She-Rox: A Rock & Roll Novel (32 page)

“Kai, I get it.”

“No, you don’t.” He took a moment. “When I saw that cover of Exposure,” shaking his head in disbelief, he continued, “I was angry
. . . and I refused to ask myself why. It meant I’d have to do all that soul searching I find rather, um, unobjective,” he sided. “But, I’m also tired of the fighting in my head.” There were no street lights and he felt at ease talking out loud to the black velvet background of night. Turning to face her, he declared, “I don’t know how this happened, but I think I’m . . .” he stammered, “don’t you think we’re both falling-”

Hearing the conflicted words of emotion, Eddie uttered, “If you can’t say it—”

“Well, what else do you think is going on here? We’ve both been testy and touchy. I’ve had this horrible nagging in the pit of my stomach since that damn cover and I can’t get the voices out my head.” Kai watched as she continued on the path. “
Eddie-”

“
What,”
she cried, stopping in her tracks.

“See, testy.”

“I can’t do this, Kai . . . I’m a stressed out seventeen-year-old,” she groaned.

“I know, it’s confusing,
but if I don’t say something-”

“You didn’t.”

Stepping closer, he conceded, “I know. I like things concrete, unemotional.”

“That’s a dull world, Kai. All this pulp I got flowing through my veins is attached to every lyric I ever penned, every note I ever composed and every temper that flared to make its presence known. Beethoven didn’t call it “The Appasionata” for nothing.”

Kai nodded. “I lock it away. And now, I leave tomorrow and its Christmas all over again. I turn into a machine and study like a zombie.” Sighing and dragging his hand threw his hair, he realized, “T.J. was right. I came down here thinking we’d hang out, have some fun and I’d go back with a tan.” He exhaled, “Like I said, I’ve been blind.” Putting his hands on her face, he tilted her chin up and spied two liquid pools in her eyes.

Embarrassed by her abrupt vexation, she whimpered, “I thought we were going to wait till you finished school and I—”

“Yes, we are,” he promised, drawing her in. Doing so, he could feel her shaking. “But I’ve got to be a realist, here.” Letting his fingers glide up her neck, his lips very close to hers, he implored, “I think I’ve been falling in love with you since you were twelve and coming over to the house to see T. J.,” he chuckled.

“That phone call, when you told me I was ‘prancing,’” Eddie revealed, wiping away an escaped tear. “It killed me – crushed me like a juice box . . . strictio infinitus de mortis.”

“A charm can’t keep us together.”

“It never did.”

With his arms around her and their bodies melding, Kai made a promise, “I don’t care how many countries you tour. I don’t care how many famous people you meet – they’ll never know you, Esther Evangelina, the way I do. Nobody will ever match what we have, right here—right now. Te Amo-”

Renaissance Hotel, July 4, 2009, 9:50 a.m.,

Lanni Fauste’s residence at 1409 Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills, in just over two hours, was due to have the majority of L.A.’s music moguls occupying his insanely over-the- top crib. T.J. had taken the Escalade to pick Eddie up and get her “Oscar ready” for the all-important brunch. It was also part of the deal she made with Kai.

While shopping the day before, T.J. had found the perfect “goddess” dress. The word she used to describe the gossamer sea green fabric was “diaphanous.” It was also two hundred dollars more than Eddie had to spend, but with Kai’s credit card in T.J.’s wallet, he agreed to make up the deficiency.

The two walked into the hotel room that morning, and Eddie threw herself in Kai’s arms. With only his jeans on, she was able to kiss him and feel the skin of his warm chest with her bare hands, lightly raking her nails on the dark line that went down his flat stomach, stopping at his navel.

As she explored the territory with her fingertips, T.J., mouthy as ever remarked, “Well, I’d tell you guys to get a room, but you already have one.”

“We’re just saying ‘good morning.’ Relax,” ordered Kai. He walked to the phone, and asked, “Hey, what do you guys want for breakfast?”

“Blueberry pancakes, orange juice and bacon.” T.J. knew exactly what she wanted.

“Um, I’m not really hungry right now,” Eddie shrugged, feeling anxious about meeting the man who would eventually decide her life’s future.

Laying things out on the bathroom counter, T.J. asked, “Are you excited?”

“Fidgety,” Eddie admitted, wringing her hands. “I have to impress some megalomaniac I’ve never met before and convince him that I’m the hottest thing since moving pictures.”

T.J. ordered, “Sit down so I can start on your hair.”

Breakfast came and Kai set a plate of blueberry pancakes and eggs in Eddie’s lap, directing, “Eat this.”

She did, savoring the tartness of the blueberries. It was a taste she had almost forgotten.

Eddie surveyed T.J.’s handiwork, and said “Hmm, you went a little too Cleopatra with the black eyeliner.”

“It looks better that way.”

“Where’s this dress?” Eddie asked.

T.J. brought it into the bathroom as Eddie kicked off her jeans and t-shirt, letting them rest on the bathroom floor. Putting her arms over her head, she slipped the fabric over. The top was a halter and it tied with silk cords around the neck, being fitted at the bust with a deep “v” neck. The rest of the fabric fell to the floor. The creation fit Eddie’s thin frame beautifully.

Sitting back down in the chair to don the gladiator sandals, Eddie wrapped the ankle ties up as she summoned the courage necessary to bravely emerge from the bathroom.

Clearing her throat, she said, “I’m ready to go.”

T.J. came out with a pair of long gold earrings, and, handing them over said, “Put these on.”

Taking the earrings, Eddie walked over to the mirror above the dresser. Kai caught the glint of the fabric out of the corner of his eye and turning away from his laptop, saw her bare back and said, “If this jerk off doesn’t sign you, he’s an idiot.” Kai went to the bathroom and began rummaging through T.J.’s stuff.

“What are you looking for,” she asked, sticking her head in the bathroom.

“Her tags.”

“They don’t go with the outfit.”

“I don’t care,” Kai continued ransacking her things.

“Eddie, where are your tags?” T.J. asked, raising her voice.

“In this bag,” she answered, holding up a small handbag.

Exiting the bathroom, Kai said, “You took ‘em off?” He grabbed a t-shirt off the bed and put it on.

“T.J. said they spoiled the outfit,” she defended.

“They do,” T.J. snapped. “You want to brand her ass as well? It’s not like she’s your indentured slave.”

“Yeah, she is,” he snapped, taking the purse out of Eddie’s hand and opening it. Pulling out the tags, he put them over her head, and staking his claim, said, “This one is mine
.”
Handing her back the little bag, and seeing the tags in place, he said, “Now, we’re ready to go.”

At the driveway, Kai told the valet, “I’m just dropping somebody off.” The valet gave a slight bow and walked away, Kai looked at his goddess and said, “Tell me again why you have to go to this thing?”

“You know why,” she answered. “Like it or not, that’s how business is done in this town.”

Kai got out and opened the car door. Eddie slid off the leather seat and set foot on the driveway as Kai caught her waist, holding her. He slowly ran his index finger down the front of her dress, feeling the silken fabric.

“Hey, stop that . . . it tickles,” Eddie laughed.

“I’ll see you at three o’clock,
slave.
Play nice with the others.”

“Thanks for the dress-”

As Kai drove away, he asked himself,
Play nice with the others? That’s it, dummy
—
get her all worked up before she leaves for some big industry party.

The sheer size of Lanni’s home in Beverly Hills made Slade’s resemble something closer to a condo. The sprawling green lawns and meticulously manicured landscaping was a perfect backdrop for the multimillion-dollar Mediterranean-styled villa. As Eddie walked through the front courtyard, she saw the water fountain busy and bubbling, inviting all the guests inside to hob-nob and admire the estate.

As she stepped inside, Eddie smiled at the beautiful strangers and continued to walk through the monster entrance. It was packed. She searched the unfamiliar room for her band or anybody she might know.

The room was big and open, resembling the courtyard outside with high ceilings and wide, arched portico walls. The tall ficus trees that dotted the area with its ceramic tile flooring reminded her of Italy. The upper floor was exposed with a swirling wrought iron balcony that went along all four walls making a huge square, and she could see the doors to the upper rooms, which all faced the inner courtyard. Set off to one side, was a big black grand piano and what she guessed was a fellow starving musician, softly accompanying to himself as he crooned an unobtrusive version of Chicago’s hit “Hard Habit To Break.”

Eddie let her gaze wander up to the high ceilings. A waiter holding a tray of champagne noticed she was empty handed and stopping at her feet, asked, “Care for any champagne, miss?”

She looked at the bubbling gold liquid and answered, “No, thank you.”

As he stepped away out of her view, she continued to survey the room for any sign of G-Force or Raven and walking slowly, she figured they hadn’t arrived yet. She flipped the gold handbag open, pulled out her cell phone and dialed Raven’s number.

“Hey, Eddie, are you here?” she greeted.

“Where are you guys?”

“We’re here, at the brunch.”

“So am I, but I don’t see you anywhere. This place is huge.”

“Where are you right now?”

“I believe I’m in the courtyard.”

“We’re outside in the back where all the food is.”

Eddie flipped her phone shut and began the task of finding her way to the outside. As she traveled from one spacious area to the next, she smiled at all the people, excusing herself as she took in all the objects d’art, the exorbitant furnishings and basically a lush lifestyle that she had once been privileged to be part of. Being here, at this sprawling estate, she felt homesick again, not that her parents lived in a house quite this size, but seeing the splendor and security of it all brought back memories that she had tried very hard not to dwell on.