “And you were going to give all this up?”

  Tommy listened to the voices that shouted his name. He looked up to the balcony at the Immortal Angel banners that hung down from the railing and watched the fists that pumped in the air. It filled him with a euphoric high. It was hard to imagine how close he came to walking away from the band and the stage, but he paused while he searched his heart for an honest answer. “Yes. For Jessi I would give this up, but luckily, my wife is just as vested in this lifestyle as I am.” He fell to his knees again and spit out a crazy riff, then jumped up and faced Jimmy.

  He was standing behind his drums, waiting for a cue. Angel nodded, Jimmy clapped his sticks together and the stage erupted with the raw energy of Adrenaline Rush.

  Angel stood at the front of the stage, legs shoulder width apart. Tommy watched Angel jiggle his knees to accentuate the lyrics. It caused his perfectly round butt cheeks to flex to the beat of the music and his pants to slip down from his hips and expose a tiny bit of ass cleavage. Tommy sneaked up behind him, jutted the guitar forward, offering a melody to the black leather that could barely contain the glory underneath it.

  Angel spun around and placed his hand on Tommy’s chest, forcing him to walk backwards as he sang the aggressive lyrics, inching his face closer as they moved from the front of the stage to the back. In one leap, Angel jumped onto the drum riser. He placed his foot on the bass drum and leaned over to sing to Jimmy, who wasn’t happy that Angel was using his Tama kit as a foot stool. Tommy’s eyes drifted up and settled right between Angel’s legs and the protrusion that threatened to rip the seams apart.

  Tommy bounced away before he did something to Angel on stage that would get them into trouble again. He circled Damien and teased him with a dramatic dip of the guitar.

  Damien was one cool bassist. He played with precise concentration, never missed a note and rarely looked up from his bass. He was too engrossed in the music to join in Tommy’s antics, but Tommy was determined to get a reaction from him.

  He jumped in front of Damien and swung his hair in the air, but Damien chased him away with an aggressive stomp of his boot.

  Three songs later the crowd surfing started. Fans were tossed in the air and carried to the front of the stage by the hands of the crowd. A row of security guards caught them and safely brought them to their feet so they could run back in the audience and do it all over again.

  Rock Goddess was to make its debut next. Tommy, Angel, Damien and Jimmy all exchanged glances, eager and ready to share an unexpected new song with the fans. Tommy amb
led up to the microphone and Angel turned to him with surprise. Normally, Tommy never spoke to the crowd. Angel was the front-man. Angel engaged the crowd with his natural allure and charm. It wasn’t Tommy’s forte, but he wanted to introduce the song and his inspiration behind it.

  The crowd hollered with excitement when they realized Tommy was about to address them.

  “Hello, Zurich!” he shouted through the microphone.

  A series of whistles and screams answered him.

  “We have a surprise for you tonight. It’s a new song and . . .” The fans’ enthusiastic yells overpowered his voice and he needed to wait for them to quiet down before he could continue. His eyes scanned the crowd. Hands clapped high in the air and excitement buzzed throughout the arena. It was a surreal moment. “We’re excited, too! As you probably know, I always dedicate a guitar solo to my gorgeous wife, Jessi, but tonight I dedicate this entire song to her, because she’s the reason I wrote it.” He left the microphone and went to Jessi in the wings.

  She quietly gazed back at him with an adoring smile.

  He brushed her cheek with his lips. “This is for you, hon. Soak up the attention. You deserve it.” He escorted her onto the stage and as soon as the crowd saw her, their deafening screams made both Tommy and Jessi jump.

  Jessi covered her mouth with her hand, but the apples of her cheeks gave away the smile hidden underneath.

  The song started with a crash of the cymbals. Angel sang the first verse directly to Jessi, while her adoring gaze darted between him and Tommy.

  This was her song. It was live and there was no room for error. It was a powerhouse and Angel delivered the lyrics flawlessly.

  Tommy’s signature guitar solo brought this number home. He knelt at Jessi’s feet and the light tech showcased them in the soft glow of a rose tinted spotlight. It was the color of romance. Tommy blocked out everyone else in the room. It was just the two of them standing there, and he played for her. The sound of the guitar went from Tommy’s fingers to Jessi’s heart. He made love to her with the guitar, and she responded with a breathy sigh.

  She hung on every note. Her fingers went from covering her lips to holding her chest. Tears slowly pooled in her eyes and one dropped down her cheek when she let out a tiny, excited laugh.

  His eyes stayed locked on Jessi. He never looked down at his fingers. It was a challenge to move his hand faster and faster up and down the fret board. He was on autopilot and allowed his fingers the freedom to play without restraint. Face-melting phrases sang through the air almost as loud as the shouts from the crowd. It was a passionate uproar, acknowledging the holy grail of guitar solos.

  Tommy wasn’t listening to the crowd. He wasn’t paying attention to Angel, Damien and Jimmy who were all standing at attention, with awe, as they listened to the mind blowing sound of his guitar. Tommy couldn’t look at them, because he wasn’t moving his attention away from Jessi. This song was for her.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  It was hard to believe there were only a few weeks left of the tour before they would be returning home. Tommy watched the road glide by and tried to remember which city the tour bus was headed to. He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes and thought about the rest of the tour. He didn’t want to bother Jessi with the itinerary. It wasn’t her responsibility anymore. She’d been relaxed and genuinely happy again since she gave up her position at Falcon.

  Tommy was planning a small anniversary party for Jessi in Paris. It was a surprise. Not even Angel knew that he was scheming to fly close friends and family to join them at an intimate celebration.

  Tommy leaned forward to check on Jessi. She was standing near the booth in the kitchen area with Alyssa and Damien, out of earshot. Tommy slid across the couch closer to Angel and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I have a surprise when we get to Paris.”

  Angel shifted in his seat so he faced Tommy. “What kind of surprise?”

  “It’s an anniversary party for Jessi.”

  “I forgot it was your anniversary, mi amor. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry, A. I think you’re starting to turn me into a romantic fool because I never would have planned a party before I met you. She’s going to be really surprised.”

  Angel lit up with excitement. “What can I do to help?”

  “You can distract Jessi while I invite people. I’ve been trying to get in touch with her sisters for two weeks, but it’s hard for me to sneak in a phone call.”

  “Have you told Alyssa? Maybe she can call Ella or Maggie.”

  “No.” Tommy didn’t want Alyssa to find out about the party. She and Jessi told each other everything. “Don’t tell Alyssa. When the two of them get together, nothing’s sacred.”

  He heard Jessi’s footsteps coming down the corridor and he fell silent. She sat next to Tommy and started leafing through some brochures that Angel picked up about tourist attractions. She stopped on the brochure that profiled Paris. She studied the Eiffel Tower on the cover, then opened it. “I want to go here.” She pointed to a photo of an elegant restaurant setting. “Le Jules Verne. It’s a restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower.”

  Tommy smiled at her. “It looks perfect, hon.”

  The bellman brought their luggage to the room shortly after they checked into the hotel in Madrid, accompanied by half of the hotel staff eager to procure an autograph and a photo. Their celebrity status apparently caused a kerfuffle with the hotel employees, or maybe it was because Angel had a forty-five minute conversation with them in Spanish.

  Upon arrival they were informed that their room had been upgraded. Tommy assumed it was either Audra’s pull or Angel’s wallet that had been affording them to stay in fancy suites, but now he wasn’t sure if it was the staff of the respective hotels that were responsible.

  After the staff left, Jessi took one of her suitcases and slipped into the bedroom. Angel tiptoed toward the doorway to make sure she was preoccupied and scampered back to Tommy’s side. “Have you made arrangements for the party? I was thinking we could have local musicians and Cirque de Soleil-type dancers. Maybe even some casino tables. That would be fun. Do you think she’d like it?”

  Angel was a bundle of energy and throwing out ideas for the party faster than Tommy could comment on them.

  “We can have an aerial bartender. It would be very chic and different.”

  Tommy crinkled his brow. “What’s an aerial bartender?”

  “It’s a bartender suspended from the ceiling on a rope or by a long flowing sheet, who pours champagne directly in your glass.”

  The laugh fell out of Tommy’s mouth before he could stop it. Where the hell did Angel come up with these ideas?

  “It’s not funny. It’s romantic.”

  Angel was adorable, with his little suggestion about the party. Tommy wondered if it was Angel’s way of being directly involved. The party was for his and Jessi’s anniversary, and Tommy didn’t realize that it specifically excluded Angel. It was hard to always remember to create balance. “Do you want to handle the entertainment? You and Jessi connect on a lot of levels that I’m really not attuned to. I think you’d make decisions that she’d be happy with.”

  “I would love to! I have a ton of ideas!”

  Angel’s light-hearted exuberance was endearing, and it made Tommy laugh.

  “Stop making fun of me, Tommy Blade.”

  “You’re really cute. Do you know that?”

  “I’m just excited and have a bunch of ideas to make . . .” Angel caught sight of Jessi and abruptly stopped talking.

  Tommy rolled his eyes. He should have known that Angel would be overexcited and unable to control his enthusiasm. He would probably end up blabbing the details of the party sooner or later.

  Jessi had her Tablet tucked under her arm, held a blouse on a hanger in one hand and her steamer in the other. She searched for an outlet and did a double-take at Angel when she spotted his suspicious cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. “What’s up with you? Why
do have that look on your face?”

  Angel couldn’t have acted guiltier. He looked directly at Tommy instead of at Jessi when he answered. “We were just talking.”

  Her eyes darted between Angel and Tommy. “Were you talking about me?”

  Tommy took the steamer from her hand and plugged it into an outlet next to the table. “No one was talking about you.” He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Dammit. He was going to blow the whole surprise. “Just steam your blouse.”

  “Blouse?” she laughed. “Tommy, I haven’t worn a blouse since I was in grade school. This is a top.”

  Angel joined in her laugher. Now they were both teasing him about his lack of fashion terminology. “Steam your garment. Is that better?”

  “You’re cute.” Jessi put her arm around his waist and gave him a little hug. “I want to show you something.” She opened her Tablet and handed it to him. “I took your advice and added menswear to my collection. What do you think of these sketches?”

  Angel immediately leaned in so he could see them. He looked pensive as he studied the designs. “This is perfect. It’s your aesthetic. It’s edgy and glam, yet it’s masculine. I can see it on the runway.”

  A strand of hair fell in front of Tommy’s eyes as he admired Jessi’s designs. She pushed it out of the way so he could see clearly, and tucked it behind his ear.

  He smiled softly. “I could wear something like this.”

  She looked surprised. “You really want to wear my designs?”

  “Yes. I told you that day in Milan to make me a suit. I want to show off your clothes, too. You’re my wife. I should be wearing your designs. It would show the world that you don’t have to be flashy like Angel to wear them. An average guy like me can wear them, too.”

  Her mouth was open slightly and she didn’t know what to say.

  “Don’t look so shocked. My wife’s a famous designer.” He gestured toward Angel with his chin. “My guy wears your clothes. I want to wear your clothes too.”