Bush League: New Adult Sports Romance (18 page)

Finn

It all happened so fast. One moment we were playing clubs for a dozen people at a time and then suddenly, every label in the country is trying to sign us. It was all so much too fast, we weren't ready. Just the thought of my Pops back home struggling to pay the bills and I was able to convince the rest of SharkFin to maybe start entertaining some offers.

My voice and guitar were the breadwinner and the rest of the band knew it. They let me lead the meetings and said nothing as label rep after label rep fell over themselves for my attention. My head tried to keep the best interests of the band at heart but at the end of the day, I paid way more attention to the label guys who praised me the most, the ones who promised the most money. 

The day we signed that contract with Chain Daisy Records (a subsidiary of UWY Corp), me and the boys bought dirt bikes and tore through the desert like we were kings of the world. The following days of celebration helped me to try and forget the pain I was doing my best to bury. The girl, the one who I couldn't stop thinking about, was off in the tiny clubs of New York City and the band had been promised to never have to play those low-level clubs again.

“Let's go get some girls!” Razor decided after we had all managed to each damage our bikes in one way or another. He was my bass player and my best friend, taking the lead when I hadn't helped progress our night of debauchery further. Sully, the drummer, agreed with Raz (of course) and I could only pretend to be as enthusiastic. Truth was, I hadn't been with anyone since those couple of days with that girl Allie but if we were going to be famous rock stars, maybe it was time to start acting like it.

“We need to go get you some strange to help get you out of whatever funk you're in,” Razor clapped my back as we walked into the bar. Our choice of venue for our celebration was a bit poor; the biker bar was filled with the old and haggard, the tired and tough. To be fair though, it was 2pm on a Wednesday. At the same time, these might very well be the only women alive who can handle all that I had to offer. Thankfully, I was soon saved from having to prove that point.

“Gentlemen, enjoy yourselves. It's on me.”

Ron, the slimy A&R guy from our label always managed to show up when we least expected him and every time we saw him, he had some knockout attached to his hip. This afternoon was no different, a busty and beautiful pink-haired chick trailed close behind him, her eyes eager to meet the hottest band in the world.

“Finn!” Ron pointed his drink at me while stepping back to let the gorgeous lass come forward. “A gift! For you!”

My outlook on life suddenly shifted and I was now very eager to let this girl help me work through my distress.

“Won't you come have a seat then Miss?” My legs opened and I gestured to the bulge in my pants, offering Miss Pink Hair the best seat in the house. I watched as her eyes lingered on my crotch before her face hardened, as if she was angry.

“No, no, no,” Ron stepped in to diffuse the tension, “not like that you idiot. This is Vida Marta aka the best songwriter in the world. Name a song, any hit song and there's a good chance she wrote it.”

Since we had started gaining traction, nobody had said anything even remotely negative to me. I felt like Ron had just played me for a fool so my mood had soured.

“Did she write “Echochamber?” I asked while staring her down. When I didn't receive an answer to my question, I stepped in to help them out. “She didn't. I wrote it. I write all our songs. If you want, we can find you something else to work on...” My hips thrust in her direction as the silent songwriter took a step back from the booth.

Though he hadn't spelled it out, I could tell what he had brought this chick here for. Ron clearly felt his skill was in being a mover and a shaker, a deal maker. His act was transparent but it didn't stop him from attempting it whenever he needed to.  Trying to disarm me with charm, he slithered into the leather booth, the sound of his leather jacket rubbing against the seat made an uncomfortable screech. His arm extended over the top so that in draped over my six foot frame, pulling me in close as though we were co-conspirators.

“Finn, listen. You know if it were up to me I'd let you guys keep on doing what you have been doing.” The mixture of the scent of whiskey on his breath and his aftershave was making me want to puke. “But the bigwigs, my bosses, they just want to give you a little push to help get you over the hump. One push to get you to where you're supposed to be, realize your full potential. You give her a try, it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. No harm, no foul.”

Though I was firmly against anyone trying to butt in and take over my songwriting duties, I looked over at Razor and Sully and they seemed open to it. I thought of my Dad back at home and how much I could help him if we had a couple of Grammys under our belts. Ron stood up and joined the hot songwriter at her side, certain I would make the decision he wanted.

“Alright,” I told Ms. Marta, “but if we're gonna write some intimate songs together, maybe we should go somewhere private for a little research?”

Ron spun in his heels and as if he forgot to tell me something important.

“One more thing,” he said while continuing to gesture wildly with his drink, the ice clinking the glass almost as loudly as his words, “The label, well you know label guys...” The way he continued to distance himself from his employer and profession was incredibly worrisome. “They got this idea and you know what, I really think it could work...”

Vida had gone through displaying a whole cycle of emotions with her face. This time worry was painted loudly causing me even more concern. “They want us to push out some stories about you two. Think if we paint the both of you as a couple, it'll help sell some records. Now, before you say anything, I've seen it work before. If it's not working, we break you up, no harm, no foul.”

I was just about done with Ron. Instead I turned to Vida who had still yet to say anything. “And you're ok with this?” I asked her earnestly and she responded in kind, rubbing her thumb and forefingers together.

“It's damn good money when you get a hit,” she said with a great deal of certainty.

Razor and Sully looked even more excited than before, the possibilities suddenly becoming greater than we had initially believed. And while any man would be proud to have this pink-haired, buxom goddess as their girlfriend, I couldn't help but wish that Allison from New York wrote songs instead.

*****

Allie

I was allowed a few moments of peace in my office, a few moments away from that damned song, a few moments without having him crammed down my throat. Even in this solitude though, I couldn't help but think about him.

”You're so tiny, I can pick you up with just one arm.”

He made me squeal with delight when he proved his point, lifting my naked body up high as I scrambled to cover myself with a sheet, trying to maintain at least a bit of modesty. 

“Oh Finn,” I moaned as our faces met and he cradled me in his powerful arm, “I wish this didn't have to end.”

The words flowed out of me without thought. They were true but a bit more revealing than I had normally let myself show. But this was a weekend of a few firsts.

“Then let's not end it. Let's stay in here forever. Together.”

He indulged in my fantasy but even I couldn't pretend that it wasn't reality. 

“You have to go off and become a big rock star, show the world how bad ass you are.”

Finn clearly didn't need help pumping up his ego but I did it anyway. He flashed a devious smirk before letting me know, “It's not over.”

Only a few weeks after I had professed my love for Finn, pictures of him and this Vida chick were all over the internet. Maybe I was naive and foolish to have believed him but it still felt like I had been stabbed in the gut. It appeared that once he got swarmed with attention, he was quick to forgot all about the smitten girl in New York. Finn traded up for some flashy rocker chick, just like that. The hurt turned to anger quickly and I felt intense hatred for someone for the first time in my life. I hoped that his major label debut would fail and he'd fade into obscurity like so many hyped up rock bands before him. Until then, I'd have to  get used to hearing about him every five damned seconds.

“Allison, I mean Ms. Green?”

Dakota stood head and shoulders above the other interns with her hard work and dedication but her future looked grim if she couldn't remember to KNOCK ON THE FUCKING DOOR before entering someone's office. Even though my laptop was facing away from her, I slammed it closed assuredly making myself look as though I had been up to something suspicious.

“Dakota, how many times have I asked you to knock?”

The peppy intern pursed her lips for a moment, not apologizing, not even acknowledging her continued mistake. I started to feel a dislike for her growing inside of me.

“Ms. Marlow has asked for you, it's very important.”

“Tell Mikki I'll be there in a ...”

“She said it's very impor-”

“Dakota, I know!”

My outburst prompted the intern to exit hastily, leaving my door wide open. Just as I attempted to collect myself to see what was so important, I felt my phone buzzing again. One quick look and I saw it was Mom calling. I had been ditching her calls for a few days, needing to find peace before I spoke with her. This call would be declined as well, apparently something important was going on in the office and whatever it was that my mother needed was going to have to wait.

“Allison, have a seat,” Mikki instructed as the interns remained in their seats, all looking at me with wide, serious eyes. Was I being fired? I lowered myself into an open seat and took note of the sympathetic eyes watching my every move, trying to remember who I would keep in contact with after I was sent out the door.

“Seems Mr. Finn Aikens' father is getting married in a week...”

I swear if this Finn talk didn't end soon...

“Ok, I still don't know anyone that can get us close to him. He's the hottest artist out right now, the label is handpicking interviews for him. I'm not sure I can get close.”

“Finn's father is marrying a woman somewhere upstate New York, isn't that where you're from?”

“Yeah but upstate is huge, tons of people live there...”

“He's marrying a Marybeth Green...any relation?”

That was my mother's name but also not the most exotic. It would be a strange coincidence if...

Holy shit.

Mikki pecked the keys on her laptop until the site she had been looking at was projected on the screen above the faux fireplace. I could've sworn my eyes were playing tricks on me but right there on TMZ, I saw my mother and some man walking hand and hand out of a restaurant.

ROCKER'S DAD TO WED
was the headline that made my head swirl. My eyes scrolled through the article as I mouthed the words out loud, catching up to what everyone in the office already knew. It was so hard to digest, I would've easily believed that this was some sort of elaborate prank.

“It looks like we now have the 'in' that we need,” Mikki announced. “Who better to interview the hottest rock star in the world than his very own stepsister?”

Every set of eyes in the office were on me and while I was happy to still have a job, I wasn't sure I would be able to handle it.

*****

Finn

With all of the exciting updates to my life, I guess I forgot to keep track of everyone else. Dad had been calling but so had a number of other people. At first I thought he was calling to bitch about his new-found celebrity, which he most certainly didn't want. “It's just a side effect of being the parent to the biggest rock star in the world, you should be happy,” I assured him the first time he complained, “Trust me though, there will be perks.” 

Little did I know that one of the perks was him getting out there a little more, meeting new people. Dad had isolated himself since Mom died and I always assumed he was happy that way, on his own.

“Getting married. Will you come?” he texted me one day out of the clear blue sky.

“Finn you'll love her,” Dad told me once we finally spoke on the phone. Turns out when he moved himself to upstate New York, his social circle opened up and he met “the most beautiful woman in the whole state, probably even the whole country.” Sure I was happy for him but I had an album to start writing, my major label debut. Being such a highly anticipated album, I'd need to promote it, tour again, all that stuff that required 24/7 care. I didn't really have time to travel to New York for a wedding. At the same time, throughout my whole life, he'd always dropped everything for me.

“I don't know how but I'll find out a way to be there,” I assured him.

Ron and the label took it a lot better than I thought they would. Running off to an isolated farmhouse might just be the creative kick I'd need, they reasoned, might be what I need to get the juices flowing.

“You gonna miss me Vida?” I asked once receiving the permission I had been after. She was confused.

“Why would you think your co-writer slash girlfriend wouldn't be coming with you?”

When I rose from my chair, Vida turned her back to me figuring our conversation was over. I pressed my body firmly against her backside, letting her feel the swelling I had down below, my hands wrapped around her wrists and I placed my face near the exposed flesh on her neck, under her ear.

“I get it. You want to get me alone, away from all these prying eyes so you can finally have your way with me.”

She twisted slightly but I could tell she was turned on.

“Ahem...”

Ron from the label always managed to show up when nobody wanted him around. Regretfully I released my hold on Vida, certain we would continue this shortly.

“You know, we're really pushing the fact that you two are a couple, it's why all of these publications want to write about the band.” Once Ron caught the look I shot his way, he went into damage mode. “Well, not the only reason but it's a big one. The world has been sold on you two as a couple so co-writing songs over Skype isn't going to work. Vida is expected to be there at your father's wedding.”

“Then how about we consummate the relationship properly?” I asked Vida directly while grabbing a handful of my bulging crotch. This made the pink-haired songstress' face match her hair before she stormed out of the room. Ron didn't feel the need to do the same.

“You know, not that you asked my advice,” he started in what I already knew would be a long winded speech, “maybe the way to get that,” he pointed to the door Vida had walked through, “is to be a little gentle. Slow it down a little, act like you actually have a heart, like you're capable of love.”

The label lackey had no idea what he was talking about. Maybe my heart didn't beat that way for Vida but that didn't mean I wasn't capable. Who knew if I'd ever feel it again, if I'd ever want to go through that again. The one my heart longed for was out of reach and I saw no use pretending I could ever feel that way for another.

*****