Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Saturday, July 3rd 2010, 7:50pm
“Damn traffic!” Leeann smacked her hand against the steering wheel with frustration. “If we don’t start moving, I’m going to miss Stewie’s big night!”
Doug Stewart was Leeann’s boyfriend. Affectionately known as ‘Stewie’, he’d been the lead singer of punk trio The Hornets for three years. He and his fellow bandmates had just got noticed when the opportunity arose for them to play at the House of Blues in West Hollywood.
“It’s not just their night,” I pointed out in a bored monotone. “What is it you said? Some charity thing?”
“It is a charity concert in aid of UNICEF,”
Terri added from the back seat, reminding us she was still awake.
“But The Hornets aren’t the only ones playing,” I said.
Leeann shook her head as she kept her eyes on the road. “There are some names on the tickets, but I can’t remember. Weird sounding.”
“I’m going to refrain from judgement until the end of the concert.” I said with an enormous sigh. “At least until I’ve heard Mr. Invisible and his band of nobodies.”
“Are you okay about tonight?” Terri asked with concern. I shrugged halfheartedly. “Is it Steve?”
“I’m sorry, guys; I don’t want to be a downer.” Terri frowned at me in her motherly way. “Lee, I know you said there was talk of going onto Insomnia after the concert, can I get back to you on that?”
My mood had been fairly low since April. Three months of dealing with heartbreak and humiliation.
“Getting home might be a problem, because I’ve got Stewie’s credit card and we are going to get drunk!”
She and Terri thrust their arms into the air a few times. My two bossy best friends had an incredible knack for shaking my frosty mood away.
Traffic refused to budge. “Oh my god, this is crazy! Please, traffic, will you move? I promised Stewie I’d see his set.” As the cars slowly moved, it seemed Leeann would actually get her wish.
After parking, queuing to get in and then waiting an eternity to get served at the bar, we took our glasses of Sauvignon Blanc and found a table upstairs on the balcony. We had a perfect view of The Hornets as they took to the stage below us. They liked to play loudly; it was impossible to hold a conversation.
As The Hornets set ended, we had a few seconds’ respite as they vacated the stage. “Before I forget, here are your backstage passes. Because we all know after a bit of vino Leelee gets forgetful,” she dished out the laminated VIP passes as if they were playing cards.
I was enjoying the cozy ambiance in the House of Blues with my best friends and favorite wine.
“I think I will come to the club later. But please, do not set me up with any men. If I even look at a man tonight, take me straight home. No good will come of it.”
“Deal!” Terri and I clinked glasses, and I looked at the backstage pass for the first time.
My chest lurched when I saw a familiar name among the acts performing.
Brooklyn Garrett.
No way, it couldn’t be.
Suddenly the audience erupted into thunderous screams as the next act made an appearance.
“Good evening, Los Angeles! This song is called Lucky.” A thrashing guitar rift resonated through the room. Lights were pulsing, people were cheering, and I looked down at the stage to see what all the fuss was about.
Brook–in the flesh.
My mouth dried up.
It had been nearly six years. Six years since I broke his heart, and my own.
I was under his spell. His stage persona was so confident; he set the whole place alive with his rich, melodic vocals and skilled playing.
He looked gorgeous. Comfortable in performing, focused on his music. Knowledgeable, the entire crowd loved him; he emitted confidence and appreciation.
Not at all nervous, he would smile down and connect with the audience. I buzzed with pride seeing how far he had come.
What I would have given for him to look up and see me on the balcony. He seemed to look at everyone else except me. Memories spilled out of a small part of my brain. He’d never left me except physically; suddenly I felt complete.
After two hours and a fair amount of wine, the concert eventually ended.
“Come on!” I exclaimed impatiently as my friends were taking forever to get their stuff together. “I need to get backstage.”
Terri downed the rest of her wine and giggled, “why? Have you got your autograph book?” I smiled sedately, unwilling to reveal my true intentions. There was not enough time in the world to explain about Brook and I.
As soon as we flashed our passes to the burly security guard, Leeann spotted Stewie and his two bandmates.
“You were great up there!” She skipped to him, and they folded into a solid embrace. Terri and I joined them; however, I was more interested in keeping an eye out for Brook.
Aaron, who was The Hornets bassist, noticed me immediately. “Hey Emma. I didn’t think you were coming tonight.”
“I changed my mind. But don’t get your hopes up; it was nothing to do with you.”
He’d made it abundantly clear in the past that he had a crush on me, but after I rejected his advances, the banter between us had become strained. He was short, hairy, and his clothes smelt of musty cheese.
“Think of all the perks that would come with dating a famous musician.”
“That sounds tempting. Do you know any famous musicians, Aaron?” Leeann, Terri, and the band all laughed, but Aaron glared at me coldly.
My eyes strayed towards the fire escape to the left of me. A group of men were blocking my view, but suddenly they strode off in deep discussion, and my lips curled optimistically.
Brook was about ten feet away from me, sharing a joke with a balding security guard. I kept watch as he slipped out of the fire escape alone.
I had to take the opportunity and follow him. If not, I’d regret it forever.
“I’m just going outside.” Terri frowned at me in concern.
“Are you okay?” My lips curled.
“Yeah, it’s hot in here. I just want some fresh air. Don’t leave without me.”
Nerves made my body tremble. Brook and I hadn’t spoken in almost six years. We’d gone from living in each other’s pockets to absolutely no contact. What if he’d forgotten me?
The huge security guard stepped in my way. “Can I help you?”
I flustered, not expecting it would be so difficult to run into Brook now he was so successful.
My eyes caught sight of a NO SMOKING sign on the wall behind the man’s shoulder.
“I just wanted a cigarette. Is that okay? I’ve got a pass,” I flashed it in his face, and he wavered, pondering my motives.
“Where did you get that from?”
“I’m The Hornets assistant.” Despite my sickly smile, he frowned.
“I’m not allowed to let anyone through here. Try the smoking patio. That’s what it’s for.”
I sighed in exasperation. He was annoying me. “Please.”
“No can do. My wife’s pregnant, and I need this job.”
My eyes widened with surprise. “Congratulations!” I slipped fifty dollars into his chunky palm. “Get her something nice, on me.”
He was too shocked to stop me as I opened the door, and stepped out into the balmy evening air. It was still reasonably light although the sun was setting, and as warm as it had been that afternoon.
I looked around the empty alleyway in a mixture of shock and confusion. Had my eyes been playing tricks on me? As I was cautiously looking around, a man sneezed. It came from behind a large green dumpster, which was situated against the wall on my left.
Brook was about six feet away from me, back turned, furiously smoking away on a cigarette. “You know smoking is very bad for your health, don’t you?” He physically jumped upon hearing my voice and instantly turned around. Our eyes met, and his jaw dropped.
“Oh my God.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a friendly response or not. “Hey Brook.”
He was utterly gorgeous, and I didn’t know what else to say. We stared at each other, unable to construct a meaningful sentence.
There was an instant spark, and I fiddled with my hands. Having changed clothes since the concert, he wore jeans and a red checked shirt. Tanned and muscular, with his chestnut-colored hair gelled to his own exacting standard. He was every inch the musical star he had always aspired to be.
“Oh my god,” he repeated, staring at me open-mouthed.
“No, just Emma.” He cracked into that familiar, cheeky little smile. He was so charismatic that it was infectious. “Please say you remember me.”
He dragged on his cigarette, which was a strange sight. “Course I do. What are you doing here?”
He’d picked up quite a noticeable New York accent, which wasn’t a surprise considering the time he’d spent living there.
“I came to watch the show.”
His hazel eyes widened in surprise. “All the way from Murrayville?”
“No, I got the first plane out of there as soon as I could.”
“Oh.” He shuffled about rather sheepishly, as if embarrassed I had seen his self-assured performance.
“My friend dragged me out tonight.” I giggled like a teenage girl.
Things were tense and slightly uneasy, so I filled the silences with laughter. My body was a jangle of nerves. “I didn’t think smoking was on your to-do list.” He grinned and retaliated with killer wit,
“I must have re-written that list a few years ago.” He took another drag, slightly embarrassed that his adamant words had come back to haunt him. “Mom hates it, like I’ve gone over to the dark side.” He laughed fondly to himself.
“I, erm, I only came to,” I stumbled over the words.
“You were outstanding tonight. You totally rocked the room, and I wanted to say it to your face. I didn’t want to disturb you because I know things are really hectic in there. But I’ve been following you,” again I couldn’t say what I wanted. “Not like a stalker! But I knew you were doing well, and I’m super proud.” He was not bursting with enthusiasm to see me. “But anyway, I’d better go. My friends are waiting.” Disappointed, I turned and approached the door.
“Emma! Don’t go.” He discarded the half-smoked cigarette and stared at me as if I were an alien. “It’s good to see you. I wasn’t expecting it.”
The feeling was mutual. Like losing something valuable for ages, and then suddenly rediscovering it. “Don’t leave just because my brain and my mouth don’t know what they’re doing.” His lips curled shyly, “stay for a bit.”
I felt like one of his fans. Shaky and expectant. “Okay.” Still, the reunion was awkward. I wanted us to laugh together, but one of us always missed our cue.
Brook stared at me intensely. Remaining silent as he assessed my face. “So, erm, are you seeing anyone right now?” His bold question momentarily shocked me,
“no. I was with a guy, but we split up in April.”
“Snap,” he said with a small grin. “What I mean to say is that I’m not seeing anyone either. I’m not bisexual. Not that it matters, I’m just saying.”
My pulse rate soared after discovering neither of us was in a relationship. FINALLY!!!!
The fire escape crashed open. Leeann and Terri fell out in fits of giggles, quickly invading our privacy.
“There you are! We’re going to Insomnia. Are you coming?” They both locked eyes with Brook and grinned from ear to ear. “I’m so sorry, is she bugging you?” Terri asked.
“No, we’re good, thanks.” Brook replied decisively, all the while staring at me.
“You go on without me.” I said to my friends.
Leeann grabbed my arm and yanked me to one side. “Okay, what are you doing? You know who that is, right?” She flashed an exaggerated smile at Brook.
“Yes, of course I do.” I said calmly.
“I thought you didn’t want to look at any men? Because I hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure he’s a man.” I glared at her, but said nothing. “And we were supposed to take you home, because no good would come of it?”
I did not appreciate my strong opinions being repeated while feeling so deliriously happy in Brook’s company.
“We’ll talk about it later.” I whispered. “I’ll be fine.”
“Earth to Emma! We’re not leaving you.” Terri said loudly. We had two rules whenever we went out. Always stick together, and don’t go off with strange men.
“Trust me, this is different. I know what I’m doing.” Neither of my friends believed me. “It’s fine.”
“Stop saying fine!” Leeann was concerned. “You don’t have to prove anything to us, Emma. I thought you didn’t do rebounds?”
“I don’t.” I whispered sharply. “I know what I’m doing. Trust me, I’ll explain it all later. I promise.”
Leeann looked at Brook suspiciously, while he dazzled her with his smile. “This breaks the rules.” She said through gritted teeth.
“It’s not as bad as it looks. I wouldn’t put myself in a vulnerable position.”
Leeann still wasn’t sure.
“We want you to know that we are unhappy leaving you alone with a random, albeit incredibly attractive man. That’s what I’d tell the cops, too.” She sounded like my mother. “Promise you’ll keep your wits about you.”
“Okay.” I was feeling embarrassed by their overprotective, fussy behavior. However, they were my best friends, and I would be lost without them.
“You know, he’s so hot I’m actually getting sweaty.” Terri added. “Come on, Lee, let’s go. Bye Emma, we’ll talk later.”
I said nothing, but she and Leeann giggled as they wandered back inside.
“I take it they’re your friends.” Brook had clearly heard most of our hushed conversation.
“No, I’ve never seen them before in my life.” Finally, the magical moment came. We both smiled and laughed in unison. “I’m sorry.”
“What for? They obviously care about you.” I smiled fondly.
“That was Leeann and Terri. Leeann’s the blonde one; she’s seeing Stewie from The Hornets.”
Brook seemed twitchy–nervous, almost. As if he wanted to do much more than chat next to a dumpster.
“She said there were some weird-sounding names on the tickets. That was probably you.”
“Me, weird?” He seemed satisfied to have made me smile. “Normally, people change their names to something more interesting. Maybe I should have changed it to something boring, then people would have been more likely to remember it.” His eyes narrowed mysteriously, and I giggled.
He was so charming. Still the same person, but developed. Brook remained grounded despite his fame. The same sweet and funny boy I had started a conversation at school.
“It’s good to see you again,”
the wind picked up, and I shuddered. I was only wearing skinny jeans and a low-cut white vest top, having left my leather jacket in Leeann’s car.
He made no comment to my discomfort, “ditto.” I looked up into his striking hazel eyes. In awe of my oldest friend just because he was suddenly famous and every girl’s fantasy. He pulled me close for an affectionate embrace. “I’ve always got time for you, Titch. Always.”
His muscular chest encased me like an armor and he smelled amazing. I’d missed his smothering hugs.
“Can we go somewhere more civilized?” I asked, feeling protected with his arms around me. Six absent years stood for nothing–I trusted him completely.
“How about that Insomnia place? What is that, like a club?”
I nodded. “Yeah. It’s the hottest, most exclusive club in LA right now.” Flabbergasted, I stood there. “Where have you been?”
He grinned meekly. “Only a little backwater place called Manhattan. But by all means, show me what Insomnia offers. I’ve just got to sort some stuff out. I’ll find a car from somewhere.”
“Oh my god, can you get a limo?”
I’d never been in a limo before. Brook was so famous, I assumed he must have had lackeys who pandered to his every whim.
“Are you kidding? What do you think this is, the Oscars? Typical of you, still haven’t lost that dramatic streak.” Again, I giggled. “I will be back. Wait here. I’ll be as quick as I can.”
As he slipped back inside through the fire escape, I took a few calming breaths and waited patiently for his return.
