Lucky Break

by Liliana Rhodes

  She decided to ask Kat if she heard anything. Maybe Ross or Mark told her something before the bus left. As she approached her, the bus swerved and knocked Lucky into the seat behind Kat who was talking on her phone.

  “We’re almost to Phoenix. You have to come. You told me this would be my tour! The label doesn’t care about some fat chick. They specifically asked for me, remember?”

  Shocked, Lucky couldn’t move. She thought Kat was her friend. Jude was right, not everyone is who they seemed.

  “If you’re not in Phoenix, I’m leaving. Let this tour go on without me. You promised this was my big break and I’m not even in the spotlight. Fucking drummer. I don’t care who he is.” Kat was silent for a moment. “I thought I told you. The drummer cracked under pressure.” She was quiet again. “Yes. With Jude fucking Morrison, can you believe it?”

  Lucky heard enough. She quietly got up and returned to her seat. Grabbing her phone she wondered if she could get Kat off the tour, but remembered what she said was right–the label specifically wanted her there. Her heart sank a little.

  She knew Richard Black wouldn’t give her tour to Kat. They were her songs and Kat couldn’t string two words together unless they were written for her. So who was she talking to?

  As the bus turned off the highway, she realized she never changed like Jude told her to. She grabbed a pair of loose fitting jeans, a purple print floral tank top and a grey cowl neck knit top with short dolman sleeves. While she changed the bus stopped and she heard everyone get off.

  When she finished changing, she grabbed her messenger bag, slung it across her body and left the bus. It was late morning and the sun was high in the sky. Shielding her eyes, she saw most of the band under the canopy of the hotel entrance. Nearby a motorcycle growled to a start.

  Turning towards the sound, she saw a dark copper Harley Davidson that glowed with bright chrome and black leather. Jude sat on it in his jeans and a thin leather jacket over a faded blue tee shirt, his hands on the handles. As she approached, she overheard the two men talking to Jude about the motorcycle.

  “Its the latest model Fat Boy. When it came in we immediately thought of you. We can arrange for it to be at your home after this tour is over.”

  “Thanks guys, but I’m just going to borrow it for the day.”

  “Of course, whatever you want.”

  When Jude saw Lucky, he gave her that crooked smile that made her heart speed up. “Ever been on one of these?”

  “No. Is it safe?”

  Jude laughed. “I’ll help you on. Let’s get going before anyone decides to bother us.”

  Lucky looked over towards the hotel entrance and saw a group of women clustered together, looking in their direction. By now she knew exactly what they were looking at but she couldn’t blame them. Jude was gorgeous.

  He held her hand as she swung her leg over the back of the bike, then they put on helmets given to them by the salesmen. She wrapped her arms around his waist, happily pressing her body against him, as he drove away.

  The purr of the engine was all she could hear as they drove. As they hit the highway, she began to relax and enjoyed the wind whipping through her hair. She loved being so close to Jude and thought if they did nothing else, just the ride alone made her day.

  As they rode she watched the terrain change from the dry desert and cactus, with the dark mountains in the distance, to seeing pine and juniper trees with dark red mountains. The air felt cooler and her ears softly popped as they continued their drive.

  Pulling into a quaint town, they drove down a quiet street and parked the bike. He took her hand as they walked up back towards the main street where there were shops along both sides of the road.

  “This is an old artist community. I come here all the time when I just want to get away and appreciate the beauty,” he said.

  She marveled at the red rocks surrounding them, some jutting into shapes and images like clouds. The streets were filled with tourists window shopping, but no one seemed to notice Jude.

  They walked in and out of shops, looking at paintings and sculpture by local artisans. Lucky was in Heaven. She always hoped to one day see the world and she hated to admit being disappointed that the tour brought her in and out of cities so fast, she didn’t know one from the other.

  Stopping to sit to share a bowl of homemade ice cream at a busy shop, Lucky pulled her cell phone out of her bag. “I can’t believe this. I’ve got tons of texts and voicemails.”

  “From who?”

  “One sec, there’s one from Jordan. It just says Richard Black was looking for me and its important. Yup, I have voicemail from him.”

  “Lucky, this is Richard. Call me as soon as you get this. I’m at the hotel.” She listened to another voicemail from him. “Lucky, Richard. Its important. Things sound like they’re escalating. I’m worried about you. You’re not ready for this. Please call.”

  Jude listened to his own voicemail and looked worried. “Olivia, listen to me. We have to go now.” He stood up and grabbed her hand before pulling her through the crowd and back down the street.

  “Jude! What’s going on?” She was winded as she tried to keep up with his long stride. “You have to slow down. You’re walking too fast.”

  They turned the corner where they parked the bike and saw it surrounded by camera men. Jude pulled her back, under the awning of a nearby building.

  “Stay calm and listen to me. The picture is out. The media went crazy over it and now they want to know more about you. They think we’re an item.”

  “So? I don’t understand, what’s the big deal?”

  “It went viral. I don’t have time to explain. Imagine a bounty hunt, there’s a bounty on your head.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kept her close as they blended in with the tourists. Lucky nervously cracked her knuckles as they walked. She never considered this part of stardom, she didn’t think of herself as a star. She was just a girl, no different than anyone else. None of this made sense to her. Winding in and out of the crowd, they made their way to the other end of the small town.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “I have an idea. Call Richard and tell him to meet us at Submarine Rock,” Jude said.

  They entered a small building surrounded by jeeps. Jude locked the door behind them and motioned for Lucky to call while he spoke to the people behind the counter.

  “Richard, its–”

  “Lucky! Where are you? Are you ok?”

  “I’m fine, I’m with Jude. He told me to tell you to meet us at Submarine Rock.”

  “Good, I’ll see you in an hour.”

  He hung up, leaving her confused. It took them over two hours to get to Sedona, how was Richard going to make it there in an hour?

  Jude took her hand and led her behind the building to a forest green jeep. As they got onto the main street, she saw a car swerving in and out of the two lane traffic, approaching them.

  “Hold on, Liv!”

  She grabbed on to a bar across the top of the door as Jude hopped the curb. People cleared the walkway as he drove then got back on the road before jumping another curb which brought them onto a rocky, dirt road. Turning around she saw the car was gone.

  “This is insane! What could they possibly want from me?”

  “We’ll find out soon enough. We just need to get you back to the hotel. You’ll be safe there.”

  They drove on for a while, red dust kicking up underneath the jeep. Lucky wished this wasn’t the way her day ended. She looked around at the scenery and wanted to drink it in, but they were in too much of a rush and she was too anxious.

  After driving through a narrow pass, they finally slowed down. Jude positioned the car in front of the path they came from and got out, leaving the keys in the Jeep. Lucky couldn’t believe how beautiful the view was as she got out of the car, but knew now wasn’t the time to sightsee. Jude led Lucky over to the back of the Jeep as they heard another vehicle coming up the p
ath they were just on. Lucky’s heart raced in her chest and this time it wasn’t just Jude’s affect on her.

  She saw what the paparazzi did to people. When she had time, she loved going to the different web sites and catching up with who was doing whatever to whom. Now she thought differently about that.

  She held tight to Jude’s hand when she suddenly heard a helicopter. Jude covered her head as he held her against his chest, protecting her from the red dust filling the air. A large white helicopter swooped down and quickly landed in a clearing by the cliff.

  “Run!” Jude said as he pulled her away from the Jeep, with his arm around her, and towards the helicopter.

  A couple of Jeeps pulled up but were blocked by Jude’s Jeep so they couldn’t enter the clearing. The helicopter door slid open, revealing Richard inside. He held his hand out to Lucky and helped her and Jude onto the helicopter before it rose into the air again as cameramen made it into the clearing below.

  “Lucky, I’ve secured the hotel so you’ll be safe there, just don’t go outside,” Richard said. “Jude, there’s one more thing you need to know. Donna’s here.”

  “Who’s Donna?” Lucky asked but no one answered.

  Flying back to Phoenix in the helicopter, Lucky stared out the window as the setting sun created streaks of orange and pinks across the blue sky. Jude seemed troubled. He quietly sat with his arms folded over his chest and his eyes closed.

  She wanted to talk to him. She needed to thank him for the day and for saving her, but she also had the nagging, unanswered question of Donna floating in her head.

  Richard showed her a site with a large picture of her and Jude kissing. The article mentioned them being on tour together but little else. It ended with the promise of more details.

  Lucky wondered if Jude was embarrassed to be seen kissing her. She wasn’t the type he was normally seen with so maybe that’s what bothered him. As she thought of their day together she decided she was wrong. He wouldn’t have taken her out like that if he was ashamed of her.

  She stopped herself. She was doing it again. Getting in her head and over thinking and analyzing everything. Reminding herself she never had a boyfriend before, she realized she didn’t have one now. She mentally kicked herself as the helicopter lowered itself onto the roof of the hotel.

  Jude draped his arm around her shoulders as they entered the hotel. Richard led them towards an elevator before looking at his watch.

  “I’m canceling tomorrow’s show. We don’t know what the repercussions of this photo might be. Better off giving you some time to deal with it. When you’re a big star you won’t have that luxury,” Richard said and smiled. “I’ll meet up with you later, I need to take care of a few things first.”

  Overwhelmed, Lucky nodded. She couldn’t give another response. She wanted to get home to her parents and her bedroom, forget the craziness and simply be normal again.

  As she and Jude rode the elevator down, the doors opened and a tall blonde stepped in. Lucky thought she looked familiar and wondered if she was a model, then remembered seeing her on the cover of Sports Illustrated a few years ago.

  She was beautiful with a full blonde mane that hung mid-way down her back. Dressed in tight stone colored pants, tucked into brown knee-high boots and a stone top with brown embroidery, the model looked completely put together and confident, something Lucky never felt unless she was performing.

  “Well hello there. This must be my lucky day.” The model smirked as if she was proud of herself for coming up with that. “I’m Donna Trevose. Kat’s agent.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Lucky said even though it wasn’t. She had a bad feeling about her but didn’t want to be rude. It was Kat who said bad things about her, not Donna.

  Donna turned to Jude and smiled. “Aren’t you going to say hello?”

  “No, actually I wasn’t.”

  “That’s no way to treat your wife, you know.”

  “Wait, what?” Lucky’s jaw dropped when she heard her words. “Jude? What’s going on? Is that true?”

  She didn’t wait for an answer. He already saw her cry once earlier, it wasn’t going to happen again. The stress from being chased and now this Donna woman saying she was Jude’s wife was too much.

  Pushing Jude away, she rushed out as soon as the elevator doors opened again, not caring what floor it was. A pain filled her chest as she ran down the hall, trying to get away from the elevator as quickly as possible. Once she turned the corner she pulled out her room key to check what floor she needed.

  As she caught her breath, the tears began to fall. She tried reading the number on the small wall plague to find out what floor she was on but it was useless. Her legs went weak as heartache consumed her.

  She felt stupid, humiliated and embarrassed. How could she not know he was married? Is that why he didn’t kiss her sooner? She slid down the wall as her legs buckled underneath her and pulled out her cell phone.

  “Jordan? I need you.”

  “Where are you? Are you ok? Just tell me where you are.”

  “I…I don’t know. All these floors look alike.”

  “Look around, Lucky. Is there anything?”

  Lucky whimpered and sniffed, trying to control her sobbing. “Wait, I smell chlorine. Is there a pool?”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Jordan, dressed in yoga pants and an oversized tee shirt, kept Lucky on the phone as she took the elevator up to the pool. Lucky was still crumpled on the floor in the hall when she finally found her. Helping Lucky get back on her feet, Jordan wrapped her arm around her back for support as they walked back to the elevator. Lucky was surprised that for such a small, petite person, her friend seemed so strong.

  “What happened? Is this about the photo? Lucky?” Jordan waited for an answer but didn’t get one. “Olivia? Say something!”

  “He’s married.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jude

  “Olivia wait!” Jude called after Lucky as she ran out the elevator doors.

  He wanted to chase after her, explain everything to her, but he knew from experience that after such a crazy day she needed some time to herself. Plus he had no choice but to deal with Donna.

  “Oh Jude, that’s so cute,” Donna said. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about her, I’m sure you’ll tap that ass soon enough. You always do.”

  Jude gritted his teeth wishing he wasn’t stuck in an elevator alone with her. Every part of him despised Donna. They rode the elevator in an uncomfortable silence until it reached the lobby.

  “What are you doing here?” He seethed with anger as he turned back towards Donna.

  “I already said, I was worried about Kat.”

  “I know you Donna. This has nothing to do with Kat.” Jude stared at Donna menacingly. “And how dare you call yourself my wife.”

  “Why? That’s what I am.”

  “Only because you refuse to sign the papers. We never even lived together.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I won’t sign until I get what I deserve.”

  “You don’t deserve anything. You got enough from me when I agreed to sign that shitty contract you drew up.”

  “Is that why you’re on the baby’s tour? Did Richard offer to break your contract? He’s becoming shrewder with age I see.”

  “Did I hear my name?” Richard joined them wearing his usual grey suit. He looked at Donna with annoyance. “Really Donna? Why are you here?”

  “I’m worried my client–”

  “Shut the fuck up. We all know why you’re really here,” Richard said. “Now if you don’t mind, I have a tour I need to get back on track. Where’s Lucky?”

  “Donna told her–” Jude began.

  “I got it,” Richard put his hand up. “You know Donna, this girl is the real deal. She’s talented and much too sweet and innocent to have to deal with the likes of you. I did you a favor by putting Kat on the tour. Yes, I wanted eye candy but I could’ve gotten that anywhere. Plus, I was
wrong about Lucky’s look. At least based on what’s going on with that photo.”

  “You know someone so young needs someone to help her navigate–”

  “Donna, let me put this in the simplest way I can for you. Kat is off the tour. Black Dog will never work with you ever again. If you show up anywhere around Lucky, there will be hell to pay.”

  “But Richard, how can you? We’re family!”

  “I could care less that we’re related, you’ve taken advantage of that for far too long and it ends now. You don’t care about the artists, you just want their money.”

  “But–”

  “Now leave. And take that poor excuse for a keyboardist with you.”

  Donna looked defeated. Jude never saw her look so lost and vulnerable before. He wanted so bad to feel sorry for her, but he couldn’t. He had no compassion for her. She had done nothing but ruin his life since he first met her. Looking at Donna’s face, her expertly applied make up, and perfect outfit, he wondered what he ever saw in her. She was proof that he fell in love too easily.

  He thought about Lucky and his feelings for her. But were they true? Maybe he blindly loved her just as he did Donna. Regardless, he had too much baggage. Lucky deserved much better than him. Just as Donna deserved whatever she got from Richard.

  Richard waited for Donna to walk away before turning to Jude and patting his back.

  “You’re a good man, Jude. Thanks for taking care of Lucky for me. I knew she couldn’t handle the paparazzi just yet. Especially when they smell fresh blood.”

  “Yeah well it wasn’t that long ago I had my first run in with them. They can be brutal when they don’t get what they want.”

  Richard led Jude towards the island themed bar where they sat on two wicker stools. Tapping the glossy wood of the bar, he got the bartender’s attention and ordered two beers.

  “You know the paparazzi can dig up anything right?” Richard asked.

  Jude wondered what he was talking about and started thinking about his wild days and all the skeletons in his closet. Richard could be talking about anything.