“It’s your first visitor!” Tessa squealed when the doorbell rang.
Sindy hadn’t given her address to anyone. The other waitresses at the diner knew she was moving into one of her boss’ apartment buildings, but they didn’t know the location. She hoped Tessa didn’t invite her parents. There wasn’t adequate seating, and the idea of mega-talented rock stars in her scantily-furnished home made her uncomfortable.
“Relax.” Tessa headed toward the door, “I ordered Chinese food. It’s not a frat party.”
Sindy’s stomach rumbled with hunger at the mention of food and realized they hadn’t eaten in hours. “You guys must be starving. I’m a terrible hostess!”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll be up in a sec.” Tessa bounced out of the apartment and returned a few minutes later carrying two shopping bags reeking with delicious aromas.
Sindy helped Tessa pull the small cardboard containers from the bag and set them on the kitchen table. She purposely sat across from Lucas instead of next to him, but that proved to be just as distracting because every time she looked up they made eye contact. For the rest of the night she made it a point to stay away from Lucas, because thinking about him made her heart ache. Instead, she set up her bedroom with the help of her best friend. Unfolding the blow-up mattress momentarily made her feel worse, as memories of her less-than-stellar existence in a storage unit came flooding back, but then she found comfort in knowing that this was the last time she’d fill it with air. After her bed was delivered, she was throwing away the blow-up mattress. Maybe she’d even set it on fire.
Everyone left around midnight, and a sense of peace filled Sindy as she gazed at her apartment. Her apartment. The idea was still foreign, yet profoundly real. She paid the rent three months in advance and put six months’ worth of rent money in a separate account. She needed the security of not worrying about being short if she needed to cut back on her hours at the diner further, or, altogether, once Prodigy started the promo tour. She’d already spent more than she expected on furniture and the move. Everything was so expensive, even though she shopped at discount stores for things like new sheets and towels.
Part of her wanted to curl up and go to sleep, the other part wanted to put all the dishes and pots and pans in the cabinets. She wanted normalcy and to be settled. Living out of boxes for the last few months made her feel like a vagabond, so she unpacked a box of plates and silverware and washed them. She just finished putting them in the cabinet when the doorbell rang again. She tentatively pressed the intercom button. “Hello?”
“It’s me. Please let me up. I need to talk to you.”
She should have known it would be Lucas. His voice filled her with equal amounts of excitement and dread. Her finger hovered over the intercom button while she wrestled with her conflicting emotions. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I just want to talk. Nothing more. I promise.”
She bit her lip, took a deep breath and hit the buzzer. She wished her heart and her head would be in sync when it came to Lucas. His footsteps echoed in the hallway while she waited for him in the archway of her apartment door. When he approached, the sadness in his smile worried her.
“I’m not going to stay long,” he said.
He sat at the kitchen table and she sat across from him, watching and wondering about the thoughts weighing on his mind.
He alternated between looking down at his hands and up at her face, while the corner of his mouth twitched. “I’ve been thinking a lot about us. I miss you.”
Tears immediately filled her eyes and sadness tugged the corners of her mouth downward. She missed him so much, but couldn’t verbalize the sentiment because of the struggle to keep her emotions in check.
“We’re still friends. I wish we were more. But I understand. We got big plans ahead of us, and we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. I don’t want it to be awkward. I want you to know that I’m not going to pressure you for anything. I can’t help it sometimes. I think with my heart. That’s the way I was raised. We show our feelings in my family. If you care about someone, you don’t hold back. You let them know how much they mean to you.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “I care about you. My feelings for you are strong. You mean a great deal to me. Everything that’s happening to me. To us. To Prodigy. It’s better because you’re part of it. I never shared so much of my heart with someone before.”
She squeezed his hand, afraid to look up because she knew the tears hanging on her lower lids would fall.
“It’s hard to hold back how much I want to be with you,” he continued. “I’ve never felt this way about someone. But I understand your mindset. And you’re right. It’s all about timing, and it’s time for Prodigy to shine. The band has to come first right now.”
She finally looked up at him, her heart caving in on itself.
“Maybe in a few months, when things settle down, we can try again.” His voice was still incredibly sad, but held the slightest bit of hope.
She knew things weren’t going to settle down, though. They were going to explode. She nodded, even though she knew there would never be a right time.
“I hope you don’t find somebody else. I know that’s selfish and a terrible thing to say. But . . .” He lowered his head for a few seconds, hiding his face. When he raised it, his gaze remained on the table instead of looking at her, and his voice was a pained whisper. “I don’t want to think about you with anyone else.”
Her stomach twisted, not just for the hurt that shadowed Lucas, but at the idea of Lucas moving on. She didn’t know how she’d handle it if he got a girlfriend. She couldn’t expect him to be celibate, but the idea of him with someone else crushed her.
“Don’t feel bad,” he said, seeing the torment in her face and caressing her hand. “I’ll understand if it happens. I just want you to know how much I value our friendship. As long as I have that, I’ll be OK. If that’s all we can be right now, I’m OK with it.” His words were encouraging but the tone in his voice and the expression on his face portrayed pure anguish. He withdrew his hand and placed it back in his lap. “That’s it. That’s all I wanted to say. And that I’m happy to see you in this apartment and moving forward. Great things lay ahead for you.”
“None of it would be happening if it weren’t for you. You taught me so much. I’m grateful that you’re in my life. Tessa and Mason, too. I’ve never had friends like the three of you. I’ve never met anyone like you, Lucas. I know I’ve thanked you a hundred times, but thank you. Again. You saved me. You could have left me in that storage unit. But you didn’t. You sent Tessa to get me.” Her voice cracked as the words came rushing out of her mouth. She barely paused for a breath, afraid that if she did, her voice would fail completely. “I don’t know what would have happened to me if I didn’t meet you.”
She watched him as he lowered his gaze and stared at the table, his mouth pressed into a thin straight line, then bowing down at the corners. When he looked up, a sheen of moisture covered his eyes, and when he spoke, his voice was low and barely audible. “I’m gonna go.” He stood and slipped out of the apartment without saying another word, taking her heart with him.
He left so quickly, she sat dazed at the table while the door clicked behind him. She opened her mouth ready to call him back and tell him to stay, at least for one more night, but he was gone.
She went to the front window and watched him walk to his Hummer. Just before he opened the door, he looked up at her – a flash of blue reflecting in the moonlight – before he lowered his eyes and drove away. She stared at the empty space where his vehicle had been parked, hoping to see it speed down the street and return to the spot, but it remained barren. After a long while, the curtain slipped out of her hand just as a lone tear streaked down her cheek.
Exhausted, she went to her bedroom and flopped down on the air bed but sleep was the last thing on her mind. Her eyes shifted back and forth, and she blinked as she tried to stop the tears. She sp
otted a pretty shopping bag sitting against the wall closest to her. A gift from Tessa, no doubt. With her heart a little lighter, she ripped the envelope off the shopping bag and read the card.
A little something to remind you of our time as roomies. Congrats on the new apartment! Love, Tessa xoxo
The bag contained the lavender-scented pillow and the chenille blanket that she loved so much. She needed this little bit of comfort right now, and she thought her heart would burst from the love she had for her best friend. She rested her head on the fragrant pillow and brought the soft blanket up to her chin, just like she’d done so many times over the last few weeks. But the calmness that they usually brought eluded her. Thoughts of Lucas swam in her head. The joy and the heartache, the ups and downs and the turmoil that made up their relationship left her insides a jumbled mess of emotions. She wished Lucas was with her right now, celebrating the first night in her new home, because there was no celebration without him. Tears came quickly as she remembered the beautiful things he said to her earlier, and she sobbed heavily into her lavender-scented pillow.
Lucas needed a night out with his best friend so he could forget about Sindy, at least for one night. Since the day she came into his life she had his head spinning. She’d stirred every emotion inside him from frustration to anger to wanting to be with her all the time. He tapped his fingers on the bar, wondering why Mason wasn’t here yet. New York City traffic could be horrendous, but the guy drove like a madman and could zip in and out of lanes with his Lamborghini as if he was at the Indy 500. Then he realized Mason probably took an Uber since they would be drinking a little.
He scanned the room for his friend, and two girls smiled at him from the other end of the bar. He returned an uninterested smile and looked away.
“Dude!” Mason wore his usual happy-go-lucky smile and gave Lucas a pat on the back in greeting. “Sorry I’m late. I’m so pumped about recording our first single I lost track of time talking about it with my pops. And then a group of people stopped to talk to me on the way in. I can’t wait until we go on tour. The real tour, not the promo tour. It’s been a long time since we’ve been on the road together. Man, we’re gonna have a blast!”
“I hear ya.” The excitement rubbed off on Lucas, which is what he loved most about Mason. The guy was in a perpetual good mood and filled with so much positive energy that it was impossible to stay in a bad mood with Mason around.
“The promo tour’s nothing but work. It’s the national tour that’ll kick ass,” Mason added.
Lucas didn’t really know what to expect from the promo tour. He’d toured the world with Immortal Angel, but they were arena tours not promotional appearances. Mason had been through all of this already when he first set foot on the music scene. “What’s the promo tour like? Is it that different?”
“It’s a lot of the same repetitive crap. Schmoozing with radio execs and D.J.’s. The occasional small performance at a radio station, usually only a song or two.” He sounded bored, but then his face perked up. “The TV shows are cool. My mom has been on the phone nonstop so we dominate the late night/early morning circuit. I think she got us booked on almost every talk show broadcasted on every major network and cable station.”
Although Lucas and Tessa’s photos have made their way into certain media clips and articles, their parents had protected them from the probing paparazzi. He’d never been on TV before.
“It’s awesome because we get to play in front of a live audience,” Mason continued. “And the host comes out at the end and plugs the album. Sometimes we even get to play another song or two off the air for the audience.”
“That’s cool.”
“It’d be a lot cooler if we got paid for it.”
Lucas nodded. “I guess that’s why they call it promo.”
“Don’t sweat it, man. It’s all part of the journey. We record the single this week, it hits the air, then the promo tour, then we sit back and watch the numbers light up while the dough rolls in.”
The bartender took their order and placed two beers on the bar. Mason picked up one and took a long swig from the bottle. “My mom and Aunt Kira got release day covered. They’re plugging the single and pushing it out to radio stations everywhere. We’re gonna get more airplay than anyone has ever seen on a debut single. The name Abelman goes a long way in this business.”
Lucas hung his head, but didn’t say anything. It felt as if he was the only one who cared about making it on their own merit. He had genuine gratitude toward Mason’s family for using their connections in the industry to get Prodigy airplay, but, was it that far-fetched that he wanted to experience the journey of climbing the ladder like everyone else?
“Lighten up, man. Sometimes you just gotta take what’s handed to you. You don’t always have to claw your way up from the bottom.” Mason placed his arm around Lucas’ shoulder and shook him a little. “This is a good thing. People are going to gravitate to Prodigy because our music rocks, not because our parents are part of Immortal Angel.”
“Our music does rock. Especially now that we have Sindy. She really kicks it up a notch. Did you see her on stage that night? The audience went fucking nuts for her. They loved her.” Just talking about Sindy made his chest tingle and goosebumps rise on his arms. He started to think that a little kick-starter, in the form of Audra and Kira’s connections with the radio stations and television networks, might not be such a bad thing. The rest of them were already well off and it didn’t matter if fame took a little longer to make it without help. Sindy was barely scraping by. Refusing help, when it was so readily available, would hurt Sindy, and he felt like a selfish bastard for resisting. “Tell your mom and Kira I said thank you. I really appreciate all their help. I don’t want to sound ungrateful. I think it’s awesome that they’re gonna get us airplay.”
“That’s the spirit, man.” Mason raised his beer. “To fame and success. Hey, you know what I was thinking? Since Sindy joined the band it evens things out. Two chicks and two dudes. Sindy and Tessa rock. They’re gonna lure all the dudes and we’re gonna get all the chicks. We got all bases covered.”
All the dudes? Mason was right. Sindy was a hot and sexy talented guitar player. Guys love chicks who rock. They’d be all over her. And Tessa, as well. His insides burned from jealousy at the thought of a slew of guys hitting on Sindy. He thought he was OK with the close friendship they shared without sleeping together, but standing by and watching Sindy possibly hook up with random guys? No fucking way.
“What happened?” Mason chuckled. “You look like you want to punch somebody in the face.”
Lucas softened his clenched jaw. “I was just thinking about all the guys who are gonna be hitting on my little sister.” Which wasn’t exactly a lie, because he was always protective of Tessa, and he’d never stand for it if someone disrespected her.
“Don’t worry about that. Between me and you, no one’s getting near Tessa.”
The bartender placed two more bottles of beer on the bar and pointed to a pair of girls who stood behind Lucas and Mason – the same two girls who had smiled at Lucas earlier.
“Hello, pretty ladies.” Mason flashed one of his best dimpled smiles.
“Oh my God. It is you!” The blonde covered her mouth with her hand. “You’re Mason Wilder.”
“In the flesh.”
Her eyes widened, and she looked as if she was about to jump up and down.
“And you’re Lucas Blade, right?” the brunette asked, not nearly as star-struck as her friend, but still staring at him with wide-eyed excitement.
“That’s me,” he answered, returning her smile.
“I’m Cathy,” the blonde said. “And this is Joanna.”
“Nice to meet you ladies,” Mason kissed Cathy’s hand, causing the blonde to emit a long giddy laugh.
“Thanks for the brews.” Lucas held up his beer. “Can I get you anything?”
“These are also from the ladies,” the bartender interrupted, pointing to four shot
s of tequila that sat on the bar.
“Sweet!” Mason handed them out, and they all tossed them back.
Lucas rarely drank hard liquor, and the alcohol burned his throat and went straight to his head.
“We saw a clip of Prodigy playing at the Immortal Angel show last week.” The blonde beamed at Mason, clearly staking her claim. “You sounded awesome.”
“Thanks,” Mason replied. “We’re finally legit. Our new single should be out in a couple of weeks.”
“We were just talking about our promotional tour,” Lucas added. “You’re gonna see us on all the morning and late night talk shows next month.”
“I can’t wait.” The brunette placed her hand on Lucas’ shoulder and left it there. “Congratulations. You’re a star. The camera loves you, but it doesn’t really capture how insanely gorgeous you are in person.”
The blonde passed around another set of shots.
Lucas shuddered after this one went down his throat. A few minutes later, another shot was in front of him. And another. He was done. He pushed the glass across the bar, held out his hand and moved it back and forth indicating to the bartender that he didn’t want any more.
When he turned back around, the brunette wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body into him. “I’ve never seen anyone with such beautiful eyes before.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “Your hair is so blond and you’re so tanned and . . .” Her hand moved across his chest. “You’re in great shape.” Her mouth went to his neck, where she breathed heavily and left a hot trail of steam.
“I’m outta here, man.” Mason had his arm around the blonde, who couldn’t seem to take her mouth and tongue off his neck. “You all right?”
“Sure. Catch you tomorrow.” Lucas ordered a glass of water while Mason took off with the blonde.
LUCAS BLADE: Radical Rock Stars: Next Generation Duet Book 1 Page 22
