Starting Over (New Beginnings #1)

by Gillian Joy

  ****

  His first stop was Sydney. And it was the whirlwind he'd expected. He was chauffeured from radio station to TV station to concert venue. He wasn't playing any big gigs, the label execs didn't want to risk empty seats so they chose smaller venues, mostly local pubs and clubs, but Connor liked it that way, they were his roots and it made him feel like a real rock star. Especially when he considered, the likes of Cold Chisel and ACDC had started out playing the Sydney club scene back when he was a baby. Hell, he'd been playing Melbourne pubs his whole life. He loved the pubs. He did morning TV gigs, he did so many radio interviews that he lost count and he even did a few current affairs interviews.

  The first pub concert was surreal, he thought he'd played in some crowded pubs in the past, but he soon learnt he had no idea. He was sure they were breaking every health and safety guideline that existed with the number of people they had jammed into some of those Sydney pubs. It was insane. And the more pubs they played in, the more packed they became. They walked out of the last Sydney gig shaking their heads and laughing.

  "Oh my god!" Ariane shouted over the noise as they left the stage after the final set. "That was amazing. Connor, you totally rocked that joint. They love you."

  The other band members nodded and shouted their agreement.

  "Let's go back out and mingle and meet some ladies." Andrew said.

  "Hell yeah." Hector and Zane quickly agreed, while Ariane appeared to think about it some before she agreed as well.

  "Why not?" She replied. "What about you Connor? You in?"

  "Actually, I think I'm going to call it night. We've got an early flight tomorrow to Perth and I'd like to try to catch up with Ash, I haven't even had a chance to talk to her yet. All we've managed is a few quick text messages.”

  "Pachoww." Andrew said as he pretended to crack a whip beside Connor, "I never thought I'd see the day. Connor Maise whipped, 'tis a sad, sad, day indeed."

  "Shove it Andrew." Connor said. "As if I could go out there even if I wanted too."

  "True that. You'd be mobbed before we got anywhere near the bar." Hector said. "Best you be going back to the motel then. We'll go have some fun for you." He laughed.

  "Ah, the advantages of being no more than a backup band. Tonnes of money, lots of gigs, plenty of hot chicks but without the notoriety." Andrew said, giving Connor a quick salute as walked back out the backstage doors and into the main bar area.

  Connor wasn't positive, but he was pretty sure he detected a considerable amount of jealousy in Andrew’s words. Originally they had all been a band, but when the record label were scouting they weren't interested in the band. They just wanted Connor Maise. He had managed to convince them to use the band in shows and gigs, but for marketing and promotional purposes, they were only interested in Connor. It saddened him sometimes, but he'd be damned if he was going to lose his career over their jealousies.

  "Actually, I'm going to come back with you." Ariane said. "I really don't feel like dealing with a crowd like that."

  Connor and Ariane ended up walking back to the motel with two big guys, dressed from head to toe in black, tailing them the entire way.

  "Nice to know we're safe." Ariane said, nudging Connor as they walked, "hmmm, I wonder if either of them would be up for some company tonight? Gotta say they're both pretty beefy and damned hot." She glanced back to the men following them.

  "Damned, damned hot." She reiterated. "Connor, what do you think?"

  "Umm, yeah sure. I guess. If I was that way inclined."

  "She hasn't got back to you?" She asked, noticing Connor checking his phone for the third time since they had left the noise of the pub.

  He had sent Ash a text when they left the pub asking her to let him know if she was still awake so he could call her.

  "No, but it is almost midnight, most normal people are in bed sleeping."

  "It's Saturday night Connor."

  "Okay, most normal mothers are in bed sleeping at this time of night.”

  Ariane chuckled. "Okay then. Want to come to the motel lounge for a nightcap?"

  Connor looked at his phone again.

  "If she calls, you’re off the hook, free to go as soon as. Okay?"

  Connor nodded. What the hell, he was still too wired from the concert anyway, there was no way he was going to be able to sleep for a few hours yet.

  Connor hated flying with a hangover, but the next day that was exactly what he had to do. And it was a long flight too, all the way to Perth. The only good thing about the flight to Perth was that they landed about the same time they left so Connor didn't feel guilty about sleeping the entire way there. He switched his phone off flight mode when they landed and straight away noticed the text from Ash.

  SORRY, I WAS ASLEEP. I'M AWAKE NOW THOUGH. MISSING YOU.

  It must have come through after takeoff.

  I MISS U 2. WE JUST LANDED IN PERTH, CAN I CALL U WHEN WE GET SETTLED IN THE MOTEL?

  Ash's reply came straight away.

  SURE CAN. I'M JUST DOING SOME CLEANING TODAY.

  :)

  Connor couldn't wait to get settled into his room and hear her voice again.

  Three hours later, he finally plonked down on the bed and made the phone call he'd wanted to make for almost a day.

  "Hey Baby."

  "Hi Connor, can I call you back, I'm putting dinner on."

  "Sure no worries."

  "Cool, give me ten minutes."

  "I'll call you, no point you paying for the call when the labels’ footing my bill."

  "Okay, talk to you soon."

  "Bye."

  Connor sat and watched the minutes’ tick by on the clock, agonising slowly. He was sure someone had slowed down time in his room just to tease him. He never knew ten minutes could take so long. Ten minutes on the dot he called again. He didn't even care if it made him look needy, he was needy.

  "Hi." Ash answered.

  "Hi, we good now?" Connor asked.

  "Yep, all good."

  "What are you doing?"

  "Sitting on the couch, coffee in one hand, phone in the other, feeling peaceful."

  "Feeling peaceful?"

  "Yep, talking to you makes me feel peaceful. Are you all settled in?"

  "Yep, I've got about half an hour before I'm off to interview on the local current affairs show."

  "Really, only half an hour?"

  "Yeah sorry. I miss you Ash. The last two weeks has been crazy insane, and yet I still miss you."

  "I miss you too."

  Connor relaxed onto the bed and got carried away with the sound of Ash's voice. He almost didn't want to talk at all, he enjoyed listening to her. He didn't realise how much time had passed until he glanced over at the clock.

  "Shit, Ash, I gotta go. I'm running late now."

  "Really, we've been talking for half an hour already?"

  "Longer actually. I'll call you again when I can."

  "Okay, bye."

  Connor desperately wanted to tell her he loved her, but he didn't want to scare her off anymore than he already had. He hadn't said it again since the first time. He still felt it, to the heart of his soul, but he was scared about pushing her away so he decided to let it go until she was ready to admit she felt the same way.

  "Bye Ash." He said quietly and then hung up. He jumped up from the bed, did a quick change and raced downstairs where he was sure Declan was already waiting for him.

  ****

  Perth was just as insane as Sydney, constant radio to TV to pub gigs, by the end of the week he was totally exhausted and not even half way through the trip. At least he was off to Brisbane in a few days and he had managed to convince Ash to fly up for the weekend and meet him. Even if it was only for a few days, and he'd have to drag her with him to three radio spots, two TV interviews and a gig on Friday and Saturday night, he was going to make the most of the time they would get together. They at least would get most of Sunday together. He only had one early morning radio interview, so he'd be
finished by nine, and then she didn't fly out until six. They could spend the day together in the city, go out for lunch and have some time together. God he was looking forward to it.

  "Connor, we've got to sneak in another radio spot this afternoon at four." Declan said as they left the last interview

  "What? No. I'm picking Ash up at the airport at three, I won't have time and then I'm taking her back to my room, resting, getting organised and you’re picking us up for the gig tonight at eight. All organised."

  "No you're doing the radio gig at four, half an hour tops, back to your room before six, rest up and quick dinner for a pick up at eight."

  "Declan, today's been organised."

  "We'll pick her up at the airport for you; she'll be waiting in your room when you get there."

  "No."

  "Yes, Connor you've got to do what needs to be done. I know everything with this girl is new, but she's not a priority. Marketing you is the priority."

  "For you maybe."

  "Come on man, she'll be waiting in your room when you get there. I've already taken the liberty of upgrading you to a suite, with a spa. So I'm sure she'll be suitably impressed and relaxed when you get there."

  Connor sighed, he didn't want someone else picking Ash up, but he knew he didn't really have a choice in the matter. "So help me Declan, if you mess up my Sunday like this, I'm going to be pissed."

  Declan patted him on the back.

  Connor was seriously frustrated whilst sitting in the radio station for the last minute interview, he knew Ash was already here. She had texted him when she touched down, and he'd had to reply that he wouldn't be there to meet her, but transportation was arranged, and he would meet her back at the motel at about six. He advised her to enjoy the spa while she waited for him. He was secretly hoping she'd be enjoying it when he got there.

  He was totally over all the questions.

  "So you were in a band before you went solo Connor?"

  "Yeah I was."

  "How did they feel when you dumped them for fame and stardom?"

  "You'd have to ask them that one. I'm not really sure, in truth."

  "So you don't see them anymore?"

  "Oh no, I see them all the time, they're on the album and back me up at all the gigs. I didn't totally ditch them; they're an awesome bunch of guys and amazing musicians. I love them to bits."

  "And your backup singer is your girlfriend?"

  "No, no, no. We dated once. But only for a little while and it was ages ago. We worked out we make much better friends. She's as amazing as the boys."

  "So you don't have a girlfriend then."

  Connor smiled, and then wondered how that would come across over the radio.

  "I'm gathering based on the silence and huge grin now plastered across your face that you do in fact have a girlfriend.”

  "Yeah, I do. And she arrived in town half an hour ago, so I'm pretty anxious to catch up with her."

  "Well best we not hold you up then. One last question before we let you go. What's it like being Connor Maise?"

  "Oh yeah, nothing like a quick yes/no question to finish up."

  "Come on, it's an easy one."

  "What's it like being Connor Maise? At the moment it's a whirlwind. My brain is spinning at a hundred miles an hour in one direction, while my body is racing every which way trying to keep up. It's amazing."

  "Well we'll let you go catch up with this girlfriend then while we finish up with your new single, racing up the charts at the moment, care to introduce it for us?"

  "Thanks Sean. I'm Connor Maise and this is my new single "She's Forever" on three K FM."

  ****

  Connor raced into the motel and straight to the lifts before he remembered Declan said he'd been relocated, but he had no idea where. He turned back to the reception desk.

  The skinny brunette behind the desk smiled sweetly at him.

  "Hi, how can I help you?"

  "Can you confirm what room I'm in; the label said they'd relocated me but I don't know which room to?"

  "Sure, what name is the booking under?"

  "Connor Maise."

  She smiled up at him, the consummate professional, not even blinking at the mention of his name; she entered a few details into the computer and looked back up to him.

  "Do you have your room key Mr Maise? I'll update it for you; you're now in one our suites. Room one double zero one, on level ten."

  "Thank you." Connor said as he handed his key over.

  He stood at the door to the room and took a deep breath before sliding his card into the slot and pushing the door open. The room was still dark but as he entered he heard the music seeping into the living area. He headed in the direction of the music, crossing a huge living, dining area towards the double doors on the other side of the room, which opened into a majestic bedroom complete with a king size four poster bed. Glass sliding doors on the walls adjacent to the bed were half open and the music and singing were coming from that direction. Connor hadn't heard Ash singing since the first time they had met, when he caught her singing his first release on his front porch with the twins, he stopped beside the door listening to her for a moment or two; he loved her voice and briefly entertained the idea of writing a duet with her. Her voice would complement his beautifully. Somehow he didn't think she would be overly fond of the idea though.

  He pushed the door open fully and walked quietly into the room. She stopped singing and looked up at him through a huge pile of bubbles.

  "Hi." She said her voice seductively raspy.

  "Hi, yourself."

  "Did you know, if you put bubbles in a spa bath, and turn the spa on, the bubbles go a bit crazy?" She smiled up at him.

  Connor then took in the rest of the room and noticed the popping bubbles lying around on the floor.

  "No I didn't." He said with a chuckle. "Mind if I join you?"

  Ash raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Not at all," She replied. Her grin grew wider as she watched him strip naked before stepping into the bath and sitting down behind her. Ash laughed when the water splashed over the edge of the bath before she leant forward and pulled the plug out to release some of the water.

  "No wonder there are bubbles everywhere." Connor chuckled "God I've missed you." He said as Ash lay back against him and he wrapped his arms around her.

  She rested her head back against his chest and sighed.

  "I love you Ash." He whispered. He didn't mean to, it slipped out. He said it quietly, but he knew she'd heard, his mouth was right above her ear, he waited for her to tense up in reply. When she didn't, he waited for her to say it back to him. When that didn't come either he closed his eyes and relaxed with his arms and legs wrapped around her tightly.

  ****

  "Are you sure you want me to come? I can just wait here for you." Ash said as she pulled a tight fitting pair of black jeans up her legs.

  "Don't you want to come and watch me?" Connor asked.

  "Yeah. I just don't want to be in the way."

  Connor stood in front of her as she reached down to pull a top out of her bag. "I want you to come. Okay. I want to stand up on that stage and know you're hearing every word I sing. Every thought, while I'm standing up there will be about you."

  Ash nodded, speechless. Of course she wanted to go.

  Ash was in awe as she stood in the crowd and watched the concert. It was a pub so there was no designated seating and it was jamb packed from wall to the wall. He looked so damned hot standing up there in his worn jeans and plain black t-shirt, his blond hair drenched in sweat. The guys were cheering. The girls were screaming and even though she was sure there was no way he could see her in the sea of faces he was looking into, he seemed to stare right at her. Especially when he started singing ‘She's Forever’. She'd heard the song on the radio before. It was getting constant air time on the Melbourne radio stations and she turned it up every time it came on, but to see him perform it, live on stage, it was as if he was singing it directly t
o her. She had goosebumps when he finished singing. She had to fight to get back through the crowd to the stage door.

  Connor paced backstage, waiting for Ash to join him. The band had packed up and it was just him and Ariane sitting, waiting. He kept pacing.

  "Where is she? It's not that crowded out there."

  "Actually yeah it is. But I'll go out and check. She wouldn't have left."

  "Thanks Ariane."

  Ariane cracked the door open and looked out into the crowd. Yeah the pub was still full, there were people everywhere and she sighed as she realised she'd have her work cut out for her trying to find Ash in the crowd. Maybe she had left, purely because she couldn't manage the fight to get to the stage door. She sighed again as she double guessed her decision to go looking for Ash and then her attention drifted to the bouncer beside the door arguing with someone about access.

  "Argh, how do I get it through your thick head? He's. My. Boyfriend. He's. Waiting. For. Me. Right. Now."

  "Yeah Hun, if I listened to every girl who tried to tell me that, there'd be hundreds of them back there."

  "Oh, what do I need to do to convince you?"

  "Call him, if you’re his girlfriend, you've got his number right."

  "My bag’s backstage, and my phone is in my bag, you moron!"

  The bouncer shrugged, Ariane realised it was Ash arguing with the bouncer but was enjoying the show too much to interrupt straight away.

  "Why don't you just go and ask him?"

  "If I leave here, you go in anyway, and so will a pile of other girls, and then I'm out of a job. Go and borrow a phone and call him."

  "I don't know his number."

  "Of course not."

  "It's in my phone, I don't need to know it. I hit Connor in my contact and it calls him."

  "Well, now you do need to know it don't you." The bouncer answered smugly.

  Ariane decided to help her out.

  "Ash!" Ariane yelled out from the doorway.

  Ash turned from the bouncer towards Ariane's call. Her face washed with relief when she saw her.