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

by A. m Madden

  “I know. I have no idea what to expect when we get home. I think Jack and I both treasure those days, before we left on tour so much, that we will make it a priority somehow to hold onto the mundane.” The ringing of Lizzy’s machine halts our conversation.

  “I won.” She watches the numbers on the winning tally. “Hey, I won fourteen dollars.”

  We look at each other and crack up.

  “No, you won thirty-four dollars.” I offer and wink.

  “Oh, right.”

  “So you and Evan have been seeing a lot of each other?”

  “Yes.” She bites on her bottom lip and looks at me before continuing.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, nothing. Can I confide in you?”

  “Of course.”

  “I think I love him.”

  My smile splits my face in two. “Really? I’m so happy for you Liz. Does he know?”

  She shakes her head. “I haven’t told him yet.”

  “What are you waiting for?”

  She gives me the trademark Lair smile. “For him to say it first, of course.”

  “Ah. I understand. And he should.” I look at her profile until she turns and add, “I think he will.”

  Her eyes widen before she asks, “How do you know?”

  “I’ve never seen him like this. He’s different, in a good way.”

  She turns back to her slot machine, trying to contain her smile. “So am I.”

  “He is a romantic at heart.” Lizzy smiles like a Cheshire cat at my comment. “Can I tell you another secret?”

  She turns towards me in complete earnest. “Oh, yes.”

  “Evan once stood outside a girl’s house, when he was in eighth grade, and sang This I Promise You, towards her bedroom window.”

  “N Sync?” Lizzy asks.

  I nod without turning towards her.

  “That’s so romantic.”

  “It was, until a dog chased him off the front lawn and down the block.”

  Lizzy starts laughing so hard, she nearly falls off her stool. Her reaction spurs on my own bout of hysterics.

  “What’s so funny?”

  We both clamp up and turn to see Jack and Evan standing behind us.

  “Nothing.”

  “Marino, you have that look on. What are you telling her?”

  “Nothing.”

  Jack cages me in with both of his arms on the slot machine. “You’ll tell me later?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You are back way too soon. How did you guys do?” Lizzy asks innocently.

  “We both lost our twenty within three minutes.”

  “Ah ha. I told you so. I don’t even have to cheat. I still have four twenty-five and Liz won fourteen.”

  “Awesome. Now you can buy us each a drink.” Jack pulls me off my stool and steers me towards the bar. “The guys are waiting for us.”

  I turn back to see Evan and Lizzy going at it in the middle of the slots section. “I’m sure they’ll catch up.”

  We can hear the guys before we see them. Hunter is hooting about something and Scott is telling him to shut up.

  “Hunter is in a better mood.”

  “I haven’t even had a chance to ask him if he has spoken to Mandi yet.”

  As we approach, he shouts over to us, “Oh, good. You can settle this. Jack, do you remember the chick who snuck onto our MACE tour bus?”

  He looks down at me before replying. “Yeah.”

  “What did she have tattooed on her ass?”

  “Hunt, really?” He responds, looking at me.

  “Please, she doesn’t care. She wouldn’t be here if she did. I’ve got fifty bucks riding on this. Scott doesn’t believe me. Tell him.”

  “So much for keeping it to yourself.”

  “It was a over a year ago. Statute of limitations is up. Tell him.”

  Jack sits on a chair facing them and pulls me onto his lap. “I apologize for these idiots.”

  “Now I’m curious. Spill it.”

  “Mrs. J. H. Lair.”

  “AH! Fifty bucks asshole,” Hunter demands from Scott.

  “Wait, some bimbo is walking around as Mrs. Lair?”

  “Ridiculous, right?”

  “More like fucking annoying,” I mumble.

  He leans in and nibbles on my ear before declaring, “There will only be one Mrs. J.H. Lair, my wife.”

  I turn towards him and kiss his lips. “God, I love hearing you say that.”

  “I love saying it.” He shifts subtly under me and whispers, “Can you tell?”

  I stare into his eyes, my gaze then moving to his lips. I simply cannot get enough of this man. I’ve never really considered myself a sexual person, but Jack has single handedly turned me into a total sex fiend. He watches me as I continue to stare at his lips. He pokes his tongue out and slowly licks his bottom one.

  I press my lips to his ear and whisper, “I have to go to the ladies room.” He watches as I raise my eyebrows, sending him an obvious signal.

  “I’ll walk you.” Thankfully he gets my message. “We’ll be right back.”

  “You just got here.” Hunter shows his annoyance. “You dog.”

  “Shut up.” Jack retorts, before leading me straight to the back of the casino. On our way, we catch a glimpse of Oscar loitering a few feet away, and Evan and Lizzy standing in the center of the slots still making out. We are all going to get arrested today.

  “Oscar, stay with Liz please. We’ll be right back.”

  He nods, a knowing smile on his lips. A few months ago, I would be absolutely mortified right now. I’ve definitely changed.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Don’t have a clue. But I’ll know when I see it.”

  He wordlessly steers me around the perimeter of the casino until he sees a storage closet. Nonchalantly, he turns the knob and it miraculously opens.

  “Mr. Raunchy is back.” He pulls me inside and immediately locks the door. My heart is pounding from the adrenaline rush of being inside a storage closet in the middle of one of the most prestigious casinos in Vegas, as well as from the anticipation of what’s about to happen.

  “We don’t have much time.”

  “I won’t need much time.” I admit. He smiles wide and immediately unzips my shorts and drags them and my panties down and off my legs in one swift motion.

  Once he drops his own jeans, he props me up on a counter in the corner. His fingers find me and he smirks adorably. “You are so ready.”

  Nodding, I push into his hand and he pulls my bottom lip in between his teeth. He then thrusts himself into me without any ceremony, whatsoever. My reflexes kick in. I wrap my legs around him, pulling him deeper with each thrust. His hands are gripping the counter on either side of my ass and mine are gripping his arms. I can feel the strain of his muscles and it’s sexy as hell. I bury my head in his neck and moan when my orgasm hits me full force.

  His movements become jerky and faster. It doesn’t take much longer for him to come inside of me. I take hold of his face, pulling him towards me to kiss his lips. My mouth on his muffles his grunts.

  He smiles seductively, once he’s done. “Damn, that was good.”

  My smirk tells him I agree. “The smell of cleaning products may now be another trigger for me.”

  “Me too. My list is getting longer and longer since I’ve met you.”

  We quickly put ourselves back together and return to our band mates. Lizzy and Evan have since joined them. “So, where did you go?” Hunter asks smugly.

  “I needed to show Leila a…slot machine.” He squeezes my hand as he says it. He takes the only remaining chair and pulls me onto his lap.

  “Yeah, ok.” Hunter shakes his head. “Jen just called. She wants to see us.”

  “She can, after the show. I’m not changing our plans.”

  “She said to tell you it’s important.”

  “So is having fun.”

  “Jack, she’s probably pissed about th
e Jessa stuff. Don’t make it worse.”

  Jack looks at me and sighs. “Fine.”

  “Whipped much?” Trey touts, and Jack throws him a look.

  “Shut up, Trey Taylor.” I counter. He smiles wide and winks. I’ve gotten so much closer to Trey and I really like our relationship. It’s fun, easy, and unexpected.

  “Let’s all do a shot first. I’ll need it to deal with her.” Jack says while motioning over a waitress. Her eyes fixate on him and as if on cue, they then give me the once over. It always goes the same way. I can practically read their thoughts each and every time.

  He orders us all a shot, then another, and then a third. When we finally make our way out of the bar, I am pleasantly buzzed. Evan and Lizzy decide to watch the fountains and the rest of us hail cabs.

  “Now I’m ready to meet with Jen.” He says to me, as we climb into a cab.

  “Me too.” I giggle.

  He smiles wide. “Should I worry you are getting really good at taking tequila shots?”

  “I still hate them, but I like how they make me feel.” I bring my lips to his ear. “They make me horny.”

  Jack leans back and closes his eyes. “Fuck.”

  “No cursing in my cab.” He focuses on the irate cabbie and whispers, “I’ll get even.”

  

  “Can you please focus?” Jen asks for the tenth time.

  She has been trying to get us to behave and it’s been close to impossible. Dylan, Malcolm and Krista are in the holding room with us. Dylan filled Jen in on all the Jessa drama. He said she took it fairly well, but then again, she may implode at any moment from the reality of it all.

  “Ok, I’m sorry. Guys knock it off. Jen tell us what you need to.” Jack takes control and motions for Jen to speak.

  “Things are going very well. Committed is in the top twenty on the charts and your album is in the top fifty. Our goal is to be top ten for both by the time we play in New York. Krista is doing a fantastic job with publicity. We are having a contest for a chance to win a night with Devil’s Lair. We will provide transportation to and from New York for a fan and their guest. They will have front row seats at our final show and hotel stay for two nights. They are eligible to win through our website.”

  “Wow. That’s fucking cool.” Hunter says what we are all thinking.

  “Yes, Hunter, it is. Let’s talk about the Internet buzz. It has been mostly positive. There are those who hate Jack and what he did. But we think it only increased curiosity that much more. Especially while you guys were supposedly broken up. Leila’s single is also climbing. Malcolm would like her to start singing it in the shows. I agree that it will create fantastic buzz for her and us. You will have the sheet music for it by tomorrow. I’d like to debut it as soon as possible. Malcolm wants Leila front & center, solo spotlight while singing it.”

  The way she says “her and us” doesn’t sit well with me. It’s an obvious slip that says Jen does not consider me part of the band. The sudden interest in my solo career hits a nerve as well. Jack takes notice of the frown I am sporting and raises his eyebrows. I’m sure if I share this with him, he’ll tell me I’m being ridiculous. Instead, I throw him a smile, which he returns immediately.

  I’m a little perturbed that Malcolm is my agent by default. I’m torn between the want of solo success and the disgust of being tied to him. He is a master in the music industry. If I stick with him, I don’t doubt he would help me achieve my goals, but at what price?

  “Let’s discuss Miami. There is a huge rock music festival which we will be part of. It runs for a month and the turnout is impressive. I have booked us a spot on the weekend that usually has the biggest turnout. Unfortunately, this takes away your only night off. MACE is headlining. We are up right before them. Cliffhangers will be performing that day as well.” She looks over at me smugly.

  “What?” I ask in complete shock.

  Jen nods. “Your friend Lori reminds me of me. She has secured a spot on the same day. They play early in the lineup and we play at night, but she managed to get it done.”

  Jack looks over smiling. “That’s awesome. Lei, did you know?”

  “I had no idea. Neither Evan or Lori mentioned it.”

  “It was only confirmed yesterday. He probably wasn’t told yet.” Jen admits.

  She drones on as I sit reeling from her news. I glance over at Trey. His posture gives an obvious indication of what he is feeling, because suddenly he sits forward and intently starts to listen to Jen for the first time since she started yapping. I pull out my phone and quickly text my best friend.

  Awesome job Lor!

  “Ok, that’s it for all of you. I’d like to have a chat with Jack, Leila and Dylan.”

  “Ooooh, you’re in trouble.” Hunter ball busts on his way out.

  “Get out, Amatto.” Jack responds. Once they have gone, we turn our focus to Jen. Malcolm remains comfortably seated in the corner, making no moves to leave.

  “I’m trying real hard to understand why I’ve been kept in the dark for these past few weeks. Anyone care to enlighten me?”

  “It was important. The less who knew, the better.” Jack responds with an attitude.

  Dylan adds, “Jen, I’ve explained. The only reason I knew was because Leila’s friend Ace felt it was important for her safety. I pulled Charles in to get approval on security faster. The studio was taking too long to make that decision.”

  “This could have been a complete disaster. You all should have filled me in, if for no other reason than to fill me in. So things with this Jessa bitch are under control?”

  “For now.”

  “I’m making a call to Louis. He needs to know. Is there anything at all you haven’t told me?”

  Jack and I look over at Dylan. We really don’t know how much he filled Jen in on. He confirms our thoughts. “I told her everything.”

  Jen watches our exchange and shakes her head. “That’s ok with you two?”

  “I guess.” Jack smirks.

  “You should be kissing my ass, Lair.”

  “Jen, all kidding aside. We are sorry we didn’t tell you and we do appreciate all you do. Honestly. Thank you.”

  Jen’s eyes widen fractionally before she says, “It’s getting late. I’ll see you after the show.”

  Malcolm stands and speaks for the first time. “If you want me to leak some dirt on this Jessa person, just say the word.”

  “I don’t want to go that route.” Jack responds.

  “Dumb move.” He turns towards me and leers, “You’re song is about to explode. Stick with me, kid. You’ll be huge.”

  Jack stands, coming eye to eye with Malcolm. “Her talent will get her there, let’s be clear about that.”

  Malcolm smirks and pats Jack’s shoulder. “Of course.”

  The minute Mr. and Mrs. Agent leave the room, Jack turns towards me and asks, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong.” My eyes fly over to Dylan.

  “I’ll leave you two alone.” He quietly leaves the room.

  The minute the door shuts, he asks, “Are you upset that Jen now knows about Jessa?”

  “Of course not.”

  My relentless fiancé pulls me into his arms. “You made a face before. I’ll stand here all night. What’s wrong?”

  “You can be exhausting.” He shrugs at my response, but doesn’t deny it. He then slowly moves his hands to my ribs, flexing them deviously.

  “NO. Don’t tickle me. Have you heard from Jessa yet?”

  “Nice change of subject. No, not yet. I’ll give a day before I make a phone call.” He bends to kiss me. Just as I start to respond, he breaks the kiss.

  “Are you punishing me because of the cab ride?”

  “You do need to be punished. We have just enough time to move my things back to our bus. And if we move fast enough, we’ll have time for me to torture you with my mouth. To be continued. Let’s go.” He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder.

  “Jack, w
hat are you doing?”

  “I walk faster than you do.” He then breaks into a sprint, while I giggle uncontrollably.

  Chapter 19 - Jack

  On our way to Oklahoma City, I feel things are just as they should be. It’s only been four days since Vegas. Leila and I are back together in our tiny little bedroom. Every night I fall asleep with my arms wrapped around her. We share a dressing room at our shows. We show affection in public. I’ve resumed singing her song to her on stage…and I make love to her each and every day. Most importantly, she proudly displays her engagement ring on her finger.

  The guys, Leila, and I are lounging comfortably on the bus. I even welcome the annoying bickering between Hunter and Scott as they act like ten years olds while playing video games.

  Miami is quickly becoming our next big focus. We have several cities to visit before we get there, but it’s going to be an awesome time…a huge party of sorts. Mandi and Patti are coming. My parents will also be there. Cliffhangers, Leila’s dad and Evan’s mom, Lori, and even Liz are all attending. I’m hoping we will have enough time to celebrate our engagement. I want to speak to Jen and possibly have her arrange a dinner while we are all in one place at the same time and surprise Leila.

  “Trey, you need to shut it, you whore.” Trey is having a lengthy discussion with Leila, trying to convince her on the merits of groupies.

  He laughs at her while she ignores him. I watch amused as the two of them banter back and forth. Leila brings a side out of Trey that the rest of us rarely see. Then again, Leila brings the best out of most people. Trey has also been in a much better mood lately.

  Since Jen shared the news regarding Cliffhangers meeting up with us in Miami, he’s been a different person. Hunter said he has spoken to Lori. Actually, Hunter had to endure the torturous phone sex session between them, as he lay wide-awake in the middle of the night in the bunk beneath Trey.

  My gorgeous fiancé is on her laptop reading up on all the posts she’s been avoiding for the past few days. The fans are thrilled we are together. Some of the haters still hate me as well as my involvement with Jessa. The news broke that I’ve abandoned my “Baby Mama” and left her high and dry. Leila’s haters jumped all over that news story and have been spewing toxic lies on their blog. I am proud of how my baby is handling it. She never ceases to amaze me. My respect for her is insurmountable. When I tell her so, she quickly becomes embarrassed by my adulations.