Rock Star Redemption

by Jenna Galicki

  “Everything is in order for the Canadian leg. I’ve confirmed the dates with the venues, the tour bus, driver, and road crew. I went over the set list with the band. They’ve added two new songs to make the show a little more diverse. I confirmed everyone has their passports in order.”

  Her father’s expression was an emotionless blank slate. He was a hard man to read sometimes, and it gave him an edge in the business industry. It was unnerving to most, but it didn’t faze her in the least, and she continued to fill him in on the details of Immortal Angel.

  “Kira said the band is already working on new music, and they’re discussing recording a new album after the Australia dates.”

  Her father still didn’t respond. He sat rigid in his chair with his fingers clasped together on top of his desk. Audra’s posture wasn’t much different. Her shoulders were back, her head was held high, and her hands were laced together around the knee of her crossed leg.

  They both had the same headstrong, obstinate stubborn streak, and both were top-notch negotiators. Their similarities made a smile permeate the corners of her mouth.

  Her father sighed. “I only want what’s best for you, and Jimmy Wilder isn’t it.”

  Her defenses immediately kicked in. “How do you know that? Have you even taken the time to get to know him?”

  “I don’t have to. I’ve seen his kind for the last 30 years. People like him live for the thrill of the ride. You’re a smart, beautiful girl, Audra, and you’re fun-loving and carefree. Your association to me also makes you off limits to people like Jimmy Wilder. I have serious doubts about his integrity, and where my daughters are concerned, I have zero tolerance. He’s not on our level, sweetheart. He’s not refined. Just because someone is rich and famous, doesn’t mean they have class.”

  He was insulting her man, and it was unjust. Jimmy was a gentleman. He had waited until she was ready to sleep with him and never pressured her – not once. “Are you really saying that Jimmy has no class? Because that’s just mean. I didn’t think you’d resort to name calling. He has more class than you know.”

  Her father took a deep breath and paused to steady his temper. “He’s not right for you – not right for our family. What about that Jensen boy you dated last year? He’s the kind of man you should be associating with.”

  “Why? Because his family owns a recording studio? Just because someone looks right on paper, doesn’t mean they’re right for you. I’m not interested in the sons of your business associates.” She had the feeling their fathers had the same conversations with them, citing her as the logical choice for a girlfriend. Male offspring of industry professionals had been pursuing her since she was sixteen. Their attention had the opposite effect and pushed her away, rather than stirred her interest. She folded her arms across her chest, tired of parental interference on the subject of dating. “You don’t get to pick who I date or who I fall in love with. Neither do I. My heart does that, and my heart says Jimmy Wilder is the man for me.”

  Her father grumbled, twisted the cap off of a bottle of antacids and gulped down two pills. “I am never going to give my hand of approval on this, Audra. I will fight it with every breath in my body.”

  “So will I.”

  “This band has given me so much grief I’m beginning to wonder if they’re worth it.” He picked up the glass of water on his desk and brought it to his lips. “They’ve turned my own daughter against me.”

  She gasped at the horrific statement and guilt hit her like a sledgehammer. “I’m not going against you, Daddy. I’m not trying to be stubborn or difficult. I mean you no disrespect, but you can’t tell me who to date. I’m an adult. I’m capable of making my own decisions.”

  “You see the good in people, Audra. It’s one of the things I love about you. But don’t be fooled by this man. He’s a charmer. He’ll pose as a changed man. He’ll do all the right things and say everything he’s supposed to say, but it’s only a matter of time before he reverts back to his old ways. They always do. Eventually, he’ll be out all night partying again, drinking, getting drunk and carrying on with all the available women who are constantly at his disposal.”

  Her thoughts drifted back to the girls who approached Jimmy’s car the other day and his light-hearted, exuberant response to their infatuation. Was he being flirtatious, she wondered, or was he just being friendly? Did he know the difference? She remembered the scores of women he’d been with over the years. There had always been a different girl on his arm, or in his lap – sometimes two or three at a time. Unease made her stomach tighten. These were all the reasons she didn’t want a relationship with Jimmy in the first place. She thought he had proved his loyalty. She believed he had changed, but was it that easy to give up the playboy lifestyle, practically from one day to the next? Would he still feel the same way in six months? A year? She lowered her eyes to the floor and really listened to everything her father had just said.

  “I’ve decided to let you and your sister retain your representation of Immortal Angel. I know the two of you will serve them better than anyone else in this company, and I’m not going to let personal difficulties interfere with business.” He paused. “And I don’t need any more friction between us.”

  She slowly lifted her head to meet her father’s gaze, but her heart remained floored.

  “It doesn’t change my feelings on this situation,” her father clarified. “I’m an excellent judge of character. This man is toxic, and I’ve got every available set of eyes on Mr. Wilder. The moment he screws up, I’m going to skin him alive.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Immortal Angel slipped into the airport in Toronto without much attention, but Audra had already been informed that there was a large crowd gathering at the hotel. The SUV that contained the band’s new security team pulled up to the hotel first and flanked the entrance. Audra peered through the tinted windows of the limo. It wasn’t as bad as she had expected, and fans and paparazzi were safely secured behind barricades. She was ready to take in the fans’ reaction to the band with a fresh eye – specifically, the female fans and their interaction with Jimmy.

  Tommy was the first to step out of the limo to a wail of screams. He stopped to wave at the fans, and they shouted his name. His long blond hair blew in the slight breeze as he turned and offered his hand to Jessi. She received an enthusiastic greeting and several whistles from the male members of the crowd. Angel was next, followed by Damien and Alyssa, who each received a wave of excited cheers. Rampant shouts from the fans turned into a mashup of everyone’s names.

  When Jimmy exited the limo, a new round of high-pitched screams filled the air – until the girls in the crowd saw him put his arm around Audra. This was the first time Jimmy and Audra were together before a large group of fans. They were unprepared for Jimmy to show up with a girlfriend, even though news about their relationship and photos of them together were all over social media. Some girls were undisturbed by Audra’s presence and continued to shout Jimmy’s name and vie for his attention, but others were clearly agitated and glared at her. They seemed threatened by her, as if they had some kind of claim over Jimmy, as if they were the girl who was going to capture Jimmy Wilder’s heart. Or maybe, her presence interfered with their chances of sleeping with him, and that’s why they resented her.

  In the past, Jimmy had practically dove head first into a crowd of screaming girls, but now he simply smiled and waved at them. A girl leaned over and grabbed his hand, which prompted at least a half a dozen others to latch onto him, and the girls pulled him away from Audra. Immortal Angel’s security team quickly stepped in to rescue him, and the girls groaned with disapproval.

  While Jimmy was getting swallowed up by the crowd, Audra eyed the girls who leered after him. She tried to ignore the fact that, given the chance, most of them would probably strip naked and offer him any kind of sexual gratification possible. Her stomach twisted into knots, but she smiled at the fans anyway. The ones that bothered to look in her direction sneere
d at her. One of them called her a bitch. She was shocked and gasped. It made her blood boil. Her initial reaction was to hurl an insult back, but she reminded herself that these were Immortal Angel’s fans, and she was representing Falcon Records, so she gritted her teeth and swallowed the temptation to tell the girl to go fuck herself.

  Audra turned to her right to observe Alyssa’s interaction with the crowd. Alyssa stayed next to Damien’s side while he signed autographs, and they posed for several photos together. Fans wanted Alyssa’s photo. Audra’s gaze went to Jessi next. The fans loved her. Men wanted Jessi’s photo and women wanted her autograph. Tommy moved to her side, and it caused a deafening wave of squeals from the girls nearby. Jessi offered to take photos of him with the fans. He put his back to the railing while an army of girls swarmed in on either side of him at the chance to be included in the photo. Jessi wasn’t jealous. She was having fun.

  Audra turned back to the fans surrounding Jimmy. She found one or two faces that weren’t glaring at her, but most were scowling. She just wanted the fans to accept her, the same way they accepted Jessi and Alyssa, but they resented her.

  Audra knocked on Jessi’s hotel room door, determined to figure out a way for the fans to accept her in Jimmy’s life. She was always a popular girl and hated that the fans detested her. She hated the reason behind their hostility even more.

  Angel opened the door. “Audra. Hi. Is everything okay?” He was in a pair of sweats and a tank top. It was a drastic change from the usual flashy attire he wore in public.

  “Yes. I just want to talk to Jessi for a few minutes. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

  “Not at all. Come in. We were just watching TV. Jessi’s in the shower, but you can wait for her. She should only be a few minutes.”

  Tommy was on the couch with his guitar across his lap. It reminded her of Jimmy and the way he always either had a pair of drumsticks in his hand, or was tapping a beat with his fingers. She wondered if it was something all musicians did and if they ever really felt comfortable without their instruments. “Are you working on a new song?” she asked, sitting next to Tommy.

  He played a few chords and watched the strings. “Maybe. I don’t know.” He looked up at Angel. “Does this sound like a new song, A?” Tommy’s fingers ran across the neck of the guitar and delivered a fresh melody.

  Angel bobbed his head, and a smile lit up his face. “That’s brilliant. You continue to amaze me with you talent, my prince.”

  Audra’s spirits were immediately lifted. Did she just witness Immortal Angel’s songwriting process and hear the melody of a new song before anyone else? Even before Kira? Her sister would be so jealous. “Is that the way you write music? Tommy comes up with a melody first?”

  “Sometimes.” Angel sat on the other side of Tommy and slipped his arm across Tommy’s shoulder. “Other times, Jimmy comes up with a beat, or Damien, and everyone adds to it.” He laughed softly. “Sometimes I even come up with a melody in my head.”

  “It’s a collaborative process,” Tommy explained. “Everyone adds their own specific flavor. I add my hard rock edge to a fast-paced punk rock melody, and Damien and Jimmy work together to pound out a killer beat to support the song.” He turned to Angel and his gorgeous blue eyes glazed over with love. “Then Angel writes lyrics that tie everything together.”

  Jessi entered the living room in a white terry robe. “Hey, Audra. I didn’t hear you come in.” Her hot pink hair was a deeper shade of fuchsia, still wet from the shower. She tied her short robe a little tighter. “Thanks for telling me we had company, guys. I could have walked out here naked.”

  Tommy shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “You have a one-track mind.”

  “Yes,” Angel agreed. “But you know we both love it.”

  Jessi curled up on the couch next to Tommy. He placed his guitar across the coffee table and put his arms around both Jessi and Angel. Audra watched them. It was an uncommon union, but their families accepted the alternative relationship. Why couldn’t her father accept Jimmy?

  “Are you here by yourself?” Jessi asked. “Where’s Jimmy?”

  “He’s back at the room. I came by because I want to ask you something, if you have a minute.”

  “Sure. I wanted to talk to you, too. Since I made you those jackets, I’ve been thinking about introducing a corporate glam line to my collection. You know, like business wear for executives in the music industry.”

  Tommy squeezed her shoulder. “That’s an awesome idea, hon!”

  “Truly innovative,” Angel added.

  “She was my muse.” Jessi turned toward Audra with ideas spinning in her head. “I could spearhead a campaign with you modeling garments in your office at Falcon. I could get Vogue or Cosmo to run an article and an interview with you. It could profile you as a young, powerful executive and the need to look corporate, yet edgy and current. What do you think?”

  Audra was flabbergasted. She had never really embraced her status as a young and powerful corporate executive. Maybe an article on her career was exactly what she needed in order to reinforce her authority in the corporate world. “I think that’s a great idea, Jessi. Thank you for thinking of me.”

  “Thank you for giving me inspiration.” Jessi leaned forward and placed her hands on her knees. “Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”

  Audra hesitated. “Um . . . can we talk in private?”

  A concerned crease appeared between Jessi’s brows. “Sure.” She brought Audra into the bedroom and closed the door.

  Audra sat on the bed and spread her hand across the soft, white sheets. Her head was immediately filled with images of Angel, Tommy and Jessi entwined in various sexual positions. It was an overload of erotic pictures and almost caused her mind to short circuit. She rubbed her forehead to clear the images behind her eyes.

  Jessi took a seat on the bed next to her, and it brought her thoughts back to the reason behind her visit. Audra let out a deep, frustrated breath. “I knew getting involved with Jimmy wasn’t the best idea. To tell you the truth, I never thought he’d change. I was just humoring him at first, because I knew how persistent he could be. I figured I’d just wait it out and let him bury himself by his own hand. But when I saw that he was serious, and we spent all those nights together on the tour bus, I fell for him – fast and hard. I knew my father was going to be furious. He always insisted that getting involved with clients of Falcon Records was unethical and wrong. It was like a matter of law. Both Kira and I knew that. But I never expected my father to be so adamantly opposed to it. I thought once I explained to him that we were in love, he’d understand. That’s why I was waiting to tell him, but the damn paparazzi exposed it before I had the chance.” She had never seen them snapping her picture, and she realized she had underestimated their ruthlessness. They were skilled at hiding and capturing the unexpected sought-after photo. Nothing was sacred.

  “I’ve never been in love before,” she continued. “I thought my father would be happy for me. He was outraged and told me to stop seeing Jimmy. He won’t change his mind, either. I told him I didn’t care what he thought. I wasn’t breaking up with him.” She recalled the hurt look in her father’s eyes when she defied him, and it made her heart sink. She never disrespected him before, and the sting of betrayal was felt by both of them.

  Jessi shook her head. “You’re no different than anyone else. Every father is going to feel threatened by their daughter’s choice in a man. It’s natural. My parents thought Tommy was a bad influence on me. Before I met him, I had normal color hair, wore boring clothes and led a mundane life. They got used to it, just like your father will get used to you being with Jimmy.”

  She wished it was as simple as Jessi made it sound, but it was so much more complicated than just her father’s disapproval. “My father brought out some very valid points about Jimmy’s past – points that keep hitting me in the face.”

&n
bsp; “Like what?”

  “Like the way girls are constantly at his disposal. I know it’s nothing new, but tonight was the first time since we’ve been together that Jimmy’s been inundated by a crowd of girls that big. It hit me like a slap in the face. That’s a lot of temptation for someone like him. He’s never been with just one woman. How do I know I can trust him?”

  Jessi raised her brows without answering. She was probably wondering the same thing about Jimmy.

  “Girls are all over Tommy, too,” Audra pointed out. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

  “Not really. As long as they’re not trying to kiss him or shove their naked boobs in his face, I’m okay with it.”

  Audra was appalled. She knew Jimmy kissed fans in the past, but he was single. Tommy was a married man and his wife was always nearby. And Audra had never seen any of the fans expose themselves. Shock made her mouth gape open. “Girls do that?”

  “Yes, sometimes girls try to kiss him. He stops them, of course, and if I’m there I sorta joke about it. You know, ‘hey, that’s my husband!’ and they pretty much get the hint. Girls like to flash their boobs too, which pisses me off, but I can’t really say anything, unless they shove their tits in his face. I won’t stand for that. I’ve stepped in and told fans to back off. Once, another fan got involved, and the two of them almost went at it. I was pretty shocked that a fan would stick up for me like that.”

  Audra let out another deep breath. She knew Jessi was trying to help, but her stories were only making Audra’s suspicions worse. It brought another bout of uneasiness to her already queasy stomach. “That’s another thing. The fans love you. They love Alyssa, too, and she doesn’t really interact with them much. They hate me. I know it’s only a matter of time before I start getting hate mail and death threats.”

  “You’re exaggerating. I doubt that’s going to happen.”

  “You hear about things like that all the time on the news. I tried to be nice and smile, and they all gave me dirty looks. Not one of them smiled back. One of them even called me a bitch to my face.” She was still fuming about the verbal insult.