They’re talking to a few guys from our crew who I’ve seen try this tactic before to get laid. Some girls get turned on by watching others go at it. Unfortunately, I don’t think these two are those types of girls.
The guys are hoping to get in on the action, turning Noah and his chick into an orgy once he makes his final move. It’s a puss move on their part, but as they’re roadies, I can understand them just wanting to get some action before we move on to the next city.
Too bad these guys aren’t paying close enough attention to the girls, as it’s written all over their faces that they aren’t okay with the couple next to them, no matter who Noah is.
I have to cover my laugh when the girls have finally had enough and decide to leave. Disappointment covers the roadies’ faces when they realize they probably aren’t getting any tonight and that all the effort was for nothing.
I turn my attention to Jack, who’s taking a shot from some chick’s boobs, while Max is licking down the stomach of a girl lying on a table before pouring liquor into her belly button. Giggles from the girls fill the room as hoots and hollers follow from the groups of guys who surround them, watching the show, wishing they were them.
A guy I don’t recognize in the corner catches my eye. The girl he’s with keeps swaying from side to side, and her eyes are glazed over. If he wasn’t pressing her against the wall, I doubt she’d be standing at all.
My dad mode clicks into high gear.
I nudge the crew member next to me. “Hey, is this guy with us?” I point to the couple.
He glances and then says, “Nah, he’s part of the local crowd.”
The way he keeps trying to feel up on the girl, pushing his body into hers, as he kisses her neck isn’t sitting right with me, so I make my way toward them.
Once he sees me walk by, he stops, happily taking advantage of his chance to talk to me. “Adam, dude, you’re my fucking hero.”
We slap hands, and I nod. “Thanks for coming. Is your friend okay?”
The girl stumbles, just like I suspected she would, when he’s not holding her up anymore.
“What’s her name?”
He shrugs. “Haven’t even gotten it yet. Won’t matter tomorrow though, if you know what I mean.” He playfully hits my arm like that’s supposed to make me laugh.
It doesn’t.
I turn to her, holding my hand out to shake hers. “I’m Adam. What’s your name?”
“Sheila,” she says, smiling and pressing out her chest to me. The motion is too much for her to handle, and she falls into me instead.
“Who are you here with?” I ask, searching the room to see if anyone is paying attention to her.
She steps up to me again, placing her hand on my chest to keep herself steady, alcohol reeking from her breath. “I’m here all by myself. My friends were too afraid to come party with y’all, but I wasn’t going to miss out on the chance.”
I run my eyes down her outfit with the short miniskirt and tight leather top that pushes her boobs out more than necessary. No wonder this guy was all over her. She looks like she’s here to find someone to go home with, but the fact that she’s as drunk as she is makes me pause.
The guy she was talking to nods his head and raises his eyebrows when he notices I just checked out her goods. He thinks we’re thinking the same thing, but we’re not.
“So, tell me, Adam, do you like to party?” Her words slur out.
“Hell yeah, he does!” the guy hollers, and I decide to play along.
I don’t see tonight ending well for her, especially if she’s here alone.
I grab her hand. “Come with me,” I say, trying not to sound too sexual, but making sure she follows me just in case.
“Yeah, Adam,” the guy cheers.
I nod my head as I slide my arm around her waist, more to make sure she can walk straight than for anything else. I get Nick’s attention, the head of our security, so he follows me.
The after-party is at the hotel where we’re staying, so I hit the elevator button and bring her inside. Her eyes are getting heavier by the minute now that we’re away from the other partygoers who were keeping her semi-awake.
“Whatcha got here?” Nick asks as he steps into the elevator with us. He knows I’m not one to take almost-passed-out girls up to my hotel room.
“She’s wasted and here alone.” I press the button to the top floor and wrap my arm around her shoulders, bringing her into me.
“And you thought it’d be a good idea to bring her up to your room?” Nick questions with his brows furrowed and a tilt to his head.
“I can’t get her a room. Some of the guys are crashing on the bus because the hotel is full. I didn’t like the way a guy was trying to get on her, so what was I to do? I’ll crash in Max’s room.”
“Yep, you’re definitely the dad of a daughter,” he teases with a grin on his face.
“Fuck off. Just help me get her situated. She can crash in my room, sleep it off.”
Riding to the forty-ninth floor takes a while, and I’m not sure if she can even walk, so I lean down to pick her up and carry her to my room while Nick opens my suite.
Inside, I make my way to the bedroom, remove her shoes, and slide her under the covers. There’s no way a phone is hidden in her tight outfit, so I turn to Nick. “Can you check to see if she had a purse down there and make sure we get it up here?”
He slaps my back. “Sure, man.”
He turns to leave, but before I walk away, I take in the woman who’s sleeping in my bed tonight, forcing me to move to Max’s room next door. She looks more peaceful in her sleep, and I can’t help but imagine Cailin at this age. I can only hope she never puts herself in anywhere near this type of situation like this girl did tonight.
Thoughts of Cailin’s mom come blaring back, but I force them away. The two situations are not the same.
I leave a note, telling her to come to the next room over to get her purse in the morning. After closing the door, I head to the living room where Nick is pillaging through the gift basket the hotel left for me.
He grabs the alcohol bottles, knowing I won’t use them. “Thank you very much,” he says as he nods his head and makes his way toward the door.
I laugh at his antics as I call down to security to get them to open Max’s room for me. “Have a fun night,” I say as he leaves.
“You know I will.”
* * *
I’m woken up to the sounds of someone knocking on the door. I didn’t want Max to come back to his room and find me sleeping in his bed, so I slept on the couch. My feet hung over the ends, and the blanket I had barely covered my tall frame. Let’s just say, I didn’t get the best night’s sleep, especially since Max came back with some chick an hour ago.
“Hi.” Sheila waves shyly when she sees me open the door. “You have my purse, I take it?”
I yawn as I run my fingers through my hair. “Morning.”
“Whose room was that?” She bites her lip as she covers her body by wrapping her arms around her center, obviously questioning what’s going on.
I rub the sleep from my eyes before I say anything.
“Wait. Holy fucking shit. Adam Jacobson?” She glances around the room and then stares at me again in disbelief.
I try not to laugh. “Yeah. Nice to meet you more officially.”
I raise my arms above my head, trying to stretch the aches away from my body.
Her eyes widen as she takes in my bare chest, turning red when I notice. “How the hell did I end up there?” She turns toward the room she just came from and then back to me.
I give her the same expression I give Cailin when she’s done something wrong, which feels weird, so I quickly wipe it away and try to act nonchalant. “You were pretty drunk, and I didn’t like the way a guy was treating you. So, I brought you back to my room, and then I came here.”
Her posture stiffens when she realizes what I just said. “What guy?”
I briefly close my eyes, inha
ling a deep breath. “Exactly. That’s why you’re here, and I slept there.” I point to the small couch behind me.
“But you didn’t try …” She points back and forth between us, seeing if I’ll get her drift.
I glare at her. “Of course I didn’t. I brought you up here to protect you.”
Her head falls to the side with a small grin gracing her face. “So, you were my hero last night.”
I let out a quick laugh. “Hardly. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t end up in the wrong place since you weren’t there with anyone.”
A full smile builds on her face. “Wow, so you’re, like, a good guy then.”
“Yeah, don’t tell anyone.” I wink, trying to keep the mood playful.
A girl moans from the bedroom before I hear Max saying, “Yeah, take that dick. Take it all.”
I turn to Sheila. “I’m hungry. Want to get some food?”
She covers her mouth, not sure how to react from what we just heard, and nods slowly. She’s obviously in shock from the morning’s events, but it’s just another day in my crazy life.
Holding her hands out to her sides, she says, “Why not? Adam Jacobson, let’s go get some food.”
“You can just call me Adam.” I grin before I slip my shirt back over my head.
She inhales and tries not to laugh. “Okay … Adam.”
5
Sarah
I enter the multipurpose room that’s lined in pink and white streamers and balloons for the father-daughter dance.
This is my favorite school event, and I offered to help make sure things run smoothly just so I could take part.
I remember attending this same dance with my father. It was my best memory as a little girl. Every year, my mom would buy me a dress that I could twirl around in and even take me to get my hair professionally styled.
I make my way to the registration desk, lining up the papers that list who has paid before people start to arrive.
“Do you need any help?” Cindy asks as she approaches the table.
I hand her half the stack of papers. “Do you want to help me check people in?”
“Sure.” She sits down next to me. “I think we need to start a mother-son dance.” Since she has two boys, the statement makes sense.
“I don’t see why you can’t organize something like that. Do you think your boys would want to come, all dressed up?”
Her head drops back in laughter. “No way. We’d have to do a glow night or a carnival or something like that. But I think it’d be fun.”
“You should do it. Let me know if I can assist.”
She brightens up, proud that I agreed with her suggestion. It’s not often that we see eye to eye on things.
As people enter, I admire every dress worn by some of the sweetest girls around. Some even have corsages on their wrists.
When Cailin steps up, she introduces me to Linda’s husband, Wayne. I don’t bring up anything about how it’s nice that he could bring her or the fact that her own father isn’t here. That little spark I normally see in her eyes is gone.
By six thirty, the place is full. Our PE teacher tries his best to DJ. Sights of dresses twirling around on the dance floor bring me so many happy memories.
A father dressed in a form-fitting gray suit holds his hand up high as his daughter spins. His expression is priceless as he watches his little angel having a fun time.
Wayne is doing the best to accommodate Cailin, but I get the feeling he’s out of his element. When they dance, he’s not holding her like the other fathers do. He’s questioning where to put his arm, and his posture is stiff.
As I walk around the room, making sure everything is going okay, I catch Cailin doing a little dance that signifies she has to go potty. Wayne’s eyes widen as he nervously looks around, so I swoop in and offer to take her.
The night progresses, and poor Wayne doesn’t fit in the groups of young fathers who begin to line the walls as the girls start to play with their friends. He’s tucked in the corner on his phone, but when he hangs up, he heads straight to Cailin, leaning down and pointing to the door.
I follow his finger and am shocked when I see Adam—the Adam Jacobson—standing at the door in tight jeans with holes and a black shirt that clings to his body, revealing tattoos that cover both arms. His hair sticks up straight, and the black gauges in his ears stand out in our clean-cut, country community.
Cindy is talking to him, and by her expression, I can tell she doesn’t recognize him.
Why am I not surprised?
When she motions to Principal McAllister, I rush to the door, making sure he doesn’t say something he’ll regret before he realizes who just crashed our party. He’s close to his seventies, so I wouldn’t expect him to recognize Adam.
He takes pride in knowing who all the parents are here at Markham Elementary and is quick to make it known when people aren’t welcome. Since he doesn’t know Cailin’s father is a rock star who’s on tour, he has no clue who the man is that just walked in without a student on his arm.
Cailin is making her way to us as I step in front of Principal McAllister.
“Hi. You’re Cailin’s father, right? So glad you could join us.” I reach my hand out to him.
Principal McAllister gives me the side-eye for cutting him off but thankfully keeps his mouth shut once he hears me say it’s Cailin’s father.
Adam reaches his hand out to mine, securely gripping it. “You must be Miss Russo.” His crystal-blue eyes stay locked to mine, and his lips tilt up into a slight grin.
I’m glad Cailin jumping into his arms breaks our moment, so I can gather myself better.
“Daddy, how are you here?”
He wraps his arms around her, hugging her so tightly that she giggles his name as he bounces her up and down. “I couldn’t miss my little girl’s first dance,” he says when he pulls back to look at her in the face. He sets her down. “And this dress!” He motions for her to turn around.
“Do you like it?” she says, holding out the sides for him to see better.
“I love it, but you’re missing one thing.” He takes the small box he’s holding and opens it for her, revealing a beautiful dahlia corsage.
Cailin jumps up and down, clapping her hands. “Is that for me?”
Adam removes it from the box and places it around her wrist. “Now, it’s perfect. So, my lady”—he holds out his elbow to her—“may I have this dance?”
I turn to the rest of the crowd, only to see the spectacle they’ve created. Most of the parents here are my age, and though they might not like rock music, thanks to apps like TMZ, they know exactly who Adam is, especially after the riot that just occurred.
Adam seems unfazed by the buzz around him. I’m amazed he can act like no one cares that a huge rock star just entered our small-town elementary gymnasium. He swings his daughter around, holding his hands out to her as she steps on his feet, and they dance like it’s something they’ve done a thousand times before.
Whispers progress, and before long, cell phones are removed from coat pockets, and pictures are snapped. Worry of his secret getting out grips at my stomach, but when I see the way he’s looking at Cailin, it calms my nerves.
Right now, he’s just a normal dad who wants to dance with his little girl. Nothing should stop him from having this memory with his daughter.
“Who is this guy, and why are people freaking out that he’s here?” Cindy ruins the sweet moment when she snidely crosses her arms in front of herself.
“You don’t recognize him?”
She scrunches her face. “Why would I know what that is?”
Yep, that’s why we aren’t friends anymore. I need that reminder of how judgmental and snobby she really is every once in a while. The whole town is like this. My sister, Emily, is the only friend I have who lives here. She’s not as bad as some of the people, but she definitely has her moments.
This is just another reason why I need to make a plan for something else in my
life—quickly. Thank God I have Maggie even though she lives on the opposite coast. I vent to her often, and she keeps me sane. I promised her this was my last year teaching here, and I plan on keeping that promise. I’m ready for what’s next.
I try to hide my irritation. “He’s a famous rock star. You should look him up. He’s the lead singer of the band Devil’s Breed.”
She flips her hair my way in an instant. “You really think I’d listen to a band with the word devil in it? Please don’t tell me that’s his daughter. How did we let someone like that in this school?”
I open my eyes wide to her. “In this public school, where everyone and anyone in our city is welcome to attend? You don’t have to be so rude. You don’t even know the guy, and his daughter is a sweetheart.”
She rolls her eyes. “Of course you would stand up for something like that. When will you grow up, Sarah?”
With a huff, she storms off to talk to the other teachers and, I’m sure, to try to start a gossip train.
I shake off her negative energy and turn my attention back to the sweet dance happening in front of me.
The song ends, and Cailin pulls her father by the hand over to where I’m standing. “Daddy, this is my teacher, Miss Russo,” Cailin says with so much pride that I can’t help but smile.
He picks her up with his left arm and sticks out his right one to me again. Tingles fly through my body when our skin meets.
“Yes, we met when I first got here. Thanks for taking care of my little girl.” He tickles her after he drops my hand.
“Please, call me Sarah.” I kick myself internally.
Adam looks back to me, pausing for a brief moment before repeating my name breathlessly, “Sarah.”
It rolls off his tongue in a raspy baritone that makes it sound more like a song lyric than just five letters, and I swear, my heart skips a beat.
I’ve never asked a parent to call me by my first name, and the expression on Principal McAllister’s face proves he heard me. I know he’s waiting patiently for me to fill him in on why people are taking pictures and acting weird toward this man, but he’ll have to wait a little longer because I’m currently being held hostage by the smoldering stare of a rock star.
Our Song Page 4