CHAPTER 4

ALICIA

Holy mother of… Jared was, without a doubt, one of the most attractive men I’ d ever met. No, not attractive. Attractive was the word you used to describe the guy who moved in down the hall or sat next to you at work. The one with the nice teeth and easy smile, he was attractive.

Hot wasn’t even the word I was looking for when it came to Jared. The guy who’d served my coffee this morning, he was hot. The guy whose eye you caught while going on that Saturday morning jog you’d been promising yourself, he could often be described as hot.

Jared was, well, he was stunning. He had that extra something that most men, and women really, just didn’t.

Starpower. That was what my younger sister Kelly would call it.

And Jared had it.

By the bucketload.

He was-.

I was ripped from my thoughts when I smacked right into something squishy. Jumping back, I blinked away my musings about one of my newest clients.

Because yes, Alicia, you’re going to have to remember that he’s your client and you’re going to have to be professional here.

I looked up at what I’d hit, surprised to find the curious, piercing eyes of my predecessor staring out at me when I finally managed to focus on something other than the memory of Jared Larsen and the forcefield he seemed to emit.

“Mr Kelly? Hi.” Could I sound any more like a blubbering idiot?

I stuck my hand out, trying to regain some semblance of professionalism. “My name is Alicia Diamond. I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“Alicia Diamond.” Recognition sparked in his kindly blue eyes. “Oh. Yes. Gerry told me about you. You’re their latest victim.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re the new me.” It was a statement, not a question. He didn’t look offended or jealous at all. If anything, there was sympathy lining his soft features.

Brad Kelly was well- known in my industry. He’d been around for a long time and there were words like “legend” being thrown around when his retirement was discussed. A slight exaggeration if anyone would’ve bothered to ask for my opinion about him, but I respected the man nonetheless. As did many, if not most, others in my line of work.

He looked like a grandpa with his sparkling blue eyes and curly gray hair and it made you want to make him proud. The effect he had on people wasn’t only limited to his peers, even most members of the media were susceptible to his particular brand of charm. Which was why he was so very effective in his job.

He wasn’t only effective, however. What made him remarkable, known, was how he used his appearance and demeanor to mask that he could be a real shark when he needed to be. Rumor had it there weren’t many in this town who didn’t owe him a favor or two and he always collected eventually.

I swallowed, the size of the shoes I was expected to fill slowly dawning as I looked into his knowing eyes. “I guess I am the new you.”

Dents appeared at the corners of his lips as he pursed them, a flash of his infamous disapproval in his eyes as he studied me. “Godspeed darlin’, heaven knows you’re gonna need it.”

Ice crept into my tone, into my veins. I was tired of people looking at me like I couldn’t handle doing my job when it came to this band. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t.” He said, the slight Southern lilt in his accent more pronounced as he held up his hands. “Gerry called me about you when you first got recommended to him. I looked you up, saw good things.”

“What is it, then?” My feathers were ruffled, I couldn’t deny it. Brad had retired of his own free will. It wasn’t like I’d stolen the job from him somehow and I hadn’t been appointed for any reason other than merit, so why did it feel like both Brad and Gerry were expecting me to prove something? To fail?

“This band,” he rubbed the graying scruff of his jaw contemplatively. “They’re unlike anything you think you’ve seen, is all.”

“What makes you say that?” The man no idea what I’d seen or handled.

He chuckled, dropping his hand back to his side as he tilted his head, blue eyes friendly but dark at the same time. “Because they’re unlike most I’ve ever seen before, and I have to have at least four decades on you in this business.”

Jutting my chin out, I folded my arms. “I may be young, Mr Kelly but I assure you I’m not a rookie.”

“No, you’re not.” He agreed, surprising me. “You’re talented, which is why I gave you my stamp of approval when Gerry called. But no, Ms Diamond, at risk of sounding like a teenager breaking up with you, it’s not you, it’s them.”

“They can’t be that bad.” Seriously, most of what I’d learnt about them was amusing. Tiring to deal with, no doubt, but nothing too far out of the box. With his reputation, Brad must’ve seen a thousand things worse than the antics of Destitute.

Those you’ve been told about, I reminded myself.

Inclining his head in agreement, Brad looked straight into my eyes. “They’re not bad guys, I grant you. It’s more that they think they deserve it.”

“And most other celebrities aren’t entitled brats sometimes?” I wasn’t following what he was trying to say. Most of the famous ones I’d worked with or for acted like they deserved the world on a silver platter.

“Won’t argue with you there, but these guys don’t only believe they deserve to do whatever they want, they also believe they deserve whatever comes their way as a result. That’s what makes them dangerous. And different.”

“Dangerous?” I lifted an eyebrow, angling my head to one side. People swarmed around us in the hallway, some carrying equipment or papers and others barking into phones. Brad took my elbow and led me off to the side where we could talk without the withering stares of those whose path we were in the way of. Heaven forbid they actually had to walk around someone.

“Dangerous, yes.” Brad said once we were safely out of the stampede zone. He was leaning with his hip against the gray wall, his hands in the front pockets of his slacks. Standing like that, he looked like a much younger man.

If not for the lines and creases on his face telling the stories of the battles he’d fought and the nights he’d burned the midnight oil, I wouldn’t have guessed that he could possibly be retiring already. But he was, and my new band was the biggest contributing factor to that decision.

“Why?” The question jumped out before I could stop it. Why would a man like him be retiring because a couple of rockstars stole a car?

“They’ve accepted whatever consequences come their way because of what they get up to. It makes them impossible to control.” Brad’s eyes were unwavering on mine. “The only thing they’re afraid of, not that they’d ever admit it, is losing their music. And that’s the one thing we can’t exactly take away from them or threaten them with to keep their behavior in line.”

“The public can.” I countered. “If they go too far, they’ll lose fans.”

“The way they see it, the fans come because of the music.” Brad sighed, straightening up. “And those boys are talented, so they’re probably right for now. Problem is, there are many talented people out there that fans can follow if they lose respect for their idols. The guys don’t seem to understand that.”

“And that makes them dangerous?”

“For us?” He smoothed his jacket, his eyes starting to stray to a point behind my shoulder. “Yes, that makes them dangerous. It means they believe people will love them until they don’t and when they stop, that’s okay too because they’ve built up enough of a fan base for their music that the rest doesn’t matter.”

“I’m still not sure I’m following.”

Smiling from the corner of his mouth, Brad shook his head. “You will. The music’s all that matters to them, Ms Diamond. Makes keeping them out of trouble very hard when they know nothing they get up to will change the fact they’re talented and have enough fans that only care about that.”

“I see.” Not completely, but I was starting to.

He chuckled, extending his hand to shake mine. “I don’t think you do, not yet, but you will. I wish you the best of luck with them.”

“Thank you.” I returned his firm grip, refusing to be intimidated by his warnings or the resigned sympathy in his expression. “If I may ask, why retire now? I appreciate the warning, but you must’ve seen and dealt with worse.”

“I have.” Retracting his hand from mine, he pulled an envelope out of his pocket and held up a hand to someone behind me whose eye he seemed to have caught before he briefly turned back to me. “Worse antics, I’ve seen yes. These guys attitude towards it? Not so much. Frankly, I’m getting too old for their shit, Ms Diamond. If you’ll excuse my language. Now, I must be getting to my meeting. Just picking up my final check and marching orders. Good luck.”

“I’ll be okay, but thanks again. Same to you.”

Brad nodded with another smile quirking up the side of his lips, then turned and strode confidently down the hallway to another man waiting at the end of it. Mind spinning from the encounter with the man I was replacing, I was suddenly desperate for some fresh air.

Between meeting Jared earlier and Brad’s cryptic, vaguely ominous warnings, getting a strong cup of coffee and finding somewhere out in the sunshine to drink it sounded heavenly. I was about to leave when I heard my name being called from down the hallway.

Turning my head, I saw Gerry hurrying to catch up with me. I groaned softly before he reached me. The last thing I felt like was another man telling me I couldn’t do this job.

But turning and running away from him as fast as I could without snapping an ankle in the power heels I’d chosen to wear because I’d be meeting the band today would only prove his point. Pasting a polite smile on my face, I silently ground my teeth and vowed to add an extra dollop of cream to coffee when I finally got it.

“Gerry, what can I do for you?”

“We’re going to have to postpone your meeting with the band.” He huffed, slightly out of breath as he came to stop beside me. “I can get them together to meet you tomorrow, but today isn’t the best idea.”

I bit back a frustrated sound. People were doubting me already and the damn band didn’t even want to meet me yet? It was a bit more than I’d thought when I first accepted the job, but I was up for the challenge.

“Sure. You’ll let me know when you’ve arranged a time and place?” I smiled sweetly, not about to let him or anyone see they’d made me doubt myself or my convictions when I’d taken the job.

“Will do.” Gerry said briskly, seeming relieved. “Have a good one, Alicia. We’ll speak tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” I echoed, but he was already rushing off in the direction in which he’d pointed out the studio where the band was recording earlier.

I was parked off that side of the building, since Gerry directed me there saying it was better to park near where we’d be meeting with the band. Releasing a heavy sigh, I followed his fast retreating back and hoped I’d be able to find the unmarked exit door he’d ushered me in through without anyone showing me how to find it from here.

The amount of people thinned drastically the nearer I got to where the actual studios were situated, something I hadn’t noticed on my way in. I tried to find stairs and turns I remembered from walking with Gerry earlier and to my relief, spotted a poster I’d noticed opposite the door I’d entered through.

Home stretch! I mentally added another dollop of cream as my reward for making a smooth exit. Almost.

The hall I was in now was all but abandoned except for one solitary figure leaning with the back of his head against a wall near the door I had to exit through. Though I hadn’t met him yet, it was impossible not to recognize him when I got near enough to make out his features.

Nick Masters smirked at me, hazel eyes blazing as he hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans. I started raising my hand to introduce myself when he spoke up first. His voice smooth, yet unmistakably cocky. “How come nobody told me we were bringing groupies to the studio now?”

Son of a… I was so not in the mood for this, nor was I going to smile and simper and explain myself. Shooting him a scathing glare, I bit my tongue and pushed my way out of the door and into the sunshine instead. I would meet him soon enough. Until then, I’d had enough testosterone and ego for one day.