Queen of Kings

by RH Tucker

My mother quickly rolls her eyes, then looks back over at the girls, smirking. “And who is this?”

  “Oh, sorry. This is Lily and Jade.”

  “Oh,” she replies, sounding deflated.

  I know why. It’s because I told her the girl I’m talking to is named Kristen. Not that she would know Jade is the actual Jade from the Kings of Karmichael, seeing as how my mom doesn’t pay attention to celebrities, except Brad Pitt.

  Picking up on her disappointment, I really don’t want her to make a big scene, but I figure if I hold this back and tell her later that Jade is actually Kristen, I’m most likely going to get an earful from her. “Uh, yeah. Kristen Jade.”

  My mom’s face lights up. Glancing over at her, I watch as a small pink hue covers Jade’s cheeks. “Jade, this is my mom, Anita.”

  “Yes!” Lily clamps her hands together. “She gets to meet the ’rent.”

  “Lily,” Jade scolds her through a clenched jaw. Shaking off the embarrassment, she looks back at my mom. “Nice to meet you, Anita.”

  “Please, please, sit down.” The table we’re sitting at has four chairs, so my mom gets up from her spot, and shuffles around to a seat closer to me.

  I let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh … uh, I’m sure Lily wanted to celebrate her birthday with her friend, and I wouldn’t want to—”

  “Nonsense,” my mom cuts me off. “It’s fine.”

  “Yeah,” Lily agrees, complete with a wide grin across her face. “It’s fine!”

  Biting my lip, I look over at Jade, who’s wearing the same expression. The hostess leaves our side, and a small round of silence falls over the table.

  “So, what do you do, Kristen Jade?” my mom speaks up first.

  Her embarrassment leaves, replaced with confusion. She looks over at me, unsure why my mom’s asking. I decide to let the conversation unfold on its own. I’m sure it’s been a while since someone had no idea who she is.

  “What do I do?” Jade asks her.

  My mom nods in anticipation. “Yes, are you a student? Do you work?”

  Jade releases an embarrassed chuckle. “Uh, actually, I’m in a band.”

  “Oh, a band. How lovely. Do you like it?”

  Another laugh from Jade, this one more comfortable than the last. “Yeah. It has its perks.”

  The conversation continues as the waitress comes back, getting Jade and Lily’s order. I would be embarrassed and slightly horrified at the number of questions my mom asks Jade, but she takes it all in stride. Questions about the music she plays or the different instruments she knows. She finds out Jade has a twin brother and that she’s been to almost two dozen countries. With all of the music talk, it never crosses her mind that Jade is as big of a superstar as she is, and I think it’s something Jade enjoys.

  Once we get our food, my mom thoroughly embarrasses me by pulling out her phone to show pictures from my elementary school days, complete with a picture of a talent show I was in with some friends. We dressed up and performed as the Blue Man Group from Las Vegas. At least my mother never uploaded any baby pictures of me to Facebook because I’m sure she would be sharing those, too.

  Checking the time on her phone, Jade asks for the check. “I’m sorry, I have to meet up with my band. We’re going over a few things.”

  “Oh, that’s okay,” my mom replies. “Please, we can’t let you pay for the food.”

  “Oh, it’s okay,” Jade counters. “I was treating Lily anyway.”

  “Austin,” my mother says, giving me a sharp glare.

  Chuckling, I lift my shoulders. “Please, Jade. If you don’t let us pay for it, I’ll have to hear it from her for over a week.” The comment earns a sharp glare from my mom, with a tiny smile. “What?” I ask her. “You know it’s true.”

  Jade giggles. “Okay, fine. My treat next time.”

  “I’m gonna hold you to that,” I reply.

  Both of them get up from the table, and I give Jade one more smile and small wave, watching them leave the restaurant.

  “She’s adorable, Austin.”

  “Yeah,” I reply, watching the door even though she’s long gone. “She’s pretty great.”

  “Is her band popular?”

  I can’t help the chuckle that falls out. Taking a drink of my soda, I nod. “You could say that.”

  23

  Jade

  I didn’t know when I would’ve wanted to meet Austin’s parents. He hasn’t talked about his dad much, but from what I’ve gathered, his mom has really influenced him. So much so that she’s the reason he wants to become a teacher. Meeting his mom the other day caused the nerves to build up at first. But she was so sweet, and even better, she had no idea I’m a world-famous musician. To her, I’m just a girl her son is going out with.

  “What exactly are we doing?” Austin asks as we drive toward a little-known area of Newport Beach.

  “I told you, it’s a secret,” I tell him.

  “Yeah, well, it’s kind of hard when you’re keeping a secret from the driver.”

  “There, pull into that parking lot.”

  We drive into a parking lot along the beach, and I’m happy to see it’s not very crowded today. I brought my oversized sunglasses and a large, beige floppy hat, so I pull them out of my bag and turn to face Austin. “How do I look?”

  “Like an undercover agent on a summer vacation,” he jokes. “So, you brought me to the beach for …”

  “You’ll see,” I tell him, smiling.

  Getting out of the car, I grab my large beach bag, which also holds two beach towels and some sunblock. We’ve already kissed, but I feel little butterflies when he takes my hand, and we walk along the sand. Looking up at him, he glances back with a smirk.

  “You’re not gonna take me out into the water, are you?” he asks. “Because I can’t swim.”

  My feet stop in the sand. “What?”

  “Just kidding.” He laughs, nudging my shoulder with his. “So, we are going in the water. Okay.”

  “You’re horrible with surprises, you know that? I bet you were a train wreck when holidays were around, and your parents had to hide presents.”

  He seems to stiffen up a little. Every once in a while he does that, and I can’t figure out why. Meeting his mom, she seemed so sweet, so I don’t think it has anything to do with that. But he never mentions his father, so I wonder if he had a bad childhood with him.

  Seeming to shake it off, he smiles. “Yeah, I’d bug my mom for days. What about you and your brother?”

  I chuckle, remembering my brethren’s antics. “I was fine, but Maddox actually found out what we got a few years in a row. He was an expert at unwrapping presents and rewrapping them, making it look like they were never opened.”

  “Wow, impressive.”

  “My mom didn’t think so. She started hiding the presents until Christmas morning after that.”

  Austin shakes his head, laughing, while we continue to trek through the sand. “I don’t know your brother well, but that’s completely on brand for him.”

  Even with the sun overhead, his comment makes me warm. No matter what I’ve hit him with, Austin never blinks twice at me and my life. He doesn’t talk about my shows or my music, except when I’ve asked him about it. He didn’t get nervous around Maddox, or the VIP surroundings at the club like any other person might have. Even his comment about Maddox; he’s not saying it like Maddox is some big superstar. Something I’m sure Maddox would be playfully annoyed with.

  We stop closer to a small area that’s nestled into a rocky hilltop, and I set the bag down. Dropping to my knees, I pull out the two towels, laying them out for us. Austin eyes me for a moment before I motion to him to sit down.

  As he’s undoing his shoes, I pull out the sunblock and begin lathering my arms and legs. When I look over at him, offering the sunscreen to him, his eyes linger on my legs. “Up here, caveman.” I giggle, tapping his arm with the bottle.

  Biting his lip in embarrassment, he wipes some sunblock on his
arms, then leans back on his elbows. “Not that this isn’t an amazing spot, but why did you bring me out here?”

  “My parents aren’t in the entertainment industry, but they love old movies. My mom in particular.” I look out over the waves breaking over the sand. “The summer after freshman year in high school, the band was really starting to gain popularity. I guess maybe my mom saw it coming and wanted to do something with me, just like a mother/daughter thing. So, we had Friday night classic movie marathon. Gone with the Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, From Here to Eternity, movies like those.” He nods, listening. “Me and a couple of friends came out here one day, and I saw this spot. There’s a beach scene in From Here to Eternity, and this place reminded me of it.”

  “Okay,” he replies, scanning the environment. “So what’s this movie about? Eternity? Was it some kind of science fiction thing or something?”

  I can’t help the giggle that escapes me, both at his comment and now the moment catching up with me. “Uh, not exactly.” He eyes me curiously. “It’s a … there’s this couple together on the beach, and then they …”

  He starts smiling, and his eyes widen. “Oh. Kristen Jade, did you bring me out here to seduce me?”

  “Shut up.” I push his arm, knocking him over.

  “You did! You totally brought me out here to take advantage of me. Hey, it’s all good. I’m totally down for you having your way with me on the beach.”

  “You’re such a boy!” I laugh.

  “Glad you think so.”

  Sitting up, I look out over the water. “I just loved that scene. It’s romantic and … I don’t know. That day I was out here with my girlfriends, this place has always stuck in my mind.”

  Leaning closer, he reaches up and pulls off my sunglasses. Keeping his eyes on mine, his gaze falls to my lips for just a second, before returning to my eyes.

  “Thank you,” he whispers.

  “For what?”

  “For sharing this with me.”

  His hand comes up, caressing my cheek. My floppy hat folds up as his head moves closer, and then his lips meet mine. I don’t mean to try and reenact the scene from the movie, but I can’t help it. I fall back onto the towel, keeping my arms around his neck to bring him with me. His lips continue to press against mine.

  I never thought I’d have this. Maybe in the grand scheme of things, when I’m older and a little more out of the limelight, but right now? In the middle of this whirlwind life I’m living, I never thought I’d have this. A quiet moment on the beach, with a guy I really like, kissing me as if I’m someone he wants to be with. Not someone he’s excited to be around because of who I am.

  His lips break away from mine, but my hands stay behind his head, my fingers running through his hair. His eyes remain locked on me and switch from longing to conflicted. “I need to tell you something,” he finally whispers.

  “What?” I reply, trying to calm my breathing.

  For a moment, the nerves begin to creep up, unsure what he’s going to say.

  He stays quiet for another moment. “I …”

  My eyes widen, unsure if he’s about to utter the L word. Not that I haven’t had those feelings, but I don’t know if I can say them back just yet. Even if I have been falling harder and harder for him.

  “I … think you’re amazing,” he finally utters. “I just wanted to make sure you know that.”

  Maybe he’s feeling it, too, but he’s just as nervous. Either way, his words reaffirm all of the joy I’ve been feeling around him. “You keep telling me that, and I’m gonna get a big head over it.”

  He laughs, resting his head on my shoulder for a moment. “You should. I can’t help it, every time I’m around you that’s what I think. You should know how great you are.” Lifting his head up, he gives me a quick kiss. “I don’t know that there’s one thing you’re not amazing at.” He kisses me again. “Especially how you move your lips.”

  His last comment makes me giggle. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  24

  Austin

  These last couple of weeks that have gone by have been some of the best weeks I have in recent memory. It’s also been one of the most stressful. I need to tell Jade that Jimmy Richards is my father. I know I do, and I’ve wanted to. There have been moments I was close, but then something would happen to interrupt us. Or she’d roll her eyes, after receiving another message from Bret about him trying to square everything away for his record deal. He’s so persistent, which would be annoying, but every time he messages her something, I can see the irritation flash across her face, and I know it’s because of the entire situation.

  I was so torn when she took me to the beach. It was romantic and sweet and … beyond anything I could’ve imagined. Sharing that with her, I was on the edge of saying it, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to ruin that perfect moment between us.

  So instead of worrying about telling her, I’ve been focusing on the times we’ve been hanging out. Which is more than I thought it’d be if I’m honest. I know she’s a rock star and busy all of the time, so I figured even if she doesn’t have any important stuff going on with the band, she’d still have a schedule to keep. But we’ve hung out at my apartment, gone out to dinner, and she even pulled up her hoodie and sunglasses disguise to go out to a movie. That part has been great.

  Today’s had my nerves a little more on edge, though. I’m meeting her band today.

  I know who the Kings are, but only through the business. The most I know about them is what everyone else knows by way of websites and gossip magazines. I’m not nervous about meeting them as rock stars, I’m nervous about meeting them as her family. Obviously, Maddox is her brother, but she’s told me that Derrik and EJ are like brothers, too.

  Walking through the lobby of Juxtapose Studios, it feels the same as Rich Records. Gold and platinum records line the walls. It’s not as big as Rich Records since Juxtapose is in a smaller, five-story building, but it feels the same. At least, to me.

  Jade, holding my hand, looks around the lobby as we head toward the elevator. “Ah, this feels so much better.”

  The elevator dings and we walk inside as she presses the top floor button. “Really?” I ask.

  She nods. “We recorded almost all the songs on Teen Icons here. And half of the songs on our first album. I love this place.”

  I offer her a small smile. “That’s why you wanted a clean slate place? Somewhere that didn’t remind you of the Kings?”

  “Yeah, but I was so wrong. I can’t believe I thought Rich Records was going to give me the peace of mind I needed. I should’ve known anything associated with Jimmy Richards was cancerous.” I swallow the lump of guilt again. She must notice my silence. “Sorry, I promised I wouldn’t vent about that anymore.”

  “No, it’s all good,” I reply. “If you don’t like it, I understand.”

  “But you work there.”

  I nod. “It’s just a job.”

  That’s all I can say, but it’s not lying. It is just a job for me. I love music, and I want to be a teacher, but the only reason I’m working there is because of my father. If he didn’t have the death grip over my bank account or wasn’t the sole reason for my college education funds, I wouldn’t even be there.

  Still, I hate that I want to tell her and make sure she knows who he is and can’t. How can I when she seems to hate anything associated with him?

  The elevator stops, and the doors open to a small hallway. As we’re walking toward the studio, the band sees us from inside the room. Maddox waves, while Derrik and EJ eye me carefully. Entering the room, Maddox comes over first.

  “Okay, this is getting out of hand,” he jokes, pointing at me. “First the club, and now to the studio? Jade, are you two getting married or something?”

  I chuckle. Looking over at Jade, I watch as an adorable shade of pink splashes across her face before she pushes her brother. “Shut up,” she tells him. “I just wanted you guys to meet him.”

  �
�Hey, what’s up, man?” EJ offers his hand first.

  I shake his hand while Jade starts with the formal introductions. “You guys, this is Austin. Austin, you met my brother, and these are the other two I’m forced to play with.”

  “Very funny.” EJ laughs. “Be careful, man. She can let that Queen thing go to her head sometimes.”

  Exchanging chuckles, Derrik steps toward me next. “What’s up, Austin?”

  “Hey, nice to meet you.”

  Letting go of my hand, his eyes linger on me a moment longer. Quirking an eyebrow, he points a finger at me. “Do I know you?”

  “I don’t think so,” I answer, not remembering ever meeting him.

  “You look familiar,” he says.

  “Oh, Austin works in the industry. He works over at Rich Records,” Jade answers.

  “I guess that’s it.” Derrik shrugs. “I’ve never been there, but maybe we crossed paths at a press junket or something.”

  It’s entirely plausible. With as many events as I’ve been to, I’ve definitely been in the room with musicians, actors, producers, and others. I honestly don’t remember meeting him, but that doesn’t do anything to calm the jitters. If he does know me, then he knows who my father is. I need to tell her already.

  Jade turns to me, taking my hand again. “Did you want to hang out in the mixing studio? I don’t know how long we’re going to be, but sometimes it can run long. If you want, I can call you when we’re done.”

  “That sounds good. Nice to meet you guys,” I tell the others, waving to them.

  Leaving the building, I head back to Rich Records since I haven’t been around the offices for the last few days. I walk into the lobby, and Shawn greets me in his usual position, his feet up on the desk.

  “If my dad ever comes in here and sees you like that, you know he’ll fire you.”

  He grins. “I keep my eyes open. Speaking of, you tell her yet?”

  Slumping over the desk, I shake my head.

  “Dude, if you don’t say something soon, this could all end very, very badly.”