Chapter Three
“What’s that?” Brent asked as he glanced at Declan for a second before taking in the redhead again.
“You need a cover.” Brent looked at him again. “You’ve done rehab, and since you’re not an addict, that didn’t help. Your problem is just coping better, and I think you need to try a new cover to get out of this one.”
Brent knew that the band still wasn’t getting back to him, and he reluctantly nodded as Declan looked over at Riley. “Look, I mean this just as a cover, because there’s no way in hell I’d suggest you do it for real, but Riley would make a great cover.”
“Your sister?” Brent asked in shock since he’d been thinking the things he had since seeing her.
“You guys have known each other forever, so you’re comfortable. It would just be a few pictures and sightings, but nothing more. Kenzie would know what to do with it,” Declan said, as Brent rolled his eyes.
“She won’t want me anywhere near Riley.”
“You don’t see her that way, Brent. She’s a good girl with a great reputation and nothing scandalous in her background. She could clean up your image,” Declan urged him, as Brent looked at her. Dressed in her black jeans and a purple shirt that hung down in front of her, he had to admit that his friend was right. Riley was a good girl and would do him well, but what about the way he was feeling towards her? They couldn’t go past the front they were putting up, and Brent knew that would be hard.
“We could talk to Kenzie, I guess.” Brent tried to sound casual, and Declan nodded before giving him a warning glance.
“This is just for a cover. She’s beyond being too good for you and I don’t want you to lay a hand on her.” Brent had heard that Riley was a virgin a few times in the last few years, though looking at her now, it was hard to imagine. “You just need to lay off the groupies and play it out right.”
“Of course, D. I hear you.”
Riley walked back over, and he took her in and shook his head slowly. They continued to walk around and see everything, and the guys chatted between photos. Brent tossed around the idea over and over. It was crazy.
They stopped in a bar for a quick drink and took a table in the back corner so Brent could remove his sunglasses. Declan was sending messages on his phone, and he looked at Brent as his phone rang. Brent saw that it was Kenzie and answered as his best friend walked over to the bar to get them some drinks. “Hey. How was the graduation?”
“She’s growing up too fast,” his publicist sniffled before she went into her business tone. “So Dec sent me a crazy idea.”
“He mentioned it to me,” Brent said, and she sighed.
“I think that it’s a bit risky, but Riley would be perfect for a cover. She’s young enough to be realistic, doesn’t have anything they can trash her for on her record and would do this for you as a friend,” Kenzie told him. Brent acknowledged that she was right with a nod that she couldn’t see. Riley, in all of her disappointment in him, would still help him out because she believed in him. “Just don’t take this too far, if she happens to go for it. She’s my baby sister, Brent.”
“I’m aware,” he said. He looked up at Riley as she pointed her camera at him to snap a picture.
“You’re so photogenic,” she gushed, as he ended the call and set the phone on the table. Her phone rang, and she answered it easily with a smile. Riley frowned and stood up to go outside as Brent clenched his fists under the table. That had to be Kenzie with the idea, and a part of him wanted to stand up and put a stop to the entire thing for a moment.
Declan came back with two beers and a red drink. “Where’s Ri?”
“I think she’s talking to your sister,” Brent replied, as Declan raised an eyebrow and sat down. “She seemed to think it was a decent idea.”
“It is,” Declan agreed, as he slid one of the beers towards his friend. “I mean, she’s here, and you guys could just fall into this. It’s almost too easy.”
They looked up at Riley, who walked back in and slipped into the booth. She took a long drink of the bloody Mary and looked between the guys. Her gaze lingered longer on Brent, and her cheeks flushed and she looked at the table. “That was Kenzie.” She looked at her brother. “You know about her idea?”
“We both do,” Brent told her, and she stared back at him.
“What? Oh.” She flushed again, and Brent leaned forward.
“This is just a front, Ri. Nothing more. The band’s pissed at me, and we’re on this big tour. It would get the chatter quieted down quickly, and it wouldn’t be anything to worry about,” Brent assured her. Then he thought of something else. “Hell, Ri. I’ll pay for school for the year if you do this.” He was scared that this was going to affect them and his future, and he felt himself start to sweat. “I can’t mess up with the guys.”
She stared at him, and Declan looked at him with surprise on his face. “It’s worth that?”
“Yes,” Brent said. “Besides, you can’t drop out of school. You’re so good at what you do.”
“Just like you can’t leave the band because you’re so good at what you do,” Riley said, as she smiled at him and looked down at the table. “I mean, it can’t hurt things. It’s a few pictures and sightings, right?”
“Right,” Declan told her. “Do this for school. You know that Mom and Brad don’t have the cash to send you to Parson’s, and this is easy.” She’d already waited to go, to begin with, while their dad considered sending her after their parents had split up seven years ago.
“Ugh, okay. I guess I will. How do we start this?” Riley asked, and Brent found himself wanting to smile at her. He held it in and nodded.
“Brent will be noticed, and you’ll be with him. That’s a good start. After that, the more he’s seen with you, the more people will speculate. Maybe it’ll get their minds off of last night,” Declan suggested, and Riley looked at Brent.
He could still see the kid in her, but there was so much maturity in those eyes, so much intelligence. She was something, and he smiled at her and nodded. “Yeah. Even today. I’ll take off the sunglasses and see who notices me.”
“Sounds good.” They enjoyed their drinks as they chatted and when they left, Brent slid the sunglasses back on. He still hated bright sunlight and, looking at Riley, he wanted to give her a little peace before she was dragged into his world. Come to think of it, he was enjoying being anonymous after last night and this morning as well.
They wandered around a bit more and found a swamp tour that was leaving in a few moments. Riley then noticed all of the old cemeteries and looked at the guys with pleading eyes. “The pictures that I could take!”
“Fine,” Brent said, as Declan mock threw up his hands. They did that for the next couple of hours and found a place for dinner with the band since Gary had sent a message to find out what they were up to. The group was meeting at BB Kings for some grub and music, and Brent approached his band mates with a curious look on his face.
“We good?” Brent asked. Chad, the guitarist, glanced at the other guys before he turned to Brent.
“You need to get your shit together. I know you’ve been through stuff, but this? This is our future.” Chad gestured to the group of five with his hand, and Brent looked all of them in the face as he passed his gaze over them for a long moment.
“I swear I will.” He didn’t only need to do it for himself, but now to send Riley to school. Brent had plenty of money, but he used a lot of it up acting irresponsibly. He would have to be more careful.
He took a seat at the table, right next to Riley and across from the band. His glasses were off and the whole band was together, so this was their moment of truth.