“Oh wow. I will.” She immediately spills out its contents and holds the passes against her chest. “Thank you!” she squeals, reaching for her phone. “I have to tell my friend.”
I smile and mouth ‘you’re welcome’ as her call connects, and she hysterically tells her friend about the tickets. Then I laugh, because I’d love to see Marcus’s face when he looks down and sees I didn’t take the bait. I’ll show him who’s the exception to the rule. It’ll take more than a couple of tickets to get this little black duck to swoon over the likes of Marcus Bailey.
Four
Marcus
I was born to be on stage. There’s a lot about the music industry I don’t like, but performing will never be one of them. When I’m centre stage, it feels like the whole world is screaming my name. I’m not lonely here. I’m the man they want, the man they paid hundreds to see. On stage, I feel like a god. It’s when the lights turn off and the music stops that I have a problem with my life.
But I’m hoping to take steps towards fixing that when the show ends and Lisa makes her way backstage. I haven’t looked forward to an after party for months.
I’ll see her as soon as she walks in, feeling out of place. Then we’ll lock eyes and she’ll probably blush the way she did when she realised I was the Marcus Bailey. I’ll make my way through the crowd, and she’ll feel really important when I take her by the hand and tell her I have something special planned just for her. Which I do. I’ve booked out Zephyr, the rooftop bar at the Hyatt Regency. It has views of the harbour for days and we’ll have it all to ourselves.
We’ll spend the night talking about 60s music, and why she shouldn’t give up on modern artists when some of them have a lot to offer. She’ll immediately realise I’m talking about me because she’s smart like that, but she’ll smile and lick her lips and I’ll know I have my opening. I’ll signal to the staff that they need to leave, and I’ll have my way with her then and there. Maybe I’ll get us a room and we can talk some more and fuck a whole lot. And if I’m not bored by the end of it, I might even ask her out again. This could be the start of something. Naomi didn’t know what she was talking about.
“Thank you all for coming out this evening,” I say into the mic as the crowd quiets. “This final song is called, Incredible.” Cue the crowd screaming.
I purposely chose this to sing last because the spotlight is going to sweep over the first few rows of the audience and I’ll get to see her. Lisa, sitting in the front row with a smile on her face and a tingle between her thighs.
If I’ve played my cards right, she’ll think I’m singing this song for her. We’ll make eye contact and when she comes backstage, she’ll be putty in my hands.
She’s been in the front of my mind all week, and I need tonight to go well so I can figure out if this is just some weird infatuation, or there’s actually something there. There’s also the possibility that this is all a setup and she knew who I was all along—it’s so hard to trust people these days.
As I strum out the intro, I do my normal thing and introduce the band members, thanking them all for playing for me tonight. Then I close my eyes and launch into the ballad.
Your eyes
Oh, they’re always shining
You make me feel
Without even trying
You’re so beautiful
You make me want to stay
I know
When I flatter you, you never believe me
I know
That in the mirror, you don’t see what I see
If I have to
I will tell you every day
Two backing singers join in on the chorus. At this point, I’m putting as much emotion into the words as I can, timing the point where I open my eyes so she’s the first person I see.
Let it be known, Marcus Bailey knows how to woo a woman.
You’re incredible
In every way
I wouldn’t change a thing
Everything about you
Is heart stopping
I open my eyes for the last line, the most powerful line, because all the music stops for a few beats and all there is is the power of my voice.
Everything about you
Is heart stopping
Cue the swoon. I lock eyes with the centre front-row seat, and my fingers stumble slightly over the final cords of the song. She’s not there. There are two young girls I’ve never even seen before here instead. What the fuck? Thankfully, I recover quickly and I don’t think anyone notices my slip up.
“Thank you, Sydney!” I yell, hand above my head as I back away then walk off the stage. The crowd roars but I’m reeling.
Why the hell didn’t she come? Who the hell says no to a rock star?
* * *
Lisa
“Come on, Perry. Surely you’ve pissed on every tree in the neighbourhood by now. Consider your territory thoroughly marked,” I say to my golden retriever as I tug at his lead.
Every morning, we go through this same routine. I swear that if this dog pees any more, he will become so dehydrated that he’ll turn into a dusty husk and blow away on the next gust of wind.
I walk him so we both get some exercise, but this constant stopping doesn’t do much for either of our cardiovascular systems.
Giving his lead one last tug, he follows along beside me, panting happily as his tail swings gaily in the air for the last twenty metres back to my house without further incident.
Well… not really. I stop dead in my tracks when I find none other than Marcus Bailey sitting on my front porch.
“What the hell? How did you find out where I live?”
“There are surprisingly very few ‘L. Russell’s in the directory and even fewer within commuting distance to the studio,” he replies.
“Thanks for that, Sherlock, you’ve just given me the perfect reason to become unlisted.”
Perry, the traitor, wags his tail happily at Marcus and tries to run towards him. I grip the lead solidly at my side, but I’m struggling to maintain my balance against my big strong puppy.
“Wait,” I command, and he sits for about two seconds. In a move that would make Houdini proud, Perry slips his collar and bounds up my front steps, jumping on Marcus who seems only too pleased to pat him and give him all the attention he’s after. “Perry!” Whose dog does he think he is?
“G’day, big guy. Aren’t you fluffy? Yes you are,” Marcus coos, scratching him behind the ears. Perry pants and rolls on his back for a belly rub.
“He’s not allowed to jump on people. You’re rewarding him for being bad.”
“Did you get my note?” he asks, ignoring my objections while he continues to lavish Perry with attention.
“I did.”
“You didn’t want to see my show?”
“I told you. I’m not interested.”
His blue eyes level with mine, like he’s trying to read whether I’m telling the truth or not.
“I’m staying in town for a while. My home is here and I haven’t seen my family properly for the last couple of years. I’ve decided I need a break from all the attention.”
“Good for you,” I say, wondering where this is all going and why he’s at my house.
“I think we should at least be friends,” he announces, a decision he’s obviously not planning on consulting me over.
“Friends? I stood you up last night and that made you want me as a friend?” This guy’s insane. He’d probably get along great with my dad.
“Yes. I like you. I like your no bullshit attitude. I also like that you don’t seem to give a fuck about who I am. So, I’d like us to be friends.”
I hold my thumb over my shoulder and point next door. “Mr Melnic probably doesn’t know who you are either. He can talk underwater with a mouth full of marbles. I’m sure he’d welcome your friendship.”
Marcus laughs and stands up, Perry faithfully at his side. “See. That’s what I‘m talking about. This is going to work out great.” He walks
down the stairs and stops just in front of me. I freeze, not knowing exactly what he’s planning to do. He leans in and my breath hitches involuntarily, causing his eyes to crease with a knowing grin. Something about his nearness is making me shake as he holds my eyes and reaches down to take the lead and Perry’s slipped collar out of my hand. I struggle to let it go. I can’t even think of anything to say as I watch him secure my dog. I’m just working on the breathing part while my cheeks burn with my body’s betrayal.
“I’ll see you soon, Lisa.” His voice is a gentle murmur as he returns the lead to my hand, ensuring his fingers brush lightly against mine at the same time. A ripple of electricity shoots up my arm and I clench my jaw, wishing it would fuck off.
“I don’t want to be your friend,” I force out, trying to regain a little composure and control.
“I genuinely hope not.” He winks then walks straight past me, climbing into his silver Porsche 911.
For what feels like the billionth time since I met him, I’m rolling my eyes at his entitled bullshit. Who does he think he is waltzing in on my life uninvited? Still, I can’t help but release a chuckle as I watch such a tall man fold himself up into a tiny sports car. It just looks comical.
“What a douche,” I mutter as the Porsche rumbles down the road. Perry barks once and I take that as him agreeing with me. Although based on his earlier reaction to Marcus, I think it was more a ‘come back’ bark than anything else. Traitor.
* * *
“Lisa. Lisa!” I hear from behind me as I enter the office on Monday morning. I turn to find Erin bounding down the hallway towards me. “I just wanted to thank you again for those tickets. Saturday night was absolutely epic. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun. You wouldn’t believe all the celebrities we met backstage. I spoke to Kurt Marx.” She bounces on her toes. “Do you know him? He’s on that MTV reality show about his dad, Jimmy. You have to know him. Ohmigawd. It’s my favourite show, and Marcus Bailey is my absolute favourite singer. And I got autographs from them both. Thank you so, so much! It was just—”
“It was my pleasure.” I hold up my hand to interrupt her gushing. “I was never going to go, so I'm glad the tickets went to someone who enjoyed it.”
“Oh, I did. Very much. So did my friend.”
“Excellent.” Lifting my briefcase to show her I still haven’t made it to my office, I tilt my head to indicate that I'm about to leave.
“Oh. Sure. Sorry. Have a great day. I just wanted to say thanks, and let you know that if you ever need anything from me—and I mean anything—just ask.” She lifts her hand up to cover her mouth conspiratorially. “Like if you need me to mark you here when you're running late just let me know. I’m more than happy to help you out. Anything you need. Anything. Just ask.”
I can't help but laugh. "Thank you, Erin. I'll make sure I remember that."
As I walk to my office smiling, I realise I’ll never have to take a call I don’t want as long as Erin is on reception. With Marcus Bailey on the chase, she can be my gatekeeper. That’s a pretty sweet deal as far as I’m concerned.
“Good morning.”
“Holy shit,” I gasp as I enter my office and find Sandra sitting behind my desk. “What are you doing in here?”
“Waiting for you, obviously,” she replies.
She doesn’t appear very impressed with me. “What’s up?”
“Oh. Nothing…nothing important anyway.” She lowers her eyes and scratches at something non-existent on my desktop. I place my bag on the floor and sit down in the visitor’s chair.
“Alright. I give. What’s not important but has you sighing petulantly?”
“Like I said, it’s nothing. I just typed up the recording you sent through to me this weekend and well… I thought you said he didn’t try anything.”
“Who? Marcus Bailey?”
“Yeah. You didn’t stop the recording when you finished talking to him because it recorded him asking you out to dinner.”
“Did it also record me refusing him?”
“Yes, it did. But why didn’t you tell me he asked you out?”
“Why does it matter? It’s not like I went. It’s not like you dated him… right? He’s just some guy who took advantage of his fame with you because you look a lot like that Naomi woman he was obviously in love with. You aren’t actually hung up on him are you?”
“How do you know about Naomi Prendergast?” She narrows her eyes.
I shrug and look away for a moment, suddenly uncomfortable. “Because…I Googled him. I was embarrassed after the interview and wanted to see if he’d cause any trouble because of it.” Now I’m pulling some vague reasoning out of my arse because I don’t want to admit the man intrigues me. I mean, who asks a woman out, gets knocked back and stood up then shows up at her house deciding they want to be friends? I’ll give him one thing, he’s persistent.
Sandra sighs. “I guess it doesn’t really matter. I just thought you would have told me is all. We could have laughed about it. It was pretty funny the way you rebuffed him. I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t tell me.” She drops her eyes, looking genuinely hurt.
“I didn’t tell you because you were so upset about seeing him again. I didn’t want you to know he hit on me too.” I shrug. “I don’t know. I guess I was trying to protect you. I didn’t want you to feel cheap. Because that’s what rock stars do, they use women like napkins and throw them away, forgotten.”
Her brow pinches together. “I’m not stupid, Lisa. I know he probably has no idea who I am anymore. I know he’s probably done exactly what he did with me with at least a hundred other women since. But Lisa…he’s amazing.” Wait. What? “I have never had a man with his skills before. After the interview, he hit on me. It’s not the first time it’s happened, but there was something about him. He seemed… I don’t know… vulnerable. I ended up falling for it and I had sex with him in the dressing room. But it didn’t end there. He took me back to his hotel and we spent the whole night talking, and… well… it was mind blowing. I ended up spending the whole weekend with him, and as much as I know I’m probably not the only one he’s done that with. I still don’t want to know for sure. I guess I’ve been hanging onto it. Hoping I was special, but hearing him ask you out too… well… it just confirms what I knew all along; I was just another girl to him.” She stands up and touches her fingers to the corner of her eyes, making sure that it doesn’t smudge her make up. “I don’t know why I’m upset. I guess I just thought you’d be honest with me.”
I stand up. “I’m sorry, Sandra. I wasn’t trying to deceive you. I just didn’t know the extent of your time together.”
She shakes her head. “It’s OK. I’m being an idiot. He’s a rock star for fuck’s sake. As if he’d really give a shit about a couple of girls working at a magazine right?”
I think back to Sunday morning when he was waiting for me on my front porch and bite at my bottom lip. Is that him giving a shit? Or is that just what he does? Either way, I don’t want to find out. “Exactly. I’m sure he’s moved on twenty times already,” I tell her, wondering how the hell I’m supposed to tell her he’s continuing to pursue me. “We should probably forget he even existed. I think that’s only fair.”
She laughs and gives a little sniff. “Yeah. Get our own back.”
I reach out and give her upper arm a squeeze. “For sure. He’s not worth it.”
With a wan smile, she rises from my desk and heads out the door, telling me she’ll talk to me later.
“Bye, Sandra.” When she’s gone, I sit and stare at my hand, remembering the way it felt when his fingers brushed against mine. It’s cruel that men like this exist. They run around making women feel like they’re the centre of the world, then they just…disappear. Or worse, they stay and fuck everything that moves on the side. “I don’t want you,” I whisper to the feeling beneath my skin. “Go away.”
God, what is it about these men that makes women go stupid? I have a genuine fear right no
w that Marcus Bailey is going to make a complete mess of my life and destroy one of the closest friendships I have. All because he can’t take no for an answer.
Five
Lisa
Spending two weeks looking over my shoulder is exhausting. I keep expecting Marcus to pop up again and get in my way. Thankfully, all has been quiet on my end. No random notes or visits to my home. Maybe he’s bored already? A girl can hope.
Marcus is lucky I don’t want him in my life, or I’d be feeling particularly pissed about now. He went to the trouble of finding me then… poof. Nothing. I’m glad he’s gone, but I’m feeling put out over the anxiety he’s caused me. I jump when the phone rings, I hold my breath when I open my front door, grind my teeth when mail comes for me at work. If he wasn’t planning on pursuing this ‘friendship’ he should have left well enough alone. I don’t need his brand of bullshit in my life. He’s disrupted my calm.
I have half a mind to track him down and give him a piece of my mind. Teach him a lesson he’ll never forget. But I don’t. I’m not about the revenge life. Well, not anymore…
Forcing thoughts of bloody Marcus from my mind, I prepare myself for my Friday night. This week, I’m planning a quiet night in for a change. Who am I kidding? I plan pretty much every night in. I don’t go for whole nightclub scene. I never really have. No… I’m lying. Once upon a time, I was a bleached-blonde party girl who could drink all night and sleep all day. My family was pretty connected, so bouncers would turn a blind eye, letting me into clubs and bars well before I was legally allowed. It all got very boring and repetitive by the time I hit my twenties and I was working all the time. I never understood how my friends could keep reliving the same night out, over and over. It felt like Groundhog Day. Eventually, I stopped accepting invitations. I guess that’s how my ex found it so easy to cheat on me. While I was at home, enjoying the simple things, he was out partying, enjoying other women…
Beautiful Boxset: Beautiful Series, books 1-4 Page 125
