The Roadie: Radical Rock Stars Book 7

by Jenna Galicki

  “Why didn’t you tell me you appeared in the video for Sex & Greed?” her father asked.

  She was on the Board of Directors of Falcon Records and never stopped to think that her involvement could reflect badly on the company. She worked hard to be taken seriously in the music business, and she may have just discredited all of her hard work. “I’m sorry, Daddy. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I didn’t realize it would look unprofessional. I honestly didn’t know I would be recognized.”

  Her father’s lips curled slightly. “I’m the stuffed shirt. You and Audra are the relevant ones. You keep Falcon Records fresh and current. I think it was genius. Everyone knows you’re a strong woman and a business professional, and this showcases your playful side. You’re tough in the board room but can still relate on a personal level to today’s youth and our clientele. You had fun, and it added an interesting element to the video. I’m very happy with the way it turned out and its success. What I’m trying to bring to your attention is that you never told me you had a new boyfriend.”

  “Yes. His name is Brett Navarro. We’ve been seeing each other for about three months, but he lives in California, so we don’t see each other that often. He’s a working-class man, but he does well for himself. He’s a roadie for Bulletproof. The West Coast heavy metal band.” Realizing that she was rattling on nonstop, she snapped her mouth shut. She had never been this excited to tell her father, or anyone, about a new boyfriend before, and it made her feel like a teenager.

  Her father wasn’t as excited. He studied her for a moment, his fingertips bridged together in front of him. “Is it serious?”

  “Yes,” she answered, without hesitation.

  It took a few moments before he spoke again. “Well, then, why haven’t I met this young man?”

  “You didn’t need to wear a suit.” Kira raked her eyes over Brett with approval and touched his lapel. “You look so handsome.”

  The only other time Brett had worn a suit was at his parents’ funeral. It was the one suit he owned, and he had no intention of ever wearing it again. He probably should donate it to The Salvation Army, instead of keeping it hanging in the closet under the dry cleaner’s plastic, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at it again. So, he decided to purchase a new suit when Kira invited him to New York to meet her father. He made no apologies for his plethora of tattoos or his abundance of facial hair, but he thought that showing up in jeans and a T-shirt would be disrespectful, and Kira’s father deserved respect. “I wanted to make a good impression. I know how important he is to you.”

  Kira was dressed in a pale peach tank dress which brought out her tanned complexion and blonde highlights, which still lingered from her time in the California sun a few weeks ago. He eyed her voraciously, and then rested his hands around her waist. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you. I want you to be yourself, but I’m not going to lie. My father will appreciate the suit. He’s going to love that we dressed for dinner.”

  A familiar rata-tat-tat, Jimmy’s signature knock, interrupted the kiss Brett was about to give his dream girl. He snuck the kiss in anyway, a second before she headed to the door.

  Jimmy squeezed her shoulder in greeting and walked straight up to Brett with a big smile on his face. “Man, I can’t believe you talked me into wearing a button-down shirt.”

  “Sorry, bruh,” Brett told Jimmy. “I wasn’t going to show up in jeans, and I didn’t want to stand out as the only one dressed up.”

  Jimmy slapped Brett on the back. “The old man is going to love that you’re wearing your Sunday best. Look at you, man. Those are some fancy threads you’ve got on.” He rubbed the lapel between his thumb and forefinger. “Expensive.”

  The amount of money that Brett shelled out for the suit was probably more than he’d spent on clothing in his entire adult life. He assumed that he’d wear it again, now that he was with Kira, at some formal functions that he’d attend as her guy.

  Mason joined his dad, also wearing a black button-down. “Why do we have to dress so fancy to go by Granpa Ron’s house?”

  “That’s my fault,” Brett admitted. “I never met him before, and I want him to like me. I thought it would be nice if we all dressed up, so I wasn’t the only one. So it wasn’t obvious.”

  Jimmy rested his hand on his son’s shoulder and leaned closer, as if telling him a secret. “Translation – he’s worried about meeting Grandpa Ron.”

  “Why?” Mason asked, as if meeting a billionaire record mogul was no big deal, especially when you were dating his youngest daughter.

  “Well, I have a lot of tattoos and a long beard,” Brett explained. “He might not like that. I thought he’d overlook those two things if I wore a suit. Your grandfather is a very powerful man in the record industry. I think he expects people to dress a certain way in his presence.”

  Mason shrugged. “He’s just Granpa Ron.”

  Audra’s phone rang, and she announced that a car was waiting for them downstairs. Nerves tickled Brett’s belly on the elevator ride to the lobby, and then it flip-flopped when he saw everyone heading toward the limo parked out front. “Do you always take a limo to your father’s house?” he asked Kira.

  “Yeah. We don’t all fit in one car,” she explained. “Plus, I don’t own a car. I don’t want to make Jimmy and Audra both drive. That’s a pain.”

  He looked at her quizzically. This was a girl who had everything, including a multi-million-dollar apartment. “Why don’t you own a car? There’s a garage in your building.”

  “Yes. In my building. But have you ever tried to find a parking space on the street in the City?”

  “I was just as surprised when I found out that these two didn’t own cars,” Jimmy offered. “They didn’t even know how to drive. I had to teach Audra on my Lambo when we first started dating.”

  “I was a natural,” Audra boasted. “I taught Kira. She took a little time to get used to shifting gears. I had to replace my clutch.”

  Kira’s mouth fell open. “You said it was on its way out!”

  “Yeah.” Jimmy grunted. “After you ground down the gears.”

  Kira looked at Brett, smiled, and shook her head. “Do you see what I have to put up with?”

  He loved the wonderful relationship she had with her family. Envied it, in fact. His little family had basically been ripped in half when he’d lost his parents. He still had his friends, and he was close with his brother, but he didn’t have the large circle of people that Kira had around her. And, at the center of it all, was her father.

  Brett was worried about meeting Ron Abelman, unsure if an overprotective father would view him as suitable to date his daughter, and worried about what would happen if the man disapproved. He tugged at his shirt collar, uncomfortable in the starched suit. He hoped he wasn’t trying too hard. All he wanted was for Kira’s father to like him. And he was about to find out, because the limo just pulled up to the curb.

  The Abelman estate was an enormous brownstone standing proudly on the Upper East Side, only steps from Central Park. A uniformed butler welcomed them inside with a stiff nod and led them into a grand entry foyer that had a black and white marble floor in a diamond pattern. Brett was in awe as he took in the lavish surroundings. It was sheer elegance. Contemporary with old world charm. The thick detailed crown molding immediately caught his eye, even before the heavy crystal chandelier.

  They waited in the parlor, a room Brett thought only existed in old-time movies. It was more like an upscale family room. A luxurious Persian rug sat in the center, covering light wood flooring that had a darker border which ran along the room’s perimeter. The overstated furniture, huge windows with heavy draperies, and pillars that displayed sculptured artwork probably worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, showcased the generations of wealth that came with the Abelman name.

  Brett was uncomfortable, afraid to touch anything and too nervous to sit, plus, he didn’t want to wrinkle his suit, while everyone else was complet
ely at ease. Mason immediately turned on the giant flat screen and started playing a video game with his Aunt Mary. Jimmy, always chill and relaxed, sat on a love seat next to Audra. His arms sprawled across the back of the couch while he tapped out a beat with his fingers, and his legs stretched out leisurely in front of him with his ankles crossed.

  “Sit down.” Kira patted the seat next to her on the leather couch. “Don’t be nervous. My father is a pussycat.”

  “More like a lion,” Jimmy snickered, and Audra elbowed him in the ribs.

  None of it was easing Brett’s trepidation about meeting one of the most powerful record mogul’s in the world, who just happened to be the father of the girl he was in love with. He didn’t want to bring attention to himself by standing awkwardly in the room when everyone else was seated, so he joined Kira on the couch. The buttery soft, cream-colored leather felt as if he were sitting on a cloud. It had a welcoming effect, and his spine momentarily relaxed, but the sound of heels clicking on the floor made him go rigid again.

  A woman entered the room, presumably Kira and Audra’s stepmother, and the four of them stood to greet her. She was regal and sophisticated in an ivory pantsuit with her hair pinned at the back of her neck in a stylish bun. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting,” she apologized. “I was just checking with Edward about dinner. He made a wonderful chateaubriand. If your father isn’t here in 30 seconds, I swear I’m going to disconnect the internet.”

  Mason dropped his controller, ran and gave her a quick hug, then returned to his video game.

  Mary didn’t jump up like Mason, but waved the controller, apologetically, and said a quick hello. “I’m winning,” she announced, with a joyful smile.

  Kira’s stepmother waved a greeting at Mason’s aunt, then kissed Audra and Jimmy on the cheek, then Kira. Then the woman took Brett’s hand and held it in both of hers and smiled warmly. “You must be Brett. I’m Claudia Abelman. It’s wonderful to meet you. Welcome to our home.”

  He wanted to shake her hand, but thought it would be too formal, since she was embracing it, so he just gave it a little squeeze. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  There wasn’t time to say anything else because hard footsteps coming from the other room grew louder as Mr. Abelman approached. Both Kira and Audra’s faces lit up, but Brett stiffened.

  The billionaire had an imposing presence and an air of confidence that overcrowded the room the moment he entered it. He wasn’t as tall as Brett, but easily six feet, with square shoulders and a broad chest. His demeanor was all business, and he emanated power and wealth.

  Before Kira and Audra had a chance to greet their father, Mason brushed passed them and stood in front of his grandfather. The kid straightened his button-down shirt and extended his hand in a formal greeting.

  Mr. Abelman’s harsh features softened, and his lips turned upwards at the corners. He shook Mason’s hand. “Good afternoon, young man. Do you know what happened to my grandson?”

  “It’s me, Granpa! Mom said I should wear a dress shirt, so we look presentable when you meet Aunt Kira’s boyfriend.” Mason wrapped his arms around his grandfather’s legs, then ran back to his video game. “Sorry, Granpa,” he apologized for running off. “I can’t let Aunt Mary beat me.”

  “Of course not.” Mr. Abelman raised a hand in Mary’s direction, stopping her from rising from her seat. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mary, but no need to get up.”

  Kira and Audra pressed a hug into their father’s shoulders at the same time, practically before he even finished his sentence. They kissed his cheek, never letting go of his arm, and hugged him for a moment longer. “Hello, Daddy,” they both chimed, at the same time. Side by side, hugging their father and sharing a greeting, emphasized how much these two sisters mimicked one another, and with Kira’s hair now lightened by the sun, the two looked almost like twins.

  Mr. Abelman glowed in the presence of his daughters. His eyes filled with warmth and his entire demeanor relaxed. “Hello, girls. You both look lovely.”

  After they thanked him, Jimmy stepped up with his outstretched hand, much like Mason had, wearing a similar black button-down shirt and the trademark Wilder smile.

  Mr. Abelman raised his brow as he shook Jimmy’s hand and eyed him from head to toe. “Have I stepped into an alternate universe? First, my grandson, now my son-in-law. I honestly didn’t know you owned a shirt with buttons, son.” He nodded his approval. “I’m very impressed. You should dress for dinner more often.”

  Jimmy’s smile broadened, and he held his hands up in protest. “Let’s not get out of control, man.”

  Mr. Abelman dismissed Jimmy’s remark with an eyeroll.

  Now, it was Brett’s turn to meet Kira’s father, and he was never more nervous. It wasn’t because this man was a titan in the music industry or because he was a financial giant. Ron Abelman was the center of attention in the room and may as well have been wearing a gold crown in the eyes of his daughters, and that meant that the man’s opinion of Brett held more weight than he realized.

  Brett sucked in a deep breath, straightened his tie and smoothed down the front of his suit jacket as he waited for an introduction.

  Kira placed her hand in the center of his back. “Daddy, this is Brett Navarro. Brett this is my father, Ron Abelman.”

  As if the man needed an introduction. He had been on the cover of Forbes Magazine more times than Brett could count and touted as one of the richest men in America.

  Brett met the man’s steel gray eyes and hard scrutinizing gaze as he received an iron handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

  “I appreciate that everyone dressed for our introduction,” Mr. Abelman said, with a gravelly voice, much differently than how he greeted his family. He nodded once at Brett. “A suit and tie make a grand first impression.” His eyes narrowed, and he paused. “Don’t you own a razor, young man?”

  “Daddy!” Kira scolded.

  Brett was happy to put on a suit and tie because those were dispensable things, but his beard defined part of his personality, and he wasn’t changing that for anyone. He ran his hand over his long beard with disdain. “This has been with me for 10 years, sir.” It wasn’t an apology or excuse. Just a statement of fact.

  Mr. Abelman studied Brett for a moment. “Very well. Shall we all head into the dining room for dinner?”

  Brett hung back as everyone followed Mr. Abelman out of the room and tried to assess the man’s comments and stoic demeanor.

  “I think that went well,” Kira commented.

  Brett tugged on his beard. “I’m not so sure about that. I think he was put off by my beard and my comment sure as hell didn’t help.”

  Jimmy clapped a hand on Brett’s shoulder. “Lighten up. I think you won him over with that suit. I never got a greeting that warm.”

  Warm was the exact opposite of how Brett would categorize the greeting he received. Rude seemed a better word to describe it. “He called you son,” Brett pointed out.

  “Yeah. Now. He called me Mr. Wilder for years, long after me and Audra were dating. For a while, I wasn’t sure he even knew my first name.”

  Kira took Brett’s hand. “Jimmy’s not wrong. That was a very warm reception from my father to someone he just met. Let’s have dinner so he can fall in love with you.”

  Brett straightened his shoulders and steeled himself for the next round with Mr. Abelman as he followed Kira into the formal dining room. It resembled something you’d see in the movies, where the table was so long that one person had to get up and walk to the other end in order to pass the salt shaker. Brett counted the chairs. Sixteen. There were 16 chairs and eight people. Mr. Abelman and his wife sat at opposite heads of the table, and everyone else took seats in the middle, leaving a space between each for extra room.

  “Sit next to me,” Kira said, patting the seat next to her when Brett was about to skip a chair like everyone else.

  He sat next to her, unsure if it made him feel more comfortable or m
ore awkward. Since Aunt Mary was the only other person sitting on their side of the table, the empty chair between her and them made it seem as if she didn’t want to intrude on their privacy.

  Fine china, heavy silver, and crystal cut goblets were already on the table, so Brett had to move his place setting over to the seat in front of him, which felt rude. “I’m sorry,” he apologized to Mrs. Abelman. “I shouldn’t have changed my seat.”

  “Nonsense.” She smiled warmly. “I think it’s very sweet that you want to sit next to one another. Isn’t that right, Ron?”

  “Charming,” Mr. Abelman replied, without emotion.

  So much for round two. Mr. Abelman was a hard man to read, and it kept Brett on edge.

  Servants entered the dining room, dressed in formal black attire, and presented the first course. It was Vichyssoise soup, served at room temperature, which Brett wasn’t expecting. He tried to hide his surprise when he tasted the first spoonful, but Jimmy caught the look on his face and chuckled from across the table.

  “I didn’t know it wasn’t hot the first time I had it, either,” Jimmy confessed. “I blew on it.”

  Brett couldn’t help the short laugh that escaped him. Jimmy was a really cool dude and proved to be an ally when he needed one.

  “What does your family do for a living, Mr. Navarro?” Ron Abelman asked.

  Kira’s eyes shot to Brett for a brief second, then to her father. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. I should have told you. Brett’s parents were killed in a car accident a few years ago.”

  Mr. Abelman looked horrified, much like his daughter. “My apologies. And condolences. That must have been dreadful for you, young man. Is it hard for you to talk about?”

  “No, sir,” Brett answered, honestly. He had learned to deal with the loss of his parents by talking about them, especially with his brother, and it brought them closer together. “My mother was a teacher. She taught third grade. My father was an English professor at Pepperdine.”