by L. T. Kelly
He shot Al a sideways glance before ringing out the first chords of the most loved Monument track of all time. His throat wavered slightly as it constricted. It always did when he sang the song, and that was without the added emotion of standing on a London stage beside the co-writer. Evan flinched when Al stepped right up beside him and started singing the lyrics with him. Al had only ever sung a few lines of each song. Evan immediately wondered why, because the man’s voice sounded amazing.
The song pitched up in tempo as they reached the chorus, their voices reaching a velvety crescendo that ebbed a web of electricity down Evan’s spine. This is what he’d lived for. This is all he’d ever wanted, that feeling of a secure bond. Al had given him in a few short hours what his mother had never been able to deliver.
He pelted out the famous song, his guitar turned in to face Al’s, their heads nodding in unison with the beat. Al’s eyes crinkled fondly, his lips upturned at the corners, his eyes wide with the excitement of the performance. Monument weren’t solely awesome musicians. They were renowned for their outstanding showmanship.
The sinking feeling, caused by experience coming to an end, weighed heavy in the pit of Evan’s stomach as they reached the last verse. He failed to notice the angry shouts from the crowd and the swift pulling and pushing movements as the audience that had lovingly hung onto the band’s melodic notes that night where shoved out of the way.
A barrage of blinding-white flashes came at him from the previously darkened audience. He turned his face away from Al and toward the bursts of light. At least ten SLR camera lenses were pointed in his direction, and his immediate reaction was to flip them the bird; after all, that’s what his Dad would have done.
* * * *
“You’ve got to be joking,” Mel breathed, her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open.
“What?”
“It’s only Al bloody Wright,” Mel squealed, seemingly coming out of a trance.
Katie squeezed her eyebrows together, quickly remembering to straighten out her face. Her frown line had already marred her face. It had been her New Years resolution to frown less. It didn’t take a moment before her face morphed to become as lax as Mel’s. It was indeed the superstar standing on the stage next to Evan.
They played that beautiful song, her favorite of them all. Her head tipped to one-side as she watched, her eyes only for Evan as opposed to Al Wright. She’d always been one for the underdog. Even Mel’s sharp elbow burying into her side didn’t stir her much from her pondering.
“He even sounds like him.”
Katie nodded in agreement, knowing immediately that Mel meant Ricky Rae, the former lead singer of Monument, who’d met his fate too young.
“Looks like him, too.”
She squinted and nodded again. In fact, the resemblance was uncanny.
The song went without a hitch. Evan and Al shared a stage presence she figured had been unrivaled since Ricky’s death. She and Mel had stayed well back from the stage and as close to the bar as possible. They’d lived in London long enough to know that places like these were for diehard, indie-music fans. The girls who hung out there looked to become groupies of the next big things, and the guy’s loved new sounds. Mel and Katie were nothing of that sort. They were out for a one-time, cool experience, and that seemed to be exactly what they were getting.
When ten men stormed the place with cameras, pushing and shoving Spires’ loyal audience out of the way, she knew they’d stepped into something far more dramatic than she’d ever imagined.
“What the actual fuck?” Katie breathed, turning to look at Mel who wore a just as astonished expression.
“You owe that swear box a ton of money after tonight, Katie.” Mel dipped her head and raised a blonde brow.
Katie threw her hands up in the air. “How can you even think about that at a time like this?”
Mel shrugged and smiled, turning her head back to the stage.
The band had been great. The atmosphere in the club had been nothing but purely electric. The crowd loved the band. Hell, she’d loved them. Their music sounded right up her street, and she couldn’t help but be assured with every track that she’d definitely buy an album of theirs. She knew it would be hard for them to make it big. She didn’t doubt the band’s abilities for a moment, but you have to have connections or go on some dumb TV show to get your foot through the door. When Al Wright had stepped up to the microphone, she’d smiled, happy for them. They had a great connection in the industry.
She looked on, grinning and shaking her head, as Evan made a rude gesture to the cameras. That guy acted like pure rock ‘n’ roll. The crowd dispersed pretty quickly after that. They’d had one hell of an encore. It would have been cheeky to ask for anything more.
The band had disappeared from the stage and hadn’t reappeared. If anything, she felt the need to tell them how amazing they’d been and congratulate them on their surely impending success.
“Shall we go?” Katie eyed Mel.
“As much as I loved them, the last thing I want is for that Alex to be all over me. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from gushing after that performance. I don’t want to make an idiot of myself. Not that I need any help after all this.” She giggled and waved around her half-empty glass of vodka and Coke.
Katie laughed and nodded in agreement. Hooking her arm through Mel’s after she’d placed her empty wine glass on the bar, they headed for the exit. They moved slowly amongst the crowd, taking in the excited chatter and some disgruntled sounds from the people who’d been flung out of the way by the photographers. They’d run out of the place as quickly as they’d run into it, once they’d got their prized picture.
As Katie and Mel reached the doors and felt the welcome fresh, coolness of the night air, a burly-looking bouncer stepped in front of them, blocking their exit.
“What do you think you’re playing at, mate?” Mel said, her forehead creased and her lips pursed.
“I’ve been asked to bring you both backstage. You’re guests of Spires, are you not?”
“Yeah, we are, but what if we don’t want to go backstage?” Katie asked, tipping her head to the side so her dark curls fell across her face.
“C’mon, love, are you really telling me you don’t want to go?”
Katie considered the incredulous look he shot her. Part of her wanted to. The other part didn’t. She wanted to stick to her guns. Going back there would make a statement that she didn’t want to make. She desperately wanted to prevent herself from falling victim to Evan’s charms. She knew he had them. He reeked of sex, charisma, and something far more dangerous than any of those things…the potential for infatuation. She was too old for this. She’d chosen, she didn’t want this, but everything about him screamed temptation.
Chapter Four
“Oh, for goodness sake, come on then,” Mel huffed.
Katie reared her head back and turned to look at Mel with surprise as she dragged Katie away from the exit.
“Well, you caved in like a house of bloody cards.”
Mel shrugged. “It could be fun.”
“You were drinking doubles, weren’t you?” Katie narrowed her eyes accusingly, speeding up to match Mel’s solid pace.
“Might have been.” She grinned salaciously.
“I’d say it’s a bloody dead cert.”
The bouncer had stepped in front of them to lead the way backstage. Katie’s stomach seemed to be doing back flips, timed with her footfalls. The club had gotten hotter. Her dress stuck to her skin with perspiration, despite the place being emptied of the bodies that had caused heat. She gulped and clutched Mel’s arm a little tighter as excited yelps came from the backstage area.
“Here they are, guys,” Evan said, his eyes trained only on her and not even flitting to Mel for a split second.
Katie had never been the shy and retiring type, but a raging inferno scorched her cheeks and made her chin drop. Mel shrugged off Katie’s death grip. Katie’s heels tapped on the painte
d, concrete floor, but she couldn’t look up. Her head spun. A whirring sensation in her stomach made her nauseous. Too much wine, Katie. You’re such an idiot.
“I’m glad you agreed to come back here.” Evan’s low voice rumbled, making her skin ripple with goose bumps.
Her head snapped back as she managed to find herself again. “Didn’t think we had that much choice.” She narrowed her eyes on him and watched his Adam’s apple rise and fall as he threw back his head and chuckled.
“I’m sorry if it came across that way.” His face took on a more serious look. “I only wanted to offer you a ride home.”
“My mother taught me never to accept lifts from strangers.” She pursed her lips and placed her hand on her hip.
“Did she also teach you never to take a chance on someone? If she did, you sure must lead a boring life.”
She glared at his sharp features. They somehow appeared softer because of the way he held them. Her eyes drifted to his pouty mouth, her brain not allowing her to stop the image of pressing her lips against his. She flinched away from the thought when he took his bottom lip between his teeth, a sign of his apparent nervousness.
“How about I buy you a drink first. We can talk then I won’t be a stranger?”
His palm slipped over her forearm, heating her skin and sending a shockwave straight to her sex. Too much time had drifted by since an eligible man had intentionally laid a finger on her, let alone a whole hand. She looked down at his skin against hers and swallowed hard. He snatched it away and stood in front of her, awkwardly waiting for her reply.
“Okay.” She nodded. “One drink.”
His smile appeared once more, not a cocky smile, but a contentedly happy one. She shifted from one foot to the other, recognizing the look on his face and knowing that what he wanted would never happen. Not with him, not with anyone, ever again. All the fame and fortune in the world couldn’t turn her head. It would never be right. Too many soul-destroying sacrifices had been made for her and her daughter to let her ever go ahead and ruin what she had.
Al Wright appeared next to Evan, clapping his broad shoulder. “Aye up, lad. Aren’t you going to introduce me to the pretty girl.” His eyes traveled up and down her. Not in a sexual way that would make a girl cringe, but in a kind of dignified, impressed way.
“Oh, sorry, Al, this is Katie. Katie, this is Al.”
Katie snorted. He had to be kidding, Al Wright didn’t need an introduction to anyone. She managed to stifle her laughter by bumping her lips together, unable to hide the corners of her lips curling at the edges. “Hi, Al,” she managed, offering her hand for a shake.
“How do you two know each other?” Al asked, his glance switching between their two faces.
“It’s a long story.”
“We met on the train.”
They both spoke at the same time, their words jumbled into an incoherent mess. Al’s brows drew in momentarily before his grin slid back over his mouth.
“Look, Al, I guess you’re not driving home tonight?”
Al guffawed and placed a hand on his rotund belly. “No way, lad. Far too many adult beverages. Why do you ask?”
“Is there any chance I can borrow your car? I swear I’ll be careful, and I’ll have it back to you first thing.”
Al had already reached into his faded jeans pocket before Evan finished his sentence. “No problem. Anything I can do to help you. I’ve always got your back, you hear?”
“I hear you.” He grinned, taking the keys from his hand. “Thanks for tonight. It was amazing.”
“Aye, lad, that it was. Now, you two have fun.”
“Nice to meet you,” Katie quickly said before any further mentions of fun could be had.
“You too, Katie.” He nodded politely then turned back to the rest of the group, who were busy having champagne poured into glasses by some weary-looking bar staff.
“Hey, you agreed to a drink first,” she said.
“Yeah, I did, but not here. It’s too busy, and I don’t want any of my band mates stealing your attention away.”
Katie actually did snort then, swiftly clapping her hand over her mouth afterward. Evan shook his head, a cute, boyish, lopsided smile appearing.
“Like they’d want to,” she said after she’d let her hand drop from her mouth.
“Oh, trust me, who wouldn’t? Do you want to let Mel know you’re leaving?”
Katie nodded and turned to Mel, who giggled like a schoolgirl with her cheek pressed firmly against Alex’s bicep. Katie shook her head and rolled her eyes as they made eye contact across the room.
“I’m nipping to the loo. Are you coming?” Katie asked.
Mel suddenly seemed to realize how embarrassing she looked and straightened.“Erm, yep, yep.” She nodded, following closely behind her.
They squeezed themselves into the little bathroom at the back of the room. Mel’s back pressed right up against the sink as Katie hitched up her black dress and positioned herself on the toilet with her head collapsing into her hands as she peed.
“What the hell am I doing?”
“I dunno? What are you doing?” Mel asked.
Katie let her head come up. “I agreed to have a drink with him and to let him drive me home.”
“Just go with it, Katie. It’s hardly like you’ve agreed to marry him.”
“Go with it?” she barked. “What? Like you are?” Mel’s jaw dropped, and Katie instantly regretted her tone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” she whispered. “I’m glad for you. You look like you’re having fun, and you deserve that. I don’t.” Katie snatched some toilet paper from the roll, taking her eyes away from Mel’s steely glare and wiped herself. She shimmied her panties back up her legs while staring at the floor. Things hadn’t gotten any better when she finally brought her eyes up.
Mel’s head dipped, both brows raised at the same time. “You need to stop this. You need to start living in the now. No one wants this misery for you. We want you to be happy. It’s time you let go of the past.”
“I know,” she whispered to herself more than to Mel. “But, not like this. Not with some kid.”
Mel sniffed and straightened up. “Okay, call this practice for the real thing.”
A nauseating ache flooded the pit of Katie’s stomach. “You mean the next real thing.”
“Yes, the next real thing. Now, swap places.”
Mel took a pee while Katie washed up. She pressed her back against the door while Mel applied some lip gloss in the mirror above the sink.
“You do realize you could be sending me off with a potential ax murderer don’t you?” Katie kept her voice low.
Mel’s head whipped around to study her face. “He doesn’t look much like an ax murderer to me, love.”
Katie shrugged. “Surely, that’s the point. They’re not meant to look like an ax murderer,” she continued, knowing she was clutching at straws. She scrambled around, looking for a reason to stop this nonsense, get Mel to leave with her and go home, back to their normal lives. Instead, Mel’s head dipped again to consider her through a hooded gaze.
“You’re bloody serious aren’t you?”
Katie’s eyes darted around the tiny bathroom, fixating on a patch of beige damp forming right in the corner above the loo.
“I ain’t being funny or anything, but have you ever actually seen a picture of an ax murder that looks like that?” Mel jabbed a finger toward the wall the band was behind.
Katie kept her eyes on the patch and moved her head from side to side in consideration, conjuring up images of all of the famous serial killers throughout history.
“Okay, okay.” She sighed, defeated, and turned to unlock the door and head out toward her fate. Mel clutched her shoulder to stop her leaving.
“Look, I’m not saying you should do anything with him. Why don’t you start out where it’s best? Why don’t you just be friends with him? For the sake of good company?”
A sincere smile grew on Katie’s
lips. Mel was right. Evan did seem like fun Katie should simply enjoy some male company. It had been too long. They could indeed just be friends. She nodded, still smiling with the renewed sense of ambition flooding her.
“That’s great, love. Me, on the other hand, I’m all about the fun.” Mel winked and laughed before nodding to the door, indicating she wanted to leave. They sauntered back to the group, hugged and bid their goodbyes.
“You ready?” Evan asked huskily.
She nodded, too nervous to speak, not wanting to show the uncertain wobble in her voice. He reached out and pressed his fingers against her lower back to guide her into the club’s main room. The staff busied themselves with clearing the bar of empty beer bottles and glasses. The chinking of glass on glass and the thud and crash of bottles hitting of each other as they fell into the bins deafened her.
He glanced around, his fingers still pressed against her. “Sorry, it’s not the Ritz, but I wanted to speak to you alone.”
“I’m okay. This is fine,” she squeaked, unable to prevent the fizzle of nervous energy sweeping over her skin and somehow attacking her voice box. The same weary barman from backstage stepped in front of them and ushered them toward the corner of the club. In the dimly lit area of the bar, red-leather seating ran the full length of the wall. Round, wooden tables rested in a long line at intervals in front of the seats. The table at the end, parallel to the stage, had an ice bucket and two glasses set up on it.
“Anything I can get you, just shout,” the barman said unenthusiastically.
They sat, and Katie dove straight into the ice bucket to retrieve the champagne and poured a glass. “Do you want some?” she asked suddenly remembering her manners.
He shook his head, still smiling.
“No, best not seeing as you’re driving,” she stated coolly, shoving the bottle back into the shards of ice.
“You look beautiful tonight.”
She inhaled sharply between her teeth. “Look, Evan…” She shifted uncomfortably on the sticky, leather seat, her eyes searching the bubbles floating wildly upward in her glass. She lifted her gaze to meet his penetrating stare. His face was open, his eyes were so green and clear she could make out their color even in the dim light. She gulped, terrified that she’d actually lost the plot. Surely, she should shy away from this man? Her brain suddenly dragged the image of her daughter’s smiling face to the forefront of her mind. They were happy and had so much fun together. How could she risk complicating things by bringing this beautiful, dangerously tempting man into their lives? The answer seemed simple. She couldn’t.
