“Technically the fire only concerns Dawson. But while you’re all here, I need to add a few more things to your schedule.”
A collective groan filled the room, which she ignored as she tapped away on her phone. “Let’s see, tomorrow in addition to the morning show interview and after party, you also have a photo shoot with Lady Love magazine. Then on Friday, we added an interview with Rock Journey magazine and a live spot on KROX radio after the concert. And Saturday you have a couple of phone interviews to do while we travel to the next show.”
“What the hell, Lila?” I fumed. “Our schedule was already overbooked. When are we supposed to sleep?”
“You guys need to capitalize on the hype. Everyone wants a minute of your time. Be thankful. Give it to them. This could all disappear like that,” she said as she snapped her fingers.
“Whatever. We can’t perform if we’re exhausted. And if we can’t perform well, then no one’s gonna want to talk to us anyway,” Wilder said as he stood and stormed the length of the bus.
“Was that all you needed us for?” Brooks asked, fidgeting in his seat.
“There were a few more additions for next week—”
“Text them all to us,” Brooks interrupted as he followed after Wilder.
“Yeah, I’m out too,” Jett informed her. Maddox left silently, casting me a pitying glance at leaving me to fend for myself.
I scowled at their retreating backs, but I didn’t blame them. If I didn’t have to deal with her, I would’ve been the first one out of here.
Spreading my knees, I leaned back on the couch, adopting a pose of indifference. I didn’t speak. Lila moved to the section of sofa I occupied. Once she settled on the cushion beside me, she turned her body toward me, crossing her legs, making her skirt hike up on her leg. She clasped her hands together and leaned forward in a practiced move so that her button-up shirt gaped open.
“You should have the stylist do you up like this for the photo shoot,” she said, waving her hand over my body. “Even though you just woke up, you’re looking quite hot this morning, or rather afternoon. The women will eat it up.”
She’d been quite a bit too forward on more than one occasion. I didn’t bother to answer her. My eyebrow quirked up, silently urging her to just get on with it.
She cleared her throat awkwardly. “Anyway, I needed to talk with you about the latest articles. Seems that the images of you and Izzy didn’t simply die down.” With her bright, red-tipped fingernail, she navigated her phone screen. Once she located what she was looking for, she scooted over next to me on the couch. Her leg brushed against mine. I turned my body, so my knee dug into her thigh, keeping her at bay. With a sigh of annoyance, she handed me her phone.
The headline read, LO’s Dawson Anderson Finds Love. It contained the two photos which were previously published from Amsterdam. But the article had a new photo. The two of us passionately kissing in the airport. My hand cradled her face, keeping most of her invisible to the camera. The previous photos showed two people enjoying each other’s company. But this third photo, though slightly out of focus, showed two people madly in love and saying goodbye.
The article went on to speculate that my absence at parties and clubs was explained by me being in a relationship. The writer thought it was romantic that I’d found love amid the chaos of the music industry. The author also wondered who the girl was who’d captured my heart and put out a call for information.
“You can see the problem,” Lila stated.
“Actually, I don’t. Unless you mean that people might start harassing Izzy soon. But I know that wouldn’t bother you. The article doesn’t say anything negative about me being in a relationship. It’s actually supportive. So, I fail to see what your issue is.” I held the phone out to her.
She pushed it back to me. “Look at how many times the article has been shared.”
I glanced at it. Ten thousand shares already. “When was this posted?”
“Late last night.”
So not even twelve hours old yet.
I whistled. “Wow. It’s making the rounds.”
“This is not something you want to go viral with, Dawson. Check out some of the comments.”
She’s just a groupie.
She’s a prostitute he met in the Red-Light District.
I mean, hello, stripper hair.
I’d bang the unicorn slut.
If Dawson is off the market, what’s the point in hanging out after the shows?
That last statement had a lot of interaction beneath it. Some agreeing with the sentiment and others arguing that rockers in relationships would never remain faithful so there was no need to worry.
Fury rose in my veins. How dare they? These were supposed to be my fans. They were supposed to care about me.
“You need to let me go public about us. Our real fans will understand. They’ll be happy for me.”
Lila gave a harsh chuckle. “You didn’t read far enough. There are hundreds of comments against you being in a relationship. And do you really want people talking about Izzy that way?”
I shook my head. It broke my heart thinking of people saying anything bad about my girl. She was my everything. I had to figure this crap out. “What do you suggest?”
“The same thing I suggested to you a few days ago when your picture hit the papers. Party more. Flirt. Be photographed with girls. Warn Izzy it’s coming, so she isn’t blindsided.” She ticked each item off on her fingers.
“I’ll think about it.” I didn’t want to. But I had to figure out what was the best way to protect Izzy from a situation that looked like it might get ugly.
“You’ve got to get in front of this. You need this leg of the tour to finish strong. It’s only six months. Then you’re on a break for a few weeks and won’t be in the public eye so much. A lot of important people are watching how the band handles the European and Asian legs of your tour. A lot of people with deep pockets. Movie producers needing soundtracks. Advertising execs needing a catchy jingle. You have to start thinking of all the ways to capitalize on the band’s growing popularity.”
“Izzy and I will figure out what to do.” I stood and moved away from Lila.
“Let me know what you decide, so I can help,” she offered as if she was our friend.
I moved down the narrow walkway toward the back of the bus.
“Dawson, don’t forget the phone conference with the video director in a couple of hours.”
I waved over my shoulder.
* * *
Later the guys and I gathered around my laptop to video conference the director.
“Hey there, fellas,” Todd Davidson greeted us.
We returned the sentiment.
“So, I’ll just get right to it. According to my notes, your next video is scheduled to be ‘Love Rocked’. That’s going to be the last single released off your latest album. Right?”
“That’s correct,” I confirmed.
“I know you guys worked with a different studio on your previous five videos. They were well received by your fans. But I can get you better,” he boasted.
We’d all enjoyed working with the other studio and director, but because she was pregnant she was unable to travel to us to shoot the footage.
“What did you have in mind?” Brooks asked.
“Well, if I correctly understand the meaning of the song it pretty much compares love and music.”
My lips turned down at his simplistic summation. So many people never bothered to examine the lyrics to the songs that flowed through their ears and into their minds.
He held up his hand and hastened to continue, “I mean, I know it’s deeper than that. But the first verse is about loving rock and roll and what music does to your heart. Right?”
“Right,” Jett encouraged. The look on his face said he was eager to see what the guy had in mind. Jett was a music video connoisseur.
“And the second verse is about how finding love rocks your heart,” Todd continued.
“Mmhmm,” Maddox chimed in, his tone noncommittal.
“And the last verse is about how love on the rocks crushes your soul.”
“Yeah,” I gave him a one-word answer.
“I know your previous videos have pretty much been live recordings of you guys in concert and the recording studio, but not really telling a story. This song is perfect for telling a story.”
I was skeptical. Our previous music videos had been pretty successful and well-received. The fans liked the behind the scenes clips normally scattered within the videos. And those fans who never got the chance to see us in concert, at least felt like it when they watched our videos.
“What is it that you envision?” Wilder asked.
“Well, for verse one, we’ll do like you’ve been doing. Live concert footage. But in addition to filming you guys playing, we’ll also put a few actresses in the front row. We film them too. As the verse progresses, you guys will bring them on stage. Lots of sexy dancing from the girls. The song has a sensual beat. It always gets your fans dancing seductively. So, having dancing on stage is a good transition.”
The guys were all nodding as he painted an image of what he saw in his mind.
“We’re with you so far,” Brooks encouraged.
“Verse two, we progress the story. Shots of you guys with the girls from verse one, but more relationship type shots. Flirting. Kissing. Passion. Sex. Well, not actual sex. But implied sex.”
“I’m not so sure I’m down with that,” I mumbled.
Todd frowned. “When I ran the concept by your manager, the label execs and your PR person, they all thought there would be no issue with you guys getting on board with my vision. This conference call is actually just a formality.”
“I just don’t know how I feel about pretending to be in a relationship with someone for the video. Our videos before have been authentic. They’ve been us. This sounds like a lie,” I argued.
“It’s just acting. We’ll hire professionals. They won’t get any ideas or anything. You’ll have nothing to worry about.” He waved off my concerns.
I wasn’t supposed to discuss my being in a relationship with anyone. But damnit, I didn’t want to kiss some actress. I only wanted to kiss Izzy. The guys looked at me sympathetically.
“Anyway, the third verse will be various versions of breakups. Fights, tears, broken stuff, shouting. You get the idea,” Todd continued, completely unaware of the turmoil raging in me. “What do you guys think?”
“It is different from our normal. Can we take some time to discuss it and let you know?” I asked.
“Sure. We wouldn’t start filming until a couple of months from now anyway. It’ll take that long to get everything lined up for where you guys will be then. So, think about it. It could be epic.”
“We’ll talk about it and let you know. Thanks for trying to develop a concept to fit the song’s meaning,” Brooks told him before we said our goodbyes and terminated the call.
No one moved once the screen went blank. Wilder cleared his throat. “I kinda like the idea. It goes back to what music videos used to be, a tool to help tell the song’s story.”
“I get that, man. But I can’t kiss another girl, act like I’m having sex with another girl, even if it’s fake. It would hurt Izzy. Plus, the press is always looking for an opportunity to print trash about me. I don’t want to make it easy for them.” The very thought of it made me nauseous. I couldn’t touch another girl like I was in love with her. I wouldn’t. I slammed my fist on the table.
“Maybe the story can be told without you having to take part in that portion of the plot,” Brooks suggested.
I nodded in contemplation. “Maybe.”
“Talk to Izzy, dude. See what she thinks about the idea,” Jett proposed.
“I will. But first I need to talk to her about the damn gossip stories before she finds them on her own.”
“Ahh. Is that what had Lila’s panties in a bunch this morning?” Maddox joked.
“I don’t know anything about Lila’s panties. But that is what had her so pissy. There’s a new article that came out last night showing me kissing Izzy goodbye at the airport.”
“Does it have her name?” Brooks asked concerned.
“No. It doesn’t even really show her face.”
“Oh, well that’s not so bad then,” Brooks breathed.
“But the comments were brutal. Like ripped her apart brutal. I think Lila just needs to let us go public. She thinks it would be a disaster for ticket sales.”
“That’s tough. We need to really deliver on this tour so there won’t be any issues with venturing out on our own in eighteen months,” Maddox reasoned.
“I know. That’s the only reason I haven’t declared my love for Izzy on social media already. Made us Facebook official.”
“You should talk with her before the show. You know your mind won’t be able to settle until you call her,” Brooks said.
“You’re right. I’m going to go do that now.” I stood and tucked my laptop under my arm. Then I strode purposefully back to my room.
With a click of my bedroom door, I shut out the world. Sighing deeply, I flopped back onto my mattress, unable to even smile at the bounce I made. I rolled to my side and booted up my computer. Once I had a search engine up, I did something I hadn’t done in years, I typed my own name into the search bar.
The very first result return was the article Lila showed me this morning. In the short time since she’d stormed out, the article had been updated. Now it also included more photos. One of the two of us staring into each other’s eyes over a romantic dinner. It was blurry and obviously shot through the window. But Izzy’s smile and hair were discernable. The other one was zoomed in on us to the point of it being grainy, but still depicting us floating down the canals in a loving embrace.
How many images were snapped of us without our knowledge? And why did they keep popping up randomly instead of one big expose with the first article released?
It was obvious to anyone looking at the photos, that we were completely enamored with each other. Lila wasn’t going to be able to keep insisting I wasn’t in a relationship in her statements to the press. She could deny it and even force me to not confirm it, but the photos didn’t lie. The shouted my love, loud and proud.
I pressed the necessary buttons on my phone to video call Izzy.
♪ “When You’re Gone” by Avril Lavigne
When her face filled the screen, the first thing that registered were the dark smudges beneath her eyes. Even her bright smile didn’t erase the exhaustion.
“Hey, baby,” she enthused, her eyes sparkling.
“Hey there, flutterby. How’s your day been so far?”
“Not too bad. I’ve just kind of hung around the house. Cleaning, painting, you know. Hanging my print of ‘Sunflowers’ that arrived this morning.”
“How does it look?”
“It looks perfect hanging over the couch.” She yawned.
“You still feeling jet lagged?” I frowned as I took in the paleness of her skin and the lines around her eyes.
“Yeah. Normally all I need is one long sleep to bounce back. But that didn’t quite get it this time. Maybe I’ll go to bed early tonight.” She brushed off any seriousness that her appearance suggested. “So, what did Lila want earlier?”
“I’m guessing you haven’t been surfing the net today?”
“Nope. Why? Is something wrong?” She pursed her lips together.
I exhaled deeply. “Seems we were photographed several times while we were out and about in Amsterdam.”
“Really? I bet she loved that. Are the pictures bad?” Her eyes rolled.
“No. They did catch us kissing at the airport.”
“Hell. I bet that pissed all over her cornflakes. What did the article say?” She leaned to the left, out of the frame of phone’s video screen. Soft tapping ensued.
“It said that I’d found love. If you’re looking for the ar
ticle, do not read the comments,” I warned.
Her face came back into view. “Why not? Your fans hating on me?” she teased.
She had no idea how vicious some of them could be. I hadn’t known either. “Something like that,” I offered with a shrug.
A muted gasp slipped through her parted lips. “The picture of us in the airport is kind of pretty. I mean it’s a bit blurry. But the emotion oozes from the image. I kind of want to save the image to my computer. It’s hard to deny that the couple in the photograph is deeply in love,” her voice was filled with awe.
“Exactly. I’m kind of relieved in a way that someone managed to capture the depth of our feelings. Makes it hard for Lila to spin it any other way in the press. I don’t want people thinking you’re some random groupie I picked up after a show.”
“I agree. But you know Lila will never confirm that you’re in a relationship,” Izzy scoffed.
“True. But a picture’s worth a thousand words, especially when the words are lies.”
“How did so many people manage to take pictures of us without us noticing? And how did they always seem to know where we were?” she asked, perplexed. She had a point. It wasn’t like we had a trail of people following down behind us. Joe and the security guys were always discreet except when they had to make their presence known.
“I don’t know. Maybe because when you’re around, the world ceases to exist.” I smirked at her, my heart feeling lighter just from being able to see her face.
“So, other than your rude awakening to Lila, how has your day been?” she asked.
The smile dropped off my face. Instantly the heaviness was back, pulling my heart beneath a turbulent sea of worry and fear.
“Dawson, what’s wrong? Is everyone OK?” Concern colored her tone.
“Nothing like that,” I hastened to assure her. “It’s just…”
“Just what?” Her brow furrowed.
“Well, the label hired a new director for our next music video. He wants to go in a different direction from our previous videos.”
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