Star Maker

by J. M. Nevins

  Kit blushed and tried to play it off like that fact didn’t matter, but it did. She certainly couldn’t deny it. She swallowed hard and chose to ignore it. “What did you tell Sully about getting signed?”

  He cast his eyes down sadly. “Not to jump into things. Be careful what you wish for.” He looked up and met her eyes. “He could be bigger than me. I told him if he didn’t want to lose his mind and have ideas of jumping off a cliff to escape instant superstardom, to take his time building this with you. I think he listened, but I’m not sure.”

  She shook her head. “Joe, you have been preparing for superstardom since we were kids.”

  He glared. “Kit, you have no idea how big this is or the demands that come with it. I kicked a hornet’s nest. I didn’t have time to build up anything or get used to it. I was thrown into the fire. Do you think I like women breaking into my house? One fan threatened to kill my girlfriend. That’s why she broke up with me. She couldn’t handle it. I can’t trust anyone anymore. All these new people in my life always seem like they want something. No one is real.” He shook his head. “I’m losing my mind. The only thing that keeps me calm is…”

  She leaned forward, reading his mind, knowing the only thing keeping him sated was drugs. “Joe, you have to go to rehab.”

  He shook his head. “Hell no! I don’t have a problem. I can stop whenever I want. It’s my way of medicating.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Ok, well that’s fucked up. Joe, you need to get help. This is eating you alive and you’re not even fighting it. How much blow are you going through a day?”

  He swallowed hard. “No comment. The money doesn’t matter, Kit. No matter how much cocaine I buy, I’ll never exhaust my trust fund. Impossible. Not in this lifetime.”

  She shook her head, suddenly feeling a rush of compassion. The last thing she wanted to do was push him further into the depths of his addiction. “I could care less about the money. There’s only one you, Joe.”

  He stared into her eyes and then forced himself to look away. “Damn.”

  She watched him, trying to get a read. “What?”

  He shook his head and couldn’t face her. “You.” He then met her eyes. “You still with that suit?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I love Seth. He’s a good guy. You would like him. Maybe we could all go to dinner.”

  He frowned. “Who is we?”

  “Y’know, Seth and me, your new girlfriend, and you. What’s her name?”

  He shook his head. “I told you. She dumped me because of that psycho’s threat. I’m flying solo, babe.”

  She reached for his hand and he pulled it away, folding his arms. “I’m sorry to hear that, Joe. I know you hate being alone. You’ll find a new girl. Just promise me you won’t party yourself into a grave.”

  He eyed her cautiously, instantly losing trust in that moment. “I think it’s time for you to go. I’ll see you soon. I’ll be in the studio with you and GT. Still getting things set up. I’ll keep you posted.”

  She stood up. “I’ll pay you back for this Joe, with interest. You’ve got my word.”

  He looked up at her. “I’m pulling favors through Tommy at Columbia. It’s not gonna cost much. Don’t worry about it.” His eyes then narrowed. “And stop worrying about me. I don’t have a problem. I’m fine! You thinking I have a problem will become a problem if you don’t fucking settle down, maniac.”

  She swallowed hard. This was a version of Joe she had never seen and hoped to never see again. He clearly needed help and she wasn’t sure how to get it for him. She nodded slowly. “I think you’re right. I should go. See ya.”

  She hastily left the condo and stepped onto the elevator. She closed her eyes and felt the tears welling up as the elevator doors closed. In the confines of the empty elevator, she buried her head in her hands and started sobbing. All she wanted was the old Joe back and she had no idea how to find him.

  CHAPTER 12

  “Sloppy, Sully, sloppy and flat. C’mon! I want it clean and tight.” Kit spoke through the mic from the control room and stared at him through the glass. She ran her fingers through her red locks in frustration. Joe watched her carefully from the sofa in the control room and chuckled. Sully stared back at her from the live room for a moment and then looked away, nodding his head, and waiting for the playback.

  They were in the studio recording Gypsy Tango’s demo with the help of Joe’s connections. It wasn’t going as smoothly as she had anticipated and every error was costly. They were dangerously close to the end of their budget and the last thing she wanted to do was ask Joe for another bankroll.

  She leaned over to Jimmy who was standing next to her. “Is he stoned?”

  Jimmy nodded. “I think so. The girlfriend is a pot head and a pill popper.”

  Joe chuckled again and sat back, lazily plucking an acoustic guitar that had been abandoned. “Yes, Kit, he’s stoned. Get over it. So am I. Who do you think he was hot boxing it with in the parking lot before this session, huh?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Great. You and his peach of a girlfriend are rubbing off on him. Fucking fantastic. And when we’re in the studio. Even more brilliant.” She donned a smug smile and then glared. “This is the last thing I need. I have a huge mock trial tomorrow that I need to prepare for. We’re not gonna get out of here on time, not with him pulling this shit.”

  Joe shook his head, set the guitar aside, and brushed past her. “Boo-hoo. Get the over yourself, control freak. You’re the one choosing to go to law school, which is a total joke.” He stood at the threshold of the door and stared at her. “This is just a demo. You’re ruining my buzz. I’m outta here.” He walked out and let the door close quietly behind him.

  Bryan sighed. “Should we call it a night? You can go home and prep for your trial, Kit. He can sleep it off and we’ll pick up tomorrow. I’ll personally make sure he’s not stoned or drunk.”

  She nodded. “Thanks, Bryan. I’d appreciate that.” She looked at Jimmy. “Is there any way we can get him away from her for a bit? She’s a well-known party girl. The publicity is good, it makes him look like a bad boy, and that’s favorable for us right now from a press standpoint, but Sully partying all the time is not helping. He can’t handle it. I can do my part by keeping Joe away.”

  Jimmy nodded. “Bryan’s got him tomorrow. I’ll keep a close watch on him when we leave.”

  Sully walked into the control room. He walked right up to Kit and stood in front of her, staring deeply into her eyes. “I’m not good enough for you anymore, am I? That’s why we don’t have a deal yet.” He stormed off and Bryan ran after him.

  Kit looked at Jimmy. “Go after him. Talk him down from his ledge. He’s not gonna listen to me right now. That’s for sure.” She folded her arms in front of her chest and sighed. Her mind reeled. This was all becoming too much. She and Joe hadn’t been getting along—his drug habits were rapidly spinning out of control and it looked like he was pulling Sully into his cyclone, unraveling all the work she had done over the holidays.

  She turned on her heel and headed out. As she walked out to her car moments later, she noticed Sully speeding out of the parking lot in his girlfriend’s blue, Mercedes-Benz convertible trailing seconds after Joe’s Ferrari turned the corner. She shook her head. Bryan drove out moments later, after Sully.

  Jimmy leaned against her car, waiting. “Bryan’s going after him. He’s headed somewhere with Joe. I know, I know, he shouldn’t be driving. Neither of them should. He doesn’t care, Kit. We need to talk. Let’s go have a drink. It’s on me.”

  Kit sat next to Jimmy at the bar, nursing her scotch. “What did you want to talk about?”

  He sat pensively. “I’m trying to figure out what tipped him. He’s been off since Christmastime. It’s March now. He’s gotten progressively worse, even more so since he moved out of your place, met his new girl, and Joe came back into town. You and Sull were always so tight, like best friends. He keeps saying that he’s not good enough for you. Whe
re is that coming from? Did you tell him that? Do you really feel that way? Do you think we’re not good enough for a deal?” His eyes pleaded and he secretly hoped she wouldn’t agree.

  She shook her head and turned to face him. “Jimmy, I actually think out of all the bands I’ve managed since I got to L.A., including Scorcher, you guys have the biggest possibility for being a huge rock band with staying power. I’m not talking selling out a few shows. I’m talking the dream. Selling out Wembley several times over. Making millions, flying around on private jets, living in mansions, cars galore, the whole nine. I see it, plain as day, and I know that’s Sully’s vision too. I’m not sure where he’s getting this whole not good enough thing. I suppose it’s paranoid delusion from all his marijuana use. I never told him he wasn’t good enough, I said you guys weren’t ready.” She slumped, her mind completely blank, unable to find the solution she sought.

  Jimmy nodded and exhaled the smoke from his cigarette. He couldn’t help feeling relieved by what she had said. Now, he wondered what was going on with his frontman. “That’s a pretty big difference. I’d rather be ready and have a long career than be a short fused firecracker washed up at thirty.”

  She nodded and raised her glass to him before taking another sip. “Exactly my point.”

  Jimmy sighed. It was time the truth came out. He kept it carefully guarded before thinking the problem was gone, but now it was back. “Kit, I’ve never told you this before, but I’ve seen Sully go into this before with pot. He did it when we were kids. Everything was fine. He hadn’t touched the shit in years until he started hanging out with this Dahlia chick. I wish there was a way to get him away from her, but I can’t think of one.”

  Kit stared at him. “I can. It’s called touring. You get me all your contacts from Chicago. You said Bryan moved to NYC for a while and then came back to Chi-Town, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “When he was in New York, did he play in bands?”

  “Yep.”

  “I want his contacts. I want Remo’s contacts from Texas and Tony’s from Minneapolis. I can grab Joe’s from Boston. Alexa will find a way to get shows on the books. We’re going on tour this summer, come hell or high water. I will not let him destroy himself or you guys. Do you think if I dangle that carrot in front of him, he’ll start to shape up?”

  Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. “I think when he sees out of state shows on the schedule that will kick him in the pants. Kit, how are we going to do this? We’re out of money. Are you going to ask Joe for more?”

  She wasn’t sure what she was going to do yet, but she wanted to reassure him. He was her biggest ally right now. “I’ll find a way, Jimmy. You guys are going out on the road starting in late May and I’m coming with you.”

  Kit got home much later than expected and found a message from Seth on her answering machine. She called him back immediately. He asked if he could come by. It was eleven and she wasn’t the least bit sleepy, plus she figured it would be nice to get a little affection, love, and support from her boyfriend.

  At the beginning of the year, he had been wonderfully supportive and started talking more seriously about their future together. She wondered if he was thinking engagement now that three months had passed since. She got excited at the thought. She needed him more than ever since her former best friends, Sully and Joe, had seemed to be nonexistent over the last few months. She was grateful that Sully had shaped up his act and was doing well in his recording sessions. The demo was halfway finished.

  She flipped through the channels on the TV, finding nothing. She turned it off and as she did, there was a knock at the door. She jumped up happily and answered it. When she saw Seth standing in front of her, she leapt into his arms, smiling and gave him a kiss. “I am so happy to see you. You have no idea, baby.”

  He forced a grin and removed her arms slowly. “Kit, we need to talk.”

  She frowned, not liking the look on his face or the tone of his voice. “Ok. Have a seat.”

  He looked around. “Are we alone? Is Lex here?”

  She shook her head. “Lex is at Wes’s tonight. We’re alone. Just you and me.” She giggled and gave him a suggestive grin as she ran her finger down his chest.

  He motioned to the sofa. “Let’s sit down.”

  She felt excitement rush through her body as she had an instantaneous daydream of him getting down on one knee and proposing to her. She sat down across from him and grinned. “I’m sitting. What’s going on? Did you have a good day?”

  He nodded and fidgeted. “Pretty good. Listen, Kit, you know how much I love you. We’ve had lots of great times over the last few months.”

  She grinned and nodded. “We definitely have. See, I told you Sully wasn’t a threat to you. You’re my one and only, honey.” She reached out and stroked his cheek.

  He stared into her eyes. “Kit, I met someone.”

  She immediately recoiled with a look of such horror it seemed like he had slapped her across the face, but he hadn’t. It was the gravity of his words that stung. She stared for a moment and then swallowed hard. “What? What do you mean you met someone?”

  He sighed. “Kit, I’ve asked her to marry me.”

  Her emerald eyes widened, clouded with confusion. As much as she wanted to seem unaffected by his news, it was impossible. Her eyes started welling up with tears and her voice trembled. “What? You were dating us at the same time?”

  He nodded and couldn’t face her. “Yes. I didn’t intend for it to turn out like this. You’ve been so busy with Gypsy Tango and your other bands the last few months. She was there and it happened.” He finally looked up and met her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  She sobbed. “You’re sorry? Yeah, well I’m sorry I ever trusted you. You told me you were in love with me. You were talking about a future with me at the beginning of the year.”

  He held her hand. “I meant those things when I said them, but then I met Joannie and she made me feel important. She made me feel like her top priority. Kit, I can’t compete with your work. Hell, your studies can’t even compete with your work. You have a one-track mind. You’re dead set to get to the top and take Gypsy Tango with you. You want to make them stars. There’s no room for me anymore.”

  She stared at him while tears streamed down her cheeks. “I was building that for us! We were supposed to go to the top together. You could run Fisher, I could run one of the other labels, or an entertainment law firm, or my management company, or… something. We were supposed to have an empire!”

  He took both her hands in his. “Kit, we want different things. I’m twelve years older than you. I’m thirty-four. I want a family. You see a baby and you freak out. Joannie can give me a family. She’s ready. In fact, she’s already pregnant.”

  Kit closed her eyes, while tears continued to roll down. This was a nightmare of grand proportions. She had a whole life planned out with she and Seth as the reigning king and queen of the music industry. Now, that dream was shattered. She shook her head. She kept her eyes cast down and spoke quietly. “Get out.”

  Seth looked at her. “I’m sorry, Kit. I still want us to be friends.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes filled with anguish. “Get out!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “Get out right now!”

  He got up and scurried out. She didn’t watch him go, she waited until she heard the click of the door closing before she broke down crying in heaving sobs. She threw herself on the sofa.

  An hour later, she finally sat up, sniffling. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep. She didn’t want to be alone, but she also didn’t want to go to the Rainbow looking and feeling like a mess. She made her way into the kitchen and found her favorite bottle of scotch. She poured herself a double and chugged it down. She did the same thing again moments later and seized her address book.

  She dialed the number, not caring who would answer. She was surprised when she heard Sully answer. She figured at midnight on a Thursday, his girlfriend’s answering ma
chine would be picking up. She sniffled, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes again. “Sully?” Her voice cracked and trembled.

  “Kit?”

  She sniffled. “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “Kit, baby, are you ok? You sound really upset. What happened? Talk to me.”

  “Are you stoned right now?”

  He chuckled. “Uh, no. I was working on a new song. Kit, honey, what is wrong?”

  “Can you please come over? I know it’s late and kinda far coming from Malibu, but please. Make up some dumb excuse to your rich girlfriend, steal a good bottle of alcohol, and come over. Lex isn’t here. You can park in her spot.”

  He giggled. “Dahlia’s out of town. I’ll be right over. Hang tight, babe.”

  Sully arrived forty minutes later, a bottle of good scotch in hand. He grinned when he walked in but that faded when he noticed her fragile state. He gave her a look of pity. He had never seen her look so sad or vulnerable. He rushed over and sat in front of her on the coffee table. “Oh, baby, look at you. Have you been crying all night?” He stroked her cheek. “What happened? Did you get a B on an exam?”

  She loved how he always knew the best way to cut the tension and lighten up anyone’s mood. She instantly laughed and then grinned at him. “Thank you for that. I needed that laugh. I knew getting you over here was the right thing to do.”

  He stood up and took off his leather jacket. He grabbed the bottle of scotch he had brought and refreshed her drink. He grinned. “I’ll be right back. I need to get myself a glass.” He returned moments later and poured himself a drink. He sat on the sofa and faced her. “What happened? It can’t be that bad, baby.” He grinned. “Gypsy Tango didn’t break up. We’re still together.” He giggled and winked.

  She laughed again and shoved him. “I know that. You’ve been doing really well in your sessions, Sull. Your vocals sound amazing. That’s what I was talking about. That’s the rock star, Sully Foxx coming out, not the stoner.”