Rock Gods: Baden

by Brandy Munroe

  “Turns out, you never legally changed your names to Emerald and Sapphire. They were your stage names because that’s what Ruby wanted.” That was news to us. It explained why he called them Sophia and Emily.

  We all turned to Jade.

  She shrugged. “Jade’s my real name. It’s what gave Ruby the idea to change theirs,” she pointed to the twins.

  “God, I’m so confused,” Ashley admitted.

  Theo filled in the blanks. “Emily and Sophia, aka Emerald and Sapphire, signed their legal contract with Ruby Red as Emerald and Sapphire, which were not their names legally.”

  “Why didn’t our lawyers use that to get us out of our original contract?” Sapphire steamed.

  “It’s a grey area in the legal system. Especially in an industry known for using an alias.” David explained. “And you never told your lawyer those weren’t your legal names. The only reason I know is that I went to see your father and asked for Emily’s hand. And yes, I had to explain myself looking down the barrel of his shotgun.”

  That got a snicker out of Sapphire.

  “Does that mean they’re not under contract with us?” I panicked.

  “No,” Theo offered. “As I did with all of you I asked them,” he pointed to Jade, Emerald, and Sapphire, “not to sign the contract with their stage names,” he looked around the room to each of us. “I requested legal names only on any and all contracts from all my artists.

  “God, what a clusterfuck,” Ashley exclaimed. “What do we do now?”

  “Now, I accept a marriage proposal and ask what I need to do to break my contract.” She looked at Theo with pleading eyes.

  Theo took Emerald’s hand no doubt to assure her he was not upset with the turn of events. “You want to marry this big fucking idiot even though his father disowned him and he has no job?”

  “Your father disowned you?” Emerald gasped.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he shrugged. “My woman is about to come into enough royalties to keep me in the comfortable style I’m used to,” he teased.

  Sapphire’s eyes went wide.

  “The company is backpedaling, trying to cover their tracks of any impropriety. You’ll be hearing from them about songwriting credits and misappropriated royalties.”David extracted Emily from Theo and kissed her forehead. “Someone with insider information sparked an investigation into some of the shady deals made under the table. The board is going to want to settle before it gets anywhere near a courtroom. Bad press and all. You know how it goes.” He kissed her stupid.

  A twinge of jealousy I’d never experienced before hit me in the pit of my stomach. What would I do to find a man who would give up everything to be with me? That was a rare commodity. If I were Emerald, I would grab it with both hands and hold on for dear life.

  “What are you thinking?” Baden asked.

  I put on my poker face and smiled sweetly. “Nothing really, just happy for Emerald. We all knew her heart wasn’t into being here. I can’t see Theo giving her a hard time about breaking her contract.” Let them believe I was all business. No one needed to know that I once longed for the type of love David and Emerald had. The kind of love I saw every time Theo looked at Sabrina.

  Some people were meant for that all-consuming love. The kind that inspired epic rock ballads. I thought I had that once.

  I was beginning to wonder if I would have an epic rock ballad of my own one day.

  Chapter 9

  Baden

  “That’s a wrap.” I clapped Ralph, our audio engineer, on the back as I shouted into the microphone wired into the recording booth.

  “I can’t believe that’s the same song we couldn’t get right before,” Emily cooed to her fiancé. David had her protectively wrapped to his side as they sat on the couch. Theo had hired David as Divine Chrysalis’ manager. I guess it was one last final fuck you to his father. It was a hard sell to Sapphire, but as Theo explained, David had contacts that would benefit not only the company but the band in general.

  If the former members of Ruby Red worked with David, it proved to the industry what or who was the problem without having to express it verbally. Actions spoke louder than words. In the end, Sapphire buried the hatchet for her twin’s sake.

  We were equally pleased she chose not to bury it in David’s back.

  The girls hustled out of the tiny recording booth the minute I confirmed they had nailed the song. The same song that drove them nuts earlier in the week. With less than a week left before their first live performance, I was working them hard.

  Amber sat beside Emily. “Hey, Emerald, how’s the baby momma doing?” Emily had moved in with David, and I thought the girls missed her being around. “Oh, I'm sorry, I know you prefer to be called Emily now,” she apologized. “It’s hard since we still call her Sapphire,” she pointed to Emily’s twin.

  The girls all giggled, and David and I raised our eyebrows. I didn’t get what was so funny—neither did he. Oh well, if it lightened the mood, who was I to question it? The girls all headed to the lounge to find Emily something healthy to eat.

  David and I stayed back with Ralph to listen to the tracks.

  “Fuck, those girls got some wicked talent.” David whistled as we listened to Crystal’s unique voice blend with Sapphire’s harmony and Jade’s impeccable timing on the drums. Amber added rhythm from the beat of her bass. The subtle undertones of Ashley’s Fender and Sapphire’s smooth fluidity on lead guitar added dimensionality.

  What was not missing was the high whine of Emily’s keyboard. Every track, every song was a musical genius. Crystal's voice was no longer in competition to overpower the keyboard’s higher pitch.

  I was acquainted with rock bands that have had success using keyboardists in their repertoire. This was not going to be one of those bands. Not for the sound, we were trying to create. And definitely not with Crystal’s voice.

  They were good before. We would have found a way to make it all work if need be. However, this was what was going to make them great.

  I felt a warm, gentle hand slowly snake up my back and settle on my shoulder. The scent of strawberries momentarily drew my attention away from the music filling the room. My jeans grew uncomfortably tight. My cock remembered how good it felt to be sheathed in her warmth. My mouth watered, remembering how sweet she tasted. My nostrils deeply inhaled her light fruity scent, afraid they’ll never again have the opportunity.

  No one said anything as Ralph played the tracks back. Eventually, the room filled up as the girls filtered in.

  “I still have a lot of mixing and editing to do,” Ralph mumbled. “Plus I need to work in the individual tracks that had previously been recorded.” It sounded like he was trying to get us out of his way.

  Working from this side of the recording booth was new to me. I never took the time to find out what happened to the tracks once they were laid. We are always exhausted by the time the task had been completed. The band couldn’t wait to get out of the studio and party.

  “Ralph, is that your polite way of telling us to get fuck out?” I grunted. David was already taking Emily’s hand and heading out the door as Ralph waved us away with disinterest.

  “Did we seriously just finish our first album?” Amber nervously fidgeted with the strap of her bass guitar.

  “For you, maybe, this is number four for us,” Jade fist-pumped Sapphire.

  “It’s my first as a lead singer,” Crystal admitted. “I had done backup for several other bands. There’s a demo out there with my name on it as well. That demo was what got Theo’s attention.”

  I had wondered how Theo discovered Divine Chrysalis. I had gone scouting with him, and I would have remembered them from any of the bands we had seen perform. Except for what I have seen of them in the booth, I had never had the pleasure of experiencing Crystal’s stage presence.

  I had no doubt her charm and charisma were going to project off the stage and enchant any audience put before her.

  “I guess you ladies have the
rest of the afternoon to relax,” I confirmed what they had been thinking. If Ralph wanted them out of his way, the only logical conclusion was to give them some free time to rejuvenate.

  “Can we go to the McMansion?” Sapphire was giddy with excitement. “I hear it has a pool with a fantastic view of the ocean.”

  The house Bentley Records procured for our band was proudly dubbed the McMansion by Maddox, and the name stuck.

  “Kitt mentioned it has a private cabana with lots of shade.” Crystal asked while worrying her bottom lip.

  I took a glance at Jade, Amber, and Ashley. Each was waiting in anticipation of my answer. “Sure, why not.” The girls had worked hard this week. They deserved an afternoon of fun and frolic in the enormous pool that hardly ever got used. “I’ll even spring for dinner. As long as you don’t mind beer and pizza?”

  It would be an excellent way for me to get better acquainted with the band as a whole. The only time I’d spent with them outside of the studio was the day they moved in. I began looking forward to finding out more about the band that was going to be traveling with us on tour for six months.

  I called Maddox and let him know the girls were coming over. He laughed and told me Kitt had invited them previously, and each time was disappointed when they refused because their slave driver of a mentor had them working twenty-four-seven.

  It hadn't been that bad. Yes, we were here every day. It was necessary. It was essential to have a few copies of their first single ready to sell at their live performances. It was needed to build the buzz around the news that Divine Chrysalis was going on tour with ReInVented.

  Hell, our band did the same. That commitment to getting the job done was what enabled us to have most of the summer for other projects. Divine Chrysalis did not have the luxury of hanging out around the pool every day. They were coming into this endeavor late as it was.

  What I really should have had them do was bring their equipment with them and rehearse in the studio at the McMansion.

  Fuck, I was a slave driver.

  I pocketed my phone after my conversation with Maddox. “Okay ladies, let’s go have some fun in the sun.” I proceeded to lead them out the door and into the bright early afternoon sun. It was a perfect day to sit around the pool and relax.

  The air was fresh. I was going to miss that when we returned on tour. Living in New York most of my life did not allow for the simple pleasures of inhaling a breath of fresh air coming off the ocean. The warm breeze tickled the exposed skin on my arms.

  Days like these, I wish I had invested in a bike like Maddox. Not that I didn’t take pride in my black as night Mustang, but fuck, I was going to be roasting in that thing if I didn’t give the air conditioner time to do its job.

  I watched as the girls piled into the rented SUV Theo had supplied to get them around town. I should have asked Crystal if she wanted to come with me. I wouldn’t mind a little alone time with her.

  It had been a while since our encounter at the house. She acted as if nothing had happened afterward. There were no expectations that I would call. She did not become clingy and shoot daggers my way every time another woman put her hands on me. She didn’t ask about what I had been doing or who I had been spending time with.

  I wasn’t used to this type of behavior. Even on the road, groupies tried to get you to take them along for the ride. I had done so with the ones I felt would benefit from my training. Letting them loose has not always gone as smoothly as I would have liked. For the most part, the women understood that our arrangement was temporary. There had been a few that thought I would change my mind and keep them around longer.

  As much as I appreciated Crystal’s professionalism, it pissed me off that she had no interest in another go-round. The sex had been phenomenal. Unrestrained and erotic. Watching her come apart was my undoing.

  I wanted to see that look again. I craved Crystal’s fruity scent. Her sweet taste. The delicate touch that turned wild as she pulled on my hair.

  I needed to get laid. Crystal was the last woman I’d had sex with. That was the only reason I was obsessing about it. Sapphire had been flirting with me all week. Too bad I had already drunk from that well. Fucking another member of Divine Chrysalis was a sure-fire way to start dissension in the band.

  Theo gave me this responsibility, and I wasn’t going to fuck it up by screwing my way through the band. The old Baden would not have given two flying fucks.

  What happened to that Baden?

  Oh yeah, he made a promise to the big guy upstairs to become a mature, responsible adult if he spared Theo. The accident destroyed his career as a professional drummer, but he was alive. He was now a family man with a thriving new career. So I needed to hold up my end of the bargain.

  That meant I would not be fucking any other members of Divine Chrysalis. But that didn’t mean I shouldn’t revisit the topic with Crystal.

  I understood Crystal to be a woman who was not afraid to take what she wanted. She was the one who initiated the sex our first time. She had not made another move on me since last week.

  Was she waiting for me to make the next move?

  Chapter 10

  Crystal

  This place was ridiculous. Now I know why they called it the McMansion. The property was the size of an estate. The outside of the house was greystone brick with traditional long rectangular windows, a large veranda, and a peaked roof. It looked like it belonged in Architectural Digest.

  The inside was as impressive. Wide entry. Party-sized living room. Fuck, you could host a wedding in that room. I tried not to stare as we were ushered down the hallway to the back patio door that was off the large modern kitchen.

  A double-tiered deck complete with a grill and patio furniture took up a third of the back yard.

  I quickly scanned the area looking for the cabana Kitt had mentioned. I called dibs in the car on the way to our place to get our swimsuits, towels, sunscreen and a change of clothing to ward off the cold chill known to blow off the Atlantic Ocean in the evening.

  Not that I thought we would be spending the evening. Baden mentioned dinner, and I didn’t know what time he had dinner. The girls and I had taken to eating late out of necessity more than anything. Our recording session had lasted long into the evening. Trying to stay on schedule was impossible.

  It was nice to see all that hard work come to fruition today. We were going to have a completed single ready to sell at our first live concert since becoming Divine Chrysalis.

  As we ventured further down the path with Baden in the lead, the oasis came into view. An Olympic sized pool with a rock waterfall and built-in hot tub awaited us. Vines climbed up the stone wall that encased the property, giving it privacy.

  Patio furniture scattered about as well as several lounge chairs. Each had a blue beach towel neatly rolled up and placed at the foot of each chair, similar to what I had seen in pictures of fancy resorts.

  “That’s the pool house.” Baden pointed to a decent sized building. “Kitt lives there, so it’s off-limits. You can change in the outdoor shower.” He ushered us behind a stone wall. Standing behind it hid you from any prying eyes.

  Sapphire pulled her t-shirt over her head, revealing a skimpy bikini top. “We came prepared.” She began to lower her jean shorts. Underneath was a matching equally skimpy bikini bottom in light beige. If she had not been as brown as she was, from a distance she would appear nude. She draped her clothing over the top of the stone wall.

  “The last one in the pool has to get the drinks!” Sapphire ran out from behind the wall. A loud splash from a cannonball ensued.

  The rest of the girls followed suit.

  I followed Baden out from behind the wall and watched the girls frolicking in the pool, each finding themselves a floating pool toy.

  “You’re not joining them?” Baden gestured towards the pool where the girls were laughing and splashing each other.

  “Maybe in a bit.” I made my way to the other side of the pool and placed the larg
e bag I had been carrying on the Bali bed that was in the middle of the cabana. Like the lounge chairs, there were perfectly rolled blue towels laid out.

  I carefully took them and placed them neatly on the chair sitting next to the bed. I pulled out my towel and set it where I intended to rest. Baden watched but never commented. He didn’t inquire as to why I wish to use my own.

  The way he had my sheets last week while helping unpack.

  I pulled out the paperback romance novel that had been dogeared on chapter fifteen for far too long and placed it beside my towel. I flipped off my sandals and began to unbutton my light cotton, loose-fitting blouse. The last piece of clothing to come off was my white peasant skirt.

  Baden kept his eyes on me the entire time. I couldn’t help but notice the flare in his bright grey eyes. The increased pants of his breath. The tent in his shorts.

  I let my eyes linger a second longer than deemed appropriate. Oh well. Not like I cared if Baden saw I noticed his reaction to my little striptease.

  Unlike the others who were all wearing teeny tiny bikinis, I wore something more conservative. Also, unlike the others who were all beautifully tanned from spending as much time as they could sunbathing in our beautiful backyard, my oculocutaneous albinism made my pure white skin and eyes sensitive to the sun. That was the reason I owned over a dozen pairs of sunglasses. You couldn’t enter a room in the house and not find at least a couple of pairs sitting on something.

  It was also the reason I called dibs on the cabana. I knew its enclosed roof and curtained sides would give me enough shade to keep me from burning. I would, at some point, spend a little time in the pool. Later in the evening, when the sun was not at its peak.

  “You’re one of a very few who haven’t asked,” I stated as Baden continued to watch my every move.

  I ran my fingers through my white strands, “The hair,” I lowered my sunglasses, “the eyes,” I pulled the sunscreen out of my bag, “my lily-white ass.” I handed him the bottle.