"Me too."
"I can fly down to see you tomorrow."
"No. Don't change your plans. I'm all right." The quaver in her voice didn't sit well with him. "I just needed to vent for a minute."
"I'll get to hold you in a few days." The reminder was for her, but also for himself. The only thing getting him through was her planned visit to L.A. and Vegas with him.
Lines formed on her forehead and she bit her lip. He could see her hands wring together. "I'm not sure my coming out to visit is a good idea, given the circumstances. You don't need me to be physically there for the launch party. You guys already have the clothes you want."
"No." He shot to his feet, upsetting the water glasses he'd ignored earlier. "No fucking way. They aren't taking this away from us. You have your flight already set. We'll wear goddamn wigs, hats, and sunglasses the whole time if you want, but I need to see you. And I need you at that party."
"We can talk about it later." She turned and her focus moved off camera for a moment. "My mom wants to go out for drinks. I have to go."
"I'll call you back tonight." He ended the call and tossed the phone on the table before dropping back into his seat. "I don't fucking understand this. I get that the fans feel like they know me pretty well, but the reality is that they don't. I've given everything to them, and this is what happens? Not that I'd wish this on Zander and Jayne, but no one seems to be freaking out about them being together."
Irisa sighed and sipped her wine. "While the group as a whole has fans, you each have your own core base too. I guess yours are just more protective, vocal, or jealous. Maybe a combination of all three. I'm not blaming you for being fan-friendly, but you've always been very accessible, and some girls think they actually have a shot with you. Look at what happened with Mikala. I think jealousy is a huge factor here."
"Along with being judgmental. And misinformed. They've had the wrong idea about her from the beginning. I need to set it straight."
"Luke—"
"No. I waited like you wanted and it hasn't done any good. I'm not going to sit back any longer while my woman gets trashed."
"I understand where you're coming from, but you need to be calm when you post. And to be perfectly honest, whatever you write may not change their opinions anyway. You know you can't reason with crazy."
The contestant, Steve, entered the pub holding hands with a woman. Luke stifled a sigh. Exhausted and stressed didn't make well for a good night, but he pasted on a smile to greet them.
"Hey, man." He shook hands. "Good to meet you."
"Thanks. This is my girlfriend Ursula. It's cool if she watches, right?"
"Sure." He waited until they'd met Irisa, then said, "Let's head to the conference room and get started. You're performing My Fist, Your Face, right?"
"Right."
Steve was the opposite of Hugh—overconfident. He sang well but something about him seemed a little too smug, a little too much like Owen. Luke didn't want his dislike of Owen to color his initial impression of Steve, so after the audition, he invited Steve and Ursula back to the pub for drinks and conversation.
All Steve wanted to do was drink beer and talk about concerts and music. That suited Luke fine and he warmed up more to the contest hopeful. Ursula was quiet for the first half of the night, chatting with them off and on, but the more she drank, the more she talked, and then sang and danced by the table. By the end of the night, she'd dragged first Luke, then Irisa to the bar to sing karaoke with her. The tune she'd selected was the one Luke had sang to Audrey while on Jett's show.
He took it as a sign. And when he bade them goodnight, he sat down at the bar with Irisa's computer and drafted out his message to his fans.
Guys, lately you may have seen me photographed with a sexy brunette. I'd like to introduce you all to Audrey. She's an amazing woman who is kind, talented, and has a huge heart. I've never been this happy and I hope you'll all celebrate my happiness with me. On a related note, there have been a lot of rumors flying around that don't hold any truth. While I can appreciate concerns, I'm the best judge of who and what is best for me. Please respect my wishes to keep all posted comments on this page positive. Thank you, Luke
He hit Post. Hopefully, it would be enough to end the drama.
Chapter Eleven
Halfway between Tampa and Los Angeles, Audrey was convinced she'd made the wrong decision in visiting Luke. She wanted to see him, and he'd said he'd needed her, but the recent backlash from his fans in response to his statement about their relationship was enough to make her want to hide in her apartment.
He'd asked them to refrain from posting mean comments on his pages. They'd respected his wishes, but redoubled their efforts by peppering her pages instead.
Baseball cap tugged low, she dug through her bag and unearthed a bottle of water and a chocolate bar. Seeing insults daily cut through her self-confidence. Fat, ugly, troll, slut, user, bitch, whore... the list went on and on. Renee, her fierce warrior of an assistant, had insisted on taking over most of the posting. She'd temporarily shut down two of the pages that had spiraled out of control.
A lengthy conversation with the lawyer Luke had hired had lead her to believe there wasn't much that could be done from a legal standpoint. Common sense dictated the comments would eventually stop. Audrey would just be in hell until that happened.
As the plane circled and then touched down at LAX, excitement over seeing him outweighed everything else. Deplaning took too long and she grew impatient. Finally released, she rushed as fast as she could to baggage claim. She didn't bother looking for her luggage snaking around on the baggage tram. Instead she scanned every face, expecting to see Luke.
At long last she recognized his swagger cutting an impressive swath through the crowd. He met her gaze and a huge grin spread across his face. "Hey, Sunshine," he hollered. And then she was in his arms, breathing him in and holding him close.
"Goddamn, it's good to see you." His lips descended and captured hers. She wasn't prepared for the emotion welling in her soul.
Ten days had passed since she'd kissed him goodbye at the airport in New York. Ten days wasn't long enough to miss someone the way she missed him. Neither of them were returning from war or a long journey. But it didn't matter. The last week and a half sure had felt like a constant barrage of attacks. Perhaps that was it. Pressing in tighter, she deepened the kiss.
The flash of a camera light too close to her face startled her. Audrey pulled back, but Luke tucked her against his chest and glared at the camera's owner. He smiled again when he glanced down at her. "Let's grab your bags. My driver's waiting for us outside. It's about a twenty minute drive to my place."
He pointed out some landmarks during the drive, and kept touching her—on her leg, her arm, her face, her hair.
She leaned against him, fully relaxing for the first time in days.
"My place is right up here." He pointed to a three story modern-design home on their right. The car pulled in to a long and gated driveway.
"You live on the beach?" He'd told her he lived in Hermosa Beach, but she hadn't realized his house was beach-front property. The sand colored house blended in with seaside colors. Four palm trees lined one side of the property, and a privacy fence the color of driftwood surrounded the home. Three stories, two balconies, and a large patio for the bottom level.
He bade the driver goodbye and carried her luggage into the house. "I'll give you the tour."
She slipped her hand in his and followed him.
"Living room." Sparsely decorated with pale gray furniture and a fireplace in the corner, the room had a light and airy feel, thanks to white walls and sandy wood floors, a set of sliding glass doors to the second-level balcony, and two bay windows letting in tons of natural light. She could picture Luke stretched out on the couch after a long day. Or them together on the balcony, sharing a drink after dinner.
"Kitchen." Dark wood cabinets, sleek appliances, with counter tops and tiles the color of polished s
ea shells, the open-concept room overlooked the dining and living room. He showed her his collection of beer mugs—souvenirs from his travels around the world. An image struck her, of cooking with Luke, lingering over touches and tastes of each other. Or putting that breakfast bar to better use... it was the perfect height for a more intimate form of cooking, if the bedroom was too far away.
"Down the hall is an extra guest bedroom and bathroom. It's boring. Let's head upstairs."
"Is that where the magic happens?" She followed him up a spiral staircase with an overhead skylight to the top level of the home.
"I guess we'll find out tonight." He paused in the hall, winked at her, and then pointed to his left. "My bedroom." The master suite faced the ocean and had its own balcony. Dark furniture polished to a high shine set off pale gray walls. A large TV hung on the wall opposite the bed, next to a shelf containing a stack of action movies and a collection of true crime novels.
She glanced at the bed, twice the size of hers, with its custom headboard covered in what she knew to be a very pricey fabric. Being in that bed with him later... a shiver of anticipation ran through her.
The amazing view of the ocean drew her onto the balcony, decorated with two lounge chairs and a small table. "I would sit out here every day if I had this view."
He caged her in against the railing, arms bracketing her on both sides. "I would sit out here and think about you. I never thought I'd actually have you here, in my space."
"I like being able to picture you here. I'm glad I got to see it. Now I'll know what to imagine when you're back here and I'm in New York."
The light in his eyes dimmed. "Let's finish up the tour."
The sea theme continued through the master bath, with pale shades, and light wood and slate gray accents. With two sinks, a jetted tub big enough for two, a separate shower stall, and a large, frosted window for privacy, the room was four times the size of her studio's bathroom.
"Can we use the tub later?"
"We? Hell, you're reading my mind." He linked their hands again. "Anything you want."
He pointed out another bedroom and full bath, then took her down to the lowest level. "Here we have space that I'm not using."
A powder room, a dry-bar, a large room with sliding glass doors that led onto a patio and faced the ocean, and a separate room that could be another bedroom or office. The entire floor was bigger than her Audrey Pierce Designs space.
"This is incredible. Really, I love the entire house."
"I'm glad you like it. I'd hoped you would. I want you to feel at home." He looked like he wanted to say something more, but then he pulled out his phone and mildly swore. "I have my last fan audition at three o'clock. Come with me? I need a camera person."
"Who is it with?"
"Nicole DiGiovanni, a twenty-two year old woman from Anaheim. She told Jayne that she would be bringing a small group of women with her as support."
Her heart plummeted. She shook her head, held up her hands, and backed up a step. "No thanks. I don't want to be subjected to any more mean comments."
He frowned and moved toward her. "I'm not going to let anyone say anything mean about you or to you."
"I'm sure they'll take pictures and they'll want to post those pictures..." And then the comments would appear... cutting her to pieces. She held a hand to the ache in her stomach.
Luke's expression softened to concern and something else she couldn't name. He cupped his large hands around her face. "Let them see that you're this amazing person who could be their best friend. Who knows, maybe some good comments will start and counteract the bad."
She didn't hold much hope for that, but didn't want to let him down. And he would be there with her. "Where are you meeting them?"
"A hotel in Long Beach. She'll do her audition, and then we can grab dinner with her afterward."
She was starved for time with him, and if he really did need her to help with recording, she wanted to be there for him. "I'll go. You'll be there the whole time, right?"
A smile lit his features and then his lips touched hers in a quick kiss. "Absolutely. We need to leave now. Its takes between thirty to forty minutes to get to Long Beach, and I don't want to be late."
"Is your driver coming back or did you call a cab?"
"Actually..." He walked over to a bowl by the door and picked up a spare set of keys. "Do you want to drive? I can't get behind the wheel for another few months, but as long as you're here, you can use my car. Having you drive it will be better than letting it sit or having someone else along when we'd rather be alone together."
She'd read about him losing his license after the arrest a few months ago. "Can I ask what happened that night?"
"The arrest? The night I found out about you and Dante, I was out on my boat, thinking, and ended up drinking too much. Stupid, reckless mistake. One I take seriously." So solemn and contrite, he held her gaze. She didn't judge him for his mistake, especially not when he'd been hurting then and was so obviously sorry it had happened.
They'd both made mistakes. She'd pulled him in close and hugged him tight. His arms came around her and he rested his head on top of hers. They stayed wrapped together, just holding each other, for a long moment.
An hour later, Audrey stood in the hotel lobby before five sisters ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-six. Nicole, Coco, Serena, Desiree, and Olivia were stereotypically friendly Italians, hugging Luke and her like they were old friends or family.
The youngest sister, Olivia's, brows rose. "Oh, you're that woman."
A long, uncomfortable pause followed while Audrey bristled up to defend herself. Luke's hand at the small of her back gave an extra layer of support.
Nicole slapped her sister's shoulder and Olivia yelped and jumped away. "What my baby sister means is hello and we're happy you're joining us."
With the exception of the baby sister, busy rubbing her arm and mouthing ow, the other sisters all smiled at her and echoed the welcome.
After weeks of meanness, the friendly tone was an unexpected surprise. Audrey clung to it. "Thank you. Luke played your demo for me. You have a beautiful voice."
Luke slid his arm around her and lightly squeezed her shoulder. "Let's get started."
Audrey settled into a seat next to Luke in the conference room and set the camera to recording. "We're rolling."
He smiled at her and then into the camera. "Hey, Fury fans, Luke here. I have our final contestant, Nicole. Tell us about how you got started singing."
"I've been singing for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, my sisters and I would perform musicals in our yard."
"Really? I love that." Audrey smiled at the sisters, and then laughed as all five began talking at once about the musicals, and then again when they broke into song at Luke's request. Finally, they quieted enough for Nicole to audition. She performed Cut Down, ending with a standing ovation from her sisters.
The group moved into the hotel restaurant. Over the next hour, the constant chatter and laughter from the sisters helped soothe Audrey's soul. Each one included her in conversation and treated her like family. Being an only child, Audrey didn't fully understand the sibling dynamic, but the women teased and laughed and seemed genuinely delighted by each other's company.
When Luke accompanied two of the sisters to the bar, Olivia moved in to the open seat next to Audrey like she'd been waiting for the chance to talk to her alone.
Unease curled in her stomach. Luke, Nicole, and Serena were at the other end of the room, and Coco and Desiree peered out the windows looking at the bay. All were out of earshot. Olivia had been the quietest with her all afternoon. Audrey raised her brows and smiled. "This is pretty cool, isn't it? I never get tired of looking at the ocean."
Olivia bit her lip, looking pained. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was surprised to see you, that's all. I didn't mean anything by it."
"That's all right."
"Nicole says I speak before I think sometimes." She
glanced at her sister. "Anyway, you seem really nice. I don't know why the girls online are being so mean. I really hope it stops soon."
The unease fluttered away and for the first time she was happy around Luke's fans. "Thank you. I appreciate that. It's been a really hard time for me."
"I was bullied really badly all through high school, so I know what it's like." The brief sadness darkening Olivia's face tugged at Audrey's heart.
Audrey pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry about that. No one should have to go through it."
"The Fury's music really helped me. I was so excited when Nicole won the fan audition because I wanted a chance to say thank you to Luke."
"Definitely tell him. You'll make his day. It's nice Nicole wanted you all here. I'm really glad I got to meet all of you. I'm an only child. I always wanted sisters."
"Try being the youngest. It's like having five moms." She rolled her eyes, but then smiled. "Really, they're the best. They pulled me out when I spiraled too far into a dark place."
"Are things better for you now?" Audrey hated the thought of the sweet girl being under attack.
"Well, I graduated in June, so I don't have to see the people who were mean to me on a daily basis anymore. There's an anti-bullying program in Anaheim that helped me too. I just started volunteering there this month. I want to help people like me."
"I would love to be involved with something like that." She hadn't endured bullying on a daily basis for four years like Olivia, but the weeks of daily attacks were brutal enough for her to understand why some victims made heartbreaking choices. Olivia had sparked an idea. Audrey wanted to take a stand. Fight back. Make a difference. "Can you give me the organization's name?"
"Of course. The program serves all of Southern California. I'll send you a link with their info when I get home." Olivia smiled and then stood. "Come on. Let's join the others."
Audrey walked up to the group arm-in-arm with Olivia. Apparently one-on-one was the way to convince people she wasn't a horrible human being.
Five people down... five million to go.
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