The Songwriter

by Jensen, A. P.

  She waved her hands as if that would banish his words. “I didn’t come here to replace Natasha. I came here for moral support and to help your new singer with the songs.”

  “Good. You can support me by singing on the tour. The tour kicks off in two weeks-”

  “Trey!” She clenched her hands to stop herself from choking him. “I am not a singer.”

  “Why won’t you help me with this?”

  She took in his sad puppy dog face. “You act as if all you need is a ride to the airport. You have a tour in two weeks!”

  “So?”

  “Besides the fact that I don’t sing, do you think I forgot what tours are like? You’re crammed onto tour buses like sardines, there’s costume changes, sets, singers, players-” When he just grinned at her she shouted in his famous face, “I have a life! I’m a writer, I have clients and I am not getting sucked into this!”

  “You may not think you’re a singer but you are. You say all of that and act like you hate it but deep down you miss it. Why do you keep in touch with the crew? Why do you fly to meet us all over the world?”

  “I miss the people, not touring, you ass!” She ignored the stab of excitement. Going on tour with Natasha and Trey had been the highlight of her life and at that age she reveled in it. She thought of those days fondly and sometimes she missed it, but there was no way she would go on a tour to sing. It would be a cold day in hell before she stepped anywhere near a stage or a microphone.

  “Natasha wants to punish me and make me cancel the tour,” he said grimly.

  “What did you do anyway?”

  He glared indignantly at her. “You think I did something? How about her with her fits and scenes? I’m tired of it. I told her it’s over.”

  A cynical smile curved Gwen’s mouth. “You always say that.”

  “I mean it. I’m getting too old to play her games.”

  Gwen didn’t believe him. Natasha and Trey were like magnets. They were opposites that kept being drawn back to one another. Trey was grounded and casual and Natasha was high maintenance and lavish. They dated on and off for ten years and their professional and personal lives were intertwined, so even when Trey called it off it was only a matter of time before they were back together. They were that explosive couple that was either deeply in love or hated each other with passion. With Trey and Natasha there was no lukewarm, so it was no surprise to Gwen that Natasha left Trey with a bang.

  “Maybe you could offer her marriage and bring her back,” Gwen said and wasn’t prepared for the icy look in Trey’s eyes.

  “I would never marry Natasha and she found herself some actor that needs press as much as she does. Good riddance.”

  Gwen knew she was touching on tender territory so she immediately changed the subject. “Okay. What about her backup singers? There’s no one from there you can use?”

  “They’re not experienced enough.”

  She raked her brains for an alternative while he watched her.

  “Have you had any contact with Natasha?”

  “A little.” The taunting/conceited texts from Natasha weren’t welcome, but Natasha was one of her biggest clients, so Gwen accepted them instead of blocking her.

  “Did she tell you she was going to elope with that actor?”

  Gwen grimaced. “She sent me a text but I didn’t think she was going to do it.”

  “So you knew about it.”

  Gwen winced. “She’s always texting me that she’s going to do wild stuff and she only does half of them. She’s never eloped before so I didn’t think twice about it.”

  “But she did.”

  Gwen shrugged defensively. “Well, how did I know she wasn’t eloping with you? Good grief, you guys have been together forever.”

  “Too long,” he muttered and then smiled.

  Trey wrapped his arms around her. Her face was level with his broad chest and because it had been a long, hard year without him she rested her head against him and hugged him back. She breathed in his cologne and felt tears sting her eyes. Although she’d been the peasant and he the prince when she was Natasha’s personal assistant, Trey always treated her like an equal. Despite the gap in their financial brackets, they had a tight friendship forged by music and years on the road together. Even after all these years, Trey would bully her into meeting him all over the world.

  “I missed you, Gwen.”

  “I missed you too.”

  “So will you sing for me?”

  “Hell no.”

  Chapter Two

  Trey leaned down and rubbed his face in Gwen’s hair while he wondered what he could do to change her mind. Gwen was independent, but she had a good heart and she was the one woman he didn’t front with. He trusted her completely and he cherished their friendship. He had to keep reminding himself of that because the urge to make a move on her was still riding him.

  “You used to love touring.”

  She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him with dark brown eyes. “I like touring, but it’s a lot of work and I’m not eighteen anymore.”

  “Neither am I.”

  She poked his hard stomach experimentally. “You feel like it.”

  He tugged on her braid which was an old habit that irritated Natasha. She’d been jealous of Trey’s easy friendship with Gwen, who liked being alone and didn’t bother getting dressed up for anyone.

  “This is the lowest thing she’s done,” Gwen muttered.

  “She took off knowing I’d have to scramble to find a replacement when I could be doing other things. It pisses me off.”

  Gwen patted his chest sympathetically. “Are you okay with the engagement?”

  “I wish she waited until after the tour but whatever.”

  “Classic Natasha.”

  He pointed a finger at her. “This is your fault.”

  “My fault?!” Gwen’s voice was loud enough to make Trey take a step back.

  “Did you try to talk Natasha out of it?” he demanded.

  “No. I ignored her, as usual.”

  “Exactly!” He wagged his finger in her face, making her reach out and bite it. He withdrew his finger in time and flicked her on the nose. “You owe me.”

  “I’m not gonna let you blackmail me into singing,” Gwen snapped.

  The door opened and Angie stuck her head in. “Trey, they need you back in auditions.”

  “We’ll be right there,” Trey said.

  Angie glared at Gwen and slammed the door. They both listened to her stride down the hall, heels clicking.

  “The least you could do is help me find a replacement singer.”

  “That’s what I’m here for,” Gwen said.

  Trey led her through a hallway of worried stage crew workers and was forced to stop when some of them came forward to hug and kiss Gwen. She was shocked to see so many familiar faces even after all these years. It brought up memories of being backstage and ducking while Natasha hurled things at the walls when she and Trey fought or getting yelled at in front of everyone because Natasha couldn’t find her favorite lip gloss. Cassie and Barbie, the hair and makeup artists kissed both of Gwen’s cheeks.

  “Any word?” Barbie asked, glancing nervously at Trey.

  “Not yet. We’re heading to auditions,” Gwen said.

  “Find somebody!” Cassie hissed. “I have bills to pay, honey.”

  Trey demanded perfection and everyone knew he would rather cancel than put a singer that wasn’t suitable on tour with him. Gwen waved goodbye and followed Trey into a hallway where nervous singers paced with numbers taped to their chests. Everyone fell silent as Trey stalked through the group and Gwen saw the fear and hero worship in their eyes. Trey Phoenix, the king of country. Trey began his career in a boy band which eventually split. From there he went solo, forging a career that spanned two decades.

  Trey and Gwen entered a room where a group of people sat behind tables. Most of the band members clapped her on the back or shouted greetings while Angie scowled. Tre
y pulled Gwen onto the seat beside him and yelled for the first frightened singer. The thirty year old singer was obviously star struck and intimidated. Even at a distance Gwen saw the fear in her eyes. She winced when the singer’s voice cracked on the first note. She didn’t even get through two lines before she fled the stage in tears. Gwen glanced at Trey who hadn’t looked up once during the audition. He was busy texting on his phone. She elbowed him in the ribs.

  “What?”

  “Are you even going to watch them audition?” Gwen hissed as the next singer walked in.

  “I don’t have to look at them. I can hear.”

  The singer cleared her throat and projected so loudly Gwen wanted to cover her ears. This girl knew she would have a mic if she went on tour, right? Shouting was not singing. Trey wrote on the legal pad between them.

  Maybe she’s deaf?

  Gwen snickered and braced herself for the next singer. It was clear everyone had given up hope in finding a replacement for Natasha. Singer after singer came in to audition until Gwen wanted to beg Trey to stop. Either the singers were too scared, too confident, off key, too old, too young, too much or too little. None of them connected with what they were singing and for the first time in her life Gwen realized how fortunate she was to have Natasha (despite her character defects) perform her songs rather than the amateurs being paraded before them. These singers were murdering her songs!

  “That’s it,” Angie reported.

  “Thank God,” Alan, the bass player groaned.

  When he stacked his shoes on the table Gwen slapped them off. He looked startled for a moment and then he laughed, shaking his head.

  “What are we going to do?” Angie asked.

  “I’ll figure it out,” Trey said briskly. “Get some sleep. We’re going to rehearse tomorrow. Be ready.”

  “How can we rehearse without a replacement?” Alan demanded.

  “Let me take care of that. Scram,” Trey said.

  “You coming?” Alan asked Gwen.

  “She and I need to talk,” Trey said before she could respond.

  When the band trotted out with their heads hanging low, Angie lingered and Trey jerked his head at her to leave. Angie gave Gwen a warning look before she closed the door, leaving them alone. Gwen got up and paced. She knew he was watching and waiting.

  “There must be more women to audition,” Gwen burst out.

  “We’ve been auditioning for two weeks and I’m running out of time. No one fits and I’m not about to take just anyone on tour with me.”

  She shot him a bad-tempered glare as she paced with her arms crossed. “Maybe I can call Natasha.”

  “You think she’ll come back for you?” Trey sneered.

  Gwen blushed. Natasha was the most self-centered person in the world. Having Gwen call and beg for her to return would only fuel Natasha’s behavior and up the already ridiculous price she charged Trey to go on tour with her.

  “It’s worth a try,” Gwen said.

  Trey sat on the table and swung long legs, watching her like a predator. “You think so?”

  She knew it wasn’t and she felt the walls closing in around her. She tapped her shoe nervously. She knew what it was like to be on tour with Trey. That wasn’t the problem. The glaring problem was that she didn’t sing. Ever. Not in front of people and definitely not in public. She had severe stage fright which was why she was a songwriter, not a singer. The duets between Natasha and Trey had been a hit this year and they were expected in the song lineup at Trey’s concerts. If Trey couldn’t replace Natasha fans could demand their money back since the concert was advertised with The Duet. Trey didn’t bow down to anyone and he wouldn’t give Natasha the satisfaction of cancelling the tour altogether but it could damage Gwen’s songs.

  Trey and Gwen faced each other. They knew each other well and the expectant look on Trey’s face really pissed her off.

  “I don’t sing,” she said.

  “So you think. You’re wrong.”

  “You want to take an amateur singer with you on tour? Are you stupid?”

  “You’re not an amateur.”

  “I’ve never sang on a stage in my life.”

  “It’s easy.”

  The sound of Gwen’s laughter bounced off the walls and made Trey smile. Gwen knew he didn’t joke about singing so if he thought she could replace Natasha that could only mean one thing- she wasn’t as bad as she thought. Her dream of being a singer was dead. The moment she went onstage she left that dream behind and she had no desire to revive it. She found her calling in writing songs. Rearranging her life to go on tour with Trey and sing in front of hundreds of thousands wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare.

  “This can’t be happening,” she said, rubbing her temples. “I came here to help you find a singer, not be a singer. There must be some undiscovered soul out there looking for a job.”

  “I don’t have time to train somebody to learn the songs. I need someone that knows the songs and can sing them. I can’t risk that person taking off if they find out touring isn’t for them and we need to start their training yesterday.”

  Gwen’s eyes were a little wild as she looked at him. He looked so calm, as if what he was asking was simple and straightforward. His “plan” was ludicrous and it would turn her world upside down. She had a life and a career that didn’t involve touring or singing onstage. The thing that made her chest tighten with anxiety is that she knew what he was saying was true- she was the obvious choice. If Trey thought she was good enough to replace Natasha there was no other obstacle other than herself. Gwen had firsthand experience of what life was like on the road and she mentally bitch slapped the part of her that felt a sudden spark of excitement.

  “I can’t sing the songs the way Natasha does,” Gwen said, throat closing up with panic.

  “I don’t need them sung the way she does. We can do it acoustic. It sounds better anyway.”

  She stared at him. “You can’t change the way Natasha-”

  “She’s not here and I can do whatever I want.”

  “There has to be someone else,” she said weakly.

  “Who? I’ve called in professional singers and they’re either busy or they can’t sing the songs. I’ve tried people off the street. Nothing’s working. People expect your songs. They expect Natasha. Even if I can’t give them Natasha, I still want to give them the songs even if it’s not by her.”

  “I don’t know,” Gwen said, rubbing her temples.

  Sensing weakness, Trey pounced. “Do you trust me?”

  She didn’t answer immediately and he looked offended. She groaned and covered her face, knowing her answer would be her doom.

  “Yes,” she said, voice muffled.

  “Do you think I’d let you sing in front of everyone, disappoint my fans and ruin my career?”

  Gwen lowered her hands and glared balefully at him. “I guess not.”

  He clapped his hands. “Exactly! We have two weeks to train onstage and practice harmonizing together.”

  Dozens of thoughts and images rushed through her mind. Her heart pounded in her ears and her vision swam. “I need to sit down.”

  Trey shoved her into a chair and grabbed one for himself, turning it backwards so he could straddle it. He watched her clinically. “What are you so afraid of?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “You’ve been on tour before. You know the schedule the singers are on since you were Natasha’s assistant. You know what’s required. I don’t see any problems.”

  “Uh, what about my life?” she demanded hotly. “I have songs to write and I’m collaborating with several people.”

  “Can it be put off?”

  “So it’s fine to push my work back but not yours?”

  “The tour is sold out already!” he said defensively.

  “Well, my clients are getting their albums ready and they want songs from me. I can’t do that while I’m on the road! For some reason, I didn’t leave a huge gap in my schedule to mak
e time to embarrass myself in front of a million people!”

  He held his hands up. “Calm down, Gwen.”

  “No. You calm down! You can’t ask me to do this!” Her voice rose hysterically and she didn’t like how placid he was. Shouldn’t he be the one panicking, not her?

  “I am asking you. It’s selfish of me but I believe you can do this.”

  When Gwen didn’t agree, Trey got up and paced, raking his hands through his hair. He needed a singer and he knew he had the right one. Gwen Harper. No one else would do. The moment he heard her voice, his instincts went on a hyper alert status that hadn’t eased.

  “I don’t want to cancel the tour.”

  “I understand that.”

  “I don’t want to disappoint the fans.”

  She bit her lip. “Neither do I, but I’m not the one they’re expecting.”

  “Everyone knows what Natasha did,” Trey said impatiently. “She left me high and dry, found some poor schmuck, married him after knowing him a week and took off to I don’t care where.”

  He didn’t want to talk about Natasha anymore. He broke up with her knowing she was capable of pulling a stunt like this and he did it anyway. Now his crew and fans might pay the price, but at the moment he had a tiny ray of hope that Gwen could fix everything. All he needed was for her to say yes and he would make sure everything worked out.

  “The fans know Natasha isn’t going to be on the tour. They’re just hoping it doesn’t cancel which I need to do right now if I can’t find a singer.”

  Gwen tugged on her braid. Trey wasn’t sure what to say to make her agree and he racked his brains to figure out what would be the tipping point for her. Gwen jiggled her foot nervously as Trey threw down his ace.

  “Natasha did this to both of us.”

  Gwen paused. “What?”

  “She took off, knowing it would hurt both of our businesses. I say to hell with her. We can show her that we can still do this without her.” He smiled at Gwen. “I’d sure love to see her face when she hears you’re replacing her.”

  Gwen looked like she was going to puke. She took a deep breath. “I’m not a performer.”