Giving Up the Ghost

by Stella Price

  Saffron rolled her eyes. “When was this added?”

  “This morning. They called and begged. I’m hoping for the cover.”

  “Well then I’ll make sure they all shower and comb their hair then mum.” She said and laughed.

  “Dear god yes. The last thing I need is for Rhys to look strung out.”

  “He barely drank last night.”

  “Interesting.” She covered the phone again and giggled. “Look, I have something to take care of here…”

  No doubt it was a naked Dante again. “Yeah boss, understood.”

  “So enjoy the tour bus. Ta.”

  She hung up and Saffron gave a deep sigh. Lying to Xxieda was not something she was proud of, but it had to be done. This job was better than a gateway, it was the threshold to all she wanted for herself in the industry. She couldn’t let a sexy as fuck Cajun ruin it because he was the fuck of the century. No. Best to let last night go down in the history books, and do her damn job without entanglements.

  She looked at her phone and realized the missed calls were all Xxieda, which was good as she didn’t have to make any excuses to anyone else. She really hated lying. She threw the phone on the bed and sauntered into the bathroom to shower and get on with the day, hoping that she wouldn’t have to see Rhys for another few hours.

  ***

  He was not excited about waking up alone. Putting aside the fact that he had a hard on from hell, he didn’t enjoy opening his eyes.He was ready for round two, or seven, he forgot which, and found out that she had snuck from his bed, and room. Worse, he was so devastated that he didn’t even feel her moving.

  He turned over on his back and threw an arm over his head and sighed. Gods was she a wild one. And she obviously didn’t give a shit about him or what he wanted that morning, which actually made him respect her a bit more. Normally, chicks were ready to go when he woke up. That’s not to Saffron wasn’t, but she didn’t rock anything but what she wanted. It wasn’t all about him. It was kinda hot.

  He groaned, and palmed his cock, trying to alleviate the tightness of a man unfulfilled, but to no avail. This was not going away with a quick wank. Nope, she brought this on and she was going to have to take care of it. Mind made up, he was about to get out of bed when he heard his door open and decided better of it, opting instead to show her what she left and should take care of.

  “Jesus Christ Rhys!” A familiar voice, not Saffron’s hissed. “God damn it will you sit up or roll over or something! No one needs to see that!”

  “Then you shouldn’t have just walked into my room Nyxie. What if I was fucking or something.”

  He heard his keyboardist scoff. “Like I haven’t seen that before. Please, for all of us baby, get rid of that thing.”

  “Is that an offer?” he asked and the gasped as Nyx lobbed a throw pillow at his groin. He sat up seconds after impact, and grabbed at his groin and growled, not in the good way.

  “You bitch!”

  “Yeah, yeah, put it back in the deck Bellamy! I am surprised to find you alone though. She has enough sense to not get caught with her hand in the cookie jar though, so I gotta give her props. How was she?”

  Rhys frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Saffron? Jesus you could cut the sexual tension with a knife with you two. I just hope she’s outta your system now, and vice versa. We don’t need you running off a damn good tour manager because you got tired of her.”

  Rhys swung his legs over the side of the bed and watched Nyx flitter around, grabbing clothes and such, throwing them in his pilot’s case. She was packing. He frowned again. “Look anything that happened, and I’m not saying it did, is between her and I.”

  She shrugged. “Suit yourself. But let it go now okay? We don’t need another line up change, and she’s seriously good. I woke up and went down to check everything this morning and all the payments were in the account and everything.”

  Rhys nodded. That was damn good, Vegas promoters were notorious for fucking bands out of their full quota, but Saffron had handled it without so much as a whisper. She was good, and they couldn’t lose her. Then again, she was very good in bed, and he had to keep her around for that very reason.

  “How was your night?” he asked though he didn’t have to, he was sure he knew.

  Nyx looked at him. “Fantastic. Now I’m not getting into the details. I know how you start screaming about brain bleach when I do. So get up, get dressed, and get your ass down to the bus. We are leaving soon.”

  Rhys shrugged and stood up losing his pillow and sheet covering and Nyx groaned.

  “Rhys! Jesus Christ your going to put someone’s eye out with that thing. Gods I don’t wanna see that! Take care of it, and quickly. You have fans waiting for ya in the lobby.”

  Rhys grinned and winked. “You sure you don’t wanna pop in with me, I could use a hand.”

  “Pass, seriously pass.” She said and grabbed his laptop. “I’m taking this down to the bus.”

  “Whatever, see you in fifteen.”

  “You better.” She said as she walked out, Rhys walking the other way into the bathroom.

  ***

  Rhys groaned as he walked out of the bathroom and saw Reemus’ spectral body leaning against the far wall. “What! What the hell is happening that you gotta come bother me now? You know I’m not in a good mood… well not really.”

  Reemus rolled his eyes and then shook his head. Kid, you are in a whole heap load of trouble.

  “You think X is going to shit a brick when she finds out I nailed Saffy? I don’t think so Reem… she didn’t once tell me not to…” Rhys rambled as he pulled his jeans on and carefully zipped up his zipper.

  I’m not talking about your boss kid, I’m talking about Phaedra.

  Rhys stopped dead, his t-shirt half over his head at the mention of the woman he had loved for so long. Reemus had never mentioned her name, never even mentioned knowing her, until now.

  He let his shirt slip over his torso and slid his arms into the holes as he casually turned, trying not to show the astonishment on his face. “Phaedra?” he asked and frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  She isn’t happy with your little infatuation with Miss Saffron, not one bit. She’s vowing revenge on her, and it doesn’t look pretty.

  “How the hell is that possible? It’s been years, years of nothing from her. And believe me I have tried to contact her.”

  Reemus pushed off the wall and shrugged. The dead watch kid, you know that, they don’t always listen and they don’t always answer. I saw her last night, in the club, and she saw you, heard what you said.

  So it was Phaedra he felt when he mentioned her. At the time he couldn’t be sure, she had never contacted him, but now…

  “Why now though?”

  Why do you think? You are spurning her and her memory for another woman.

  He wasn’t, not really. Saffron was hot, sexy, and one fantastic lay, but he didn’t feel anything close to what he felt for Phaedra for her, not even close. So what if she was physically a better fit for him, his heart still belonged to Phaedra. Or did it?

  Lately, it had been easier to sing her songs, to think back on her and not get shitfaced when someone mentioned the past. He knew his grieving was coming to a close, in so much as he could function like a normal human, or as normal as a guy that could see the dead could function. Phaedra still owned a piece of his heart.A large piece, but he knew it was slipping.

  “What does it matter to her? I mean through the years she hasn’t once contacted me, and she knew she could. She didn’t once let me know…” Or forgive me.

  But that was it. He had started to realize that while he didn’t have her forgiveness, he was learning to live with that, little by little.

  “You know if she loved me so much, why hasn’t she ever come to me? Did she enjoy seeing me self destruct?”

  Reemus sighed. Kid, we have been through this. I don’t know. All I do know is she’s lurk
ing about, and she ain’t happy.

  “I’ll take your word for it, but I am not deviating from my present course, and why should I? Because she’s pissed at me?” he laughed. “Apparently I’m not allowed to be happy right?”

  No, I don’t think you are. And I’m not telling you to do anything, just keep a watchful eye on Miss Saffron. No telling what Phaedra can and will do.

  Rhys nodded. He wasn’t really worried though. Phaedra might be about, might be pissed, but nothing was going to change his mind. Not unless she came to him, which is something he was sure she wouldn’t do, because she hadn’t done it yet.

  Reemus smiled at him. Miss Saffron is a hell of a lady, kid… don’t fuck that up. And then he was gone.

  Rhys sighed and sat on the bed. He began putting his socks on, and then pulled on his Adidas Gazelle’s, grabbed his messenger bag and luggage, ready to leave the room. He walked out, intent on grabbing Saffron to walk down with her and frowned when he saw the maids already breaking her room down.

  So, she stole out of the room this morning walk of shame style, and then broke out before I came to? He smirked to himself, actually impressed with her candor.

  He walked towards the elevator when his cell started buzzing. He answered it and inwardly groaned.

  “Bellamy, you have a fucking phalanx of admirers down here, waiting for you to say goodbye. Where the fuck are you?”

  “On my way. You seen Saffron?”

  Tosh chuckled. “I have. She’s helping Nyx field questions about you right now, and she doesn’t look happy.”

  “Like not happy because she’s talking to a bunch of chicks about me, or just me in general?”

  “How the fuck should I know? I haven’t said more than three words to her since I got up. Get down here!”

  Rhys heard the click and closed his phone as the elevator opened and he stepped inside.

  Tosh, on the best of days, wasn’t reliable to get to the heart of any situation.He could be observing Saffron’s annoyance and blowing it out of proportion. He made it to the lobby level and walked through the casino floor towards the theater entrance where the bus was parked and flashed his tour laminate to the security guard as he passed through the door and out into the bright Vegas morning and the waiting throng of women.

  Chapter 8

  Wonder why I’m so caught off guard when we kiss – Jimmy Eat World

  “So what’s the deal?” Nyx asked as they rolled down highway fifteen towards the coast. They has just hit Barstow, taken a quick break, gassed up, and grabbed some snacks for the trip ahead. Now, barreling at fifty in a tour bus towards Victorville, and Los Angeles beyond, they were having a band meeting to talk about the changes in the itinerary.

  Saffron had thwarted every attempt to get her alone on the bus since they got on, first going over the route with Mickey, the band’s driver, then locking herself in the back room to do some actual managing. Winter had teased him, as did Chandler, claming he had it bad. It wasn’t that, it was that women never ignored him, especially after he had rocked their universe.

  Now, she was standing in front of them, a clip board in her hands, dressed in a short skirt and knee high boots, and a t shirt with a cartoon villain on it dressed all in yellow with butterfly wings. The shirt read “nobody puts baby in the corner, and nobody double crosses the Monarch. Two extreme truths of life.” Rhys smirked. It seemed her sense of humor. He watched her move as she stood there, her torso and upper body swaying slightly as the bus roared down the asphalt. She didn’t wear a bra, it was evident in the generous swell and outline of her nipple against the fabric of her t-shirt. Rhys couldn’t keep his eyes off her chest. He remembered the taste of her flesh, the sweet pebbling of her nipple under his tongue, and bit back a groan while discreetly adjusted his swelling cock. Saffron caught his eyes and then looked away, a smirk on her face as she turned her attention back to the rest of the band. Caught. Shit.

  “Rolling Stone called Xxieda. They set up a photo shoot.”

  “Rhys?” Nyx asked and rolled her eyes.

  Saffron shook her head. “All you guys, in fact there’s a note here that you’re going to be doing a shoot yourself, for the Women of Rock issue they got coming up.” She grinned at Nyx. “Way to go, damn prestigious issue.”

  “So it’s just a normal shoot then?” Winter asked as he popped open a soda. “I mean we aren’t going to be all decked out Blue Man group style right?”

  Saffron looked over her printed papers. “Yep, normal shoot… like the album cover, or so Swann says.”

  Winter nodded and Chandler sighed. “Ok so Photo shoot, then what? We have like two days in LA.”

  Saffron riffled through her papers again. “You guys are slated for interviews at the area Rock station and the college station. Looks like you’re giving away tickets to the show too.”

  “So the usual. LA is always seriously easy.” Nyx offered. “Nothing we haven’t done before.” She winked at Saffron. “So when’s the photo shoot?”

  “About two hours after we hit town. More than enough time.”

  The band nodded in unison and Saffron smiled. “Well that’s it. Aside from Sound check.”

  “Sweet, then we have time right?”

  Saffron nodded. “Yep. So long as you make it to the sound check tomorrow after the interviews, you guys are on your own. Just please, whatever you do, don’t get all wrapped up in something like a Donkey show or going to Mexico and you didn’t bring your passport. X will shit kittens.”

  “Don’t worry mom…” Winter said and winked. “Best behavior.”

  “Appreciate that. Okay I guess that’s it. Thanks guys.”

  The meeting over, Saffron walked past them toward the back of the bus and shuffled past Rhys, who was purposely blocking the hallway. She rubbed up against him and he almost groaned, feeling the sweet give of her breast and the tight hardness of her nipple skim over his bicep.

  She looked him in the face, a very droll stare and he grinned. “A word?” he asked and she shook her head.

  “Sorry, I have some more work to do. Why don’t you make your plans for LA? Everyone else seems to be.” She said and motioned to the other band members who were all either on the phone, texting or on their iPad.

  “Actually, Tosh is playing Angry Birds…” he offered and Saffron shrugged.

  “Whatever. Look I don’t have time for this.” She pushed past him.

  Rhys followed her past the bed section of the bus to the back office. She didn’t bother to try and close him out; he was just far too close to her for it to be successful. He slipped his hand under her skirt and cupped her ass, and Saffron turned quickly, slapping at his hand.

  “Rhys…” she started and he pushed her farther into the room. He grinned and she shook her head. “Seriously?”

  “I had a bet going with myself that you weren’t wearing knickers. I was right.”

  She scoffed. “Hardly, G-string bucko. So now that we have discussed my underwear can you let me work?”

  Rhys frowned. “Are we not going to talk…”

  “No, we aren’t. Job remember? I would like to keep it. Chalk it up to a weak moment fueled by stupidity. Now if you don’t mind?”

  Rhys took a step back, astonished that she was not in any way responding to him. The motion was just enough that she slammed the door in his face. Son of a Bitch, he thought and shook his head. She wants to play games…

  Winter’s voice came from behind him, a hint of amusement laced through it. “This is hilarious. I haven’t seen you this flustered over a woman since prom.”

  Rhys turned to face his best friend. “Oh eat it will you Wint?”

  Winter smirked. “Face it man, she got your cock up and now you can’t handle that she doesn’t care.”

  He was right of course, but that didn’t mean Rhys had to admit it. “Whatever. So plans for LA?”

  Winter started talking about hitting up a few places they normally went to, to meet up with fans and such. Rhys was only half
listening. LA was going to be another battleground for him and Saffron, one where he was going to come out victorious. He just had to change tactics. True, he wanted under that short little skirt badly, but he also knew one thing, this woman intrigued him, something he hadn’t had happen in a long time. He wanted her to like him, to feel as out of control as he was right now.To do that, he was going to have to up the ante.

  The plan started to formulate, and he grinned, catching the tail end of what Winter was rambling about.

  “So you’re going to hit up Santa Monica Pier?”

  “Yeah, might as well, right? Meet up with Sandy and the girls, play the games, do the rides, then do a little riding myself. You down?”

  Oh he was down, but nothing he had in mind involved Sandy sucks-a-lot and her band of bisexual merry friends. Saffron had no idea what he planned for her next.

  Chapter 9

  Everybody knows you’ve been discreet, so many people you had to meet without your clothes – Leonard Cohen

  Saffron was quite proud of herself. She had successfully kept to her job since leaving Vegas, and only thought of the bane of her professional existence once… maybe twice. The man was temptation in its purest form, and as much as she wanted to just enjoy him grabbing her ass earlier, and pull him into the room to have a naughty encounter, she was restraining herself. No, the job, and her career was too important for her to throw away on a guy that fucked like a demon.

  If she was lucky, he would be off in the city after the photo shoot, doing whatever it was he did on tour, and she could deal with her attraction in peace. Outta sight, outta mind. She could get some of the work done for the next show after LA, a week later in NOLA, their Voodoo Music festival, and the band’s hometown show. There was a lot of pressure on them for that one.She knew some down time in LA would be good for them, not to mention the LA fans were insane, and would pump them up even more. Not that the band had anything to worry about, nothing beat a hometown show for an ego boost.

  And there was a lot to do for New Orleans, though thankfully she was going to be saved the headache of hotel reservations, at least for the band. She was registered at the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon St. Everyone else was staying at their respective houses, or parents houses. So that just left administration insanities, passes, VIP tickets, and of course set times and such.