by R H Tucker
All of that said, I chew on a French fry, having just listened to Skye’s proposal.
“So, what do you think?” she asks.
She said she wasn’t hungry after I already ordered a burger and fries, and she got a glass of water. I didn’t want to look lame and take my order back because she wasn’t ordering, so I kept my double bacon cheeseburger and fries, but haven’t touched the burger. The arrangement she’s offering sounds crazy.
“I don’t know.” I stare at my fries. “A fake relationship, Skye? Derrik was just in one of those.”
“Really?”
I cringe, remembering no one actually knows the relationship he had with Danica Parker was fake. “Yeah, don’t say anything, please. It was a stupid thing Danica’s people set up for crossover appeal, or whatever.”
“Oh.” She pauses, aimlessly twirling her glass of water around. “I don’t want to do this to try and gain exposure from you guys. Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come off like that.”
“No, no. It didn’t.” I lift my shoulders. “I get it. You want to shake off the stupid things people label you as. Believe me, I totally get it. I can’t describe to you how much I hate ‘King of Nice.’”
“I always thought that nickname was kind of cute.” She smiles.
I roll my eyes, taking another bite of a French fry. “And that’s the problem. Who wants to be cute when you’re surrounded by a bad boy and a heartthrob?” I laugh to myself. Staring back at her, I watch as she nods in understanding. Then I blink with sudden realization. “Wait a second …”
“What?”
I stare back at her, a half-smile forming over my lips. “Okay.” I nod. “Yeah, let’s do this.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “Really?”
My half-smile is now a wide grin. “Definitely. You want to shake the heartbreaker stuff. I want to shake the nice stuff. This could totally work for both of us. We go out for a month, everyone thinks you fall madly in love with me in a whirlwind relationship, and then I break your heart in the end. You’re the sympathetic musician, and I’ve finally got some grit on me to wash away the stupid cutesy stuff.”
She smiles, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, we could totally do that.”
Continuing to exchange our smiles, I raise my glass of soda, and she raises her glass of water. “To the best, fake relationship there’ll ever be,” I toast.
“Cheers to that.”
8
Skye
I did not think EJ was going to do it. I went to see their set when they were performing, still trying to talk myself into actually asking him. When I told Leah and Roxy that their idea wasn’t so crazy after all, they urged me to go and speak to him as soon as possible.
So, after watching their set, I was still nervous. For all of them being the same age as us, except Roxy, who’s a year older, they play like they’ve been performing for decades. Derrik commands the stage, Maddox has an energy around him at his drum set, and Jade has that crazy sex appeal to both guys and girls. EJ fits in with them, but he’s different. He plays the lead guitar, so you’d think he’d be out there, rocking on the stage next to his brother. And while he does have his solo moments, and he’s amazing on guitar, he tends to stay in the background. Or he’ll play so close to Jade or Maddox that their energy gobbles his up. But he does have an energy about him. That x-factor, as they say. They all do. That must be why they’re international rock stars.
After working up the courage to describe my plan to him at the restaurant, he seemed skeptical the entire time. I was one hundred percent certain he’d tell me I’m crazy and thank me for the invite, but he was taking a pass. And then, he didn’t.
I didn’t realize how much his moniker of being the King of Nice annoyed him. I guess I can understand it. He called his brother the heartthrob, and with the name King of Hearts, it’s an easy connection. But Jade and Maddox are heartthrobs in their own right. EJ could be if he stepped into the light a little more, but he seems more than comfortable sticking to himself.
Before we went back to our rooms after the restaurant, I got his number. This plan can work. However, if he wants to benefit from it as much as I do, I think we’ll need to do a little work to put some of that grit on EJ, as he put it.
“Where are you going?” Leah asks, sitting next to Roxy on the couch in our suite.
Examining my reflection in a mirror, I check my hair and teeth, then adjust my shirt. “I’m gonna head over to the Hard Rock with EJ. They have a signing, and we decided it would be a good time to come out with our relationship. We’re gonna find a club or something after. You guys want to meet up?”
When they don’t answer, I glance over to see Roxy smirking at Leah. “What?”
“Nothing. I was wondering when the plan would go into action. You hadn’t talked about it in a couple days.”
I shrug. “Well, there wasn’t anything really to talk about. We don’t have to spend every single day together.”
“Yeah, but wouldn’t that make it seem more realistic?” Leah counters.
“Leah, I’m supposed to be a girlfriend not a stalker.”
She puts up a finger. “A girlfriend who’s fallen madly in love.”
I blink at her words. It does make sense. Kind of. I shake my head, returning my attention to my attire in the mirror. “I don’t know. Let’s see how this first outing goes, and I guess we’ll take it from there.”
“You need to kiss him again,” Roxy demands. It catches me off guard. “And not because you’re supposed to be in a relationship. You looked like you liked it that day.”
“I did not.”
“You totally did,” Leah agrees with her. “Besides, girlfriends who are madly in love with their boyfriends kiss all the time.”
“You guys, would you knock it off with all the ‘madly in love’ stuff?”
“But you need to be, Skye.” Leah gets up from the couch, walking over to me. “You want to be the girl who gets swept off of her feet and can’t stand to be without her guy.”
“Okay, now you really are making it sound like a stalker.”
There’s a knock at the door, and Roxy and Leah exchange shocked looks. “He’s picking you up?” Roxy asks.
“Well, yeah.” I shrug. “It’d look better if I showed up with him than just randomly meeting him there.”
“It’s like a prom or something!” Leah shouts and starts laughing. “You guys are totally going steady!”
“Going steady?” I place a hand on my hip, leering at her. “What are you, fifty?”
“Whatever!” She laughs still, pushing me, and hurries over to the door. Roxy trails quickly behind her.
“You guys, no!” I shout and chase after them, but it’s no use. They get to the door before me and open it.
EJ stands at the door, looking the same exact way I saw him when we first met. Dark gray pants that aren’t skinny jeans, but hug him close. His hair is still trimmed nicely, slightly combed to the side. His caramel eyes soften when he smiles at me, and I’m now noticing it’s a slightly crooked grin. But what I see most of all is he’s wearing an Electrocutes shirt. It’s dark blue with our logo; the girl symbol that’s on restroom doors, with a lightning bolt in the middle. “Simple but effective” is what Roxy called it when she sketched it out one day.
His crooked smile morphs to nervousness, and he glances down at his shirt. “Too much?”
“EJ, you’re adorable!” Leah shouts, and he rolls his eyes. “Oh, sorry,” she’s quick to apologize. “I mean, that’s … clever.”
“Forget it. I’ll go back and change.” He moves to turn around, but I reach out and grab his arm.
“No, I like it.” He watches me for a moment, I’m sure wondering if I’m serious. I am. Yes, it’s adorable and cute, but I like that he’s putting some thought into this.
“Really?” he asks, and I nod. “Okay. Cool.” He nervously looks between all three of us and starts to fidget with his fingers. “So … were you ready?”
&nb
sp; “Yeah, totally.” I walk out to him and glance back. “We’ll text you later if you guys want to meet up.”
“Have fun!” Roxy says.
“Have her home by midnight, EJ,” Leah adds. “And no funny business!”
I scowl at them both and know my face is turning red. Hurrying down the hall, EJ catches up, and silence starts to drift between us. The same kind of silence that we had after our kiss in the hotel. Getting in the elevator, I hit the button and feel EJ’s eye on me, but when I look over at him, he quickly turns away.
“Sorry about them,” I whisper. “They’re like my sisters. My very nosy and loud sisters.”
He chuckles, finally breaking some of the quiet tension. “It’s all good. Jade and Maddox are like my family, too. I know the feeling. So …” Trailing off, he scans the empty elevator for a moment before looking back at me. “How do we do this?”
I lift my shoulders. “I guess we just pretend.”
“Okay.”
“But, I was thinking about after that meet and greet. Did you think of a place we could go when I texted you?”
“I mean, I tried to, but I don’t know any places.”
“Oh. Do you think Maddox or your brother might know?”
Cringing, he averts his eyes. “So … they don’t know about this.”
“Really?”
He nods, staring at the floor. “I mean, they know you’re coming to the meet and greet, and that we talked yesterday, they just don’t know about what.” Taking a deep breath, he finally meets my gaze. “Look, I do think this plan can work. And I’m totally on board with whatever ideas you got, but when it comes to Maddox and Derrik and Jade … I don’t want to sound lame to them.”
He nervously scans the floor again and seems lost. This is the first time I’ve ever really seen him how he seems to view himself. Like the lovable loser, or the best friend who never gets the girl. The nice guy who finishes last.
It’s enough for me to reach over and take his hand. “EJ, you’re not lame. You’re just …”
“Lame.”
“Reserved.” I laugh, forcing a smile out of him. “So what that you’re not a party guy like Maddox. You’re you, EJ. You’ve got appeal all your own, whether you see it or not. You just can’t compare yourself to your brother or drummer.”
His fingers tighten a little around my own, and he offers me a warm smile. The silence comes back, only it’s not the uncomfortable kind. He leans closer, just enough that I feel his arm pressed against mine. I stare back at him, his light cinnamon-colored eyes only a few inches higher than mine, and then my gaze finds his mouth. His tongue slides across his bottom lip, and I edge even closer to him. I feel his breath cross over my lips, inching toward me.
Then the elevator bell dings.
An invisible force seems to take hold, and we both jerk away. I swallow the lump of nerves that have formed in my throat. He’s still holding my hand, which is sweaty, and I don’t know if that’s because of him or me. I’m hoping he doesn’t notice. When he takes a step forward, exiting the elevator, he brings me with him.
Our band hasn’t had a lot of signings or meet and greets, but we’ve had a couple. A few dozen people showed up to a small music store that sells memorabilia and old records in Anaheim. The other one we had, we signed autographs for a couple hundred people, but it was spread out over three hours. It went smooth and never turned into anything crazy.
From the very start, the Kings of Karmichael’s meet and greet is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Arriving at the hotel, the crowd erupts as we exit the car we took. EJ waves to them, smiling, and they cheer even louder.
We’re escorted inside and head to the area where the signing will be taking place. Once entering the room, Jade, Derrik, and Maddox all stare at me. Their eyes jump back and forth between EJ and me, and I don’t know what to say or do. EJ said he told them I’m coming, but not everything. Do I act like his girlfriend? Should I pretend we’re just hanging out?
EJ walks me over to his chair. “You can sit here, I’ll go get another chair.”
“What? EJ, no, this is your signing.”
“Here.” Jade gets up, pushing her chair over to us. “I’ll go get another one.”
My shoulders slump and I feel my cheeks are heating up. EJ takes my hand, leaning closer to me. “It’s fine,” he whispers.
Sheepishly, I take a seat next to EJ, and Jade is already walking back into the room with a chair. Derrik and Maddox continue to stare. The awkwardness could not be any bigger.
“Okay, we’re letting them in,” one of the security guards calls over.
Maddox laughs. “And away we go.”
Derrik and Jade laugh, too. As soon as they open the door where the line of fans enter from, the cheer is deafening.
It’s here that I finally see where EJ’s concern comes from. The fans are hyped beyond limit, there’s no doubt about that, but I watch them as they jump up and down, the excitement practically dripping from them. EJ sits at the end and is the first one they come to. Jade is next, then Maddox, and ending with Derrik. They’re pleasant and kind, telling EJ how much they love the band and everything that usually comes with autograph signings.
But as they move on, their excitement boils over, if that’s even possible. Not so much with Jade, but once they get to Maddox and Derrik, they’re almost unstable. A couple grab Maddox’s hand to shake but never let go until the security guard forces the break. Some who’ve brought posters for the band to sign, ask Maddox and Derrik if they’d sign their skin instead. Most extend their arms, but a few pull down their shirt, so the top of their breasts are out. Maddox gladly obliges, and Derrik appears a little uncomfortable but goes with it as well. None of them, not one fan, gets like that with EJ.
And for his part, he doesn’t seem to notice. Either he’s ignoring it, or he’s been around it so much that it doesn’t affect him anymore. At least, not while they’re signing. It obviously has made an impact; otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to our deal.
After an hour, there’s still a massive line of fans for them. “Hey, should I stay here?” I whisper over to him.
He smirks. “It’s crazy, right? And this is one of our smaller lines. You can take off if you want. Were we still going out later?”
“Yeah, this doesn’t really count. We should probably do something a little more in public.”
“Okay.” He nods, signing another poster. “I’ll text you when I’m done.”
After glancing at the rest of the band, I look back over at him. He stares at me, and I don’t know how I should end this. Getting up from my chair, I lean over and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He flinches, peering up at me, confused. My eyes widen, trying to convey to him not to freak out, and he smirks, giving me a quick nod.
“I’ll see you guys later,” I call out to the rest of them, heading toward the private entrance we came in. Jade waves with a smile, Derrik nods, and Maddox offers me a smirk, then looks over at EJ, nodding at him in approval.
9
EJ
The signing goes on for an hour and a half longer after Skye leaves. As soon as she’s gone, the interrogation ensues. Not so much from Jade, but Maddox asks me throughout the entire signing how the other night was, why I didn’t tell him what happened, what we’re doing tonight, and so on and so forth. I joke that I’m an international man of mystery and that a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell. He calls bull, but I don’t really know what else to say. I don’t want to spill the beans to them, so I just try and take it all as a joke.
Before I escape, Jade hurries over toward me, grabbing my arm. “Hey, what’s this all about?”
I quirk an eyebrow, eyeing the path down the small hallway that we’ll use to leave the area. “What do you mean?”
“Is she your girlfriend?”
I lift my shoulders. “Uh, I don’t know. We’re just … you know, hanging out.” She stays quiet. Returning my attention to her, I catch her eyeing me carefully. “What?”
/>
“She was acting like a girlfriend in there. How long have you known her?”
“What does it matter if she’s my girlfriend or not, Jade?” I don’t mean for it to come out as harsh as it does, and immediately feel bad when she frowns. “Sorry. We met the other day and … we just clicked.” People “just click,” right? That happens in real life. “So, I figured since we’re both gonna be in Vegas, I might as well …” I have no idea how to finish that thought. Frustration begins to boil up. “What’s wrong? I get Maddox and Derrik making jokes, but I figured you’d be happy.”
“No, I am. It’s cool, but it seems sudden.” When I lift my shoulders because I can’t think of a good response, she nods in reply. “Well, what are you guys doing right now? Can we come?”
I cringe. “Oh, you know, I kinda just wanted to hang out with her a little more on my own.”
Maddox and Derrik walk over to us. “What’s going on?” Derrik asks.
“I was just seeing what EJ and Skye were doing. I thought maybe—”
“Jade,” Maddox cuts off his sister, “stop screwing up his game.” His support, after the hours of cracking jokes, catches me off guard. “EJ, if her band is down to party, you need to hook it up.”
I let out a laugh. “I’ll let you know.”
Texting Skye, I find out she’s two hotels over. I’m able to sneak out of a side entrance from the Hard Rock, and thankfully not many fans are waiting outside, so I grab a taxi and go to where she is.
She tells me she’s inside of a sushi restaurant. Finding her waiting at a table, I sit down across from her. “Hey.” The table has an assortment of sushi plates, a small bowl of rice, and some sashimi. I don’t know if she knows I like it, but I’m glad it’s here because I’m starving. “You like sushi?”