When a Star Falls (Stars Book 1)

by Rachael Eliker

  In a sort of out of body experience, I heard myself asking if I could have some time to think it over. I looked up at Mandy, whose rosy red lips were pulled down disapprovingly. Softly, yet sternly, she repeated, “Mr. Drake doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

  Over the voice of Hannah screaming as a warning in my head, I heard Collin’s calm, reassuring voice. Go ahead, Ruby. Live a little.

  Discreetly, I wiped my sweaty hands on my skirt, reached for the pen and asked, “Where do I sign?”

  Chapter Nine

  My feet didn’t touch the ground as I floated from sheer bliss. Mandy led the way down to the echoing lobby that was no longer swarming with people since the rush of workers scurrying to their jobs had ebbed. Immediately, I spotted Collin sitting on a black leather bench with a handsome salt and pepper haired Latino man, deep in discussion. Though I’d only met him briefly when he’d been passing through Nebraska on business, I instantly recognized Vanessa’s father, Antonio.

  “Thanks for walking me back, Mandy.”

  “Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Once Harper Music gets ahold of you, you’ll hardly have time to take a deep breath.” I gulped and let out an airy, nervous laugh. “We’ll be in touch.” She spun on her heels, her long ponytail whipping around behind her.

  Turning my attention to Collin and Mr. de la Paz, neither seemed to notice my presence. Rather forcefully, I cleared my throat.

  “Ruby!” Collin exclaimed, standing and pulling me into a crushing hug. “Well? How did it go?”

  I couldn’t contain a smile that stretched so wide it hurt my face. “Really well.”

  “I want all the details,” he said, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me back to the seat with him.

  Antonio had the same dark, expressive eyes as his daughter. When I met his kind gaze, I meekly said, “Hello, Mr. de la Paz. I’m assuming you came with Vanessa?” I keenly felt the strong grip of apprehension squeeze me. How did Vanessa feel about me going to meet Harper Music without her? True, she was tardy, but this could have been a big break for her, too. Suddenly, I wished I’d snuck out the back and sent a card, explaining everything.

  He reached over and took my hand in both of his, patting it gently, like we were old friends. “It’s nice to see you again, Ruby. Yes, Vanessa is here though I believe she went to the ladies’ room to freshen up. Why she’d need to spend more time on her looks is beyond me.”

  I gave a knowing smile and nodded. Vanessa’s vanity was legendary, but in the back of my mind, a gnawing guilt was making headway. Was she in the restroom, crying her eyes out at my betrayal?

  “Mr. de la Paz and I were discussing StarTech, and interestingly enough, he’s been looking for a spokesperson and public face for the company.”

  “My English is not sufficient to communicate details of aerospace engineering, especially when dealing with public affairs. Plus, my background is in business, not science and engineering. It seems your friend, Collin here, is just what I’ve been looking for. A genius who understands the math and science behind it all but who can still be articulate and make the company look good. Too many rocket scientists are, what is the word…?” trailed off Antonio, wafting his hand in the air as he scoured his brain for a description.

  “Nerdy?” I offered.

  Antonio snapped his fingers and pointed at me. “That is the word I am searching for. Too awkward and withdrawn to be effective speaking to people who are like myself. I bought the company because the science of space fascinates me, but I am not intelligent enough to understand how it all works.”

  “The profits are a real draw, too,” a familiar voice mentioned as she approached.

  “Vanessa,” I squeaked a little too quickly, jumping to my feet. I blinked in rapid succession, ignoring the nervous twitch under my right eye. “How are you?” The fantastically carefree feeling I’d had following Mandy to the lobby was quickly crushed by a mountain of emotion that I couldn’t quite process. Anger? Frustration? Guilt?

  Her eyes didn’t look red and her nose wasn’t puffy or running, like it did when she cried after an evening of breaking up with whatever boyfriend she’d grown tired of. Still, I wasn’t convinced that she wasn’t bothered. Just because I couldn’t see it, didn’t mean she wasn’t upset.

  Antonio smiled and shrugged. “Money is the name of the game. You never seem to mind having a plentiful bank account.”

  I wrung my hands while my brain was flooded with different scenarios of how this conversation could go. Finally, I opened my mouth and let the first thing that made it to my lips tumble out. “I’m sorry!”

  Vanessa blinked and furrowed her brow. “For what?”

  “I’m sorry I went to Harper Music without you even though I asked you to come sing backup for me.”

  Vanessa flipped a loose strand of her glossy black hair behind her and tossed her head back, a full laugh reverberating through the lobby. “Oh, Ruby. So typical of you. Always worried that you’re offending someone and that you’re to blame.”

  “But I am,” I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. Through my fingers I murmured, “What kind of friend invites someone to sing with them then ditches them at the last moment?”

  Vanessa shrugged. “I did it on purpose.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You use me too much as a crutch. So, I agreed to help you so you wouldn’t chicken out but purposefully showed up late so you’d go without me.”

  My nails dug into my palms, and it took great restraint to not kill Vanessa right then and there. “And what if I’d backed out when they came to fetch me? I could have lost the opportunity altogether!”

  Vanessa crossed her arms in front of her and cocked her hip out to the side, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. “If you’d have done that, then you wouldn’t have deserved this shot at stardom.”

  I mulled over her words and begrudgingly agreed. “I just thought this was something you wanted too. This could have been your big chance…”

  “Please,” Vanessa rolled her eyes. “For one, I don’t need charity. I’ll be famous someday, even if my big break comes from singing soap commercial jingles. It’ll happen when the time is right, and right now, the time is yours.”

  Tears pricked my eyes and I sniffled at the tickle in my nose.

  “Don’t get all sentimental on me,” Vanessa nudged me. “So, how did it go?”

  “It went okay,” I said, checking my smile teasingly.

  Vanessa studied me, unconvinced. “Liar.”

  “Fine, it went really well. They liked what I sung for them…”

  “And?” Collin pressed, his eyes wide with anticipation.

  I chewed my bottom lip for a moment, trying to figure out how to tactfully break the news without sounding like I was bragging.

  I startled at a voice in my ear. “She was fantastic. We already signed her.” Troy strolled up next to me, inserting himself in our circle without any sort of hesitation. He smiled and I reciprocated shyly but couldn’t hold his gaze. It was the kind of look that made me feel like he was going to crack me open and discover all my secrets if I stared too long.

  “That’s amazing!” Collin grabbed me in another bone-crushing embrace and spun me around the lobby until my insides felt woozy. I begged Collin to stop and he obliged, setting me gently down. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tucked me close to him.

  “And who might you be?” Vanessa purred.

  “Troy,” he said, holding out his hand. Vanessa daintily set her fingers in his but Troy’s eyes flicked to me. “I’ll be working closely with Ruby. Long hours and late nights in the studio before we start traveling for promotions.”

  Practically joined at the hip with Collin, I felt him tense slightly. There wasn’t much that struck a nerve with Collin but there was no mistaking his set jaw and unblinking stare in Troy’s direction.

  “Oh!” Vanessa cried. “Maybe I should have come with you, Ruby. You seem to be having all the luck these days.”
/>   “Long hours?” Collin repeated.

  Troy explained, “We’re already behind schedule to get an album out so we’ll be in the studio together until Ruby forgets there was any other life before.” Troy winked conspicuously in my direction, making my cheeks bloom heatedly. “It’s the cost of her fame.”

  Diverting the conversation away from Troy, I quickly blurted, “You’re so right, Vanessa. Collin was the start of all my luck.” I squeezed him closer and it seemed to break his trance. He looked at me lovingly and kissed the top of his head.

  I peeked at Troy, only to find him amused, like I’d given him a challenge worthy of his attention. My assertion of adoration for Collin didn’t seem to be drawing the distinct boundaries I was hoping it would.

  “Well, I’d better get back at it. See you soon, Ruby,” Troy said with a grin, then turned back to the elevators. Collin watched him go until Vanessa interrupted his thoughts.

  “Collin has some good news, too. Tell Ruby.”

  “That’s right,” Collin beamed, all his tension quickly melting away. “Mr. de la Paz offered me a new position with his company.”

  Antonio said, “I’ve asked Collin to be the face of the company.”

  “What does that mean? You won’t be settling in California?”

  “Is that so bad? With you based in New York with Harper Music, Collin living in California wasn’t exactly going to be easy,” Vanessa pointed out.

  “He’ll have an office in California, but he won’t be tied to one spot,” Antonio explained. “I’ll need him to be attending conferences and interviews and galas on behalf of the company.”

  A brittle smile spread across my face. “So we won’t be seeing much of each other then? Like Troy said, Harper Music will be sending me on lots of trips, too. I have radio show appearances and promoting my music, to say nothing of a concert tour.”

  Before Collin could answer, Antonio interjected, “Collin will have some flexibility in his schedule. Have Harper Music send your travel arrangements to Collin’s personal assistant and what can be coordinated will be.”

  The knot in my stomach loosened, and I looked up into Collin’s face as a wave of utter happiness enveloped me. Everything I had ever wished for was materializing in front of me, and it exceeded my wildest dreams.

  Chapter Ten

  “Thanks again for the ride, Mr. de la Paz,” I gushed. We’d just hit the runway at the Indianapolis airport in his private jet and taxied to a vacant spot. “It was very generous of you to fly us here. You really didn’t have to.”

  Antonio waved his hand dismissively. “It was nothing. Vanessa and I were headed this way anyway. Besides, Collin should get used to this. StarTech has to make an impression, so he’ll be traveling on one of the company’s business jets to engagements.”

  “I don’t think I’ll get promoted past tour bus until I’ve proven my worth,” I snorted.

  Thanking them again as we stepped out onto the tarmac, Collin lugged my bag and guitar through the airport, and we rented a car to take us to my parents’ home, south of Indianapolis. I wanted to break the good news to them in person, and I’d decided to take Mandy’s admonition seriously. They’d been anxiously awaiting news of my audition, but I doubted anyone would have guessed just how committed I was to Harper Music. I wasn’t looking forward to Hannah’s wrath, but by now she should have known that I didn’t always obey her sisterly wisdom.

  I leaned my head against the cool glass of the car and watched the world pass as Collin zipped down the interstate, following the GPS to the home where I’d spent a good deal of my youth, growing up beneath the shade of enormous hardwoods that rimmed my parents’ property.

  The leaves had long since wilted and blown off the trees. Once we exited the highway, the country roads twisted and wound their way through the bare forest. I felt the sway of the car but my thoughts kept wandering away from the present. A deep sigh escaped my lips, my breath fogging up the glass. With my pointer finger, I drew a pair of cheerful looking music notes in the film. Music. My antidote to trouble.

  “What’s on your mind?” Collin asked, one eye on me, the other on the road. He pulled my hand off my lap and wrapped it in his. “You look stressed.”

  I heaved another heavy sigh and admitted what had been bothering me. “I’m not sure I’ll have what it takes.”

  Collin’s eyebrows shot up and he tilted his head. “Whatever do you mean?”

  His touch still made my skin blush and sent tingles of electricity up my arm and down my spine. I shivered. “For one, what if I’m not pretty enough? People in the entertainment industry are supposed to be gorgeous.”

  Collin’s clutched my hand tighter and he stared deeply into my eyes. “Ruby, when are you going to start giving yourself the credit you deserve? You are the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.”

  I couldn’t even blink as he looked at me. He was so honest, so earnest, that the nagging doubt in my mind was shredded by his adoring gaze.

  “That’s nice of—” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the road disappear. I screamed and grabbed the dash as the rental car flew off the road, getting some impressive hang time, before it careened into a mucky corn field. Collin did his best to maintain control as the tires sloshed through the mud, but we were pulled to a very abrupt stop, my forehead narrowly missing knocking into the dashboard.

  Once we’d made sure neither of us was mortally wounded, Collin, only the slightest hint of embarrassment in his voice, said, “If me being so distracted by your beauty isn’t enough proof for you that you are drop dead gorgeous, I’m not sure what else I can do to convince you.”

  Smiling at Collin, I unbuckled my seatbelt and fell into his arms, kissing him while the fiery sunlight slipped from view.

  “Where have you been?!” my mother rushed out the front, slamming the door behind her so hard that the Christmas wreath she’d hung on it nearly tumbled off. The house was tucked back in a small grove of trees that only let in a glimpse of the stars through the crisscrossed boughs.

  “Sorry, mom. We got, um, stuck in some mud,” I fumbled. I touched my face, wondering if it was red and raw from kissing Collin so long. His scruff grew quickly enough that by the end of the day, he had more of a beard than some men could grow in a week. Collin caught me and stifled a laugh.

  Mom peered over my shoulder at the rental car, and her mouth gaped. Admittedly, the poor car was a mess. Mud and corn stalks caked the tires and the back half of the car as the wheels had spun, splatting muck all over the shiny red paint. “It looks like you went driving through a cornfield.” I choked out a cough, wondering if she could read my mind. “How did you get out?”

  “Ms. Osborne was on her way back from getting groceries and happened to have a tow rope in her car. I swear, that lady is the epitome of preparedness. Towed us right out with her SUV like it was nothing.” Mom frowned. I knew that look well enough to know she was gearing up for a lecture. Before she could get started, I directed her attention to Collin. “Mom, I want you to meet someone. This is Collin.”

  Her eyes lit up. “As in, your boyfriend, Collin?”

  I fidgeted, while I tried to figure out how to answer. It had been implied but never spoken, and I certainly didn’t want to overstep my bounds. I’d known guys who had run from me for less. I cautiously looked up into Collin’s eyes and his smile calmed my nerves. I could see love there, an encouragement to go ahead and say it out loud.

  “Yes,” I said, biting my lip to keep from smiling too widely and grabbed his hand, “as in, the boyfriend, Collin.”

  Mom squealed and practically pushed me off the walkway to get to him. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! Our Ruby has told us so much about you. Please, come in! Meet the rest of the family.”

  She grabbed Collin by the arm and led the way up the cobblestone path and in the front door, where a welcomed gush of warm air and light encircled us. I could hear the commotion in the family room from the entryway as I shrugged off my coat and kicked my s
hoes to the corner. Collin stacked my belongings out of the way, and I took his coat from him, hanging it next to mine. Bolting around the corner in great bounding leaps, Murphy started sliding clumsily as his paw hit the tiled entry floor.

  “Shut the door!” screeched my mother. Obediently, Collin slammed it, and Murphy scrambled to stop in vain. He slid headfirst into the closed door with a crash, shaking his head but ultimately, undeterred by the setback. He’d never really recovered from his desire to chase anything except the fake rabbit on the track but given the chance to chase a real cottontail, he was a goner.

  Murphy turned his attention to me, jumping and licking my face as I squealed with delight. “No! Stay down, Murphy! I’m happy to see you, too,” I cooed, rubbing his cheeks between my hands.

  Satisfied that he’d properly greeted me, he trotted over to Collin and promptly rammed his nose into his crotch. Collin yelped. “Hey, now, buddy,” he chided as he shoved Murphy’s snout away. Bending over, Collin let Murphy slather his face with his long tongue as a goodwill gesture.

  “You don’t need to suck up to him. He likes everybody.”

  Collin wiped the slobber off his face with his sleeve. “I’m not. I love dogs, and it’s been way too long since I’ve been around one. I was thinking of adopting one once I got settled in California.”

  “You can have him,” my mom frowned and jabbed her thumb at Murphy, who’s wagging tail rhythmically slapped the back of my legs. “Ruby promised she’d always take care of him, and then she upped and left for college out-of-state and guess who gets stuck with this forty-mile-per-hour couch potato?”

  I rolled my eyes and smiled at Collin, who reciprocated with a smirk. Sensing a sore subject, Collin offered, “I couldn’t help but notice your beautiful landscaping, Mrs. Harkwad.” I about died inside. Of all topics, landscaping was a step down from talking about Murphy’s ownership. Mom was a master gardener and was shocked that neither of her daughters had followed in her footsteps. I’d always get in trouble for sneaking off to play my guitar when I was supposed to be watering the flowerbeds, and Hannah plain hated getting dirt under her nails. “Even in winter, you’ve managed to have quite the variety. Is that a Japanese maple I saw?”