Honestly, sometimes even the not-so-good bands had sexy men in them. She couldn't help it, there was nothing sexier than a man with a guitar. And if he could write songs on top of that, then he was scorching hot.
Entering the backstage area where one of the bands that already played still hung out, Zoey had to blink as her eyes adjusted from the darkness of the hall to the stark white of the fluorescent lights. The room smelled like sweat, cheap beer, and Taco Bell. It’s no wonder one of them puked.
Pushing the pail farther into the dressing room, Zoey glanced at the four pimply-faced guys in plaid flannel shirts sitting on metal folding chairs before spotting the reason she was there with a mop. Slumped in a corner, their fifth member was several shades of green.
“Hey, is he okay?” Zoey asked as she walked over and tapped the guy's leg with the tip of her boot. He didn’t move. “Seriously guys, he’s your buddy. Is he alright?”
“What? Oh Jim? Yeah, he’s cool,” said the guy closest to her. He looked her up and down and ran his hand through his long, stringy brown hair. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Zoey,” she said as she kicked Jim a little harder. Still nothing.
“Well, hey there, Zoey. I’m Joe. I’m the lead singer of Wreck It.”
Zoey rolled her eyes. Every lead singer was the same. They all thought they were perfect and every woman’s dream. She wouldn’t deny that the cockiness most lead singers had was hot, but on this zit-infested no-talent, it reeked of desperation.
“That’s nice, Joe. Nice meeting you,” she said as she began to mop up the mess around the still-passed-out Jim.
“Okay, I can take a hint. I’m sure someone as pretty as you has a boyfriend, right?”
Zoey sighed. Looking over towards Joe and his other band mates, she saw they were all looking at her. Practically staring. She wondered if they ever saw a girl before.
“No, no boyfriend,” Zoey said. “I’m really busy getting ready for college and just don’t have the time.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. She did have a lot she wanted to do this last summer before college, but if the right guy came along, then of course she’d have time for him. The thing was the right guy never came along. For whatever reason, most guys seemed to stay away from her.
“Are you blowing me off?” Joe said, his face scrunching up as if he was confused. “Because seriously, you’re pretty, but you really could lose some weight. I just figured you might want to have a good time.”
And there it was. Zoey recognized that she offended Joe’s enormous, overinflated ego. Pretending it was Joe’s neck, she gripped the mop hard then angrily finished mopping up the mess around Jim. Spinning around, she pushed the bucket towards the entrance of the room. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
“Hey Zoey?” Joe said just before she stepped into the dark hallway. “You’d be hot if you lost that fat ass.”
Joe and the rest of his band laughed. Zoey stopped, set the mop in the pail so it wouldn’t fall out, and then eyed each of the young men. Grinding her teeth, she tried convincing herself to just let it be and walk out the door, but there was no way she could let that happen now.
“You know what, Joe? I might have a fat ass, but I can do something about it. No matter what you do, you’ll always be an ass.”
“Ooh, slammed!” she heard one of the other guys say as she left the room.
After returning the mop and bucket back to the janitor’s closet, Zoey recognized a regular in the LA music scene. Cade Summers was the lead singer for an up and coming band, Tan Lines. He was cute with an athletic build and long, shaggy, light brown hair. She had never seen him without sunglasses, which to her was code for how full of himself he really was.
She probably wouldn't have noticed him if it wasn't for where he was standing just outside the backstage entrance. The lights from the stage lit him up enough that he didn't blend into the background. Wearing his usual black leather pants and a black button-down shirt hanging loose, she wondered how long he had been hiding before she noticed him.
As she approached to say hi, the band on stage began their next set. Boom boom. There it was again. But she refused to listen. She knew the band was bad.
"There's my girl," Cade said as he looked at her then back towards the stage. "I was wondering if my brown-eyed muse was here tonight.”
“Ha! Muse. Yeah right. I wish you guys wouldn’t call me that,” Zoey said. “You’re going to give the new bands the wrong idea.”
Cade always flirted with her, but she never thought anything of it. He was the lead singer of a band, he flirted with everyone.
“It’s true though. You’ve got something. Why do you think I keep coming back? I guess you don’t realize it, but there’s a few of us bands that keep coming back here because of you, not because of what we think this place offers.”
“You’re insane, you know that?”
“I’ll show you. Step closer. You gotta hear this,” he said.
“Seriously, no,” Zoey said with her hands up as she shook her head. “I’ve heard enough of this band already tonight.”
“I’m disappointed, Zoey. You’re not paying enough attention. Just listen.”
Boom boom! The sound started from within her and then spread to her fingertips as it vibrated her entire body. She couldn’t ignore it anymore. If Cade was pointing out the music, then she must be missing something.
Slowly, she let out a long breath and relaxed as she tuned in. The music was even worse than she imagined. But there was something. Boom boom. And that was when she realized it. She looked up at Cade and smiled.
“You’re hearing it now, aren’t you?” he asked.
“The drummer. Is he really playing that?”
Cade nodded. Zoey couldn’t believe her ears. The drummer was playing circles around his bandmates on stage. He was completely showing off by playing a complicated jazz groove, then adding in extra fills on top of that. Every so often he’d hit the double bass pedal, something she had never heard during Pay For Play, and the boom boom would fill the air. Even with all of this showboating, he kept perfect time.
“This guy is the real deal, Zoey,” Cade said. “His name is Jude Morrison. I’ve been trying to get him to join my band for a few weeks now, but he's faithful to his band. He says they moved out here together, they’ll make it big together.” Cade shook his head. “Idiot.”
“Don’t you already have a drummer?” Zoey asked.
“Not like him. No one has a drummer like him. You have no idea how in demand he is, but he won't hear it.”
Zoey needed to get a closer look. Where had she been all this time that a truly talented guy was able to show up and she didn’t even know about it? That just wasn’t like her, she knew all the bands and everything going on with them. Stepping closer, she realized Cade had the perfect line of sight to watch him play, so she stepped in front of the tall man.
As she looked at the drum throne, it hit her that she was in the presence of a future Rock God. His shoulder-length brown hair swayed with each hit of his drumsticks. Wearing a pair of shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt, she watched his glistening muscles work. He had a gift of making his drums sing and become much more than just a timekeeping device. And it didn't hurt that he was nice to look at. Very nice to look at. How did she miss him?
As the song wound down, the crowd gave their obligatory applause and the stage lights went on. Zoey watched as Jude started unpacking his cymbals from the house kit.
"Wish me luck, I’m going to make him an offer he can't refuse," Cade said as he stepped around Zoey and walked towards the drummer.
She was glued to the spot. Unable to take her eyes off Jude or even walk away, she watched as Cade spoke and Jude shook his head. She wondered if Jude knew the opportunity he was passing up. He had to know how bad his band was.
"Daaammn!" Megan said as she leaned in to get a better look at Jude. "That's a hottie and a half! And you know what they say about drummers, right?"
"They can keep it up all night long," Zoey said, giggling. "Who came up with that?"
"Probably a very satisfied groupie," Megan said, grinning. "I'd be willing to test that theory out with him. Unless you've already got your eye on him?"
Without realizing it, still unable to take her eyes off him, Zoey nodded. She didn't know if anything would ever happen between the two of them, but if she saw him with Megan, she knew it would kill her.
"I've got dibs," Zoey said as she watched a petite brunette climb on stage and head straight towards Jude.
3
Jude
"You're wasting your talent with these meatheads, Jude,” Cade said. "We're playing tomorrow night at The Whiskey, at least come and hear us play."
"I don't know, man," Jude said as he spun the lock off his crash cymbal. "I'm not leaving my band. We moved out here together, we're gonna make it together."
"You're a dreamer. You know what they sound like and you know you're better than them. I heard you play. You're running circles around them."
"I know, but you have to hear me out. These guys are like family to me. I can't just abandon them."
Jude looked up as Cade nodded. Turning him down was hard. He knew Tan Lines and admired them. He also knew it would be great grooving with a bassist who had a concept of time, but he couldn't leave his friends.
Noticing Cade looking off stage, Jude followed his gaze. Cade was looking at a girl with black shoulder-length hair, black lined eyes, and dark lipstick. She looked like any other groupie he'd seen at the different venues around town, but he couldn't help but think there was something special about her.
She was talking to her girlfriend and Cade seemed lost in thought, so Jude took the opportunity to drink her in. She wasn't his usual girl. Usually the girls he got were thinner, as if that's what gave them the confidence to approach him. Even through her loose dark dress and tights, Jude could tell she had soft curves he wanted to feel against his hard body.
"That your girl?" Jude asked.
"Her? No, not for lack of trying though," Cade said. "That's Zoey. She works here now but used to come to all the shows before that."
"Club rat?"
Cade laughed. "Yeah, you could call her that."
In the time Jude and his band had been out in LA, he discovered what it was like to be a rock star. Every club had a group of girls who always came to the shows and wanted to show their appreciation to the band.
"So, you ever...?"
"No, I wouldn't do that. She's special. There's just something about her. I mean she gets it. She really gets the music and loves it. We call her our muse. You should talk to her. Maybe she'll talk some sense into you."
"Muse?" Jude said as he finished packing up his stuff. "I'll have to talk to her sometime, but right now this girl over there has been giving me the eye during our entire set."
"Think about my offer. Like I said, at least come see us play at The Whiskey."
"Thanks, but I'm a loyal guy, Cade. Maybe I'll check you guys out at the Whiskey, but I'll bring my band."
Wearing a pair of loose fitting sandblasted jeans and nothing else, Jude softly kissed the lips of the disheveled petite brunette at the door as she left the one bedroom apartment he called home. Closing the door, he smiled at his bandmates, who were watching morning game shows on the TV just a few feet away.
Jude and his two closest friends, Ron Myles and Derek Lane, packed up a van and moved from the Cleveland, Ohio suburb of Stow where they grew up to Los Angeles a couple of years ago. At the time, Jude was only sixteen and the youngest of his friends, but having been accelerated through the school's gifted program, they all graduated together and were ready to follow their dreams. None of them left much behind in Ohio, and they never looked back.
“I’m telling you, she’s it. That’s the girl for me,” Jude said.
Ron, a tall, lanky blond wearing torn jeans and an old concert t-shirt, snorted then returned his focus on the TV. Being the only member of the group brave enough to sing, Ron begrudgingly became their lead singer even though all he wanted to do was play guitar.
“What? I’m serious. She’s the one. I’m in love,” Jude said earnestly.
“Jude. Listen, do you have any idea how many girls we’ve seen come and go since we moved here? Just because some chick sucks your cock a few nights in a row doesn’t mean you love her,” Ron said. “I mean you can love that, but not her. You don’t even know her. But what do I know, maybe if I was getting as much pussy as you do, I’d think I was in love all the time, too.”
“Yeah well, speaking of love,” Derek said as he pushed his shoulder-length hair out of his face. “I’d love to actually sleep in the bedroom sometime. Think you can take a break for the night? Let us move the mattresses back in the room?”
“She’s planning on coming back over later,” Jude said as Derek groaned. “I didn’t think you guys would mind. At least you have more space out here than the three of us crammed into a bedroom. Really guys, I’m serious about this girl.”
“Serious? Really, Jude? Then what’s her name?” Ron asked.
What was her name? Jude wondered. Sally, Sarah…he wasn’t usually like this. He could name every girl he’d ever been with, but for some reason this one time her name wasn’t popping up in his head. Zoey? No, that was the curvy club rat Cade told him about at The Roxy the other night. The one with the rocking body. The muse, as Cade called her. He had to admit to himself that he couldn’t get her name out of his head. Maybe Ron was right.
Ignoring Ron, Jude opened the refrigerator and moved the expired carton of milk to the side, hoping something to eat would magically appear behind it. The kitchen and the living room were part of one small room that Jude could cross to the bedroom in three long strides.
They had been lucky so far. Their old neighbor gifted them an old tweed couch in exchange for moving help. When Derek saw he was leaving behind a broken TV, the neighbor said if he could fix it, it was his. Derek’s stepfather had been a TV repairman, so changing out some tubes in the old TV was second nature to him.
For money, they would stand out at the day laborer stations and do construction for cash. At night, they went to the different clubs trying to get spots for the band. Sometimes they were successful, other times they had to pay like they did the other night at The Roxy. Ron and Derek seemed optimistic, but despite his being called a dreamer, Jude was more realistic. He knew they didn't have a chance.
There were too many bands in LA. Back in Ohio, they were the cool guys. Everyone loved them. In LA, they were just like every other band, except less talented. Jude regularly received offers to replace drummers in more successful bands, but he always turned them down. He couldn't do that to his friends. He didn't even tell them about it.
Just because he knew they wouldn’t make it big like they wanted didn’t mean he was just going to ditch them. Ron and Derek had been the closest thing to family Jude ever had. He couldn’t remember the last time he spoke to his mother and he didn’t have any other family. So until they realized the band was going nowhere, Jude was sticking with it for as long as he could. Still, he was curious what it would be like playing with more talented musicians.
"You guys want to hit The Whiskey tonight?" he asked. "Tan Lines is playing.”
Walking up Sunset Boulevard, the lights from the red building that housed The Whiskey felt like a beacon to Jude. He’d give anything to play where all his idols had. He didn’t see that happening though, not while he was in the band with Derek and Ron.
A line of people stood around the corner waiting to enter the building. Wearing his jeans from earlier with a black t-shirt and a pair of black boots, Jude led his friends farther down the block to the kitchen entrance and high-fived the bouncer who let them in.
They snaked their way through the dingy hall to the concert floor. Sound check had just ended and the crowd hadn't been let in yet. While Ron and Derek went to the bar, Jude took advantage of the house lights being
on and looked around the room for familiar faces.
Up by the stage, he noticed a girl with black hair and bangs hitting just above her eyes. She was dressed all in black and he knew without seeing them that she had a pair of Doc Martens on. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Ron handed Jude a bottle of beer. “Guess you already forgot about the love of your life,” he said. “Do you know her or is she just going to be another trophy for the almighty Jude Morrison?”
“Fuck off, Ron,” Jude said. “You know I’m not like that. She works at The Roxy.”
“Then go over and say hi.”
“I think I will,” Jude said. “But we haven’t met yet. Cade told me about her, called her a muse.”
“Cade?” Derek asked as he caught up to Jude and Ron near the stage.
“Uh yeah, the singer for Tan Lines. He came up to me after the show the other night, after you guys went off stage.”
“What did he want? Did he like our show?” Derek asked.
“Give me a break, Derek. You know he just wants our boy to play drums for him,” Ron said. “You know how good Tan Lines would be with a real drummer? They’ve got a hack now.”
“Is that true, Jude? Are you leaving us?”
“I told him no, I’ve got a band. I'm not going anywhere.”
“Listen, Jude. We’re not stupid, we know you’re way better than us,” Ron said. "Maybe you should think about it. I mean, I can't even sing. This has been great living out here and being a part of the scene, but if you have a chance at something better, you should take it. One of us has to make it or we came all the way out here for nothing."
Jude didn't know what to say. He wanted to agree with Ron, but he wasn't ready to give up on them as a band. It just didn't feel right.
Keeping his eyes on Zoey, the house lights dimmed as the crowd entered. A muse might be exactly what he needed. But more than that, Jude wanted to get to know her.
Lucky: A Rockstar Romance Two Book Boxed Set Page 17
