“Don’t get so worked up,” Tommy placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be fine once Mr. Abelman realizes you’re serious about Audra. You can’t blame him for being upset. He probably thinks you’re just bangin’ his daughter.”
Jimmy knew Tommy was trying to help, but it only reinforced the image of Mr. Abelman with smoke blowing out his ears like a cartoon character, and Jimmy couldn’t get the picture out of his head. “I think Mr. Abelman would rather I just moved on. I don’t think he wants me in Audra’s life.” Jimmy ran his hand across his forehead to knead out the nervous tension. Mr. Abelman wasn’t just his girl’s father; he was a man who held Immortal Angel’s career in the palm of his hand.
“Is Audra coming?” Angel asked.
“I told her not to, but she wouldn’t listen. Man, she can be real persistent when she wants to be.”
Tommy let out an ironic snort. “What is it with our women? Why are they all so headstrong?”
“They gotta be,” Damien answered, “in order to put up with us.” He socked Jimmy in the arm. “It’s gonna be okay, dude.”
Jimmy had the support of his friends, and it meant the world to him. They didn’t have to come to Falcon Headquarters, but they wanted to. “Thanks, guys – for coming with me.”
Damien gave him a crooked half-smile and slugged him in the arm again. “I wasn’t gonna miss Bossman hand you your ass on a platter.”
A hint of smile returned to Jimmy’s face and some of his confidence was restored. He wasn’t about to let Mr. Abelman intimidate him. He was ready to defend his stake in his woman. He stood a little taller, and the rhythmic thump of his foot and his hand slowed to a gentle beat. “I don’t care if Ron Abelman rips me a new asshole. He can’t keep me away from Audra. I love her, man.”
A smile lit up Angel’s face, and he covered his heart with his hands. “Love? I didn’t know you were in love!” He was such a hopeless romantic.
“Yeah.” Damien slung his arm around Jimmy’s neck in a hug that was more like a chokehold. “I thought you were just screwin’ around.”
“I’m happy for you, Jimmy.” Tommy’s voice was heartfelt, and there was contentment in his bright blue eyes. “You can have everything in the world – money, fame, talent – none of it means anything unless you have someone to love.” He slipped his hand inside Angel’s. “In my case, two people to love.”
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Reality preceded Jimmy with each step that took him closer to a confrontation with Audra’s father.
Mr. Abelman’s assistant rose from her desk. “Go right in.” There was an urgency in her voice that held uneasy tension.
Jimmy stopped in front of the heavy, paneled double doors that led to Mr. Abelman’s office. He tapped out his signature rat-a-tat-tat with his knuckles on the hard wood. He probably should have opted for a more conservative knock, considering he was about to have the most serious conversation of his life.
Marissa answered with fire burning behind her eyes. Her glare followed Jimmy as he crossed the room. The office was large enough to host a small cocktail party, but Jimmy walked straight up to Mr. Abelman’s desk, ignoring the leather upholstered furniture that faced it.
Mr. Abelman pushed off his knuckles and rose to his feet. His clenched jaw had been visible from across the room, but now his mouth drew back into a nasty sneer. “You have crossed the line, Wilder.” He held up a newspaper. Across the top were a series of photos of Jimmy and Audra – kissing in the park, leaving her apartment together, and lying on a blanket in the grass during their picnic. “Stay the hell away from my daughter.”
Jimmy opened his mouth to defend his actions, but Angel spoke first.
“It’s not what you think. Jimmy really cares about Audra. I wouldn’t let him hurt her. He’s a good guy, and he has a good heart.”
Mr. Abelman’s head turned sharply in Angel’s direction. “Why the hell are you here, Mr. Garcia? I didn’t ask to see the entire band.”
“He’s our brother,” Damien explained. “We stick together.”
“Mr. Diamond, it’s in your best interest to keep quiet. Out of all the members of this band, I pegged you as trouble from the start. But, so far, you’re the only one who has managed to keep your nose clean. Don’t incriminate yourself.”
Damien curled his top lip and narrowed his eyes, in full defensive mode. “Don’t judge me. You don’t know me.”
Mr. Abelman’s face turned a deeper shade of red, and he spoke through clenched teeth. “It was a compliment. Don’t make me retract my statement.”
“Didn’t sound like a compliment.”
Mr. Abelman narrowed his eyes to match Damien’s. “Watch your tone and remember who you’re speaking to.”
“I know—”
Tommy pulled Damien to the side and mumbled something in his ear, too low for Jimmy to hear. But Damien’s response was loud and clear: “I don’t give a fuck.”
The smoke Jimmy had envisioned coming out of Mr. Abelman’s ears looked as if it was about to make an appearance. Mr. Abelman’s chest filled with a deep breath, and he balled his hands into fists. He raised one shaking finger and pointed it to the door. “Out! Get the hell out of my office! All of you! Before I call security!”
Jimmy was unsure if he was included in the ejection and hovered somewhere between his bandmates, who were making a hasty exit, and Mr. Abelman’s fiery temper.
Mr. Abelman answered his silent question. “Not you, Wilder. Don’t move a God damn inch. I’m not through with you. Not by a long shot.”
Jimmy’s foot resumed the steady thump on the floor, and his fingers beat sixteenth notes into his thigh. Angel gave him a reassuring nod, before he passed through the doorway and out of the office, but it was pointless. It was clear that Mr. Abelman had no intention of embracing Jimmy into his daughter’s life.
Mr. Abelman circled the desk, buttoned his expensive jacket and stood directly in front of Jimmy.
Standing almost six feet tall, with salt and pepper hair and a husky build, Ron Abelman was an imposing man. He was the head of an empire, and he never backed down – that was on an ordinary day. Pose a threat to his daughter, and he was a lion defending his pride.
Jimmy knew he didn’t stand a chance against the record mogul. His gut twisted, but he met Mr. Abelman’s stare with calm confidence. “I care about Audra, and I have the best intentions.”
“I don’t give a damn about your intentions. I don’t want you within fifty feet of either one of my daughters.”
“That’s ridiculous. We work together.”
“Not anymore. I’m pulling both of them off Immortal Angel. You’re getting a new tour manager and a new A&R rep.”
Jimmy’s jaw fell open. It would kill Audra – and Kira, who had nothing to do with this. “You can’t stop me from seeing her. Assigning us new people isn’t gonna change anything.”
Mr. Abelman took a step closer. “I don’t know how I can make myself any clearer, Wilder. You keep your fucking hands off my daughter. I know your kind. You fuck every piece of ass that comes your way. You are not going to soil my daughter.”
Jimmy had never heard Audra’s father use foul language before. It emphasized the anger behind his words and the force of his statement. He needed to make Mr. Abelman understand that his feelings for Audra were real. “Just listen to me. I would never hurt Audra. I’ve cut back on my drinking, and I haven’t so much as looked at another woman since we’ve been together. Just give me chance. You’ll see that I’ve changed.”
“Changed? For how long? Men like you don’t change. You put on a show for the public, to save face and keep your wives happy. For a few years, the media buys it, then the tabloids catch you with your pants down, and it’s on every entertainment network across the country. You will not humiliate my daughter or tarnish this family’s reputation. I won’t let you cause my daughter one ounce of grief. This—”
Audra burst through the door, out of breath. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I wan
ted to tell you, but—”
“Save it.” Her father held up his hand and cut her statement short. “You know the rules. You know better. I expect you to act like a professional. Don’t lower your standards. Or your morals. Don’t get involved with the talent. That’s business 101 and the cardinal rule in this family. I’ve drilled it in both you and Kira since you were teenagers.”
Audra stood a little taller. “I’m not lowering my standards. Jimmy is a wonderful man.”
“You know his reputation! I don’t want you anywhere near a man like him!”
She never wavered. “With all due respect, Daddy, I’m a grown woman now. You can’t tell me who I can and cannot date.”
“I made a promise to myself a long time ago, and that was to protect my girls from the predators in this business. I see men like him all the time – rock stars with egos as big as the moon. They fall victim to fame and abuse drugs, alcohol and women. Jimmy Wilder is on a path of self-destruction, and he’s not taking you with him.”
Jimmy stood there and listened to Audra and her father argue. He tried to curb his tongue, but he couldn’t stay silent any longer. “I told you I’ve changed. I’m not like that anymore. That’s all out of my system. I want to be with Audra. No one else. I never did drugs. I drank a lot. I’ll admit that. I love my Jack Daniels, but I’ve cut back on my drinking. And I don’t run around anymore.”
Mr. Abelman’s stare turned to ice. “Stop talking. I have nothing more to say to you, Wilder, except stay the hell away from my daughter!”
Audra moved to Jimmy’s side. Her eyes were as intense as her father’s. “Daddy, I’ve always done the right thing. I’ve never been in any kind of trouble. I went to an Ivy League school and proved myself in this business. I believe in Jimmy. You need to believe in me.”
The fire under her father’s collar seemed to smolder to a low flame. “You know I trust you, Audra. It’s him I don’t trust.” He glanced at Jimmy with hatred and loathing, before he turned back to his daughter. “Effective immediately, you are no longer tour manager for Immortal Angel, and Kira will not be their A&R rep. I’m re-assign—”
“No!” Audra’s eyes widened with horror. “You can’t do that to Kira! Don’t punish her because you’re upset with me! That’s not fair!”
Jimmy’s heart broke for her. She was more concerned about her sister than losing her dream job. He was sorry for the trouble he had caused both girls and hung his head into his chest.
“Don’t raise your voice to me,” Mr. Abelman warned his daughter.
She took a deep breath, and met her father’s intimidating demeanor with defiance. “I’m perfect for this job, and I’m not stepping down as tour manager. That won’t stop me from seeing Jimmy. It will only put someone else in charge who doesn’t have the same dedication as I do. To the band and to Falcon Records.”
For once, Mr. Abelman was silenced. The fury still burned his cheeks, but he didn’t have a retort for his daughter’s bold reasoning.
Jimmy needed to say something. He needed to support Audra, although she didn’t need any help standing up to her father. He placed his arm around her shoulder. “I love your daughter, Mr. Abelman. I wish you’d believe me.”
A slight gasp was barely audible before Audra pressed her lips together to steady them. She gazed at Jimmy. “I love him, too.” For a few magnificent seconds, Jimmy forgot that Mr. Abelman was in the room, and he savored the exchange of love between himself and a woman he had waited years to claim.
Mr. Abelman’s voice boomed through the silence. “Goddammit!” His fist landed on the top of the desk with enough force to crack a cinderblock. “This isn’t some kind of Romeo and Juliet bullshit! This is my daughter’s life, and I don’t want you in it!”
Jimmy felt Audra stiffen, and she stared her father dead in the face. “I’ve never defied you before, but I am now. I want to be with Jimmy, and I’m going to pursue this relationship.”
The heat rose in her father’s cheeks – and in Audra’s.
She refused to be silenced or intimidated. “Everything in my life has led up to this moment in time. It wasn’t chance. It was my destiny. No matter what happens with Jimmy, my life’s path is to guide Immortal Angel to fame. That’s been very clear to me from the beginning. Kira too. Since the first time we saw them play, we both knew that we could help Immortal Angel rise to the top in this industry, and they haven’t peaked yet – we both know that. Kira and I are going to partake in Immortal Angel’s success. We always knew we would, but along the way, I fell in love with Jimmy Wilder. I didn’t plan it, but I couldn’t prevent it. I’m on that tour bus to Canada next week, as Immortal Angel’s tour manager.”
Jimmy’s heart was bursting with pride for the way Audra defended their love. She was smart and sassy, levelheaded and forthright. No one was going to tell her what to do – not even her father.
Mr. Abelman looked like he was ready to explode. He was fuming, and his head looked like it was about to pop off his shoulders.
Audra and her father stared at each other for several heat-filled seconds, before Audra turned, clasped Jimmy’s hand in hers, and headed for the door. She paused when she reached for the doorknob and turned back to her father. “I love you, Daddy, but I have to go against your wishes this time. I’m right for Immortal Angel, and Jimmy’s right for me. Calm down, think it over, and you’ll agree.”
As soon as they were outside of Mr. Abelman’s office, Jimmy grabbed Audra in a hug. Everything that had transpired in her father’s office swam in his head, but one thing stuck out above everything else. He stepped back, held onto her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes while his heart did back flips in his chest. “You love me?”
A smile spread across her face, and a giddy laugh floated from her lips. “Yes. You love me?”
“Of course I love you, baby. You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, and after everything you just said in there, I love you even more.”
“I love you, too!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him so tight it knocked the air out of his lungs.
“I wanted to tell you sooner. I was just waiting for the right time. I wanted it to be romantic, and I ended up blurting it out in front of your father. I’m sorry.”
She laughed a little. “Blurting it out in front of my father was probably the most romantic and courageous thing you could ever do.” She glanced back at the doors to her father’s office. “Now let’s get the hell out of here.” She took his hand and they briskly walked to the elevator bank. Mr. Abelman’s assistant and several workers in the outer office smiled at them as they walked by. “At least my father’s staff supports us,” Audra joked.
When the elevator doors closed behind them, Jimmy took Audra in his arms and kissed her. The reciprocated love that radiated from her touch left him filled with so many new emotions, and he loved every single one of them. He didn’t know how their love was supposed to survive her father’s wrath, but if anyone knew how to tame Ron Abelman, it was Audra. She was a powerhouse wrapped in the body of a sweet, beautiful lady.
The doors opened on the ground floor of the building, and they stepped into the lobby. Angel hurried toward them with a worried crease in his brow, followed by the rest of the band and Kira, Jessi and Alyssa. “What the hell happened?” Angel asked.
Jimmy was still riding high on their exchange of I love yous. “You should have seen her. She was awesome, man. She stuck up for me and told her father she loved me.”
Kira gave Audra an elated hug. “I’m so happy for you! My sister’s in love – with Jimmy Wilder!”
“And I love her, too.” Jimmy turned to Angel with a happy laugh. “Who would have guessed she’d fall for a degenerate like me?”
“You’re not a degenerate,” Audra said. “You’re just a badass. My badass.” She leaned in for a quick kiss.
“So, is everything cool?” Damien asked.
“Not quite,” Audra glanced at Jimmy, and then at Kira. “My father is very an
gry and very upset. He doesn’t approve, but I told him I didn’t care. It was the first time I ever blatantly defied him.”
Jimmy felt like shit for coming between Audra and her father, and he knew that Kira was going to get dragged into the turmoil as well.
“I could never stand up to Daddy the way you do.” The admiration was clear in Kira’s voice.
“There’s more.” Audra hesitated. “He threatened to pull Immortal Angel from us and assign them a new tour manager and A&R rep.”
A loud gasp passed from Kira’s lips.
“Don’t worry,” Audra tried to reassure her sister. “He won’t do it.”
“How do you know that? You can’t manipulate Daddy!”
“I’m not trying to manipulate him, but you have to trust me. Once he looks at it from a business standpoint, he’ll realize that no one will represent Immortal Angel the way we will. No one has a vested interested in the band like we do, and he knows that Immortal Angel is a goldmine and needs the right representation. They’re the best thing that’s happened at Falcon Records in years.”
Kira slowly nodded. “Okay. You’re right . . . I hope.”
Audra was confident in her answer, but Jimmy wasn’t so convinced. Her father disapproved of their relationship – practically forbade it – and Jimmy’s concerns lay in not just the band’s future with Falcon Records, but in his future with Audra.
Angel saw his apprehension and pulled him aside. “What’s wrong? You should be ecstatic right now. Why do you look so worried?”
“Her father hates me, man. How the hell is this supposed to work if I’m not welcome in her family?”
“Once he realizes you’re sincere, he’ll come around. Remember how much Jessi’s parents hated me? Once they understood that we all really loved each other, and that I wasn’t trying to break up Jessi’s marriage, they had a change of heart. Give it some time.”
Angel’s words didn’t offer much consolation. Jimmy had seen Jessi after the initial telephone conversation she had with her parents about adding Angel to her marriage, when they were on their first national tour and at a rest stop in Ohio. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Jessi had been torn to shreds, and it had killed Jimmy to see her crumble when she was always such a rock. He couldn’t bear to put Audra through that kind of pain.
Rock Star Redemption Page 9