Dirty Laundry

by Lauren Landish

  It’s Saturday, and my nerves are frazzled. I’m trying to get ready to perform. Except this time, the stakes are higher. I couldn’t believe when Jake told me about the scout. This is all happening so fast that I feel like my head’s spinning.

  Hannah is in shock too. “It’s gorgeous!”

  “Isn’t it?” I say dreamily. “I still can’t believe Jake had all of this done for me.”

  “Hmm,” Hannah says, tapping her lips, her eyes flashing.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Nothing, I’m just not surprised at all. Have you seen the number of people who are packing in here to see you?” She turns around, checking out the rack of dresses, and I can tell that she thinks there’s more to it than that. She’s just giving me time to come out with it.

  My phone buzzes, and I see it’s Mindy. I’d texted her about my show. “Hey, it’s my sister.”

  “I’ll let you two talk. Nathan’s got a great seat reserved for me. No way in hell am I dancing with you on stage tonight,” Hannah jokes. “Have fun.”

  I give Hannah a quick hug as I pick up Mindy’s call. “Stick around. Min?”

  “Hey, how’s my Grammy-winning sister doing?” Mindy asks. “You ready?”

  “Fuck no, but hearing you helps,” I admit, relief flooding through me. “Can you believe this?”

  “Nope. Hey, turn on your camera.”

  It takes me a few seconds, but when I do, Mindy’s face pops on screen. Her face has a little more weight on it than the last time I saw her, but it looks good on her. “Heeeey guuurl,” I greet happily.

  “Hey, mini me, what’s going down?” Mindy asks. “And who’s the babe next to you?”

  “Mindy, this is my best friend, Hannah. Remember, I told you about her when I first moved here? She’s my roommate.” I put the camera on Hannah. “But you’re blind. I’m the babe.”

  Mindy laughs. “How long do you have?”

  “I don’t have long,” I admit. “You want to help me pick out my outfit?”

  Mindy nods, and I hand my phone to Hannah as I go over, pulling out a tight black number with a cutout.

  Both of them reject it, and I go through several more before we all settle on my outfit, red and silver, and I grin. Mindy’s grinning too. “Okay, I’ll let you get ready. Kick some ass for me!”

  We hang up, and Hannah gives me a hug. “Kick some ass for me too. I’m gonna go get my seat.”

  She leaves, and I quickly get ready. Just as I finish my vocal warmups and stretch, there’s a knock on my door. Jake sticks his head in, grinning when he sees me. “Hey, I don’t want to distract you, so . . . just knock them dead. I already know you’re amazing. Just show them what you show me.”

  “Show them my boobs? I don’t think this is that kind of show,” I tease, and Jake blushes. “Thank you. I’ll see you afterward.”

  Jake leaves, and three minutes later, I go to the wings of the stage. Surprisingly, I’m not nervous at all anymore. The DJ is supposed to play my music, but I’m getting a band soon. It’s a total pipedream, but I’d love to have my old one from Trixie’s.

  I shake my head. I can hear Nathan out there. He introduces me with his normal gusto. “And now . . . she’s baaaaa-aaaaaaaack!”

  The crowd goes wild. It’s like Nathan’s catchphrase now. “Here she is . . . ROXY!”

  I can’t believe how awesome you were!”

  They’re the first words that Nathan says to me as I get off stage, and I can feel it. I had the whole crowd, and the place was so packed there wasn’t even much room to dance.

  I grin, then bite my lip nervously. I was hoping he’d say something about the exec coming to watch the show. “Think anything is going to come of this?”

  Nathan grins and pats me on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s go up and see Jake. He’s been charming that guy’s ass off.”

  I laugh, some of my tension relieved. “So you think he liked it?”

  “The guy is fucking deaf if he didn’t. You know, I don’t even like pop or any of that shit, but your voice . . . it’s hard not to enjoy it.”

  Nathan takes me upstairs, where Jake’s sitting with Hannah and some guy who I assume is the talent scout. Seeing me, Jake gets up, so handsome that even with all of my nerves I’m feeling breathless watching him approach me to give me a kiss on the cheek. “You were amazing, Angel.”

  The scout nods, standing up and shaking my hand. “Honey, you were hot—like fire out there. My boss is totally going to be in touch!”

  He heads for the stairs, and I force a smile as Jake rubs my arm and talks softly. “See, you just had to have faith.”

  It makes me feel better, but I’m not going to get my hopes up too much. If it happens, it happens. Hannah touches me gently on the leg, noticing I’m not quite jumping for joy. “Relax, I heard him gushing earlier. They’re gonna call.”

  Before I can reply, there’s a huge commotion down below. Jake and Nathan’s heads whip around, trying to see what’s going on. I see it quickly, two guys fighting over a girl. She’s small, with coal black hair that to me looks like a wig.

  “Hey, cut that shit out!” Nathan yells. It’s useless. We’re in VIP and there’s too much noise down below, but security is getting to them.

  Meanwhile, Jake is squinting hard at the girl. “What the fuck?”

  Without warning, he takes off, dodging people as he plunges down the stairs. The look in his eyes and the way he’s so in a rush fill me with worry, and I go after him. I don’t know what’s happening. Is the asshole who tried to drug me back?

  I reach the floor of the club, gasping for breath, trying to keep up with Jake as he makes his way toward the commotion. He’s grabbed ahold of one of the dudes, and the other one’s disappeared off into the crowd. I’m sure security will get him.

  Suddenly, Jake stops, and the other guy shakes his way free, right into John’s grasp, of all people. Jake, however, looks stunned as he reaches out and grabs the girl who was in the center of the fight by the arm. “Sophie?”

  “J-Jake,” the girl says, pulling off her wig to reveal hair just like Jake’s.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I . . . I came with a friend and—”

  Jake looks furious, and he points at the guy John is holding. “How old are you? And don’t you dare lie to me.”

  The guy struggles, but he sees something in Jake’s eyes. “Nineteen!”

  Jake’s eyes go ice cold. “John, get him out of here.”

  “Wait!” Sophie cries as they begin dragging him away. Thankfully, they’re dragging him toward the front door and not the back. She rushes off into the crowd after her brother but is stopped by another of the bouncers. I watch as she struggles violently against him. He’s not hurting her. He’s just not letting her pass.

  “What the hell just happened?” Hannah says from behind me. I turn and see her and Nathan approaching, Nathan peeling off to talk to the security guy.

  “A family squabble,” I said, not really knowing much else yet. I just know Sophie’s in high school and shouldn’t be in here.

  Jake comes back, his face as serious as I’ve ever seen it, staring a hole at Sophie. Jake says a few quiet things to her and Nathan, who nods and starts leading Sophie toward the back of the club.

  “Jake, what’s going on?” I ask when he gets close.

  “I’m taking Sophie home,” he says, his eyes still burning, but he manages a smile. “You did great tonight.”

  “Wait,” I say, grabbing his arm. “Can I go with you?” I can't let him go like this. I’ve never seen him this mad before.

  Jake looks like he’s about to say no, but then he nods curtly. “Okay. Five minutes, grab your stuff. The car will be out back.”

  Roxy

  Other than the purr of his engine, it’s totally silent the whole way to Jake’s penthouse. This is my first time coming to his place. I would be ecstatic under normal circumstances, but this is like a dark cloud on my happy moment. In the rearview
mirror, I can see Sophie fuming. Her hands are balled into fists, and they press hard into her thighs. She’s probably going to have bruises there tomorrow.

  I want to comfort her, to tell her everything will be okay, but I know that to her, I’m a total stranger and it’s not going to mean shit. I don’t even know if Jake’s told her about me.

  Finally, at a stop light, Sophie can’t take anymore. “I can’t believe you did that!” she snarls. “You didn’t have to treat Jax that way!”

  Jake clenches his jaw. “Can’t believe I did that?” he asks in disbelief. “You snuck into the club with a nineteen-year-old boy with fake IDs. I had every right to throw him out on his ass. He’s lucky I didn’t call the police on him. Wait . . . Jax? That Jax? I thought you met him in school! What’s he doing at your school if he’s nineteen?”

  She ignores that part. “He’s only two years older. I’m turning seventeen soon. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  Jake’s grip on the steering wheel tightens but I see him take a deep breath to try and relax. “Do you realize what you did? Do you know what could’ve happened if you were caught with a fake ID?”

  Sophie’s scowl softens somewhat. “Just a fine.”

  “Maybe. But if they wanted to make an example of you, they could get you for a felony.” Jake says. “That’s not something you want on your record.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Sophie says softly.

  “Not to mention that if the cops know that you’re my sister, they’re going to assume I let you in on purpose. The club could lose its liquor license over that.”

  I look into the rearview mirror, and I see her fidgeting. I think it’s setting in how serious this situation is.

  “You need to think about—” he starts, but I interrupt him.

  “Jake,” I say softly, placing a hand on his arm. “Let’s talk about this at home?”

  He swallows and relents. I can tell he’s both upset and worried. It’s obvious Sophie means a lot to him. “Okay. At home.”

  Sophie falls into sullen silence the rest of the ride. We reach his penthouse and go inside. I’m floored by how opulent it is. It’s like everything in my apartment has had the volume turned up to eleven with a sprinkle of fairy dust thrown on top.

  “This is beautiful,” I begin to say, but I’m interrupted by a sharp cry. I spin around to see Jake grabbing Sophie’s purse that she just put down.

  “What are you doing?” she cries as he opens it and takes out her phone.

  “Taking away your phone for now. There has to be some kind of consequence. I can’t believe—”

  “Give that back!” she yells, trying to snatch it away from him, but he yanks it back, stepping away and putting the phone in his jacket pocket.

  “No. You’re going to have to earn it back, and I don’t want you talking to Jax. He’s a bad influence on you.”

  “You can’t do that!” she says, struggling against him. She lunges, but he holds her back with an arm. I place my hand on my throat, unnerved by how Sophie is acting. I want to do something. Anything. But I don’t feel it’s my place. This isn’t my home, and as much as I feel for Jake, I’m not part of this family.

  Jake holds his voice steely. “I can, and I will. You’re my responsibility.”

  “Fuck you!” Sophie screams. “You’re not my daddy!” she says, running to her room, crying her eyes out. Her door slams, and a sudden silence falls over the room.

  Jake’s shoulders slump when she’s gone and he looks despondently at the floor. Tears burn my eyes, and I go over and place my hand on his shoulder. “Jake?”

  “She’s never told me something like that before,” he says quietly, and I can hear the pain in his voice. “I’ve never tried to be a replacement for Dad, but . . .”

  “Jake, I’m so sorry,” I say. “I know you care.”

  “It’s not your fault,” he says. “I haven’t been paying attention to what she’s been doing. I’ve just been so busy with . . .”

  His uncompleted sentence hangs in the air, and I fill in the gaps. He’s been busy with his new job, the club, and me. “Let me go talk to her.”

  “It’s pointless right now. Might as well let her cool down.”

  I shake my head softly. “I can at least try. I’m a woman, and I’m a stranger. Maybe that’s exactly who she’ll listen to.”

  He looks in my eyes for a moment before he nods. “Her room is down the hall, second door on the left.”

  I walk down the hall and stop in front of her bedroom door. Even if Jake hadn’t told me, I would have known it was Sophie’s. She’s got a pink My Little Pony on the door.

  My palms are sweating and I’m nervous. I’m sticking my foot in deep, and this could be a minefield. I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

  “Leave me alone! I don’t wanna talk to you!” a harsh voice calls from inside.

  “It’s not Jake. It’s his girlfriend, Roxy,” I say quietly before I pause. It feels weird to say that, but wonderful too. His girlfriend. I like the sound of it. “Will you please let me in?”

  Silence greets me, and my nervousness increases. I stand there for what feels like forever, shifting from side to side as my feet start to ache like they always do after a concert. I’m just about to give up when I hear a small, “Come in.”

  I open the door and go inside. Sophie is perched on the bed, her eyes red. Moonlight streams through the window, and there’s only a soft bedside lamp on as I sit down and the bed creaks. Sophie stares at me for a moment, and I reach out, stroking her hair. “You’re so pretty,” I tell her softly. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you and your brother are both beautiful people. You share a lot in common.”

  She looks over at me and sniffs. “Thank you.”

  Her voice is so small, like she’s disappearing. She reminds me of me when I was younger. “Your brother really loves you.”

  She’s quiet, but she nods her head slowly.

  “He’s not trying to be an asshole by taking your phone. He just wants to protect and look out for you.”

  “But Jax isn’t a bad guy. I mean, he really likes me.”

  I shelve that comment. I think Jake’s right. If he’s got her using a fake ID, what’s next? “That might be true, but he’s a few years older than you,” I say instead.

  “So? Age ain’t nothing but a number,” Sophie says defensively. “I’ve heard it plenty of times.”

  Did I sound this idiotic when I was sixteen? I was probably worse. “That’s true, but sometimes, numbers do count. I know a little over two years doesn’t seem like a lot, but you’re at that age where you do a lot of growing up fast. Besides, you guys were in a place you shouldn’t be. If Jax were really concerned about you, he wouldn’t have brought you there.”

  “We just wanted to have fun,” Sophie says, and I can see her struggle with tears again. “Is that so bad?”

  “Nope,” I agree, forcing a smile. “Honestly, I did a lot of stupid shit back when I was a teenager. I’m surprised my big sister didn’t kill me a few times. I’ll tell you something that I was reminded of tonight. The Bobby Gardner Rule.”

  “The what rule?” Sophie asks, and I laugh quietly.

  “Bobby Gardner. He was this big stud jock when I was a freshman in high school. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and my sister kept telling me not to get with him. She said he was bad news. Our age gap is just right so she knew him when she was in school too. Of course, I didn’t listen to her. So when Bobby asked me out, I accepted.”

  “What happened?” Sophie asks, and I chuckle.

  “He picked me up in a stinky as hell beat-up Camaro, we go to the winter formal, and during the second slow dance, he tries to cop a feel. I busted him in the nose with an elbow, and he cried in front of the whole school.”

  “I don’t get it. What’s the Bobby Gardner Rule?” Sophie asks.

  “Elbow in the nose trumps hand on ass,” I say, and Sophie laughs. It’s a good sign. “There you go. Feeling a bit bet
ter?”

  Sophie nods. “A little. Um . . . girlfriend?”

  I nod. “It’s my first time saying that, but yes. Listen, Jake feels like shit, too. He thinks he’s been ignoring you because he’s been spending so much time with the club and with me.”

  “I guess Jake deserves it,” Sophie admits, but I don’t know if she’s just saying that.

  “Don’t worry, you guys will work it out. Men are stubborn pains in the ass most of the time,” I say, trying to loosen her up. If I were Jake, I’d be worked up too.

  Sophie smiles. “Can’t argue with that. I don’t have anyone but Jake, though.”

  “I’ll come around more if you’d like,” I say. “I’d like to get to know you. Jake talks about you a lot, actually. He’s proud of you.”

  “Okay . . . if you can teach me how to shake your ass like that?” she says, referring to what I was doing on stage.

  I laugh. “I’m pretty sure your brother would kill me if I did that. Listen, you get some sleep, and try to talk to Jake about this, okay?”

  “I’ll try.” Sophie nods. “I’m kind of tired anyway.”

  I give her a hug and go back out to the living room, where Jake’s sitting on the couch, wringing his hands. The worried look on his face tells me everything I need to know, and I feel my heart swell as I sit down.

  “How’d it go?” Jake asks.

  “She’ll live,” I say. “At least she’s not wanting to take your head off. Anymore.”

  “Good,” he says, relief flooding his body and making him collapse back into the couch, leaning his head back as he closes his eyes. “Thank you.”

  “You’re more than welcome,” I reply, putting a hand on his knee.

  “Was I too hard on her?” Jake asks, opening his eyes and looking at me. “You must think I’m terrible.”

  I shake my head. “Not at all. I understand that you’re trying to protect her. Just give her time, and no, I don’t think you’re terrible. She’ll come around. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.”

  He sighs, putting his hand over mine. “I’ve never had to deal with anything like this. We’ve always been close and she told me everything. She’s been perfect.”