The Songwriter (8 page)

“
Your voice is amazing,” Gabriel said.

“
Really?” Gwen sounded breathless.

“
I tell her that every day,” Trey snapped.

Gwen didn’t even hear him. Her eyes were glued to Gabriel.
“You have a great voice too.”

“
We should sing together,” Gabriel said. “I watched the show tonight. You were great. I’ve heard of you but we never had a chance to meet.”

Trey felt his stomach dive as Gwen lit up like a Christmas tree. She looked like a giddy sixteen year old, staring up at Gabriel with stars in her eyes. All he
wanted to do was push his way between them, tell Gabriel to get lost and send Gwen back to her room where she could change into something less… revealing.

“
I’d love that,” Gwen breathed.

Gabriel sat, pulling Gwen
down with him. “Trey tells me you write most of his hits. I’d like to book some time with you. Maybe you can help me with my upcoming album.”

Gwen looked as if all her dreams were coming true. Before she could respond
, Trey stepped in.

“
We’re on tour for six months.”

Gabriel shrugged.
“Well, when you’re done you can call me. I like to record most of my stuff at my house. I live an hour outside of New York.”

“
I live in New York too!” Gwen said excitedly.

“
Good.”

“
Actually, we have a recording studio here.”

“
Yeah?”

Gwen grabbed Gabriel’s hand and the next thing Trey knew, Gwen was taking him to the recording bus. He followed hot on their heels
, but got waylaid by a bunch of his crew and Angie. By the time Trey walked on the bus, Gwen and Gabriel were sitting on the couch, shoulders touching as they leaned over a legal pad where Gwen wrote feverishly. Gwen held a note and Gabriel’s raspy voice twined around hers. Gabriel was a rock country artist with major grit and Trey could see the wheels turning in her head.

“
Gabe, Gwen’s probably exhausted from the show. Maybe-” Trey began.

“
I’m fine,” Gwen said and shot him a quelling look.

“
I don’t want you to push yourself. This is her first tour,” Trey pushed.

Gabe looked between them and raised his brows. He rose and Gwen looked devastated.

“Trey’s right. You’re on tour and that’s stressful enough without me asking for a song.”

“
No, I’m fine,” Gwen argued.

Gabriel shook his head and hugged her.
“We’ll catch up. You have my number. You were great tonight.”

Trey followed Gabriel out of the bus and felt Gwen’s furious gaze following him. He walked Gabriel back towards the arena.

“She’s great,” Gabriel said.

“
I know.”

Gabriel glanced sideways at him.
“You dating her?”

“
No.”

“
She dating anybody?

Trey stopped and faced his friend.
“Not Gwen.”

Gabriel grinned and Trey wanted to punch him.

“If nobody’s dating her why can’t I-”

“
I don’t want her distracted on tour.”

Gabriel snickered.
“That so?”

“
Drop it and get out of here.”

He walked away as Gabriel’s taunting laughter followed him. When he walked onto Gwen’s bus
, he wasn’t surprised to see her pacing angrily. She whirled on him and slapped a hand on his chest.

“
What the hell was that?” she demanded. “That was
Gabriel Heely
.”

“
I know who he is.”

She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and tried to shake him.
“He wants me to write for him.”

“
Everybody wants you to write for them, but right now you’re touring and that takes a lot out of you. Gabe will be around after the tour.”

Gwen bared her teeth at him.
“I can decide for myself whether I’m too tired or not. You’re acting like my dad!”

“
I’m responsible for you on this tour-”

“
I’m responsible for myself!” Gwen retorted.

“
You’re not experienced enough to know when you’re pushing yourself too far.”

“
I am not a child!” she shouted.

“
Then start acting like a woman. You were songwriting in your
robe
with Gabe and he was more interested in you than writing songs since you’re dressed like that.”

Her eyes were nearly the color of sherry she was so pissed.
“How dare you! You’re the one that knocked on my door.”

“
How did I know you weren’t dressed?” he roared back.

“
I’m perfectly decent!”

He looked down at her and froze.
“No. You’re not.”

She looked down and saw that her robe gaped down to her waist, tugged open by her wild arm waving. She was too angry to care.
She had a bra and panty on beneath. She wasn’t naked.

“
Gabriel probably has naked women throwing themselves at him all the time.” Gwen said dismissively and when Trey tried to straighten her robe, she slapped his hands away. “And you too! What do you care if I parade around in my underwear? Natasha did that on a daily basis and you didn’t do a damn thing.”

“
You’re not Natasha.”

She was so tired of hearing that! ‘Don’t try to sing like Natasha,’ ‘Don’t try to dress like Natasha’ and on and on. She was competing against a selfish bitch that didn’
t have enough class to keep her word. She definitely wasn’t Natasha and she was tired of being compared to her. She spread her robe wide and faced Trey defiantly.

“
No, I’m not Natasha the skinny supermodel who can sing like an angel. I’m Gwen and I don’t look like Natasha, sound like her or
like
her. I’m me and if I want to write with Gabriel, I’m gonna do it. If I want to have
sex
with Gabriel, there’s nothing you can do about it either!”

Gwen was breathing hard. She knew she looked nothing like Natasha and she didn’t give a shit. She was
short, curvy and so
not
Trey’s type. He may not want her but if Gabriel Heely wanted her- good! She loved his music and if he was interested, who was Trey to step in? Performing with him every night, having him kiss and touch her only for the crowd was driving her crazy. He may not feel anything on his part, but she did. If a handsome, sexy man wanted to start something, then she was definitely game!

Trey was so still and quiet
. He was staring down at her body and his lashes shaded his eyes. She let out a disgusted sound and turned to go into her room, but his large hand grabbed her arm and swung her back around. His eyes were burning as he leaned down.

“
Don’t compare yourself to Natasha,” he warned her quietly. “And if you think I won’t stop you from sleeping with Gabe go ahead and try it.”

He released her and walked off the bus, closing the doors behind him. Gwen was left standing t
here with her robe gaping open and her body throbbing with need for a man who didn’t want her. She let out a muffled scream and slammed the door to her room.

The shows that followed that week were explosive. Angie didn’t ask what was wrong
but she noticed she didn’t have to insult Gwen as much before Gwen stepped into the elevator. Gwen’s temper was never far beneath the surface and she spoke to Trey with an icy coolness that left everyone wary. Trey was equally polite. They rehearsed and smiled at each other onstage but avoided one another offstage. Gwen spent most of her free time in the recording bus, video chatted with her clients, listened to Barbie and Cassie’s sexcapades or spent time with Oliver, who was surprisingly good company when he wasn’t trying to impress anyone. The first month and a half on tour passed by in a blur of nerves, lights, singing, driving and frustration.

Gwen was on her i
Pad one day, perusing the internet when her finger froze over the screen. She was stunned to see a picture of her and Trey as a top headline.
Are they dating
, was beneath a picture of Trey holding her hand as he sang to her. Gwen leaned forward and tapped the article. A video of a reporter interviewing several fans after the show appeared.

“
They have great chemistry,” one woman said.

“
I don’t know how they can fake it. I’ve been to his other concerts with Natasha Wilde and I think he’s different with Gwen Harper.”

“
What do you think of Gwen Harper replacing Natasha Wilde?” the reporter asked.

Gwen had her hands splayed over her face but she shifted her fingers to peek at the screen with one horrified eye.

“You can’t compare Gwen Harper to Natasha Wilde. They’re completely different but I like Gwen. I would buy her CD if she made one.”

A woman bouncing on the tips of her toes with a,
I love Trey Phoenix
shirt added, “I think they sound great as a duet and they seem really into each other.”

Gwen tossed her
iPad on the bed as if it was a snake then raced out into the living room of the bus where Cassie and Barbie were watching
Grease
on her big flat screen. They looked up when Gwen stood in the aisle with her hands tugging on her hair.

“
What’s up?” Barbie asked. 

“
What’s up?
What’s up
?” Gwen’s voice began to rise. “People are talking about me!”

Barbie and Cassie glanced at each other and then her.
“So?”

Gwen paced.
“I’m not this kind of person.”

“
What kind of person?”

“
Someone people talk about! I’m always in the background, I
like
being in the background and now reporters are asking Trey’s fans about
us
.”

Barbie smiled.
“Gwen, that’s what people do. Even I’m surprised you aren’t sleeping with him yet.”

Gwen stopped dead in her tracks and faced her.
“What?”

Barbie twisted her
hair around her finger. “Well, you and Trey have great chemistry, even though you guys are both in the denial stage. You’re into each other and-”

Gwen made a
time out gesture with her hands. “Hold up. Who says I’m into Trey?”

Barbie and Cassie snorted.
“Oh my gosh honey, it’s so obvious.”

Gwen wanted to pull her hair out.
“I am
not
into Trey.”

They weren’t convinced and a sm
all part of Gwen wasn’t either so she imitated Trey’s irritating habit and wagged a finger in their face. “We’ve been friends for thirteen years!”

Barbie shrugged.
“So?’

“
So I’m not doing this with him.”

“
Doing what?”

Gwen waved her hands.
“I’ve seen Trey in action with Natasha and a dozen other women. I may be replacing her on the tour but I’m not replacing her in Trey’s bed.”

“
I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Cassie said.

Barbie high fived her.
“Amen sister. I’d hit that.”

Gwen fantasized about smashing their heads together.
“I. Am. Not. Into. Trey.”

Barbie waved her hand.
“We all have a thing for Trey. You don’t need to freak out about it.”

“
Who’s freaking out?” Gwen shouted. “Call me crazy but I don’t like everyone wondering if we’re sleeping together just because we have good chemistry onstage.”

Barbie examined her toe nail polish.
“If you manage to stay out of Trey’s bed, I’d have to say it would be a record. He has a thing for singers.”

“
Well, it’s a good thing I’m not one, then, right?” Gwen snapped.

“
Whatever you say, babe.”

That afternoon Angie set up an interview with a reporter from the local news. Gwen didn’t think anything of it until Trey showed up at her bus to grab her.

“They want to interview
us
?” she said, aghast.

She looked down at her jean shorts and
old shirt. Trey was dressed casually but she still tried to run to her bedroom to change and lock herself inside. Trey grabbed her hand and pulled her across the lot where the reporter and cameramen stood.

“
I think there’s been a mistake,” Gwen hissed, digging her sandals into the gravel.

Trey smirked.
“The only mistake is you still thinking you’re anonymous. People ask for us together, but none of the other interviews panned out.”

“
Well, aren’t I lucky,” Gwen said sarcastically.

Trey wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed.
“You’re with me. Of course you’re lucky.”

Before she could argue
, the reporter saw them and squealed. She rushed over and blushed when Trey shook her hand. Her eyes were still bright with excitement when she turned to Gwen.

“
You’ve been creating quite a stir,” the reporter said and shook her hand.

Gwen smiled and said nothing. The less said, the better, she figured. This interview was mostly for Trey and he was the pro here so he could handle it. They stood
side by side as the cameraman and reporter talked about the shot. Trey squeezed her hip when she shifted restlessly. When the light on the camera went on, Gwen smiled and clutched the back of Trey’s shirt and twisted it in one hand.

“
You’ve toured with Natasha Wilde for fifteen years. How does it feel, changing your lead singer at the last minute?” the reporter asked.

“
I’m relieved,” Trey said.

The reporter and Gwen stared at him but he was unrepentant.

“Having Gwen with me has made this the greatest tour I’ve had. She makes everything fresh and new for me. We’ve known each other for thirteen years, so having your best friend on the road with you is great.”

Though she kept the smile on her face
, she felt a twinge of guilt for the way she’d been acting over the past week. She just couldn’t help it. It wasn’t easy to lust after a man you knew should be off limits. Trey was her boss, friend and a celebrity. All great reasons for her to keep her distance and act as if the real reason she was angry at him was because of his meddling. 

The reporter beamed and held the microphone in front of Gwen who tried to take a step back but Trey held her in place.

“And how is it being on tour with Trey Phoenix?”

“
It’s been great,” Gwen said as she felt Trey tremble beside her and she knew he was laughing. “It’s a lot of hard work but being onstage is great. Trey’s fans have really embraced me and I’m grateful.”

“
I heard a rumor that you used to be Natasha’s personal assistant. How is it stepping into her shoes?”

Gwen bit back what came to mind and said,
“I was Natasha’s assistant, but I don’t see it as filling her shoes. I’m doing Trey a favor.”

The reporter’s eyes widened.
“That’s quite a big favor.”

Gwen looked up at Trey and saw that he was definitely laughing. She smiled, all the while plotting what she could do to get back at him for this. Not o
nly was she onstage most nights, she was now doing interviews! She wanted to kill him.

“
This is a huge favor but he’ll owe me after this,” Gwen said.

Trey grinned and leaned down and gave her that quick kiss on the lips that was a habit he was forming. Most
of the time he did it absently, however, she had a sneaking suspicion he was doing this especially for Natasha. She didn’t like being used as a pawn, but in this case she wasn’t averse to making Natasha jealous. She put her hand on Trey’s chest and tried to look seductive.

The reporter stumbled through the rest of the interview and by the time they went to rehearsal
, Gwen was grimly satisfied but still irritated with Trey. Gwen walked into the auditorium and looked around. A different place but it was the same stage which was comforting. The same stage crew ran around and the same mic she used was waiting for her.

“
Do we need to talk?” Trey asked.

Gwen turned away from the empty
auditorium. It was midday and after testing the sound and lights, the stage crew left to take a lunch break. They would swarm back a couple hours before the show to make sure everything was ready.

“
About what?”

“
That night Gabe came,” Trey began and ran a hand through his hair. “I screwed up. I know you can take care of yourself but I knew you were exhausted and you were pushing yourself because you were star struck.”

Gwen
crossed her arms. Trey was usually direct so she knew at some point he would address the elephant in the room between them. A part of her couldn’t believe that she’d opened her robe and shown her body like that but the bitchy part of her was like ‘so what?’

“
You hover. I’m not that kid on tour with you anymore. Yeah, singing isn’t my thing. I’m grateful for the advice, rehearsal and support onstage but you were protecting me from Gabriel Heely and he’s a sweetheart.”

Trey narrowed his eyes.
“How do you know?”

“
He called me a couple times.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw.
“He ask you out?”

“
No. And if he did, so what?”

“
Gabe likes his women.”

“
So?”

“
Gabe’s not for you.”

“
See? What’s with you?”

“
I don’t know if you can handle Gabe.”

She gaped at him.
“You did not just say that! That’s just daring me to make a play for him.”

“
I’m not daring you to do anything. I just want you to wait until after the tour.”

She bared her teeth at him.
“I may be working with you right now Trey, but if I want to date someone I will.”

In his younger days
, Trey was known for being a hothead. Though he was older and wiser, his temper sprang out of nowhere and once it did, people scrambled to get out of the way. Gwen saw she was poking the beast but she was too irritated to care.

“
I’m not going to let you make dumb mistakes,” he snapped.

She was so outraged by that statement that she hurled a full water bottle at his head. He was blessed with quick reflexes and dodged out of the way in time. The water bottle exploded on the seats
closest to the stage.

“
You were with
Natasha
, the most selfish woman on the planet and you’re telling
me
not to make dumb mistakes?”

“
That was different.”

“
How? Because you’re a man and you can make those kinds of mistakes but I can’t? Listen, Trey, I’ve been around a lot of celebrities, you included. I never lay down for you because you’re a big shot superstar, so why do you think I’d do it for someone else?”

W
hy couldn’t he see her as a woman and not a child? Trey’s mouth was tight with fury and she saw he was fighting to restrain himself.

“
I don’t want you like that.”

His quiet response on top of baring her body to him the other night struck at her confidence as a woman. She walked right up to him and stood on her tiptoes to get as close to his face as possible.

“If Gabe or any other guy wants me, so be it. You know, every night I force myself to walk on this stage and forget that I don’t like to be on display, that I can’t sing and that I’m not cut out for this. I’ve been playing it safe for so long. Maybe too long.”

He shook his head.
“You’re getting hysterical.”