jasper
“Jesus, man, do you ever get used to this?” I panted as I swigged back a bottle of ice cold water.
I couldn’t ever imagine this shit feeling normal.
Nothing about this was ‘normal’.
I don’t know why I was still so surprised by my new life. I’d watched Parker live like this for years; I’d witnessed firsthand the screaming fans, the shameless women, the relentless hounding from the media… I’d seen it all.
But it’s different when it’s you.
This was my new normal.
“Nah, J. Not even a little bit,” Parker answered honestly as he wiped the sweat off his brow before throwing the towel into the basket in the corner of our dressing room. “Don’t get me wrong, I owe a lot to this life, and it’s not all bad – but sometimes it’d just be nice to live like a normal dude, ya know? That’s what I want one day… but for now, I’m just gonna ride the wave until it ends. You in?”
I was all in.
I nodded and grinned at him. “Hell yeah, wingmen, right?”
He reached his fist out to bump with mine.
That was the best bit about this gig we had going –we had each other. There was no way I would have been able to do this on my own.
I wouldn’t have wanted to either. I loved to sing, play guitar too, but I was no solo artist. That stage gave me a thrill that pushed my limits completely, but I had no desire to experience it alone.
It was probably why I’d never pursued a career in music until now.
I knew some people thought I was riding on Parker’s coattails, since he had been the biggest thing in music for such a long time… but we both knew they were wrong.
We deserved to have the success we did. Our songs were good, our voices blended flawlessly… sure, having the head start we did, due to Park being the world’s hottest ‘it boy’ didn’t hurt, but it was nothing short of hard work and a crazy fucking life that got us to the top – and kept us there thus far.
Coming clean about the fact that I had music flowing through my veins had been one of the best decisions I’d ever made. I couldn’t even remember how I got by without it before.
“How do ya keep your head on straight?” I asked before taking another drink. I was still fairly new to this life, but Park, he was an old hand.
He chuckled darkly. “You know my head never used to be on straight.”
That was for damn sure.
“But now…” He looked up at me. “Charlotte,” he answered simply.
I should have known that’s what he would say. Parker loved his wife something fierce. She kept his cocky ass grounded, made sure he didn’t do anything stupid, and she loved him like nothing I’d ever seen.
Nothing… except Hannah.
She loves me like that too.
Right on cue, the door swung open and in they strolled, almost as though they’d been listening against the door – which I wouldn’t have put past them.
“Legs,” Parker breathed. “How’s my beautiful wife?”
I barely even saw her. Charlotte was one of my best friends, but right now I only had eyes for the blonde that was hot on her heels.
“Well hey there, barbie girl,” I whispered as she threw herself into my arms, her mouth welding to mine in an instant.
“Damn, you were smokin’ out there,” she murmured when our lips broke apart. “Hottest rock star I’ve ever seen.”
I chuckled at the familiar conversation. Something similar came out of Hannah’s mouth after every show she saw me play – which was every show I did. Charlotte, Hannah, Parker and me, we were a package deal these days.
“You like that, huh?” I teased as I rolled my groin against her hip.
She let out the same breathy moan she always had – right from the very first time I’d touched her.
I could remember that moment as though it was only yesterday.
She nodded quickly, biting down on her lip.
I need to get her out of here.
It was somewhat of a ritual for us to sneak off after a show and sort out some of the pent-up excitement and energy.
Parker liked to run it out. I preferred mine and Hannah’s method.
“That was a great show, guys,” Lotte praised us. “I liked that arrangement you did for ‘Someone New’, it was really good.”
“I’ll tell you what I didn’t like.” Hannah pouted, and I cringed, already knowing where this was heading. “I really didn’t like that nasty bimbo in the first row throwing her skanky-ass underwear in my man’s face,” she grumbled.
I held back a laugh, knowing it would do me no favours to get caught being amused at the fact.
Hannah had a lot of great qualities, but level headedness was not one of them.
Jealously, however, was something she possessed in spades. A woman so much as looked at me the wrong way in front of her, which they did, on almost a daily basis, and you could practically see my girl sharpening her claws.
I’d had to hire extra security to keep an eye on her during the shows and public appearances; she would have gotten into a fist fight by now if I hadn’t.
That passionate fire inside her was just one of the bat-shit crazy qualities she possessed that I was mad about.
It probably made me sound like a jerk, but her possessive jealously turned me on.
Everything about this firecracker of a woman turned me on.
I knew that probably made me mentally unstable in some way, but I didn’t give a shit. I loved her crazy.
Hannah Montgomery did it for me, Monday through Sunday – twenty-four-seven.
Every day was like I’d taken a double shot of wild with my coffee, and that was exactly how I liked it.