“Who’s that?”
“So, this kid wrote me a really great letter so I invited him and his family to spend the day with us,” I quickly explained. Sunny laughed.
“And probably screwed up Tracy’s entire itinerary.”
“It’s for a good cause.”
Although Kameron’s eyes were darting all over the lobby, he hadn’t spotted my group yet. Just from the way he was frantically looking around, I could sense his excitement coming off of him in waves.
“Kameron!” I called.
The little boy spun on his heels and broke into a sprint towards me. His mother gave up on the twins and released their hands. They took off right behind their brother.
“Oh man! Oh man! It’s really you! This is so freakin’ cool!”
I wasn’t sure how to react. I’ve done Meet & Greets before where there were fifty females in line saying the exact same thing. A picture and a hug was usually enough to calm them down. Surely, that wouldn’t work on an eleven-year-old boy. For the first time in a long time, I was actually a little nervous about meeting a fan.
“Hey Kameron-”
“You can call me Kam,” he interrupted. “All my friends call me Kam.”
I handed Summer to her mother and crouched down to meet Kam’s eyes. He was such a little dude, practically wiry…just like I was when I was eleven.
“What’s up, Kam?”
“You’re really tall, man.”
I laughed. “I don’t know how to reply to that. It’s good to meet ya, kid. Thanks for the letter. It really touched me.”
“Shouldn’t I be thanking you?” he grinned. “You are my idol and I’m talking to you right now! This is awesome!”
I straightened up, thinking in my head that I’m going to make this kid’s day so awesome that he’ll be telling his grandkids about the day he spent with Aiden Tyler. Just seeing how bright his eyes were shining was enough to confirm that he wasn’t thinking about his father or family situation right now. He had the same look I had when I met my idol for the first time and I was a grown man when that happened.
I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “So, you wanna meet my band?”
“Heck yeah!”
I liked this kid immediately. He knew every single person in my band; he even did some low-key flirting with Erica which brought a smile to her face. We had a quick breakfast in the hotel restaurant then Tracy rushed me, Kam, his family, Sunny, Mona, and Summer into the two chauffeured SUVs that she had managed to hire on short notice.
During the ride to the radio station, Kameron sat next to me and talked the entire time. He told me about his guitar lessons and how he wanted to learn to play my music but his teacher said he wasn’t ready. I showed him pictures of my guitar collection and the ones I bring on tour with me. I can’t wait for him to see my girls, up close and personal. He’s gonna freak.
At the radio station, Tracy ushered me and Kam into the building. We were five minutes late. Sunny, Karmen, and the girls went across the street to the shopping center. I was able to convince the show’s producer to let Kam get on air with me and he was a hit! He got more questions from callers than I did. I’ve never heard one person, besides Delilah, use the word awesome so many times in thirty minutes.
After the interview, we went across the street to look for the girls. The shopping center was huge and housed some of Sunny’s favorite stores. I knew she was scoping out possible retail locations for RainDrops while she spent a ton of money on clothes she doesn’t need.
“So,” I asked Kam as we walked around the shopping center. “Do you play sports?”
“Baseball.”
“What position do you play?”
“First base. I’m the captain too,” he answered proudly. “If I can’t play this year, Coach is gonna let Joey be captain and that’s gonna suck.”
“Why wouldn’t you be able to play?”
“Mom says I have to choose between sports and guitar lessons.”
“Which one do you like more?”
Kameron shrugged. I could tell that he hadn’t thought about which one meant more to him, or he didn’t like having to choose one over the other.
“Kam, do you know why you can’t do both?”
“Mom says we can’t afford it since my dad died. She doesn’t have a job yet. If she gets one before baseball camp starts, I can play.”
I chose my next words very carefully. I didn’t want to upset him when we were having a great morning.
“Kam, how’d your father…umm…how did he die?”
“His helicopter crashed. He was in the Army, in the war. Mom said a bad guy shot his helicopter and he crashed.”
My heart sank right into my gut. I was sorry that I asked. I’ve heard the stories and through my work with military families, I’ve seen the effects of the war. However, this was my first time meeting a kid whose father died in battle. This shit sucks! No wonder his mom looked like she was about to cry when he ran over to me. Just to see her kid smile after losing his dad in the war must have felt great.
“There they are!” Kameron shouted and pointed at Mona, Tracy, Sunny, Summer, Karmen, and the twins leaving a toy store and loaded with shopping bags.
“They got toys!”
“You wanna go in and grab some toys?” I asked even though Kameron seemed a little too old to still be playing with toys. Still, he was eleven and I know eleven-year-olds still like toys.
“Nah,” he replied. “I don’t need any toys.”
“What do you play with then?”
“Video games, mostly. I usually play video games with my friends and practice my guitar. I want to get a record deal like you.”
“Dude,” I laughed. “You’re only eleven! You’ve got plenty of time to get a record deal.”
“But I gotta hurry up and get rich so we can have money.”
I shook my head. “You’re too young to be worryin’ about that. Let’s go get you some new games and have some fun today. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about makin’ you a millionaire, okay?”
Kameron grinned. “Sure, A.T!”
***
A soft knock on my bedroom door kept me from closing my eyes and taking a quick nap before I had to be at the amphitheater. After the fan frenzy at the Macy’s signing and sound check, I needed a quick nap.
“Come in,” I groaned.
Sunny, wearing a rather conservative black one-piece bathing suit with a towel wrapped around her waist, sheepishly entered the darkened room.
“I know you’d snuck up here. You okay?”
“Thirty minutes, babe. I just need to sleep for thirty minutes.”
Sunny sat on the bed next to me and stretched out her legs. I rested my head on her lap. Her towel was a little damp, but I didn’t care.
“We need to talk,” she said.
“No, we don’t. Not now. We should sleep.”
“Seriously, Aiden. We should talk about Karmen and Kameron.”
“Are they still at the pool?”
“Yeah. Mona’s down there with them and Summer.”
I sighed. “What do we need to talk about?”
“You know that it’s only been a few months since her husband died, right? Karmen is a wreck. His military benefits aren’t enough for her to raise three kids, Aiden. She might end up losing her house.”
“We won’t let her lose her house,” I replied.
Granted, I haven’t spent as much time today with Karmen as Sunny had, but I didn’t have to spend hours with her to recognize the anguish and worry that a sudden death causes. My mother had the same look and the same issues. There was no way I’d ever let Kameron go home without doing everything in my power to make sure his family was okay. He’s a cool kid and reminds me so much of how I was when I was that age.
“Baby,” Sunny sniffled, “she doesn’t have any family to go to for help. You should have seen her face when I bought those Barbies for the twins. She almost cried. How can we help her? This has to be more than a fun day w
ith Aiden.”
“We’ll talk to her and see what she needs or if she even wants our help. We can’t just go storming into her personal affairs, Sunny. We’re celebrities, not the government.”
Sunny leaned back on the pillows and folded her arms behind her head.
“I’m going to let you get some rest. I’ll take your entourage out to dinner then we’ll meet you at the venue.”
“I’m taking Kam to sound check with me. He can eat with the band.”
“Fine. But,” she paused. I knew she was ready to say something I wasn’t going to like.
“But what?”
“Aiden, it took every ounce of everything in me to get Erica on that plane this morning. At some point, you and her are going to have to stop avoiding each other and talk.”
“We aren’t avoiding each other,” I informed her. “She’s been rehearsing with the guys. I’ll see her at sound check.”
“You know what I mean,” Sunny stated. “Before the three of us pile onto that tour bus, you and her need to have a heart to heart.”
“Fine. We’ll talk.”
My answer seemed to satisfy Sunny, but what the hell am I supposed to say Erica? Most importantly, why do I feel like Roxy and Sunny think I should apologize to her, like I’m the one who hurt her feelings? I remember the conversation she and I had on Guana Island the night before we were supposed to be married.
“I can’t do this Aiden. I’m not in love with you. Being Aiden Tyler’s wife sounded good, but I don’t want to be anybody’s wife. This isn’t going to work.”
Then she left me alone to explain to my family and our friends that she bailed. The fact that Sunny and I hooked up doesn’t even matter. Everybody knew that if given the opportunity, I’d choose Sunny over any woman. I just didn’t think she’d ever come around. She moved on so I did too. I was making it work with Erica. We were having fun. I even proposed!
Erica should be apologizing to me! She didn’t just call off the wedding. She ended our relationship. She stopped answering my calls. She wasn’t heartbroken over me and Sunny. From what I know, she encouraged it.
She broke up with me, but I’m still her boss. When your boss calls and says you need to report to work, you bring your ass to work, not avoid his calls! I should never have had to send my girlfriend to LA to get my band member to join the tour.
I’d like to know what the hell her problem is. I told her that she needed to take a few days to get her mind together. By the time the tour started, she should have been fine. Now two weeks into it, she has to be dragged here and I’m supposed to apologize?
Yeah, I’ll talk to her, but it’s not going to be the pleasant conversation Sunny thinks it will be. I’ve known Erica for too many years for this shit to fly.
Chapter 7: Detroit
Day 17
Sunny: We really need to stop pretending everything is perfect and address the elephant in the room. You and Erica need to talk. Today.
I looked at Sunny’s most recent text message and sighed. This wasn’t a love note. Why couldn’t she just let things go?
Last night was great. I had an amazing show that Kameron and his family enjoyed immensely. I think it was the best so far. Everything was perfect so I don’t understand why Sunny went to bed with me and Erica on her mind.
I rolled out of the bed when I heard laughter coming from the front of the suite…girly giggling. Sunny had company. From the sound of it, Karmen and the kids weren’t even up yet. Who could blame them? After the show, we were up until three in the morning. I recognized the high-pitched laugh. Sunny’s assistant was in town.
“And Melrose literally pranced down the red carpet in those boots!” Delilah was saying when I walked into the room.
“You’re still styling him?” I asked.
“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Delilah said. “You should have told us about your engagement before he had the chance. And good morning to you too, big brother.”
I gave my green-eyed little sister a peck on her cheek. “What are you doing here?”
“We have a client here, so I flew in early to go over some things with my boss. Thought I’d catch your show tonight before I head back to LA.”
“Ha!” I laughed. “Did you score tickets from my lawyer?”
“My husband didn’t need to get me tickets because my brother is the headliner. I figured I’d sneak backstage with him.” Delilah flashed her big smile at me and I smiled right back.
I know she’s having a great time working for Sunny, but I miss having my little sister around. If I had to choose between Delilah, Paulie, and Sunny as my best friend, I don’t think I could. Dee-Lee has been by my side since the day she was born. One of the reasons she worked for me for so long was so I could keep an eye on her.
Before my father died, I was always close to my sisters. We’ve gotten closer now that everyone lives in LA. Sara and her husband are staying with me because they still haven’t found a house yet. Delilah and Paulie live ten minutes away, and my mother lives in Sunny’s mother-in-law suite. I never realized how much I missed my family until they were all so far away.
I chugged a bottle of water from the mini-bar and looked around for the room service menu. Breakfast and a shower were the only things I planned to do, maybe even go back to sleep.
“I talked to Karmen at dinner,” Sunny announced. “Between her mortgage and car payments, she definitely needs our help. I was thinking that we could pay off her cars and house, then she’ll be fine until she gets a job. What’s $250,000 to you, rock star?”
“What’s a quarter mil to you, Sunny Rain?” I teased. “Did you just design a dress for Mariah that was over a $100,000?”
“It wasn’t a dress,” Sunny corrected me. “It was two gowns. So, you want to go half and half then?”
I rolled my eyes. According to my accountants and bankers, this tour is set to bring in $250,000 per show off of merchandise alone. I would never expect Sunny to give up that much money, even though she can afford it. But she’ll probably insist on going in with me. She always insists when it comes to money.
“How do you want to do this? Cut her a check?”
Delilah burst out laughing. “You’re just going to give a stranger a quarter of a million dollars?”
“It’s less than I spent on your wedding and the Maserati I bought you for your birthday.”
“But I’m your sister,” she stated. “If you’re not going to spend the big bucks on family, what are you going to do with the two hundred million People Magazine says you’re worth?”
“Give it to strangers.”
“You’re worth two hundred million dollars, Aiden?” Sunny’s eyes were wide and she looked like she was going to throw up.
“No,” I laughed. “It’s more like three now since then. I’ve made some pretty good investments.”
Sunny put her head in her hands and groaned. “People are going to start calling me a gold-digger.”
“Girl,” Delilah giggled, “they’ve been saying that for years.”
“Shut up,” Sunny said to my sister. “Anyway, I was just thinking that me, you, and Karmen would go to the bank when she wakes up and take care of it.”
“Take Delilah,” I said. “She still has access to my Bank of America accounts.”
“Why do I still have access to your money and not know this?” Delilah screeched.
“In case something happens,” I told her. “You quitting doesn’t change anything. You’re still my sister.”
“That would have been nice to know this morning when I forgot my debit card at home. I had to use a credit card to pay for my Starbucks! And it wasn’t even my SkyMiles card so I don’t even get any points for charging that ten bucks.”
“First world problems,” I muttered and looked at Sunny. “Do you think Kam is up?”
“Probably not. I told them to stop by here before they left the hotel. But,” Sunny said with a sly grin. “Erica’s up. I told her that you wanted to talk.”
“It had to be done.”
“Whatever.”
I started walking to the door like I was walking the Green Mile. Might as well get this over with. Delilah called my name so I stopped walking.
“What?”
“You might want to throw on a t-shirt, rock star. As your former assistant, I know that your managers and publicist have a problem with you walking around hotels half naked.”
“Shut up,” I growled, but threw on a Hendrix t-shirt before I walked out of the suite. Easier to do that than hear Tracy’s mouth all the way to New Jersey.
I took the stairs to seventh floor knowing it would probably be the only exercise I get for the next few days. No way is our bus going to stop just so I can work out. The hallway was empty since it felt like the ass crack of dawn. I found Erica’s room and knocked on the door. Reluctantly, she answered.
“I thought Sunny was lying,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. Erica tightened the sash on her hotel robe and let me pass.
Last night, she played her ass off. She didn’t miss one note, and her sex appeal was at an all-time high. I was so relieved that she received a warm reception from my fans. They’ve been known to be pretty harsh towards the women I’ve dated, but no one booed or anything. They must realize that Erica is a better asset to me as a sax player than as a girlfriend.
This morning, however, the glow she had on stage was gone. The same tired and sad expression she had when we met up in the lobby yesterday was back.
“What do you want?” she asked as she sat on the edge of one of her queen beds. I sat down on the other.
“We aren’t going to have much time to do anything after the show tonight, so I thought we should talk before we get on the bus for the next five days.”
Erica crossed her thick dark legs and sighed. Erica, with her smooth chocolate skin, brown eyes, reddish brown hair, and curves for days, is a very beautiful woman. There’s no denying that. She’s never had any problem with men; getting them or dropping them.
Love Notes (Friends Lovers or Nothing Book 4) Page 5
