Love Resolution (Black Cat Records series)

by Michelle Mankin

  Justin.

  Her twin brother’s plane was due to land in forty-five minutes. Hastily, she rummaged through the dresser drawer, pulling out the first lacy black bra and matching pair of panties she found. After her brief stint disguised as a man, at the first chance she had gone out and purchased the most feminine undergarments she could find, many more sets than she actually needed. Never again would she take wearing lingerie for granted. Being a guy had been a lot harder than she had ever imagined.

  Finger combing her shoulder length copper tresses smooth, Avery slipped on a green t-shirt and jeans, and stepped into her worn Converse sneakers with the mismatched laces. Her new friend and admitted fashionista, Samantha Daniels, would not have approved. On the way to the elevator she grabbed a hat and sunglasses from the chrome bowl on the glass topped trestle table, unfortunate necessities now that she was as easily recognizable out in public as Marcus.

  Once she exited the elevator into the underground parking garage, she saw Ray. Uncrossing his thickly muscled ebony arms, he pushed away from the side of the familiar grey Mercedes where he’d been leaning. “Don’t look so worried,” he greeted, opening the back door. “I’ll get you there with plenty of time to spare.”

  Weaving in and out of the early morning traffic, Ray soon left the congested city streets behind. Impatiently, Avery squirmed around on the leather cushion in the back seat, watching the scenery change from sidewalks overflowing with scurrying pedestrians to serene tree filled lanes with large houses and beautifully landscaped yards. She glanced down at her watch and sighed with relief when they crossed the bridge into Vancouver International with fifteen minutes to spare.

  “Thanks, Ray,” she said with a broad smile as she hopped out onto the curb.

  He rolled down the passenger window. “Put your hat and sunglasses on,” he admonished.

  “I will.” Head down, she hurried through the terminal, stopping at the VIP checkpoint to show an electronic pass to the security guard so that she could pass through.

  In a reserved waiting area, she absently took off her hat and sunglasses and began pacing back and forth. She was way too keyed up to consider sitting, and the view out on the tarmac didn’t provide anything interesting to distract her. A couple glanced her way after whispering her name but didn’t approach her.

  It had been twenty-one days since she had last seen Justin. Though they had talked on the phone nearly every day that he’d been in drug rehab, she hadn’t been able to see him since the facility didn’t allow visitors. She checked her phone again. The web app indicated that his flight had landed.

  When the door to the jet way opened, Avery’s eyes locked on it expectantly. A handsome man, height a couple of inches taller but with red hair and features strikingly similar to hers, appeared among the disembarking passengers. He flashed a big smile that she returned.

  “Avery!” He closed the distance between them quickly, dropped his duffle, and lifted her to her toes with a tight hug.

  “Justin.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “You too, sis.” He took a step back to appraise her. “You look good. Much better than when I last saw you in LA. Hair’s grown out some,” he commented, flicking a strand playfully.

  “Yours is shorter, but I like it.”

  “I had it cut.” He grinned. “Thought it would be a good idea.” He ran a hand along one close cut side. “I don’t want there to be any more cases of mistaken identity between the two of us. From what you tell me Marcus seems like a nice guy and all, but I don’t want him to kiss me.”

  She managed a feeble smile.

  “Something bothering you?” Justin tilted his head to the side. “Everything still ok with you and Marcus?” His green eyes narrowed as he studied her. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”

  “Gosh no!” she blurted. “And don’t say things like that in public,” she admonished, lowering her voice. “Someone might hear you and print it.”

  “Yeah, I saw you two in the magazines at the airport. You really do live in a fish bowl now, don’t you?”

  She nodded ruefully.

  “How is the old man, anyway?”

  “What?” Avery’s head snapped up. “Who told you?”

  “Told me what?” His brow creased with confusion. “I don’t understand. Is something wrong with Marcus?”

  “No. He’s good.” She avoided his eyes as she put her hat and sunglasses back on. “He’d have come, but he had a work out scheduled with his trainer.” She tugged on his arm. “We’d better get going. Ray’s double parked at the curb.”

  Justin pulled her to a stop before she made it to the door. Turning her around, he pinned her with a look. “Spill it sis. What’s got you so freaked?”

  “I don’t think now’s a good time to talk about it.” She twisted nervously on the black wrist band that once belonged to her twin. “You just got released from rehab.”

  “Uh-uh. Don’t do that.” He lifted her chin. “Don’t treat me like I’ve got an eggshell exterior that’s gonna crack apart any minute. It’ll drive me crazy. Tell me what’s going on.”

  She stared back into emerald eyes that were identical to her own, and just as stubborn. She gave in with a nod. “Father’s here,” she whispered.

  “In Vancouver?” Justin’s brows lifted in surprise.

  “Yes.” She glanced back at the couple who had noticed her earlier. They had stopped talking and seemed to be eavesdropping. “Not here. Let’s talk about it in the car.”

  When they walked out of the terminal and approached the Mercedes, Ray hopped out and jogged around to open the door.

  “Ray, this is my brother, Justin,” she said laying her head briefly against his shoulder. “Justin, this is my good friend and protector, Ray.”

  “Nice to meet you, man,” Justin said extending his right hand.

  “Amazing,” Ray said, shaking it as he looked back and forth between both of them. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes. You do look a lot alike.”

  “Yeah, but I’m the pretty one.” Justin chuckled.

  “Come on.” Avery scooted into the back seat. “Get in the car, Pretty Boy.” While Ray loaded the duffle into the trunk, Justin turned to Avery, his expression suddenly serious. “Ok. Give it to me straight. When did you see Dad? Why is he here? And what did he want?”

  “He showed up yesterday at Black Cat.” She shrugged. “He seems to be on some kinda apology kick. I told him he was wasting his time. I wasn’t interested.” Her jaw clenched. “As if an apology was all it took to make everything better.”

  “How’d he look?”

  “Older, thinner.” Her mind drifted back to the past. “Smaller than I remembered.”

  “Was he sober?” Justin asked in a low confidential tone as Ray climbed in and started the car.

  “He seemed to be,” she said cynically.

  “Wow. Hard to believe.”

  “I know. Never thought I’d live to see the day.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Marcus said he’s staying in a hotel till the end of the week. Why? You’re not thinking of seeing him, are you?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.” It was Justin’s turn to shrug. Then he turned his head and stared out the window on his side. He didn’t look back at her until they crossed the Granville Bridge.

  “I was thinking about how he used to come to all the fun runs at our school. Do you remember that?”

  She nodded.

  “He never missed one, even though he had to work late to make up the time.”

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “Remember JK time?” he asked cutting her off.

  She went very still. Sure she remembered. Jus/Kat time. Just Kids. That’s what their father had called the time at the end of the day when he took the two of them upstairs and read to them before bed. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. There had been good times before the bad. Really good times. He’d been an a
ttentive, loving father before her mom had died. That’s what made the bad that came after so much worse in comparison.

  “You wanna know what I remember most?” she asked dismissively. “Him drunk. Being thrown up against the wall. Watching him beating on you. That’s what I remember, Justin.”

  After dropping her brother at the Sutton hotel (he’d refused the offer to stay in the guest room at Marcus’ condo) Ray drove on to Kitsilano. Avery drummed her fingers restlessly on her leg. She had received a text summons from the Queen, Black Cat’s CEO Mary Timmons.

  Ray dropped her off at the garage entrance to the studio. Entering the building through the glass doors, she passed down the long carpeted hallway lined with gold records and memorabilia, and headed up the stairs to the record label’s executive floor. She paused in the doorway of the huge corner office.

  Mary was on the phone behind her imposing mahogany desk. “Hey, I’ll call you back in a bit. Avery’s here.” She ended the call and gestured for Avery to enter.

  Avery took a seat on one of the ornately carved and extremely uncomfortable upholstered chairs in front of the desk.

  Leaning back in her leather chair and steepling her fingers together in front of her face, Mary scrutinized as she tried to get settled.

  “You wanted to see me?” Avery asked, her voice rising nervously.

  “Yes. I did.” Mary gave her a crisp nod before she began to push a Mont Blanc pen from one side of the ink blotter pad on her desk to the other. “We haven’t had a chance to really talk in a long while.”

  Twin spots of color appeared on Avery’s pale cheeks remembering the last time she had sat here in the hot seat. The memory was not a happy one. Mary had raked her over the coals after finding out she had been pretending to be a guy to get the guitarist gig with Brutal Strength. “No, I guess we haven’t.”

  “A lot has happened since then.” She watched Avery over her desk for several squirm worthy moments. “I brought you in because I want to talk to you about your public image. It’s gotten way out of hand.”

  Avery gulped.

  “I should have done something about this a while ago. Have you been reading the stuff that’s circulating about you in the press?”

  “No. I try to avoid it.”

  “Avoidance is not a strategy. Don’t be naïve, Avery.” She came around to the front of the desk and leaned back on it with her hands to either side of her petite frame. Tugging down on the jacket of her attractive pinstriped suit, she pinned Avery in place with a serious look. “Listen, you need to get this into your head… you’re a big celebrity now. And you need to understand that your reputation is not just yours alone. How the public perceives you affects Marcus, Brutal Strength, and ultimately even the label and everyone who works here, including me.”

  “I realize that.” Avery sat up straighter in the chair. “That’s a lesson I’ve recently learned and it’s not likely that I’ll forget it any time soon.”

  “Good. Good. We’re on the same page then,” Mary said succinctly. “In light of that, I’ve taken the liberty of putting a couple of things in motion for you.”

  “What kind of things?” Avery asked, suspicion making her stomach muscles tense.

  “I have a photo shoot for you with In Style magazine tomorrow morning and then an interview with Guitar World the next.”

  “What?” She lifted an incredulous brow. “A fashion magazine? Guitar World I can understand but not In Style. I’m just a guitarist, not a model.”

  “Avery.” Mary clicked her tongue, disapprovingly. “Haven’t you realized by now that you’re much more than that? You’re an accomplished female guitarist in one of biggest bands in the world. That’s the angle I want to capitalize on. And the one I’ve talked to Marcus about at great length.”

  “Really?” she managed wondering why Marcus had never mentioned that to her.

  “Yes. And like it or not, you’ve become a role model for teenage girls. You’ve proven that a woman can kick ass on the guitar. I want the public to get a chance to really know you. Accentuate the positive aspects of who you are as a person while emphasizing the success you’ve had in a male dominated profession.”

  “Ok. All that sounds good, but how will taking pictures for a fashion magazine accomplish that?”

  “It’s all part of the game. It’s about visibility. Image is everything in this business.”

  “I know it’s important but not more than the music itself.”

  “Trust me, Avery. I’ve climbed this hill myself, you know.”

  Avery stared past Mary, looking out the large windows watching the sun sparkle on the water of English Bay while she mulled it over. “Are you sure Marcus is ok with all this?”

  “He said it was your decision to make.”

  “Ok, well that’s good. I guess it’ll be fine then.”

  “Good. It’s settled then.” Mary watched her for a moment, her expression softening. “Avery Jones, I’ve had a good feeling about you from the beginning. I really believe things are just starting to take off for you, and the sky’s the limit, in my opinion.”

  Avery glanced down at her feet, embarrassed by the uncharacteristic praise from the Black Cat’s exec.

  “I fully expect Hollywood to call any day now. And I just want you to remember… always be true to yourself. No more lies or denying who you are.”

  Avery nodded.

  “How are the rehearsals going?” Mary moved back to her chair, all business again.

  “Good. I think we’ve almost got the whole show blocked out. There are still a couple of issues with lighting.” She shrugged. “But Marcus seems pleased.”

  Mary nodded and marked a line through a piece of paper on her desk.

  Avery stifled a smile, surprised to discover that the ultra-organized owner seemed to be using a hand written “to do” list.

  “A couple more things and I’ll let you go.” She rolled the pen between her hands. “I want you to seriously consider being a representative for a music related charity organization. Mr. Holland’s Opus and Fender Music Foundation are two really good ones. They raise funds to buy instruments and equipment for schools that can’t afford them.”

  “I’d love to do that. Isn’t that something Brutal Strength could do together as a group?”

  “Yes. But for now, I just want it to be you.”

  “Ok.” Avery agreed, twisting on her arm band. “What else?”

  “I want you to start working on writing some solo material.”

  “Oh, no.” Avery shook her head. “No way. I’m more than happy in Brutal Strength. Marcus…”

  “That wasn’t a question.” Mary cut her off with an even stare. “And Marcus knows all about this already. He doesn’t want to hold you back in any way. He believes as I do that you’re more than capable of managing both.”

  “Alright.” Avery wilted back into her chair.

  “Last thing.” Mary pushed a folder across the desk. “This is the information from several companies that have contacted us wanting you to endorse their products. Talk it over with Marcus and decide. Beth and I are also here to guide you.”

  “Alright.” Avery felt a little lightheaded and swayed when she stood up.

  “You ok?” Mary asked with a raised brow.

  “I’m fine,” she said taking a deep breath. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

  “You can handle it.” She gave a dismissive nod. “Don’t forget your shoot first thing in the morning.”

  Avery moved to the door, breathing deeply as she exited Mary’s office. Being front and center before the Queen was about as much fun as it had been strapping down her breasts with an ace bandage when pretending to be a guy.

  Marcus joined his brother up on the set, the same one that would be taken down and put back up again at each city on the upcoming tour. They’d been coming to this airport hangar to practice on it for the past week. “Anyone else here yet?” he queried, speaking loud enough to be heard over the roar of a jet taking of
f in the distance.

  “Nah, just us,” Dwight verified. “What’s going on? You sounded worried on the phone.”

  There was no easy way to segue into this. “Avery’s father showed up yesterday.”

  “No way.”

  “Oh yeah. He ambushed us in the hall at Black Cat.”

  “What did he want?”

  “To talk to her, but she didn’t say more than two words to him. It wasn’t a warm reunion, to say the least. He did seem genuinely remorseful, though.”

  “He should be.”

  “I know. I know. He just wasn’t quite what I expected.” He ran a hand through his hair. “And I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him.”

  “I hope for her sake you’re wrong.” Dwight shook his head, his mane of shaggy reddish blond hair falling forward over his blue eyes. “Where is our beautiful guitarist anyway?”

  “She had a meeting with Mary.” Marcus glanced down at his Tag Heuer sports watch and frowned. “She should’ve been here by now.”

  “You let her approach the Queen without an escort?”

  “She’ll be alright.” He barked out a laugh. “Might be Mary that needs assistance. She’s gonna figure out, if she hasn’t already that Avery has a mind of her own.”

  “In other words, Avery and Mary,” Dwight knocked his knuckles together, “Bam! Two unstoppable forces coming together with a keg of gunpowder between them.”

  “Exactly so,” Marcus agreed, watching Dwight flick open the latches on his bass case. “And since I don’t have nearly enough stress in my life already, today’s also the day Avery’s brother is coming back in.”

  “Sorry, little bro. I can feel your pain.” His brother gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. “How’s Justin doing?”

  “Good as far as I know. She’s so excited to see him, but I worry…” Marcus trailed off.

  “About what?”

  “About him relapsing mostly. She says it was his choice to go in but if it wasn’t, I don’t know if it’ll stick. I get the impression he’s a pretty impulsive guy.”