Bright Lights: Book One of the Talia Shaw Series

by Darcy, Christine J

  The car took longer than the helicopter, but Laurie didn’t mention it. He kept looking at my lips. “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing.”

  I smiled. I’d have to wear red lipstick more often.

  We got there within two hours. The driver popped champagne and handed us a flute each. There was nobody else nearby. We had the spot to ourselves. The driver must have gotten back into the car, I guessed, to give us some privacy.

  Laurie and I clinked, “to me and you,” he said.

  “You and me,” I agreed.

  “And, those red lips,” he added. I smiled and we drank. He stood behind me, putting his arms around me. I held onto them, looking at the ink decorating his tan skin, the arm light hair running over the top of them, feeling the warmth of his body as the night became cool. We watched the orange sun set over the deep red of the Grand Canyon. It was quiet, but I could almost hear the music of it.

  I knew I’d remember this trip, all of these moments for the rest of my life. Even when this was over, even it if ended horribly, I’d always remember everything happily. I wouldn’t be able to help it. The thought of Laurie would follow me around for the rest of my life. And I hoped the thought of me would follow him.

  Nine

  I woke up to Laurie’s groan at 5:32am.

  “Shaw,” he said. He took my vibrating phone from the bedside table and handed it to me.

  I opened my eyes just enough to press the button to answer the phone. “Talia!” I couldn’t recognise the voice screaming at the other end.

  I jumped a little, waking up. I opened my eyes and read the name on my phone. “Lucy?” I asked.

  “Wake the fuck up, Talia. Why are you still asleep?”

  “Why are you awake?” I argued.

  “I haven’t gone to sleep yet,” she laughed.

  Laurie groaned again, “Talia.”

  “I’m going back to sleep,” I said.

  “No! You got five Grammy nominations!” she screamed as I was about to hang up.

  “What?”

  Laurie seemed to hear it too. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

  “Best new artist, song of the year, best pop solo, best pop album and best music video,” she listed. She started laughing.

  “Are you serious?” I asked. Laurie took the phone from me and put it on loud speaker.

  “I’m 100% serious. It’s gotta be a record. I can’t believe I’m the one to tell you. Congratulations, girl.”

  Manny’s number came up on the phone, calling. Then Katie’s. Teddy sent me a text. “Thanks Luce. To you, too.”

  Laurie’s phone started ringing then. “Okay. You sound busy. Call me later to organise celebrations.”

  “Okay. Talk later,” I said and hung up as Laurie answered his phone, getting up and out of bed.

  “Hey. Yeah. She’s here. I know. We’ve just heard,” he turned back around to look at me with a wide smile. “I’ll tell her. Thanks.” Laurie hung up.

  We looked at each other for a moment. Then Laurie jumped up onto the bed and ran across it to me. He crashed into me, squeezing me tightly. “Congratulations,” he said, into my ear.

  “Thank you.” He pulled away a little to look at me.

  “You deserve it.”

  I reached up and kissed him, pulling on his neck to bring him closer to me. He picked me up and sat down, bringing me with him in a straddle. My phone rang again. I pulled away from his lips with a frown. He smiled at me. His expression was so loving, so proud. It almost took my breath away. I kissed him again savouring the softness of his lips.

  “I’m glad you’re here with me, right now,” I said.

  “Me too,” he answered. He kissed me again and then lifted me off him. “You answer that. I’m making breakfast.”

  Since Laurie had been staying regularly, I discovered he could make a hell of a breakfast. Bacon, eggs, beans, French toast if I wanted it.

  “Wait,” I said. He stopped. “Will you go with me?” A date to the Grammies was pretty official. But, I wanted him beside me.

  The phone was ringing incessantly. “Of course,” he assured me. “If I can. Answer that.”

  He walked out of the room as I answered Manny’s call.

  “Hi, Manny.” He answered with a rush of congratulations and then began to list all that we needed to do. I had a series of interviews throughout December before the Christmas break, including photoshoots and a Nominee Luncheon, which sounded terrifying. To be sitting in a room with all of the people whose music I’d been listening to for years and been inspired by. Manny told me he’d organise everything and get me all the information. He also said I needed to get myself a personal assistant to keep track of it all. And I was to talk to Katie and Ari as soon as possible for PR and styling. I agreed to everything and told him I had to go.

  When Laurie and I got back to LA, we realised how closely the rest of the world had been watching. We’d felt all on our own on that road trip, but the media had been following along. Manny and Katie wanted us to do press. The paparazzi following us quadrupled in size and in aggression. My Instagram following increased as did the abuse hurled at me. I could never have imagined the good things about this life being outweighed by the bad but it had started to seem more and more possible. But in that moment, I felt so good. That people had loved my songs. That they had been affected, the way the music I had grown up with had affected me.

  I took a few breaths on the bed, in the quiet. Then it hit me. A Grammy. I could win a Grammy. Just like Kelly had always dreamed. Ashley had never talked about it or seemed to care about awards. But Kelly had been planning her acceptance speech since she first started singing. At sleepovers, she would get out her basketball trophies and do the whole thing in front of us. I told myself in that moment that if I won anything at all, I would get the chance to dedicate it to her. To both of them. It wasn’t fair. It was never going to be fair. But if I thought on it too long it would overwhelm me. It had gotten easier to just stop thinking about it. So, when Saffy called just moments later, probably having heard the news, I ignored it. Talking to Saffy, even if she didn’t bring them up directly, always made me think of them. I missed her, but I couldn’t deal with it in that moment.

  I threw on a robe and started down the stairs. The smell of bacon was already drifting around the house. I met Laurie in the kitchen and helped him finish everything up. It was still dark outside and cold, so we took our breakfast into the living room, snuggled under a blanket and watched early morning cartoons as we ate.

  Mom and Dad called after breakfast and offered their congratulations. I thanked them, not just for the congratulations but for the support they’d given me. For the music lessons and instruments, for taking me to band practice and our local pub gigs.

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart. It was our pleasure,” Mom said, getting emotional.

  “I saw Barry Mendel the other day,” Dad piped up.

  I swallowed. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. He was walking a dog.”

  They don’t have a dog, I thought. Kelly had always wanted one. “That’s nice. Hey, I’ve gotta go, Laurie’s making me breakfast.”

  “Wait! Is he coming for Christmas?” Mom asked.

  “I’m not sure, Mom. It’s still far away,” I answered.

  “It’s less than a month,” she said. “He’s welcome to come. Just let him know.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Talk later.”

  “Bye. sweetheart,” Mom said, quickly.

  “Bye, darlin,” Dad said a second before I hung up.

  Laurie was coming out of the shower as I arrived upstairs. Steam slipped through the bathroom door. He looked like he belonged in a music video. The black ink of his tattoos looked darker. Water dripped from his long hair, down his torso and into the white towel slung loosely around his hips. “What are you looking at?” he said with a smile.

  “You,” I said, brazenly.

  “You should have joined me,” he said, coming over. He lifted th
e shirt I slept in, just a little, teasing the skin there. “How are your parents?” he asked as he walked over to the big brown leather chair in one corner of my bedroom. It had become his makeshift closet as it piled up with clothes and other things he had left at my house.

  “Good. Mom reminded me about Christmas.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “I realised we hadn’t really discussed it,” I said.

  “I guess we haven’t,” he said, slipping on briefs and his usual black jeans. “You’re going home?”

  “Yeah,” I said. Waiting for his plans.

  “Me too. Mom would kill me if I didn’t,” he said, a slight frown.

  “I get that,” I answered. “What about New Years?”

  “I thought I’d stay with Mom,” he answered as he threw on a shirt.

  “Oh,” I said, my mind trying to catch up with what I’d heard. “That’s… nice.”

  He started laughing. “That was a joke, Shaw.”

  “Hilarious.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Actually, I thought I’d head down to Australia.” I looked at him, questioningly. He smiled.

  “Really?” I asked. He nodded. “That sounds good.” I didn’t want to give him too much of a reaction. He knew it.

  I went to shower before I could let it slip that I loved him. The words were desperate to fly out of me. But I knew he might be easily spooked. Even if he probably knew I felt it, I wasn’t going to say it.

  When I got out of the shower, I discovered texts from an array of people. Merrick and Vinny had both texted their congratulations. Lucy was insisting we go out to celebrate. Manny and Katie had set up calls with me and Ari had set up a fitting. Teddy told me to call him and Saffy said she’d try again later.

  * * *

  That night, I was going through my wardrobe for an outfit as Laurie lay in bed, texting. Lucy had organised the celebrations but Laurie wanted to stay in.

  “Why not throw a party here?” he suggested.

  “Lucy has already organised everything,” I said.

  Laurie took a breath. I looked over to him, concerned. “You never want to go out lately. What’s going on?”

  “It’s just not worth it. Dealing with all the people.” He was referring to the crowds that had started to gather around us. Even Leif was becoming overwhelmed with it all, saying we might need a second bodyguard.

  I was sure it would fade. “The more we go out, the more people will just get used to it.”

  “That’s not really how it works,” Laurie insisted.

  “So, we just stay home?” I asked. He didn’t seem like the kind to be kept home by all the craziness. “It never seemed to bother you before?”

  “It’s never been this bad,” he answered. Is that my fault? It kind of felt like that was what he was saying. Not my fault exactly but the result of us being together. He must have recognised the way I heard it because he jumped up and into the closet with me. He stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my stomach.

  “Don’t listen to me.” He kissed my neck. I turned to look at him but he was looking forward. He reached out and grabbed a dress, another of Ari’s additions to my wardrobe, a deep red suede body con dress. “You should wear this.”

  I took it from his hands. He took his shirt off and started dressing for the night. Lucy had given us an address and told us to dress nicely.

  Laurie drove us in the red mustang to the address which turned out to be a dive bar in the Valley with a dingy little stage for karaoke and a broken down mechanical bull. Lucy’s Uncle Marco was the owner and was happy to host our little party. The bar wasn’t closed and there were few people there who weren’t from our party.

  We arrived to find Leif and another security guard at the door.

  “Congratulations,” Leif said. I thanked him as he kissed me on the cheek.

  Vinny and Merrick practically tackled me to the ground as we entered the bar. Joe was there, too. Drinking whiskey in a corner booth with some friends I didn’t know. “Proud of you, kid,” he offered. Teddy was drinking with Georgia and a few other girls, I assumed were her friends.

  “Hi,” I greeted him. I raised my eyebrows as he came in for the hug. I hadn’t known they were back together.

  “Do you mind?” he asked.

  “Of course not,” I assured him. “How are you, Georgia? Nice to see you.”

  She hugged me. “Congratulations.”

  After we parted, Teddy wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. I smiled at him. I just wanted him to be happy. I wondered when they’d gotten back together.

  “How you going, mate?” Laurie said, shaking Teddy’s hand.

  Lucy brought over a tray full of shots and we took one each. “Who’s got a toast?” she asked.

  Laurie and Teddy looked at each other, communicating something between them. “I don’t need one,” I said, quickly.

  “I’ve got one,” Teddy spoke up. “To the kindest, most talented, most incredible person I’ve ever worked with. I’m so proud to call you my friend. You deserve all of this and more. To Talia.”

  I could’ve cried. I just smiled, gratefully. We cheered and drank. And drank. And drank.

  Merrick and Vinny sang Bon Jovi songs on karaoke as Joe looked on ashamed.

  Lucy and I both rode on the bull after Marco had done a little fixing. She had obviously had much more experience than I did. I came crashing down within seconds. She lasted half a minute. Laurie watched, highly amused.

  We were both tipsy. I was a little closer to drunk. Laurie dragged me onto the dancefloor, just like the night at his house. He ran his hands all over me, before squeezing me tightly at the waist. He leaned down to whisper in my ear.

  “Let’s go away for a bit? Do you want to? We could go to Japan. To the mountains.”

  That sounded like heaven, but I wasn’t so drunk that I forgot the list of things Manny had already signed me up to. “I’d love that but I can’t. I have all these interviews and photoshoots. And the luncheon.”

  “Bail on it,” Laurie said. “You don’t need to do it.”

  “Manny said--”

  Laurie cut me off. “Manny’s full of shit. You don’t have to do everything he says.”

  I turned around and kissed him, distracting him from his train of thought, we could talk about it later. He let himself be distracted, one hand grabbing the base of my neck and the other around my back. We were still dancing, just a little.

  “Can I get a photo?” A young girl grabbed my arm, pulling me away from Laurie. She started taking selfies straight away. I looked over to the door and saw that Leif and his partner were keeping a group of paparazzi at bay.

  “Laurie,” I said, but he was already looking there.

  “You ready to go?” he asked. I nodded. I ran for Lucy, as she was climbing onto the stage.

  “Does this place have a backdoor?”

  “Of course.” She pointed to a back room. “You can’t miss it.”

  “Thank you for this. I love you,” I said, kissing her cheek. Laurie pulled me in the direction Lucy had pointed. I saw Teddy on the way out. He was having what seemed like a heavy conversation with Georgia. She was yelling. I probably should’ve stayed to talk to him, but Laurie wasn’t stopping.

  We went into the back room where staff kept their things and boxes were piled up with stock. There was a backdoor with a blurry window. Laurie looked through and said it looked clear. He opened it up and we rushed out. The car was at the back of the lot. Laurie and I ran. I nearly fell in my heels but Laurie held me to his side.

  “Should you be driving?” I asked.

  “I’m fine,” he assured me. He seemed fine.

  I heard the flashing and the footsteps. Laurie opened my door and ran around to his side. It was too late to put the roof up. The paparazzi, four of them and more coming, stood in front of the car, taking their pictures. “Were you drinking tonight?” one of them said.

  “Are you two getting engaged?”

  �
�Are you pregnant?”

  “Move!” Laurie yelled, in a tone I’d never heard before. He turned on the car and started edging forward.

  “Careful,” one of them, said. Then Leif was there, pulling people away, clearing the way.

  “Thank you,” I mouthed. He nodded, nervous. Laurie screeched out of the carpark as the paparazzi rushed into their own cars and dodgy white vans.

  We ran into traffic and they caught up quickly. Laurie tried to lose them, racing in and out of the cars.

  “Be careful, Laurie,” I said.

  He nodded. We found our way onto the Golden State Highway. It was 11pm and the roads were relatively busy. Laurie weaved through the traffic but our followers kept up. “Fucking hell,” he said, getting frustrated.

  A truck changed lanes in front of us. Laurie swerved to miss it, into the other lane. A car was pulled over, driver changing tires in that lane. Laurie hit the brakes. They were screeching so loud. We weren’t going to hit the car or the man changing his tire, I thought. They’d be fine.

  We were jolted forward as a white van slammed into the back of us. My head struck the dash. The seatbelt crushed into my chest. As my head flew back up I saw the person run out of the way as our car pushed forward and crashed into theirs. The window smashed, glass falling over us. The front window frame bent. The street light hanging from a tall pole dangled precariously over us. I feared it would drop.

  My head was pulsing with the pain of the strike. I heard sirens in the distance. A few cars had stopped. People came to check on us.

  “Are you okay?” they asked. I heard that clicking, flashing, and the cameras. I looked over at Laurie. He wasn’t moving. His eyes were closed.

  “Laurie! Are you okay? Laurie!”

  * * *

  I woke up, warm. The morning sun was coming in through the window, covering me. I looked down, to the left of me. Laurie laid his head by my hand. I was immediately relieved. I didn’t have long enough to realise the situation I was in. The last time I woke up in the hospital, two of my friends had died. The same could have happened to Laurie. But no. He was there. His breathing was low and steady, asleep. I lifted my fingers and touched a piece of his long brown hair. He seemed to feel it. He lifted his head, opened his eyes and looked at me.