♫ Five ♫
It took Billy a long time to get over the Rolling Stone article, but two months later the band seemed to be making actual progress on the album. They had laid the final tracks the day Billy decided to call Skyler and see if he’d come to LA to celebrate finishing the album. She hadn’t talked to him in two weeks, because he had told her not to come up when she’d wanted to. “I’ve got a big case going right now, and I’m twenty-four-hours on call,” he’d explained, but Billy had been mad anyway. She’d finally decided to forgive him, and called him from the studio.
The phone rang and rang, and eventually his machine picked up. Instead of the usual message, this one indicated that if the call was important Skyler could be reached at another number. Billy wrote it down and hung up. She looked at the number for a long time, then decided that yes, she felt this was important. Again, she picked up the phone and dialed. A young girl answered.
“Hello?”
“Hi,” Billy said, furrowing her brow. “I’m looking for Skyler Kristiani. Is he there?”
“He’s not here right now, but my mom is. Would you like to talk to her?”
Billy’s blood ran cold. Suddenly she knew that the girl she was talking to was Chelsea Kristiani, and that her “mom” was Theresa. Billy hung up, looking very pale. “Sonofabitch!” she screamed, picking up the phone and throwing it across the room. Jerith looked up from where he sat in the studio, as did the rest of the band.
Billy stood up, looking at them, her face contorted with rage. “That bastard! I’ll kill him!” She stormed out of the studio.
Jerith caught up to her in the parking lot as she was getting behind of the wheel of her Cougar. “Whoa!” he said, holding up a cautionary hand. “Where’re you going?”
“Get the hell out of my way, Kid!” Billy said, low and threatening.
“Billy! Wait a minute!” Jerith yelled, trying to make himself heard over the roar of the car’s engine as she started it. But Billy didn’t look even close to being patient. Without giving it another thought, Jerith ran around to the passenger side and got in. Billy looked at him for a long minute, then shrugged as she tore out of the lot.
Billy was silent for a long time, but eventually she began to talk and Jerith found out what she had discerned from her phone call. “He’s with her again. I don’t believe it!” she said, almost hysterically.
“Are you sure? Maybe you just didn’t get the whole story…”
“Oh, I got the whole story.” Billy nodded, her face an angry mask. “He’s playing house with wifey-pooh again, and I’m shit out of luck!”
Jerith was quiet for a long time, not sure what to say. He wanted to tell her that he had warned her about getting back together with Skyler, but he knew that would be far from productive at this point. So he remained silent. Eventually Billy seemed to calm down, and she drove Jerith back to the studio to pick up his car. Everything seemed okay, and Jerith had no choice other than to let her go. He had no idea that the first thing she did when she got to her house in Beverly Hills was call her drug connection.
Billy sat waiting for the guy to bring her the stuff she needed. She knew she was going off the wagon, as it were, but at this point she didn’t care. She’d stayed straight during the entire making of the album; now it was her turn to let go and relax. And relax she did. She went on a three-day bender, inviting a number of people, some of whom were famous names, to join her.
****
Meanwhile, Jerith was spending some well-deserved time off with Nicolette and Ryan. Ryan was off for winter break by this time, and they spent the two weeks of his vacation together. Nicolette was surprised by Jerith’s attention to Ryan, though knew she shouldn’t be. John had left Sacramento shortly after Jerith, and had basically done nothing to repair his relationship with his son. It had been Nicolette that had garnered John’s main interest; Ryan had known that, and had made a point of avoiding John for that reason.
Jerith took them to Disneyland, to Magic Mountain, and to Sea World in San Diego. They stayed at the world-famous Hotel del Coronado and dined in one of the most elegant restaurants in the world. For Disneyland and Magic Mountain, Jerith wore his hair in a ponytail, donning a hat and sunglasses. Nicolette had doubted that the disguise would work, but it had for most of the day. At one point, however, while they were having lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants, Nicolette noticed two teenage girls looking in their direction. She knew the jig was up, and she glanced over at Jerith, who was talking animatedly with Ryan about the last ride they’d gone on; he had no idea of the attention he was receiving. When Nicolette looked up, she saw that one of the girls was walking toward their table, obviously trying to gather her courage. Jerith looked up as she drew close, his eyes still hidden by his Serengeti driver sunglasses.
“Excuse me,” the girl said. She spoke hesitantly, but she was looking right at Jerith. “You’re Kid Michaels, aren’t you?”
Jerith hesitated a moment, glancing around to see if anyone else was paying attention to the conversation. Then he looked back at the girl and nodded slowly, a slow smile starting on his face.
“Wow…” the girl said, her voice still low as awe crept in. She bent down, and in a conspiratorial tone, she said, “I knew it was you, but my friend said I was nuts.” She hesitated for a moment, but then rushed on, as if the security guards could show up any minute to haul her off and she wouldn’t get to tell him anything. “Mr. Michaels, I am your biggest fan. I just think you are so incredible, and that article in Rolling Stone was so great. I just wanted to tell you… I can’t even believe I’m standing here talking to you…”
Jerith grinned at the girl, reaching up to take off his glasses. “Well, thank you for that…” he said, trailing off as he looked at her pointedly.
“Becky,” the girl supplied, thrilled that he even cared what her name was.
“Becky.” Jerith smiled again. “This is Nicolette, and her son, Ryan,” he said, gesturing to them.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Becky said, smiling widely. Then she beckoned to her friend, who was watching the proceedings with interest. The other girl walked over, looking almost stunned. “Mr. Michaels, this is Sandra.” As Jerith extended his hand to Sandra, Becky said, “See, I told you it was him.”
“It’s nice to meet both of you,” Jerith said. “And it’s Kid, not Mr. Michaels—that’s my dad.”
Becky stared at him wide-eyed, as did Sandra, and Nicolette was reminded of the restaurant they’d gone to on their first date when he’d told the waiter to call him Kid; the young man had looked like he had died and gone to heaven.
“Could we bother you for an autograph?” Sandra asked, apparently the bolder of the two.
“Sure,” Jerith said, but was obviously amiss for what to sign.
Both girls looked perplexed as well, but then Sandra said, “Would you sign our shirts?” Both girls were wearing white Disneyland shirts.
Jerith shrugged. “I guess, if you want to ruin perfectly good shirts…”
Nicolette pulled a pen out of her purse and handed it to Jerith, and he signed both girls’ shirts on the back, writing a little personalized note on each and signing them “Kid Michaels.” The girls were thrilled. They thanked him profusely, and wished him, Nicolette, and Ryan a happy rest of the day. When they left, Nicolette gave Jerith a measured look.
“What?” he said, grinning.
“You are so great,” she said, not sure how else to put the overwhelming sense of admiration she had for him at that moment. He was so famous and yet so down-to-earth at the same time, it was fantastic.
“Why? Because I signed a couple of shirts?”
“No, because you just made those girls’ lives, and you did it in such a casual way. A lot of stars wouldn’t have been like that.”
“Hey, those two were very nice, very polite, and they didn’t cause a big scene. I appreciate that. Hell, I would have invited them to lunch if they’d come up before we were finished.”
“I believe that,” Nicolette said, smiling at him.
“That would have been fine with me,” Ryan said, having observed the whole thing quietly. “That Becky had it goin’ on.” His grin was wide, and Jerith laughed out loud. Things with Mandy had fallen apart quickly back in Sacramento, and although Ryan was dating a new girl in Los Angeles, they were, as he put it, “casual,” which left him free to at the very least look at other girls—which he did, often.
Later, they ran into Becky and Sandra in line for one of the rides. The girls were behind them, and Jerith politely suggested that the two couples between the girls and the three of them go ahead. That put Ryan in the perfect place to talk to Becky, which he did all throughout the hour-long wait. He found out that she lived in Los Angeles and she was fifteen, which Ryan would be the following week.
Jerith did end up inviting the girls to have dinner with them, and of course they eagerly accepted. They ate at one of the many restaurants in the park. During the dinner, Becky and Ryan talked, and Sandra found herself having a conversation with Nicolette and Jerith.
“So are you two a couple?” she asked, her tone polite but direct.
It was obvious that they were; they were holding hands, and Sandra had observed them kissing in the darker areas of the line to get on Space Mountain.
“Yes, we are,” Nicolette said.
Sandra nodded. “That’s cool. But you live in Sacramento?” she asked then, knowing that Ryan was from Sacramento, from his conversation with Becky. Nicolette nodded. “Is that where you two met?”
“Yep,” Jerith said.
Sandra shook her head. “Boy, that must be a drag.”
“It does have its moments,” Jerith said, looking at Nicolette. She nodded in agreement.
“Are you going to go on tour with Billy and the Kid?” Sandra asked Nicolette.
“No. I have a job to do back home.”
Sandra looked taken aback, as if she couldn’t understand any job that would keep her from going on tour with someone like Jerith. “I wouldn’t want to be away from my boyfriend for that long,” she said, shaking her head.
Jerith and Nicolette looked at each other. They both knew that his upcoming tour was going to be rough on the relationship.
****
Billy, on the other hand, was looking forward to the tour. For her it was a chance to get away from her demons. A chance to perform just about every night and have her adoring fans around her. In the two weeks that Jerith and Nicolette were together, Billy had called Skyler’s house a few times to see if he’d bothered to come home yet. She received no answer, and the altered voicemail message was still on his machine. So he’s moved back in with the bitch, has he? Billy thought as she did one more line of cocaine, blaming Skyler for her slip once again.
Alan and she had gotten into another battle royale the evening before. He had been embarrassed when a story was published in the tabloids about her going out with one of the members of Mötley Crüe. Billy had done it merely to point out to Alan that he in no way had a claim on her; she had also hoped that somehow Skyler would get wind of her dating other people and be jealous. If she had chosen to examine that thought closely, she would have realized that Skyler wasn’t really the jealous type and that she was wasting her time in that arena, but she wasn’t thinking clearly at that point in time.
The tour started a month after the release of the album. Jerith promised Nicolette that he’d fly her to whatever cities they had a few days off in, but as usual it didn’t work out. Half the time Nicolette couldn’t get away, and the other half, Jerith was booked so solid that he didn’t have time to catch his breath, let alone spend any with his girlfriend. Things wore on him rather quickly. Within two months he was exhausted, and feeling the strain of trying to hold everything together. Nicolette could hear it in his voice when she talked to him.
He sounded fatigued, sometimes depressed, other times irritated as hell. Billy was using constantly now, and being a royal bitch to deal with. She showed up late for every sound check, if she showed up at all, and sometimes she was even late for the concerts. Jerith knew she was getting out of control again, but he wasn’t sure what to do anymore. Anytime he threatened to replace her, she would go off on an ultra-paranoid tangent and scream that he was just trying to take over as lead singer and he was imagining all these bad things about her just to get rid of her. She called him Golden Boy now, and it irritated Jerith no end.
He told Nicolette all of this four and a half months into the tour. It was a Friday night, and they had finished a concert two hours before. Billy had been stoned silly, and had forgotten the words to one of their new songs. Jerith had literally dragged her backstage after the show and had come very close to striking her when she told him that if he didn’t like the way she sang now, he could just do it himself. “Of course, that’s what you’ve wanted all along, isn’t it, Golden Boy?” she had said, screwing up her face in disgust.
“Go to hell, Billy.” Jerith had had to jam his hands deep in his pockets to keep from hitting her. He had turned on his boot heel and left then.
“I can’t deal with her anymore,” he told Nicolette on the phone, sounding worn out.
“Maybe you should cancel some concert dates and get her into rehab or something,” she ventured.
“Can’t.” Jerith shook his head miserably. “If we start canceling concerts, people will lose interest. The record isn’t selling as well as we’d hoped just yet, and we need people to see us.”
Nicolette was quiet then. She didn’t know what else to say.
“Hey,” Jerith said after a long silence, his voice soft, almost apologetic. “You still there?”
“I’m here, Jerith,” she replied sadly. “I just don’t know what to say.”
“Say you love me whether I’m famous or not, because at the rate we’re going, I won’t be for long,” Jerith said, only half joking.
“Well, I think you’ll be famous for a long time to come, but I do love you anyway.” Nicolette felt very far away at this point, and missed him terribly, but she didn’t want to burden him further by whining about it, so she kept silent.
They hung up a few minutes later, with Nicolette telling Jerith to go to bed. He was asleep when he heard the door to his room open and close. He was lying on the bed, on his stomach, wearing sweats and no shirt. He craned his neck around to see who had come in, and saw a young woman in her early twenties leaning against the door. She was breathing heavily, like she’d been running. Her eyes were closed as she tried to catch her breath.
“Excuse me,” Jerith said questioningly as he sat up.
The woman looked at him, and her eyes widened. “Oh my God, you’re him. You’re Kid Michaels!” she practically screamed.
Jerith nodded slowly, already sensing that this was not going to be a good thing.
“I have been going absolutely mad trying to find your room, and now, here I am. I don’t fucking believe it!” The woman walked toward him. She was wearing black high heels and a calf-length fur coat. The wild hair and the amount of makeup she wore indicated to Jerith that she was most likely a groupie, and he didn’t like the idea that she had managed to get into his room.
“How did you get in here?” he asked mildly, trying to keep his tone friendly.
The young woman shrugged. “It was easy, really.” She held out her index finger; on it dangled a key. “I have a passkey from when I worked in this hotel a month ago. I just kept it. I told them I lost it—the jerks made me pay for it too—but it doesn’t matter now.” Her smile was wide as she moved a few steps closer and then knelt on the bed.
Jerith pulled back immediately, not sure what her intentions were but getting the distinct feeling that she wasn’t like Becky and Sandra had been at Disneyland. This woman didn’t look like she was interested in an autograph.
“Look,” he said, his tone still friendly. “I appreciate that you’re a fan and all, but I’m really tired…”
“Oh, I’m a fan alright. I think you are the hottest man on this planet right now.”
“Okay…” Jerith said hesitantly. He nodded to her, not wanting to upset her.
“My name’s Melody,” she said, her eyes all but devouring him as she reached out to stroke his chest. Jerith couldn’t clamp down on his instinctive recoil at her touch. Melody noticed. “Hey, don’t you like me?” she said, her tone a mixture of hurt and anger. “’Cause I’m crazy about you.”
“Well, that’s real nice, Melody.” Jerith stood, putting the bed between them, and reached for a shirt.
Melody stood at the same time. “Nice?” she said, with a wicked grin on her face. “You haven’t seen nice yet.” And with that, she reached up and unbuttoned her coat, dropping it to the floor. She wore absolutely nothing underneath.
Jerith stared at the woman, stunned, taking a few moments to regain his composure. Melody mistook his shock at her outrageous act for astonishment at her body. She walked over to him and, draping her arms around his neck, began to kiss him. Jerith came to his senses quickly then, reaching up to disengage her arms and pushing her gently away from him. “Look, Melody. I think you should leave now,” he said, his tone all business.
Melody looked back at him in almost naked fury. “What? I’m not good enough for the great Kid Michaels?” She sneered, then gave him a sultry look. “I guarantee you, after fucking me, you’d never want your girlfriend again.”
“I doubt that,” Jerith muttered, his patience gone.
Melody surprised him by launching herself at him with a screech, her red nails clawing at him. She caught him on the chest, and one nail scratched dangerously close to his right eye.
Jerith lost it then. He grabbed her by both wrists, yanking her around so her back was to him. He let go of one wrist as he walked her over to the door, leaning down to grab her coat on the way. He opened the door and started to shove her out. That’s when what seemed like a hundred flashbulbs went off in his face. As usual, the paparazzi were camped out in front of his door. They caught the naked woman with Kid Michaels’ hand still possessively on her wrist, and the bloody welts on his chest and face, all in beautiful living color. Jerith shoved Melody out quickly and slammed the door. Then he strode to the phone, calling the front desk and asking where the hell security was. Afterward he went into the bathroom and examined the scratches on his face and chest. The next thing he did was call Alan Rothe.
Alan arrived ten minutes later; thankfully he was all professional manager at the moment. “What happened?” he asked as he stepped through the door, which Jerith had surreptitiously hidden behind when he opened it.
Jerith walked back over to the bed, sitting down heavily. “Some woman got into my room and basically threw herself at me. When I pushed her away, she got pissed off and attacked me.”
Alan nodded, his expression serious. “She’s already telling the paparazzi that you tried to rape her. That you invited her to your hotel room for an autograph, and you attacked her.”
“How does she explain the fact that she had no clothes on?” Jerith asked angrily.
“She says you ripped them off of her.” Alan shook his head. “I know she’s full of shit, and you know she’s full of shit, but…”
“Jesus H. Christ!” Jerith exploded, standing up and pacing. “How the hell do I end up looking like the bastard here? She threw herself at me, Alan.”
“I know, man. We’ll just have to see how far she’s willing to take this.”
“And how far can that be?” Jerith asked, his voice quiet now. He couldn’t believe the sudden whirlpool that had appeared in his life.
“Look. Let me go see what I can do, okay?”
Jerith gave Alan a narrow look. “Don’t make any fucking deals, Alan. I didn’t touch her, except to escort her out of my room. I don’t want it to look like anything else, you got it?” His voice was low and threatening as he said it, and Alan knew what he meant. He nodded, and then left Jerith’s room, intent on finding this woman.
The next day, the news hit the tabloids and newscasts that Kid Michaels, the lead guitarist for Billy and the Kid, was being accused of rape by a fan. The report stated that Miss Melody Yates had met Mr. Michaels backstage at the concert the night before, and Mr. Michaels had suggested she come to his hotel room, saying he would give her an autographed picture and some other memorabilia.
“Miss Yates, being a longtime fan of the band, and having just read the article in Rolling Stone about Mr. Michaels, assumed that he was sincere in his promises,” stated the newsperson. There was video of Melody Yates, looking very innocent in a white cotton dress, her blue eyes holding a convincing glistening of tears. “I guess you just can’t trust anyone these days,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Bitch!” Jerith yelled, throwing the remote across the room. He began to pace back and forth. He’d been trying to get a hold of Nicolette all day, but to no avail. Her answering machine kept picking up, and Jerith had begun to wonder if she’d seen the news and just didn’t want to talk to him. The thought that Nicolette might believe this woman’s story worried him most. They hadn’t seen each other in so long, and things were just getting worse. He wondered if their time apart could make her more likely to believe this story. The not knowing was driving him crazy. It was seven o’clock, and the report had broken that morning around ten. Jerith tried Nicolette’s number again—still no answer.
Two hours later, Jerith was sitting on the couch in his hotel room with a glass of scotch in his hand, with the bottle sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He’d been drinking for an hour. He had tried Nicolette again and again, but hadn’t received an answer. He heard the door to the room open and close, but the separating wall barred him from seeing who it was. He figured it was probably Alan, come to tell him more good news about this hideous chapter in his life. He was stunned when Nicolette walked around the wall. She took one look at him and moved swiftly to him. He stood and grabbed her up in an embrace, whispering her name over and over.
“I was going crazy trying to call you,” he said, his voice still a whisper next to her ear.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking up at him. “I was probably still at the airport trying to catch a flight out. I figured you needed me right now.”
Jerith hugged her close again. “You were right—I do.”
Nicolette sat on the couch, pulling him down with her. “What happened, Jerith?” she asked softly.
Jerith shook his head, as if trying to block out the thoughts of what was being said about him. “After you and I talked, I went to sleep. I woke up when someone came into the room. It was this Melody Yates. She told me how she was a big fan, and how she had gotten into the room using a passkey that she had basically stolen from the hotel.” He looked at her for a long moment, not sure how to put the rest delicately, but knowing he had to be totally honest with her. “Anyway, the next thing I know, she’s dropping her coat, and she has nothing on underneath. When I told her she should leave, she got mad and ended up attacking me.” He flicked his finger toward the scratch at his eye.
“Jesus…” Nicolette breathed, just now really seeing the mark. “She missed your eye by, like, a fraction on an inch.”
“Tell me about it. I have a nice set on my chest too, since I hadn’t managed to put my shirt on before she did it. Anyway, I escorted her not so gently to the door then, and went to shove her out; that’s when the good old photo club got lots of great pictures.”
Nicolette was shaking her head. “My God, Jerith. Where the hell was security? That woman could have been crazy. She could have been one of the deranged fans that actually kill the object of their obsession.”
A slow grin started on Jerith’s face as he listened to her, and he shook his head. “Tell me something,” he said, breaking her stride.
“What?” she said, looking taken aback by his change in mood.
“How the hell did I get so lucky?”
“Well, I told you before, Jerith—you’re good at what you do, you’re incredible-looking, you have so much talent—”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said, holding up his hand to cut off her litany. “I meant, how did I get so lucky to hook up with a woman like you? Did it ever even occur to you to believe the story?” He knew the answer even as he asked.
Nicolette shook her head. “Never.”
“And that’s why I’m lucky,” Jerith said, his grin back. “Speaking of lucky… How long am I lucky enough to have you around for?”
Nicolette shrugged. “For as long as you need me here.”
Jerith was shocked. “What about work?”
“The dirtbags in Sacramento can do without me for a little while. The man I love needs me, and I’m staying right here till all of this is over with.”
“And I’m in jail,” Jerith said, leaning back against the couch. The strain of the last twenty-four hours was starting to show.
“You aren’t going to jail.”
“No, he’s not.” Alan Rothe put in from the divider wall. He was standing there looking very proud of himself.
“What does that mean?” Jerith asked.
“It means the DA refused to press charges, stating that while Miss Yates was quite convincing on camera, she had a rap sheet a mile long. She’s done shit like this before, and cried rape when the intended didn’t give in.”
Jerith looked relieved, but was still disturbed about the woman’s behavior.
“Hell, Kid, maybe you should press charges on her, for assault,” Alan said, sounding serious.
Jerith shook his head. “I never want to see that woman again. What I do want is a retraction printed and stated about all of this crap; either that or I want the media to tell the other half of the story, or I will file a slander suit. The last thing this band needs right now is bad press.”
By the following morning, Alan had gathered together a lot of people willing to state that Jerith “Kid” Michaels was the greatest humanitarian to ever walk the earth. Even Sherri Sophield made a statement to the press, saying that Mr. Michaels was the epitome of a gentleman and the media should be ashamed of themselves for latching on to such an outrageous lie. Apologies were made, retractions were printed. Quotes from Sherri’s story in Rolling Stone were run everywhere. Jerith’s good name was restored.
Nicolette stayed on with him for a few days, but then reluctantly returned to Sacramento. Jerith promised to try and see her more. “Maybe for your birthday,” he said.
“How do you know when my birthday is?”
“You have a teenage son who likes to supply his mother’s rock star boyfriend with any information he needs,” Jerith said, grinning.
Nicolette rolled her eyes. “Figures.”
****
Nicolette’s birthday was a month later. Jerith called a couple of days before to tell her he didn’t think he was going to make it; something had come up last minute that required his presence. Nicolette told him not to worry about it, but privately she was disappointed. She was very surprised when a messenger showed up at the office that day with a large box wrapped in beautiful green parchment paper, with a huge green satin bow. She opened the box and inside was the most incredible hunter green silk dress she’d ever seen. It was cut to just above the knee, with a bodice made up of silk, lace, and velvet in a gypsy style. The skirt was a tumble of rich green silk. Also inside the box were knee-high boots in the same shade, made of leather that felt like butter. There was also a card. She recognized Jerith’s neat handwriting; it read: “Be outside your house at six sharp, wearing this dress.”
Nicolette could barely stand to wait the two more hours until she went home. In the end she left a half hour early, convincing herself she needed two hours to get ready. When 6:00 finally came, she stood outside her house feeling like a fairy princess. Ryan watched from her bedroom window, knowing most of Jerith’s plan for the evening. A black stretch limousine glided to a stop at exactly 6:00, and when Jerith stepped out, Nicolette felt her breath catch in her throat. He was wearing a calf-length black jacket with a banded-collar blue shirt, black slacks, and black dress shoes, and Nicolette was sure he’d never looked so handsome. Jerith walked over to her and took her hand, leaning down to kiss her gently. “Happy birthday, Nick,” he said softly. Then he led her over to the limousine.
Inside there were a dozen long-stemmed red roses for her, and a bottle of Dom Perignon, which Jerith opened as the limo left the curb. He toasted his beautiful girlfriend on her birthday and they drank for the few minutes that they were in the car. Nicolette noticed they were headed toward the airport, and looked over at Jerith quizzically. He simply grinned, shaking his head; he wasn’t about to tell her where he was taking her.
“The dress is beautiful, Jerith,” she said, holding his hand and smiling up at him. “And it fits perfectly. How’d you manage that?”
“Your mom likes to tell me things too,” Jerith replied, smiling.
They arrived at the airport and the driver opened the door. Nicolette was surprised to find herself stepping out onto a red carpet, which led up to a Learjet. Jerith led her right up to the plane and followed her up the stairs. Inside they sat in leather-covered captain-style chairs, and the pilot radioed back that they’d be in San Francisco in twenty minutes.
Nicolette looked surprised; she looked even more so a few minutes later, after they took off. Jerith pulled a box out of his pocket. It was about six inches long and three inches wide, and covered with green velvet. He handed it to Nicolette.
“I didn’t trust the messenger with these,” he said, watching her eyes.
Nicolette stared at him for a full minute and then opened the box. Inside, nestled in more green velvet, was a necklace of the most delicate gold filigree she’d ever seen, arranged in an interlocking teardrop style and accented by small emeralds. There were earrings that matched, with three more emeralds in each. Nicolette was so stunned by his gift, she couldn’t even find her voice to thank him. The tears in her eyes told him everything he needed to know. He leaned over and kissed her, and she returned his kiss with all the gratitude and happiness she was feeling.
When they landed in San Francisco, another limousine picked them up and took them to a restaurant called Equinox. “It’s not super fancy, but the view is incredible,” Jerith said, and he was right. It was situated at the top of a hotel, and the restaurant itself revolved so that the diners could admire the view of San Francisco from all sides. They had dinner, and just when Nicolette was sure he couldn’t do any more for her, the limousine, instead of taking them back to the airport, took them to The Fillmore. There Jerith escorted her to the back door, where they were let in by a very tough-looking bouncer. Inside, they were escorted to seats in the front row. Nicolette noticed there was security posted at either end of the row. Looking around her, she noted the eclectic feel to the venue, and remembered that this was a venue used by a lot of artists looking to do a non-glamorous show.
When the show began, Nicolette was thrilled when Rob Thomas, the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, walked out on stage. He began singing one of his latest hits with only the accompaniment of a single acoustic guitar.
Jerith noticed that Nicolette was squeezing his hand in excitement and smiled brightly; he knew he’d chosen wisely. After Rob Thomas, the band Three Doors Down came onto the stage and played an acoustic set. The last act was BJ Sparks himself, accompanied by the lead guitarist of his band, Sparks. Nicolette was sure she’d died and gone to heaven. BJ’s voice could reach almost operatic levels and had a rich, melodious tone to it that was rare in the rock business. It was, to say the least, an incredible show.
Afterward, Jerith took her back stage and introduced her to Rob Thomas as well as the members of Three Doors Down. Nicolette was surprised at how down-to-earth they all were. Then Jerith led her over to BJ.
“BJ,” Jerith said, smiling as he reached out and shook his hand. “Great show.”
“Thanks,” BJ said, his famous engaging smirk in place.
Jerith put his arm around Nicolette’s shoulders. “I want you to meet Nicolette Harris.”
BJ’s eyes were both appraising and approving as he reached out, taking Nicolette’s hand in his.
“I thought you said she was a cop, Michaels,” BJ said, his tone indicating his disbelief.
“I assure you, I am,” Nicolette said, doing her best not to be charmed by this infamous flirt.
“Got a badge to prove it?” BJ asked, his blue-green eyes sparkling.
“I have a gun—does that count?” Nicolette countered smoothly.
“Ohhh…” BJ murmured, smiling brilliantly and looking over at Jerith. “I like this one.”
Jerith laughed, shaking his head.
“So BJ is your boss?” Nicolette asked as they rode home on the plane.
“More or less,” Jerith said. “He’s the owner of the label we signed a contract for.”
“But he’s also a rock star?”
“Yeah, that too.”
“His voice is amazing.”
“Yeah, he definitely has it where the talent is concerned, but he’s smart as hell and just as passionate about the band on his label.”
“And how does he feel about Billy?”
Jerith curled his lips in consternation, shaking his head. “He’s about fed up with her stunts. I’m praying he doesn’t just can all of us.”
Nicolette nodded. She knew it was worrying Jerith more than he was indicating.
They got back to Sacramento at about midnight. The limousine picked them up to take them back to Nicolette’s. Once outside her house, they sat talking for a little while, not wanting the magical night to end.
“This was the most wonderful birthday I have ever had, Jerith. Thank you,” Nicolette said, her eyes shining with tears again.
“I’m glad you had a good time,” he said, staring into her eyes.
“How did you manage to work it so that that incredible show was in San Francisco on my birthday?” she asked, giving him a cynical look.
Jerith laughed. “That was a coincidence. If it had been in Windfall, Montana, I would have taken you there.”
“Windfall, Montana, huh?” Nicolette doubted there even was such a place. She grinned. “Wouldn’t have had the same impact, I think.”
“No. You know,” Jerith said, looking perplexed for a moment, “there was one other thing…” He patted his pockets as if searching for something.
Nicolette rolled her eyes. “Good lord, Jerith. You’ve probably already spent your first five royalty checks on this night. What else could there possibly be?”
“This,” Jerith said, pulling out a small velvet-covered box from his jacket pocket and handing it to her.
Nicolette looked at the box and then at him, not daring to hope. “This is too much, Jerith Michaels,” she said as she opened it. She was stunned into silence a moment later as she looked at the one-carat marquise-cut diamond ring. Her eyes went to Jerith as he knelt down on the carpet in front of her. He took her hand and held it, looking straight into her eyes.
“Marry me, Nicolette Harris,” he said simply, his eyes telling her everything else.
Nicolette couldn’t stop shaking, she was so touched by his words, his gifts, by him. Finally, she managed to nod, and Jerith grinned. “Is that a yes?”
“Must I spell everything out for you?” Nicolette said, smiling now. “Yes, Jerith Michaels. I would be honored to be your wife. Is that better?”
“Much,” he said as he took her in his arms and kissed her.
****
The following month, when Nicolette met Jerith’s family, she was happily surprised. They were in Lake Tahoe for the wedding. Jerith’s mother fully approved of her son’s choice; she had long conversations with Nicolette and found her to be loving, giving, and fun. It had always been Nanette Michaels’ dream that her son would find a woman that would take care of him as he needed taking care of. Someone that wasn’t hung up on the fact that he was a star, but would give him the loving support he needed in the cutthroat music business. Nicolette seemed to meet those requirements perfectly.
Three days before the wedding, Jerith had a serious allergy attack, reacting to the mountain air and the late summer pollens. He lay in bed the whole day with an enormous headache, and Nicolette refused to leave his side. Jerith’s sisters were equally pleased with their brother’s choice, although they were quite taken aback by the fact that she was a police officer.
“I always thought you wanted a housewife type of woman,” Jerith’s older sister Tanya told him, one afternoon before the wedding. They were sitting on the balcony of the large cabin Jerith had rented for his family to stay in, looking down on beautiful Lake Tahoe.
“You know,” Jerith said, pulling one jean-clad knee up to his chest as he looked down at the lake, his long blond hair blowing in the slight breeze. “That’s what I always thought I wanted too.” He looked over at his sister seriously. “But now, all I want is Nicky. She makes me happy, Tan.”
Tanya, five years Jerith’s senior and much wiser in the ways of love, since she was very happily married, nodded. “That much is very obvious, little brother.”
Jerith grinned, happy that his family liked Nicolette. They also seemed to have taken a liking to Ryan, who was totally blown away by the fact that his mother was actually marrying Jerith. He had approached Jerith the night before, looking a bit chagrined but intent on asking a question all the same.
“What’s up, Ryan?” Jerith had asked, seeing that the young man definitely had something on his mind.
“I was wondering…” Ryan began, continuing when Jerith nodded. “After you and Mom are married, where are we gonna live?”
Jerith hesitated a few moments. He and Nicolette had discussed it, but he hadn’t realized that she obviously hadn’t talked to Ryan about it. “I, uh… Did you talk to your mom about this?” Jerith said, not wanting to tell Ryan something Nicolette was planning to say herself. Suddenly this “parental” thing had become part of his life too.
Ryan made a face, rolling his eyes. “Jesus, that didn’t take long.”
“What didn’t take long?”
“For you to start that ‘Go ask your mother’ crap.”
Jerith laughed, realizing that was what he had sounded like. “No, I didn’t mean it that way. I just didn’t want to step on your mom’s toes, that’s all. Thing is, Ry, I gotta finish the tour, and your mom wants you to finish up your junior year at Capital Christian. After that, we’ll work it out.” Ryan looked almost crestfallen then, and Jerith was surprised. “Why? Where did you want to live?” he asked belatedly.
Ryan looked down at the hardwood floor, his teeth worrying his lip. “I was kinda hopin’ we’d get to live in Malibu, at your place.”
“Well, hell, Ryan,” Jerith said, a wide grin on his face. “Then the problem is solved. Your mom wasn’t sure if you’d want to leave all your friends in your junior year, or how you’d feel about leaving your house and all…”
“Are you kidding?” Ryan looked stunned. “Who wouldn’t want to live in a cool place like Malibu? Besides, there’s Becky too…”
Jerith nodded, understanding finally dawning. “Well then, I guess Malibu it is.”
Jerith told Nicolette about the conversation that night, and she was surprised. She had also been pleased, because she had long since come to understand that there was no way she could continue to live in Sacramento. She knew that being with Jerith meant being near LA, where he worked. Nicolette had already planned to start looking for a new job when they got back after the wedding. They weren’t having a honeymoon just yet, for which Jerith had apologized profusely. Billy and the Kid was set to tour for two more months, and then he promised to take her wherever she wanted.
The day of the wedding came, and Nicolette looked beautiful in an ivory lace gown that Jerith had bought for her. Her mother was her maid of honor, and Ryan was Jerith’s best man. When Nicolette walked down the aisle toward him, she couldn’t believe her eyes. He looked incredibly handsome in his dark gray tails. His blond hair was loose, his blue eyes shining at her.
Jerith found his breath taken away. She looked so beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and the reception was simple but elegant.
Later, in a beautiful room in another cabin, Jerith and Nicolette lay together, looking out at the night sky. The bed was next to a full-length picture window, and they could see the stars twinkling and the full moon glowing just above.
“Well, Mrs. Michaels,” Jerith said softly as his lips brushed her temple. “How do you feel?”
“Oh, like I’m going to wake up any minute now,” she said, glancing up at him.
He grinned. “Sorry, babe. This isn’t a dream, and you really are stuck with me now.”
“Well, I guess I will just endure my sentence in dignified silence then,” she said, sighing.
“You do that.” Jerith leaned down to kiss her lips. They once again melted together, making love till the wee hours of the morning then sleeping late into the day. When they woke they ordered food from a nearby café, and Jerith bribed the owner into having it delivered. The man was only too happy to deliver when Jerith explained that he and his new bride were absolutely famished. He even brought the food himself, smiling widely when Jerith tipped him handsomely.
They ate their meal on the balcony and watched the sun set. Eventually, they went back to bed and made love again, then talked late into the night.
Two days later, they had to part ways. Jerith was headed to Nevada for a concert, and Nicolette went back to Sacramento to start getting things in order for her and Ryan’s move to LA.
It was a month before they saw each other again, and only then because Nicolette surprised Jerith by showing up for Billy and the Kid’s concert in Seattle, Washington. He was stunned when she walked into the arena, where they were conducting a sound check. She came in during the middle of an angry exchange of insults between himself and Billy. Billy had become more and more difficult. She had shown up to the sound check an hour late, and she was so stoned she could barely stand. Jerith had lost it. Things had been absolutely hideous since he’d arrived back from getting married. Billy had been a royal bitch, obviously jealous over Jerith’s apparent happiness. Things between Alan and Billy had finally gone beyond hate, and she had fired him, but Alan had a contract and hadn’t left. That made her even more intolerable. When Nicolette walked in, Billy was standing toe to toe with Jerith, her face a mask of anger.
“And what are you gonna fucking do, Golden Boy? You gonna fire me? Go ahead and try!”
“Billy,” Jerith said, his tone deathly calm but his blue eyes blazing at her. “Get the fuck out of my way before I do something I swore I’d never do to a woman.”
“And what’s that, Kid? You gonna hit me? Go ahead and try, and see if I don’t take your head off for you.”
Jerith reached out then and shoved her back. Billy stumbled, but with surprising agility stabilized herself and lashed out with her fist, catching Jerith on the left cheek. Jerith stood his ground, his fists clenching at his side.
“Jerith!” Nicolette yelled, moving to his side. Jerith’s head snapped around, his eyes widening when he saw her. Nicolette moved to embrace him, even as Billy started to shake her head.
“Great, now we won’t get shit done,” she muttered. Jerith shocked her by turning on her and snatching her off her feet by a handful of her jacket.
“Billy,” he said as he brought her face to face. “Why don’t you go somewhere and OD?” With that he set her back on her feet and shoved her away. This time Billy did stumble, and she fell flat on her backside. But Jerith didn’t stick around to see what she’d do; he walked off the stage with his arm around his wife.
Back at the hotel, Nicolette asked him about the goings-on. Jerith unloaded all of the stress he’d been feeling, telling her everything. Nicolette listened, and as usual backed him up all the way.
“I really think you need to do something about her,” she said as she touched the light bruise Billy’s fist had caused on his cheek. “She’s getting violent now, and that’s never a good sign.”
“I know,” Jerith said, lying back against the couch and blowing his breath out in a rush. “But we gotta get through this tour, and then I can do something about her.”
“It won’t be a moment too soon, believe me,” Nicolette said, laying her head on his chest. They spent the afternoon pointedly talking about other things.
Meanwhile, Billy got a hold of her connection, and he got her in touch with someone in Seattle that could get her what she needed. She was still fuming about the fight with Jerith, and she wanted to numb her anger. Two hours after the confrontation she sat in her hotel room, just three doors down from Jerith’s, and snorted line after line of cocaine. Eventually, she more or less passed out. She woke three hours later and looked at the clock. It was 6:30 p.m., and the concert was set to start in an hour.
“Shit,” Billy muttered. “Gotta get up, Montague. Gotta go…” Finally she dragged herself off the bed and over to the coffee table. There she did two more lines and went to take a quick ice-cold shower to wake herself up. She couldn’t shake the fog her brain seemed to be full of, but she shrugged it off as she called down for a car.
Nicolette watched as Jerith paced. His mouth was set in a grim, angry line, and his eyes were blue points of fire. His boot heels echoed resoundingly off the walls of the arena loading area. Billy hadn’t shown up yet, and they were set to go on in twenty minutes. Tommy, the drummer, walked up. “No sign yet,” he reported, looking worried. “I called the hotel—they said she called for a car, but they didn’t know her destination. Kid, what’re we gonna do if she don’t show?”
Jerith turned to the younger man, his eyes narrowed, his visage pure stone. “If she doesn’t show, I’m going to kill her.” His tone indicated that Tommy had the only answer he was going to get at that point.
A half hour later the crowd was getting restless, and starting to shout and chant. Billy finally arrived ten minutes after that. By that time, Jerith was beyond mad, and he had to walk away from her to keep from killing her. He walked straight onto the stage, foregoing their usual entrance to try and placate the near-rioting fans. In response, the crowd burst into applause.
“Sorry ’bout the delay,” Jerith said, wearing his most winning smile. “But everything’s all systems go.” With that he started the introduction to one of Billy and the Kid’s more popular songs. A minute later the rest of the band joined him. Billy waited an extra minute, then stepped on stage, and again the crowd erupted in applause.
Nicolette watched from the sidelines. She could see that Billy was very high and trying desperately to keep it together. She could also see Jerith’s tension growing as Billy messed up the words to a song, or forgot them altogether.
The fourth song into the concert, one of their more raucous ones, Billy seemed to be getting it back on track. She was belting out the words, and Nicolette noticed that she was going downstage a lot; she’d reach out frequently and touch the hands of the crowd. The fans ate it up, but Nicolette noticed that Billy was teetering dangerously. She was watching her as she moved to reach out to the crowd again, when Billy seemed to literally throw herself into the mass of waving arms. There was a screech of feedback as Jerith threw off his guitar and launched himself after her.
“Jerith!” Nicolette screamed as she ran toward the stage.
Suddenly there was chaos everywhere. The music ceased immediately as the rest of the band rushed to try and help. Nicolette couldn’t see Jerith anywhere. People were screaming and running. Nicolette watched frantically for Jerith’s blond mane to appear from the crowd.
Jerith jumped feet first from the stage and landed close to where the fans were literally tearing at Billy. He plunged into the mass of bodies, yelling her name and shoving people aside. Suddenly, people realized that Kid Michaels was among them too, and they moved to grab at him as well, as if trying to get a piece of him. Jerith fought off clawing hands, feeling nails catch his skin as his shirt was ripped. He could see Billy three feet away; she was being grabbed and pulled at just as he was, but in her inebriated state she wasn’t fighting back. Jerith knew he had to get to her.
Putting his head down, he rushed the crowd, knocking people aside and getting knocked back as well. At one point he was shoved to the ground, his head hitting the concrete. He lay stunned for a matter of seconds, but then moved to stand, knowing he’d be trampled if he didn’t get up. By this time the crowd was a mass of screaming, panicking kids trying to get to the exit. Jerith knew he had to get up.
Glancing to the side, he saw Billy just inches away from him. Her eyes were closed, her body slack. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, and with strength born of sheer panic, drove himself to his feet and pulled her up with him. He backed up and found himself against the stage. Turning, he literally tossed Billy’s slack body onto it. He fought a wave a dizziness as he tried to pull himself up after her, but found that he didn’t have the strength. He could feel the crowd pressing in on him, and he could barely breathe. Just when he was sure he would pass out, he felt a small hand clasp his and begin to pull him up on stage. The last thing Jerith saw before he blacked out was Nicolette’s face as she used every ounce of strength she had to drag him to safety.
Jerith regained consciousness a few minutes later, and tried to stand. He was assisted by a few very strong hands, and with Nicolette supporting him on the right and Tommy on the left, he moved off stage. The police had moved in by this time and were taking control of the situation. Tommy and Nicolette helped Jerith to the green room and laid him on the couch. Nicolette knelt at his side, looking very worried.
“Where the hell are the paramedics?” she yelled over her shoulder, her voice edging on hysterical. She had just about seen her husband trampled to death, and it had scared the hell out of her.
“Where’s Billy?” Jerith asked quietly. His head was pounding.
“She’s okay, Kid,” Tommy said. “You really saved her ass. What the hell were you thinking, diving into the crowd like that?”
Jerith just shook his head. His eyes were closed, his arm thrown over his face.
“Jerith, what hurts?” Nicolette asked, her voice soft and very concerned.
He moved his arm to look at her, trying valiantly to smile. “Ask me what doesn’t hurt—it’d be a shorter list.” It was obvious by his tone and the look on his face that he was in very real pain.
“Okay, babe, okay. Just lay there and rest. The paramedics should be here any minute,” Nicolette said, touching his cheek, her eyes searching his face, her anxiety evident.
“I’m okay, Nick,” Jerith said, his voice still very quiet.
The door to the room opened then, and two men brought Billy in. She was on her feet, but very obviously dazed. She had a cut on her forehead, and a bruise was already starting on her cheek.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Nicolette raged at the other woman. Billy just looked back at her blankly. “If you want to kill yourself, fine, do it—but don’t take Jerith with you.”
Billy blinked a couple of times, and then she slid to the ground as she saw Jerith. He had bloody welts on his chest, neck, and face, and a bruise on the side of his head as well as the one on his jaw. It was obvious that Jerith had taken the brunt of the punishment for her stupidity. Like a drunk driver that walks away from an accident without a scratch but leaves a family of four dead, Billy was basically no worse for the wear. Suddenly it was too much, and she began to cry hysterically. The paramedics arrived moments later, and ended up giving her a sedative to calm her down. She promptly passed out.
Jerith was taken to the hospital and checked over carefully. For his trouble, he had come away with a concussion, two badly bruised ribs, a sprained wrist, and a number of nasty scratches, most of which the doctors assured him should heal without scarring. Billy had been taken to the hospital for observation and was two rooms down from Jerith. After the doctor left, Jerith told Nicolette he had something to do. She nodded, but followed him solicitously to make sure he was okay. Jerith went to Billy’s room.
Billy lay in the bed, her jet black curls fanned out on the white pillow. Her eyes were closed, but when Jerith walked in, she opened them. She took in the bruises and scratches on his face, as well as the serious look in his blue eyes, and she knew what was coming. She began to nod as he walked over to the bed, tears welling up in her eyes. Jerith surprised her by sitting down on the bed and leaning down to take her into his arms. She cried on his shoulder for a full five minutes, then moved back, looking up at him.
“You don’t have to say it, Kid. I know,” she said, sounding very sincere. “I screwed up big time tonight… and I know that you’re here to kick me out.”
Jerith said nothing. The look in his eyes told her she was right.
“I just…” Billy said, her voice tearful. “I couldn’t pull it together. I couldn’t make things come out right. I’m sorry…” She reached up, touching his cheek. “I’m sorry for this—I’m sorry about a lot of things. You saved my life tonight, and I love you for it, and because I do, I’m going to make this easy on you.” She paused, with new tears welling up in her eyes, but then continued. “I’m quitting the band. You don’t have to fire me.”
“You need help, Billy,” Jerith said, tears in his own eyes now. “I’ve done everything I know how, but I can’t do it anymore. I can’t keep living my life on a string tied to your habit. It’s turned into a noose, and it’s strangling me.” His voice was very somber, and Nicolette felt tears stinging her eyes from the pain she knew he was feeling at that moment. She walked over to him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He reached up and touched her hand, taking it in his own as Billy watched.
Billy looked at Nicolette. “I’m sorry to you too,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn’t believe that anyone would capture Kid’s heart, and when you did, I couldn’t get past it. You were right though. I was trying to kill myself tonight, and I almost took Kid with me… and I’m sorry. I know that probably doesn’t mean much now, but I really am.”
Nicolette nodded, still feeling resentment at the self-destructive escapade that had almost cost her husband’s life.
Jerith and Nicolette left Billy’s room a short time later. Billy watched them go, then promptly reached over and ripped the IV of saline solution out of her arm. She curled into the fetal position, crying as her blood dripped on the white sheets.