What Now?

by Every, Donna

  Brian joined her for a leisurely breakfast before they headed downtown in one of the limos since the band members were no doubt still in bed. After arranging to be picked up in a couple of hours, they hit the streets. They didn’t have any trouble finding people who had been to the concert the night before or who were eager to talk about it.

  Shari stopped three teenage girls and, having ascertained that they’d been to the concert, asked them what they thought of it.

  “OMG, it was awesome!” They exclaimed. “Nick Badley is sooo sexy!” The one who was evidently the boldest enthused. Shari mentally concurred with that.

  “It’s as if he’s singing directly to you.” The others eagerly agreed, making Shari wonder if the wink at the concert had actually been for her or if he was just winking at all the women near to her.

  “I would do anything for a backstage pass after one of his concerts,” sighed the one who had said he was sexy.

  “Why? What’s so big about going backstage?” Shari played devil’s advocate.

  “Are you kidding? You get to hang out with Nick Badley. Breathe the same air as him. I mean, he’s like a god!” Shari smothered a smile as these girls gushed at the thought of being near to Nick.

  “Thanks, ladies. Great talking with you. And here are some autographed photos for chatting with us.” She gave them some of the photos that Lily had given her as part of the giveaway merchandise. She smiled as they squealed in excitement, practically snatching the photos from her.

  She spent over an hour interviewing people while Brian captured them on his camera. Most were women and all had great things to say about the concert and especially about Nick. There was no doubt about it; Nick Badley had obviously made a great impression on Denver, at least at the concert. She wondered what had happened after the concert. Not that it was any of her business.

  “Hi, Shari. Come on in.”

  Steve Jeffries gave her a quick hug and stepped back to let her into the room; well, suite, actually. It was huge! Definitely on par with the one Nick had stayed in in Vegas.

  “Hi, Steve.” Shari felt comfortable around Steve. Having confided in her that first night, she felt that she knew him, so his hug was not surprising. He was a loveable bear of a guy with a short beard and longish hair. He was attractive in his own way, so she knew that he must have a time keeping the women off.

  The living room that he led her to was furnished with camel-colored sofas and chairs and had a fireplace set in a brick wall sandwiched between two floor-to-ceiling windows with amazing views. Original art and modern-looking sculptures graced the walls and tables. There was even a grand piano separating the living room and the dining room.

  “This is an amazing suite,” she enthused, looking around at the dining room and what looked like a small study that she could see across from her before turning to admire the view from the windows.

  “It certainly is. There’s even a small exercise room and a sauna in the master suite. It’s so big, Nick and I hardly run into each other.”

  Shari froze. “You’re sharing with Nick?”

  “Yes, but don’t worry, he won’t hear us. Apart from the fact that the suite is about two thousand square feet, I’d say he’ll be out for a couple more hours.”

  “Usual night on the town?”

  “If this is to be believed, I’d say so.” He gestured to a local newspaper that was strewn across the coffee table, opened to the entertainment pages. “With all the technology now, I guess they can take photos and do the write-up and e-mail them to the newsroom in time for the morning edition.”

  Shari couldn’t help picking up the paper to see what Nick had been up to. Her attention zeroed in on a color photo of Nick, eyes half closed, with a gorgeous dark-haired woman on his lap. Even with his eyes partly closed, he couldn’t possibly miss the cleavage that she practically thrust into his face.

  In the next photo she had succeeded, as his face was partly buried in her bosom. Judging from the amount of glasses that were on the table in the foreground, maybe Nick had passed out and his face had fallen into her cleavage which was conveniently close. The caption read: Nick Bad takes a dive in Denver.

  “My goodness, doesn’t he get tired?” Shari asked throwing down the paper. She was trying hard to reconcile the almost vulnerable Nick Badley who spoke to her yesterday with the rock star in the paper. “I’m sure Lily will have his head today, if he managed to get it out of that woman’s bosom.”

  “It may still be in there,” laughed Steve, gesturing towards the master bedroom.

  “They’re in there?” whispered Shari.

  “I’m guessing so. I thought I heard a commotion in the suite this morning around four, but he may have come home alone.”

  Shari fervently hoped so, but she’d be surprised. This would be yet another woman that Nick had slept with in two days and, if she was totally honest with herself, she felt a little piqued this time. She had to remind herself that just because Nick had shared intimate parts of his life with her that did not give her any claims on him. She was there to do report about his life, not get involved in it.

  “Let’s talk about you,” she said to Steve, changing the subject. “Let me start my recorder and then you can tell me how long you’ve been with the band and how long you’ve known Nick. OK, when you’re ready.”

  “Nick and I grew up in the same town so I’ve known him from the time we were kids…” Shari listened with interest as Steve shared about their beginnings as a band and the dreams that he and Nick had. She realized that they’d been very idealistic about the kind of music they would write; songs with depth and which spoke to the issues of life. A far cry from “Moving On”, she mused.

  “Anyway, I got married to a girl I met on a skiing holiday in Colorado. We kept in touch and she would fly in to see me when I was on the road sometimes or I would go visit her at her place. I had to really persuade her to marry me, being in a band and on the road all the time, but eventually she said ‘yes’ and we’ve been married for three years.”

  “You told me a bit about how difficult that is. How do you manage to stay faithful?”

  “As I said, it’s not easy, but when I saw how Nick and Jo’s marriage suffered and how much she was hurt by his cheating, especially since it was all over the media, I decided that I never wanted to do that to Marie. If we’re in a city for at least three days I’ll fly home and come back. But, to tell the truth, I’m getting a bit tired of being on the road this long and I can’t wait for the tour to end.”

  Shari nodded understandingly.

  “But on the upside, it’s great to see the fans and to know that we’re giving them pleasure through our music and our concerts, at least fleetingly. And we have a great group of guys in the band; for the most part,” he added.

  “I couldn’t help but wonder about that. Everyone seems to get on, but I noticed that Tim appears to have some issues with Nick. Why is that?”

  “You’d have to ask Tim that. I will say, though, that we’ve all had to check our egos at the door when the label began to highlight Nick. I don’t have a problem with it because for me it’s been about the music not the fame, but maybe it’s not the same for everyone, so you’ll have to ask the others.”

  “To tell the truth, I’ve been putting off interviewing –” Shari stopped abruptly as the door to the master suite opened, diverting her attention. Nick walked out dressed only in a pair of jeans, followed by the woman from the photo in the same clothes. He looked rough, with his hair tousled, overnight stubble on his face and red eyes, which were either from the drinks he had consumed or lack of sleep, or both. How did he manage to make rough look sexy? The woman, Shari hated to admit it, looked gorgeous and had obviously taken the time to bathe and apply full make-up. She felt plain in comparison.

  “This is becoming a habit, Shari Goodwin,” Nick greeted, catching sight of her on the sofa. He didn’t even look the least bit embarrassed to see her there. But, then again, why would he?

  �
��A bad one,” she couldn’t help saying.

  “Ouch! Shari, Steve this is…” he paused and looked around at his companion.

  “Bianca,” she supplied, not seeming overly concerned that Nick could not remember her name.

  “Hi, Bianca,” greeted Steve. Shari nodded a greeting.

  “I’ll just see Bianca to the door and be right back.”

  Take your time, Shari thought. Steve looked at her and shook his head slightly as if to say ‘I don’t know how he does it’.

  Nick was back in a couple of minutes. The lipstick on his mouth made it obvious that he had been doing a bit more than seeing Bianca to the door. He threw himself down on the sofa next to Shari who moved a bit further to her left.

  “I’m not contagious, Ms. Goodwin,” he mocked her as he noticed her move.

  “That’s comforting to know,” she murmured under her breath. It came out louder than she intended and Steve sniggered from where he sat.

  “Don’t worry, I’m careful.” Nick had obviously heard as well.

  “It’s really not my business,” she reminded him.

  “Well, Nick, I see you had quite a night on the town, as usual.” Steve cut in before Nick had time to respond. He gestured to the paper on the table. Nick picked it up reluctantly to see what lies the press had reported about him this time. He swore.

  “I don’t remember this.”

  “I believe you. The number of glasses on the table provides enough evidence to support your claim of memory loss. I’m pretty sure that the photo wasn’t retouched, though,” said Shari drily.

  “Lily won’t be too happy with that,” Steve added in cheerfully.

  “Lily doesn’t own me, although she tries to act that way. Is there any coffee in this place?” Nick asked, rubbing his hand over his face.

  Shari could hear the scraping of his beard against his palm and found herself wondering how it would feel. She arrested her wayward thoughts in horror. What was she thinking? This was Nick Badley who had just slept with yet another woman that he obviously didn’t know or had forgotten since his last visit. She had no desire to be the next in the queue. Besides, she didn’t plan on sleeping with him or anyone just to satisfy a craving. That was not her style. She’d gotten her life back on track and she intended to stay there.

  “Sorry, you’ll have to order some.” Steve’s voice brought her attention back to the room. “Excuse my manners, Shari. Can I get you a drink from the bar or something to eat from room service?”

  “Thanks. An iced tea would be nice, if you have it. But Nick can get it while we continue talking. Nick, do you mind?” she asked sweetly, remembering how he had ordered her to get room service for him in Vegas.

  “Not at all, Shari. I’d be happy to give you anything you want anytime you want it,” he said suggestively in a low, sexy voice.

  “The only thing I want from you is my iced tea, thanks.” He could not be serious. After Bianca just walked out of his bedroom? Not that she would ever entertain his outrageous invitation. Had he forgotten that she was a journalist and there solely for his documentary? “And you might want to put on a shirt,” she suggested.

  “If my bare chest is making you uncomfortable, I’ll put on a shirt just to please you,” he teased. She was glad when he disappeared to look for the iced tea.

  Steve looked at her curiously, wondering at the undercurrents he was sensing. Nick never could resist a challenge and Shari Goodwin was definitely a challenge, unlike the women who threw themselves at him in every city. She seemed like a sensible woman. He hoped that she would have more sense than to succumb to Nick’s charms.

  Chapter 9

  Nick rejoined them in a few minutes, thankfully having bathed and changed into another pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He hadn’t bothered to shave, but he had washed his hair and it was still damp and tousled as if he’d only towel dried it. He sat next to Shari on the couch again, making her feel distinctly uncomfortable with his proximity. She could smell the clean scent of soap emanating from him and was tempted to move closer to her side of the couch, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he affected her. And boy was he beginning to affect her. Yes, she needed to pray all right, but not for him; for herself.

  She deliberately ignored him and, turning to Steve, began to ask him about his music and who had influenced him. He rattled off some musicians that she was familiar with as well as others that she had never heard about before. Nick sat quietly, not seeming to mind being left out of the conversation, but Shari could sense his gaze on her and tried not to feel self-conscious.

  Nick studied the curls at the back of Shari’s head. As she bent to type a note on her tablet, her nape was exposed and the sudden desire to caress the smooth skin with his lips shot through him. Where the hell did that come from? Shari Goodwin was quite attractive; OK, very attractive, and he enjoyed teasing her, but he didn’t want her in that way. She really wasn’t his type. She was too moral and way too easily shocked.

  So why did his fingers, seemingly of their own volition, reach out and caress her neck? Shari almost jumped out of her skin. Her head whipped around to stare at him in shock and Nick was pleased to see that she looked rattled. She obviously was not as immune to him as she appeared.

  “What was that about, Nick Badley?” she snapped at him. “How dare you touch me in that way?”

  “What way?” he asked innocently. She couldn’t really answer his question without sounding silly but, to her, his touch had been intimate. She knew that he would laugh her out of the room if she said that. After all, what she considered intimate was not even foreplay to him.

  “Unprofessionally! Don’t do that again,” she instructed.

  Nick held up both hands in surrender and was saved from responding by a sharp rap on the door. Room service was right on time.

  Nick delivered the iced tea to her and, when he had finished eating his baby back ribs smothered in barbecue sauce, baked potatoes and grilled vegetables at the table, he brought over his dessert platter and offered some to them. Shari was tempted to ignore him but, after taking one look at a moist-looking piece of chocolate cake with rich frosting, she changed her mind. Steve took a fruit tart, claiming that at least it had fruit, while Nick settled down with the rest of the platter on his lap.

  Shari looked at him in surprise. “You’re going to eat all those? I didn’t know you had a sweet tooth. Although I should have guessed from the breakfast you ordered in Vegas.”

  “You see, there’re still a lot of things you don’t know about me, Shari Goodwin, but you only have to ask.”

  Shari rolled her eyes and raised her icing-covered fingers to her mouth. Looking up, she caught Nick’s eyes on her mouth as she licked the icing from her fingers. Her eyes met his and she saw them darken with something that looked like desire. He shifted the plate on his lap and Shari’s eyes followed the movement before quickly retreating to the safety of her interview with Steve.

  “Uh, you were telling me about your heroes in music, Steve,” she stumbled over the words, trying to get a grip on her thoughts.

  “I’d just about finished that,” he reminded her.

  “Oh, yes.” Her face felt hot with embarrassment. “So what is the best memory you have with the band?” She threw out the first thing that came to her mind.

  Steve thought for a moment and began to smile. “It was a daytime gig we had at a big open air arena in Dallas. We were fairly new on the scene, at least nationally, and it was really cool when we were flown in by helicopter and dropped into the arena and then we ran through a path in the crowd onto the stage. Remember that, Nick?”

  “Yeah, that was something. The crowd went wild. It was pretty awesome at the time. One of my best memories was performing in Paris for the first time and seeing the Eifel Tower in the distance and being amazed that, even in a country whose first language wasn’t English, we could still pack out a stadium with everyone singing our songs. It made me realize, more than before, that
music is a global language and has the power to bridge all kinds of gaps. That means that we have the power, through our music, to bring people together and make them forget their differences.”

  Shari was forced to turn around to look at Nick as he spoke. For the first time, she saw a depth in him and his belief in what he did as a musician that he had not shown before. She needed to find about more about this aspect of him. This Nick Badley and the one he had revealed the day before, did not fit the image that she had anticipated. Had she been a little hasty in judging him as a typical rock star?

  Giving her conscience a wide berth, she quickly raced through her brain for another question to ask.

  “And what is the worst memory that you have?”

  “I can’t think of any really bad memories,” Steve said.

  “Me neither. We’ve been lucky. Knock wood.”

  “So tell me, what kind of gigs you guys did before you became famous? And how did you know when you had become famous?”

  Shari enjoyed listening as Nick and Steve reminisced about some of the places they had played, sometimes making her crack up with their stories.

  “How did we know when we had become famous?” Nick repeated, coming back to her question. They paused for a while and thought about it. Then he continued: “For me, I guess it was the first time I walked down a street in New York and someone came up to me and said ‘Hey, you’re Nick Badley’. I figure that if you’re recognized in New York City, and someone actually stops to tell you so, then you must be famous,” he laughed.

  “I’m still not famous,” Steve laughed, “and I like it that way.”

  Shari spent another half hour chatting with them and she was pleasantly surprised to find that she enjoyed herself. For some reason, she was glad to discover that Nick had a true friend in Steve and that there was at least one person that he could be real with. As she waited for the elevator to take her back down to the 9th floor, it suddenly dawned on her that he had been real with her as well.