Too Many Rock Stars (Access All Areas #1)

by Candy J. Starr

  I wanted to ask how big the tax bill was but was afraid of the answer. Even though Trouble wasn't anything fancy, it must cost a heap to run, with wages and all that.

  We had to pay the bands plus we needed at least two staff in the downstairs bar plus two upstairs on a regular night. Then there was security and cleaning and bussing. I had no idea how much money the club made. Of course, I knew how much the door takings were for the bands and how much we paid them but then there was the bar as well. It wasn't like the place didn't make money.

  "We have to make serious cuts. No more bar tabs, no more free drinks. No more having half a crowd on a Saturday night. We need to get bands that will bring in people, paying customers."

  Well, there went all of my work. I could tear next month's roster into pieces. This place had never been like that. That's why I loved my job. It wasn't some ritzy club just out to make money. We did stuff like gave bands a chance to prove themselves and all the misfits somewhere to gather. Even though Chuck was a jerk, this place worked. It worked as a family and a refuge from the shitty world.

  "Will that do the trick?"

  "It might, I can't really say at the moment. It's all a mess."

  He was right about that. Things were going to change and I hated change. It seemed bloody stupid to me that just because Chuck or his accountant had screwed up, we all had to suffer. The moment of pity I'd had for him passed quickly to be replaced by a rage at his incompetence. I knew this was his club but in some ways it was mine. I was the one who booked the bands. That wasn't as easy as you'd think. It wasn't just picking up the phone and telling some bozos to come in and play. It was an art, a special blending of the right sounds and the right people to create something magical. Sometimes that meant seeing the promise in a young band and letting them play a few times to get their confidence. Nurturing them until it all clicked. I’d built it all up and made it something special.

  Now Chuck had screwed that all up.

  I'd given everything to my job. I had no life outside of work. I didn't date. I didn't have outside of work friends. I didn't even do family. Hell, for my last birthday, my family had given me a gift card to some swanky department store. It was still sitting in my drawer. The guys at the club had given me a caramel peanut cheesecake and a vintage pair of Docs. Shit I really needed.

  My hands shook worse than Chuck's and the icky feelings took over my stomach. I stood up. I had to get up.

  If Chuck sold the club, I'd be back on the streets. No job, no money, no friends. People say they'll keep in touch but that's easier said than done. I'd built up the roster at this place. I'd created something. If he sold this place then that would've all been for nothing.

  “Well, thanks for telling me, Chuck. Now I have some calls to make so I’ll let you go tell the rest of the staff.”

  Wow, I could sound so professional and in control but really I screamed inside. I wasn’t sure how I’d cope with this.

  Chapter 5 VIOLET

  Alex came in early, almost as soon as the bar opened. Carlie nudged me as he walked across the room.

  "I can see why you were giving Razer the brush-off."

  I shrugged. I hadn't been giving Razer the brush-off. I'd been giving him nothing at all. Just a friendly warning to keep his distance. That wasn't dependent on another man being in the picture, he'd be outside the frame regardless.

  Still, the sight of Alex did give me a little bolt of pleasure. I'd have to watch out for him or I'd end up doing something stupid. Damn his soulful eyes.

  I'd called him earlier in the week to book him in for a gig.

  "It's just you? No band?"

  "Just me at the moment. I'm trying to get some guys together but no one has measured up until now. So, I'm a solo act."

  He'd sighed as though the solo thing was weighed with meaning.

  "We'd get a better a crowd with a full band," I said. His demo had been with a band not solo stuff. "But I'll put you on. You never know, it might be the best way to get to know some local musos. I'm sure you'll find someone."

  "Do you know any cellists? I have some ideas for a cellist in the band."

  I thought through the entire roster that had played in the club and couldn't think of a single cellist. I could reel off a list of a thousand guitarists, almost as many bass players and drummers. Keyboards weren't so common but still plentiful. Hell, I even knew a few piano accordion players and a dude who played the combs, but this wasn't the sort of place that attracted cellists. It sounded a bit wanky to me.

  Alex sat down beside me and smiled at me again. Those eyes, I couldn't keep looking at him or I'd forget all my carefully made promises to myself. No dating rock stars, no falling for them. Damn it though, Alex made question if I could maybe take a night off from that vow.

  I called Babs over to look after the door while I went backstage to check on the second band. They should've been setting up already. I knew them though and they were slackers. I'd have to kick some rocker butt to get them out there. They could cut their set short if they didn't get onstage soon.

  "I could do that for you," Alex said, poking at the cash box while we waited for Babs.

  "Don't touch that!" I yelled, snatching the cash away from him.

  Why had he even suggested that? Seriously, the guy was cute and all but I would not be leaving someone who wasn't staff in charge of the cash box.

  "Sorry," he said, putting his hands in the air as though to suggest he wouldn't dream of touching anything.

  I handed the money over to Babs and headed backstage. Maybe I'd been too harsh with Alex. He might've just been trying to help but you couldn't be too careful. And, if he was offended, I'd have one less rocker to deal with.

  As I opened the door to the backstage room, the smell of pot almost knocked me out.

  "Hey, you bunch of useless stoners," I yelled at them. "Get yourself up on stage now!"

  A few foggy grumbles greeted me but they did start moving. I noticed the opener band hanging around in the hallway, probably afraid to enter the band room with those guys taking over.

  "Just a moment," I said to them and got a chair to prop the door open and get the smell aired out.

  I thought Alex might be gone when I got back out but he was waiting in the same spot. He even had another beer for me.

  “Anyone come in?” I asked Babs.

  She shook her head.

  I sat back down and counted the money in the cash box.

  Chapter 6 ALEX

  Violet, she entranced me. I'd gone to the club with the intent of charming her, throwing her a few compliments and treating her to my winning smile in order to get a leg up at the club. God, I needed that. I needed a fresh start and to put all the shit I'd left behind firmly in my past. That was the plan. I'd take this town by storm.

  I'd heard through my sources that she was the person to get to know in town. I thought I'd sweet talk her and have her like putty in my hands within minutes. I didn't plan on anything more than that. Until I met her.

  She wasn't so easy to win over.

  I wasn't averse to a challenge. And she definitely was a challenge but not an unwinnable one. She put on that stony front but she'd be a marshmallow underneath it all. Girls like that always were.

  As I put the final touches to my outfit, I knew she'd be hooked. Not that the clothes meant anything, it was the image, the whole package. Once I got on stage, I'd show her I wasn't just another rock star with nothing in his head and a short range weapon in his pants.

  I'd known from the moment she'd fallen into my arms that she was for me. Her legs in those tiny shorts got my cock hard but it was her mouth that got the rest of me interested. Something about way she twisted it when she was thinking about work intrigued me. I couldn’t get that image out of my mind.

  The only problem was that meathead who kept hanging around her. I had no idea what his game was but he wasn't her type, anyone could see that. She was sensitive and gentle. An oaf like him would crush her, physically and mental
ly.

  My t-shirt stretched nicely over my belly. I patted my stomach, rock hard and nicely sculpted. Not the ugly muscles that meathead had.

  As I walked out the door, I checked my phone. There was a message, someone interested in the "band members wanted" notice I'd put out. I replied as I walked down the street, telling him to show up at the gig if he could make it. He sounded promising.

  The hardest part about starting over was getting a band together. So many idiots wanted to waste my time and most of them weren't even worth auditioning. If they couldn't follow the simple instructions in my ad, it didn't matter how well they played. I wanted no egos in my band.

  I wanted people who could play well but who knew who was boss. I didn't need a democracy or a bunch of friends. Doing it any other way would never work out. I knew that now.

  I got there early, as I'd intended. I sat at the bar downstairs and ordered a whisky. The bar girl, Carlie, gave me a weird smile as she sat my drink down.

  "We're not supposed to, but you can have this one on the house. You get your rider upstairs."

  I nodded my thanks and looked around for Violet but she was nowhere to be seen. That was okay, I could bide my time. There was nothing to gain from being overly anxious.

  When I finished my drink, I headed upstairs. There was a decent crowd already. I'd known I had a fan base in this town, it was one of the reasons I'd chosen it. A few girls ran over and asked for autographs. One of them slipped me her phone number. I gave her a wink but had no intention of ever calling her. She wore too much makeup and her top had a stain on it as though she'd spilt her drink. Anyway, banging groupies was not in my plan. Even if I didn't have Violet in my sights, flirting and the hint of a promise did much more than straight up sex. Sex just got messy and emotional. I wanted to be admired, not attached.

  I sipped on another whisky and listened to the opening act. They weren't the type of band I'd have chosen to follow, far too much uncontained rage, but I wasn't in a position to be picky. I had to establish myself first.

  A lanky guy with unkempt hair approached me just as I was about to go backstage.

  "Alex? I emailed you. I'm Fabian, the bass player..."

  "Cool. I'm about to get up but stick around. We can chat after I play."

  I gave him a nod and went to set up. With just me, it wouldn't take long.

  Violet came over before I went on. She looked even better than I'd remembered. Her short dress and boots were almost as sexy as those skimpy shorts. Some girls just look good no matter what they do and she was that type. With her hair in a thick braid and barely any makeup on, she still was as sexy as hell.

  "You ready?"

  "Yep, pretty much. Just me and my guitar. Are you sticking around for the set?" I tried to look like I didn't care but I sure as hell wanted to impress her. Without that, I'd not have a chance in this town and I'd sure as hell not have a chance with her.

  She nodded. "I'll be watching. You've got a good crowd in tonight. That's going to impress Chucklehead Chuck. He's all about the money at the moment."

  She was checking me out. She tried to hide it but her gaze was all over my body. The thought of her thinking about me warmed me up. It gave me an extra edge. This would be a good night.

  I walked out onto the stage, fully aware of the cheers going up for me. I'd have them eating out of my hand before I was done. I didn't look around until I got to the centre of the stage though, then I gave a short salute.

  I sat down on the stool and got out my guitar, looking around the room before starting into my first song so I could fix Violet in my sights. The combination of a slow love song and a meaningful look had gotten me a long way in life.

  I started with a slow number, getting into the groove of the place. In the chorus, I caught Violet's eye and slowly smiled.

  She was watching, not talking to anyone. I had her full attention and I meant to keep it.

  I followed that up with a faster number, hoping to get a few more people crowding up to the front.

  I'd waited too long to play again. That rush from the crowd had been missing in my life. With each song, that hollow part inside me filled up.

  I smiled, knowing Violet watched me.

  I finished my set to massive cheers and grinned, knowing I'd done it. She hadn't taken her eyes off me all night.

  I gave the room another salute before picking up my guitar and heading off stage. I wanted to go running to her for her opinion but I'd make her wait.

  Chapter 7 VIOLET

  I’d thought Alex would be good when I listened to his demo but I had no idea how that would translate to playing live. It'd been a bit of a risk putting booking a solo act on a Saturday night but he'd really won the crowd over. He didn't just play guitar, he used it to manipulate the emotions of everyone in the room.

  And he had a big enough fan base to make Chuck happy. All in all, a successful night.

  I watched the final band of the night try to follow up on that performance but they fell flat. The audience had spent all their emotions on Alex and had nothing left to give. I guess that meant more bar takings though, so Chuck would be even happier. It bugged me that I had to even consider Chuck's feelings but if it meant the difference between him selling the club or keeping it going, I'd have to do just that.

  I looked for Alex and saw him in the corner, deep in discussion with some guy, so figured I'd leave them to it. I wanted to congratulate him but that could wait. I needed to put the door money in the safe.

  As I walked through the dimly lit store room, something grabbed my arm.

  I screamed.

  "Shhh, it's only me."

  "Alex? What the fuck are you doing?" My heart pounded and anger rushed to the very surface of my being. He'd scared the bejesus out of me. I hated walking through that store room. The fucking light was always broken.

  "I was looking for you. You disappeared."

  "You shouldn't be here. It's off limits."

  But Alex had his arms around me, pulling me closer. My heart still pounded but it wasn't just with fear this time. His breath was warm on my neck and his body pressed against mine.

  "Is this off limits too?"

  I wanted to say yes and push him away but I could barely breathe. That buzzing in my lady bits got more intense. I didn’t relax but I didn’t resist either. I just let him hold me for a while.

  He put his hand on my chest and felt the pounding of my heart.

  "I really did give you a fright," he said. His voice purred with a smugness at my reaction.

  As he moved his face closer to mine, I could smell it. In his hair and on his body. Subtle but pervasive, that rocker smell.

  I broke away from him.

  "I need to get back to work," I said. "I'm not here to play around. And I have a no rockers rule so let’s keep it all business from now on."

  I walked into my office and shut the door behind me. My brain kept saying to stay away from Alex. He was temptation wrapped up in a creamy package. Smooth as silk and totally tasty. I wouldn't let my guard down again.

  Then Carlie came in for her break.

  "How was Alex?" she asked.

  "Amazing. Beyond amazing."

  She punched my arm. "Whoa, you like him. You have a big thing for him."

  "I have no big thing. Nothing. I just thought he performed well."

  "Yeah, he'd perform well in the sack too, I reckon. He's packing a nice bit of man meat in those pants."

  I glared at her.

  "Come on, he has that leather wrapped so tight you can't help but notice. If you like him, Violet, go for it. Don't be a damn scaredy cat."

  I had noticed but I wasn't going to admit it to Carlie.

  "What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you saving yourself for Razer instead? You've strung him along for long enough, don't you think?"

  "I'm not stringing him along. I'm not interested in either of them."

  "Yeah, right.”

  Maybe I should go for it but Alex, he'd be just like the
rest. Something in his music worried me. Sure, he was good. Brilliant, even. But it was a bit too masterful. Calculating. At times it had felt like he was playing a joke on the world and laughing to himself but then he'd turn on those soulful eyes and you'd feel like you were falling.

  There was something in those eyes. Something that made my body zing like no one had made me zing in a long time. A buzz that pulsated more in my lady bits than in my heart. Still, pushing him away was the right thing to do.

  I'd get nowhere thinking too much though. I had to run back upstairs and get back to work.

  I walked over to the bar and got a drink, sitting down on a bar stool without a space beside me – to discourage Alex.

  The band was almost finished playing.

  Alex still hadn’t approached me when I finished my drink. That was a good thing. I didn’t need lightning bolts in my life.

  When the band packed up, I went back stage and got them sorted and congratulated them on a top performance. I hoped it was top, since I honestly couldn’t recall much about it. I had to keep my mind on my job.

  I walked out of the back stage area, casting my gaze around the room. I wasn't looking for Alex. He was the furthest thing from my mind. I just wanted to do a mental head count of numbers for Chuck, that was all.

  The room was still packed but there was definitely no Alex in sight. I tightened my lips. I wasn't disappointed. Nope. Nothing like that at all. I was pleased. I didn't want to deal with his attentions. Maybe he'd found some other woman and had gone home with her. I could almost guarantee it. That's how rockers worked – they played the numbers game and someone like Alex wouldn't even need to hit up many numbers before he found someone to share his bed.

  I shrugged. It was good that he'd showed his true colours before I got too involved with him. I was going to ask Babs if she'd seen him go off with anyone but I didn't even want to waste that much time on him.

  The band room would be open all night with the resident DJ playing but my work was done so I went downstairs to drink with Carlie. Downstairs was much quieter. It'd gotten to the point in the night when most of the customers had paired off and were looking for dark corners to grope in. There were a few desperate souls cruising the room and the hard core drinkers at the bar.