As he thought about how his friends always teased him about women, he stopped himself from heading over to introduce himself. They didn't understand. It wasn't about sex or what these women would do for him, he really did care about them, even if he couldn't remember that one girl's name.
And so what if he couldn't remember one name? He remembered this one, and he hadn't even met her yet. That had to count for something.
Keeping an eye on her, he watched Zoey work the room. She seemed to know everybody. Slowly, she turned and he caught her eye. He smiled, unsure what to expect from her. Would she act like a groupie and rush over? He got his answer when she smiled back then turned away.
That surprised him. Without thinking, he made his way over to her as Tan Lines took the stage. Zoey had confidence, and that made him even more interested in her. Without even meeting her, Jude knew he was already falling for her. He couldn't help himself. Underneath it all, Jude Morrison was a hopeless romantic.
4
Zoey
Before leaving The Roxy the other night, Cade Summers invited Zoey to their show at The Whiskey. Tan Lines was a great band and she knew he was excited to play there. Lots of bands dreamed about getting a date at The Whiskey.
Truthfully, she would've gone even without the invite. It was her first night off in a while and she couldn't think of a better way to spend the night than listening to a good band.
She got there early so she could secure her spot in front of the stage. Megan had to work that night, but Zoey didn't mind going to The Whiskey alone. She knew she'd run into people she knew. That was the benefit of being a club rat, even if she hated that term.
"Excuse me," said a man's voice from behind.
She turned around to find a tall man with salt and pepper hair she didn't recognize. He had on a pair of khakis and a blazer, making him stand out in the club.
"Yes?" she asked, wondering what he wanted.
"You're Zoey Ackerman, right? The muse?"
"Yup, I'm Zoey, but I don't know about the muse part."
"Well, that's what the bands call you," he said.
"They call a lot of women different things, doesn't mean they're true."
"Fair enough. I still want to talk to you. I have a proposition for you."
"A proposition? Who are you?" Zoey asked.
"Sorry, I'm Richard Black, CEO of Black Dog Recordings. I don't know if you realize it, but you have quite the reputation."
"Yeah, as a club rat or a groupie. I know all about that."
"Not just that, but as someone who knows music. You've got a talent for choosing bands to back. You've supported some bands that have done really well. Like Tan Lines here. You've got an ear."
"Stop blowing smoke up my ass, Mr. Black. What do you want?"
"Please call me Richard. I want you to work for me."
"Alright, that's it, you fucked up perv. I've heard about guys like you going after groupies like we're sluts for hire."
"No, not like that," Richard said, laughing as he reached into his pocket. "Here's my card. Ask around about me. I'll be here all night. Let me know at the end of the night if you want to hear more."
He handed her a business card that read 'Richard Black, CEO, Black Dog Recordings' and left. Holding the card, she flipped it around a few times as she thought about what he said. Could he be legit? What could she do besides get him coffee? She hadn't even started college yet.
Slipping the card into a small cross-body bag she wore, she decided to ask a few people she knew about him. She was sure she had seen him at the clubs before, so someone had to know something about him. And he did say to ask around.
She spoke to a few different people, casually bringing up Richard Black, and was surprised that most people had heard of him and had good things to say. She didn't tell anyone he talked about working together, it all seemed too crazy that anyone would want to work with a girl most people thought of as some club rat. There was one more person she wanted to talk to though, and that was Cade.
As she turned around, she spotted the drummer from the other night, Jude Morrison. He smiled at her and she felt her knees go weak. Stay cool, Zoey! she told herself. Smiling back, she turned away from him when she felt her face begin to burn. No way was she going to let him see her blush! But it took everything in her to not turn around and look at him again.
Moving closer to the stage, she saw Cade peek out from backstage to look at the crowd. He saw her and waved her over so she quickly climbed the stage, hoping if Jude was watching he wouldn’t get the wrong idea. She didn’t know why she cared since she hadn’t even met him, and she was pretty sure this was just another one of her rock star crushes that she got every day, but he was so sexy and that smile…she couldn’t help but dream a little.
“Hey, glad to see you made it,” Cade said. “I saw you talking to that Richard Black guy, you know him?”
“No. I mean yes, we were talking, but no, I don’t know him. Do you?”
Cade looked around and pulled her further backstage to a dark corner away from everyone. “He’s been talking to me about leaving Tan Lines. He’s got this idea and—”
“I was looking for you,” Jude said as he appeared from the stage.
Zoey felt her heart slam wildly in her chest, and she fought the urge to make a complete ass out of herself by melting into a puddle at his feet.
“Oh hey, man, I didn’t expect you to come. Are you reconsidering?” Cade asked.
“Just came to watch you play,” Jude said. “I’m still loyal to my band, I’m sure you understand that. Anyway, I’m sorry to come backstage. I actually wanted to meet the muse you told me so much about.”
Jude smiled at Zoey but instead of melting, she backed away. There was nothing worse to her than being “the muse.” She knew a lot of musicians used that term to reference their good luck charm or whatever ignited their creativity, but it simply wasn’t something she wanted to be. Did she want to inspire great music? Of course! But she wanted to do that out of something more than some stupid superstition.
“Yeah, really guys, about that muse thing. I really wish you’d cut it out. I don’t even know when you’re joking around about it,” she said.
“Well, I was just using that as an excuse to meet you,” Jude said as he looked into her eyes.
That simple sentence combined with that look he gave her made her anger disappear. It was more than just those incredible green eyes with gold flecks that caught what little light there was. Something in her connected with him. It was like he looked deep into her soul and knew her. She had to get to know him better.
The stage manager, an overweight man who resembled a cherub with curly blond hair and rosy cheeks, gave the signal that they were ready in two minutes by holding up two fingers.
“Jude, come meet the rest of the band real quick before we go on stage,” Cade said.
Zoey shot Cade her death look, but either he didn’t notice or he didn’t care. She couldn't help but think he was taking Jude away on purpose. Briefly wondering if Cade was into her, she reminded herself that she never saw him get jealous or cock block a guy who tried talking to her before. She didn’t know what to think. Maybe she was just being sensitive.
As she hopped off the stage, she noticed Richard Black by the bar. Making her way to him quickly so she didn’t miss the opening number, she made it across the room in no time.
“Did you ask around about me?” he asked with a knowing grin.
“You know the diner down Sunset?” she asked, not bothering to answer him. “I’ll meet you there at 2am, after the show.”
“We could meet in the morning if that’s easier.”
“No, I don’t do mornings. If you really want to talk, then you’ll meet me there tonight. Get a coffee if you need something to keep you up,” she said before making her way back to her spot in front of the stage.
Looking around, she wondered where Jude was, but it didn’t matter. She knew she’d be seeing a lot more of him
soon. She'd make sure of it. Los Angeles wasn’t that big of a city.
The glow of the lights from the diner spilled though the windows onto the sidewalk. As Zoey walked past, she jumped up to peek into the windows to see if Richard Black was inside yet. She deliberately showed up a few minutes late because she hated to wait for people.
Entering the diner, she spotted him sitting all the way in the back, at the end of the row of booths. Booths lined the diner along the wall of windows that faced the sidewalk, while a long counter with swiveling stools took up the other side. The seats were made of red vinyl, and despite being cared for, they were soft with age. The Formica tables were beige with simple red coffee and sandwich designs. Some of them had tea and coffee stains from years of use.
Richard put his hand up and then stood as she approached the table. After she slid into the booth, he sat down across from her and waved a waitress over.
“Two coffees, please,” he said.
“No coffee for me. Can’t stand it. I’ll have a Coke,” Zoey said to the waitress.
“I have to tell you, I’m surprised you showed up.”
“I said I’d be here, what’s going on?”
“Well, I’ve decided to go out on my own recently and started my own company, Black Dog Recordings. I think the best way to start is small, to choose one band and put all my support behind them.”
“So what do you need me for?” Zoey asked.
“You know the scene. You’re familiar with most of the bands and you know what sets each one apart. I want your help in choosing a band to sign to my label.”
“Are you serious?”
“Completely. I never joke about business. I want you to be my A&R Manager. You have this uncanny ability of being able to find what’s wrong with a band and set it right. They listen to you and respect you. I’ve heard of the different suggestions you’ve made to bands and whenever they follow them, they succeed. That’s a talent by itself.”
“But I have no experience.”
“I’ll help you out. We’ll talk about the scene, you’ll advise me on who to look at. Then when you start school, you can take business classes to learn the other side of this. What do you think? Will you help me?”
Zoey was floored. Working in A&R sounded like a dream come true. Immediately, her mind raced through all the LA bands she knew as she tried to think of one that was perfect for him to back as his first label artist.
“I can’t come up with anything. Every band I know has a pretty big problem. Take Tan Lines tonight at The Whiskey. They’re a great band, but their drummer just has no life to him. It’s like he’s just going through the motions, and it really affects their music. They’ve done great so far, but without changing him, I don’t see how they’d get any further.”
“You see, that’s what I’m talking about. How many people do you think realized that tonight? I’ll tell you, maybe a handful tops. And I also think you’re right about the scene, which is why I have another idea. I’m putting a new band together.”
“What do you mean? Like a boy band? Just no freaking way. I can’t help you there.”
Richard laughed. “No, a rock band. There was this band up in Seattle which was amazing. Unfortunately, they had some problems and lost their singer to heroin. Eventually they decided it was too much for them to consider finding a new vocalist, so they gave up and called it quits. I don’t know if you ever heard of the band Mother, but that's who I'm talking about.”
“Actually, I have. Some of the guys I know have seen them in concert and told me how they kick ass. That’s a shame they split up though. What are you going to do?”
“I spoke with two of their members, Matt and Stone Murdock, their guitarist and bassist. They're brothers. They’re on board with forming a new band, so now I only need a singer and drums, but those two slots are so important that if I don't find the right two people, this will never take off. I’m pretty sure I can convince Cade to leave Tan Lines for this new band. I’ve seen him perform a lot lately, he’s bored and I think he wants more.”
Zoey thought about her brief talk with Cade about Richard Black and could tell he was ready to give anything a try.
“So that leaves me with drums. If I can’t find the right guy, then the whole thing is a bust. Do you know of any drummers who can really play?” Richard asked.
She didn’t need any time to think. “Yes, I actually do. I just heard him a few nights ago. Cade even wanted him to join Tan Lines.”
“Who is he? Do I know the band he’s with?”
“No, they’re a small band and he’s the only one worth anything in it," she said. “He’s really talented though. His name is Jude Morrison.”
5
Jude
“Jude!” Ron yelled from the living room. “There’s a girl here for you.”
Jude sighed as he ran a towel over his wet hair. It had to be Selena, no, Stephanie…damn, what was her name? He wasn’t expecting her, but he said she could stop by anytime. Quickly pulling on a dark pair of jeans, he walked into the living room expecting to find her.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“Outside. She wouldn’t come in,” Derek said.
“What did you guys say to her?”
“Nothing, I swear,” Ron said. “I don’t even know her, and you know me better than that. I get to know a person and then I become an ass.” Ron grinned at Jude.
Opening the door, Jude was surprised to see Zoey standing there. Her back was facing him as she looked out at the passing traffic. Her black hair was pulled into two low ponytails. He admired her round ass in her jeans and fought the urge to touch it when she turned around.
“Oh, I didn’t hear the door open,” she said as her cheeks turned red. “How long were you standing there? Why didn’t you say something?”
“I thought you were someone else,” Jude said. “You want to come in?”
“Umm, no.” she said as she peeked into the apartment. “Listen, I was wondering if we could go somewhere and talk. Somewhere private.”
“Yeah, sure. Something wrong?”
“No, just come with me.”
Jude rushed to grab a clean, dark blue t-shirt and left the apartment with Zoey. He couldn’t figure out why she was there, but he was glad to see her. He hoped nothing would interfere with his getting to know her now.
“How’d you find out where I live?” he asked.
“I saw you talking to that brown-haired girl the other night at the club. I just ran into her last night and asked if she knew how to find you,” Zoey said. “Umm…Stacy? Susie? Oh, Sydney! At least I think that’s her name.”
“What is it with that girl?” Jude said, laughing. “I cannot remember her name either.”
“Her name doesn't fit her. It’s not you,” Zoey said and shrugged. “A lot of these girls that hang at the clubs change their names. I don’t think they want their families to know where they’re at.”
Jude nodded. It made sense to him. There were a lot of girls around the clubs, and he knew not all of them were old enough to be there. He also remembered back home in Ohio, friends sneaking out to go to parties or getting fake IDs. He could see someone using a fake name just to make sure their parents never found out where they were.
“So what do you want to talk about? Why all the secrecy?”
“I’m sorry about that. I just wanted to talk to you without the other guys there. I’m not sure how they’d react, and I really want you to at least think about this.”
“Spill it,” he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto a bus.
“Where are we going?”
“I know a couple of guys who play during the day at the Third Street Promenade. Let’s go listen to them and then we can walk up to the pier.”
Jude loved the ocean. He never told his friends, but one of the reasons he wanted to go out to LA was to be closer to the ocean. In Ohio they had the lake, but it wasn’t enough. He was drawn to the sandy shores and cliffs of California. Santa
Monica always buzzed with lots of energy, and he couldn’t think of a better place to spend some time with her.
After getting off the bus, they walked up to Third Street. The Third Street Promenade was a closed street lined with shops and restaurants on either side. Tall palm trees bordered the street in the center where at the end were bushes sculpted into dinosaurs that spewed water into rectangular pools. The Promenade was crowded, which made it difficult for them to talk while they were walking.
Not wanting to lose her in the crowd, Jude took her hand again and interlaced his fingers with hers. He held her hand as they weaved through the crowds on their way to the center where two of Jude’s friends played acoustic guitars and sang to a small circle of people outside a restaurant. In front of the duo was an open guitar case for tips.
Jude nodded at his friends to say hello as they played. He and Zoey listened for a few minutes, still holding hands, before he turned to her and smiled, happy to be there with her.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” he asked.
“Listen, I know you told Cade you didn’t want to audition for Tan Lines because of your band—”
“Is that what this is about? What is it with you and Cade?”
Jude let go of her hand. He knew he had no right to be jealous. This was the first time they ever got to spend time together and he was already acting like a jerk, but he was hurt she took the time to find him just to talk about another guy.
“No! Oh please no, not Cade. And not Tan Lines either. I want to talk to you about something else,” she said before pausing. “I found out about a band this new record company is putting together. It sounds like it could be a really great thing. The guy, Richard Black, is going to put all his efforts behind one band to start off his company. He’s got two guys already from another band. I’m sure you’ve heard of the band Mother.”
Lucky: A Rockstar Romance Two Book Boxed Set Page 18
