A Voice to Love (Fallen Tuesday Book One) (A Brothers of Rock Novel) (10 page)

“Amy…”

“Is it wrong to stop
this?” Amy whispered.

“You can do anything you
want,” Luke said.

He retreated from Amy but
he still held her. He made sure she looked at him, they were still in bed,
under to covers, in the comfort, peace, and silence of the bedroom in the
hotel.

Amy swallowed and licked
her lips. “I want… but…”

“You don’t want a one
night stand,” Luke said.

“No. It’s complicated.”

“I’m a rockstar, Amy, I
know complicated.”

Amy smiled. It faded
quick. “I just don’t want… you’re leaving tomorrow. You said so.”

Luke sighed. “Yeah, I am.
I have to finish this tour. I can come back and visit you.”

“That’s sweet. I’m just
so afraid you’re so interested in me because of how you met me.”

“Because a beautiful
woman walking home alone at midnight crashed into me?” Luke asked.

“It’s more than that,”
Amy said. “That situation…”

“You can tell me anything
you want,” Luke said.

“It’s kind of hard to be
serious while you’re holding my boob,” Amy rolled her eyes.

Color rushed to her
cheeks as Luke opened his hand. “Sorry. Here… how about this…” Luke gently
caressed Amy’s face. “Tell me, baby. Let me help you.”

“It’s dangerous,” Amy
said. “It could be. I don’t want anyone involved in my mess.”

“How could you have a
mess?” Luke asked.

“Trust me, Luke, I have a
mess. If you want to sleep with me, that’s okay. We can have fun tonight, but
that’s it. You’re a famous rockstar. I’m a chef at a restaurant.”

“Sounds like you’re
breaking up with me,” Luke said.

“I don’t know what I’m
doing right now.”

Luke knew he had two
choices right then. He could easily push at Amy and get inside her. Maybe it
was wrong to think like that, but it was the truth. All he had to do was kiss
Amy again. Touch her body again. Push her. She wanted him, he could see it in
her eyes. Her hesitation came from, something deeper, darker, something more
serious. The strange part was that Luke had the same feeling. It brought him to
his second option, the one that he decided to choose.

Luke moved to his back
and pulled Amy to his chest. He pulled the covers up to her shoulders, ensuring
she was warm and touching him. He then touched her shoulder and let out a long
sigh.

“Are you mad at me,
Luke?”

“I can’t be mad at you,”
Luke said. “I don’t know enough to be mad.”

“I’m sorry,” Amy said. “I
don’t want to pull you into anything.”

“Maybe you already have.”

“But you get to leave
tomorrow.”

“You keep saying that,
Amy. I don’t like thinking about it.”

“I didn’t think about it
until just now… maybe I should have waited five minutes.”

“Five minutes?” Luke
asked. “I can last a lot longer than five minutes.”

Amy giggled.

Luke looked down at the
beautiful woman on him. Come to think of it, studying those perfect features,
smelling her hair, watching how her breasts pushed against his chest, maybe he
wouldn't even last five minutes.

But tonight, he’d never
know.

Silence fell and Amy
lifted her head. “There was blood in that sink, wasn’t there?”

“What sink?”

“After your show. When
you were coughing.”

“Maybe there was,” Luke
said.

“Are you sick, Luke?”

Luke shook his head. “No,
not at all.”

“Are you hurt?”

Luke swallowed. His
throat was annoyed. So was his soul. He didn’t want to lie to Amy yet at the
same time he tried to remind himself that for most purposes in life this woman
in his bed was a stranger.

“I don’t know what I am,”
Luke said. “Seems you and I are two people, topless in bed, keeping secrets.”

“Can we at least hold
them together?” Amy asked.

“As long as I can keep
you tonight.”

Amy kissed Luke. The kiss
started to heat up, but Amy pulled back. She bit her lip, regret in her eyes.

“I’m going to regret
this,” she whispered. “What I didn’t do tonight…”

“There’s always
tomorrow,” Luke said. “And the next day.”

“Hopefully.”

Luke didn’t respond.
Amy’s words were cryptic yet beautiful. The connection between them was
instantaneous and strong. Luke felt Amy already knew everything about him.
There would be a tomorrow - and a next day - but Luke would be a fool and a
liar not to think about his future. His future with Fallen Tuesday and his
future with music. It was all scary to think about, but having Amy in his arms
made it easier to deal with. Luke knew something was wrong with her. It was
obvious by the way they met and by the way she acted. Even in bed, she seemed
so hesitant yet in need. Whatever had been following Amy was dangerous. It left
Luke wondering what he could do.

“Just hold me,” Amy
whispered as though she could read his mind.

Luke did as told. He held
Amy. He waited for her to fall asleep before he closed his eyes too. It was the
first time in a very long time that Luke wished time would stand still.
Everything felt so right.

**

Amy opened her eyes and
stretched her arms out, expecting to find nothing but the leftover memories of
a wild night of dreaming. Still, her hands sought out the bare chest body of
Luke, but she found nothing. The bed was empty. She rolled to her right,
huddling with the covers. She was in a hotel room. The hotel room that Luke had
brought her to. She was still topless yet she wore jeans. That’s when the
regret hit her. The regret she knew she’d feel. Amy had fully intended on
losing all control with Luke right before she had to leave.

That didn’t seem to be
the case now.

Amy sat up, holding the
sheet to her chest. She slid to the edge of the bed and saw her bra and shirt
on the floor. She reached down and grabbed both and dressed the top half of her
body.

“Luke?” she called out.

Her voice carried through
the hotel room to no response. Amy left the bedroom and looked around the massive
hotel room. It really was beautiful. She didn’t want to imagine the cost of the
room per night. It had to be, at the very least, twice the amount of Amy’s rent
for her apartment. Everyone thought she should have had a bigger apartment or
at least a house, but Amy always played it off, telling them that she enjoyed
the comfort of her small place. So everyone assumed she saved her money.

Amy continued through the
hotel room. It was obviously empty. The bathroom door stood wide open. The
shower wasn’t running. There was nowhere else for Luke to hide unless he was in
a closet.

Amy set her sights on the
kitchen for a drink. The large glasses of wine the night before at the restaurant
certainly did their job. She had felt good last night and now her head hurt more
than a little. She found a glass and had a big glass of water. When she turned
she saw two things on the counter. A menu and a note. Amy opened the note.

Amy -

I had to go early this
morning. I hated to wake you and I hated to think about saying goodbye. I’m
sorry we didn’t get to enjoy each other more and I’m sorry we didn’t get to
talk more. But holding you… that’s the kind of stuff that monster ballads are
written from. Thanks for the inspiration.

The room is paid up
through noon. Get something to eat, it’s taken care of.

You have my cell number.
I hope I don’t come across the wrong way, Amy, but this can’t be over yet. I
wanted to show you a good time last night and I want to do it again.

-Luke

Amy touched the menu. She
shrugged and figured why not? Of all the stories she had heard people share
throughout the restaurant, this would definitely be one of the best amongst all
the women Amy worked with. She bumped into the lead singer of Fallen Tuesday.
He sent a black car to bring her to his concert. He ushered her backstage to
meet the band. They ate at Tommy Two’s (which would be the proof of it all).
Then he took her to his hotel for the night.

A warm feeling began to
surge through Amy. She called for room service, ordering a big, expensive
breakfast. She never lived like this and she knew the second she left the
hotel, everything would change. It would change back to reality. She would have
to get home, get changed, and get to the restaurant. She would have to deal
with lingering thoughts of Denny and more so, the overpowering urge to see
Luke.

“He’s a rockstar,” Amy
whispered.

She told herself that
over and over. Luke was a rockstar. There were no promises and no commitments
made. He had been gentleman enough to not push Amy into sleeping with him even.
Thinking about their night made Amy’s heart race. She should have slept with
him.

Amy knew she’d carry that
regret with her, but she also hoped Fallen Tuesday would eventually make their
way back to the Syracuse area.

Maybe by then she would
be done with Denny for good.

(9)

Luke looked out the
window and saw the crowd of fans standing behind the metal gate. When he was
told there would be a metal gate to keep the fans back, it first annoyed him.
It seemed a little extreme to have it. But seeing the amount of fans for an
appearance and a signing, he started to feel a little thankful for that metal
gate. Not that he didn’t trust the fans, but there was just so many of them. It
reminded him of the scene that night in the hotel parking lot. A hundred fans
turned into a thousand and that turned into what seemed like ten thousand.

With his phone in his
hand, Luke stared at the screen.

He still couldn’t believe
he was having a text messaging relationship with Amy. They spoke on the phone
at night, when she got a break at work… and when Luke wasn’t on stage with
Fallen Tuesday.

He couldn’t get Amy out
of his head. The band started to give him hell for it, but Luke didn’t care.
There was something unresolved and he intended to figure it out soon.

“Got to love this ploy,”
Mack said as he walked the narrow aisle of the bus.

“What ploy?” Luke asked.

“This shit, bringing the
bus right to the fans. They’re going crazy out there. We’re not set to leave
the bus for another twenty minutes.”

“That’s Frank,” Luke
said. “He wanted to build the buzz for all this.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like
it.”

Before Luke could say
anything, a black van pulled into the open area next to the bus. It backed up
and slowly began to turn around.

“What the hell is this?”
Luke asked.

Mack bent down and looked
out the window. “I have no idea, brother.”

Two men got out of the
van and opened the backdoor. They started to take out musical equipment.
Guitars. A bass. A small drumkit. Mic stands. Mics. Stools.

“Who’s playing?” Luke
asked.

Mack looked at him. “Who
do you think?”

“No way,” Luke said.

He grabbed his phone to
call Frank.
No way in hell…
The last two shows had been brutal for Luke.
Right now he was supposed to do an autograph session with fans. A Q&A with
fifty lucky contest winners. Then there were two more shows and the tour would
be over. He had already told Amy he planned on coming back to see her the day
after the tour ended. The band agreed to take a week off to separate and do
whatever they hell they wanted. Mack had been planning out a week long road
trip on his motorcycle. Gray had made plans with his family to get together, so
he could check on his younger brother who had gotten out of a rehab facility
less than a year ago. Luke wasn’t really sure what Jake and Trent were
planning, but they’d be happy just not to see each other every single day for a
week.

Luke touched his neck as
he dialed for Frank. He was scheduled to meet with Dr. Hornsbury soon to
discuss the options for Luke’s throat. There was so much to do on a tight
schedule…

“You rang?” Frank asked
as he stepped onto the tour bus.

Luke ended the call and
looked at their band manager in person. “What the hell is going on out there?”

“Well, I figured since
you guys like playing impromptu concerts for fans…”

“No way,” Luke said.

“We’re going out there to
play?” Mack asked. “Just like that? No warning?”

“Guys, listen to me.
Someone posted a video online of you guys playing a new song. Hell, I didn’t
even hear the song until I saw the video. Not only has the video gone viral but
the record company is in love with it. Where’s the rest of the band?”

Mack put his fingers to
his lips and whistled. It sounded like a bullhorn. “Band meeting!” he bellowed.

Gray, Jake, and Trent
appeared from the back of the bus.

“Frank was just telling
us all kinds of good news,” Mack said.

“This is good news. The
record company has been calling me every damn day, guys. They’re looking for
new music. They’re looking for dates, anything. I promised them you were going
to get into the studio straight from touring.”

Luke looked up at Mack.
They mentally decided not to protest.

“But this video changes
everything right now. The fans love the song. The record company loves the
song. They’re willing to give you some more time and more money to get an album
together. But they want you to keep playing it live. They want it to be Fallen
Tuesday’s new hit… that you won’t hear recorded until the new album comes out.”

“To build buzz,” Luke
said. “So that even if the album sucked fans would buy it for this one great
song.”

“Exactly,” Frank said.
“That’s the plan.”

“Wait a second,” Gray
said. “We’re not going to just have one great song.”

“I never said that,”
Frank said. “This is the record company finding a way to keep you guys in the
light while you record and prepare. They’re also talking about some interviews,
little shows here and there.”

“I thought we were
getting a break,” Luke said.

“Do you want to make
money?” Frank asked.

“He’s in love,” Mack said
and laughed. “He got himself tied up with a girl back in Syracuse.”

“Cut it,” Luke said. “I’m
just saying… it’s been a long road.”

“That’s just getting
started,” Frank said.

Luke turned his head. If
he didn’t get time to rest his throat, what would happen then?

“That still doesn’t
answer the question of what’s happening outside,” Mack said.

“You guys are going out
there to play your new song,” Frank said.

Luke felt like he’d been
punched in the stomach. He looked at Frank and did his best to hold back all
his emotions. If he exploded on Frank it would look suspicious and then he’d
have to give up his secret.

“You want us to play?”
Luke asked. “And you were going to tell us when?”

“This just happened,”
Frank said. “I was on my way here to tell you.”

“Just one song?” Mack
asked.

“Just one song,” Frank
said. “They want footage and audio of the new song. It’s all for the new album,
guys.”

“For the new album,” Luke
said.

Luke looked out the
window and saw the massive group of fans. They had all come for Fallen Tuesday.
They were decked out in merchandise… from hats to shirts, even wristbands. The
smallest items with the band’s name or logo on it and these fans bought it.
They were so dedicated to the band, how could Luke not want to be just as
dedicated back? He was. He just needed to rest his throat and soon.

“I didn’t plan this
behind your back,” Frank said. “I got a call this morning and we started
talking details. Twenty minutes ago the record company called me and said they
were sending equipment here for a quick song.”

“A quick song,” Luke
said.

“I don’t like it,” Mack
said. “Not because of the fans… they deserve our attention, sure. I’ll play for
every person out there, okay? But I don’t like being put on the spot. I don’t
like the assumption that our next album is going to be bad. I don’t like the
idea of being pushed around.”

“I second that,” Luke
said.

“Nobody is pushing anyone
around,” Frank said. “I’m sorry you feel that way. You’re almost done with your
first big tour. The next steps are crucial. You get the next album out at the
right time with the right songs… get back on the road within the year… and
you’ll cement yourself. Trust me.”

“Trust you,” Luke said.
“Can we?”

“Of course you can,”
Frank said. “Look at those people out there. They’re your future, guys. Trust
in that.”

Frank backed up and left
the bus. Fans cheered as he walked by. He waved, pointed to the bus, and gave a
thumbs up. That caused an even louder stir.

“He’s an ass,” Mack said.

“But he’s good at his
job,” Gray said. “I mean, look at this crowd.”

“Did they pay for the
autograph session?” Luke asked.

“No,” Mack said. “I think
it was the first thousand or something. I don’t know how it works. All proceeds
from the Q&A are going to a children's hospital.”

“Good,” Luke said. He
stood from the seat. “Let’s get ready to play.”

Luke went to the back of
the bus, his phone in one hand, his other hand touching his neck. He could do
this. He had to do this. He had to get through this one song, a couple shows,
and then it would be over. Rest would come.

Ten minutes later, Luke
stood in front of the band at the bus door. He took a deep breath and lifted
his hand to signal for the door. It opened and the second he stepped off the
bus, the crowd went crazy. The band took their spots in front of the large
crowd. Luke looked around and saw the speaker setups and actually had to hand
it to the record company for setting something up so fast.

He grabbed the mic and
smiled. “Hey!”

His voice boomed and the
crowd cheered.

“Okay, this works. We
were supposed to come out here and sign some autographs, but we decided to play
a song. Is that okay?”

The sounds of the fans
collectively cheering made Luke’s heart race. It was the same feeling he got
from Amy.

Luke looked back at Jake
and nodded.

The new song started and
Luke stared at his feet as he took breaths and collected himself. He began to
silently pray his voice wouldn’t sound like death. When it came time to sing,
he closed his eyes and let it out.

His voice came through
without a flaw.

The song actually sounded
really good. The most shocking part was when Luke saw some of the fans in the
front of the crowd singing the chorus back to him. The song wasn’t even
professionally recorded yet. The only way the fans could have heard the song
was finding the video online. And they did. And they listened. And they already
had it memorized.

During the last chorus,
Luke broke from the band and went to the front row of the crowd. He walked up
and down it three times, shaking hands, singing to anyone who made eye contact
with him. When the song came to an end, the fans cheered and Luke wanted to do
another one. Maybe ten. Hell, why not do a full set?

Luke smiled as he looked
back at the band. They were stripping themselves of their instruments. Mack
nodded to the bus. Luke nodded in agreement. They needed a drink and then they
could start their signing and Q&A.

The band waved to fans as
they got back on the bus.

“That was fun,” Trent
said.

“Something like that,”
Mack said. “I love playing for the fans, but the circumstances…”

“It’s done,” Luke said.

He pushed by everyone and
made it three steps before he froze.  A pain in his throat caught him off guard.
He swallowed as hard as he could, trying to chase the urge to cough away.

“What’s wrong?” Mack
asked.

“Nothing,” Luke said. His
voice was dry, hoarse. “I need water, man.”

Mack and Gray got by Luke
and got him a bottle of water. Luke twisted the cap off and turned to see the
entire band watching him. Mack and Gray to his left. Trent and Jake to his
right. He drank some water and then the urge to cough came back.

Luke let out a cough and
shook his head.

“What is it?” Mack asked.

“Nothing. Go. Get washed
up.”

Gray started to move but
Mack grabbed his shirt. “Stay put.”

Luke looked at Mack.
“What are you trying to prove right now?”

“What are you taking?”
Mack asked.

“What?”

“The way you’ve been
acting. You’re half out of it. Coughing. You look sick.”

“Love sick,” Gray said.

“I’m being goddamn
serious right now,” Mack bellowed.

“It’s not what you think,
man,” Luke said. “Let’s just get through this tour and we’ll talk.”

“We talk now,” Mack said.
“No bullshit.”

Luke looked left to
right. “I don’t have to say a word.”

Luke stepped to the
right. He could shoulder Trent and Jake out of the way if need be. Before he
took another step he coughed again. It hurt. Luke growled and swallowed.

“What’s going on, man?”
Mack called out.

Luke turned, ready to
tackle Mack, but he had to cough again. There was no stopping it. Luke grabbed
at the seats to his left and right and let out the cough his body demanded. It
forced Luke to close his eyes and it hurt like hell as he coughed. He licked
his lips and tasted blood.

“Shit,” he whispered.

“Shit,” Mack said.

Luke opened his eyes and
saw Mack crouched down. He put two fingers to the small spots of blood on the
floor and wiped. He stood up and showed his fingers to Luke.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“What does it look like?”
Luke asked.

“Christ, man, that’s
blood,” Gray said.

“You’re coughing up
blood?” Jake asked.

“Leave it be,” Luke said.

“Since when?” Mack asked.

Luke swallowed and wiped
his mouth. “We have to do the autograph session and Q&A. Then we’ll talk.”

Luke turned and Mack
grabbed his arm. “This is bullshit, Luke. Are you hurting yourself?”

“I’m hurting our fans right
now by standing here,” Luke said. “Let’s go. We’ll talk later.”

Luke pushed by Jake and
Trent. He walked to the bottom of the bus. The doors opened and he stepped outside
from the bus. As fans cheered, Luke kept his head down. He wasn’t trying to be disrespectful
to the Falling Tuesday fans, he was trying to hide the tears in his eyes.

**

Amy managed the kitchen
by herself, loving every second of it. She got to work early, like she had done
the past week. It was the only thing that kept her mind off Luke. Her phone
rested on a metal counter, done on purpose so the vibration would echo louder
than the ringtone. It had been such a whirlwind of emotions since leaving that
hotel room. Julie pestered Amy for every detail of the night and did not for a
second believe that Amy and Luke didn’t sleep together.