by Mj Fields
I look like a freaking stripper—no, a hooker. I turn and look at my butt. POW! should have a for sale sign on it. Right now, I wish I had on ballet pink. I look awful, and worse yet, I feel awful.
When I found out Stevie Danielle’s band was opening for STD, I was nervous and excited. I couldn’t wait to surprise Memphis, but then Stevie started acting like a diva and changing everything up that we had perfected, and when I say perfected, I mean it. I’m self-critical about everything.
My phone rings, and it’s Memphis, so I answer immediately.
“Tales, are you coming tonight?”
“Of course I am. Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I say, hoping he doesn’t catch the hint of sadness in my voice.
“Good. Mads is gonna meet you at gate six with your VIP pass.”
“So I’ll be a VIP?” I joke.
“Of course you will, Tales. Why the hell are you even asking a question like that?” He sounds angry.
“I was joking, Memphis. Geesh.”
“Sorry, sweet cheeks. I am amped. Wish you were here.”
“Where are you?” I ask, looking around and knowing he is done with sound checks.
“Getting in a car. Just finished sound checks. Now the opening act is going to do theirs, and then it’s show time, Tales. Fuck, this is crazy.”
“Is the opening act any good?”
“Some say so, I guess. I don’t know. Why would you ask that? I mean, really, who gives a shit, right?”
“Right.” Wow, he is nervous. “Well, you are going to kill it. I just know it.”
“It’s a given.” I laugh, and he sighs. “Miss you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
Sonya pokes her head in the dressing room, and I press mute. “Stage, Tally.”
“Right.” I take the phone off mute. “Hey, what do rock stars get after a show? Flowers? A card?”
“Dome.” His tone is serious.
“Wow.”
“It’s expected.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, sweet cheeks, it’s so. Hey, see you soon?”
“Of course. Break a leg, Memphis.”
“Let’s fucking hope not.”
I shove the phone in my bag then quickly make my way on stage. Everyone is there, and Stevie looks pissed when she sees me.
“You do know who the star is, correct?”
I give her a smile. “Stevie Danielle.”
She rolls her eyes. “One last minute change. This song just won’t go away. I was very inspired one hot as hell night, and well, let’s just say that inspiration has returned.” She is all starry-eyed and looks downright smitten. Good for her. “You know what they say; you can’t keep a hard man … or is it a good man down?” Everyone laughs, including me.
“Dancers”—so now we are nameless? I think to myself—“Same beat as “Go, Go”. I think you can keep up.”
I walk to up the ramp to the center.
“Shit, Tallia, I need you in the cage.” She points to the tall cage, left of center. “You can freestyle this one. Show off that wild animal inside of you. No one can pull that off like you can with all that … hair.” She looks at me in disgust, but then she smiles. “And no one on this stage can move like you—well, except me.”
“All right girls, let’s do this!” She smiles as I climb in the cage.
My stomach is in knots. I don’t ever go on stage unprepared. It’s unacceptable.
Kellie taps the sticks, and the band starts a familiar beat. I’ve got this.
Black leather at the bar, he’s looking at me.
Glazed blue eyes give me all I need.
I feel the weight of his desire.
I feel it everywhere.
I give him what he wants.
I dance for him.
He stands up slowly, the look of sin.
No slowing it down, this heat we feel
He takes my hand, and we seal the deal.
Bang, bang. My heart beats like drum.
Bang, bang. No choice but to succumb.
Bang, bang. Not sent from above.
Bang, bang. Fits like a glove
Bang, bang. He’s driving it home.
Bang, bang. A rocker’s syndrome
Bang, bang. He’s a loaded gun.
Bang, bang. Two seconds to run.
Bang, bang. No room for love.
Bang, bang. Not sent from above.
I freeze. I feel sick. I want to scream. Then the speakers go dead.
“What the fuck is that?” booms over the microphone.
I look toward the sound booth to see a black man covered in tattoos storming toward the stage.
“Is there something wrong?” Stevie asks.
“You know damn well there’s something wrong,” he says as he hops the fence and jumps on stage. “That’s not your fucking song, Stevie.”
“Sure is, Nickie.”
“That’s STD’s song. Memphis wrote that song. It’s already fucking copyrighted and recorded. It releases tomorrow!”
“I had no idea.”
“No? Really?”
“Well, I didn’t expect him to release the song our time together inspired.” She pauses and covers her face. “God, of course he would.”
“He wrote the song, so of course he—”
“He may have written the words, but I didn’t think he would ever record it without me. Our night inspired every lyric, every emotion, every—”
“Now why the fuck would he not record a song he fucking wrote?”
“He didn’t mention it when we saw each other again in Florida the day before he left to come here, and he hasn’t mentioned it in the two days we have spent together.”
I can’t listen to any more. God, how could I have trusted him? His behavior has been off, and I should have known. I should have seen it coming.
I climb down from the cage and quickly make it off stage, hoping I haven’t been seen.
“Tales?” I look up to see Madison. “What the hell?” She laughs. “Does Memphis know you’re—?”
“No, and please don’t tell him.”
“You’re going to surprise him? That’s a fabulous idea. Then what? Will you come to work for STD? I mean, Memphis has talked about maybe getting you involved with contests for opening acts. Says it’s taxing, and he …” She keeps talking.
My head is spinning, and my ears are ringing. Taxing? Yeah, I bet.
“Tales?”
“Yeah?” I ask.
“Why are you crying?”
“Oh.” I wipe away a tear that has escaped. “Just overwhelmed.”
“Don’t be. I heard him tell River, ‘Yeah, I fucking love her. Now shut the fuck up,’ so that must be love, right?”
All I can do is smile and force a nod.
“I miss you. I really hope this means you’ll join STD’s tour. They are selling out stadiums, Tales. I never knew what went into putting on a show. It blows my mind how this team works. It’s exhausting yet thrilling.”
I hug her. “See you soon?”
“Yeah, really soon. Oh, man, I can’t wait to see the shock on his face.”
Sonya walks up to me. “Let’s go. Stage, Tally. What the hell is your problem?”
I follow her out and do my best to get through the sound check, and then I wonder why I even have to be at a sound check. This is messed up, so incredibly messed up.
I look up to see the man who was giving Stevie hell with his phone to his ear.
“We’ve got a fucking problem. This bitch is fucking crazy, Xavier, like padded cell shit.” He walks away, and I can’t hear him anymore.
I look left and see Sonya and Stevie whispering.
Then Stevie laughs and claps her hands. “That tape will go viral if they fuck with me. That song is going to put me back in the spotlight.” I see her pull something out of her bra and hand it to Sonya. “This is the only copy. Guard it with your life. Now get that little bitch on stage so she can look like the nothing she is.”<
br />
Sonya nods and drops what I assume is a flash drive of the two of them having sex into her bag. I then see the man, Nickie, rushing an equally as large, even more tattooed man in through the rear entrance—Xavier.
Sonya looks up, and my eyes are locked on her. Her almost amber eyes narrow as we literally stare each other down.
I want that flash drive. I want to see with my own eyes that Memphis Black is what the world thinks him to be—a walking STD waiting to explode.
“Xavier, she’s fucking dangerous,” Nickie says as they walk by.
“Xavier Steel?” I ask.
He stops and looks at me as if he doesn’t recognize me. “If I know you from a past life—”
I see Sonya start to walk away, and I grab his hand. “Come with me.”
“Girl, I’m a married man, have a kid and shit. No can do.”
“My name is Tallia Priest. We met in Miami,” I say as I try my best to drag him, hoping Sonya doesn’t get away with my evidence and whatever else is on the damn drive.
“Tales?” He laughs. “Sorry, but—”
“Would you just shut up and come with me!”
“Nickie, get Memphis. His little lady seems to have drunk the crazy Kool-Aid.”
“Screw you,” I growl. “Don’t get him,” I snap at Nickie as Sonya walks toward the door. “Bitch, you better stop right there,” I call out to her.
“Oh, damn, a girl fight.” Xavier laughs.
I let go of his hand and run at her as she grabs the door handle. I grab a fistful of her hair and pull her back, then grab her bag as she turns to hit me. I have her bag, and Nickie now has her. Adrenaline kicks in, and I start to run toward the gravel parking lot in six-inch, thigh-high, leather boots.
I look back to see everyone is running at me. Xavier Steel is looking at me like I’m crazy. Then I run into the brick wall that is Finn Beckett.
“Tales, you stealing purses now?” Finn looks at me like I’m a lunatic and then laughs. “Or selling your body?”
“Fuck you,” I say, stepping back, and the damn heel breaks on the boot.
I am just about ready to fall on my ass when I’m swooped up into the arms of a very angry looking Memphis Black.
“I hate you!” I spit at him.
“Is that so?” he snaps at me.
“Put me down, you asshole.” I start to kick and scream.
“My purse!” Sonya comes at me.
“Bring it on, bitch!” I scream, kick, flail, and the purse slips out of my hand.
I look up at Finn who has grabbed it, telling me, “You better hope there is something in this.”
Billy has Sonya now, and River is laughing while Nickie opens the door to the stretch Hummer.
“Get them inside!”
“Put me down, or I’ll scream!”
“You are fucking screaming, you loon!” Memphis pushes me into the vehicle and to the far bench before he and everyone else follows. “Now explain what the fuck is going on, Tales, before I bend you over my knee and beat the literal shit out of POW!”
“You’ll never touch my ass again, you, you—”
“Enough!” I look up to see Xavier glaring at me. “Now what the hell—”
“She has a sex tape!” I point at Sonya, “of you and your little rocker whore, Memphis.”
I can’t take it. I hit Memphis in the chest. It feels good, so I do it again.
“Now the whole world can see what you are! How the hell did I believe a word you said to me?! I hate—”
He grabs my hands and holds them so I can’t hit him anymore. “Shut the fuck up, Tales! Just shut the—” He stops when Finn dumps her purse on the floor.
Sonya quickly snatches up something on a chain, a necklace of some sort, and Finn grabs the flash drive.
“You wanna tell me what the fuck is on this?” he asks Sonya.
“None of your business. Now give me back my belongings and let me out, or I call the cops,” she says in an oddly calm voice.
Finn doesn’t respond; he just looks at her. “What’s your name?”
“Sonya. Sonya none-of-your-damn-business,” she says as she picks up her wallet, a pocket-sized photo album, and her phone.
“Okay, let’s just calm the hell down and sort this all out,” Xavier Steel says in an authoritative, take charge, but don’t mess with me voice. “Sonya, what’s on that drive?” She looks out the window. “Sonya …”
“It’s not mine, haven’t seen it, don’t know, and really don’t give a damn.”
Nickie opens his laptop and pops it in. “Fuck me, Memphis. Oh, yeah, baby, fuck me just like that.” It’s Stevie’s voice.
“I’m gonna fuck you my way. You just lie back,” He groans. “And enjoy the show.”
I’ve had enough. I pull my hands away from Memphis and cover my face while my tears run freely.
“You sure that’s me?” Memphis says.
“If it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, then fuck, it’s a duck,” River says, sitting back. “But we already knew this. Well, not all of us.”
“She knew! She saw me the next morning, all marked up.” I feel him grab my wrist. “Tales, you fucking knew.”
I pull my arm away then slap the tears off my face. “Let me out.”
“Tales, seriously?”
“You should have told me. You should have—”
“You should have told me! Here I think you are practicing for a dance tour, and you’re working for her! Yet, you won’t even consider traveling with me!”
“Let me out. You have your tape. I overheard the conversation; it was the only copy. Now let me out. And, Memphis, don’t ever talk to me again.”
“You’re fucking insane! Don’t talk to you again? You fucking lied to me. I didn’t lie to you.”
“I know you fucked her after I left Florida, and for the past two days, you’ve been with her and too busy to see me!”
“Doing press shit, Tales, not banging her. And, fuck no, I didn’t fuck her after you left without so much as a goodbye. I was fucking healing, Tales!”
“Yeah, well, it’s your story.” I get on my feet and bend as I make my way through everyone to the door. “Good luck tonight, and you’re welcome for stopping that from going viral.” I need to get away from him. Far away, so I do.
I get out and see Madison.
“Tales, what’s going on?”
I unzip my boots and hand them to her. “Can you give these to Stevie? Tell her I quit.”
“Tales, wait.” Madison grabs my hand.
“Madison, I need some time, okay?”
“Sure, but—”
“Please. I just need—”
“To listen to me for a fucking minute,” Memphis says from behind me.
When she doesn’t respond, I take her hand. “I didn’t fuck her again.” She looks away. “Come on! You know damn well—”
“I don’t know!” She sobs, her hand trembling. “I don’t know anything.” I pick her up, and she grabs my neck and cries against my chest. “I am so mad at you.”
“Well, then you do know something,” I say, and then her scent hits me.
“Hey!” I look up to see Stevie. “I need you onstage.”
“She’s done,” I spit out. Why the fuck did she take a job with this bitch and not me?!
“She’s under contract!”
“It’s been broken. I’m breaking it!” I tell the bitch as Tales pulls away. “Tales, you don’t—”
“That’s right,” Stevie bites out. “She knows she needs this. What else does she have? A couple classes—”
“You can fucking leave. You’re done, too.” I flip shit.
“Says who!” Stevie spits at me.
“Memphis, let go of my hand,” Tally whispers. “I signed a contract.” She pulls her hand away.
“That’s right; let’s get this show on the road,” Stevie taunts.
“No, fuck that.”
“It’s not your decision, Memphis.” Tales shakes her head.
/>
“I didn’t have sex with her after that one night.” I grab her shoulder and shake her. “You hear me.”
“I hear you,” she says as she walks away, broken, and all I can do is watch her.
“Fuck!” I scream as I fist my hair. “Tell her the fucking truth, Stevie. Tales, you know me better than that. You. Know. Me.!”
“Not going after her?” I look behind me to see Stevie’s drummer, Kellie, throw down a cigarette and stomp it out.
“It’s none of your damn business.”
“Right.” She shakes her head and walks away. Then she turns back. “Grow a set.”
I am shocked at her audacity, but I don’t respond.
My phone rings, and I fish it out of my pocket. “Sup?”
“All handled man,” Finn says.
“No, it is not,” I hear in the background.
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“Sonya. She’s a pain in the ass, but she’ll conform.” He forces a laugh, and I know he’s being tried right now. Finn doesn’t do confrontation well.
“You good?” I ask.
“You?” He laughs uncomfortably.
“We have a show tonight. Get your ass here.”
“On my way,” he says then, “Bitch, are you trying to bite me!”
“Where’s Billy?”
“Billy! Come take this little shit off my hands!” he yells.
“You good?” I ask as I walk toward the back door of Bader.
“Stop fucking asking me shit like that!” With that, he hangs up.
When I walk through the door, Madison is standing in front of me.
“Just leave her alone!”
“I didn’t do shit, Mads.” My voice breaks. “I didn’t do shit!”
“Well, right now she’s out there, and you’re staying here. You need to get ready, and so does she.”
***
I stand backstage where Mads tells me to. I don’t normally listen to the little queen, but Tales is up there, shaking her ass, and I know she doesn’t want to, but she’s no quitter. Sonya, the girl who, had the flash drive will vouch for me if need be, but I don’t want to owe her any favors. Besides, Tally better not doubt me.
