Standing at the entrance of the dining room was Jude Morrison, a rock god. He was taller than she thought he would be in person. Confidence poured from him as he scanned the room in a pair of dark jeans and a long-sleeved distressed t-shirt with the remnants of a red eagle stretched across his muscular chest. His short choppy brown hair looked like he just rolled out of bed. To Lucky this wasn't just any rock god, Jude Morrison was the rock god.
As Jude took off his sunglasses, he walked into the room towards Richard Black, who sat alone at a table by the door. Lucky couldn't take her eyes off him. She wasn't the only one. All eyes were on him. No one uttered a word while they wondered why such a famous drummer was in their midst.
Even if you didn't recognize him, you knew he was a rock star. He embodied it. Jude Morrison wasn't just any rock star though, he was the drummer to Silverlight, the biggest band of the last generation.
A waitress ran up to him, her hands flapping excitedly as she spoke.
"Oh. My. Gawd! It's you! I absolutely love you. Can you sign something for me?"
She handed him a marker and opened her blouse for him to sign her breasts. When he was done, the waitress reached up and kissed him. He responded by dipping her dramatically, giving her a quick peck, and then letting her go.
"Holy shit! That's Jude Morrison," Kat whispered.
Lucky surveyed the room quickly and realized Paul was still missing. She shook her head with disbelief as she realized why Jude was there.
"You okay?" Jordan whispered to Lucky. "You look pale."
"There's no way. No freaking way is Jude joining my band. He's too big. He's too--"
"Hot!" Kat interrupted as she fanned herself. "Woo! I think I'll be hanging around the tour bus more if he's in the band. You know he's wild in bed. I know a girl who knows a girl who slept with him. The stories I've heard about what that man is packing! You wouldn't believe it. And the number of women he's slept with..." She shook her head in disbelief. "You know he's got skills. He's definitely had enough practice."
"I've heard all about him. Everybody has. Women in every town, dick the size of..." Lucky's voice trailed off as she tried to think of something large to compare him to.
"Did he ever get married? I thought I heard he did after Silverlight broke up."
"No idea. I don't think so. Or it didn't last."
"No biggie, I'd take him either way. Hell, she can join in!"
"This isn't about that, Kat. Just listen to me. He can't be in my band," Lucky said. "He'll ruin everything. No. No way. I don't care who he is! If anything, that's worse. If he's in the band, it'll suddenly be his band. This isn't how it's supposed to be."
Richard stood up and cleared his throat then waited for the low din to subside as everyone turned their attention to him.
"Okay now folks. For those of you who don't know, I'm Richard Black of Black Dog Recordings. I'm going to be blunt. Last night's show was a wreck. This isn't a long tour. You don't have time to work out the kinks or even to fuck around. For many of you, this is your only chance at stardom." He looked around the room at the roadies and the band as his words sank in. "Paul is gone. You're all on my dime and I expect you to do your best. I'm sure Lucky wants only the best for her tour too, so I got her the best. I'm sure you all know Jude Morrison. He's joining the tour."
Picking up his long trench coat and a small briefcase, Richard Black left the room. Everyone sat stunned except for Jude, who stood up and walked to the door. Kat flew after him and caught up to him as he left the room.
6
Jude
"Hey Jude." A woman giggled as she grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. "I can't wait to work with you," she purred.
Feeling the hand on his arm, Jude stopped. He was used to fans grabbing him and allowed it. Everyone else should know better. He turned to look at the woman standing beside him and narrowed his eyes. He recognized her. He knew labels called her in when they wanted to up the pretty factor.
Plastic, he thought. Like so many of them.
"What do you want?" he asked as he yanked his arm away.
"I'm Kat Krave. I play keys. I can't wait to get to know you better."
"Keys? I've seen you before. You don't play keys, you barely play at all," he scoffed. "Now be a good girl and run along. I don't have the time or patience for this."
As Jude entered the red and gold hotel lobby, he spotted Richard standing by the entrance's revolving door waiting for his car and made his way over to him.
"Dick," Jude said as he approached. "I told you before I'm not babysitting a bunch of children."
"They're not children, Jude. They're older than you were when you started touring."
Jude gritted his teeth. He hated when other people were right. Fifteen years ago, at the age of sixteen, Jude drove out to LA with some buddies in the hopes they'd make it big. Jude did. His old friends had to change their plans.
Back then, Richard Black was a hardworking young man with a dream. He spent a few years working at record companies and believed he had what it took to make money. He just needed the right band.
Spending his nights at dive clubs that hosted new acts, he knew the local bands and their politics. He had a dream band in mind, but everything had to line up. He wanted to take the bassist and guitarist from one band, the lead singer from another, and form a brand-new band. He just needed a drummer.
Jude was playing drums with his old buddies then. When Dick heard him behind the kit, he knew he found his man. It didn't take much to convince Jude to meet the other guys and once they played together, everything else fell into place. Within a couple of years, Silverlight was the biggest band in the world.
"You know why I'm doing this," Jude said. "You better hold up your end of the deal."
"Yes, yes, I know. You want out of your contract. I guarantee it. I just wish you'd reconsider."
"No. I've had enough. You know it was a shit deal."
"You agreed to it, but I'll remind you that it wasn't my idea to begin with. I would've been happy for Silverlight to go on forever, she convinced you otherwise. But you were in love," Richard said as he rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, love," Jude said. "Too bad Donna didn't feel the same."
"You know in her own way she loved you. She still asks about you."
"Don't talk to me about her. I know she's your niece and all, but I don't want to hear it."
"Trust me, I'd rather not talk about her," Richard said. "She singlehandedly led to the breakup of the greatest rock band of this generation. Do you know how much she cost me?" A silver BMW pulled up and Richard took the keys from the valet. "Have you listened to Lucky's music yet?"
"No," Jude growled. "I'll learn my parts, don't worry."
"I know you will. But listen to her music. I think you'll be surprised. The kid's really good."
As Richard drove away, Jude entered the hotel. He resented having to join this tour with a bunch of kids just starting out. He knew Richard wanted him to listen to her music, but what did he know? Money was all Richard cared about. He just knew this Lucky girl was going to be some plastic pop tart not much different than that Kat girl.
As he walked through the lobby, a couple of women in their thirties ran over to him. While they were dressed in business attire, they squealed like young girls as they approached him.
"Jude! Jude Morrison! Oh, you are even hotter in person!" one of the women said. "I had your poster hanging in my bedroom in high school. Remember that, Becky? That was during Silverlight's second album."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the band exit the restaurant and walk towards the lobby. One of the members stood out for him, a girl with long, light brown hair and curves that wouldn't quit. Her eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses that hid half her face, but it didn't matter, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
Jude was used to having women fawn over him, and he sometimes used his rock star status. He couldn't help it, it had its advantages. He wanted this woman like he ha
dn't wanted anyone else in a long time, and he knew all he had to do was say his name and she'd be his.
"Excuse me, ladies," Jude said to the two women, barely looking at them. "I hope you enjoy your conference."
He left the fans and headed over to the band. He had been so wrapped up in his own problems that it never occurred to him to ask Dick about Lucky. He just figured with a ridiculous name like that, she'd be grinding on stage with a bunch of dancers while she lip-synced.
Ignoring the other members in the band, he walked up to her. She was far from plastic and despite the sunglasses, he could tell she was naturally beautiful. He briefly wondered if Richard was right about her being good, but as his eyes moved over her body, he only cared about one thing and he knew how to get it.
"Hi, I'm Jude Morrison," he said as he flashed Lucky a smile.
"I know who you are. Everyone knows who you are," she said.
Clenching his jaw, he gritted his teeth. He didn't expect that response. She should have swooned at his feet like the others.
"Good. Everyone should," he said.
He angrily walked away. He didn't know what he was thinking. Some pop tart in his bed was the last thing he needed, especially on tour. It was better to just keep his distance anyway.
Jude collected his things from the front desk and went outside. Throwing a large duffel bag over his shoulder, he walked over to the band's new ride, a sleek modern bus designed to his specifications.
He refused to slum it in some beat-up excuse for a vehicle. As Jude took his first step onto the bus, he turned towards the band who stood under the hotel awning, looking lost.
"You guys coming or what?" he said.
The glossy black bus had every modern amenity. From Wi-Fi and TV, to mini refrigerators and a microwave. The tan, wide, soft Napa leather seats lined the first three quarters of the bus. In the back was a small room with a bed large enough for two people.
"Hey Stan, good to see you," Jude said to the slender grey-haired driver as he boarded.
Jude went all the way to the back of the bus and sat on one of the oversized seats. Reclining the seat all the way back, he put his earbuds in his ears. He figured he might as well listen to Lucky's album and get that out of the way.
Surprised by what he heard, he skipped through pieces of different songs to get an idea of the whole album.
"Shit, that girl's got talent," he muttered under his breath.
He looked up to watch as she boarded the bus, enjoying her smile and greatly impressed with her songwriting. When he noticed her look towards him, he leaned back into his seat and smiled. Lucky was the exact combination of talent and beauty he couldn't resist.
WELCOME TO DC
7
Lucky
As the bus began its trek out of Philadelphia and towards Washington DC, Lucky replayed her reaction to Jude over in her head. She wasn't worried about him taking over and making it his show anymore. He gave her the impression he didn't even want to be there.
Stretching out on the comfortable leather seats, she figured she should talk to him. They wouldn't have gotten such a sweet ride if it wasn't for him. The least she could do was thank him. Besides, maybe she needed to apologize.
She lifted her head to look over the seats and saw Jude had his earbuds in. Her heart flipped and she put her hand on her chest as she wondered when that would stop happening. She didn't want to bother him if he was busy, but she knew if she didn't talk to him then, she would never get the guts to do it later.
Sucking in a deep breath, she counted down from three and stood up. She chewed her bottom lip nervously as she walked the couple of aisles to the back of the bus to meet one of her idols.
His eyes were closed, but his foot tapped to the music so she knew he was awake. With his sleeves pushed up to just under his elbows, he revealed part of what she knew was a full sleeve tattoo. She thought about how many times she wished she could see that tattoo up close and admired the deep orange koi swimming up the wild sea of black and grey waves.
"Jude?" she whispered.
She couldn't speak louder. Her nerves were getting the best of her again. Giving up, she began to turn back to her seat when he grabbed her hand and she felt a bolt of electricity shoot through her, making her heart pound.
"Where you going?" he asked.
"Oh, I just didn't want to bother you. I'll come back later."
"You're here now. What?"
"I…I wanted to thank you for the bus and…apologize for before if I acted a little…" she said, stammering, unable to get the right words out.
"Bitchy?"
As she looked at him, his bright green eyes with golden flecks dug into her soul. She hated him for calling her out, even if he was right. He wasn't anything like she imagined, and that angered her even more.
"You'd better learn the songs on time. It's been a while since you've played, so I'm sure you've gotten rusty," she said, hoping she got a little of that bitch back in her.
Upset and disappointed, she walked back to her seat and sank down into it. She thought about that quote about never meeting an idol because they never lived up to your expectations. Pulling out her notebook, she began writing as she tried to forget about him.
"Your stuff is good," Jude said as he stood in the center aisle.
"Sure it's not too bitchy?"
He laughed and pushed her bag aside as he sat in the seat next to her. His shoulders were so broad, they rubbed against hers in the oversized seat. Feeling his heat so close to her, she fought her instinct to giggle and blush like a little girl.
"It's my turn to apologize. I think I let my ego get the better of me."
"Don't let it happen again," she teased.
"I can't promise that," he said with a laugh before walking back to his seat.
Watching him walk away, she thought about how gorgeous he was. She still couldn't believe he was going to play drums in her band. It was a dream come true. When she thought of how many late nights she spent in the rehearsal studios at school, trying to get drummers to play like him, it blew her mind. Now, not only was he part of her band but he was just a few feet away.
She peeked through the seats and could see his long legs stretched out on his seat, his boots worn and dirty. Letting her eyes travel up his jeans, she couldn't help it and held her breath when they stopped at his bulge and wondered if the rumors were true.
Her eyes moved up over his tight tan t-shirt that clung enviously to his muscular chest. Shifting in her seat so she could see him better, she noticed a silver chain around his neck. The stubble over his jaw. His smile.
She was so focused on him that her mind had shut off. As her eyes continued to take in every inch of him, they made their way up to his smiling green eyes, which stared right back at her.
Quickly moving to hide, she looked away and tried to focus on the passing trees and cars on the highway as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Was he still looking? She wanted to know but was afraid to look. She thought she heard him laugh and felt her stomach knot.
Scolding herself, she forced herself to pick up her notebook again. She had to remember that she was no longer the fan and he was just Jude Morrison. But he would never be just Jude Morrison, the fast beating of her heart guaranteed that.
Because of Jude's introduction at breakfast and the bad traffic they ran into, the bus took them directly to the theater. Lucky had always wanted to see Washington DC and visit the museums and monuments, but she realized she'd never get to see anything but hotels and theaters while she was on tour.
As the road crew set up their instruments, Lucky and Jordan decided to look around the theater. It had been restored recently as part of a revitalization project for that part of the city. The entire venue glowed, from the lobby with its opalescent marble walls, red carpet, and intricate gold relief ceiling, to the theater itself, with its dramatic crystal chandelier dangling over red velvet seats.
Lucky's nerves were in full force again. It was a new city
and a new drummer. And not just any drummer. Of course she knew he had the chops to pull it off, but as far as she knew, he had only heard her album on the ride down to DC.
She watched as Jude showed the drum tech exactly how he wanted his drums set up. Now wearing a black short-sleeved t-shirt, Jude's biceps rippled as he tightened a bolt on his floor tom. As if he felt her staring, he looked directly at her and gave her a crooked smile that made her heart lurch in her chest.
"Hey, I've been wanting to ask you something," he yelled over to her.
Walking over, still watching him put the final touches on his drums, she was sure it was obvious to everyone she floated on air because of him. She felt a stupid grin permanently affixed to her face and hoped she didn't look as ridiculous as she thought.
"Sure, is it about the set list?"
"No, I got that. I was curious..." He paused as he examined her face, his green eyes rarely leaving hers except to double check what he was doing. "Everyone calls you Lucky. It's on your album and everything. That can't possibly be your real name, is it?"
She laughed. "No, it's just a nickname. Long story."
"Let me guess, parents' idea. What's your real name?"
"Yup, their idea, they thought it was cute and a reminder of how lucky it was that I'm alive. My real name is Olivia," she said, although she fully expected him to never use it and forget it existed like everyone else.
"That's pretty. Olivia. It suits you."
She giggled nervously and immediately hated herself for that. Walking off stage, she replayed their conversation over and over in her head. Jordan joined her in the dressing room as she changed into a blue tie-dyed maxi dress for the show.
"You really like him, don't you?" Jordan asked.
"What, who? Jude?" Lucky said.
"Don't play stupid with me. I've known you almost your whole life. You think I don't remember whose poster is hanging behind your bedroom door?" Jordan teased.
"What about you and Dylan? You barely left his side on the bus."
Lucky: A Rockstar Romance Two Book Boxed Set Page 5
