Rocking Standby

by Cassandra Lawson

  She gave me a sweet smile and said the words I needed to hear most. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I murmured, giving her one last kiss before I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. My old acoustic guitar was still sitting in her bedroom. I’d play for her when I got back next Monday.

  Chapter 58

  Bentley

  I missed Gage. He’d been gone five days. Since we’d been spending almost every night together, I’d gotten used to having him around. He was definitely better at waking me up than my alarm. It was going to suck in four months when he went on tour again.

  My cell phone had been buzzing like crazy in my desk all morning, but I’d been ignoring it. My family had my desk number in case of an emergency. Grabbing my purse to head out to lunch, I finally checked my phone. My Twitter notifications were in the triple digits. The same was true for Facebook and Instagram.

  In less than five minutes, I was practically hyperventilating. This couldn’t be happening.

  Colin raced into the office, looking panicked. When his eyes met mine, they softened. “You saw what’s going on?”

  I nodded and licked my lips, unable to form a reply. It seemed photos of my night at The Frisky Beaver had made it into the tabloids and were now all over social media. The person who’d taken the pictures had likely been negotiating a price with the tabloids. I was big news since my relationship with Gage had been revealed. I’d expected this to get out to the media at some point. The issue was with the timing.

  The tabloid article about me and Colin had resurfaced. Suddenly, the rumors that I’d slept my way to the top with Colin were more interesting to everyone. I was being called an opportunistic whore by some, while others praised me for going after the hotter, more exciting brother. Either way, the articles painted me as a whore.

  “This can’t be happening,” I uttered.

  “We’ll fix this,” Colin assured me.

  “How?” I demanded before letting out a frustrated breath. “I’m sure you can fix this, but it will take time. I can’t have a normal life with this going on.”

  Colin placed an awkward hand on my shoulder. “You had to know your life wouldn’t be completely normal with Gage.”

  “This isn’t just about Gage,” I reminded him.

  “I know,” he agreed. “Again, we’ll fix this. I’ll announce my engagement to James and come out to the public. That should dispel any rumors of our involvement.”

  In the meantime, my life would be a mess. I suspected the tabloids wouldn’t be quick to apologize or tell readers they’d been wrong about me if they were selling magazines.

  “I’ve already told Meredith you’ll be forwarding your calls to her for the rest of the day,” Colin continued when I said nothing. “We’re expected on a conference call to deal with this mess in ten minutes. After that, I’ll arrange to have someone take over your workload until things settle down.”

  “A conference call?” I asked. “How many people are involved with this?”

  “The record label has people who handle public relations,” he explained. “Try not to panic. It may take a few weeks, but things will die down. After the call, you can take the next few weeks off.”

  “Let me get this straight,” I began angrily. “You are telling me I can’t come into work because of what’s going on. My whole life is being disrupted because of this mess.”

  “It’s just for a short time,” he insisted. “We can manage without you. We’ve been preparing others to take over your duties before you start your new position here, anyway.”

  I still hadn’t agreed to take that new position.

  “I’d like to give my notice,” I told him.

  Colin stared at me in stunned silence.

  “I can work from home for the next two weeks if you need my help,” I added.

  “I don’t understand,” he said helplessly. “You’ve been with us for ten years.”

  “And I’ve been thinking about leaving recently,” I admitted. “You don’t need me on the conference call. Just leave me a message if there’s anything I can to do to make this mess go away faster.”

  “Gage is going to be on the call,” he told me.

  I nodded. “Tell him I’ll talk to him later.”

  On those words, I gathered up my few belongings from my desk and headed out of the office. Thankfully, it wasn’t like the movies. There was no media circus waiting to accost me when I walked out the door.

  It was funny how quickly my whole life had changed. I’d woken up with a great boyfriend and a job. Now, I was unemployed and as much as I loved Gage, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the center of media attention like this. I was left wondering if we could ever have a somewhat normal life. Would people constantly be trying to dig up dirt on both of us? Did I love Gage enough to live that life? I definitely needed to think long and hard about my future over the next couple of days.

  Chapter 59

  Gage

  I’d sent Bentley at least a dozen messages and called her almost that many times. She still hadn’t responded. The logical part of my brain told me she was busy with work. She didn’t usually respond to my texts until her lunch break.

  “Could you stop pacing?” Harley asked. “You’re making me nervous.”

  “It’s impossible to stop moving when you’re stressed out,” Austin reminded her as he used two pens to lightly drum on the table.

  It was comforting to see my friends were worried about me. Xander had been drinking bad coffee without a single complaint while we waited for the head of PR to arrive. Harley was being extra bitchy. That’s how she shows affection.

  We’d already met briefly with Madi and two people from the label’s public relations department. We were alone now because I’d lost my shit when the PR people had talked about what great publicity this was. They thought it was fucking fantastic that the coverage of my relationship with Bentley was in the tabloids. If it was just coverage of my relationship with her, I might agree. The woman I loved was being dragged through the mud and accused of being a whore. Not all the articles had accused her of leaving Colin for me. Some insinuated we were sharing her.

  When I pulled my phone from my pocket, Harley spoke again. “You aren’t helping anything by texting her over and over again. The same goes for calling her.”

  “I need to know she’s okay,” I argued.

  “Your brother said he’d take care of things from his end,” Harley reminded me, standing and moving closer to place a hand on my shoulder. I turned and hugged her, needing the contact. “I’m sure she’ll call you when she can.”

  “She may not forgive me for this,” I grumbled.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Austin pointed out. “Ginger Ann isn’t going to blame you for this.”

  “He’s right,” Xander agreed. “Maybe we should have seen this coming, but we’re not used to being recognized everywhere. Even after all those women came up to us that night, I didn’t think anything of them taking pictures.”

  “Bentley also realized this would get out eventually,” Harley added.

  No matter what they said, my guilt wouldn’t let up. Madi had already chewed me out for climbing all over Bentley at a strip club, among other things. She was right. I’d screwed up.

  “I just wish she’d talk to me,” I grumbled.

  Madi stalked into the room with a guy I hadn’t met before. This guy was probably in his sixties, with steel-gray hair and a stocky build. The sleeves on his dress shirt were rolled up.

  “This is Gilbert Tatum, the head of PR,” Madi said, gesturing to the guy who’d entered with her.

  We all nodded in greeting, and he began speaking. “Sorry about how things were handled before. My team wasn’t aware of the specifics of your relationship with Miss Whitier when they came in here. I’m taking over for now. We have a conference call scheduled with your brother and Miss Whitier to discuss this matter. While you may not like hearing this, the media attention is good for the band. People w
ant to know about your personal lives, and the mundane stuff isn’t going to sell out shows.”

  Madi cut me off before I could speak. “He’s right, Gage. Your songs have been downloaded more today than they have in a month. We’re going to try to spin this so Bentley isn’t portrayed in a bad light, but we can’t take it all back. You were seen kissing her. Your brother was seen holding her hand on a number of occasions. It looks bad.”

  “Bentley wasn’t sleeping with my brother,” I argued.

  “Yeah, Ginger Ann isn’t the type to sleep around,” Xander chimed in.

  “She’s not the type to use anyone,” Harley added.

  Austin was still drumming on the table. “She loves Gage,” he stated.

  Everyone but me took a seat while Gilbert put the call on speaker.

  We went through the bullshit introductions. I already knew everyone, but Colin hadn’t met Madi or Gilbert yet.

  “Where’s Bentley?” I asked.

  “She left,” Colin replied with a sigh.

  “What do you mean she left?” I asked.

  “She resigned,” Colin explained.

  The rest of the meeting was a blur. I’d not only made Bentley the center of a tabloid scandal, I was responsible for her quitting her job. I wasn’t sure how I could fix this.

  Chapter 60

  Bentley

  I didn’t want to answer Gage’s call. It wasn’t only him I wanted to avoid. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Despite my desire to hide in a cave, it wouldn’t be fair to Gage. This wasn’t his fault. Looking down at my buzzing phone, I reminded myself I needed to act like an adult.

  “Hello,” I answered in a quiet voice.

  “Hey,” was his hesitant reply. Based on the background noise, he had me on speaker while he drove. “I’ve been worried about you. Are you doing okay?”

  “Not really,” I admitted. “Reporters found my address. They’re camped out in my condo complex. I wonder if the HOA will fine me over this.”

  “I’m so sorry, Bentley,” he uttered.

  “This isn’t your fault, Gage,” I assured him. “No more than it’s my fault, at least.”

  “Where are you?” he asked. “I rented a car, and I’m driving back up there now.”

  “I’m sitting in my car, trying to decide where I should go,” I replied.

  “After I get off the phone, I can arrange a hotel room for you,” he offered.

  “I think I’m going to head over to Mercy’s,” I told him.

  “The reporters might still track you down there. I can meet you at the hotel in about five hours,” he insisted.

  “No,” I told him. “I need to think about all of this. Not just the tabloid article. I quit my job.”

  “I know,” he replied. “Colin told me. You don’t have to quit your job. Colin and James are announcing their engagement later today, and they’ll explain how ridiculous it was to assume you were romantically involved with Colin.”

  “That’s not why I quit my job,” I assured him. “I can’t talk about this now. I really need to go.”

  “Why are you pushing me away?” he asked. “Don’t tell me you aren’t. It’s obvious.”

  “I just need space to think,” I told him. “I’m not ending things with you.”

  “It sure feels that way,” he muttered.

  “I’m sorry this is hurting you,” I began, struggling to hold back my tears. “Please, Gage. Just give me some time. If you’re with me, the media will be there. We both know there’s no avoiding it with everything going on.”

  “You’re right,” he agreed with a sigh. “It will take at least a few days after Colin’s announcement for this to die down.”

  “If we’re lucky,” I told him before adding, “I hate this.”

  “The scandal?” he asked.

  “All of it,” I admitted. “I hate having complete strangers looking at my life. It feels like an invasion of my privacy.”

  My words hung between us. This was something I’d have to get used to if I continued dating Gage. It was either learn to deal with it or end things. We both knew that.

  “Call to let me know you’re okay later,” he told me in a resigned voice.

  “I will,” I assured him.

  “I love you,” he said. “Don’t ever forget that.”

  “I love you, too,” was my sad reply before I ended the call.

  Wiping the tears from my eyes, I decided it was time to stop sitting in my car, feeling sorry for myself. It was somewhat embarrassing to admit I’d been hiding in a parking garage.

  My sister answered her phone on the first ring.

  “Bennie?” she asked, sounding frazzled.

  “Hey, Mercy,” I greeted her.

  “Where are you?” she asked. “Reporters came by The Frisky Beaver asking all sorts of questions about you and Gage.”

  “What did you tell them?” I asked.

  “I told them to either pay for a lap dance or fuck off,” she replied.

  My sister’s response to the reporters made me laugh.

  “Can I hide out at your place for a couple days?” I asked.

  “Of course,” she replied immediately. Her condo was much nicer than mine and in a gated community. I could also park my car in her garage. It would definitely be easier to avoid the reporters there. “You have the key. Just let yourself in.”

  “Thanks, Mercy,” I told her. “I also need to talk to you about that job offer later.”

  “You really want to work at The Frisky Beaver?” she asked.

  “We can discuss it when you get home,” I replied.

  “Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll see you in about six hours.”

  I’d spend the next six hours going through Mercy’s chocolate stash. After the day I’d had, I needed a lot of chocolate. No, first I needed to call my mom. I hated telling my parents what was going on. I was the responsible one. I didn’t bring drama into their lives. At least, I hadn’t before Gage.

  Chapter 61

  Gage

  The media attention died down quickly after Colin and James announced their engagement. It might have lasted longer had an actor not been caught messing around with his stepsister. The media was completely focused on that story now.

  I hadn’t seen Bentley since I’d been back in the Bay Area, and it was starting to piss me off. She wasn’t avoiding my calls, but they were all brief. After our show tonight, I planned to track her down.

  “Could you stop brooding long enough to play the show?” Austin asked.

  “I’m not brooding,” I replied. “I’m plotting.”

  “Plotting what?” Lex asked as he joined us.

  “I’m working on my plan to get your sister to see me,” I explained.

  “She told you she’d be here tonight,” Lex reminded me.

  “That’s a good point,” Xander agreed. “Your girl isn’t one to lie.”

  “I’m not sure she’s still my girl,” I muttered.

  “You’re acting like a pussy,” Xander told me. “What has Ginger Ann been up to?” he asked Lex.

  “She’s been spending a lot of time at The Frisky Beaver,” Lex replied with a shake of his head. “What is it with my sisters and strip clubs?”

  “She’s helping Mercy expand the club,” I explained. Bentley had told me what she was working on. I’d been surprised by her decision to work with her sister. Bentley needed something to keep her occupied while she figured out her next career move, but I’d never imagined her working in this area.

  “They’re going to get more strippers in there?” Xander asked.

  “Nah,” Lex told him. “I’m not sure what they’re calling the other half, but it’s going to operate separate from The Frisky Beaver and be more focused on the ladies.”

  “I like focusing on ladies,” Xander agreed.

  “But no strippers?” Austin asked. “It won’t be an extension of ladies’ night?”

  “Bennie can tell you about it when she gets here,” Lex assured them.r />
  “If she comes,” I added.

  “Again, you are acting like a pussy,” Xander accused. “Let’s do sound check and grab a bite to eat before the show.”

  I nodded, and we all started toward the stage. When I looked over at Lex, I noticed he was a little green.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Mostly fine.”

  “You’ll do great tonight,” Austin assured him.

  Lex nodded. “It’s just been awhile. Last time I played was before . . .” His voice trailed off, and he cleared his throat before he continued. “I am a little nervous.”

  “You got this,” I assured him. “Just try to relax and have fun just like when we practice.”

  He nodded. “I will if you try to relax and stop worrying about whether my sister is coming tonight.”

  “Fine, we can both worry,” I said with a sigh.

  Chapter 62

  Bentley

  I was nervous about seeing Gage play. This was a small show, but it had a fairly large crowd. The recent scandal had brought more attention to Reckless Release. It had also brought more attention to The Frisky Beaver, part of the reason I’d suggested Mercy move forward with her plans to add a second club.

  Traffic was a nightmare, so I was running much later than I’d planned. I’d wanted to arrive before Reckless Release took the stage, but I quickly realized I’d never make it in time. Instead, I already heard them playing as I raced up the street to the club. Hopefully, Gage would forgive me for shutting him out this last week.

  “Sorry, but the show’s sold out,” the guy at the door told me.

  “I’m dating Gage Addison,” I explained.

  “No, I am,” a girl who couldn’t have been much out of high school shouted. “Gage is expecting me.”

  “He was in my bed last night,” another girl argued.

  “I’m Bentley Whitier,” I told the guy at the door. “Gage must have told you I’d be here.”