The Widow and the Rock Star

by J. Thomas-Like

  “What book did she write?” Will asked suddenly.

  “What? Oh, The Widow’s Path.” Pepper tried to think of some inducement to get Will over to the table. She had known Vivienne wasn’t his type physically, but Pepper had laid bets on the way the dress hugged Viv’s bust line. Will was a total breast man.

  Will’s eyes widened in true surprise.

  “The Widow’s Path? Are you serious? That’s a great book.” Cocking his head to the side, a look of recognition washed over his face. “I think I saw her a couple of days ago, too. She was on Good Day LA, right before us, wasn’t she?”

  Pepper mirrored his expression of shock. “Yes, she was! You’ve read The Widow’s Path?” A small stab of guilt poked her in the gut.

  “Of course, haven’t you?”

  “Not yet, but I plan to.” Pepper lowered her eyes, feeling ashamed. “I’m not much of a reader.” She felt like shit admitting she hadn’t read Vivienne’s masterpiece, but she was honest about it. It was a struggle for Pepper to sit long enough to read an issue of People, much less a novel.

  “That’s an understatement.” Will laughed and lowered his head in defeat. “All right, I’ll go say ‘hi.’ I’m not hooking up with her, but I admit I’d like to meet the person who wrote that book.”

  Chapter 7

  I was feeling really good. I liked the music playing and the bands were great. It reminded me so much of the years Pepper and I spent hanging out in the bars in Detroit. In those days, IDs were easy to fake and we followed our favorite local bands everywhere. The Trash Brats, Happy Death Men, Rated R, Seduce. I laughed to myself remembering our teenage antics, thinking ourselves the cutest groupies out there.

  The two drinks I’d had were just enough to make me feel relaxed, unlike when I was an underage drinker and getting shitfaced was the point of every night out. I kept looking around for Pepper, but she had disappeared. Not everything from the old days was different. She would often flit about, playing the socialite, leaving me to my own devices.

  I didn’t mind because the people watching was extremely entertaining and one of my favorite pastimes, no matter where I was. Most of the time, I would make up harmless, mostly boring stories about the people I observed. But once in a while, if I was in a devilish mood, I would turn the storytelling into judgment time. Now was one of those times. A couple to the left was arguing about how much he had to drink and if he was okay to drive home. I secretly named them Ben and Mary Jane and imagined they lived in a cramped, one-bedroom apartment. Another couple to the right was making out and needed to get a room. The girl had black roots sprouting beneath her platinum blond hair and the shortest miniskirt I had ever seen. He was covered in poorly done tattoos and was missing three of his bottom teeth, which I was lucky enough to notice whenever he would open his mouth to devour hers. They became White Trash Barbie and Wife Beater Ken. Then there was the table behind me, filled with four rowdy girls, downing their drinks as fast as they could buy more and bemoaning their single fates. The poor version of Sex and the City, LA style. I knew I’d feel bad in the morning for being so catty, but alcohol helped ease my conscience for the time being.

  As I continued to scan the room, Pepper appeared, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

  “Hey girl,” she purred.

  I was about to respond, when beside her I recognized Man Candy from the bar. My mouth made a circle of surprise. I tried to speak, but all I managed was some sort of squeak. My stomach dropped to my shoes and all the saliva on my tongue dried up faster than a vacuum seal.

  “Will, this is my good friend Vivienne Stark. Viv, this is Will Foster. I’ve known him for years.” Pepper unlinked her arm from his, stepping aside so Will could move in front of her chair. His hand was reaching for mine but I just stared dumbly at him until Pepper prodded me. My right hand shot out like I was going to punch him in the stomach. Pepper grabbed a chair from another table and pulled it up to ours. Will squeezed my hand while sliding into her seat.

  “Nice to meet you, Vivienne.” Did he hold onto my hand longer than necessary? I shook my head a little to try and clear my thoughts, attempting a natural smile. What’s wrong with me?

  “Nice to meet you, Will.” My voice came out smoother than I thought it would.

  “Do you need another drink?”

  “Yes!” Pepper cried, as I declined. “I’ll get it!” She popped back up, nearly upending the chair she’d just retrieved and bolted to the bar like her dress was on fire. I couldn’t help but laugh. Pepper’s abrupt departure made him smile too. I couldn’t remember ever having seen a face so handsome before, and the hairs on my arms actually danced in time with the music thumping through the speakers as I stared at him.

  “Pepper tells me you’re visiting from Michigan, is that right?”

  “Yes.” His hands were enormous, the fingers long and slender. I loved the veins snaking across them, disappearing behind the cuff of his leather jacket. I always thought of veins as a sign of virility and strength.

  “Business or pleasure?”

  “Huh?” I mumbled, my head snapping back up to meet his eyes. “Uh, both, actually.” Now I caught myself studying his whole face. He was almost too handsome with his sensual mouth, straight nose, and not-too-tan complexion. His lips looked soft and full, but not too much. I liked his ears, too, because they seemed a little small, but they were cute. I felt my face start to burn and I looked away. When I looked back at him, our eyes locked and it hit me.

  “You look very familiar.” I tilted my head to the side, looking at him through half-closed eyes. “I’m sure you hear something pitiful like this all the time, but where have I seen you before?”

  Will shrugged and grinned in an “aw-shucks” manner. He leaned back in his chair, pushing the sleeves of his jacket up.

  I recognized the cross and snake tattoo instantly.

  Nodding my head, my memory restored, I grinned at him.

  “Yes, now I know you. Thank God for iTunes, right?” He chuckled in response, looking very humble. “And Good Day LA. I caught your performance yesterday morning.”

  “I saw you leaving the green room, but I didn’t catch your segment,” Will admitted. “But I’m a fan of yours, too. Pepper told me you wrote The Widow’s Path. I thought it was great.”

  Just when I was getting my bearings, the rug was pulled out from under me again. Admittedly, I didn’t know Will Foster other than from songs on the radio and the TV show I’d heard about but never seen. But he didn’t strike me as the type of person to read something like The Widow’s Path. Then again, here I was in Los Angeles negotiating to get my book on the silver screen. Stranger things could happen.

  “Thank you very much,” I whispered, hoping he couldn’t see my embarrassment in the dim lights. I picked at the lonely napkin on the table. “How did you come to read the book?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  Will grinned and lowered his eyes.

  “My road manager’s assistant was reading it and I stole it. I think we were in Germany at the time. One of our outdoor concerts got cancelled, so we were laying over for an extra day. I got so bored, I snatched it out of her bag and read it in a day.”

  “I’ll take it as a compliment, then.” I smirked.

  “You should. It takes a lot to get me interested in a book. Yours had me from the first page.”

  “Thank you.” My head kept dipping down because flattery was getting him everywhere.

  “I’m sorry about what happened with the foundation. What a piece of shit.” Will shook his head and frowned.

  “Ah, so you’ve heard about my tragedy?”

  “Who hasn’t? It’s been all over the news. I hope they catch that guy.”

  “Me too.” I nodded glumly.

  “I’ll give you my number. If you ever need a band for a benefit or anything, I know the guys would be up for it. We played a couple of shows for the troops overseas last year.”

  My eyes widened at the very first high profile offer I’d ever gotten for
the foundation, and one I had not begged for.

  “Thank you! I will definitely let you know. I hope to take you up on that offer very soon. Things are a little, eh, up in the air right now.”

  Will gave me a sympathetic look and smiled, settling in to his chair a little more comfortably.

  “Yeah, sounds like it. I can’t believe what slime balls people can be.”

  I snorted. “Tell me about it.”

  As we chatted, waiting for Pepper’s return, I realized why she had been away for so long before. Did she really “know him for years”? Or had she just finessed this rock star into coming by to flatter me? I didn’t know, but I planned on finding out before things got any weirder.

  Chapter 8

  Pepper watched anxiously from the bar as Vivienne and Will talked. She gnawed on her thumb, eager to see what would happen between the two of them. Their body language looked a little stiff. She thought they were pausing too long before speaking.

  “Definitely more alcohol,” she murmured, signaling the bartender.

  Balancing two beer bottles and a gin and tonic expertly, she crossed the room to Vivienne and Will.

  “Tada!” she sang as she placed the beverages on the table without spilling a drop.

  “Thanks.” Will accepted the bottle a little too eagerly. Vivienne took her glass and frowned into it. Pepper grinned, showing a little too much tooth.

  Will’s cell phone jangled with alarming volume and he pulled it out of his pocket.

  “’Scuse me ladies, I need to take this.” He stepped away from the table to find a quieter spot.

  Vivienne waited until he was out of earshot, then pounced.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “What?” Pepper brought her beer to her lips coyly.

  “Are you trying to set me up or what?” Vivienne’s eyes flickered with accusation.

  “Of course not!” Pepper lied.

  “Pepper…”

  Rolling her eyes, she sighed. I should have gotten her drunker first. “Oh, all right. I saw you looking at him at the bar earlier and since I knew him, I thought it would be fun to introduce you.”

  Vivienne glared at Pepper.

  “Do you really know him?”

  “Yes!” Pepper’s eyes flew open. “Of course I do.” She thought Vivienne looked unconvinced.

  “I told you he was man candy, but that’s it. Whatever made you think I’d be interested in actually meeting him?”

  “Why wouldn’t you be interested in meeting him? You won’t be here that long. Why not have some fun while you are?”

  Vivienne’s mouth dropped open as she folded her arms across her chest.

  “Just exactly what kind of fun are you referring to?”

  Pepper sighed, leaning forward on her elbows.

  “Give me a break, Viv. You know what I mean. Hook up with him for a night. It’ll be great!”

  Vivienne’s mouth opened wider.

  “Are you joking?”

  Pepper tried not to laugh while she watched her friend’s cheeks steam up.

  “No.” She took a swig of her beer.

  “Patricia Evelyn Taylor! You know damn well I’m not that kind of a person.”

  Pepper cringed at the use of her given name, but recovered quickly.

  “Oh please,” she retorted. “You sound like an old lady. A snooty old lady. I distinctly remember a time when you were more than willing to hook up with a guy just for the hell of it.” She gave Vivienne an irritated sneer and leaned back in her chair. “Do I have to remind you about Tom? Or how about Brian?”

  Vivienne bristled with indignation.

  “Stop! That was a long time ago. I’m not a teenager anymore.”

  “Pffft!” Pepper skipped the sip and took a healthy swallow of her drink. “A snooty old prudey lady.”

  “A woman with some dignity!” Vivienne looked away.

  Pepper scowled.

  “Okay, I’m not the most subtle person and I don’t always have the most tact. I just thought you might want something to take home with you besides the memory of a shitty party, a bunch of boring meetings, and all the foundation stress. Live a little, Viv! You’re still young!”

  Vivienne groaned and reached for her friend’s hand.

  “Pep, I appreciate the thought. Really, I do. But I’m too old to be having one-night stands. Besides, I haven’t been in a relationship in a long time and I’ve finally figured out that I’m okay with it. I don’t even miss it.” Vivienne squeezed Pepper’s fingers, then let go to stare at her lap.

  “I call bullshit!” Pepper shouted, sloshing beer onto the table causing nearby people to stare. She dipped her head into Vivienne’s peripheral vision until she was forced to look up.

  “Viv, I know losing Bruce was difficult.” Vivienne glared. “Okay, more than difficult. I would never minimize your loss, you know that. But there’s grieving and then there’s hiding, and I think at some point one became the other. Here we are, almost two decades later and your instinct is to hide. If you don’t want to hook up with Will, that’s fine. I get it. But don’t cop out just because you’re afraid.”

  “I’m not afraid,” Vivienne snarled.

  Pepper smirked, admiring her friend’s sudden passion.

  “Okay, then don’t hide because you’re nervous. How long has it been since you’ve had sex?”

  Rolling her eyes, Vivienne clucked her tongue.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  Pepper burst out laughing.

  “Of course it is! When have we ever not talked about anything? Have you even had sex since Bruce died?”

  The hesitation was there, but only for a moment.

  “Of course I have!” Vivienne insisted.

  “Once? Twice?”

  “If you must know,” Vivienne said haughtily, “I was in a relationship for six months.”

  “With a man?”

  “Yes, with a man, you shit!” Vivienne couldn’t hide her amusement.

  Pepper shrugged.

  “It wouldn’t bother me if you came out, hun.”

  Vivienne continued to snort and laugh, trying to regain control.

  “I’d probably do better with women, that’s for sure.”

  Like a dog with a bone, Pepper wouldn’t let go of the original question.

  “When?”

  “When what?”

  “How long ago was this alleged affair?”

  Vivienne squirmed in her chair.

  “Four years ago,” she whispered, her mirth extinguished.

  “FOUR YEARS?” People once again turned to stare at them.

  “All right, all right, calm down!” Vivienne exhaled noisily.

  Pepper threw her hands up in the air.

  “Fine, I won’t push Will on you, but you definitely need to get laid, girl.” Pepper snickered and finished off her drink.

  “Please,” Vivienne said softly. “Like he’d be interested in me, anyway. I’m old enough to be his mother.”

  “Hah! He’s 32, you dolt. Last time I checked, seven-year-olds weren’t giving birth anywhere on this planet. You only act like you’re old enough to be his mother.” Vivienne laughed then and Pepper felt the rest of the tension between them slip away. “Besides, he does think you’re cute.”

  “Cute. That’s a lovely word.” Vivienne rolled her eyes. Peeking at Pepper, she asked, “Have you slept with him?”

  Pepper’s smile was genuine as she shook her head.

  “No. There has never been anything physical between us. We moved in some of the same circles when he first got to California.” Pepper didn’t like the way Vivienne pursed her lips.

  “You seem like exactly his type.”

  Pepper shrugged.

  “Maybe physically, but our personalities did not mesh. It took a year before we even got to be friends.”

  Vivienne sat up in her chair a little straighter.

  “Well that makes me feel a little better.”

  Pepper waggled h
er eyebrows.

  “Are you changing your mind, then?”

  “No!” Vivienne was emphatic. “But it’s a nice fantasy. It’ll give me some good inspiration when I get home.”

  “Bah!” Pepper scoffed. “You’re making a big mistake, I’m telling you.”

  “How would you know if you haven’t been with him?”

  “I’m not speaking from personal experience.” Pepper stuck her tongue out at Vivienne. “Just look at the man for Chrissake! He’s hotter than hell! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t give your eye teeth to see him naked.”

  “Maybe,” Vivienne admitted, grinning. The smile fell from her face almost immediately. “I could never hook up with some anonymous guy, though. You must know that.”

  “He’s not anonymous. He’s famous!”

  The women laughed together and Will found them that way when he returned to the table.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh nothing, just girl stuff.” Pepper gave him a cheesy grin.

  “Well drink up, ladies. If you’re interested, there’s a party going on back at the house. Wanna come over?”

  Pepper tried not to bounce in her chair and bobbed her head up and down. Vivienne inhaled and held her breath, then breathed out, smiled and nodded her head.

  “Okay, sure.”

  “Excellent!” Pepper reached over and hugged Vivienne, almost knocking her over in the chair.

  Chapter 9

  Even though I’d only had four beers over the course of several hours, I didn’t want to take the chance and drive. I’d probably blow drunk if I got stopped. Wouldn’t the press have a field day with that? It had taken time to resuscitate my image after having been a party boy and womanizer in my twenties. Snagging a DUI wouldn’t help, especially while in the company of a beleaguered author whose finances were in ruin. I might have slipped up by inviting them to a party at my house, but I had no intention of going back to all of my old habits. And I sure as hell didn’t want to add to Vivienne’s troubles.

  “Where’s your car?” Pepper asked, peering around. Full lots were on either side of the bar, and cars were lined along the street for several blocks.