Queen of Kings

by RH Tucker

  “Hey,” Shawn calls out, walking into the apartment. “What are you doing?”

  He steps to the edge of the couch where my feet are, while I stare up at the ceiling, twirling my phone in my fingers. Turning it back on to check for messages, I find none. “Nothing.”

  “Just call her. Forty-eight hours is more than enough time as a bumper. What if she broke up with him, and then some other guy came in and swooped her up?” I glance at him, rolling my eyes. “Hey, it could happen.”

  “Shut up,” I call out. “She’s gonna call. I don’t want to be the overbearing dude who acts jealous or wants her all to himself. It wasn’t like she was going out for breakfast. She was breaking up with someone. She had to have some feelings for him.”

  “Then how long are you going to—”

  My phone starts ringing, and I immediately sit up, making Shawn laugh. Her name appears on the screen. “Hey,” I answer.

  “Hey, sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you.”

  “It’s okay. I would’ve called, but I didn’t want to seem like a stalker or obsessed or anything.” Shawn laughs in the background.

  She giggles. “You mean, you’re not obsessed with me? I don’t know that I can go out with anyone who doesn’t worship the ground I walk on.”

  She sounds upbeat. Happy. That, combined with the comment, makes me laugh. “Good to know.”

  There’s a pause on the other end of the line. How do you ask the girl you like if she broke up with her boyfriend? Is there a tactful way to do that?

  She clears her throat. “So, uh, I took care of everything.”

  “Oh, okay. How did it … I mean, are you okay?”

  A light chuckle that seems to be laced with annoyance floats through the speaker. “Honestly, I have no idea. It wasn’t difficult and I don’t regret it, but … I don’t know. I guess I just thought there was going to be a fight or argument or … something. He didn’t even try to keep us together. I’m sorry for not calling sooner. I needed a couple days to figure everything out.”

  My excitement dies down with her comment. Maybe she was just caught up in the moment.

  “Right,” I reply, trying to sound confident. “No, I understand.”

  There’s a pause, and for a split second, I think she’s going to tell me to forget everything. Then she calms me. “Anyway, I don’t want to talk about that right now. Actually, when it was over, I left the studio and haven’t been back. I liked the different atmosphere, but I was already weirded out by Jimmy Richards courting me to his company. Now, being the spot where I broke up with Bret, it feels gross.”

  “Yeah.”

  “But I’d really like to see you again.”

  Her last sentence sweeps most of the nerves away, minus the one that continues to swirl around. I need to tell her.

  “What are you doing tonight?” she asks.

  “Oh, um, nothing really. My roommate and I usually just hang out and stuff.”

  “Okay. Well, my friend and I were going to go to a club in Santa Monica.”

  “Really?”

  She laughs. “Yeah, I don’t go to them a lot, but my brother has a guest DJ spot there, and I kind of feel bad for the other night.”

  “Jade, you have nothing to feel bad over that. You told me what happened. None of that was your fault.”

  “I know, but … he’s my brother. I thought if you want to, maybe we could … go together?”

  A grin spreads across my lips, and I don’t think it’s going to be leaving for the rest of the night. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

  “You can invite your roommate if you want to.”

  Now a laugh accompanies my smile. “Sure, he loves stuff like that.”

  “Awesome, I’ll text you the address, and we can meet up there around ten or so.”

  “Sounds great.” Hanging up the phone, I grin widely at it. Shawn lightly kicks my leg, and when I look up at him, he lifts an eyebrow. “We’re going out tonight.”

  “Oh, yeah?” he asks.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  21

  Jade

  Everyone knows parties and clubs aren’t my thing. It’s not that I’m like EJ, and people think I don’t like them. I truly don’t like them.

  Okay, that might be a bit harsh. It’s not that I don’t like them, they just don’t appeal to me. But Maddox apologized over the phone the day after his fight and invited me to this gig, so I wanted to make an effort. Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve been around Maddox and his outbursts.

  Lily and I have been at the club for thirty minutes, and I’m all smiles. Just like the morning after being with Austin. He texted me that he was on his way, but he and his roommate got caught in traffic. That hasn’t stopped Lily teasing me as we sit in the roped-off VIP section of the club while Maddox plays for the dancers.

  “This is too much,” Lily says, giggling again. “You’re like you were that day Chad Peterson asked you out sophomore year.”

  “Shut up.” I push her shoulder, taking a drink of my water bottle. The smile stays in place, and I think about the time she’s talking about. “Chad had adorable dimples.”

  Laughing, she leans over and wraps her arms around me. “I’m so happy for you, Jade. It’s been forever since I’ve seen you like this.”

  I lift my shoulders, playing with the bottle cap. “I can’t help it.”

  “Girl, don’t apologize. It’s like I always say, you never know who you’re gonna meet or where.”

  “You never say that.”

  “Well, I’m going to start.”

  She chortles, and we take in the light and music from the club. Maddox plays electronic type stuff with heavy bass, but with enough rhythm that gets people on the dance floor and doesn’t sound repetitive.

  The club also isn’t as busy as the last place. A lot of his gigs are high-profile or celebrity parties, but this is a smaller location that’s popular among people in the business but has fallen out of the limelight somewhat.

  Across the dance floor, the sight of Austin catches my eye. Getting up from our spot, I head out to him and see him dressed up more than usual. I’m used to him being in jeans and either a T-shirt or a casual, short-sleeved button-up that’s not buttoned, with a plain shirt underneath.

  He still has the jeans, but he’s wearing a tailored, gray, long-sleeve shirt. It’s untucked, and the sleeves are rolled up, giving him almost a casual business feel. And instead of regular sneakers, he’s wearing black boots, which provide the jeans a little more professional look.

  Shawn stands next to him, and they both scan the area. Shawn sees me first, tapping Austin’s chest, then points to me. He grins, waving over to me. Lily was right, I haven’t felt like this in a long time. Little butterflies float around inside, and if I wasn’t sure I made the right decision before—I was—I am now. I love that I’m feeling like that for the first time in a long time.

  “Hey,” he says. I see his Adam’s apple bob, and his eyes jump from me to the floor, then around the room.

  I feel the same nerves. “Hey.” Standing in front of one another, he meets my eyes for a moment, before chuckling. “Okay, this wasn’t supposed to be this awkward.”

  My joke seems to calm his nerves. “Yeah.” Taking my hand, he leans closer to me. He’s close enough to kiss, but he waits, his gaze locking on mine. Then he kisses me.

  It doesn’t matter that I’ve kissed him already, this feels new. And more than new, it feels right. Breaking away from my lips, he whispers, “Hey.”

  I smile back at him. “You said that already.”

  He lifts his shoulders, smirking. “If I keep saying it, can I keep kissing you?”

  I pinch my lips together, then lift a finger to rub off some of my lipstick from his lips. “I don’t see why not.” Kissing him one more time, I hear someone clear their throat. Looking to his side, Shawn waves to me. “Oh, sorry.” I start blushing, shaking my head to myself. “Hi, Shawn. Nice to see you again. In clothes no less this tim
e.”

  “Hey, you were the one in our apartment.”

  I smile and laugh, still feeling like just a girl. Shawn’s treating me the same as Austin, and not some famous person.

  “What’s going on here?” I hear Maddox’s voice behind Austin. Looking back at the DJ stand, I see someone else on stage, playing music.

  While I’m still holding Austin’s hand, he turns and sees my brother. Austin’s told me how he knows other celebrities through his job at Rich Records, so I’m not expecting him to freak out at meeting him as a rock star. I am a little nervous about him meeting Maddox as my brother. Who I haven’t told about breaking up with Bret yet, either.

  “Maddox, this is Austin. Austin, this is my brother.”

  Maddox eyes him up and down, his gaze lingering on our hands together for a moment longer, then he glances at me. “Austin?” I nod. “What happened to Bret?”

  Austin glances back at me nervously. This feels so surreal. I haven’t been part of any kind of ordinary, everyday situation in so long. Being surrounded by the boys or other celebrity friends and industry people. This feels real.

  I smile. “I broke up with him.”

  Maddox lifts his hands high. “Thank God!” Still smiling, his gaze falls back on Austin again. “Wait, and you already picked up a stray? Sis, that’s completely unlike you.”

  “Shut up!” I laugh, slapping his chest. “Austin is not a stray.”

  The joke seems to break the ice. Austin lets go of my hand, extending it to him. “Nice to meet you. Officially.” I see Maddox lift a brow at the comment. “I’ve seen you a couple times at Rich Records.”

  Eyeing him carefully, Maddox finally takes his hand. “Cool. FYI, I’m rich and have access to the best lawyers money can buy. If you hurt her and I kill you, I’ll never be convicted.”

  “Maddox!” There’s not a hint of humor in my voice as I snap, slapping him again.

  Thankfully, Austin finds it funny. “Not a problem. And if she suddenly develops a hatred of overbearing, overproduced techno beats, you can blame me for that, too.”

  Maddox’s eyes widen, and his jaw drops with a half-smile. His gaze jumps to me. “That wasn’t half bad.” Maddox looks back at the stage area. “I gotta get backstage. I’m playing another set in ten minutes.” Eyeing Austin up and down, Maddox gives him a nod. “Good to meet you, man.”

  “Yeah, you too,” Austin replies. Turning back to me, he leans closer. “I have to go to the bathroom now.”

  The comment earns a huge laugh out of me. “Did he scare you that much?”

  He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Not really. I had to go when we first got here, but I didn’t want to be rude.”

  “Silly.” Turning around, I point to the side of the room where the restrooms are located. “They’re over there. We’ll be in the VIP area when you’re done.”

  “Sounds good.”

  He heads across the room, and I motion to Shawn to follow me back to the roped-off section of the room. As we turn, I see Bret walk in through the entrance. “You have got to be kidding me,” I hiss under my breath.

  I haven’t replied to any of the text messages he’s sent me since the breakup, and now I wish I had. I’d much rather keep in contact with him that way than having another public outburst.

  “I’ll be right back,” I tell Shawn.

  “Where are you—”

  I don’t answer. Instead, I hurry over to Bret, who is scanning the people in the club. “What are you doing here?” I ask him through a clenched jaw.

  He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he stares over my shoulder. “Is this why you broke up with me?”

  Looking over my shoulder, I see Shawn has followed me. I glare back at Bret, focused and annoyed. “What? Are you jealous? You’re picking now to try to act like a boyfriend?”

  “I’m not jealous.”

  I scoff. “Of course you’re not.”

  “You haven’t been returning my text messages.”

  “Why would I? I broke up with you.”

  “It’s not about our relationship.” I knew it wasn’t, but it still annoys me. “Jade, we need this deal.”

  “So you’re stalking me?”

  “I’ll do whatever it takes. I just want to make sure you finish however long you’re going to be at Rich Records, and then I can get my band in there. Don’t screw us over, Jade.”

  “Listen to yourself! Me screw you over?”

  “I set this entire thing up for you.”

  I step closer, putting a finger in his face. “Oh, don’t you dare say you set this up for me. You did this for yourself. You knew I wanted to record some stuff and decided to leech onto it and shape it into something that could work for yourself.”

  “Whatever. You’re still getting the studio to record in. All I’m saying is—”

  “I know what you’re saying,” I snap, cutting him off. Shaking my head, I take a deep breath. “Just leave, Bret.”

  “What about Skum Bucket’s deal?”

  “Fine.” I point at him, feeling the anger boil up. “I’ll make sure you guys get your deal. Set up a meeting with Richards, I don’t care. I don’t even want to record there anymore.”

  He narrows his eyes, seeming to decide if he wants to believe me. They jump over to Shawn once more, before landing back on me. “I’ll text you when we have something set up.”

  “Fine. Whatever.”

  He rolls his eyes, then turns and leaves. Without looking at Shawn, I head back to the VIP area, where Austin meets us at the same time. I try to smile through the frustration, but he immediately sees the expression.

  “You okay?”

  We take a seat at the small booth, and he slips his arm over my shoulder, waiting for me to respond. I take another deep breath and feel the frustration fade away. Like all the other moments, I don’t remember the last time someone checked on me and what I want; what I feel.

  It warms me, and I lean into him, laying my head on his shoulder. “Yeah. I’m good.”

  22

  Austin

  Since I don’t live at home, I try to visit my mom on the weekends when I’m not busy with school. I remember her being a little sad when I said I wanted to move out a month after graduating high school, but she didn’t fight me on it. I have the money, and she went away for college when she was my age, so she said she understood. Still, I go home to do my laundry or just catch up with her. Sometimes she’ll be organizing her lesson plan for the next week for her third-grade class, or other times we’ll hang out for a little while.

  And then there are times like today, where she wanted to go out for lunch.

  “I still don’t understand why we couldn’t just go to Charley’s,” my mom complains. Okay, complain might be too strong of a word, but she doesn’t like coming to fancy places. “Look at this.” She points to the menu. “Twenty-five dollars for a hamburger and fries? Why? Because it’s made with a certain type of meat? Austin—”

  “Mom, please,” I cut her off, laughing. “I have this money; I might as well use it on stuff for the greater good.”

  She scowls at me, but there’s a tiny smile on her lips. “That’s another thing. I hate it when you use that man’s money on me.”

  I can’t do anything except give a reluctant nod. “I know.” She only ever brings up my father when she has to. I know at one point, maybe before I was born, she might’ve loved him. But their relationship was burnt to a crisp a long time ago. She’s okay with me spending the money he gives me on whatever I want, as long as it’s not on her.

  She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “Anyway, let’s talk about something else.”

  “How’d the class like reading James and the Giant Peach?” I ask. “I always loved that book.”

  She grins, seeming to forget about the topic a minute ago. I love how happy she gets when she talks about her class. It’s one of the reasons I decided I wanted to become a teacher. “I know you did. And they loved it, too.”

  The waitre
ss comes over to our table, pen and pad ready. “Were you two ready to order?”

  “Yeah, I’ll have the bacon chicken club, please,” I tell the waitress, who gives me a friendly smile.

  “And for you, ma’am?” she asks my mom, who rolls her eyes.

  “I’ll take the same thing, I guess.”

  “Mom, seriously. Get whatever you want.”

  “That’s what I want, Austin,” she playfully scolds me.

  Letting out a chuckle, I lift my shoulders, and the waitress leaves the table. “You’re impossible sometimes.” I laugh.

  “I’ll tell you what’s impossible, getting any more information about this mystery girl you seem to be infatuated over.”

  My head slumps between my shoulders and I stare at the table. “This again? Mom, I told you, it’s still super new. Plus, she’s always busy with stuff and … I guess I don’t want to jinx it or something.”

  It’s true, I don’t. Not because of Jade, though. I told my mom I was kind of seeing this girl a few days ago when I asked if she wanted to get lunch today. I wasn’t planning on it, but she told me she saw my ex from high school at a nearby mall and then asked if I’m seeing someone new.

  But I don’t want to jinx it because I know I need to somehow, someway, tell Jade who my dad is. I just haven’t been able to figure out the right place or time to do so. As if the universe is giving me an opportunity, my eyes widen seeing Jade walk into the restaurant with her friend behind her.

  The hostess is escorting them to a table, and as they get closer, Jade sees me. “Hey, you,” she calls out, smiling.

  “Hey, what are you guys doing here?”

  Jade glances over at Lily, who’s smiling ear to ear. “It’s her birthday. I told her I’d take her anyplace she wanted to go for lunch, and she picked this place.”

  “Austin, you can’t tell me I’m wrong,” Lily jokes. “A Wagyu beef burger smothered in swiss cheese sauce and truffles. It’s to die for.”

  “Happy birthday,” I tell her. Looking at my mom, I quirk an eyebrow. “See, that’s why this place is amazing.”