She leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. “Fuck me,” she muttered. “I’m going to take a nap.”
Was she going to shut me out? Had I pushed my hand too far?
Chapter 24
Crystal
This conversation was headed in a direction I was not ready to discuss. I knew at some point I was going to have to come clean about my past. Parts of me wondered how much Theo disclosed before giving Baden the task of mentoring.
I wasn’t naive. I’d seen the folder on Theo’s desk with the band's name on it. Bentley Records did their research. We were going to be in the public eye, and any label who took us on would want to know what skeletons might fall out of our closets.
I was honest with Theo at our first meeting. I was not ashamed of what I’d done. Neither was Jade about the fact that she was a recovering addict. I clearly remember the first night we’d moved into the house. I felt the girls had the right to know what they might face when less than scrupulous reporters started digging into each of our personal lives.
Jade confessed it was hard for her at the beginning of her career meeting the expectations of her peers. She was a Summers. Rock royalty. That in itself came with a lot of pressure to succeed. Jade believed she needed to keep up with the boys. That meant partying hard, which included copious amounts of alcohol and drugs.
At the time, her stint in rehab was barely a blip on anyone’s radar. When Ruby Red hit the scene, it was uncovered and passed off as a current problem. When Divine Chrysalis took off, the story might resurface. Which was what I was afraid would happen with my story. Hence my dilemma.
As Baden pointed out at the coffee shop, after last night’s performance going viral, the band was going to create a level of curiosity about its members. How soon would it be before the proverbial shit hit the fan?
I’d been excited about the positive feedback the band received after last night’s show. I hadn’t thought about it moving up the deadline on the discussion Baden and I would have to have.
I wished to have at least two more weeks of sexy time with Baden. Two more weeks of his cocky smile and smoldering looks. Two more weeks before those looks turned to animosity and distrust.
We drove the last half hour to Tranquility in uncomfortable silence. At least he was no longer pushing the subject.
When we pulled up to the house, Jade was sitting on the front steps waiting for us. She decided that she did not need three suitcases for an overnight stay, after all. I wondered how much of that decision had to do with what Kestrel could fit into the saddlebags of his bike.
“What time did you want to get back on the road?” I asked Baden as we assisted Jade in getting her luggage to her room.
“Take your time, babe.” He set Jade’s luggage on the floor outside her bedroom. He pulled me in for a hug and kissed the top of my head. “Can’t check in until three. Anita’s going to get the hotel rooms sorted out before we get there.”
Upon releasing me, we noticed Kestrel stretched comfortably on Jade’s bed, hands laced behind his head, feet crossed at the ankles. Feet which still had his motorcycle boots on. He chin tipped Baden in an unspoken greeting. Baden returned the gesture, like seeing the lead singer of Brackish lounging on the bed of the drummer for Divine Chrysalis was an everyday occurrence.
Was it that easy? Would Baden want to hang out in my room after he heard the bombshell I was about to unleash? And at this point, the sooner, the better. I didn’t want to go into tonight’s performance with the fear of him hearing it from someone else. I didn’t need that kind of tension.
Tonight’s performance had to be better than last night. Everyone was watching, waiting to see if last night was a fluke. We had to prove that Divine Chrysalis was a force to be noticed.
However, did I want to go into tonight’s performance with him angry at me for not disclosing my past sooner? It was a double-edged sword. I was the only one who could decide how and when this was going to happen. But it would be today.
Hindsight, I should have told him last night.
The drive to Boston was going to take an hour if the traffic was good. I could handle being in the car with him for an hour. It wasn’t like he was going to pull over and kick me out in the middle of nowhere. At least, I hoped I knew him well enough to believe he wouldn’t do that to me.
Then I could sulk in my room over losing what could have been the best thing that had happened to me. I’d have to face him at soundcheck, but at least then I would have my girls at my back. Chicks before dicks, right?
I walked him out, letting him pin me against the SUV for a soul scorching kiss. “Are you going to give me the silent treatment all the way to Boston, babe?” he asked before slapping my ass.
“Keep up with the babe and caveman behavior and the only voice you’ll be hearing from here to Boston is your own because you’ll be making that trip alone,” I warned him.
“Be ready in an hour,” he demanded, chuckling as he settled into the SUV and drove off.
I shook my head. Yup, this was going to be an interesting trip.
True to his word, Baden pulled into the driveway an hour later. True to my word, I was ready.
“Are we taking the scenic route?” I inquired. “I enjoyed our pit stop this morning; I wouldn’t mind doing that again.” It would also give me an excuse to retreat if things turned ugly between us. It would be easy for anyone to backtrack and pick me up if I didn’t want to continue this journey with Baden.
I honestly had no idea how he was going to react.
I changed out of my short shorts and opted for my low rise, boot cut jeans. Something practical for a quick escape. I tossed my backpack into the back instead of the trunk for quick access. Yup, definitely planning ahead.
Baden was the first to break the silence that had descended upon us.
“Crystal, was becoming a teacher your dream?” he asked, nervously.
I laughed at his assumption. “Music was and is my dream, Baden. The method is inconsequential. Was becoming a rock star part of that plan? Not originally.” I let out a sigh. “Plans change, and no one can predict the future.”
He’d opened the door, now all I needed was to be brave and walk through it.
“I told you I dated a musician once and it ended badly,” I reminded him. “It didn’t merely end badly, Baden. It ended exceptionally bad. Epic fail kind of bad. Lives, careers, reputations destroyed kind of bad.” I inhaled deeply. “And I was thrown under the bus for being the one who started it.”
I waited to see what reaction he would have to my confession. At the time, it was the biggest scandal in the industry. I watched as his jaw clenched and his posture stiffened. He was analyzing the information I’d fed him.
“My legal name is Crystal Divine. My name at birth was Christmas Davies.”
Shit, meet fan.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
“We stood behind them, behind him.” He glanced sideways.
“I know,” I responded sullenly.
“The band was going through something similar at the time. The label convinced us that it was a case of mass hysteria and women looking for their fifteen minutes of fame.” I didn’t care much for the tone in which he was speaking to me, as if what happened was my fault.
“It wasn’t mass hysteria, Baden. It merely took one person brave enough to come forward.” If I were on solid ground, I would have stomped my feet like a petulant child.
“Jesus Christ, Crystal, a seventeen-year-old girl accused them of coercing her into an orgy. She claimed she was too drugged to consent.” He slammed his hands on the swearing wheel. “They were at the top of their game, and it all went to shit because of—” he stopped mid-sentence.
“Say it, Baden,” I yelled. “It all went to shit because of me.” I crossed my arms defensively and turned away from him, staring out the window at the beautiful scenery. What should have been a pleasant afternoon drive was turning into an inquisition. I knew Get Bent was one
of the few bands that had stood beside Cover Me Grey to the bitter end. I never understood why.
“When you said the band was going through something similar at the time, were you being accused of having sex with a minor as well?” I didn’t want to believe that any of the men I met this summer were capable of such behavior. However, in this industry of self-entitlement, such actions had often been swept under the rug.
The uncomfortable silence descended upon us once again. It unnerved me to think that Get Bent was one of those other bands that had known or even participated in the kind of parties Cover Me Grey was famous for throwing.
That would explain why Theo never batted an eye when I told him about my connection to the scandal. He would have inside knowledge of the fact that I was not a bitter ex groupie looking to cash in on a big payday.
The incident caused the entire industry to rethink their stance on the old boys' will be boys attitude. Scruples and morals were brought into question. Especially the head of the major label who turned a blind eye for years.
Had Get Bent turned a blind eye? Had I misjudged these men?
Misjudged Baden?
Chapter 25
Baden
Had I been sleeping with the enemy?
I had not recognized Crystal as the woman in the papers. That woman was a brunette dressed like a church-going choir girl. Of course, the only view was from grainy photos. There were never any close-ups or clear pictures of her in any of the tabloids that exploited the story. Even her name was different, Christmas Davies.
What the hell was Theo thinking to bring this scandal to his door? The paparazzi were going to have a field day. Crystal Divine was the woman who took down Cover Me Grey. Not merely Steve Grey, their lead singer, but heads rolled all the way to the top of their label.
I kept myself together until I spotted a roadside picnic area. I pulled off the road. This was not a conversation I wanted to have while driving. Crystal’s sanctimonious accusation had me nearly running us off the road.
It was my turn to walk away. I didn’t attempt to come around and open her door. I marched towards one of the picnic tables and lit up. I needed the nicotine hit to get me through the rest of this trip. But not before I got the entire story.
It made sense now why she had not wanted us to go public. Why she was confident the press would accuse her of using my influence to further her career. It was her MO, after all.
I finished my smoke and crushed the butt under my boot. I looked over to the SUV where Crystal was sitting in the passenger seat glaring at me. When she saw I had taken up residence on the picnic table, she begrudgingly exited the vehicle and stomped over.
She pointed to the butt on the ground. “Not good for the vocal cords,” she snickered.
“Yeah, I suppose, but fucking great for the nerves,” I rallied back. It was the same banter we had weeks ago when this journey between us had started.
I looked over. How could this beautiful, brash, confident woman be the same person I had conjured up in my head as the bitch who ruined one of the best hard rock bands at the time? Cover Me Grey was the gold standard. They were who we all wanted to be.
There had to be more to the story than I was led to believe. I closed my eyes and thought hard about how I wanted to start this conversation. I knew Steve’s version. It would only be fair to hear Crystal’s side.
“Can you start at the beginning and tell me how you ended up in the scandal of the century?” I asked, trying not to sound judgmental. By the animosity rolling off her, I guess I failed.
She straddled the bench of the picnic table. “My boyfriend informed me that as a couple we were holding each other back from experiencing the full college experience. Frat parties, one-night stands, you know, the usual,” she scoffed. “I was hurt at Andrew’s declaration. All I saw was my future falling apart.” She took a deep calming breath. I knew how difficult it could be remembering an old heartbreak.
“At the beginning of my second semester, I decided to begin auditioning for bands as a backup singer. Get my feet wet. I fully intended to complete my teaching degree. It didn’t mean I couldn’t have fun in the meantime.” She shifted closer. I could smell the faint scent of strawberries—her scent.
“I started dating a guy in my composition theory class, Peter. We were together for about three months, and he had accompanied me on some of my auditions. At this point, I’d only ever been with one boy. I was pleased that Peter didn’t push me into something I wasn’t ready for.” She lowered her head as if she were contemplating what information she wished to divulge next.
“Peter told me about an audition he thought I would be a shoo-in for. I was excited to be getting an inside lead.” She appeared sullen by the memory.
“The audition was at the house of the lead singer for Cover Me Grey, Steve Grey. At first, I was in awe. I couldn’t believe Cover Me Grey was looking for a female backup singer and Peter thought I was talented enough to audition.
“When we got there, a party was in full swing. It didn’t take me long to figure out that there was no audition.” She blushed and looked down at her feet. “I was so fucking naive.” She let out a humorless laugh.
“I wanted to leave, but I knew Peter was not going to take me home. I called my uncle and told him I was at a party and was uncomfortable and asked if he would come and get me. I was taught from the time I started dating to never be afraid to admit you made a mistake. Better safe than sorry. My father was out of town on business, and my uncle had been around the music scene off and on over the years. I figured he would know where the house was.”
“Okay, so you left the party. None of this explains the aftermath you incited.” She was pissed off at some guy, so she took it out on Cover Me Grey? That didn’t correspond with the Crystal sitting next to me.
She huffed, “If only it were that easy and ended there. I knew I wasn’t sticking around, so I was turning down the drinks I was offered. I had an uncomfortable feeling; like I was being watched. It was creepy. I decided to hide out in a bathroom that faced the front of the house so I could watch for my uncle to pull up on his motorcycle. It was one of the rooms deemed off-limits when we arrived, so I knew no one was going to want to use it.” She looked over at me. “Great plan, right?”
I raised an eyebrow. I wished she would get to the heart of the story. The reason why we were sitting on the side of the road when we should be arriving at our hotel with the others.
“While I was hiding out, there was a scuffle in the hallway. Someone was pushed up against a wall outside the bathroom. They were yelling, so it was pretty clear what was going on.” It was her turn to take a long calming breath.
“Steve was yelling at Peter for losing the hot albino bitch. He wanted to know why the hell I wasn’t ready and waiting in his bed as per their agreement,” she shuddered. “Peter claimed it wasn’t his fault I was too uptight to accept the drinks to help me relax. If Steve wanted to roofie me into compliance he was welcome to try,” Crystal snarled.
I was stunned.
“What the fuck! No way, you heard wrong. No way the lead singer of Cover Me Grey needed to drug women to get them in his bed. He had them falling at his feet. He was a fucking rock star, for Christ’s sake!” What she was saying made no sense. Never in our time as musicians had we ever not had women throwing themselves at us. Even before we were famous.
“Well, maybe he was tired of the type of woman who threw themselves at him? Maybe he had a pension for inexperienced girls? And girls like that did not sleep around. Not even with rock stars of his caliber,” she bit back. “I was scared shitless that they would find me in that bathroom. I hid in the bathtub while they continued to argue outside the door.”
“I heard a motorcycle pull up. I looked out the window to be sure it was my uncle before coming out of the bathroom. It was him, all right. He pulled right up to the door on Steve’s well-manicured lawn. Tore it up good in the process,” she snickered.
“When I opened the bat
hroom door, the look on their faces was priceless. I pushed past them, and Peter grabbed my arm, trying to stop me. It took my uncle all of two seconds to lay him out flat, take my hand and get me out of there.”
She held her hand over my mouth, preventing me from expressing my opinion of the matter.
“I’m not done,” she whispered. “It should have ended there, but it didn’t. Rumors started around campus about how I gangbanged the band trying to get an audition.” She blushed.
“I was mortified that they or Peter started that rumor. At the time, I thought it was to discredit me if I had decided to tell anyone what happened.” She looked straight at me. “Which I didn’t, by the way. I was too ashamed to admit I was stupid enough to believe Peter in the first place.”
“They started a rumor, so you had a tantrum and killed their career?” I scowled.
“Of course you would think that.” She kicked me in the shin.
“Hey, that fucking hurts,” I whined.
“Good,” she spits back. “Now shut the fuck up and stop being judgmental until I’m done.”
“Fine,” I responded while rubbing my leg.
“I was called into my professor’s chambers. The teaching program requires all students to sign a morality clause.”
“Seriously?” I pulled back, half expecting her to take retribution for my interruption.
“No one wants someone with low morals teaching their children. Morality clauses are common practice in such a position. So, yes, seriously,” she mimicked. “Of course the rumor spread to the faculty, and I was in jeopardy of not being considered for placement. No placement, no degree. You get what I’m saying?”
“But they were rumors; surely they couldn’t penalize you on that?” At least, I didn’t think that would be permitted.
“Well, see, here’s the kicker. My professor informed me that he had the ability to influence the board, who makes the decision. All I had to do was offer him something in return,” she growled.
Rock Gods: Baden Page 13