“What did you say?” Stevie asked, putting her hands in her pockets, still staring at him.
“I want to see you again.” Daniel couldn’t break the gaze, he couldn’t look away from her.
“You’re kidding, right?”
He ran a hand through his hair. Every conceivable alarm bell was going off in his head and he knew he should be turning and walking away from this but he couldn’t. He didn’t want to. Despite a million reasons why he should already filling his confused head.
“No. I’m not kidding.”
She continued to look at him, those eyes of hers searching his face for something. Some kind of explanation.
“What the fuck are you? Some kind of stalker? You’re fucking crazy!”
She started to walk away from him and he almost panicked, desperate to keep her here beside him.
“No, Stevie, please!”
She swung round and stared at him. “You know my name?”
“One of your colleagues told me. Listen, please. I...I don’t know where this has come from, I really don’t. My head’s all over the place and I know I’m not thinking straight but...but I do know one thing. I know I need to see you again. I...I don’t know why, I have no idea what’s happening here but, please...please listen to me.”
She shook her head, staring at him. “This is crazy. You’re crazy. Forget it.”
And all he could do was watch as she ran off in the direction of the stage, leaving him wondering just what the hell had gone on there. And where he went from here.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Black Rock Diamond were doing five nights at Wembley. After that they were taking a short break before a series of European gigs, and finally, a North American and Canadian tour. When all of that was over it was back into the studio to work on their fourth album. It was a busy time but Stevie knew the guys wouldn’t have it any other way.
She was just happy that being back in London meant she could at last sleep in her own bed in her own flat. She had a modest but comfortable home in North London, somewhere that was both her haven and a place where some of the best parties she’d ever thrown had happened. It was very much a lived-in flat, with wooden floors and painted walls of various colours, assorted rock memorabilia strewn all over the place, and she loved it.
Most of her friends lived close by, which suited her just fine because she never liked to be alone for too long. Johnny lived just a stone’s throw away, and Mark’s more elaborate U.K. based rock star pad was only a mile or so from her place, but she never really liked staying over there. There were always paparazzi or fans hanging around outside and anyway, she preferred her own space. She was much happier when he stayed over at her place, which he’d done last night.
He was in the shower now. They’d been in there together not ten minutes ago and she smiled at the still very fresh memory.
Switching on the TV she pulled herself up onto the breakfast bar and dug a spoon into a pot of blueberry yoghurt, only half watching the screen as they started talking politics, something she’d only ever really had a passing interest in. It wasn’t until she heard a vaguely familiar voice that she looked up. Daniel Madison. The posh guy from last night. He was being interviewed about something and she squinted slightly as she tried to read the caption on the screen as he spoke. Was she reading that right? He was a candidate for the forthcoming Opposition Party leadership? This guy had ambition, she thought, absent-mindedly playing about with her yoghurt as she continued to watch the interview. He really did have lovely eyes; you couldn’t help but notice that. But he’d acted really strange at that party last night. Really strange. He’d said he wanted to see her again and that had come out of nowhere. For someone like him to even look at someone like her was strange in itself, but his behaviour had been unexpected. But then, she didn’t really know anything about him, did she? He might act like that all the time for all she knew. Some of these politicians could be really strange, she’d read enough stuff in the papers.
She continued to watch as he smiled at the presenter who was interviewing him, handling himself like a typical politician. Not that she really had any idea what a typical politician was like anyway, but she assumed Daniel Madison was as close to one as she was ever going to get.
Putting her empty yoghurt carton down on the breakfast bar, she cocked her head to one side as she watched the screen, watched him talking with the ease of someone who knew exactly what he was doing. He was coming across as strong, confident and in total control. Not at all like the confused and bewildered character he’d been when she’d seen him last night. She still had no idea what all that had been about. It had been almost surreal. She couldn’t seem to forget about it though, which was strange.
“What you doing?”
Mark’s voice brought her back to reality and she looked up as he walked into the kitchen, all Rock God sexiness in just his jeans, his damp hair all rough and tousled.
“Watching breakfast TV. Nothing important.”
She opened her legs slightly to let him step between, her arms slipping round his neck as he kissed her slowly. He smelt of lime shower gel and coconut shampoo and she closed her eyes and let herself be lost in him for a few minutes.
“Watching you do what you did last night, baby...I could dream about that for decades.”
“I don’t break promises, Mark.”
She was only wearing one of his t-shirts and his fingers slid slowly up her legs, stroking her inner thighs with his thumbs, making her moan out loud as his mouth moved down to her neck.
“Was that a one-time-only deal?” he asked. “Or do I get a repeat performance?”
She wrapped her legs around him, smiling as she felt him grow harder against her. “That depends on you, really.”
He looked at her, smiling that amazing smile and she really wished she was stronger where he was concerned. He was a weakness she could do without, but she’d never give him up. It would take so much to make her do that. So much.
“I’m going to get ready,” she said, kissing him quickly then pushing him away, sliding down off the breakfast bar. “I’ve got to get to the stadium soon.”
He wasn’t letting her go that easily though, grabbing her round the waist as she tried to get away.
“Mark!” she laughed, struggling to break free from his grip, but failing. A little bit deliberately really. “Come on, I’ve got to go. I’m going to be late.”
“Five minutes, baby. Come on. I’m not gonna see you all day and I hate that. I hate being without you.”
She turned round in his arms and looked at him. That had been a very uncharachteristic thing for Mark Cassidy to say. He’d never admitted to anything such as missing someone before. Never.
She kissed him gently, letting him wrap his arms around her and hold her tight for a second, but she was the first to pull away. She didn’t like the way things seemed to be changing, it was unsettling her. For so long everything had had a natural order, a pattern, a way of ticking along and everybody knew where they were. Now Johnny was acting strange, she had weird politicians hanging around her, and Mark – Mark was almost saying that he missed her. And that wasn’t the way things worked in her world.
She took his hand, still looking at him. “Just give me a second, Mark, ok? Give me a second, then come upstairs.”
He didn’t say anything, just watched as she almost ran out of the room. He leaned back against the wall, closed his eyes and pushed a hand through his damp hair. Jesus, what was wrong with him? She’d been in his life for years but he’d never felt the shit he was feeling now. They were rock’s wild couple - Stevie Stone and Mark Cassidy, always together, no matter what, with no commitment and nothing tying them down. He’d thought it was always going to be that way, that nothing would change. But something in the back of his mind was telling him life had stopped being that easy, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with that. He wasn’t sure at all.
***
Daniel had got through the interview on auto p
ilot. He knew he’d said the right things, he knew he’d done ok, but he had no idea how he’d managed it. His head was still all over the place, his mind on other things. No, it was on one other thing. Stevie Stone. He couldn’t get her out of his head. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. She had an attitude from hell, used language that made him flinch but she was the most fascinating and intriguing woman he’d ever come across. To say she was beautiful was an understatement. She was more than that, she was stunning. With so little make-up and outfits that Samantha wouldn’t even dare consider she was an enigma to him. And he needed to find out more, even if he couldn’t explain why.
Walking into his office at the House of Commons, he smiled at Amy before heading straight to his desk, closing the door behind him. He wasn’t really in the mood for small talk this morning, not even with Amy.
Sitting down behind his desk he flicked on the TV, the ever-present news channel jumping into life as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, putting his head in his hands and closing his eyes. He had to try and get his head together because, right now, he couldn’t even think straight. Then only thing he was certain of was that he needed to see her again, Stevie; he needed to get to her, but how? And what the hell was he going to do if he did see her again? This was ridiculous. He’d never felt so out of control of a situation in his entire life. In the space of twenty-four hours his whole world had been given a shove in a direction he wasn’t at all familiar with and he couldn’t settle until he got whatever it was out of his system.
Suddenly, something on the TV attracted his full attention and he sat up, staring at the screen. They were doing the entertainment news, and that wasn’t something Daniel usually paid any attention to but the music coming from the TV was familiar to him now, still fresh in his mind from last night. Black Rock Diamond. Loud, heavy and nothing but noise had been his opinion of it – until last night. But whatever was going on with that band involved Stevie too and he grabbed the remote control, turning up the volume.
They were still in London. They were due to start the first of a sell-out five night stint at Wembley stadium tonight, according to the presenter. He also mentioned something about a European and American tour but Daniel was already picking up the ‘phone. He had five nights to get his head sorted. He had five nights to work out just what the hell was going on here. Five nights, that was all.
“Hello, Angus? It’s Daniel.”
“Daniel! Well done this morning by the way. You were superb. We’re well on track to get all the signatures we need and if you keep up this kind of momentum we’ll walk this Leadership Election no problem at all. What can I do for you?”
“I need a favour, Angus. A big favour.”
“Ask away.”
“I need you to be discreet about this, and I really need you not to mention anything to Samantha.”
“Are you ok? You sound a little flustered.”
“I’m fine, really. At least, I will be.”
“You’re not making a lot of sense, Daniel. What exactly do you want me to do?”
“I need you to cover for me tonight, Angus. I need you to tell Samantha I’m staying here in London, having dinner with you, a business dinner. A really important business dinner. Something that means I can’t make it home tonight. I have to stay here in London.”
“Daniel...”
“Please, Angus. If there was any other way I could do what I have to do I would. But there isn’t. And I really need your help with this.”
“Ok. But I don’t like lying to Samantha. Are you sure you can’t tell me what all this is about?”
“No, because I’m not even sure myself…look, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, Angus. Believe me.”
“You’re not in any trouble are you? Because if you are...”
“No. No, nothing like that. There’s just something I need to do, and there’s no other way I can do it. Not that I can think of anyway. I’ll be fine. It’s just something I’ve got to do.”
And so Daniel Madison got ready for another night at a rock gig as his world headed off in that strange and different direction once more, leaving him with no choice but to follow it.
***
The first of the band’s sell-out Wembley gigs had gone like a dream. The weather had been amazing, the atmosphere incredible, and the band had been the best Stevie had seen them this tour. They really were stepping it up with each gig they played. Their energy on stage was something nobody could knock; they gave it their all, and then some.
Now it was over and most people had gravitated towards the V.I.P. Green Room area backstage. That’s where Stevie found Johnny, strumming away on his acoustic guitar. Jack was asleep on one of the five huge black leather sofas, a copy of a rock magazine over his face and Stevie knew it was only there to hide the fact he wasn’t really asleep at all, he’d be listening in on whatever it was that was going on around him, which wasn’t that much at the minute - a few celebrities Stevie vaguely recognised were hanging around, and some of the crew guys were making the most of the free food and drink. Billy and Ava were over on another sofa, talking to each other as they flicked through what Stevie reckoned was a baby name book. They’d been trying to think of a name for their baby for a while now, ever since they’d found out Ava was expecting a boy.
She had no idea where Mark was, although she could hazard a very strong guess. It was post-gig after all, and the women hanging around were tenfold compared to what they had been on every other date of this tour, all of them made up like second rate Pamela Anderson’s and all of them desperate to be bed Mark Cassidy.
Johnny looked up as Stevie sat next to him. “You all done for the night?”
She nodded. “Almost. Can I talk to you?”
“Talk away.”
She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight. “What’s going on? What you said the other day, about me. I don’t understand.”
He stopped strumming his guitar and put it down by his side, clasping his hands between his open knees, staring straight ahead of him.
“It doesn’t matter, Stevie.”
“It matters to me. You’re my friend, Johnny. I care about you. And I don’t know what you meant when you said I was the problem.”
He looked at her, taking her hand. “I wasn’t myself yesterday, ok? I’ve been feeling a bit low since we got back from Ibiza, that’s all. I guess all this touring is catching up with me. It didn’t mean anything, really. It didn’t. I’m sorry.”
He couldn’t tell her the truth. How could he tell her anything anyway when he wasn’t even sure what he was feeling himself? And then there was Mark. How could he compete with Mark Cassidy? He couldn’t. Even most of the groupies Johnny got were only with him because he got them closer to Mark. So whatever he was feeling for Stevie, it could never match what she felt for his best friend. Even if he did treat her like crap half the time. Like now. It was more than likely that Mark was in the dressing room with someone less pretty, less intelligent and less interesting than Stevie and Johnny had no idea why he did it. Stevie was incredible. Why couldn’t he be happy with that? He would be. He knew that now.
“You and Mark...” Johnny went on, looking down at their joined hands.
“What about us?”
“Does he make you happy? I mean, really happy?”
“I’m happy being here, Johnny. Happy being around you all, in this ridiculous, crazy world we live in. And yeah, I suppose he does make me happy. Most of the time. When he’s not being a total bastard.” She looked at him. She loved him so much, as the best friend he’d been to her all these years. She’d been around him – around all of them - before any of this fame had hit them and he hadn’t really changed all that much since then. He’d always cared about her, always been there for her.
Johnny smiled. He wasn’t going to push it any further; he could see she didn’t really want to talk about Mark right now.
“What’s the matter?” Stevie asked as Johnny’s gaze
was distracted by something.
“Nothing. I just thought I recognised someone, that’s all. Probably just someone off the TV. You know what these places are like, every Z-list celebrity for miles around just wants to be seen backstage, even if they hate our music.” He leaned over and kissed her quickly. “I’m off to get a drink.”
“Johnny?”
He sat back down and looked at her. “Yeah?”
“Tonight...”
They both knew what was coming next. Stevie wanted some normality back in her life. Some routine. No matter how twisted and perverse their normality and routine was, it would just make her feel better if it happened. If Mark was off with some fame hungry glamour-model or celebrity wannabe then she wanted to be with her friend. And Johnny knew that.
He smiled, giving her hand a squeeze again, leaning in to kiss her slightly open mouth and she fell against him. This wasn’t a strange occurrence, not in the world of Black Rock Diamond. To others unfamiliar with their own private set up it might look a little odd but, to them, it was normality resumed.
“I need to be with you tonight, Johnny.”
He kissed her again, feeling his heart race faster as her mouth moved against his. “My place?”
She nodded. “Your place.”
He smiled, suddenly feeling ridiculously happy. “Ok. Later then.”
She nodded, watching him walk over to the bar, hugging her knees to her chest again and smiling to herself.
Resting her chin on her knees she looked around the room. Yeah, she recognised a few faces. A couple of soap stars, one or two members of boy bands, even an actor she knew was over from Hollywood, but nobody she was particularly interested in. Until she saw a figure standing on his own near the door. Was that him? Was that Daniel Madison? She stared at him, trying hard to understand what was going on here. Why was he hanging around yet again? This wasn’t his scene, he would never normally be seen dead at a gig like this, you only had to look at him to know that, so what the hell was he doing here?
See You at the Show Page 9
