“Ms. Freeman, how does it feel being Marcus Benton’s new starring lady?”
Rebecca heard the words and panic tightened the band across her chest. She’d been coming out of a local recording studio, thinking about the latest auditions. It was frustrating because, yet again, Marcus hadn’t liked any of the singers. Both male and female, they’d all been rejected. If she counted up all of the auditions over the months, he’d listened to over one hundred singers and none of them had been what he was looking for. Not the right sound, the right personality, the right features, the right something or other. She had no idea what he was talking about and was so irritated that her songs still hadn’t found a voice.
On top of that, being with Marcus for the past few weeks meant that she had tons of new material to write about. The feelings he stirred within her made her heart pound, her head spin, and her body throb. All of this was coming out in her songs. She’d written five more songs and was working on the music in her mind since she hadn’t been back to her tiny house since Lila’s collapse. They’d been traveling this whole time and, yes, she desperately missed her own bed. But the compensation of sharing a bed with Marcus was worth it. She had no idea what would happen when they returned to Los Angeles. Would they share a bed? Would he want her at his place or would he want to keep his own space? Her bed definitely wasn’t big enough to hold Marcus’ enormous body. His legs would be hanging off the end of the bed, even if the man slept diagonally across it.
Sighing, she refocused on the present. No use trying to figure out what was going to happen in the future. She was practicing living in the here and now. If she and Marcus were going to last beyond the traveling they were doing now, then it was going to happen without her worrying about it.
“Ms. Freeman! Are you his latest songbird?”
That second question startled her and she swung around. “Excuse me?” she asked, looking at the reporter who was holding up a recording device to Rebecca’s mouth. Stepping back, Rebecca blinked, trying to figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, it was actually difficult to just remember which city she was in now. Chicago. Yes, this was Chicago. Right?
Looking around, she nodded her head. Yes. Chicago.
Darn it, she wanted to dig in her garden! She needed dirt and plants and her hand shovel! Obviously, her nerves were kicking up or she wouldn’t be so obsessed with her garden at the moment.
“Are you Marcus Benton’s latest lover?”
Rebecca had seen this happen so often in the past to the other singers that Marcus represented. But she’d never thought it would happen to her. She was the woman in the background. She was the woman that arranged for the stars to be noticed. No one noticed her! And she liked it that way! The stars had a hard enough time dealing with the press and the effects of being famous. Drugs, alcohol and all sorts of lovers to ease the loneliness. She didn’t want that. No way! It was one of the main reasons she wouldn’t sing her own songs, why she kept sending them to Marcus anonymously.
And also, she reminded herself, why she needed to be patient while Marcus found the “right” singer for her lyrics.
“I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong person,” she said to the reporter. “I’m Mr. Benton’s management assistant. If you will excuse me,” she said and pushed her way towards the car Marcus had arranged for her to use while in the city.
“But the pictures of the two of you in Miami are very enticing. The music world is dying to know if the famous producer is off the market, or if your time with him is limited and other leading ladies still have a chance!”
Rebecca stopped, her stomach going cold at the words. “Miami?” she repeated, staring at the reporter. Thinking back, Miami was where Marcus had rushed her. That morning…they’d left in such a hurry!
“Yes, the one in front of the hotel? You’re staring up at Mr. Benton with a lovelorn look in your eyes.” The reporter tilted her head slightly, as if sharing a secret. “And the consensus is that he was looking down at you with equal adoration. So are you going to give us the scoop?”
Rebecca was feeling sick. “Us?” she asked, knowing that she sounded like an idiot. Probably looked like one too.
The reporter gestured slightly behind her and, for the first time, Rebecca noticed the cameraman holding what looked to be a very heavy camera on his shoulder. “We’re with WKMD in Chicago, but Entertainment Live is potentially going to broadcast this tonight. So? Are you Marcus Benton’s latest lover? And what do you see as your prospects for hanging onto the man all the ladies in the music industry have been trying to snare for years?”
Rebecca’s mouth was hanging open and she quickly snapped it shut. Thinking back to all of the advice she’d given to the wannabe stars, as well as the celebrities, on how to deal with the press, she pasted a smile on her face and kept on walking. Shoulders back, head held high, and never let them see you sweat. They can smell fear, she reminded herself, and forced her feet to move forward. Step by step, she forced her feet to move forward. Palming her keys, she clicked on the key fob to unlock the doors.
“I have no comment,” she said and continued walking, trying to pretend like no one was following her, that her mind wasn’t going numb with the fear of what this reporter was asking as well as the dread that everyone would soon know about her relationship with Marcus. How could they have known?
Sliding into the driver’s seat of the luxurious rental car, she started the engine, completely ignoring the reporter and cameraman who were standing on the sidewalk. The reporter was talking into the camera now with her driving away as the backdrop. Rebecca had no idea what they were saying, nor did she care. Her only goal was to get out of there as quickly as she could. She needed to figure things out. To get a clear head and attack this situation with…she should…maybe if she called….
Shaking her head, Rebecca forced her attention back to the road, on not crashing into anyone or anything. Just drive, she thought.
Drive and relax. The reporter knew nothing. There was nothing out there. Her relationship with Marcus was purely speculation, and she wouldn’t have to deal with the invasion of her privacy like so many of his clients had in the past.
It was okay. Taking a deep breath, she forced her shoulders to relax, eased up on the death grip she had on the steering wheel. Everything was going to be fine, she said in her mind. Over and over again, she repeated that phrase. Eventually, she hoped to believe it.
She had to just get back to the hotel and run a search. The reporter had said something about Miami, a picture on the Internet about…Miami! That reporter! The flash of light!
She thought back and remembered the following morning. Marcus had been rushing them out of the hotel suite but…why? Had he known something? Surely he wouldn’t have kept something from her. Would he?
Yes, if he thought he was protecting her, he would have kept it from her.
Damn him!
Wait, that wasn’t fair. She had no idea what he knew or didn’t know. She would just…she should…maybe if she….
Rebecca had no idea what she was going to do. Her fingers were trembling so badly, she wasn’t sure she should be driving. She parked in the hotel’s parking lot, ignoring the other work that was pinging in her e-mail. Or maybe it was Marcus, having gotten wind that a reporter had blindsided her.
She didn’t care. She turned her phone off, needing time to figure out what was going on.
Up in the suite she was sharing with Marcus, she dropped her tote bag and pulled out her laptop. Opening it up, her fingers deftly flew across the keyboard, logging into the hotel’s wireless then searching for the picture.
It took less than fifteen seconds before she found it. Sure enough, she did look like she was staring up at him with absolute love in her eyes.
Betrayed! Goodness, she felt so betrayed.
But why? And by whom? There wasn’t any way she could blame this on anyone but herself. Looking at the starry gaze she was giving him, Rebecca admitted that she’d pretty much outed herself. She was the one looking up at Marcus. Yes, he was looking down at her as well, but there was amusement in his eyes while she was openly displaying her feelings for the world to see. No wonder the reporter was looking for confirmation!
Covering her face with her hands, she felt the shame as if it were choking her. Goodness, how could she have been so stupid? Why had she…that morning! The morning after this picture had been taken, Marcus had been hurrying her out of the suite!
What did that mean? Why had he done that? Had he been trying to keep her from seeing this? They always brainstormed in the morning, working out the details for the day. He would e-mail her the issues he wanted her to handle and she’d get confirmation on issues if she might need additional guidance. He would talk her through the topics or she’d toss out ideas and he would then either confirm or alter her plans.
But that morning, he’d been hurrying her out.
Her eyes almost crossed when she remembered what they’d done that morning. The way he’d made love to her.
But what did it all mean?
She didn’t know. And because she didn’t know, she had to think. Looking at her calendar, she realized she’d been working non-stop for the past three weeks. It had been hard, but also exhilarating, especially since she’d been with Marcus during most of that time.
Fine, she was exhausted. She was going to take a break. Looking at the calendar, she realized it was Friday. Friday morning, yes, but still a Friday.
Pulling up her e-mail, she sent a swift note to Marcus. Wait!
Going back to her computer, she pulled up the flights going from Chicago to Los Angeles. She needed to have everything in place. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she searched through the options, selected one, put in her personal credit card information, and hit the “buy” button. There! She had a flight in less than two hours! If she hurried, she could just make it to the airport in time.
Rushing through the suite, she packed her clothes. Thankfully, most had been shipped back to Los Angeles already, with Jenny just arranging for any evening gowns to be sent to whatever hotel they were staying in. With her computer stuffed back into her tote bag, her carry-on rolling behind her, she walked out of the suite, furiously wiping away the tears. She wasn’t angry, she told herself. She wasn’t angry, because this was all her fault.
Besides, what was she really angry about? The picture? Someone else realizing her feelings for Marcus? The endless auditions? Not knowing what the future might hold with Marcus?
All of the above?
Yes. That was it. She had no idea where she stood with him. No idea what was going to happen or how he felt about her, even though the rest of the world probably recognized her feelings for him in that picture…
She was angry, confused, upset, and scared.
“Ms. Freeman!” someone called out.
Rebecca turned around and was horrified to see a band of photographers racing after her. What in the world?!
She hurried out, ignoring the reporters who were flashing their cameras in her face. She slipped on a pair of sunglasses, even though it was cloudy outside. Nodding to the doorman, she silently ordered a cab. The doorman quickly stepped up to the curb and whistled. A few seconds later, a cab appeared right in front of her and she was able to duck into the back, just as the reporters got close enough to snap her picture.
Hiding her face behind her hand, she snapped to the driver, “Airport,” and slunk a bit lower in the backseat. “Please hurry,” she whispered, wanting to get there, get checked in before any of those horrible vultures realized where she was going. But where else would she go? She had her suitcase with her. They would automatically assume she was heading home. Or to another city. Or…anywhere! Goodness, she had no idea what to do now.
Mis-information. That’s what she would do for one of Marcus’ clients when they didn’t want to be found. But Rebecca was the one who did that for them. She had no idea how to accomplish it for herself.
She could call Jenny, but did she really want to get the other woman involved in all of this mess?
No. Jenny shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of stuff. She was a miracle worker on so many other things, but this was Rebecca’s job. Not Jenny’s.
She’d figure something out. This was not going to be the end of her. She would figure this out and not let it get to her. No drugs, no alcohol, and definitely not a slew of lovers.
She almost laughed at herself, setting out those terms. It wasn’t like she should be worried about any of those things. She’d never done drugs in her whole life, and alcohol? She drank wine on occasion, but Rebecca knew she was too picky about her drinks to be truly in trouble from that angle. That only left a tedious string of lovers. She thought about Marcus and all that they’d shared together. No, she wasn’t going to start bed hopping.
So what was she truly afraid of? This whole thing, the music, the reporters, the pictures, the fears that she was harboring…none of it really made a whole lot of sense to her.
Why was she running then? Why hadn’t she gone to Marcus and asked him to talk through all of this with her?
Because she was afraid. The reporters were just an excuse.
Thankfully, she made it to the airport easily enough. She checked in quickly, relieved to find herself at the gate with only a few minutes left before boarding began. She knew it was tricky to maneuver through airport security and still reach one’s gate on time. Today had all been about luck and not skill.
Her flight was called and she boarded the plane, sitting down in the economy section which wasn’t nearly as nice or comfortable as her flights either on Marcus’ private plane or when he intervened and upgraded her seat to first class. At least she had an aisle seat though.
Rebecca stared straight ahead as the other passengers filed into their seats, stuffing their oversized luggage into the undersized bins, shoving things around in order to make theirs fit…she didn’t notice any of it. She sat there, her mind trying to figure out what she was so afraid of.
Okay, yes, she didn’t want the reporters invading her privacy. And the picture of her staring up at Marcus…yeah, that was terrifying. She wasn’t ready for Marcus to know the depth of her feelings for him. She loved him. She accepted that. But Marcus was not the kind of man who wanted love. He ran from any kind of commitment.
Something else occurred to her. That morning…he’d already seen the picture. He’d been trying to rush her out of the hotel suite that morning because…because…?
There were only two answers to that question. Either he was trying to rush her out of the hotel suite so that he wouldn’t have to continue the relationship. Or he was rushing her out so that she wouldn’t look up the latest celebrity news, which is what she did every morning to see what crises needed to be fixed, watched or mitigated. Any gossip that affected Marcus’ clients needed to be monitored. Many times the stories were manufactured, but that was done by a publicist. She and Marcus knew what was going on and had been told ahead of time what to expect.
So…? If he wasn’t trying to rush her out to end the affair, and that definitely hadn’t been on his mind if the way he’d reacted to her comments that morning was any indication, then that meant he was…protecting her?
Rubbing her forehead, she tried to work through the issues at play, although she still wasn’t completely sure what all of the issues were.
That and, well, she was exhausted. More tired than she’d ever been in her life. Yes, she’d been sleeping in Marcus’ arms and she’d also been waking up more refreshed and invigorated than she could have possibly imagined. But…something was wrong and she didn’t know what that might be.
Marcus stared at his phone, willing Becca to text him back. He just needed to know that she was okay. He’d heard about the reporter. Jenny had even e-mailed him a video clip of the report. It wasn’t long, just a few seconds, but it was long enough for him to know that Becca would be upset about it.
He probably should have shown her the picture taken in Miami. If they’d talked about it, maybe she wouldn’t have gotten so upset about the reporter here in Chicago.
He didn’t care. He knew where she was going. Home.
Jumping out of the rental car, he tossed the keys to an airport employee who quickly dove into the driver’s seat and drove the vehicle off the tarmac.
“Ready?” he asked his pilot as he walked towards his private plane, almost leaping up the stairs in his rush to find Becca and make everything right again.
“Yes, sir. We’ve been ready to take off, just waiting on you,” his pilot said.
Marcus sat down in one of the leather seats and buckled the seatbelt, then nodded to the flight crew to go. He was worried about Becca and he needed to hold her, to make sure she was okay. Until he had her in his arms, he wouldn’t feel reassured.
Jenny had hacked into the airlines’ flights and found out which flight she’d taken. Sure enough, Becca was headed back to Los Angeles. If anyone was a homebody, it was his Becca. She persevered when they had to travel, but when she needed a safe place to go, she always went home. To her garden. She loved playing in the dirt. Dirt, or he supposed, it was the plants in the dirt, seemed to soothe her.
He thought about his big back yard, all the space he had where she could plant her flowers to her heart’s content. Hell, he’d buy her every bush and tree she could ever want if it would make her happy. That’s all he wanted, really. To make Becca happy. He’d thought she was happy over the past few weeks. He’d definitely been happy being with her. He hadn’t known that this kind of a life was possible until Becca came into his world. And making love to her every night, holding her in his arms, and waking up to her smile, was more amazing than he’d thought possible. He loved being with her, he loved smelling her, laughing with her, eating with her, and working with her. He loved being with her.
He loved her!
That was startling. But it was also the truth. He’d never told her. Marcus almost smacked his forehead when he realized how he’d totally flubbed that aspect of their relationship. How could he spend so much time and energy clothing the woman in things that he thought she might like, and yet, he hadn’t said the three small words that he knew she needed to hear?
He was an idiot, he thought, as he looked down at the earth whizzing by under the plane. An absolute idiot. But he could fix that. He could make it all better. Of course, she had to be in front of him so that he could fix it, but he would get there. He had to. He couldn’t imagine a life without Becca. He needed her smiles and her laughter, he needed her to tell him when he was being a jerk or stepping out of line. No one else had the courage to stand up to him like she could.
He needed her. He loved her.
Four and a half hours later, he stepped off of the plane into his waiting car and was speeding down the highway towards Becca’s house. He’d been there so often, but would it look different now that they were a couple? And they were a couple, he thought with finality. Becca might not understand, but he did. And he wasn’t going to let her get away from him. She loved him, he loved her. They were getting married.
Of course, she might punch his arm if he announced their upcoming wedding in that manner.
Marcus chuckled, liking the idea of doing it exactly that way. Especially Becca putting him in his place like that. Yeah, she was cute when she tried.
Knocking on her door, just in case, he waited a few moments before he lifted his hand up, pulling her spare key off of the top of the pillar. It was easy enough for him to reach, but he wondered why Becca would put it there. She was significantly shorter than he was and it would be a struggle for her to reach it, although it was a good hiding place. Not many people would think to look there. And even if they did, the key was in a crevasse that didn’t feel like it was anything significant.
Even so, he didn’t really like the fact that she had a spare key outside of her residence. Just another reason for her to move into his place. He had a guard watching his house twenty-four hours a day, as well as a top of the line security system in his home. If he forgot his key, he had a fingerprint scan and code to enter so that the doors would unlock. Becca’s fingerprints were already on file. Just one less thing to take care of once he’d convinced her to marry him.
Stepping into her small cottage-style house, he looked around, noticing the small differences. His beautiful Becca was definitely a neat freak, he thought in amusement. She’d been gone for weeks but before she’d left, everything had been put away neatly. He almost laughed at how even the counter was scrubbed clean. Most people would have left at least a coffee cup in the sink. Not Becca! He peeked into the living room and chuckled. Yep, she’d vacuumed before she left. She liked coming home to a clean house.
Shaking his head, he walked over to her fridge and grabbed a beer. She bought them and kept them cold just for him, right next to the bottle of wine that was chilling. He checked the wine’s label, nodding his approval. She’d mentioned that she liked a particular label so he’d sent her a case. This was one of the bottles, and he liked that she was enjoying it. Of course, this bottle wasn’t opened.
It would be tonight, he thought and grabbed the bottle opener he knew she kept on the side of the fridge. Opening the bottle, he put it back into the fridge, not wanting it to get too warm while he waited for her to arrive.
Walking through her house, he noticed something different in her living room. A keyboard? When had she started playing an electronic keyboard?
He took a long sip of his beer as he sifted through the pages spread out over the top. Of all the things she hadn’t cleaned up, why was this left out?
And then something occurred to him. The lyrics on the pages…some of the words were scratched out, some of the notes on the music bars erased and replaced with other notes....
What the hell?!
He recognized these songs!
He moved closer, bending over and playing the notes on the keyboard, just to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. Sure enough, as he played out the melody, it was the song he hadn’t been able to get out of his head! It was the song he’d been trying to find a singer for!
What in the world?
Pressing the play button on the digital recorder, he was utterly floored as he listened to the sweet, passionate sound of Becca singing the song. After hearing hundreds of people singing this particular song, plus several others that he’d received to his personal e-mail account, this was the voice that he’d been trying to find! It was Becca’s voice!
Marcus didn’t understand. He’d asked her if she could sing! Several times! Every time, she’d said no, laughing about the possibility even. But this recording…it proved her a liar!
Picking up the headphones, he pulled them over his ears. When he heard Becca’s beautiful soprano voice coming through, clear and lilting, singing out the songs that he’d heard in his mind over and over again, he was almost angry. He probably would be angry…as soon as he figured out why she had lied to him!
He couldn’t believe it! The woman he’d trusted for so long, the woman who he would have sworn he could trust with his secrets…hell, who he DID trust with his secrets, had been hiding a huge one from him for…he had no idea how long!
He tucked the recording device into his pocket and, with the headphones still in his ears, continued listening to all of the songs she had recorded as he drank the rest of his beer. Moving back to the kitchen, he tossed the empty bottle into the recycling bin and grabbed another before heading out to Becca’s sanctuary. He was furious and confused. Yeah, confusion should probably be higher up on the scale than furious…but he was livid.
He’d known that Becca was hiding something from him, but this…! This was huge! Why had she felt she couldn’t share this with him? She had a beautiful voice! It wasn’t even that she couldn’t project or she occasionally hit the wrong note. She was pitch perfect on every song, her voice belting out the songs with a passion that no one else could come close to achieving.
Sitting in one of the cozy chairs, he pressed the play button, went forward and backwards, replaying songs that were exceptionally good…just listening and waiting.
When the songs ran out, he stared at Becca’s garden in silence, trying to figure out what was going on. He felt betrayed.
And yet, something else niggled at him. Something that…would explain all of this?
Becca hated to be in the limelight. That’s why he was here, and she was still on her way back home on a commercial flight. She’d found herself in the limelight. Because of him. Because he hadn’t protected her well enough.
As his mind worked through the issue, pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Becca had been humming one morning when he came into the office. The song had sounded familiar, but he hadn’t been able to place it immediately. Okay, so he’d also been staring at her perfect butt at the time. Becca’s body was to die for, he thought, remembering what it felt like to hold her in his arms, to feel her body shiver with an orgasm. Not to mention how she screamed out when the waves of pleasure hit her.
Marcus shifted in his chair, pushing those thoughts aside. He couldn’t let his lust get in the way right now. He had to focus, to figure this out.
Becca had lied to him. Okay, so she didn’t like the limelight. Yeah, he could get that. It could destroy a person. The relentless attention, the complete lack of privacy, the inability to walk down the street. So many people thought it was exciting. And at first, it was. The thrill of being recognized, the excitement of people liking your music or begging for concert tickets and favors. But after a while, it wore on a person. After the initial thrill of people discovering one’s music, there was the critiques about weight, hair style, clothes, lipstick color, hair color, the way one carried a bag or purse…the complaints and criticism were relentless! It tore a weak person up inside, destroyed their self-image. Some hid away from the world, unable to handle the constant barrage of eyes.
It was always bad, but in this digital age, the world considered everyone in the music or entertainment industry to be fair game. Audiences forgot that the artists were humans with human insecurities, weaknesses, problems, and emotions.
Okay, so Becca didn’t want that.
But she hadn’t told him the truth.
Bottom line, she hadn’t trusted him to protect her.