The Road to L.A. (27 page)

              “Dear, you really don’t belong back here,” he told her.  “Why don’t you wait outside with the rest of the fans or go enjoy yourself on the beach or something.  Jake’s going to be a bit busy, and you’ll just be in the way.” 

She couldn’t have felt more insulted.  She ultimately decided she would rather be at the beach than be stuck in the midst of this chaotic environment anyway. 

She made her way around to the front of the stage and slipped past the barricades.  She immediately took notice of the beach and felt a thrill of excitement as she beheld the picturesque portrait in front of her.  As soon as she found herself on the grainy blanket of warm sand, she removed her shoes and dug her feet into the softness of it.  She bent down and scooped a large heap of the sand into her hands and allowed it to slowly sift between her fingers. 

              “So soft and warm,” she whispered to herself.

She looked around and noticed that the beach was swarming with young people, all waiting for the concert to begin.  She seated herself on the sand and stared out at the majestic scene created by Mother Nature and, even amidst the noise of the crowds, she could hear the foreign sounds of the ocean.  She closed her eyes and drifted into a state of serenity.  This pure bliss lasted no more than ten minutes, at which time she heard the echoing sounds of a voice projecting out onto the beach.  A second voice followed suit, sounding strangely familiar.  She abandoned her seat on the sand and peered at the stage.  She saw a young man in colorful Bermuda shorts and a pretty woman in a white mini skirt and pink tube top utilizing their microphones to welcome the crowd.  Carly immediately recognized the young man.  He was a well-known MTV “Vijay.”  She also recognized the woman.  She had seen her many times on MTV interviewing famous musicians and actors.  Her voice was filled with its usual dramatic excitability, and it seemed to be having the intended effect, for hordes of fans flocked to the stage.  Carly was soon left to enjoy the beach in near isolation.  She didn’t mind.  In fact, she rather enjoyed being on the beach by herself.  She sat back down on the sand and drew in her breath to experience the crisp air.  She relished the sight of the clear, foam-tipped water lapping rhythmically and gently onto the beach.  She looked out into the distance and wondered how far the endless blue stretched and what mysteries lay hidden beneath its vast surface.  Behind her, the music started and interrupted her peaceful musings.  She sighed and lay flat on her back, deciding she would remain like this until it was Jake’s turn to perform.  Right now she was enjoying the seclusion and taking advantage of what she definitely would not have the chance to experience back in Ohio.  It wasn’t long, however, before her eyes popped open to the sound of StoneLief’s name being announced on the microphone.  She heard the surging cheer of the crowd, then the introductory notes of a popular song from
The Road to L.A.
album.  She hesitantly lifted herself off the sand and trudged up the embankment toward the stage, all the while feeling remorse at having to leave the beach so soon.  She grudgingly fought her way through the crowd of spectators packed together like sardines and finally found a satisfactory spot to stand to watch the performance.  The rock music blared loudly and melodically, and she saw Jake standing at the fore.  He sang the popular lyrics into the microphone while skillfully playing the notes on his guitar.  At the end of the song, the crowd cheered wildly.  StoneLief played two more songs from its album, then disappeared backstage.  She attempted to make her way backstage as well, but was halted by one of the uniformed guards.  He looked at her sternly, shaking his head.

              “No one is allowed back here,” he declared firmly.

              “But my friend is back there,” she said, pleading with him.

He remained relentless and continued to shake his head.

              “You know how many people tell me they have a friend waiting for them backstage?”

Carly sighed frustratingly, then retorted sarcastically, “No, how many?”

He narrowed his eyes at her in response, to which she placed her hands firmly on her hips and reciprocated the displeased expression. 

She had finally given up and decided to avail herself of more beach-time when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.  She saw Jake approaching with an entourage of people following close behind him. 

              “What are you doing over there?” he asked.  “Come over here.”

The security guard’s face turned red and he looked at her apologetically.  She glared at him with an I-told-you-so expression that bore into him.  He stepped aside to allow her entry, and Jake immediately grabbed her hand to lead her to the awaiting limousine.  She gritted her teeth as her eyes fell upon several members of StoneLief’s entourage, most of whom were dressed in tight little miniskirts and a wide assortment of colorful bikini tops.  Aidan and Mac each had their arms around two scantily clad beauties.  She noticed that one of the girls standing next to Mac was eyeing Jake as if he was some sort of rare treasure.  The raw desire in the blonde bombshell’s eyes bespoke freely of her strong interest in the lead guitarist.  A group of photographers snapped pictures of the group, the bright flashes almost blinding her.  Mr. Burleson finally held up his hand and announced that StoneLief was ready to go.  Before she knew it, she was being ushered into the car.  She opted to sit next to Jake, but the blonde bombshell had the same idea and stole Carly’s spot.  The blonde glared at Carly, a supercilious grin marking her pretty face.  Carly quickly looked away, not wanting to reveal to the malevolent blonde her perturbation.  Much to Carly’s delight, though, Jake seemed totally oblivious to the girl’s ensuing attention, and he remained heavily engrossed in conversation with Mac and Danny. 

Thirty minutes later, the limousine came to a halt and the driver opened the door.  Carly was the last person to climb out. And before she had a chance to take in her alien surroundings, a sense of chaos shook her to the core.  Loud screams and shouts emanated from a frenzied crowd held at bay by large bouncers and blue velvet ropes on either side of the nightclub's entrance.  From what she could recall from gossip pages in entertainment magazines and online celebrity websites, the “Blue Tiger” nightclub was extremely exclusive and catered to a lot of celebrities.  She could barely believe she was standing there now, looking up at the blue neon tiger affixed above the entrance.  She could hear voices shouting the names of StoneLief’s band members, and she could hear other voices begging the bouncers for entrance into the club.  Several quick flashes of bright light flickered from behind either side of the velvet ropes, and she guessed that star-struck fans were taking advantage of StoneLief’s in-person appearance by memorializing it on film.  Everything felt so surreal to her, and she barely remembered being pulled inside the dark interior of the nightclub, let alone by whom.  Her eyes beheld the swarm of beautiful people hovering around the bar and occupying the dark blue leather booths set inside deeply carved niches within the darkly-painted, looming walls.  A glittering, dark blue sphere swirling high above the dance floor cast an obscure, trance-like glow on the dancers as they swayed to the infectious dance tunes resonating from the DJ booth. Two male members of StoneLief’s entourage pulled her along until they reached an area of the nightclub that had been partitioned off with a dark blue velvet rope.  A burly bouncer removed the rope, allowing the large group to enter their private, secluded quarters.  Five beautiful women were already inside the VIP section, and they hurried over to greet the members of the band.  Carly rolled her eyes when she saw the bouncer granting three more highly attractive women access to the private party.  Looking for Jake, she spotted him at the bar and moved to join him.  But she halted brusquely when she saw one of the beautiful girls separate from her friends at the pool table to join the lead guitarist at the bar.  Carly swallowed hard and decided to find Danny instead, figuring his raw sense of humor would carry her through the night.  Much to her dismay, though, she found Danny sprawled on the leather sofa with a busty blonde who looked like she had just stepped off the cover of
Playboy
.  The woman was on Danny’s lap and was ardently kissing his neck.  Carly averted her gaze in Jake's direction and found that two more girls had joined him.  Encircled by three unbelievably beautiful admirers, Carly suddenly felt invisible and decided to go off on her own.  No one noticed as she slipped past the social clusters that had formed all around her.  Several of the nightclub patrons eyed her as she emerged from the VIP section, and they continued their prying stares as she strode along the crowded path around the dance floor, taking in the vivacious sights all around her.  A cloud of light mist shrouded the dancers’ feet, and the strobe lights flashed sporadically to create a surrealistic illusion on the dance floor.  She finally tired of strolling and sat at an empty table. Curiosity beckoned her to turn around to see where Jake was, and she immediately regretted doing so.  He was still at the bar, and his hands were encircling the waist of one of the three women.  Carly noticed how intimately close he was to her as he whispered into her ear.  She giggled vivaciously in response to whatever those words had been.  A bothered sigh escaped her downturned lips.

              “A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be sitting here all alone, pouting.  It looks like you could really use a drink right now.”

Carly turned to the source of the unfamiliar voice and came face to face with a curly-haired, young man.  His tanned skin contrasted nicely with his black hair, and his smile was absolutely hypnotizing.  She took note of his ultra-trendy clothes which looked as if they belonged on a rack in some store on Rodeo Drive.  He had on a large gold ring on his right finger and a gold Rolex on his left wrist.  She couldn't help but admire how well he was put together.  He placed two drinks filled with a caramel-colored liquid on the table and asked, "You mind if I sit down?”

Carly shook her head.  She welcomed this distraction.  

              “I just can’t figure out how such a beautiful girl like you could be at one of L.A.’s trendiest clubs with no man by her side.  I guess that means I’m just a lucky guy,” he said, still gracing her with that beguiling smile.  Carly couldn’t help but to smile back at him.  His attention and flattery was definitely welcomed, and he did it with such envied charm.  She could have sworn she’d melt like butter in the presence of his arresting gaze. 

              “Are you here with anyone?” he asked her, an expectant look in his dark eyes.  Carly looked at him bashfully and shook her head. Words suddenly seemed to fail her.  This man was definitely good-looking and exceptionally charming.  He held out his hand to her and she took it.  His handshake seemed more of a gentle caress. 

              “I’m Nick,” he introduced himself.  “What can I call you, besides beautiful.”

Carly was beaming, and she giggled nervously at his flattery.  She relished the attention she was receiving from him.

In a timid voice, she revealed to him her name.

              “Well,” Nick began, “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Carly.  You come here often?”

He discreetly slid the drink to her and she picked it up hesitantly.  She eyed the brown liquid and then took a small sip.  The alcohol seemed to sting the inside of her mouth, and she could feel it sliding down her throat.  “This is actually my first time here.  I’m not from around here.”

Nick straightened up in his seat and asked earnestly, “Really?  Where are you from?”

              “Ohio.”

              “Where in Ohio?  Cleveland?” he pried.

Carly shook her head and answered, “Clanton.  It’s a small town about an hour away from Columbus.  Nothing special.”

              “Ah,” Nick said, grinning, “a small town girl, eh?”

She nodded.  He scooted his chair closer to hers as if desirous of intimately studying this new topic of sincere interest.  He leaned in close to her until his breath warmed her cheek.  “I find small-town girls very sexy.”

She bit her lip to keep from giggling again.  He grabbed his drink and took a long sip before placing it back down on the table to continue his query.

              “So, how do you like L.A., small-town girl?”

Carly shrugged and answered, “It’s cool.  It’s definitely not Clanton.”

              “Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?” he asked playfully. 

              “At this point, I really don’t know,” she sighed wistfully, reminiscing about all of the disappointments she had experienced ever since coming to L.A.

              “Well, then let me cheer you up, small-town girl.”  Nick slid both drinks away and said with a sparkle in his eyes, “Let’s dance.”

Her eyes lit up, and she eagerly accepted his offer.  She loved to dance and the music had suddenly become inviting, beckoning her to join the other dancers on the floor.  Nick clasped her hand in his and led her through the crowds until they had found an empty spot for just the two of them.  She felt absolutely giddy.  For the moment, all thoughts of Jake slipped her mind.  Nick’s eyes were pinned on her as she moved to the music.  She felt a strong feminine power over him as she swayed her hips seductively to the rhythm of the music.  Nick placed both of his hands on her waist and slowly pulled her closer to him.  His eyes faithfully followed her body’s every move, from a slight sway to the right, to an alluring sway to the left.  She could have sworn he remained oblivious to everything else around them as she held his full attention.  She knew that nothing could have deflected his focus away from her as the primal energy between them burgeoned.  She decided she wanted to exploit and manipulate his raw hunger, so she intensified her gyrations, making them evermore seductive.  She knew the sexual energy fostered by her suggestive movements was dangerous, but she didn’t care.  It felt liberating and exhilarating to know that her seduction was driving Nick into a lustful frenzy.  Nick’s sexual desire was all-too apparent as his eyes smoldered and his pants bulged.  Carly was lost in another world completely, unaware and completely oblivious to Jake's hurtful actions.  He was still in the midst of conversation with the lovely brunette.  The other two women had moved on when they realized Jake was uninterested in them.  He was entranced by the breathtaking beauty of this brunette who professed to be a model.  Jake wouldn't have thought otherwise, for she was quite tall and definitely had the measurements to qualify.  His eyes roved her body, and he watched as she swayed her hips to the music.  She placed her arms around Jake's neck and brought herself closer to him.