Front & Center (Book 2 of the Back-Up Series)

by A. m Madden

  Jen and Dylan exchange looks. Jen goes to speak, but Dylan holds up his hand to stop her. “Fine. I’ll arrange for a conference call tomorrow at three in Hartford.” Dylan looks at Leila for the first time. “You ok?”

  Shrugging she says, “I’m fine.”

  He nods, quietly walking out of the room. Jen leaves behind him, a bit more dramatically.

  “Are you ok?”

  She simply nods, but I can tell she isn’t.

  “Babe, don’t worry. She is overreacting.” I wrap her in my arms to hold her tightly. I hate being dishonest. Truth is, I am worried. I hate we need to even deal with this crap and this drama was exactly what she predicted.

  She pulls away to look into my eyes. “Jack, you asked for security. You mentioned the hate posts. The same ones you’ve been telling me to ignore. Please, be honest with me.”

  “My worries all stem from Danny. Once we go public and the Internet starts buzzing about our relationship, that will firmly put you on his radar.”

  “Oh…”

  “We are all spinning our wheels on the unknown. Who knows if that fucker was just making empty threats? We’ll take it one day at a time. Let’s go fill the guys in on what’s going on, and then you and I will talk this through. I’ll call my dad tomorrow for his advice. Ok?”

  Nodding she doesn’t look at all convinced. “Ok.”

  

  After filling the guys in, talking through most of the night, and speaking to my dad, I feel like a week has passed by and not merely hours. We are both exhausted.

  Why can’t life be simple? You meet a girl, you fall in love, and you live your lives? Those rules apparently don’t apply if you are Jack Lair.

  At least my Dad was ecstatic to hear our news. He said both he and mom had their suspicions. Mainly due to the perpetual smile on my face whenever Leila was near me. I hadn’t realized I was doing that.

  Regarding our relationship, basically he said we can’t worry about the “what if’s” and what we are unable to control. Honesty would be his advice. I asked him to keep the news of our relationship to himself until I had a chance to call mom and Lizzy personally.

  Leila and I agree with my dad and we rather not lie about our relationship. Hopefully the label feels the same.

  So here we are, waiting for Jen to call in with the execs from the label. I personally feel this is all unnecessary and could give a crap what our fans think. I’ve said as much to Leila, but she worries the label will be upset with our relationship.

  I’ve met Louis R. Vassler, owner and C.E.O. of L.R.V. Media a few times. He is a very influential man in the business with a hard-ass reputation. But those who know him personally say he does have a heart beneath it all. His heavy Texan accent and deep baritone voice overshadow the fact he is height-challenged. His executive vice president, Charles Landon is a lot taller and a lot smoother around the edges.

  The tension in this room between Dylan and us can be cut with a knife. Conversation has been minimal or all together nonexistent. At three on the dot, thankfully the conference phone finally rings.

  “Hello?”

  “Dylan, it’s me. I have Louis and Charles on the line as well.”

  “Hello gentlemen, I’m here with Jack and Leila.”

  Louis’ deep accent comes roaring through the speaker. “Hello y’all. So I’m guessin’ congratulations are in order for you two?”

  “Hi Louis, It’s Jack. Thank you, sir. I’m sorry to have to drag you into this.”

  “Nonsense. Love is part of life. Being a romantic myself, I don’t have any problems with you two or what you do in your personal lives.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Unfortunately, we are all involved in a fickle industry. One can never tell what can make the fans loyal or what can piss them off. Havin’ said that, you two don’t want negative bull crap affectin’ your popularity so soon in the game.”

  My heart sinks at his words.

  At my silence, Louis further explains. “Now kids, don’t misunderstand. You boys, and Leila are talented and we stand behind that talent. Your talent will make you a success. But your fans will make you superstars and obviously the label would prefer the superstars. Hell…my wife would have my nuts if she found out I’d said that out loud. I’m no idiot. So I’m deferrin’ the decision to the fans. Let them decide. Your contracts aren’t dependent on the amount of fans you have. They are dependent on how much money you make. Hopefully, the stars will align on both fronts. Understood?” Leila and I exchange glances, both getting the point loud and clear. Bottom line…it comes down to money.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “With the way today’s youth just love themselves a scandal, this could sky rocket you right to the top. We’ll have to wait and see. Another unfortunate or fortunate reality today, dependin’ on how you look at it, is we live in the era of the Internet. We’ll know soon enough what people are sayin’ and if we’ll have to announce your relationship. Bottom line, if needed, we’ll do complete honesty and we’ll ride the wave.”

  “We agree.”

  “Leila, darlin’, are you ok with this plan?”

  “Yes, Mr. Vassler.”

  “Darlin’ you have the voice of an angel. I honestly feel as you become more recognized, your talent will influence public opinion. It would have been ideal if this little revelation came later in your success, but shit happens. Anyways, don’t you worry your pretty little head about this, understood?”

  “Understood.”

  “Perfect…our statement will be, ‘Jack Lair and Leila Marino are ecstatic to be tourin’ together as a couple. Their relationship is important to them, however, so is the success of their tour. They are dedicated to their fans and look forward to continuin’ on their excitin’ journey with the rest of their band mates in Devil’s Lair.’ Period.”

  It’s surreal, having people discuss your life as if you aren’t part of it.

  “Louis, its Dylan. I will call Publicity to fill them in.”

  “Fine. Hey Jack, Jen informed us you’re requestin’ security?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Under the circumstances with this Sorenson character, I understand you’d rather be safe than sorry. But I’ll have to get back to you guys on that. We’ll see what we can do.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Charles you need to add anythin’?”

  “No, Louis. I’m comfortable with the statement. I will assign Krista in Publicity to Jack and Leila full time. We will be in touch regarding security.”

  “One more thing…” Louis’s voice booms over the speaker once again. “Jack, that song you sang in Boston, are you lookin’ to record it?”

  “Um…I really hadn’t thought about it, sir.”

  Releasing his deep throaty laugh, Louis says, “Boy, that song is pure gold. You think about it now. It’d be a shame to keep that beauty to yourselves. Hell, maybe those fans of yours will appreciate the chivalry. Every woman is a sucker for a romantic man.”

  Watching Leila, I smile warmly. Her returning smile calms me instantly. “I’ll think about it, sir.”

  “Jack, its Jen. Hold on the line, I’d like to talk to you.”

  Louis and Charles both say goodbye and hang up their calls. Dylan stands and says, “Well, that went better than I thought.”

  “Really? He may have sugar coated it, but he’s definitely not going to be happy if this affects our popularity.” Leila challenges Dylan.

  “No…you two should feel better now. Believe me, if he wasn’t happy about your situation, you would most definitely know it.”

  Leila and I exchange another look that doesn’t go unnoticed by Dylan. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’m sure you have things you want to discuss. I’m going to get in touch with Publicity and prep them for what may come.”

  “Dylan. Hey, thanks man.”

  He nods and then smiles at Leila. “Yep, no problem.” Turning, he leaves us alone in the room.

  “Jack?�
�

  “Yes, Jen?’

  “Dylan is right. It did go over better than I thought.”

  “Ok.”

  “I want to apologize to you and Leila for the way I acted.” Wow, the sky must have fallen outside. We just got a rare apology from Ms. Baxter.

  “Jen, we know you were just trying to prepare us for the worst case scenario.” Leila looks over and winks at me.

  “Yes I was, Leila. Jack, I’ll be in Chicago. Until then, I’ll be in touch. Please be sure your phone is on and not off. Bye, children.” That was one of the shortest-lived apologies I’ve ever heard, but considering the person it came from, I’ll take it.

  Once Jen hangs up, Leila expels a huge breath of air. Reaching for her hand, I tease, “I love that you think you can change her.”

  “I was that obvious?”

  “Only to me. Are you ok with what Louis said?”

  “Yea, I get it. We’ll have to wait and see.”

  “That’s all we can do.” Of course, the next few days we will be sitting on pins and needles waiting for the shoe to drop, but we’ll be sitting on them together. “Babe, I would like nothing more than to crawl into bed with you right now, but we have a show to rehearse for and we owe the guys an explanation.” Pulling her into a standing position, I wrap my arms around her tightly. “Rain check?”

  “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

  “You’re a badass, Miss Marino.”

  Chapter 4 - Leila

  @ammadden1- I love, love, love #Jack&Leila together, #Front&Center!

  @madmaxi177 – they are so doing it! #JackLair, why couldn’t you wait for me? #brokenheart.

  @lulubelle555- at boston DL show. So hot. Love new song. #marryme.

  @green-monsterpete- #DevilsLair boston show rocked. That new chick has him wrapped around her pinky. #whipped.

  @queenofdanile1686-can you say F@#% buddies? Come on jack and leila…we are so on to you. #denial.

  @boomboom.nyc1 – if I screw you, can I get in on ur band too? #JackLair

  “Stop reading those tweets.” Jack slides into the booth, reading over my shoulder.

  “I can’t help it, it’s addicting.” He turns my head to kiss my lips. “So far no urgent fires that

  are in need to be put out. A lot of speculation of who you sang that song to.”

  I look away and violently gnaw on my bottom lip.

  “Ok, spill it.”

  “I hate that I can’t keep anything from you.”

  Shrugging, he kisses my cheek. “Well?”

  “Um…so my haters have doubled in numbers since the Boston show.”

  “So now there are what, twenty of them? Babe, L.R.V. Media’s publicity department is on top of the situation. Please stop stressing over it. Come to bed, I miss you.”

  It’s two a.m., and I’ve been scouring the Internet for the past two hours. Jack moves out of the booth, holding his hand out for me. “Come.”

  “Ok. I think my ass is numb anyway.”

  “Ooh, can I wake it up?” he asks, as he swats at my ass.

  “Very funny.”

  A few grumbles remind us we aren’t alone. “Ssh, the guys are sleeping.”

  Jack pulls me into the room, locking the door behind us. “You must be tired.”

  “I’m exhausted.” The past twenty-four hours have been mentally draining. I’ve been running through all sorts of scenarios in my head, most of which can’t be controlled anyway.

  He moves behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Would you like a massage?”

  “I would love one.”

  “Well, let’s get rid of this,” he says as he pulls off my t-shirt, “and this...” he adds as he unhooks my bra. They both fall to the floor, at the exact moment that his hands mold over my breasts. Expertly, he massages my breasts at the same time. My nipples both immediately respond to his touch.

  I arch my back, groaning from how good he is making me feel, and rest my head on his shoulder. “Lay down.” He commands directly into my ear. Moving towards the bed, I lay on my stomach excited to feel his beautiful hands on my bare back. Jack straddles me, using both hands to firmly massage my shoulders, my back, and my arms.

  “Oh God, Jack, this feels so good.”

  “Just relax, baby.”

  Those are the last words I hear as Jack massages me right to sleep.

  I wake hours later and am mesmerized by his beautiful face while he peacefully sleeps beside me. My heart swells with how much love I have for this man. It’s starting to scare me how much I need him.

  The bus is parked at the arena in Pittsburgh, having arrived somewhere early this morning. We have all day before we are due for rehearsals. I would like nothing more than to spend the entire time lying here, watching him.

  Jack reaches for me, pulling me closer. When I’m nestled against him, I softly kiss his chest and he opens an eye drowsily. “Hey, babe.”

  “Hey.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Not sure.”

  Stretching, he repositions his body against my own…his gloriously naked body. “Mmmm. You’re so warm.” His lips find my neck, and he starts sucking and kissing and riling me up.

  “How did I get naked?”

  “No clue.” He moves to my breast, pulling my nipple between his lips. As if on cue, his excitement grows against my thigh, setting my insides on fire. Rubbing my leg against him is just enough to clue him in to my desires and causes him to seductively say, “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  It’s rare for me to be the initiator. Somewhere inside me a switch is flipped.

  As I kiss my way to his chest, his hands fall away from my shoulders. His smoky gaze penetrates me. His breathing accelerates at the same pace as my heartbeat. I love that I’m driving him crazy. Slowly I kiss my way down his body, until I reach the apex of his thighs. When I look up at him, he pins me with his smoldering gaze, watching me intensely, waiting for my next move. His lips are parted, his eyes are hooded, and he is so fucking hot.

  Gripping his inner muscular thigh with one hand, and his base with the other, I slowly trace his ridge with my tongue. Jack’s thighs flex beneath me and his forearms show the strain of his clenched fists. I can feel every cell in his body coiled and ready to burst.

  I want to taste him…all of him. I want to drive him crazy. Putting my lips over his tip, I tease him for a few seconds. When I finally take his entire length, he takes in a shaky breath. I hollow my cheeks and suck with all the force I can muster in my mouth. The results are evident in his moans. I continue to pleasure Jack, as he starts to shudder beneath me. His fingers find my hair as he succumbs to my efforts. I take everything he gives, until he is totally spent.

  I slowly kiss my way back up his body to his gorgeous face.

  As I straddle his hips, I slowly lower myself over his tireless erection, never breaking eye contact.

  “Baby…” He tightly grips my hips, holding me down, forcing me to accept his entire length.

  “Jack, let me move. I need to move.” He loosens his grip, allowing me to take him at my own pace. His hands slowly move up my back, as he sits up until we are face to face.

  My hands find his hair, his hands find mine. Nose to nose, he silently brings me to the edge of reason. Nose to nose, I climax wordlessly. My panting is the only sound in the room. It is the most intense moment of my entire life.

  Jack feels it too, because his first and only words are, “Marry me.”

  My already pounding heart quickens even more so. He must feel it against his chest. He removes his hand from my hair, placing it directly over my heart. “Marry me.”

  I’m unable to move. My eyes are pinned to his, and my chest still heaving from my frantic heartbeat.

  “I love you. I can’t live without you. Marry me.”

  Stroking his cheek, I gently kiss his lips.

  “It doesn’t have to be now. But I need your promise. I need your commitment.”

  I kiss him again and again. He must feel
doubt because he adds, “Leila, I’ll do whatever you want. If you want to wait, we’ll wait. Whatever. But I need to know you’ll be mine in every way.”

  It’s a desperate plea. A desperate attempt to ensure I am not going to run away. I meant it when I told him I don’t think I could ever leave, even with all his problems. But he obviously needs my promise. There’s a hint of sadness in his eyes. Actually, it’s more like that doom that follows me around. “The shadow of Jessa”, but I love this man. I love him more than anything in this world. I can’t be without him. I couldn’t survive. With all the doubt and uncertainty I have towards what lies ahead for us, the one thing I am most certain of is my love for him.

  “Yes.”

  He crushes me to his chest, burying his face in my neck, our bodies still connected. He kisses me over and over…my eyes, my cheeks, my lips.

  “Really? You’ll marry me.”

  “I will.”

  Pulling back he smirks, “I won’t pressure you, but Vegas is only a month away and we have three days off. How do you feel about me, you, and an Elvis impersonator?”

  Scrunching my nose, he laughs endearingly. “Ok…that’s a no to Elvis.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, because I love you and nothing will change that, but I really can’t think about anything else until Jessa’s results come in.”

  He blinks a few times. Nodding, he says, “I understand.”

  Kissing him deeply, the dread in his eyes is hard to ignore. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin our moment.”

  “Baby, you didn’t ruin it. Leila, I love you. I’ll wait as long as you want.”

  “I know. I love you too.”

  Our bodies still connected, I attempt to lift off, when he holds me in place. “Again?” I ask incredulously.

  A slight shift of his hips and a devilish smirk clearly answers my question.

  

  Sitting on the quiet bus is a slice of heaven. No bickering, no raunchy comments, just quiet. The guys took off for food and said they would bring something back for us. I do have some calls to make. It’s time to tell Dad and Evan the truth. I’ve put them off long enough. As I sit in the booth holding my cell phone and pondering whom I should call first, Jack slides in beside me.