“Oh, I’m sorry!” Rory said instinctively before she looked up and realized that she was staring at the annoyed face of Mickey Nicks.

“Yeah! You should be. Wait… you are... that girl. Wait, how do I know you?” he asked as he struggled to light his cigarette with shaking hands.

“Er… You took shelter in my house from the storm. Remember? Just a few days ago.” She couldn’t believe his memory was that bad.

“Oh right!” he replied, but Rory wasn’t sure that he really did remember.

“Have you seen Arsen or Don around?” she asked, but Mickey’s attention was already lost on the two young girls who had slid up to him from nowhere. They had cleavage for days, impossibly short skirts, and long legs.

“Mickey! Have you seen Arsen or Don?” she asked again sternly, making sure she got his attention.

“Ugh… yeah… they’re around.” With that, Mickey turned around and led the two girls into the house. Was he drunk? Was he high? Probably both, Rory concluded.

“I was sure you weren’t gonna show up.” A gruff voice reached her ears from behind, and a smile came on her face as she saw Don approaching her with a glass of champagne.

“Hey, Don. I was just asking Mickey about you.”

“Well… he is rarely aware of what he himself is up to, so…” He let out a slight laugh. “Have you been here long? Did the car pick you up okay?”

“Yes, Don. Thanks for sending it. Haven’t been here long, but I was getting lost in this sea of strangers.” Rory exhaled.

“Yeah these things can be like that, but you get used to it. Especially when you realize that everyone else at the party is probably way more self-conscious than you are.”

“Really? All these pretty, well-dressed people look like they have everything sorted in their lives.” Rory looked around the party.

“There is always more to it than meets the eye. The surface of the sea is never a good reflection of what lies at the bottom.” Don smiled.

“Does that apply to you too?” Rory chuckled.

“Me? Oh no. I am just a simple farm boy from Kansas.” He smiled.

“Really? No way!”

“Yes way. Why do you think I like LA so much? Because Kansas is even more dreary.” He laughed and the way he said it made Rory laugh as well.

“Speaking of dreary…” Don said to himself and looked out toward the entrance. A tall blonde woman dressed to the nines entered, followed by her entourage who reminded Rory of little minions.

“I think I’ve seen her somewhere,” she thought out loud, and then it came back to her. She was the woman she spotted the other day when she had met Arsen at Mike’s garage. The woman who had the paparazzi following her. Rory also remembered that after spotting the blonde Arsen had seemed to be in a hurry to get away from the place.

“I am surprised you don’t know her, but then again, I’m not. That, Rory, is Tanya Cox. Heiress to the Cox hotel chain empire. Reality TV star, singer, actress, and God knows what else. Though if she is good at any of that is a whole different discussion.”

“Well, she surely seems to be the centerpiece of this party,” Rory said and took a sip of the bubbly.

“She is—and that's not an accident. She knows what she’s doing. There is not an event in the world she won’t go to for PR mileage,” Don said, with what seemed to Rory like a certain sense of disdain.

“I guess some people have all the luck in the world,” Rory sighed.

“If I had her luck, I’d be doing better things with my life than mimicking Barbie doll songs while prancing half naked around the stage.” Don continued, a half smile back on his face. “I remember back in the 60s and the 70s, it was all about the music. Nobody cared about PR or Instagram or whatever. It was all about good times and meaningful music that spoke to your soul. Since then, apart from the songs Arsen writes, no other music has truly spoken to me.”

Rory realized that Don was not just a manager of the biggest band in the world, but also someone who loved their music. Someone who cared about his clients, especially one of them.

“Arsen seems to be the perfect rock god from LA,” Rory remarked, and then blushed, wondering why she had said that out loud.

“Far from it. There is much more to Arsen Ford than people know. He is no degenerate rockstar born on Sunset Boulevard.” Rory wasn’t sure, but she had a feeling that Don was referring to Mickey and his lifestyle.

“If I am still a farm boy from Kansas, then Arsen is still the small town boy from Iowa—as much as he might dislike admitting it. But I admire that man. He has suffered far too many losses in life and has still come out on top. I just wish he would give himself some credit at times.”

Rory simply couldn’t put Arsen and “a small town boy” together. He looked and acted like he was made to be a rockstar since the day he was born. Everything about the man oozed raw sexuality, masculine dominance, and an unshakeable sense of confidence.

“Are you sure we are talking about the same Arsen?” Rory chuckled and Don laughed.

“Yes, my dear. That man has worked his way to the top and on the way, he has been a bartender, a roadie, and God knows what else. Anyone else would’ve given up halfway. He’s just having a tough time of late as he deeply cares about his music… but he’ll get out of this funk too. I will make sure he does.” There was a sense of determination in Don’s eyes.

“Amen to that, Don.” Rory raised her glass. They both drank in silence for a minute. There were a lot more people at the party now, and Rory struggled to take it all in. To anybody that was there, it was clear that Tanya Cox was indeed the center of attention. In a crowded party, it was as if she had a no-fly zone around her which others were scared to enter without her approval.

“Here comes trouble,” said Don, as he took a sip of his drink. Rory noticed Tanya Cox making her way toward them, a smile on her face and a confidence in every step she took. Her dress was probably worth more than what Rory made in a year.

“Uncle Don.” Her face went into a practiced smile. Pearly whites shined through, on a canvas of perfect complexion. Rory wondered how tall she was or rather, how tall the heels she was wearing were.

“Hello Tanya. Glad you could make it,” Don said in his polite, businesslike manner.

“Great party,” she said, in a monotone voice that was clearly meant to convey that she had been to better parties than this.

“Just a small get-together of friends, nothing more,” Don replied.

“Isn’t that what all parties are?” Tanya chuckled as if she had made a very smart comeback. She barely held eye contact with Don and constantly looked around, as if things around her were more interesting than the person that she was speaking to. Rory, she didn’t even acknowledge.

“This is Rory. Rory, meet Tanya Cox.” Don introduced them.

“Hello,” Rory said politely and offered Tanya her hand. The blonde heiress slowly turned, looked Rory up and down, and slightly nodded her head in acknowledgment. No shaking of hands, no words of hello. Tanya Cox had no time for mere mortals.

“Have you seen Arsen around?” Tanya turned back to Don.

“Arsen? Arsen Ford?” Don feigned ignorance, playing with Tanya. “I don’t think he’s even here. He doesn’t like parties.”

“Don,” she said in a cold tone and narrowed her eyes. “Where is Arsen?”

“No idea. Have you seen him, dear?” He turned to Rory, who shook her head. Though where is Arsen? Missing his own party? she wondered.

“I’m telling you Tanya, he’s not even here.” Don chuckled this time, much to the annoyance of the heiress who was clearly used to having everyone at her beck and call. Tanya let out a small grunt but quickly composed herself, put that rehearsed smile back on her face, and turned around to walk away.

“One of the small joys of my life. Messing with Tanya Cox.” Don laughed out loud, clearly pleased with his work. “Are you okay by yourself, sweetheart? You mind if I go and check up on our guests?”

“Of course, Don. It is your party after all,” Rory replied. “It was nice talking to you.”

“Likewise, my dear. Feel free to explore around.” With that, Don was off.

Rory lounged around for what seemed like an hour. Her eyes searched for Lizzy, but she was too busy mingling with people and Rory didn’t want to interrupt her. Afraid that if she hid by the bar any longer she would end up drinking too much, Rory decided to give herself a tour of the house.

If she thought that the house looked incredible from the outside, she was in for a shock as she walked into the main hall. It was the kind of place that she had seen on MTV Cribs. Rory had to tilt her head fully back to see the chandelier that hung from a high ceiling. The place was done up with a lot of taste, and she was surprised that a rock band had chosen to live here. This was a place meant for royalty.

A hallway led to an inner garden that had immaculate landscaping. Beds of flowers formed the periphery of the area and there was a very earthy feel to it. A canopy, terraced with glass frames and bound by sheer curtains around its pillars, housed the sitting area. To the side, the presence of a tall fountain cooled the air. Rory instantly fell in love with the place and wondered what it would be like to have breakfast in there every morning.

The pathway from the garden led into a huge dining hall that was perfect for throwing parties. A grand piano sat in one corner, and there was a strong classical British feel to the decor. Reminds me of Downton Abbey, she thought.

A wide opening led to another hallway that ended up in a library. Cozy was the first word that came to Rory’s mind as she stepped through. Even for a bookstore owner, it was overwhelming to see so many books lined up along the walls. Someone had really put a lot of work in setting up this collection here. Or maybe they are all just pulp fiction in fancy bindings, she chuckled to herself.

Rory’s drink was done and she wondered if she should get herself another one. Before anything else, I gotta go pee. She didn’t recall seeing a restroom on her way so far and decided to wander around to see if she could find one.

The vacant room on the other side of the dining hall didn’t have one, and the decor of the dining room itself was such that she couldn’t distinguish whether they were all wall panels or if there was a door hidden in there somewhere. Deciding that she would look like a fool were she to try and pry it out, she chose to explore further instead.

As she looked through one more door, she finally saw what seemed like a sitting room. It had a great window to one side that looked out at the party that was taking place. On the other side was a door that Rory was sure would be the one she was looking for. Thankfully for her it was.

Rory smiled to herself as she looked in the mirror after relieving herself. She thought she looked pretty, or at least better than she usually did. Maybe I won’t look so bad in that bridesmaid’s dress that Tara sent over.

As Rory walked out of the bathroom she saw that at one end of the room, by a huge sofa, lay about ten guitars next to sheets of paper that had some scribbling on them. Rory got curious, but felt guilty at wanting to snoop around like this. She was making her way to the door when it opened by itself with a thud.

Tingles went down her spine as her eyes feasted upon the charming face of Arsen Ford, standing there in his usual rockstar clothes that partially hid, partially showed off that rock hard body underneath. He seemed to be taken aback as he saw her standing there, but maintained his composure and didn’t show any signs of a shock. How rude, Rory thought.