by RH Tucker
Adam’s been meeting with his studio heads, but called me last night that he was at a party for a big-time director. I passed. Passed! I said no to a party that would no doubt be littered with alcohol, girls, and anything else I may want to indulge in. Then, earlier tonight, Jenny called me again, asking if I wanted to hang out afterward. I told her I had to meet up with the band early tomorrow morning—which I don’t—so I needed to make sure I don’t go crazy after my sets tonight.
What is happening to me?
The crowd dances around, waving their hands in the air and yelling out in mirth. As the song winds down, I see Mr. Mavin walking into the cub, dressed up in a similar suit I saw him wearing earlier this week. Behind him, I see the guy who’s been around Cece a couple of times and what looks like an older version of him.
They head upstairs to the second floor, and Cece smiles, walking over to her father. Her grin is a lot wider than I’ve seen, and I can only assume it’s because her father hasn’t been to Luxe since it’s opened. The older man next to him doesn’t look impressed, and the younger guy grins, leaning closer to Cece, giving her a hug.
What is that I’m feeling? Jealousy? No, that can’t be right.
As my set finishes up, the crowd cheers again, and I wave to them. I should head to my room, but my eyes shoot back up to the second floor. Cece is explaining something to the old guy, then laughs at something the young one says.
Ugh, I am jealous. Shit.
Before I know what I’m doing, I make my way through the crowd, toward the staircase. A few people stop to say hi or shake my hand, but there’s something wrong with me. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t want to stop and chat with people I know or others complimenting me. I want to be closer to Cece.
I hear the faint noise of footsteps in my mind. Then the slamming of a door. My inner voice has left the building.
The younger guy’s eyes meet mine, and he looks a little surprised. Cece’s saying something to her father when her gaze lands on me, and she seems just as surprised.
What the hell am I doing up here?
“Hey, Mr. Mavin,” I say, offering my hand to him.
He and the man he’s standing next to have identical expressions. They scan me up and down, each of them quirking an eyebrow, staring at me like I’m a weird, lost, dirty dog. Looking myself over, I see my jeans are ripped, and my tank top fits me snuggly, revealing my tattoos. My black hat is turned backward, and my Air Jordans are untied. Sure, it might look raggedy, but this ensemble runs over four hundred dollars.
Glancing over at Cece, she stares at me with an incredulous gaze, but her lips are turned up in a smile. Her father turns to her, and she shakes her head, holding back a giggle.
“Daddy, you remember Maddox Barkley from the meeting. He’s our DJ.”
“Oh, right,” he responds, but doesn’t look back over.
“Maddox, this is Mr. Thornhurst and his son, Winston.”
“This is your DJ?” Mr. Thornhurst says, giving her a puzzling expression.
She nods enthusiastically. “Yes. Maddox is a great DJ, and he’s the drummer for Kings of Karmichael.”
“Who?” he replies.
To my surprise, the young guy next to me speaks up. “They’re a band. Hey, nice to meet you.”
He extends his hand, but I can’t help glancing over at Cece. She smiles like all is right in the world, and as I take Winston’s hand, I probably give a shake that’s a little firmer than it needs to be. “What’s up, man?”
“Cece, is it always this loud?” her dad asks.
“It’s a club, Daddy. It’s supposed to be loud.”
He lifts his eyebrows, unimpressed, then his gaze finds me again. I’m getting the sense that he doesn’t trust me or is at least leery of me. Motioning to Winston, his indifferent gaze morphs into a small smirk. “Winston says you two have really hit it off.”
I quirk an eyebrow, and her eyes dart between Winston, myself, and her father. The playful attitude she just had vanishes, and she appears to be uncomfortable. “Oh, uh, yes.”
I remember what she told me about their situation. I’m guessing she’s still trying to navigate her way through this parental matchup, but it irks at me. I know the truth between them, and I’m the one who just went on an actual date with her, but I’m still jealous. Damn, I am a goner.
“Um, we’re actually going out next week,” Winston speaks up, really messing with my mind.
Cece’s eyes jump to me. Though my one-on-one time with her has been limited, I can read her eyes, begging me to stay quiet.
“Is that right? Fabulous,” Mr. Thornhurst says, uttering each syllable perfectly.
“Yes,” Cece adds, with a slight cringe.
“Well, we just wanted to stop by and finally visit your endeavor,” her father says. “We should probably be going.”
“Oh, you didn’t want to stay a little bit? Maddox will be starting his next set in a few minutes, and I can get a service for—”
“No, that’s okay. It’s a little too much,” Mr. Thornhurst interjects. “I couldn’t imagine spending more than a few minutes here.”
Cece pinches her lips to the side. Before anyone can add anything else, her father and Thornhurst turn and head back to the staircase. I watch on as her father says something to him, pointing in different directions. Thornhurst shakes his head as if he either can’t understand him or doesn’t understand the appeal of the club. Probably both.
Turning back at Cece, she looks back at me, biting her lip in an apologetic cringe. Winston eyes both of us and lets out a small chuckle. “Well, this is awkward.”
Cece slaps his chest. “You know, for as unassuming as you come off, you really pick up on all the small details.”
“I guess it’s from years of being in the background behind my father, afraid to establish myself.” He laughs, shaking his head. Then he looks at me. “I take it you two …”
“No.”
“Yes,” I say at the same time Cece tries to negate whatever we are.
Winston laughs again. “I’ll give you guys a minute to decide.”
Delivering a playful smirk to her as he walks away, I take a step closer. She narrows her eyes, but there’s a grin across her lips. “What are you doing up here?” she asks.
“Would you believe me if I told you I got jealous?”
“Absolutely not.”
“That’s too bad, because it’s the truth.”
Her gaze stays on mine for a moment as if she’s trying to believe me or not. “You were jealous? Maddox Barkley?”
“It caught me by surprise, too.” I glance back at Winston, who’s awkwardly standing next to the bar, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I mean, seriously, how the hell am I jealous?”
“Hey, he’s a nice guy. Don’t judge.” Stepping closer, she reaches over and takes my hand. “But I have to say, seeing this completely different side of the King of Bad is intriguing.”
“Intriguing enough to set up our second date?” I nod back to Winston. “Without Daddy’s pick?”
“I think that can be arranged.” Her smile stays in place for a moment. When she glances back at Winston, a sneaky smirk comes over her. “Oh! What if we made it a double date?”
“Excuse me?”
“If I can convince Stephanie and Winston to come with us, it could be us four. That way, I can tell my father I actually did go out with Winston.”
“What is it about you and this guy?”
The playful demeanor leaves, and she stares down at the ground. The light intermission music that plays between my sets is upbeat, and there are still people dancing on the first floor, along with people talking. But her expression is more somber than our environment.
“I love my dad. I’m annoyed he’s set this entire thing up, but I know he only did it because he wants what’s best for me. He thinks Winston’s it.”
I can’t help but let out a chuckle. “Uptight guys in business suits?”
“Wealthy empire he
irs with college educations.”
It’s not a shot at me, I know that. It’s a fact that I’d usually brush off as stupid and even a little lame. But something about her reason tugs at the strings of my ego, which generally are as strong as steel wiring. Now they feel like thin spiderwebs that she just brushed away with a broom. I’m just a drummer.
“Oh my God.” She giggles. “I didn’t believe you until right this second. You were jealous.”
I wish I had a snappy one-liner. A zinger for her to prove that it was all a joke. That I’m still Maddox freakin’ Barkley and she’s just another girl. But she’s not, and I don’t think that’s who I want to be anymore, which is unnerving.
“Who is this guy?” She leans closer, grabbing my shirt.
“I wish I knew,” I respond honestly. “You’re doing things to me, and I haven’t even kissed you yet.”
She gives me a suspicious smirk. “That’s not reassuring. How do I know you’re not simply acting like this because I’m something you can’t have?”
“You don’t. But on the other hand, I’ve never gotten dressed up or jealous over a girl either. That has to count for something, right?”
Leaning closer, her eyes stay on mine. If she was anyone else, I wouldn’t hesitate to make my move and kiss her. I’d know exactly what I want to do, how she’d react, and most likely leave her with some kind of line, telling her we’ll meet up after my set. But she’s not anyone else, and I have no idea who I’m becoming now.
I move my head toward her, still unsure if she wants me to kiss her or not. Time seems to slow, then it comes to a crashing halt. Her mouth meets mine, and I instantly pull her closer. Lifting a hand to her cheek, her kiss is a mixture of heat and curiosity. Her lips break away, but she stays close, and my nose brushes against hers.
“No one-liner for me from the King of Bad?” she asks with a grin.
“You leave me speechless,” I say, and she rolls her eyes. “That’s not a line from a King, it’s the truth from Maddox.”
“What do you say about the double date?”
A laugh escapes me. “Like I can say no after that. Whatever you want as long as I get to be around you.”
“Careful, you sound like you’re getting attached.”
“I think I am.”
16
Cece
Stephanie lets out a huff as we make our way into the Italian restaurant I asked Winston and Maddox to meet us at. I’m still a little surprised both of them said yes.
No matter what Maddox told me, I’m sure going out with two other people he doesn’t really know was not his ideal choice for another date with me. Still, he messaged me after Sunday night at the club, making sure we were still on. Why we wouldn’t be, I have no idea, but it’s just another thing about how he’s acted around me that tells me this isn’t the usual King of Bad that the world has seen. And that fact alone makes me want to believe he’s honestly interested in me.
Winston was leery when I presented the idea to him. After the interview we filmed with Rose for Stephanie’s YouTube channel, Winston’s only had one other interaction with Steph, and it was just as tense. She still looks at him like a geek, and he’s still sarcastic with her. Winston agreed, begrudgingly, but I had to use my best friend, puppy dog look on Steph for her to say yes.
Sure, it’s all a bit much to be able to tell my father I went out with Winston and technically not be lying. I just don’t want to disappoint him. I know he wants me to be happy and taken care of. I’m his little girl. And, of course, I’ll tell him there’s nothing between Winston and me eventually, but I’d like to hold off on that for a little bit longer.
Stephanie picks a piece of lint from her teal mini-dress. “I can’t believe I said yes to this. Why did I say yes to this?”
Opening the door for us, I roll my eyes at her again. “Because you’re my bestie, and you love me.”
“But still! This guy … I can’t even with this guy.”
“You just don’t like him because he snapped back at you at the restaurant that day.”
“He’s a geek,” she hisses, double-checking as we walked toward the host to make sure no one else heard her.
“He’s not,” I reply. “He wears glasses. Wearing glasses does not make someone a geek. He’s just not a socialite like the rest of your friends.”
“The rest of my friends are not only socialites. Believe it or not, you and your circles are not my only friends.”
“I’ll believe it when I see you with someone else.” I laugh, and we head to the host, who takes us to our table.
Winston is dressed down slightly, with one of his business suits that’s a dark green, but no tie. Maddox is dressed less formal; a T-shirt and jeans, but he’s styled his hair again. Both of them seem to be sitting awkwardly quiet, waiting for us.
“Hey,” I call out to them, taking a seat next to Maddox.
I don’t know why, but I feel more at ease around Maddox. Ever since our first date and the honesty he’s had on display, I don’t feel like I’m talking to an egotistical rock star. He may be famous, but he’s a musician, not an actor. He couldn’t possibly be this good at pretending to be something he’s not. And I believed him when he said he was jealous the other day. Which just goes to sweep more of my former opinion of him away, wanting to be around this real Maddox I’ve met.
“Have you guys ordered any drinks?” Stephanie asks.
“I was going to but wasn’t sure what you liked,” Maddox answers, looking at me.
I smile at his response, but before I can reply, Stephanie adds, “Anything that will help with this night.”
My head snaps over to her, about to scold her for the rudeness, but Winston beats me to the punch. “Yeah, I’ll definitely want to remember this night,” Winston says. “Especially with how pleasant you’re already being.”
“Me?” Stephanie snaps. “I’m doing this as a favor for my best friend, Winnie,” she spits back, really putting some spice on Winston’s nickname. “What’s your reason? Sucking up to Daddy still?”
“Steph!” I hiss at her.
“Winnie?” Maddox asks, chuckling.
Winston ignores both of us, his jaw dropping in appall. “You know, I thought I’d give the ice queen a chance to see if she wasn’t as bad as I remember,” he says. “But apparently Cece has a soft spot in her heart for unpleasant girls who like to trash guys they barely know.”
“You guys,” I snap at both of them, who are burning holes through one another.
“Now I do need a drink,” Winston says, getting up from the table.
“I’m going to use the restroom,” Stephanie replies.
They both get up from the table and head in opposite directions; Winston toward the bar area, and Stephanie toward the bathroom.
Maddox chuckles again. “How’s the double date working out for you?”
By the time we’ve ordered, and our food is served to us, Winston and Stephanie are firmly planted in their silent treatment of one another. When Stephanie came back to the table, Winston was already sitting down, and I thought it would be beyond awkward. Maddox asked Stephanie about her channel, and then made conversation with Winston and offered him passes to the next Kings Court show. I don’t know if he’s seen petty arguments between two people before, but he took it all in stride.
While the Winston-Stephanie immature drama is going on, Maddox and I still connect like we did on our first date. He talks a little bit about his sister, and I get a sense of who he really is. Without the gravitas of the rock star life that encompasses him, he’s genuine all the way up to the point when Stephanie asks if she can take our picture.
“For my InstaPic,” she says.
He shrugs, agreeing, before throwing his arm over my shoulder. I lean closer to him, and he throws up rock fingers, sticking his tongue out. While she reviews the image before posting it, I glance over at him, lifting a brow. “What was that?”
“What?”
“The King of Bad came out
there.”
He glances around for a moment before thinking about it by staring at the table. “Huh, yeah, I guess so.”
“So how do I know which is which?”
With his arm still around me, he leans closer. “I’m only Maddox with you,” he whispers. “You see through that sham of a kingship anyway.”
It’s teasing and lighthearted, but at the same time, he speaks with such sincerity. His emerald eyes stay locked on me, and I move closer to kiss him. Before our lips can touch, Stephanie kicks my leg under the table. “Get a room, you guys.”
I feel my face go red, realizing that we aren’t alone, but wishing we were. Glancing over at Winston, he awkwardly looks away, taking a drink from his glass.
“Sorry,” I tell them.
“It’s all good,” she replies. “At least one of us—”
I deliver a sharp kick back to her, urging her to stop whatever rude thing she’d probably spit out about Winston yet again. He’s quick to pick up on it and leers at her.
“Maybe we should call it a night,” I say just as the waitress approaches. When everyone reaches for their card, Maddox leans over me, handing her his card first. “No, Maddox. You’re not paying for all of ours.”
“I can get mine,” Winston says.
“Don’t worry about it, you guys,” he says, motioning for the waitress to leave.
“No, he can’t do that,” I tell her, and an awkward standoff between who’s going to pay for the meal begins. I see the worry over the server’s face, and just before I can try to offer my card, Maddox speaks up.
“You want tickets to the red carpet event for the Grammys?” he quickly asks her, and she nods, her eyes wide and a huge smile. “Charge my card, and they’re yours.”
Stephanie’s jaw drops in excited shock, while I glower in annoyance. “That’s cheating.”
