The Rock Star's Girls

by Tasha Taylor

  Nathan’s eyes were warm, caring and loving, taking her back to the days when she felt safe and wanted. Flames of passion roared then in her belly and she wondered why she had ever left him. In a movement, Leah was wrapping her warmth around him, wanting him, needing him and with a surge of pure joy and wonderful power at his eager response, she lead him a-dance with her eyes, her lips and her fingers, touching him from memory, loving him without words.

  Lips met and parted, tasted and took everything there was to give, hands smoothed and teased, and leaving skin tingling, wanting more. Leah found herself muttering his name over and over against his lips, his cheek. Her mind racing to catch up with the flow of feelings he was arousing in her. His fingers traced a trail from her hair to her shoulders. From her back to her hips and upwards, causing her to gasp in pleasure as his fingertips lightly teased the outward curve of her full breasts. Urging him on the way her nipples arched against the fabric of her clothes, making him dare to return, his touch bolder; her own response stronger.

  Dear God, Leah had time to think, had it been like this before? A kiss or a touch triggering such violent reactions in her. But the thought was soon chased away by fresh waves of longing; tremendous waves of want that started deep inside her, from her very core, and Nathan’s hand travelled over her belly, lower as if beckoned by some invisible force.

  “Oh, Nathan,” she finally gasped, but his muted reply was washed away by the shrill ringing of his mobile phone.

  “Christ!” Nathan moaned against her lips, tearing his hand the top of her thighs, delving into his pocket.

  Leah felt his hand move quickly from its position, and felt as if she had suddenly been shoved out into the freezing night air, after being so deliciously warm by a great, roaring fire, and she pushed away from him abruptly.

  “Phone, Nathan,” she said curtly, refusing to meet his confused, enquiring gaze.

  The phone’s ring seemed to grow louder and more persistent the longer it went unanswered, echoing the ringing in Leah’s own mind. “Answer it for God’s sake!” she snapped and hurled herself up from the sofa, and behind her desk, glaring at him as he reached into the pocket of his jacket and did as she bade him.

  ***

  “What?” Nathan barked, eyeing Leah as she paced up and down behind the huge desk that acted as a wall. “What the bloody hell do you want, Justin? I thought I told you to leave me alone!”

  “Nice to hear your voice too, Nathan! This holiday of yours doesn’t seem to be having quite the relaxing effect you’d hoped.” Justin’s silken voice came down the line.

  “What would you know?” Nathan’s question was automatic, but he knew that these last few days weren’t exactly what his doctor would have prescribed for him either. Leah had seemed so eager to kiss him just seconds before. Now the temperature in the room had dropped dramatically from that of a scorching summer’s day, to what could only be described as sub-zero conditions. She was alternately shuffling papers on her desk and staring into space, her eyes glazing over.

  “I know that every time I’ve spoken to you since you’ve been up there, you haven’t been in the pleasantest of moods. Must be the company you’re keeping. Jennifer sends her love by the way, said to tell you she’s missing you like mad and can’t wait to see you.”

  Nathan caught Leah looking at him then with something approaching disgust and he shifted in his seat nervously, even though he had no reason to. “Look, whatever it is, can’t it wait until I get back to London, Justin?”

  “And when will that be exactly, Nathan? You seem to be very vague at the moment and I don’t have to remind you that you have responsibilities here!”

  What was it with everyone trying to make him feel guilty all of a sudden when he wasn’t aware that he had done anything wrong? “I have responsibilities here too!” Nathan snapped.

  Leah’s gaze homed in on him with almost missile-like accuracy, and a warning look flashed in her eyes.

  “And do these, ahem, responsibilities involve millions of pounds, Nathan? Will they make you happy when you look at your bank statement each month and see a row of noughts a mile long?”

  “Screw the money. Is that all you ever think about? There is more to life than damn money,” Nathan’s frustration burst down the phone line. “Do not phone me again, do you hear me?”

  “I just wanted to know when you’re coming home, that’s all. I need to arrange some dates, but I can’t do that if you won’t help me. I’m only trying to look after you.”

  “You’re my manager, Justin, not my wife. I don’t need looking after. If I needed looking after, I would find myself a wife, settle down and have kids. You can’t provide me with any of those, so get lost.”

  With an angry jab of his forefinger, Nathan terminated the conversation and flung the phone into the corner of the sofa, where it bounced off a cushion, and came to rest perilously close to edge.

  “Son of a...” Nathan muttered and then paused, finding Leah’s eyes on him again, the hostility gone, replaced by a strange, unnamable emotion. “What?” he asked.

  “Did you have to mention the bit about responsibilities? You don’t think Justin might find that phrase just a bit strange?” Leah’s voice was quiet.

  “Justin never listens to anything but the sound of his own voice. Anyway, I have got responsibilities. You, and Pippa.”

  “Don’t drag me into it, and I’ve never asked you for any money!” Her voice was high, as was her color. “Don’t go making any assumptions, Nathan. I’ve already told you once that I am not part of any deal!”

  “I…” All he could do was mouth at her, not understanding how such a pleasant afternoon could turn into something resembling a studio meeting, with everyone fighting for, against and around him, but forgetting to let him in on the argument.

  “I think you’d better go. No, on second thoughts, stay there. I’ll go. I may not be able to walk out on you in my own home, but I can here.” Leah grabbed her bag and coat, unlocked the door and flounced out.

  “You already did that, Leah, seven years ago,” Nathan mumbled as he put his face in his hands and sighed. “And I don’t understand now any more than I did back then.”

  Chapter Eight

  Leah got as far as the lobby in her dramatic exit and stopped in her tracks.

  Responsibilities, Nathan had said. Had he not just uttered the words she had never thought she would hear? Wasn’t that what she wanted deep down? He had told Justin that there was more to life than money. What else did she want from him?

  “Going home already?” Joe’s voice filtered into her thoughts and Leah looked up with a look of confusion on her face. “What’s happened? It’s not Pippa again, is it?”

  Leah looked at Joe, and her confusion cleared. “No, I’m not going anywhere, and Pippa’s fine. In fact, she’ll be even better when Nathan goes and picks her up from school. She’ll be over the moon!” She smiled brilliantly at him, and turned back to her office. “See you later.”

  Nathan was still sitting on the sofa when she entered the room. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, his gaze met hers.

  “What now?” he asked, looking away.

  “I wondered if you wanted to go and pick Pippa up from school.” She took a seat next to him on the sofa, causing the phone to fall to the floor, unnoticed.

  “Why? I mean, are you sure?”

  Leah’s grin was wide as she extracted pen and paper from her bag and hastily scribbled down directions out of the city to the school.

  “Yes, I’m sure, and it would make her day. She’s always one of the last one’s out because she’s too busy gassing with her friends. Must get it from you! I’ll let Louise know that you’re picking Pip up. Here.” Nathan was presented with the impromptu map.

  “I’ll bring her home straight away.”

  “There’s a spare key under the doormat. I’ll be home later.”

  “You’re too trusting.” Nathan kissed her gently on the lips as he stood up. “Thanks.”


  With a warm feeling welling up inside her, Leah watched him leave with a smile. It was so easy to love him, she decided, if she forgot what and who he was, and how many people had a part of him and his life. For now, she and Pippa were his responsibilities, he had said as much, and that made her smile anew. With a contented sigh, Leah stood and stretched, preparing herself for a couple of hour’s work before she returned home to her daughter and Nathan. Allowing herself to daydream, she pretended to finish her paperwork, a constant feeling of happiness inside her.

  So engrossed was she in her fantasies of happy families, that an hour or so later, she did not even hear the quiet ringing of a mobile phone. She hadn’t even noticed that Nathan’s mobile phone had fallen off the sofa when she had returned earlier, even less that she had gently kicked it under the piece of furniture. But ring it did, and the caller, getting no reply, decided to phone someone else.

  ***

  Nathan arrived at the school almost 20 minutes late, and, much like Leah a few days before, rushed into the school building, panicking because there were very few cars outside in the car park, and he could not see anyone in the lobby and office.

  “Hello?” he called, pulling open a door that led to the empty school hall.

  Heading along a corridor, Nathan repeated his greeting several times and then emerged into the open plan classroom where he found a woman and Pippa who was quietly reading a book.

  “Hi,” he said, somewhat breathlessly, and the woman and the little girl looked up at the same time.

  “Daddy.” Pippa jumped out of her chair and into his arms in one movement. “I thought Nanny Lou had forgotten, or Mummy had an accident. No-one told me you were coming.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart.” Nathan hugged his daughter. “We only just decided, and I got lost. Are you okay?”

  “Mrs. Armstrong stayed with me.” Pippa indicated to the woman who had now risen from her seat behind the desk and was discreetly trying to smooth her clothes.

  “Hello Mr. Llewellyn, I’m Pippa’s teacher, Mrs. Armstrong. I’m very pleased to meet you.” The woman extended her hand, and seemed very reluctant to let go after Nathan had politely accepted her greeting.

  “Nice to meet you, and thank you for staying with Pippa. I’m sorry that no one was here to pick her up on time. It won’t happen again.” Nathan smiled at Pip, who was happily snuggled into his shoulder.

  “It was my pleasure. Pippa is a lovely girl, and very bright too. If you would like to discuss her progress after school at any time, I would be more than happy to arrange a meeting with you.”

  “Thanks, but I’m sure Leah can fill me in there. I’m only here for a visit. I have to head back to London. I’d better get Pippa home. Thanks again.” Nathan smiled and took Pippa and her belongings out to the car.

  Settling Pippa in the booster seat, Nathan climbed into the front of the car and shut the door. She was very quiet despite her initial enthusiasm at seeing him, and Nathan looked over his shoulder at her.

  “What’s up?”

  “You said you were going back to London. When?” Pippa turned sad eyes to her father. “I don’t want you to go away. I only just got you.”

  “Honey, I have to go back for work.”

  “Why? Why can’t you stay here with me and mum? You can work at Stars for Gramps.”

  “Pip…” Words failed him and he didn’t know what to do. Tears were beginning to form in the corner of the little girl’s eyes. “We’ll have to sort something out with Mummy? You can come visit, and I can always come up here and see you. We’ll have a talk, okay?” He reached out a gentle hand and stroked her hair.

  “Can we phone her now?” Pippa brightened a little, and Nathan smiled, reaching into his coat pocket.

  The mobile wasn’t there, and it wasn’t in the other one either. “Damn!” Nathan muttered, causing Pip to look at him. “Mum’s got the phone. I left it in her office. We’ll go home and call her from there.”

  As Nathan started the engine, Mrs. Armstrong watched the vehicle leave the school car park from a window in the staff room. Her fingers played with the edge of a newspaper that was open at the gossip pages on her lap. The woman’s eyes scanned the print for the section she wanted, and then picking up the phone on the table next to her, she dialed the London phone number.

  “Hello, Top Pop Pages, can I help you?” a male voice answered the call.

  “Good afternoon. I was wondering if you would be able to help me.”

  “What with?” The man at the other end was in a hurry, and shouldn’t even have answered the phone. He was on his way to a staff meeting and was passing by the phone when it started ringing. All of his reporters were already in his large office, he could see them through the glass walls. Someone had obviously forgotten to divert their phone to the answering machine. He had neither the time or the patience to take calls he had once been desperate for in his own days as a gossip gatherer for this daily paper.

  “I read in your pages that you might be interested in some information I have, about someone famous. And that there may be some payment if you are interested in what I have to say?” The woman’s voice rose hopefully at the end of her sentence.

  “Okay, love. Who is it you’ve slept with then?”

  “I beg your pardon. I happen to be a happily married woman. Which is more than I can say for Nathan Llewellyn!”

  One of the staff reporters stuck his head around the door to see if his boss wanted him to take over the call, but when Graham Smith heard that name, he waved him away and rounded the desk to sit down at the desk.

  “My name is Graham Smith, and you are Mrs.…”

  “Armstrong.”

  “Okay, Mrs. Armstrong. Would you like to tell me exactly what it is you know about Nathan Llewellyn?”

  As the woman started to describe the situation with Leah and Pippa, and her own consequent meeting with Nathan not half an hour before, Graham was making notes on a piece of paper.

  “And you say that Nathan is in Newcastle as we speak?” he asked.

  “In fact, he was here until just before I called you. Mr Smith, when will I receive my fee for this information?”

  Graham rolled his eyes heavenward, but told her politely, “I’m afraid I will have to check out a few facts before I can ascertain any form of payment, Mrs. Armstrong. Let me pass you on to one of my colleagues who can take your details and we will get back to you just as soon as we can. Just one moment!” Graham stabbed the hold button with his finger and motioned for someone to come over. “Get rid of her, whatever it takes!” he said over his shoulder to the junior staff member as he headed for his office. “Right, I’m afraid I have to postpone the meeting until another time, guys. Something has come up that needs my attention immediately. I’ll let you know when I can rearrange. Thanks!” He dismissed everyone to much mumbling.

  As soon as the last person had shut the door behind them, Graham opened his personal phone book to the L pages and picked up the phone. Dialing the number, he waited and then counted the rings, up to thirty and then the answering service clicked on.

  “Where are you, Nathan?” Graham replaced the receiver and stared at the phone. Nathan was a very close friend of his, and if this information was true, he could not believe that Nathan had never told him.

  According to the Armstrong woman who had called, Nathan was in Newcastle playing happy families with a woman called Leah Montague and their six–year-old daughter, Pippa. Allegedly, Nathan hadn’t been around for a long time, and now had put in an appearance. Christ, the press would have a field day with this one!

  Graham and Nathan had met four years before, just as Nathan had left the band, at a time when Graham was working hard to secure his position as editor of the popular Top Pop Pages in the Informer daily newspaper. Graham had grabbed the scoop interview with Nathan, and since then, they had been firm friends. Nathan had provided Graham with a lot of scoops over the years, and Graham had protected his friend’s privacy as far as he coul
d in the unscrupulous world of the press.

  However, Graham’s protection could only do so much, and of late Nathan had been in the gossip pages of magazines and newspapers daily, and it had distressed him so much that he was now taking a holiday to get away from it all. Justin Lloyd-Smith, Nathan’s manager, would know. Rifling through his phone book, Graham found the number he wanted and dialed.

  ***

  “Joe, I have a call for you, Justin Lloyd-Smith,” the secretary informed Joe as he was preparing to leave for the evening.

  “Put him through, Rachel, and then you might as well go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Taking off his coat again, Joe prepared to sit down. “Justin, what can I do for you, my old friend?”

  “I won’t keep you long, Joe. I know you’re a busy man. I just wondered if you had seen Nathan at all since last week?”

  “Why?”

  “Something really urgent has come up and I really need to talk to him.”

  “Isn’t he supposed to be on holiday?”

  “True, but this could affect the rest of his career, Joe. Now, I ask you, is that not urgent enough to talk to him for a few minutes, whether he is on holiday or not? Have you seen him?”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “Where is he, then?” Justin snapped.

  “He’s here in Newcastle.”

  “Can you reach him for me? Do you have a number? I really need to speak to him, Joe. You wouldn’t hold out on an old friend after everything we’ve done for each other.”

  Joe paused. “Tell you what I’ll do, old friend, I’ll ask Nathan to call you next time I see him, how’s that?”

  “It’s not good enough! You have to tell me!” Justin screeched down the phone.

  “Nice talking to you, Justin.” Joe ended the conversation; that was one message that Joe would not be passing on, in fact, he would forget that Justin had called at all.

  ***

  Leah was happy. This was how she had always envisaged her life when she was a little girl, sitting around the table with her dad, her mum and her sister, before the dreaded familiarity of the press had struck. If she tried hard enough, she could remember her own mother doing the same things for her that she now did for Pippa, and for a moment, the memory made her heart constrict and tears spring to her eyes. Perhaps she should get in contact with her family again. After all, look how easily things were going with Pippa and Nathan, how simply things had slotted together. Would Pippa not love to have a famous aunt and grandmother?