Platinum

by J. M. Nevins

  He played it cool and grinned. “Who is going to be late? I was looking for the rest of my band. I don’t see them here yet.”

  Alexa gave him a knowing look. “Uh huh, ok. You know perfectly well who I’m talking about. Let’s go get a drink.”

  When Kit entered the grand ballroom, several heads turned. She felt nervous as she searched the crowd. She knew Sully was there somewhere. She couldn’t erase the images in her mind from the night before. Her heart and her body still yearned for him, but her mind sat firmly fixed in confusion, keeping her motives stuck in neutral.

  She spotted Lew and Sherry chatting with some executives that looked vaguely familiar to her. She knew they weren’t employed with Diamond. Lew threw this party every year on both coasts and always invited executives from competing labels in good spirit.

  As she approached Lew, she noticed Blake Templeton off in the distance and her breath caught in her throat. She was relieved he couldn’t identify her yet. She hoped to avoid him all night, if possible. No matter how much she rejected him, he would not back down. And once again, she chastised herself for being so drunk that she had actually kissed him in the first place. She had absolutely no respect for him personally or professionally. He made her skin crawl.

  “Kit, you made it!” Lew’s kind voice eased her back into reality.

  She looked at him and smiled. “Hey, Lew. Hey, Sherry.” She hugged them both and gave them kisses on the cheek. He led the charge in introducing her to the executives that surrounded them and she effortlessly slipped into sparkling conversation.

  Sully was talking with Pete Lundy, the vice president of A&R for Diamond Records. He was enjoying their conversation and laughing at a joke Pete had just told when he spotted her. He noticed Kit across the room in a huddle with Lew and several others, smiling and engaging in conversation. He didn’t want to stare and be obvious to Pete, so he politely excused himself and made his way to the bar.

  He quickly ordered two drinks and headed in her direction moments later. He boldly entered the circle, unbeknownst to Kit, and smiled at Lew.

  Lew smiled back. “Sully! Welcome to the party. Let me introduce you to some industry players.”

  Kit glanced over at Sully and their eyes met. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. He looked very handsome, yet again, and she felt her heart flutter. He silently handed over her favorite drink and didn’t miss a beat.

  He shifted his gaze to Lew. “Yes, please. I’d love to meet them.”

  Kit remained next to Sully engaging in the conversation at appropriate points as the tight knit group discussed the success of Gypsy Tango. When the executives departed, the conversation took a lighter, more social note.

  Lew brought up their dinner the night before and how enjoyable their visit to Kit’s place was afterward. He then started pressuring Kit and Sully to commit to a date to have dinner in Los Angeles at his home. Kit had never been invited to his home. She knew this was a big deal. She exchanged a look with Sully.

  He understood well, but wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do. Their upcoming schedules were not exactly conducive to a social call at Lew’s, but he didn’t want to shoot down the opportunity.

  Kit sighed and forced a smile. “Lew, that is a lovely offer. Can we get back to you on that?” She glanced at Sully for a fleeting moment before returning her attention to Lew. “Jimmy Costa is getting married in two weeks and we’re both in the wedding party and after that we start tour rehearsals before heading out on the road.”

  Lew nodded and grinned. “How about this? It’s an open invitation for you two. I know the tour is coming after those rehearsals, so let’s play it by ear. Fair?”

  Sully nodded and exchanged a look of agreement with Kit. He smiled at Lew. “That’s perfectly fair, Lew. Thanks for being flexible.” He boldly put his arm around Kit. “We’d love to spend another evening with Sherry and you very soon.”

  Sherry smiled. “Perfect! It’s set. When you two can find time, we will make it happen.”

  Kit felt safe with Sully’s arm around her and she didn’t want the moment to end, but knew it had to. Things were still hanging in a vast grey area between them. She knew how much the industry loved to gossip and the last thing she wanted was a leaked front-page story tomorrow about she and Sully’s status.

  She easily wriggled her way out of the conversation when more people approached to speak to Lew. Since he was hosting the party, it was easy for she and Sully to slip away. She scanned the ballroom quickly to make sure there were no obvious voyeurs. She linked her arm in Sully’s and spoke quietly into his ear. “Come with me.”

  He nodded. “Of course.”

  She led him out of the ballroom and down a hallway that led away from the area. She let go of him and turned to face him. She took a sip of her drink and grinned. “You handled that beautifully. Thank you, babe.”

  He smiled. “You’re welcome. That’s quite an honor that Lew and Sherry want us to hang with them. We’ll really have to make a point to get that on the books.” He approached her until he was standing inches in front of her. He stroked her cheek gently and gazed into her eyes. “You look absolutely stunning tonight.”

  She giggled and her eyes danced with joy. “Thank you.”

  He grinned. “You’re very welcome. I really want to kiss you right now, but I think that red lipstick might get kinda messy. And I also don’t know that I would be able to stop kissing you after the memories of last night.”

  She smiled and bit her lower lip. “I think you have a point there. Maybe just one kiss. Then I’ll run to the ladies’ room and do some fixing.” She looked around making sure the coast was clear. She nodded and gazed into his eyes again. “Ok.”

  He leaned in and gave her a long, slow, sensual kiss that quickly ignited into a deep passionate union of their lips. He held her to him and didn’t want to let go. They were in a heated make out session that they couldn’t seem to stop. His free hand gently traveled down her curves until he felt her hand stop him.

  She pulled back and giggled. “Ok, wow! This could get really x-rated really quickly in the hallway here and that’s not exactly a good idea considering the company in that ballroom about a hundred feet from here.”

  He giggled like a co-conspirator and nodded. “You’re right, but damn that was fun!”

  She laughed loudly and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “It was. Now, do I look like a circus clown? ‘Cuz you certainly do.” She reached forward and tried to wipe off some of her red lipstick from his face.

  He nodded and grinned. “Yep. I guess it’s time we both make a trip to the restroom. See you back in there?”

  She smiled. “Absolutely, but I do have to mingle. It’s part of my job tonight.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek. “I know, baby. Do your executive thing. I get it.” He squeezed her hand for encouragement before he let go. He grinned. “Think maybe we could talk later after this thing is over? I think it’s warranted at this point, don’t you?”

  She grinned and swallowed hard. She couldn’t deny their connection, physically that had been obvious, and she knew her heart had been content in his presence, but she wasn’t sure the conversation would glean the result she was hoping for. She suddenly felt apprehensive, remembering the hurtful words they exchanged that led to their separation in the first place.

  She nodded. “Yes, I completely agree.”

  He smiled. “Ok, good. See you later, beautiful.”

  “Ok, see ya.” She sighed as she headed in the opposite direction of him toward the ladies’ room. She suddenly wanted to skip the party and get right down to talking. She walked into the ladies’ room and up to the mirror. She couldn’t help but giggle at her post make out reflection. Her apprehension about the future of their relationship melted away and she started looking forward to their talk later that night.

  Hours later, Kit was starting to feel fatigued and bored with the constant rounds of empty conversation. Exchanging
looks across the room with Sully had kept her going. Now that the party was starting to wind down and guests were departing, she was relieved. She spotted Blake Templeton in the distance and made a beeline for the quickest life preserver she could find, Jimmy.

  She quickly wrapped her arm around his and smiled. “Hey, Jim.”

  He laughed. “Hey, Kit. Why the sudden cuddle up? Who are you hiding from, huh?”

  She giggled. “Oh, you know me too well.” She glanced over. See that guy at three o’clock. Him. Keep me away from him. Protect me, Jimmy.”

  He looked at her and grinned. “Absolutely. I’d be proud to, Kit-Kat.”

  Blake Templeton looked over in Kit’s direction and noticed her on the arm of a long-haired gentleman. He was clearly a rocker and as Blake looked closer, he realized it was the lead guitarist of Gypsy Tango. He had no desire to make small talk and leading her away didn’t look possible. He decided to wait it out. The end of the night would soon be upon him. He still wanted to make his presence known and show everyone present that he and Kit were a new item. He was confident she would finally say yes to a date with him after tonight. He didn’t know how he would pull it off, until he turned around and saw the perfect opportunity present itself. In the crosshairs in front of him at the bar was Sully Foxx.

  Blake approached Sully and introduced himself. He found Sully to be friendly and easy to talk to, making his opportunity to pounce even more perfect. He leaned back on the bar and motioned in Kit’s direction. “She’s a hot one.”

  Sully didn’t know what he was talking about until he turned around and followed Blake’s line of vision. He frowned and could feel his anger rising. “You mean, Kit?”

  He nodded and smiled. “Oh yeah.” Blake pretended to play dumb. He grimaced. “Oh, sorry dude, she’s your ex. Didn’t mean any disrespect.”

  Sully surveyed him suspiciously and turned back around to face his drink on the bar. “No problem, man. She’s still my manager. Tread lightly.”

  Blake nodded. “I know.” He turned back around and sipped his drink. He glanced over. “She’s a wild one, y’know. Wow, she’s got some serious skills, if you know what I mean.” He nudged him.

  Sully glared. “Excuse me?”

  He smiled. “Oh c’mon, Sully. If anyone knows what she’s like, it’s you! She’s your ex, so you know what she can do, if you know what I mean.” Blake winked at him.

  Sully stared as his anger continued to bubble up. “How the hell would you know?”

  Blake chuckled. “Because I’m with her now, man. We’re seeing each other. Didn’t she tell you? I mean you two are broken up. She moved on… to me. Check it out.” He walked toward Kit, yanked her away from Jimmy before he had time to react, took her into his arms and started kissing her.

  Sully had seen and heard enough. He slammed his drink down on the bar and stormed out of the ballroom, missing Kit pushing Blake back and slapping him hard across the face. Jimmy then cold clocked him with such force Blake stumbled a few feet back and fell into an hors d’oeuvre table. As Sully hastily made his way through the hotel he heard Kit calling out after him.

  “Sully! Sully, wait! Let me explain this… Sully!”

  He ignored her and headed out to the curb where he quickly hailed a cab. He got in and the cab sped off before Kit could make it out to the curb. He didn’t want to hear her explanation. He huffed in the backseat, trying to control his anger. He felt completely played by Kit. Suddenly the very intimate night they had shared lost its meaning to him. He had suspected she was seeing other men. Now, he had confirmation. And it was just the confirmation he needed to move on. He didn’t have the desire to talk things out with her anymore. He had all the answers he needed.

  Kit walked back into the hotel and ran into the ladies’ room. She took a deep breath to calm herself, but could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She feared that a complete misunderstanding had just obliterated the connection she had tried to rebuild with Sully the day before. She took a deep breath and let it out evenly. She still had to finish out the evening strong.

  When the party concluded, she headed over to Alexa’s. She was desperate to fix the damage that had been done at the party. Alexa and Wes had left the party an hour before and were in the process of getting ready for bed when Alexa answered the door.

  Kit forced a grin. “Hey. I’m sorry to bother you. I really need to talk to Sully.”

  Alexa sighed and shook her head. “Kit, he’s gone.”

  She frowned. “What? What do you mean? He left the party like ninety minutes ago!”

  Alexa motioned for her to come in. Wes gave her a compassionate look. Alexa took a seat on the sofa and looked up at her. “Baby, I’m sorry. We don’t know where he went. All he left us was this note.” She held up a hastily handwritten note.

  She seized the note and stared. He had thanked Alexa and Wes for letting him stay there, said he had to leave and promised he would be in touch soon. Kit looked up at Alexa with tears in her eyes as she handed back the note. “When did he leave?”

  Alexa shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea. He left the party before us and by the time we got home, all of his stuff was gone and he left this note with our key. I can’t imagine he flew out tonight, unless he got a private charter. Departing flights to L.A. are hard to come by late at night. Where do you think he went, Kit?”

  She sighed. “Maybe he’s staying with Jimmy or Bryan in their hotel rooms. Those guys are all due to fly out tomorrow. Maybe he’s with them. He might be with his sister too. She lives over by me on the Upper West Side with her husband who’s also a doctor.” She cast her eyes down. “Dammit.” She looked up and forced a grin. “Thanks, Lex. I’m gonna head home. Maybe he’ll be there waiting.”

  Alexa nodded. “Maybe. Call me and let me know, ok? Kit, what happened to set him off?”

  “It’s a long story. I don’t feel like getting into it now.”

  Wes held his arms out offering a hug that Kit immediately accepted. He spoke into her ear. “It will be ok, Kit. This will blow over. We all know how much Sully adores you.”

  She forced a grin. “Thanks, Wes.”

  When the limousine pulled up at Kit’s place, she secretly hoped to find Sully waiting for her when she approached her front door. An empty hallway greeted her, dashing her hopes. She turned the key and was hopeful that Adele had let him in earlier. Once she stepped into the foyer, she knew that wasn’t possible. The penthouse was as quiet as a tomb.

  As she made her way to her bedroom, she passed through the parlor where she noticed his acoustic guitar leaning up against the sofa. She approached it and stared for a moment, before gently stroking it. She shook her head and let out a sigh. She continued on to her bedroom and picked up the phone. She dialed his sister Colleen. She picked up immediately and Kit inquired. Receiving an answer she didn’t want, she hung up the phone feeling defeated.

  Colleen hung up the phone and looked at Sully. “Not cool, bro. I do not want to make a habit of lying to Kit to cover your ass. Why can’t you two just talk this out? What are you, ten years old? Jeez, Pat. Sometimes I wonder about you and this crazy rock star brain of yours. You said she came after you trying to explain. You have a tendency to jump to conclusions. Always have, ever since you were a tot. Why won’t you let her tell you the whole story?”

  Sully fussed with the fold out sofa in the living room of the apartment Colleen shared with her husband and one year old son. “Because it’s over, Coll. She seriously played me. It’s done. I don’t wanna talk about it. She’s seeing and fucking other guys and I’m not gonna be part of her male harem.”

  Colleen sighed and shook her head. “Pat…”

  “Sully, please.” He interjected as he smoothed the blanket on the fold out bed.

  She rolled her steel blue eyes. “Oh, please. Not in my house. You’re Pat O’Sullivan and you always will be Pat O’Sullivan. No rock star bullshit here, mister. You’re still my kid brother and you’re gonna listen up. I think you’re
making a very big mistake here. You’re acting very juvenile. Kit’s good people. She wouldn’t fuck around with your heart like that. Never in a million years.”

  Sully reclined on the fold out bed and ignored her. “I’m really beat. I have an early flight. Goodnight, sis.” He closed his eyes and pretended to be drifting off.

  Colleen sighed and turned off the lights. Before she left the room, she spoke again. “For the record, Pat, I think you’re being a total coward. You’re scared because you love her more than anything in this world. That’s what this is about.” She sighed. “Whatever. You’re not gonna listen anyway. Have a safe flight back.”

  When he heard her leave, Sully’s eyes popped open and his mind reeled. He kept replaying his entire time in New York paired with the argument that split them apart. He felt stabbed in the heart all over again. He made up his mind in that moment—the solution was simple. He had to move on and there was no turning back.

  Sully let out a long, exhausted breath as he walked into his penthouse. The flight back to Los Angeles had been long and he hadn’t been able to sleep despite the chain of cocktails he consumed. He set his bags down and glanced at a note on the foyer table. He browsed it quickly. The note was from Maxine. She was out of town on assignment in London.

  He sighed. He was alone once again and he didn’t like it one bit. He headed over to his answering machine to check messages. As he pressed play and heard her voice, his heart skipped a beat. Kit was asking him to call her back. She still wanted to explain. He was about to cut off the message and hit erase when he heard her mention he had forgotten his guitar at her place. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Of all the things he could leave behind that was quite possibly the worst. He hit erase, glanced at the clock and decided it was time to move on now.

  He hastily searched for his little black book. When he located it, he hunted for Rachel’s number. He knew he would see her at Jimmy’s wedding the following week and he didn’t want to wait. Suddenly, she seemed more attractive to him than she ever had. He wasn’t sure if that was the scotch talking or his broken heart. He promptly dismissed both internal warnings, dialed her number and waited. He heard her upbeat lilt and grinned. “Rachel, hey. It’s Sully. Wanna get together?”