"You know there's room for one more in here."
He shook his wet hair as he faced her. Droplets of water hit the glass door that separated them then ran down, giving her a clear view of his body as the water cut through the steam.
"I thought you were in a rush."
"Yes, but getting you clean will only take a few minutes."
"Oh. I thought..." she said, feeling disappointed.
"How quickly you've gone from virgin to sex goddess," he teased. "Don't you worry, I'll gladly make it up to you later."
She felt sexier than ever thinking about how this gorgeous rock star that everyone wanted, wanted her. Pulling off her t-shirt, she got into the shower with him. He moved aside to make room for her under the warm water as he rubbed the soap between his hands, making it lather.
"I thought you were done."
"I am. But someone needs to bathe you," he said before rubbing his soapy hands over her shoulders.
She giggled as he kissed her then turned her around to face the water. He lathered up her back, then slid his hands down over her butt. She shrieked with surprise.
"What?" he said innocently.
Next, he pressed his body against hers as his hands moved around to her soft stomach, the delicate curve of her hips, then up and over her full breasts. Every inch of her responded to his touch. She couldn't help it.
He pinched her hard nipples between his soapy fingers and she felt his erection press against her behind. Unable to control herself, she giggled as his hands continued down between her legs.
"You really are a bad boy," she said, her voice cracking slightly.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Isn't every shower you take like this?"
He laughed then ran his hands under the water and helped rinse her by rubbing his firm hands down her entire body. Kneeling in front of her as he rinsed her feet, his eyes travelled up her body slowly, turning her on even more.
"I have to keep reminding myself we'll have plenty of time after tonight's show," he said.
Kissing her on the delicate skin below her belly button, he stood up and turned off the water. He sighed as he grabbed two towels and handed her one.
"Well, since you bathed me, does that mean I can dry you off?" Lucky asked as she looked at his still hard cock.
"No. Then we'll never get out of here," he said, laughing as he wrapped the towel around his waist.
They took a cab to Central Park and walked along a path that took them around a large pond and boathouse. Jude held her hand as they continued walking, his fingers entwined with hers.
"Up ahead is Strawberry Fields," he said.
"Oh cool! I always wanted to see that."
As they approached, there was a bearded man with chin-length wavy brown and grey hair, playing Beatles songs on an acoustic guitar. They stood with several other people and admired the Imagine mosaic, which had a peace sign made of red and yellow roses over it.
After, Jude led her through a curved covered walkway and towards one of the park exits. Across the street were tall apartment buildings, many with intricate stonework and carvings towards the top.
"That building on the corner is the Dakota."
"Where John Lennon lived?" she asked.
"Yes. And died."
They were quiet for a moment as they looked at the building. Beside them were other people silently looking towards the Dakota as the traffic and other people continued to walk past.
Without a word, Jude began walking towards the street, still holding her hand. They walked past several horse-drawn carriages until they reached a white open carriage being pulled by a large, pale grey horse. Jude helped Lucky climb into the carriage.
The driver sat in front and steered the horse down the street and back into the park. Lucky was giddy with excitement.
"This is awesome, Jude. I never told anyone, but it was always a dream of mine to take a carriage ride through Central Park."
"There's so much I want to share with you. So much for you to see and experience," he said as he slid his arm along the back of her seat and around her shoulders.
Suddenly she was painfully aware of how sheltered she'd been her entire life. She didn't have any experiences except for the few things that happened recently on tour.
She had to break it off. Just end it before it got even more complicated. Definitely end it before he ended it. It was only a matter of time before he got bored of her.
The simple thought of him leaving made her chest ache and feel heavy. Worried his feelings were only a "tour thing" like Kat told her always happens on tour, and never leaves the tour, she knew what she needed to do. She had to end it with Jude before he ended it with her. If he beat her to it, the pain would be intolerable.
"Olivia," Jude said, his face suddenly serious. "I want to talk to you about tomorrow…and all the days after that."
"Good, me too," she said, lying.
"I've loved spending this time getting to know you. I don't want that to change--"
"Right, nothing should change. We met on the tour, it stays on the tour," she said.
"What?" he said, looking surprised.
"I know what your life is like. You have so many women you can't even keep track of the one you married."
"But--"
"And now that the tour is done, you can spend your time however you used to spend it."
"Olivia--"
She couldn't let him speak. This was the hardest thing she ever had to do, and it would be worse if he did it first. Her heart felt heavy and a knot formed in her throat, but she knew he wouldn't stay with her. She had a great time with him, but how could it last forever?
"Thank you for playing on my tour," she said, forcing the words out. "You made my dreams come true by being there. And thanks for…for just being you. I'll always remember our time together."
"You're ending it? Just like that? Out of nowhere?"
"You said it yourself, the tour is over."
He stood up as the carriage came to a stop in front of their hotel. She tried to not look directly at him, afraid she would crumble, but she felt his hard stare.
"Well, then you can keep this as a souvenir," he said.
He pulled a small blue Tiffany box from his jeans pocket, handed it to her, got out of the carriage, and went inside the hotel without turning back. As she stared at the box for a minute, she wondered why she broke up with him. Was she that certain he'd leave her? But she couldn't see why he would stay.
She flipped up the box lid, and tears streamed down her face as she saw the ring. It was simple, yet beautiful. A thin band of bright platinum. Encircling the ring, the words "I love you" repeated in script.
"I love you too," she whispered.
It was minutes before their last show and she hadn't seen Jude at all. She needed to make it right. Wearing a pale blue empire waist dress and Jude's ring, she spun it around her finger nervously as she looked for him.
Lucky felt lost. How could she be so stupid? Why did she let such a stupid idea fill her head?
"Lucky, we have to get on stage," Dylan told her.
"But Jude…"
"He's already out there."
She spent the show trying to catch his eye, but nothing. He played the songs but didn't veer off or try to jam like they had in their last performance. As she thanked the crowd after their last song, she saw him disappear off stage out of the corner of her eye.
She searched for him but came up empty. Like a ghost he was gone, leaving her with only a shiny souvenir.
GOING TO CALIFORNIA
22
Lucky
"It's strange being home," Lucky said to Jordan as she unpacked. "So much has changed but everything here is the exactly the same."
Lucky's room hadn't been redecorated in years. She still had the white canopy bed and pale pink walls from her childhood. Her room never bothered her since she rarely spent much time in it.
"Yeah, it is. Feels like we were gone so long."
"I didn't want you to worry," Jordan said. "You had the tour anyway. Plus you know me, I don't like talking about stuff like that."
"We've been best friends our whole lives, you're more important than a tour. Have you heard from your mom?"
"I got a text from her last week. It said things weren't bad for me and she misses me. Said I can always come back," Jordan said as she rolled her eyes. "On the other hand, my cousin said my mother is bragging about how she threw me out and won't ever take me back."
"Would you ever go back?"
"Hell no. I'd rather live on the streets," Jordan said.
"You know you can stay here until you move out to California."
"Thanks, but it'll only be a couple of days. Need to get my stuff out of storage and ship it. Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to moving away. This city looks different now. Grayer. Worn down. There's nothing here for me anymore."
"I'm surprised Dylan didn't come out."
“He was going to, but he got a studio offer that needed him right away. I know it's stupid, but I miss him."
"It's not stupid. I miss him too," Lucky said quietly as she thought about Jude.
"You haven't heard from him?"
"No. And why would I? I made it clear we were over. I just don't know how I convinced myself to do that. How stupid am I? He was literally a dream come true, my first love, and I sent him packing."
"You could call him."
Lucky shook her head then looked down at the ring he gave her. "Probably better I don't," Lucky said. "There's no way it would last anyway. He's probably already fallen for someone else."
"What are you going to do next?"
"I don't know. Maybe look for a place. I'm not sure where though. Maybe I'll go out to LA too so I'm nearby for recording. I know I have to get out of here. It's just..." She looked around her bedroom. "This is the bedroom of a child. That's not me anymore. I need to be on my own."
"Lucky! Pick up the phone!" her mother yelled from the bottom of the staircase.
"Wait. Did they take your cell away again?"
"Yup. Apparently I don't need it if I'm home."
"And you didn't say anything?" Jordan said, her eyes wide.
"What's there to say? There's no point arguing with them."
"You need to stand up for yourself, Lucky. They need to see you're an adult."
Lucky shrugged. She didn't want to admit it to Jordan, but she happily gave her cell phone over to her mother. She knew if she had it, she'd constantly check if Jude called, or she would break down and call him. Either way she'd feel like an idiot, so this way was better. She picked up the phone in the hallway.
"Hello?"
"Lucky, it's Richard Black. I've scheduled you on Friday to start recording your next album."
"Friday? But that's in a couple of days. I just got home."
"Be glad you're getting a couple of days. Normally you wouldn't even get that. We need to get something out there while they still remember you," he said.
"Okay, okay. At least I liked working with Chuck. It'll be good to see him again."
"No, no Chuck this time. I did even better. Black Dog has entered an exclusive deal with Eel Pie Studios."
"Are you kidding me? You really only care about the money, don't you? I've never even heard of Eel Pie. He better be good. I did a lot of work on these songs on the road. They're really personal."
"He's already heard them. Thinks you've got a lot of talent and is looking forward to working with you. He even pointed out some problems with your first record, and he knows how to fix them. I'm telling you, he's the best. You'll love him."
"Alright, alright. He better be the best. Not that I have a choice," Lucky said.
"Your flight leaves Friday morning. I'll have a car meet you."
Lucky hung up the phone and went downstairs. She hoped to get some downtime so she could get over Jude. Having to head right back into the studio to sing those songs wasn't going to help.
She found her parents in the living room, her father in a brown zip-up sweater he wore when he was cold, which was always, and her mother in a white sweatshirt from a vacation Lucky was sure happened before she was born. She almost turned around and went back upstairs. She couldn't though. She knew she needed to talk to them.
She stood on the landing just before the last step and watched her parents for a moment. Her father wore his reading glasses as he thumbed through the newspaper, and her mother knitted another blanket. Today could have been any day for them. Nothing ever changed. Seeing them like this, Lucky knew even more what she needed to do.
"Mom, Dad?"
"Oh hello, dear. Was that the label guy?" her mom asked.
"Yes, he wants me to go out to LA Friday. He's taken care of the flight arrangements and everything."
"So soon? You just got home. We thought you'd be home for a while."
"I need to record my next album while people remember who I am," she said, echoing Richard's words.
"Alright. Well, do you know when you'll be back? We're trying very hard not to interfere, but you are our daughter."
"Mom, please. Don't make this any harder than it already is. I'm a woman now. I'm not a baby anymore," Lucky said as she took a deep breath. "While I'm out there, I'm going to look for a place to live--"
"But you already have a place to live. Here, your home," her mother said.
"I know, but I need the two of you to understand. I'm twenty-one. Think of everything the two of you had already done by the time you were my age. I haven't done any of that. I need to live my own life now, and I think that life is in LA. I'll be near the recording studio and Jordan's going to move out there, too."
Her mother sighed and looked sad. She watched as her father reached over and gently rubbed her mother's shoulder.
"We know," her father said with a sad smile. "We knew this time would come. I guess we weren't ready for it. We know we've been very protective, but it’s just that we love you so much. We're both so proud of you, Olivia. Angels were smiling upon you when you were born, and they'll take care of you while you're away. Just remember that we're here, and we'll always be here, if you ever need anything."
Lucky swallowed hard to keep her tears back and hugged her parents tightly. She smiled as she realized that just a couple of months ago, she wouldn't have been able to talk to them like she just did without feeling a lot of guilt. For the first time, Lucky realized how much she had changed while she was away, and she knew it was for the better.
Dressed in grey yoga capri pants and a midnight blue t-shirt, Lucky stepped off the plane happy to be dressed so comfortably. If there was one thing she learned from being on the tour bus, it was that comfort in travel was necessary.
Pulling her wheeled travel bag behind her, she swerved in and out of the crowds until she passed the gate check and noticed several men in dark suits holding signs. Spotting one with Olivia Saldano written on it, she went over to him.
"Hi, I'm Olivia Saldano," Lucky said, surprised to see her real name.
A small group of people standing nearby waiting for their luggage turned around and approached her.
"Oh! I know you! I absolutely love you. Can you sign something for me?" a young woman in the group said.
"Umm thanks, yeah, sure. What do you want me to sign?" Lucky said awkwardly.
She still wasn't used to the attention and didn't know how to act. She knew Jude would know but quickly pushed him out of her head. She had to stop thinking about him.
A small crowd grew and Lucky found herself hugging strangers and signing napkins, clothing, and magazines, whatever people had on them. Suddenly the driver stepped forward and lifted his hand.
"Miss Saldano must be going. Please keep an eye out for her next album," the driver said in a formal British accent.
Taking her bag, he cleared the way to his Town Car. He opened th
e door for her then placed her bag in the trunk. When he entered the driver's seat, he turned back to her.
"I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to introduce myself sooner. I'm Nigel. I'll take you directly to Eel Pie where I'm told they're waiting for you."
"Thank you, Nigel," she said.
"Of course, Miss."
She looked out the window at the palm trees and blue sky, so different from back east. Jordan was right, it was very grey at home. Home just wasn't the same. The time on tour was enough to help them both see the world differently than before.
It felt strange to her to be doing this again so quickly. Not that long ago she brought Jordan with her, mostly because she didn't want to be alone. Now she was comfortable with it and with herself. Lucky felt a new confidence within her that she didn't have just a few short months before.
Noticing a sign that read Malibu, she paid closer attention to the surroundings and realized they were in a residential neighborhood.
"Nigel? I thought we were going to Eel Pie?"
"We are."
"But these look like houses."
"Eel Pie is a state-of-the-art recording studio on the producer's property. He's arranged for you to stay in one of the guest rooms as well."
"He has? Richard didn't tell me anything about this. I don't know how comfortable I feel about staying in a stranger's home."
Nigel didn't respond. Staring out the window, Lucky noticed the houses getting larger. Between the homes, she saw the blue water of the Pacific and the sparkle of the waves peeking at her.
State-of-the-art studio in Malibu. She wondered if Richard paired her with some big producer, but Eel Pie wasn't familiar to her. She wracked her brain but had no luck.
"I'm sorry, Nigel, what did you say the producer's name was?"
"I didn't. Eel Pie is a nod to the small island on the Thames where many successes got their start. I'm sure you've heard of The Who, Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart."
"Wow, is it someone who worked with one of them?"
"I am a driver, Miss. I don't make it my responsibility to know details like that about my employer."
"Oh, sorry. Never mind."
Lucky: A Rockstar Romance Two Book Boxed Set Page 15
