"This isn't about me. Dylan's not some huge rock star with an equally bad reputation. I never told you, but remember Cori from down the street? A friend of her friend slept with him."
Lucky rolled her eyes. She pulled her long hair to the side and began braiding it, hoping Jordan would just shut up. The last thing she wanted to think about was Jude with someone else, let alone the friend of another friend, as always seemed to be the case.
"What's your point, Jordan?"
"Just be careful. You don't know guys, and some of them see a sweet innocent girl like you and they want to take advantage."
"He's not like that."
"You don't know. You've known him all of five hours and barely spoke to him."
"Fine, whatever," Lucky said. "This couldn't wait until after the show? You know how nervous I get."
"Well, I didn't know if you were going to do a disappearing act like last night, so I had to tell you now."
"Ugh, please, like I don't feel guilty enough about that."
Jordan smirked. "Good, just as long as you do feel guilty."
The lights blinked, signaling it was time for her show to begin. She made her way to the side of the stage with the rest of the band. Her nerves were already gone as she listened to the crowd in their seats. They took their positions on stage and nodded to Jude, who started to play as the curtain rose.
The show went great. Lucky always felt that with the right drummer, any band could come together. Jude's presence proved her right.
After changing back into her jeans and a royal blue tunic, she was surprised to see so many people backstage. These weren't just the usual band and roadies. A lot of people came up to her and told her they loved the show. Lucky was amazed.
While she knew she had talent, she really didn't think anyone would care to listen to her music. That's why she got so nervous before each performance. She'd never share it with anyone, but she expected the audience to leave and wonder what they were doing there in the first place. Once she could look out at the crowd from the stage, she could see them swaying and connecting with her music and she became confident.
Looking around for Jordan, she spotted Kat sitting on a table with a group of people around her. Lucky thought she looked like a queen with her court as she looked down from her perch at everyone.
"Lucky! Get your ass over here!" Kat waved her hand high in the air.
As Lucky approached, two of Kat's group turned around. It was Ross and one of his friends from Philadelphia. Ross was cute as usual in a pale yellow polo with the band around the sleeves hugging his muscular arms and a pair of worn jeans that hugged just the right spots. With his short dark hair and everything about him looking perfect, Lucky couldn't help but think he looked like he stepped out of a clothing commercial.
"It's my lucky day! Hey there, beautiful! You put on a great show. Was that Jude Morrison behind the kit?" Ross asked.
"Thanks and yeah, that was him."
Lucky looked around for Jude, hoping she could think of an excuse to talk to him and get away from Ross, Kat, and her adoring fans. She spotted him walking towards one of the exits with a girl hanging on each of his arms. Her heart sank a little as she thought about what Jordan said.
She hoped Jude's reputation wasn't real, but it looked like it was. Lucky didn't know how she'd manage seeing that for an entire tour, no matter how short a tour it was.
"You remember Mark, right? He and I are following your tour," Ross said.
Ross's voice brought her back and she looked at Mark, who looked like a clone of Ross except with lighter hair.
"Oh hi, yes, I remember Mark," Lucky lied as she looked down the hall Jude was in with the two girls, but they were gone. "Wait a second, you're doing what? Following the tour? What tour?"
"Ours, silly," Kat said. "I think we should invite them on the bus. It's only two of them, and I bet they'd make the trip so much more fun. What do you say, Lucky? You know you want to."
Lucky stared at Kat blankly. She couldn't process that these guys were following her tour and would be wherever they performed. It didn't make sense to her, but even as she tried to figure it out, she couldn't get her mind off of Jude and those two girls.
"The group is going bar hopping tonight, Lucky. You have to come along. Remember, you still owe me a kiss," Ross whispered in her ear.
She winced as Ross's alcohol breath reached her. After meeting Jude, the last thing she wanted to do was kiss Ross. He was definitely cute before, but now not so much. And especially not after seeing Jude in person.
"No, not tonight," she said. "Maybe another time. I'm pretty beat, so I'm going to the hotel."
She quickly grabbed her messenger bag, knowing the crew would pack up everything else, and walked out the exit door she saw Jude heading towards. No one was outside. The hum of the bus filled the air and she thought about how she preferred the smell of oil and exhaust to Ross's stinky breath.
Thinking Jude might have taken the girls into the bus, she summoned up all her courage and got on. The back room door was closed. She hadn't seen it yet, but she heard it had a bed. As she walked to the back, she tried to talk herself out of it. This was crazy. What was she doing? She had just met the man and now she was acting like a jealous girlfriend.
Her mind raced. What could he be doing with two girls? Did people actually do that? Throwing the door open, she stepped inside expecting to catch them doing something, but the room was dark.
As she turned on the light, she felt all her adrenaline leave her. She hated how Jude made her feel and she hated that he couldn't keep it in his pants.
She sat on the bed, which took up most of the room, and punched a pillow. Just the fact that there really was a bed in the bus filled her with rage. As tears filled her eyes, she heard someone climb the steps onto the bus.
"Oh, I didn't expect to see you, Lucky," Stan said.
Stan was an elderly man with more life and kick in him than people half his age. He was small and almost frail in appearance, with a thick Southern accent.
While he appeared unassuming, Stan was not a man to mess with. Growing up in the inner city, he was picked on for his size and learned how to fight in order to protect himself. Fighting was something he didn't have to do once people turned to him for protection. His standing joke was that he was stronger and just as stubborn as a mule.
"Sorry Stan, I was just…looking for someone," she said.
Smiling, he joined Lucky in the back of the bus. For as long as Stan could remember, he drove tour buses for some of the biggest and smallest acts in rock 'n' roll. He had seen it all.
"Jude decided to walk back to the hotel. It's just a few blocks from here," Stan said.
"I didn't say I was looking for him."
"And I never said I was the bus driver, I just am."
He had a twinkle in his eye that Lucky couldn't get mad at. Stan patted her on the back before standing.
"I'd like to go back to the hotel now," she said.
"Sure, I'll see if anyone else is joining us." He walked down the aisle and turned around before going down the steps. "Lucky, remember one thing. In rock 'n' roll, there's more smoke and mirrors off stage than on."
She didn't understand what he meant. Playing his words over in her head again, she couldn't figure out what he was saying or why. She pulled her notebook out of her bag and wrote down what he said as Jordan and Dylan got on the bus.
After getting their hotel key, she and Jordan walked down a long plain hall as they looked at the numbers for their room. Lucky thought about how great it was to experience all these things with her best friend and hugged her.
"You know, I really am lucky. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without you," she said to Jordan.
"Oh come on, you're much stronger than you realize," Jordan said.
"No, I'm not, I'm pathetic. Do you know I text my parents several times a day? That's besides talking to them. I've been so dependent on them I don't even know how to live without talkin
g to them all the time."
"You're being too hard on yourself. You just need some rest. Remember, you didn't sleep much last night and with all the excitement of Jude today, I'm sure you're exhausted. You're just letting it all get to you."
"Maybe you're right."
They entered the suite and went into their own bedrooms. As Lucky grabbed her toothbrush, Jordan came in.
"You know, Lucky, I'm the lucky one," Jordan said. "You have no idea how much you've saved me. Not just now with this tour but with everything."
Lucky could see the pain in Jordan's eyes and wanted so badly to ask her what she was talking about, but she knew this one moment of vulnerability from her friend was the most she'd get. She hugged her tight and wished whatever hurt Jordan had gone through was in the past.
8
Jordan
Jordan meant every word she said to Lucky. She hoped she didn't make her feel bad, that was the last thing she wanted. The truth was she had never been happier in her entire life.
As she lay in the dark room thinking about how everything turned out, she felt at ease. Being on this tour was the first time she had ever felt comfortable with herself. She got up and entered the shared portion of their suite and thought about how light she felt.
She wasn't worried about who she might run into in the dark, she knew she was safe. As odd as it sounded, traveling from hotel to hotel in that bus gave her the comfortable feeling she believed most people called home.
Flipping through her emails, she re-read one from Ian Taylor, the photographer who shot Lucky. He wanted her to call him. She didn't even know how he got her email address. Figuring out the time in LA, she went back into her room and dialed his number.
"Yes, what is it?" Ian said, answering the phone.
Forgetting he had a British accent, Jordan was startled by his voice. But it wasn't just his accent, Ian sounded demanding and rude at the same time. She wondered if she should hang up.
"Hi? Ian Taylor? This is Jordan Blake. I got an email--"
"Yes, Pixie Girl! How are you?"
"I'm okay, I guess."
"You guess? I need more emotion from you, my dear. I know who you are. Like I told your friend, the camera sees everything and tells the truth."
"You must be mistaken. You didn't shoot me," Jordan said.
"Didn't I? Check your email."
Looking at her phone, she realized she had a new email from him. She opened it up and saw a black and white close up of her face. Aside from the smeared black eyeliner, she saw her own sadness mixed with pain in her eyes, but with a hopefulness that covered her face. She only saw such raw emotion in documentary photographs, of which she was a fan.
"Yeah, so? You took a picture I didn't know about," she said.
"You and I, Pixie, we're peas in a pod. I know that look, that pain. You're just getting away from it now, aren't you?"
"Who the fuck are you? Dr. Phil?"
She couldn't believe him. Who did this egotistical asshole think he was? And why would he even think she would open up to him about things she couldn't tell her best friend?
"You don't have to give me details. I know. I went through something too." His voice was tender and emotional for a moment. "Besides, Pixie, I didn't have you call me to throw a pity party. That's not my style. I wanted to talk to you about a job."
"A job? You have to talk to Lucky. I don't know her schedule if you want to take more photos of her."
"No, it’s you I want. But not to take photos of," he said. "I want you to understand me like I think I understand you. Now what I'm going to tell you, I don't want to ever hear about again, okay? You ever bring this up or tell anyone about this and we're done. Capisce?"
"Yes, fine. What is it?"
"When I was about your age, I had just graduated college. I majored in photography even though my mother told me if I didn't become a doctor or lawyer, I was wasting my life. It was also around this time that I had enough with the abuse I lived with at home and left. I swore no matter what happened, I would never go back. Sound familiar?"
Jordan nodded even though she knew he couldn't see. She was too choked up to say anything. She never told anyone about what happened at home so to hear it from a stranger who recognized it from himself, it was too powerful for her. She softly began to cry.
"Jordan, you don't ever have to go back. I never did. I spent months sleeping on park benches or under bridges because I was too proud to ask anyone for help. You don't have to do that too. I wouldn't wish what they did to me on my worst enemy. I'm sure you feel the same."
"Mmm-hmm," was all she could manage. She tried to clear her throat to speak but couldn't. If she spoke, she knew the pain and the memories would flood back, and it was all too much for her to bear.
"Think about this, Pixie. I don't know if you like photography, but I'm sure you need a job. At least a better one than you might have. I need an assistant. I live upstairs in that warehouse I shot Lucky at. I bought the building years ago when it was ready to collapse and I made it into my studio. With the way the pipes and everything worked upstairs, it’s actually two apartments."
"What are you saying?"
"I need an assistant who can learn photography and help me on location and here in the studio. In exchange, I'm offering a small salary plus your own apartment."
"Are you serious?" she asked.
"Dead serious. Think about it. You can start after the tour if you'd like. You know how to reach me, my little pixie, and I expect to hear from you again soon."
With that he hung up, leaving Jordan shocked over her good fortune. She wanted to jump up and down. When they arrived at his warehouse, she knew exactly who he was. Photography was her love, just like music was Lucky's. Moving to LA would be a huge adjustment, but other than her best friend, what did she have to stay in Boston for?
The next morning, she woke with her cell phone still in her hand. Ian had inspired her to start taking pictures of Lucky and the band on the road, so she charged her SLR's battery while she got ready and then headed down to the restaurant with Lucky for breakfast.
"You must have had the best night's sleep. You look happier than I've seen you in a long time. Good dream?" Lucky asked.
"You wouldn't believe it. I'll have to tell you about it sometime."
Jordan didn't want to tell Lucky about Ian and her moving to LA in the middle of her tour. This was Lucky's time, and she didn't want to intrude on it even if she knew Lucky wouldn't see it that way.
As they entered the restaurant, she took in the chrome accents and modern style which was so different than the last hotel they were in. They all seemed to have the same breakfast buffet though and after dropping her stuff at a table, she began making herself a waffle.
Dylan came in and stopped at the host stand and looked around while pushing his long hair back from his face. Wearing a rust-colored t-shirt, jeans, and a navy and charcoal scarf, she admired his style again. Suddenly their eyes met and he smiled as he walked over to her. She felt every bit of the anger she always carried with her melt as he kissed her hello.
"Hey, I was looking for you. Did you sleep alright?" Dylan asked.
"Yeah, great. Listen, I gotta tell you something you can't tell anyone. I wanted to keep it to myself but if I don't say something, I'm going to burst!"
"What is it?"
"Remember Ian Taylor?" Jordan asked.
"The ego with a camera?"
"Yeah, him. He asked me to be his assistant!"
"Seriously? How did he know you were into photography?"
"He didn't."
"Then why make the offer to you? Did you tell him you have a boyfriend?"
"Gimme a break, are you jealous? I really don't know why he called me." She thought for a while and realized that while she didn't give him anything, he never even asked for her name. She looked over at Lucky. She knew if Ian had asked about her, then Lucky would have told her. "I honestly have no idea why."
"That's odd. But it’s grea
t. Are you going to do it?"
"Yeah, definitely," she said.
"I guess you're moving to LA then?"
"Yup!"
"You know, sometimes I live in LA," Dylan said as he took her waffle and carried it for her to the table as he held her hand. "I was wondering how I'd see you after the tour was over."
He left her speechless. She grinned at him and stuffed a piece of waffle into her mouth so he wouldn't expect her to say anything. She liked him so much, but things were moving too fast. In the back of her mind, she knew he deserved much better than her.
HOTLANTA
9
Jordan
After the long drive from DC to Atlanta, Jordan was happy to see the hotel in the distance. As she stretched her legs, Dylan leaned into her, pushing her against the side of the bus, his hand pressed over her head as if she was his prisoner. She wasn't complaining at all.
"So…Jordan. I was thinking maybe we could share a room tonight," he said.
"I don't think that's a good idea. Lucky needs me. We have this ritual where we stay up and talk before bed," Jordan said. Lying was the only way she could protect his feelings.
Jordan wasn't a virgin, so her decision had nothing to do with that. She wanted to sleep with Dylan, but she had such strong feelings for him that she didn't want to rush into it like she had so many times before. Looking into his brown eyes, she saw he was hurt. She wished she could just tell him the truth, how much she cared about him and wanted to be with him, but she had been let down so many times before by so many people, she automatically kept her mouth shut.
"Oh well, okay," he said, looking confused. "It’s Atlanta anyway and I have some old friends here. Maybe if it’s alright, I'll go out with them tonight."
"You don't have to ask me. Do what you want," she said.
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Jordan regretted them. She knew they didn't come out the way she meant and she could tell by the look on his face that she hurt him even more. Lifting herself up on her tiptoes, she kissed his chin and hoped he forgave her.
Lucky: A Rockstar Romance Two Book Boxed Set Page 6
