“I’ll be there in plenty of time. I wouldn’t miss your debut for the world.”
“It’s the debut for all of us. Everyone’s chipped in. Your dad painted the lettering above the art wing. Your mom made fajitas and flan for later. We’re all going out to War and Shaina’s place afterward.” Yeah, I was definitely going to have to take the edge off by fucking my woman up against a wall somewhere. War and Shaina’s place was a compound on Lake Washington Boulevard. A main house facing the water for them. A studio for him and the band to use almost as big as Black Cat’s. A cottage for her parents. And a huge lawn perfect for picnic style gatherings and for kids to run around on. We would be out there for hours. It would be midnight before she and I could come back to our place and get seriously busy in our bedroom. “I hope you don’t get delayed again.”
“I can’t control the weather, mamasota.” My voice was husky reflecting my all-night plans for us. “Otherwise I would have been home today to help you get everything ready. How’s our princess?”
“She’s perfect. Beautiful. The only time she’s not in motion is when she sleeps.” I knew that was most certainly the truth. Our baby girl was a firecracker like her mommy with the energy level to match.
As if she knew I was thinking about her, I heard her cry.
“She’s waking up from her nap. She and Alexis took every container out of the Tupperware drawer and put them back in at least twenty times before they both crashed.”
“Is her daddy Alex away on location again?”
“Yeah, it’s just her other daddy Mike and me. We sit around watch our children play, eat ice cream and pine away for our men.”
“You’re both too busy to pine.”
“I miss you every moment, King. You know I do. Mike being just down the hall helps. Seeing everyone else does, too, but not after four weeks without you. Your pillow doesn’t even smell like you anymore.” Her eyes got glassy. She blinked away the excess moisture. This tour was too long. Next one she and our daughter were coming with.
“Would you like me to get her so you can say hi?
“Sí, Reina. You know I would.”
“Ok hold on.” I watched my queen move away, frowning when she was out of visual range. She looked tired. She took on too much. Encouraging me. Loving me. Making our house a home. Raising our little girl while getting her degree in art therapy, completing the coursework verbally as an accommodation to her dyslexia. My brave queen. And tomorrow the doors to her big dream would open. Our big dream. We dreamed together now. And this dream meant hope in a place where it had always been needed.
I heard the door to our daughter’s room creaking and our two-year-old babbling and then my woman reappeared with our little one.
“There’s your daddy.” Miriam pointed at the screen. Looking sleepy, lines on her round face, her ringlet curls smushed on one side, our princess was rubbing pretty grey-green eyes like her mommy’s with her small fists.
“Hey, princesita.”
“¡Papá!” she exclaimed and started bouncing in Miriam’s arms while reaching her arms that were no longer chubby, out for me the way her mom had earlier.
“¿Cómo estás, mi niña preciosa?” How are you, my beautiful girl?” We were trying to teach her English and Spanish. “I miss both my girls. Blow me kisses.”
• • •
Miriam
“Slow down, MJ,” Mike said. “You’re talking so fast you’re out of breath. I can’t keep up with you.”
“Change in plans.” I blew a stray strand of hair out of my eyes, closed the door to the Hummer with my hip and tried to organize the clutter inside my mind. “Juaquin’s flight is delayed. He has a limo service waiting to pick him up at the airport when he lands, but it’s going to be tight, and he doesn’t know that the main stage has been moved.” We’d had to add another stage. For the Dirt Dogs, a last-minute addition. The huge crowd we had already anticipated would likely double because of it. “I don’t know how Charles Morris of Zenith Productions and Mary Timmons of Black Cat Records managed to get them to come.” The band had retired, started a record label of their own and preferred surfing the SoCal waves near their home office rather than performing these days.
“I don’t know. You guys all like to speculate about those two. Rivals with benefits. Hookups in secret. Between the sheets deals. You’ve got a backstory imagined for Charles and Mary like those Mexican novellas King’s grandmother likes to watch on Telemundo. But don’t worry about Juaquin. Delegate that task to me. I’ll look out for him. Make sure he knows where to go if he can’t get ahold of you.”
“But you have Alexis and Hope.”
“Nope. Your mother-in-law and your mother practically ripped them both out of my arms as soon as I arrived. Complained that they never get to see the grandbabies.”
“They saw them only yesterday.”
“Yeah, but you know how grandmas are.”
“Yep.” I did. Hope’s devoted grandmothers were wonderful. I never would have been able to accomplish half of what I did if I didn’t have them. I slid a hand to my abdomen, to the slight bulge under my fingers. Another new life our love had created. One Juaquin had given me before he had gone on tour. Remembering that long night before he had left. No sleeping. Just slow and leisurely lovemaking. I licked my lips and shifted restlessly. I couldn’t wait to see him. Tell him the good news. It would be a tossup what came first, the good news or the sex. Maybe both at the same time. Imagining that, my lips slowly lifted into a smile.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Ha-ha!” I laughed. Mike said the words into his phone, but he had walked up right behind me in the parking lot. I shut the phone off.
“I don’t really wanna know. I can guess.” He kissed me. “Now that I’m here, what else can I do? Do you want to go through the list before we head over to the main building for your speech?”
“Alright.” I hitched my purse further up on my shoulder and counted on my fingers. “One: Make sure all the acts are here. Two: Make sure all the greeters are in place at the entrances to each wing. Three: Catering. Four: Media briefing.”
“Five: Relax,” he interrupted. “You’ve got all these tasks delegated to capable leaders, though I know you will feel better after you check in with each of them.” He threaded our fingers together and squeezed. “You’ve been planning this day for months. It’s going to be fabulous. Now come on.” He took my hand and dragged me toward the complex of buildings that took up an entire block. Not something finance-wise or otherwise that I could have managed on my own, not even as successful as Juaquin had been with Tempest and in his solo career. But something that had been entirely doable given the kind of friends we both had.
My cell rang. I released Mike’s hand and put the phone to my ear immediately when I saw the caller ID.
“Hey, Jazz. How did it go?”
“I got the part!”
“I knew you would.” I smiled.
“Only because you helped me.”
“Only because you’re that good.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Why do you sound unsure?”
“I heard some of the other girls talking. They were making jokes about who my father is. Saying I got the lead using his connections.”
“That’s ridiculous. You testified against him. He’s in prison now.”
“I know but people like to speculate.”
“They do. You’re right. That kind of stuff is always going to be around. The trial was so public and went on for so long. But you are not your father, Jazz. Any more than I am mine. You are your own person. A wonderful person. Self-sacrificing. Brave. And a super-talented actress.” I gentled my tone. “Are you still doing those video sessions with Dr. Claffey?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Witnessing all the tragedies she had seen her father do, I knew she continued to carry a lot of heaviness around that she needed to come to terms with. “And volunteering at the center, helping t
he other girls with dyslexia?” I pressed.
“Yes. Every Wednesday after school.”
“That’s wonderful”. Helping others often lightened the burdens we had inside ourselves. “So I’ll see you later, after all this is done, at War and Shaina’s place?”
“Absolutely.”
“I love you, Jasmine.”
“I love you, too.”
“Miriam!” I heard her call my name as I ended the call and skimmed the crowd of family, friends and familiar faces in the courtyard until I found her.
“Annie!” I darted toward my sister at a rapid clip that matched her own. Smiling, we collided and hugged.
“I wasn’t expecting you.” I leaned back to look at her. “You look lovely. Married life certainly agrees with you. As does being pregnant.”
“Yes, and I think I can say the same of you.” She gave me a knowing look.
“Don’t you dare tell him before I can.” Once again most everyone here knew before Juaquin.
“When did you get in? I thought you and Todd weren’t going to be able to come.”
“I couldn’t miss this. It wasn’t even a consideration.” A shadow crossed her eyes. Had they argued about her visiting? Her husband wasn’t a big supporter of what he liked to call ‘her crazy celebrity family.’
“King’s woman.” I turned yet again to a voice I well knew.
“War.” I rolled my eyes. He rarely used my actual name. “What’s up?”
“Tempest is ready sans our drummer. You heard from him?”
I shook my head.
“Alright.” He touched my arm. “We’ll cover until he gets here. Shaina and I will do something on the piano. Don’t worry.”
“Mrs. Acenado.” Another familiar voice. “It’s time for your speech.” My PA. I had a personal assistant. It was bizarre. Celia Black was one of the nonprofit’s few paid employees. Her unflagging dedication to our cause was as important as the generous donations of so many. Giving and receiving embodied the spirit of the entire enterprise. She believed in our mission as much as anyone. She had been trying to get her youngest son to talk to one of our counselors. It was too late for his brothers. One was dead, the other in prison for life. All three had gotten involved in illegal activities.
“Alright, Mrs. Black,” I told her. “Let’s go. Lead the way.” My sister squeezed my hand, Mike patted me on the back and War gave me a nod of approval before I fell in line to follow her. Shoulders too stooped for a woman of her age, but understandable given what she had endured, she marched up the platform ahead of me. At the top we separated. I moved to the podium by myself, yet not really alone as I stood there and looked down, because besides a few media and staff, I saw mostly people I knew and loved looking back up at me. Sager and Melinda. Bryan and Lace. Dizzy and April. Shaina and War. Mike. Jasmine and her mother. Many of them survivors of abuse themselves or directly affected by it.
“Hi everybody. Thank you for being here today.” Even Justin Jones and his sister Avery Jones were here. I’d become an even bigger fan of hers after getting to know her better. She and her brother had been abused as teens. They had been very supportive since the conceptual stages of our planning. Justin’s hotel heiress wife had been one of the largest financial contributors. “I know you’re all as eager as I am to open the gates and get started.” I noticed a figure near the entrance, his face handsome though sullen. Logan Black. My PA’s son. Dressed head to toe in garb that reflected both his last name and his general outlook. Acting like he didn’t want to be there, but I recognized that for what it was…acting. He raked a hand through his dark hair revealing a scar on his cheek that his father had carved into it with a switch blade, but it didn’t detract from his looks. His mother had mentioned that he told a hundred different stories to girls about how he had gotten the scar, none of them the real one.
“I’ll make this short and sweet unlike one of Warren’s famous band speeches.” I got some clapping for that quip, and the one clapping that had moved directly below me made my heart stop, pause and then beat a lot faster. Juaquin. He looked so good, wearing just a grey v neck and jeans. But I knew what was under those jeans. And even across the space that separated us, I could see and feel his desire. I licked my lips. His golden eyes gleamed at me beneath the bill of his ball cap. He rarely went anywhere without wearing a cap or a hoodie. He was no longer just the drummer from Tempest. The temporary spike in recognition after his appearance on Rock Fuck Club wasn’t the reason. It was because of his solo stuff. He gave people music that made them want to dance. Mr. Southside. He might not have planned it, but he had become the face of his community. This community. Our community. I refocused for their sake. For all of ours. “The dream for Hope House is to transform suffering into beauty. Art. Music. Literature. Drama. Dance. In my own life acting was cathartic. It made a difference. It helped me overcome my abuse. The inspiration for Hope House is my husband. He helped me realize that it’s not weakness but strength to reach for what you need. Hope House is named for my daughter. I’m reminded every single day when I look at her that there’s always hope for a new beginning. Hope for everyone. Hope for those who need it. And hope for those of us who care enough to help.”
AUTHOR NOTE
I hope you enjoyed this story. I certainly enjoyed writing it. I hope you get a chance to read or listen to all the books in this series. They’re all fractured fairy tales. Cinderella addicted to heroin. Snow White pregnant as a teen and then a single mother. Rapunzel with depression. Wendy and domestic violence. The Little Mermaid with anorexia. And Miriam a scandalous Belle to her beast, a queen to her king.
Imperfect princesses in situations where love makes all the difference which I truly believe it does. Love between families. Love between friends. Love between significant others. Self love. Love from dedicated professionals. Seek one immediately if you find yourself in a real situation that might be similar to one of the heroines in my stories. There is no shame in reaching for and seeking help when needed. That is true bravery. That is true love.
Michelle Mankin, October 23, 2017
A THANK YOU NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
THANK YOU for reading The Complete Tempest World Box Set! I loved writing this series. I got so attached to the characters I cried when I finished Scandalous Beat.
As a reader you can make all the difference in The Complete Tempest World Box Set’s book life.
By writing a review.
The best way for readers to find books they like is by reading recommendations from other readers like you.
EMAIL me a link to your review at [email protected] so I can thank you.
I LOVE hearing from my readers and hanging out with them. Come join my reader group on Facebook. Tap here to link to it.
We have a lot of fun. You get a chance to peek behind the curtain as I write. You get a chance to sign up for advance copies of my latest books. And I do lots of autographed paperback and swag giveaways here.
Big hugs,
Michelle
PS. If you need more of my rock stars to fall in love with, check out my list of books on my author page on Amazon. Tap to check it out here.
PSS. And if you enjoy binging on completed series, I have several.
For small town surfer rockers, try the completed Dirt Dogs series. Tap to link to it here.
For super-hot, super-sexy, super-popular, try the completed Rock F*ck Club series. Tap to link to it here.
For an older woman with a younger man romance, try the completed Finding Me series. Tap to link to it here.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My family. My hubby, my boys, my bestie Lisa who is my sister by another mother.
Elaine York. Thank you for making my books so lovely in digital and paperback.
You, my dear reader. You are a rock star. Thank you for reading my books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MICHELLE MANKIN is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Records series of novels.
&nb
sp; Fall in love with a rock star.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a BRUTAL STRENGTH centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock 'n roll industry.
Things take a bit of an edgier turn with the TEMPEST series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there.
Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the MAGIC series.
Get swept away by temptation in the ROCKSTARS, SURF AND SECOND CHANCES DIRT DOGS ROCKSTAR series.
Romance and self-discovery, the FINDING ME series is a Tempest spin off with a more experienced but familiar cast of characters.
The ROCK F*CK CLUB series is a girl-power fueled reality show with the girls ranking the rock stars.
The ONCE UPON A ROCK STAR series is sexy modern-day fairytale retellings.
When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock or NOLA funk music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend.
BRUTAL STRENGTH series:
Love Evolution
Love Revolution
Love Resolution
Love Rock’ollection Box Set
TEMPEST series (also available in audio):
SOUTHSIDE HIGH
Irresistible Refrain
Enticing Interlude
Captivating Bridge
Relentless Rhythm
Tempting Tempo
Scandalous Beat
The Complete Tempest Rock Star Series, Books 1-6
The MAGIC series (also available in audio):
The Complete Tempest World Box Set Page 190