“As long as it’s not at our door, I don’t care,” I said, pulling her closer and smelling her hair.
“Do you think they’ll try and check on me during the night?” She shuddered.
“I doubt they’ll feel compelled to do that knowing you’re with me.”
“Jax Bone, my protector. I never would have imagined.” She chuckled before closing her eyes.
It took an hour, but I finally felt her body go limp with sleep while I replayed her words again and again in my head. I never would have thought of myself as a protector either. Yet feeling the weight of her body pressing against mine, the utter faith she had in me to keep her safe, I knew it would be a cold day in Hell before I let something happen to her.
The alarm on my phone beeped incessantly, and I felt her stir in my arms. I tried to turn the damn thing off without jostling her or letting her go.
Unfortunately, her eyes began to flutter open. I nearly looked away. I didn’t want to seem messed up watching her sleep. I also didn’t want to remind her of the night before with the circles under my eyes first thing in the morning. But the temptation to see those big beautiful eyes opening was too hard to ignore and I couldn’t look away. A small smile graced her lips, and I just wanted to savor it.
“I’d ask how you slept, but considering we only went to bed three hours ago, it probably goes without saying,” I stated softly.
“Actually, I’m surprised how deeply I slept. I wasn’t scared at all,” she told me, sleep still coating her words. “I probably look like crap though.”
“You don’t, but I’m sure everyone would understand if you wanted to take the day off.” I brushed my lips across her forehead. “I can call the producers or Donny and tell them you changed your mind. No rehearsals or interviews.”
“And have Connor tell all the other contestants how the only work I put into winning Superstardom is on my back again? I think not.”
“He say that crap to you before?” I growled.
“Not to me, but Faith told me she’d heard him saying things to the crew and to some of the other male contestants. I’ve also seen him treat everyone like they’re all here to promote him or be his personal slave. I’m lucky really, he basically keeps three feet away from me whenever I walk into a room. But the distance doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed that he’s kind of a jerk.”
“There’s nothing ‘kind of’ about him. He’s a total jerk,” I muttered.
“You don’t think he’s the one sending me notes, do you?” she asked seriously, her eyebrows furrowing.
“I’m not going to lie and say he’s harmless. But there is an intelligence in getting in and out of someone’s room without anyone noticing them, which I’m pretty certain he lacks.” I sighed.
“Is that a second alarm?” Billie asked when she heard louder, more annoying beeping noises start from my phone.
“Yep, in case I sleep through the first.” I shrugged.
“How often does that happen?” Her lips twitched with a smile.
“Enough for me to need two more alarms after this one.”
Billie laughed. “We should probably get up, then.”
Before she could climb out of bed, I pulled her in tight to my body. She smelled so good, the perfect mix of jasmine and something so uniquely Billie. “Just two more minutes,” I whispered into her hair. “I like you in my bed.”
I felt Billie’s body melt into mine. When she turned her face to me, tempting me with a knowing smile, I couldn’t help but lean forward and softly brush my lips across hers. I heard her breath catch and waited for her to say something. Her eyes widened, and I could have sworn there was an invitation in them. I wasn’t sure I could be the better person now that we were warm and tangled together in my bed.
I pressed my body tighter to hers. She leaned forward until we could feel every inch of each other.
My third alarm erupted from my phone, making us both flinch.
“I think we need to get up,” Billie groaned. “That’s the third alarm.”
“All right,” I grumbled. “But I need you to get out first and give me a couple of minutes.”
She giggled and winked at me before climbing out of bed.
Sluts from the South
Billie
It was clear that Jax hadn’t slept at all. He was moving sluggishly, and when he thought I wasn’t looking, he yawned. The only time he didn’t appear like he was going to pass out where he stood was when his eyes would capture mine and then quickly drift to the Marine team to check they were standing guard. He was exhausted, but his fear kept him alert and on edge. I felt it too.
Since I heard the word “stalker,” my body had shut down. The only time I felt my mind clear and function again was when Jax looked at me with emotions swirling in his eyes. When they left mine, I wasn’t sure I could move. I felt myself yawn and my eyelids grow heavy, but then I would look out the window and would be jolted awake.
I stared out into the city, and it was as if I could feel eyes on me. Greasy, vile, disgusting eyes that made my body prickle in defense. Jax offered to make me breakfast, but I assured him I wasn’t hungry. I worried that if I ate anything, it would come right back up again when I was forced to look out the window.
I just wanted to go to rehearsal, hide in my dressing room, practice the song I needed to sing at our next live recording, and then sleep again. I suggested we catch a lift to get to the studio, but Brian insisted that transportation to the studio was his and Corey’s responsibility.
I reminded Brian that I would need to go to my hotel room for a new set of clothes before we went to the studio, and I could feel Jax’s body recoil beside me.
“You don’t need to go back there,” Jax reassured me. “We can just swing by the stores and grab you something. I’ll buy it.”
“Jax, I’m not Julia Roberts, and this isn’t Pretty Woman. You can’t take me to Rodeo Drive before rehearsal.”
“If that’s meant to be some movie reference thing, I haven’t seen it. Not a lot of time to watch movies when you’re touring around the world. And I was thinking more along the lines of Gap or Target than Rodeo Drive, but if it means we don’t need to go back to that damn hotel, I don’t care where we go.”
“How could you have never seen Pretty Woman? It’s a classic. Rich guy meets a prostitute and falls madly in love.”
“Sounds like a chick flick.” Jax chuckled as we climbed into the car.
“It is. The best chick flick of all time,” I muttered, getting in beside him.
“Who did the soundtrack?” He looked interested.
“How would I know?”
“If it’s a classic, it’s probably someone good,” Jax muttered to himself. “Maybe we’ll watch it tonight.”
“For the soundtrack?” I asked, shocked.
“Yeah.”
“Jax Bone, I can’t believe I had started to think of you as a normal nineteen-year-old.”
“You’re the one who wants to go to Rodeo Drive before rehearsal.”
“Target will be fine,” I returned, relieved to find the windows tinted in the Marine team’s vehicle. “I just want to get to the studio.”
I had barely climbed out of the black sedan when Faith came running up to me. “Did you hear? They’re doing a mass elimination during the next live show.”
“What?”
“We all got this message at the hotel this morning over breakfast that due to unforeseen circumstances, they need to speed up the production.”
When she said those words, my eyes caught Jax’s. I didn’t need his shrug to confirm this was because of me.
Faith kept explaining as we walked from the parking lot to the studio. “Instead of two people being eliminated to determine the top five, they told us they’ll be eliminating four people in the next episode. We’ll start preparing for our two finale songs, but unless we’re in the top three, we all might have done our last song for the show. These rehearsals are just in case we get chosen.” Faith’s
eyes began filling with tears.
“It’s okay. You were wonderful in your duet. And I think as nice as the others are, they haven’t been crowd favorites. I can’t even remember Wade’s or Joshua’s backstories, and I haven’t seen anyone screaming their names or holding signs. I truly believe you’ll be in the top three. Maybe the producers feel the same,” I tried reassuring her. “Hopefully they think the ratings from the duets showed who people really want to watch, and if they build from that momentum, it’ll result in more people voting for the finale, so they’re moving it forward.” I really did hope that maybe that was the reason and it wasn’t all because of me and my safety.
“I just wanted to sing a little more in front of the larger audiences. I know I can’t really compete with yours or Cowboy Ryne’s star power, and they’ve never chosen a curvy girl as their star before. I’ll likely end up singing at people’s weddings and coffee shops, but I wanted this to last a little longer, you know?” Faith hiccupped.
“Faith, you’re being crazy. You have as much star power as us. There is no way that after this is over, some big studio producer isn’t going to want to sign you and help you make your first album. Your original songs are phenomenal,” I stated as we walked through the front doors of Superstardom’s current set.
“I know you girls probably don’t want me in this conversation, but Billie is right, Faith. Studio executives will be contacting you as soon as this is over. Hell, the only reason they don’t reach out during the show is they know the contract you signed to participate prevents you from signing a deal with them until after the finale,” Jax told us, shrugging.
As if his voice was a beacon of light, suddenly three interns and assistants popped out of offices to give him notes on the day. The security team, who had been hanging back, stepped closer because of the new people.
Faith kept blinking at Jax as if she had never seen him before, unaware of my new protection. “Thank you,” she replied before Jax tipped his head and turned to speak to all of the people demanding his attention. “Jax Bone just spoke to me like we’re friends,” she hissed under her breath as we started walking toward our dressing rooms. “He didn’t even speak to me like that while we were rehearsing.”
I whispered back, “He’s actually a nice guy. If you want, maybe you can hang with us next time we go out. I think you might get along.”
“I doubt Jax Bone will want me to intrude on your dates,” Faith muttered. “We’ve all seen the latest photos. The boy is all about you.”
“Those photos are already out?” I groaned. “That old lady is such a cow.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Of course they’re already online. I’m sure the photographer, cow or not, got quite the payday.”
“How bad are they?” Maybe the angle or the lighting wasn’t great and no one could really see anything.
“Your lips are touching in a romantic little Mexican restaurant, in front of Jax’s mother. The headlines are all about how his mother approves of your relationship. You might as well be wearing white and a veil. His fans are going crazy. You look hot though. Your hair was a little messy, like you’d both just gotten out of bed together.”
“That was motorcycle hair, not bed hair.” I rolled my eyes. “So they’ve completely forgotten about the photos of Zach and me kissing, then?”
“Oh no. They just keep putting both kissing photos up side by side in their articles. I do believe they’re trying to slut shame you, my friend.”
“It’s been a busy competition for me, then.” I laughed, then realized I was both stalked and a slut in twenty-four hours. My smile vanished.
“And it’s only going to get busier with mass eliminations, so if you’re going to keep your love triangle up, you might want to start blocking out some alone time with your favorite rock star and best friend forever,” Faith told me cheerfully, oblivious to the current emotions swirling inside of me.
“I think at this point in time, Jax is happier with me surrounding myself with friends,” I replied, looking at Brian and Corey standing stoically behind me against the wall. Close enough to grab me, but far enough not to have anyone ask any questions. “And I’m ready to just lose myself in the music and rehearsal.”
“Well, sorry to be the continual bearer of bad news, but we won’t be rehearsing today. We’re all trying on our potential getups for the pre-finale voting and grand finale show. Apparently due to the shorter schedule, all seven of us will be measured and consult with Michael in the same room. And as sad as I am about not having at least one more week before they decide on a top three, I am excited to check out the competition in their finale outfits before the live taping. I’ve hated how my last two live show outfits were practically identical to Whitney’s except how my body is completely different, so I end up looking awful in comparison.”
“People are comparing your songs, not your outfits.”
“There you go again with your naivety. It actually makes me smile. How do you stay this sweet while hanging out with the rule-breaking Jax Bone?” Faith teased.
“Well, keep watching, because I’m not sure how sweet I’ll be able to stay having to undress in a room full of people who know I’m kissing the judge.”
“Oh, I didn’t think of it that way. Maybe they’ll have curtains separating us?” Faith suggested, linking her arm with mine.
I just took a deep breath and prayed for calm.
There were no curtains. Racks of clothes stood between each contestant as makeshift room dividers, but the rows of evening gowns and tuxedos wouldn’t block anyone’s prying eyes.
As I walked in the door, I felt the contempt pulsating from not only the other contestants but the seamstresses, production assistants, and interns who filled the room. Not even the expensive designer accessories were distracting anyone from my entrance. And from the grimaces, rolled eyes, and hard glares, I became very aware that the tabloids had everyone believing my desire to win this show had surpassed my morals and integrity.
When Michael approached me with a huge smile on his face, some of the tension I was feeling slipped away. “I’ve got the most fabulous ideas for your next few shows,” he informed me. His man bun remained motionless even as his body moved in circles around me and took me in from head to toe. When he finally led me to my assigned podium and encouraged me to stand on it, I tried to pretend we were the only ones in the room.
“I’m interested to see what you think might work for the finale,” I asked, ignoring the whispers.
“It looks like you’ve lost a little weight since the first few shows,” Michael murmured, truly oblivious to our audience as he inspected my body closely.
“Stress,” I explained.
“Yes, that usually happens every season. It won’t matter. We’ll measure you again and ensure your next few pieces are showstoppers that fit right.” He started to pull dresses and shirts from the racks, passing them to random interns and assistants who seemed to pop up and then vanish at a moment’s notice. “These will no longer do.”
A blonde seamstress came over and, without saying a word, began measuring my shoulders and hips. I tried to focus on her movements and Michael, but the sound of Ryne laughing and Faith squealing over a jacket had me looking at the other contestants instead.
I could see Katie and Whitney both wearing short black dresses while blatantly staring at Ryne as he began removing his Levi jeans to try on a ridiculous white rhinestone tuxedo with a matching cowboy hat. He was almost down to just his Calvin Klein briefs when the interns started to hand the girls new dresses. They both reluctantly turned their heads away.
However, before they could become completely focused on their own looks, Whitney noticed my eyes on her and sneered. “Have a fun night?” she asked as she unzipped her dress and slipped it off her shoulders, knowing I could see her entire body, the black sheer lingerie she was wearing not really concealing anything. “You know, I’m used to being the most hated woman around. I’m not afraid to take what I want, be co
nfident of my talent, and feel like I belong around other talented people. But, girl, maybe when you win this thing, you’ll be able to teach me a thing or two, because it never even occurred to me to lie on my back to get into the finale. Don’t get me wrong, I love to get laid, and if Jax Bone himself had shown interest, maybe I would have taken a bite. But I would have taken that bite after I won this thing. I guess I’m still learning.”
“I thought I heard you tell Connor in your last interview that you’ve already learned everything there is to know about the music industry from your famous Grand Ole Opry-singing grandfather. Or was it your pop star mother?” Faith mocked as she came up beside me wearing a leather jacket with a white T-shirt dress underneath. “If only we all could have come out of musically gifted vaginas. Or sit on those fancy Opry seats.”
“And I do believe I heard you tell him in an interview that you felt like none of our performances had any soul,” I recalled. “I guess if we haven’t seen it done since childbirth, the only way I could win is through sleeping to the top.”
“Don’t forget the last elimination when she told the audience her grandfather was suffering from cancer and she hoped he could see her make it in the industry on her own before it was too late,” Ryne added, striding up to flank my other side. “For a man so ill, I was surprised to see him backstage after the duets taking shots and laughing with the producers.”
As soon as Ryne stopped talking, Whitney’s cheeks filled with color and she turned back to her rack of clothes as if we were dirt beneath her boots. Wade and Joshua were both busting a gut laughing, and I suddenly wished I had spoken to them more. I smiled at them before they both turned away with uncertainty in their eyes.
“Thanks,” I whispered, looking at Faith and Ryne, wondering if this was when I should ask if either of them had lingering resentment toward me.
“We sluts from the South need to stick together,” Ryne teased before I could say anything. He then winked at me and walked back to the interns holding a new pair of jeans.
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