“You’re okay now, Bells.”
She cried harder.
“When I find that fucker, he’s dead. I don’t care if you never talk to me again. I’m goin’ to break his fuckin’ neck.”
My cousin couldn’t respond. She was too hurt both mentally and physically to take up for him any longer. After getting her to lay back down in bed, I sat down beside her and flipped through my phone.
It only took one ring for him to answer, and I didn’t leave him time to ask questions. “Noah, -.”
“I’ll be home tomorrow mornin’. I’m takin’ care of somethin’ for Bells first and then she’s comin’ to stay with me for a while. I just wanted you to know before I did it.”
My dad didn’t argue. Maybe he could hear how serious I was, or that he valued my relationship with my cousin. “Is she alright, son?”
“She will be. Listen, I know you don’t owe me any favors, and that we’re goin’ to have to talk when I get home, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call her parents. Just let her tell them herself.”
“It ain’t my business. I’ll tell your mother you’ll be home for dinner.”
I hung up before I even agreed to eating with them. After seeing my cousin’s face, nothing mattered except getting her home. She needed to be comfortable and recover in the comfort of being in a familiar place, not in some shit-bag hotel room.
I checked my phone one more time for messages from Shalan, before I put my arm around Bells and closed my eyes. The two of us were pretty messed up. At least we’d be able to recover from our mistakes together, just like we did when we were kids. After all, if you don’t have your family, who do you have?
My mind went straight to Shalan.
She was all alone.
She’d never know what a real family felt like.
I hated knowing that.
Shalan
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept all the way through the night without waking up. Surely I thought it had to be because I was with Noah.
That’s when I opened my eyes and saw that he wasn’t in the room. I walked into the bathroom and noticed that his toothbrush was gone first. I then rushed back out into the room to discover that all of his things were gone.
I spotted the note on the table, but didn’t rush over to read what it said. I knew he was gone, and I’d never felt so alone.
For a while I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the piece of paper on the table. I didn’t want to see his handwriting, and read the words that would definitely crush my soul. For some reason I’d thought of Noah as my protector, feeling that as long as he was with me, I’d be safe from anything bad happening.
Courage was something that I’d never been very good with. It took a lot of it to reach across that table and unfold the note. There was a wad of cash inside of it.
I traced my name that had been written in his handwriting.
The tears began.
Shalan,
The past few days have been great. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed someone’s company as much as I’ve enjoyed being with you. You’ll never know how much you being around helped me.
I know you’re pissed at me for leaving without explaining. I had a good reason, but none of that is enough to make you understand that it was the right thing to do. I have a life back home, and I can’t keep running away from it.
I’ll never regret meeting you, and sharing my time with you. I’ll never forget what it felt like to hear you sing for the first time, and every time after that. You’re so beautiful and so damn talented. Big things are going to happen for you. I hope you know that.
I’ve paid for the room for the rest of the week, and left you money for any expenses you may encounter to get where you’re going. Please don’t be angry with me too long. I didn’t leave because of you.
I know you won’t call me right now, but I’m enclosing my number in hopes that we will see each other again.
One day I’m going to hear that voice of yours on the radio, and it’s going to remind me of the way you felt when you were in my arms.
Don’t take your talents for granted. You have nothing to worry about with the gift you hold.
Noah Mitchell
I folded the paper back up as I wept. Not even my ex-boyfriend had ever affected me like this. I don’t know whether I felt more betrayed or abandoned. He’d promised to go with me, to stand by my side at my meeting, and instead he’d snuck out in the middle of the night, so he didn’t have to tell me in person.
He was a coward, and if he thought for one single second I was going to call him, he was very mistaken.
Two hours later I picked myself up off the bed and showered. I knew my eyes were puffy, and that I wouldn’t look good, even if I caked makeup all over my face. My heart was broken, because I’d opened it up to a complete stranger. Honestly, I don’t know what I expected from him. He owed me nothing.
It wasn’t like he’d left me a bill for everything he’d purchased for me. No, Noah had not only treated me to those three days, but he’d left with me enough to get by. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I’d find a way to repay him, no matter how long it took me.
I’d never hailed a cab myself. While flailing my arms in the air, looking ridiculous, a handsome man in a business suit approached me. “Allow me.” He whistled and waved one time. A cab pulled up and he held the door open for me.
“Thank you,” I said with a smile.
“It was my pleasure.” Even with his quick grin I got this creepy vibe from him, as if he just wanted to watch me bend over and climb in the cab. It was probably a good thing that the driver took off even before I could spat out an address.
Traffic was horrendous, forcing our drive to last a half hour instead of ten minutes. I was positive that I could have walked to the location faster than the ride took. After paying my fare, I climbed out and stared at the tall building. The business information was listed in the foyer and I took an elevator up to the level they were located on. Before walking inside I had to take a couple of breaths. I probably should have practiced while in the shower, but I was too distracted to stay focused.
A young blonde, looking to be my age sat at a large desk when I first walked inside. “Welcome. Do you have an appointment?”
I told her my name and was led into a huge conference room that overlooked the city. I suppose I should have sat down, but nerves were making it difficult to do anything that required thought.
The couple from the previous night came in, causing me to sit quickly. “Shalan. So glad you could meet with us today.” Tony and Shelly both shook my hand as he greeted me.
Once we were done, I smiled and folded my hands together on the table. “Thanks for having me.”
“Where’s your partner?”
Even though I knew the question was coming, I couldn’t have prepared how it affected me. I clenched my jaws together like Noah always did and answered with as much composure as I could conjure up. “He decided that he wasn’t interested. He’s got family drama back in Kentucky and knew he wouldn’t be able to commit to something.”
The secretary from before opened the door and let an older man inside. He shook hands with the couple and reached over to do the same to me. “My name is Howard Schwartz. I’ve heard so much about you in the last twenty-four hours that I decided to come across town and meet you myself.”
I smiled, unable to say anything else.
“Shalan, I’m sure you already know why you’re here. Mr. Schwartz happens to be one of our partners. When we find new talent, we always make sure he agrees with us before any ink is exchanged.” The wife, Shelly, explained.
“Okay. What would you like me to do? Do I need to submit a demo or something?” I hadn’t prepared myself for this meeting in any way. It also sucked that I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt when they were all three clearly in business attire.
The old man folded his hands together and smiled. I was pretty sure he had false
teeth, because his lower jaw kept adjusting, as if he were holding something in his mouth. “Just stand up and sing something.”
“Anything?”
“Anything is fine,” he agreed.
I looked at the three of them before standing up. I kept my hands folded in front of me and closed my eyes, knowing that if I messed this up I’d be on the first bus home, to face possible jail time.
I was going to perform the song I’d written for my mother, but instead decided to sing the one that I’d made up on the car ride over. It seemed fitting after the day I’d had, and the way I was missing Noah. I also knew that I could sing it with emotion, and with meaning. It would pack a punch.
I started humming to get a good melody going to go off of. I’d never done a song like this before, not that I doubted my ability. With my eyes still closed, I pat on my leg to keep my rhythm and just let go.
“Our eyes met in vain,
and I knew nothing would ever be the same.
You took my breath away that night you asked me to stay.
It was lust then, just like it’s lust now.
Give me one last try, give me one more goodbye.
Let me show you. Let me know you.
I’ll make you feel it. I’ll make you mean it.
That’s the power of sex
It’s the reason we’re so wrecked.”
I opened my eyes and looked at the three people staring back at me. The old man got up from his chair and whispered in the woman’s ear. She nodded and they all three started clapping.
“You’re even better than they explained. Did you write that?”
“Sort of. I made it up on the car ride here.”
“Can you do it with an edge to it? I’d like to hear your range.”
I tapped on my thigh and sang it again, this time with a more raspy edge. I sang the last bit with power, making sure he could hear how high and low I could get.
“Impressive.” He motioned for me to sit back down. “Okay, sweetheart, this is what I’m prepared to offer you, just based on that.” He slid over a contract and I almost felt like I was going to pass out. “Now, this is just a temporary agreement stating that you can’t sign with anyone else while we are drawing up the final paperwork. That just means that we will represent you solely.”
He flipped the page and pointed to another document. “I’m not sure where you’re from, but this is typically the schedule you will have for the first year. As you can see, we’ll start you out on tour with another musician that we rep. This will allow you to work with our voice coaches, get familiar with the business, and also be making cash while we’re preparing you for the recording studio.” He pointed to a list of steps. “As you can see here it isn’t just walking into a business, singing a couple of songs and being on the radio. We work with several companies that provide us with prewritten music. I can tell that you are capable of writing your own material. For right now I’m going to ask that you stick with what we have until you can familiarize yourself with the business. Once we’ve got a couple singles under your belt, we can talk about those songs.”
I smiled to acknowledge that I was following him.
“It’s going to take about a week for the final paperwork to get drawn up. Take that time to gather the items you will need from your home to bring here. We own a few apartments that we provide for our musicians to live out of while they are starting out. You’ll have your own space, as long as you follow the rules. These apartments are for our new artists during their probationary period the first six months. You’ll have daily voice classes, a personal trainer, and also a dietician. All of these are required as stated on the contract. Tour weeks are normally five to seven days. During that time you’ll be on the road. Are you able to do that?”
I nodded. “I have nothing to go home to.” It was pathetic and not meant to make them feel sorry for me.
“That’s very unfortunate, but I can tell you from experience that you’ve just gained yourself a very large family, my dear.”
“I will work hard. I promise. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
He nodded. “If you sign these papers we can go ahead and do the background check, and have you sent off for the physical. We need the people we represent to be healthy and not in any kind of trouble.”
I held my smile, knowing that if there were charges against me, all of this would have been for nothing. “I understand.”
“This is a long process and you’re going to have to be willing to work for it.”
“I will take whatever I can get. I’ll start at the very bottom.” I was rambling and they knew it. I must have sounded like every other desperate musician that walked in their door.
I suppose I should have paid for a lawyer, or someone to read over the contract, but I knew no one with that kind of background that I could trust. Besides, having nothing to start with meant I had nothing to lose.
I signed on the dotted line, on the line that was going to change my life forever.
Riding back to the hotel in the cab to get my things was empowering. My dreams were coming true and I had one person to thank. My only problem was finding all of the words that I wanted to say to him and bringing myself to actually do it.
All I knew was that, at some point, I was going to find a way to see him again.
Noah
My cousin Isabella didn’t like to be told what to do. A lot like her mother, my aunt, she thought she knew everything, and also what was best for everyone. Sometimes I valued her opinions, because I knew she’d tell it to me straight. This, however, was not one of those times.
My cousin was beaten badly, and it was taking every ounce of self-control to not find the bastard that did this to her and make him pay for what he’d done. Surely anyone in their right mind would want justice after seeing her in the condition she was in.
I slept for only a little while, having too much on my mind to be able to relax completely. Not only was I worried about my family, but there was a little woman out there in a big city, all alone because of me. I hated knowing that.
It occurred to me when I left New York that I should have retrieved her number off of my phone, to ensure that I could talk to her again.
Since I knew she was singing with the band again, I gathered that I could reach her at the restaurant later in the evening.
Bells woke up in pain, not that I was surprised. Her face looked even worse, if that was even possible. “Hey. How long was I asleep?”
“A few hours. You need your rest.” I ran the back of my hand over her cheek. “We need to talk, Bells.”
She got up and walked into the bathroom. “Yeah, I know. Just let me pee in peace first.”
I heard the toilet flush and her come back into the room. She sat at the little round table near the window and brought her knees to her chest. “What were you doin’ in New York. You don’t even like that city.”
“It was the last place they’d look, so I thought.”
She laughed. “Who found you?”
“Gram. Well, she didn’t call me. I called her to check in and she told me she knew where I was. That’s the shit that pisses me off the most. This family has their fuckin’ hands in everything. We get no privacy.”
“Bitch much. Jesus, Noah, you act like you were trying to wine and dine a woman and got cock-blocked.”
I lowered my head and wiped my face with my hands. The mere mention of Shalan and I was becoming unhinged.
Bells sat up. “Who was she? You better tell me. I tell you everything, so start talkin’.”
I fell back onto the bed and laughed. “It’s nothin’.”
Bells jumped off the chair and collided into me on the bed. She cuddled her head up next to my arm and gave me a sad face. “Please tell me. I need to hear about something hot and fun.”
I laughed, knowing Shalan was both of those things. “We met the night I left Kentucky. She was workin’ at some bar off of the beaten path a bit. She was my waitress, and I guess ba
rtender too, since she was the only one there at the end. Anyway, first she took my keys, because I’d had too many shots. Then her car wouldn’t start, so we were stuck ridin’ together. Actually, let me rephrase that. She found my keys that she’d thrown into a field and proceeded to drive my truck. We’re halfway to where she needs to get dropped off and she sees her fuckin’ boyfriend and her best girlfriend gettin’ it on in a parking lot. This crazy cat jumps out of my truck and proceeds to steal his car, while he’s indisposed. Then she drives it into a pond and runs from the scene.”
Bells started to laugh. “I’m sure you’re leavin’ out details, but can I ask what this has to do with New York, or that smile you got on your face the moment I mentioned a woman.” She nestled herself up next to me and waited for my reply. I had to admit, knowing she was safe made me happy.
“Bells, she’s beautiful. I knew it even when she had a ball cap on when I first laid eyes on her. She’s got real dark hair, that’s almost down to her ass. It curls up at the ends when it starts to dry.” I had to close my eyes for a second, because my mind went straight to being naked with her in the shower. Since I was hanging out with my cousin, I certainly didn’t want to get aroused. That would be disgusting and very weird.
“Anyway, she’s got these bright blue eyes that you can’t stop lookin’ at. Did I mention her body? She’s just a petite little thing, with curves in all the right places.”
Bells rolled over and stretched her arms above her head. “You’re describing your perfect woman, Noah. She sounds too good to be true, if you ask me. Are you sure the liquor wasn’t makin’ you see somethin’ that wasn’t there?”
Bells propped herself up on her elbow and watched me turn to face her. “She was real, cuz. That’s not even the best part.”
“Did you steal a horse and rescue her from an old time jail with a skeleton key that you stole from the sleeping deputy?” Her sarcasm was annoying, but creative.
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