by J. M. Nevins
She chuckled. “One Mr. Wesley Matthews. He thinks you guys have the goods to make it big. He wants a piece of the pie.” She tugged on his shirt. “Hey listen, can we discuss this tonight? I really need to get a move on. Steve is going to kill me.”
He frowned. “Who the hell is Steve?”
She laughed. “My boyfriend.”
He nodded and grinned. “Ah. Didn’t know you had a new one. What does this one do?”
“He’s in school with me. Classmate. Smart classmate.”
He chuckled. “Ok. Go have fun at the law library. We’ll talk tonight.” He leaned forward and hugged her tightly. He then pulled back and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Kit-Kat.”
She smiled as she got into the car. “You’re very welcome, Mr. Foxx.” She winked as she shut the door and started her car.
* * *
As they had planned, Gypsy Tango’s EP was unleashed to the public after Thanksgiving. They had underestimated demand and had to put in another production order.
It was now December and Kit was relieved to be done with finals and so was Alexa. They had decided to throw a party—this time inviting school pals plus their Hollywood pals, figuring it would make for an interesting mix.
Sully had moved out again, finally feeling comfortable enough to take over Joe’s place as his own, sharing it with Bryan and Jimmy. The three-bedroom condo suited them perfectly. Sully felt better having them there and they were good about respecting the place. He had started dating a model that he met through Veronique the last time she was in town, but wasn’t enjoying the experience as much as he would have hoped.
Kit was busy talking to record companies. Nothing substantial yet, but she kept the faith. She knew things would hit soon enough and the majors they wanted would be knocking down their door. The ‘Jaded’ EP had certainly created intrigue, but now that the industry was slowing down for the holidays, it didn’t look like anything would pick up again until February.
She was still dating Steve, but things were strained. She didn’t see much of a future and wondered how much longer they would be together. He and Sully did not get along and Steve was a good part of the reason why Sully was motivated to officially make the move into his condo.
She was grateful for Steve’s help throughout the semester. He definitely contributed to her maintaining her straight-A average, but she didn’t know how much longer she could do a romantic relationship with him. In truth, he bored her. Regardless, she had invited him to the party.
Alexa and Maxine walked through the door carrying two large boxes that contained bottles of booze. Kit laughed. “Damn, that’s a lot of alcohol. And knowing our friends Lex, that will all be gone by tomorrow.”
Alexa laughed. “No doubt. Is Sully bringing the nightmare tonight?”
“Who? Ekaterina, the Ukrainian model?”
She nodded. “Yeah, her. Ugh. I don’t like her. So snobby and whiney. And that accent is so annoying.” She rolled her eyes.
Kit chuckled. “She bugs you, huh? I don’t know if he’s bringing her tonight. Apparently, they’re only casually dating. He’s not exclusive with her. He’s left his options open, which translates to… he’s not into her. I think he’s getting really irritated with her, so he may be solo and on the hunt tonight.”
Maxine giggled. “Ooh, watch out single ladies, Sully is on the prowl. Actually, I’m sure most of them wouldn’t mind being hunted by him.”
Kit nodded. “That is an absolutely true statement. Ok, ladies, anything else that needs to be in order before I start getting ready?”
Alexa shook her head. “Can’t think of anything. See you in a while.”
The apartment was filled with wall-to-wall people by eleven. Since the party consisted mainly of graduate students that Alexa went to school with at USC and law students from UCLA that knew Kit, it was much more subdued and the music was more pop, new wave, and dance than rock. There were rockers at the party, including all of Gypsy Tango, but they mixed and mingled easily, enjoying a change of pace and a different environment.
In true Sully fashion, he was surrounded by a group of doting females, dancing with them. Kit walked up to Alexa and Maxine who were watching him, smiling, and whispering. “What are you two gossiping about my frontman?”
Maxine smiled. “We think Sull may have some alternative career opportunities.”
Alexa laughed. “Yeah, if this whole frontman thing doesn’t work out for him, maybe he could be a male stripper. That boy sure knows how to shake his ass and grind like no one’s business.”
Kit laughed loudly. “Y’know, you two are right. And he’d probably get lots of good tips too.”
Maxine nodded. “Him covered in a little baby oil in skivvies? Oh yes! I gotta get some air. It’s suddenly getting hot in here.” She fanned herself with her hand.
Kit giggled. “Maxine getting hot and bothered by Sully. Aww, that’s cute.”
Alexa raised her eyebrows. “Maybe, then again, maybe not. I think that’s Max’s clever ruse.”
Kit frowned. “What do you mean? Clever ruse for what?”
“A nose candy break.”
Before Kit could ask Alexa for more detail, Sully walked over smiling and threw his arms around both of them. Alexa smiled at him. “Hi, handsome. Having a good time?”
He grinned. “Sexy Lexy, it is your party, so of course I’m having a good time. I like your friends.”
She smiled. “Good. Here comes one now. Let me introduce you.”
Kit glanced over and noticed Steve giving her a dirty look from across the room. Rather than start world war three, she abandoned Alexa and Sully and headed over to him.
CHAPTER 16
Kit rushed toward her car and hoped she had the foresight to put the window up earlier that morning. She was in the midst of the first big rainstorm to hit Los Angeles that year. She found it amazing that she hadn’t seen a drop of rain since July and it was now February. She was even more amused by the fact that Southern Californians did not know how to drive in the rain.
She got into her car, drenched from top to bottom, and threw her backpack on the seat next to her. She sighed before starting her car. She was grateful for it. After Joe’s death and Veronique’s elected relocation to Lake Forest to live with Joe’s parents, she had generously gifted her brand new BMW to Kit. As she drove back to her humble abode in Hollywood, she thought about the last two months and how quickly they had passed.
Kit had dedicated a good portion of her time to her studies. Her second year was still not letting up and frequently consumed her. She and Steve had called it quits, deciding that being friends and study partners suited them better.
She had put the word out about her own management company, KMK Management, and hired two people to help her manage her bands successfully, with the exception of Gypsy Tango, the only band she now handled personally. She had gotten three more bands from her KMK management stable signed to labels already.
Sully and the band were finally on the brink of being signed after sixteen months of hard work under Kit’s leadership and the release of their three song EP the previous month. They had decided three was better than four songs with the rationale that it was better to leave the audience wanting more.
Kit and Sully had taken investment deals with Veronique and Wes that allowed them to produce the EP effectively and distribute it as they wanted without any monetary restrictions. They were now one of the hottest bands in Hollywood, getting airplay on the all local rock stations, constantly in heavy competition with Guns ‘N’ Roses and Poison for the premium, paying performance slots on the Sunset Strip and a consistently growing base of loyal fans.
She had all the top record companies courting her for the opportunity to sign them now, including some of the majors that she and Sully had always dreamed of. She was waiting for the most opportune moment to strike, driving Sully nuts. Her reputation in the music industry was a solid one and she had plenty of new bands knocking down her door beggi
ng for her management company to handle them. KMK Management’s roster was experiencing rapid growth.
Kit walked through the door, plopped her backpack on the table, and immediately retreated to her bedroom to strip off her rain-drenched sweater and jeans. She returned moments later in a comfortable pair of baggy, gray sweats and her UCLA sweatshirt. She couldn’t get over how quiet it was in the apartment.
She elected to capitalize on the sweet silence and was about to dive into writing a brief, when the phone rang. She picked it up and rolled her eyes when she heard the rambling male voice on the other end of the line. She ran her fingers through her hair to calm her mounting frustration. “I told you once and I’ll tell you again, Ted. Listen carefully, they headline The Whisky on Monday night or no go. They have too many other shows during the week, and we can’t run them back-to-back. They’re in demand right now, and they need rehearsal time too. C’mon, stick with the plan. Don’t back down.”
She received the answer she wanted and hung up the phone. Sometimes her direct reports at KMK got on her last nerve and wanted handholding. She shook her head, trying to figure out a way to make that stop. She immediately abandoned searching for a solution in favor of schoolwork when she noticed the time. She had exactly had exactly four hours to catch up before heading out to meet up with the gang.
Kit strolled into The Roxy solo after a quick jaunt to The Whisky to check on one of KMK’s new bands. She noticed Maxine at one of the tables with Trent, her lazy, musician boyfriend whom they had nicknamed, ‘the sponge.’ She was engrossed in conversation with Alexa.
Kit walked up to the table and smiled. “Hey, guys!”
Maxine stood up and hugged her. “Did you just get here?”
“Yep.”
Sully strolled in and headed over to the group. They were all happy to see him. He took a seat next to Kit. She stared at him, trying to get a read. “Any headway between you and Jim?”
He avoided her gaze and sighed. “I don’t wanna talk about it. Can we keep the focus on hanging and having some fun tonight?” He forced a grin and patted her knee under the table.
She nodded, smiled, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “You got it, babe.”
Kit surveyed Maxine carefully the entire night, as much as possible. She could tell Maxine was extremely high on some kind of substance, way beyond the alcohol she was consuming. She recognized the pattern, remembering what happened with Joe and figured Maxine was headed for trouble.
She made her rounds in the small club and was approached constantly by several different male musicians. She was surprised to see that Sully was getting very annoyed. That wasn’t like him.
Maxine approached Kit and pulled her aside, interrupting her observation of Sully. “Hey, Kit, wanna go to the ladies’ room with me?”
She nodded. “Sure.” She followed Maxine into the ladies’ room and noticed two girls were in there already. One of them looked at Kit and pointed.
“Hey, I know who you are!”
Kit grinned. She had never seen this person in her life before. She had no idea who she was or why she claimed to know her. She played it off well. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”
The girl smiled enthusiastically like a hyper, teenage fan. “My name’s Amber. I met you the other night at The Troubadour. You are like a female legend in Hollywood. You work with all the cool bands, and you get to hang out with them too! Do you think you could introduce me to Sully Foxx? He’s here tonight! I love him!”
Kit stifled a chuckle. She couldn’t believe this was happening. All the talk about her being a female legend seemed odd. She shrugged it off and figured it was an angle for her to introduce them to Sully. “Sure. I’ll introduce you to him tonight if you want.”
Amber grabbed her arm and gave her a look of utter gratitude. “Oh, thank you so much! You are the coolest! Meet you out there?”
She nodded and the two girls left the bathroom. Maxine exchanged a look with Kit. She was caught between shock and amusement as she grinned. “My, my, my, aren’t we the popular one?” She burst out laughing.
Kit couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. The scenario was entirely too surreal for her to comprehend. “This whole scene is getting too weird and unbelievable at times Max, y’know?”
Maxine’s eyes glazed over in a cocaine daze. “Hey, after The Roxy closes down, Trent and I are going to have a party back at my loft, downtown. Are you and Sully coming?”
She shrugged her shoulders and figured it wouldn’t hurt. She could put up with Trent for a few hours. “Sure, Max. That sounds like fun.”
Maxine and Kit headed out of the ladies’ room and back into the mayhem. Keeping her word, she searched for Amber and her friend who were sitting at a side table sipping strawberry daiquiris. She looked for Sully. She noticed him sitting at Maxine and Trent’s table, crammed in with all of their closest friends. She stared, hoping to get his attention.
He was in the middle of a conversation with Maxine when he glanced over and noticed Kit staring at him. His eyes met hers and he smiled. She beckoned him suggestively with her finger and a buccaneer grin. He raised his eyebrows, pointed to himself and mouthed, “me?” jokingly. She started laughing as he sauntered toward her.
He walked straight up to her and put his face within inches of hers. He gazed into her eyes with a mischievous partial grin on his face. When he spoke, Kit could smell the scotch he had been drinking on his breath. “Hi, baby. What can I do for you tonight?”
She stared into his steel blue eyes that were suddenly and surprisingly intoxicating to her. She felt at any second her knees would buckle. She immediately shook it off, chalking it up to her own buzz from the two drinks she had consumed. “Someone wants to meet you, babe.”
Sully followed suit and seemed to snap out of his daze, getting back to the business that needed to be taken care of. Genuine curiosity seized him, thinking maybe it was a record executive. He suddenly became alert and focused as the question eagerly rolled off his tongue. “Who?”
Kit turned him around to face the direction where the two girls were sitting. She pointed. “Amber. She’s convinced that she’s your biggest fan.”
Sully sighed. He was unenthusiastic. Kit was immediately concerned. This wasn’t his normal reaction. He always loved the attention and his fans—especially the doting females. She wondered if all the drama and arguments with Jimmy were taking a toll on his love for Gypsy Tango. She hoped that wasn’t the case.
He turned back around to face her. “Can’t we hang out tonight? Just you and me? No work. Us and guitars back at my place?” He grabbed her hand, interlocked his fingers with hers, and gazed into her eyes. “I think it’s safe to say that you and I have been working our asses off lately.”
Kit stared at him, barely able to comprehend what he had asked. She wondered if she was talking to Sully or if someone else had temporarily possessed his body. “We’re making good headway tonight on the Strip and we have Max’s party to go to later. We can play guitars together any other night. Sull, babe, are you feeling ok?”
He nodded, suddenly feeling vulnerable and instantly snapped back into his entertainer mode. He forced a smile. “I’m great. I think I need to drink a little more.” He tried to make light of it. “Kit-Kat, let me have another drink and then I will meet whoever you want me to.”
She took his face in her hands and smiled. “You promise?”
He nodded sadly and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I promise, baby. Whatever makes you happy.”
Kit watched Sully walk away, headed to the bar. She wondered what was going on with him. She saw him chatting with one of his old friends at the bar. She returned to Maxine and the rest of the group for a bit and then headed to the bar to get a drink. Sully had disappeared. She wondered if he took off for the night.
Maxine was telling a funny story of her latest photo shoot with one of KMK’s bands for Rock City News. Kit was laughing so hard that she had to fight the scotch from coming out
of her nose. Sully came up behind her and tickled her, making things worse. She screeched with laugher and turned around. He smiled and chuckled.
Her eyes lit up, happy he was still there. “I thought you took off for the night.”
“Nope. I made you a promise and I’m here to keep it. Where’s that fan of mine? Let me go charm the panties off her.”
She giggled and grabbed his hand. “C’mon. She’s over here.”
Kit walked up to the two girls who were engaged in typical Sunset Strip gossip. Amber’s mouth dropped open. Her friend smiled so wide Kit thought her face might crack as her eyes glazed over staring at Sully.
He flashed his most brilliant smile. “Hello, ladies.”
Kit did the introductions. As she walked away, she noticed Sully kissing each of their hands. She chuckled. He was great with his fans. When she reached the table where her friends were, she watched him. He crouched down on the floor, stationed in the middle of their table for two. He talked to them both, making eye contact, listening, and being attentive. They ate it up.
He met up with the group fifteen minutes later and sat down next to Kit, put his arm around her, and fit perfectly into the conversation already in progress. As his new friend Amber and her friend left the Roxy, they looked over at Sully. He blew them both kisses and waved to them. They squealed with delight, blew him kisses back, and left.
Alexa giggled as she walked by Kit who was stationed at the table. Her law books were open, but she was staring off into space. “Are you still half asleep? Want me to pour you a cup of coffee before I head to work?”
She snapped out of her daze and slowly looked over. “Huh?”
Alexa chuckled and set her purse down. “Hold that thought.” She returned with a cup of hot coffee and shoved it at Kit. “Baby, you’re burning the candle at both ends. You need to take a break. What time did you wake up this morning and start studying?”
She sipped the coffee and cast her eyes down. “Five.”
Alexa’s eyes widened. “Five a.m.? Kit, we got home from Max’s party last night at three. I’m barely functional with four hours.”