Page 28 of Legendary Rock Star
His gaze narrowed and he pressed his forehead to mine and said, “We don’t have to talk at all.”
“Then we’re done?” I ran my hand over my updo as the waitress came back with our dinner.
“No. Just give me a minute.”
“Fine.” I pushed the teriyaki chicken off the bun and started cutting it up with my fork and knife.
He waited till I was finished cutting my food, all at once, like I was a little kid. Then he asked, “So why me? My friends played more interesting characters on the show. As a boy, I was the nerdy one.”
“I’ve always preferred nerdy music types,” I said.
I could see the waitress looking him over. My stomach knotted and I knew I was jealous. Countless women must have tried with him. And ones far more experienced. I ignored the obvious glance she gave him from her station, and said, “You had the sweetest voice as a kid. You have more talent in your pinkie than most people have in their entire bodies.”
He held up his little finger and showed it to me while he said, “And that’s why you had a crush on me?”
I pushed his finger down and shook my head as I said, “You were my preteen fantasy and I had your photo on my bedroom wall. So when I met you, I reacted to you like I’d lived my life in the desert and you were the first person to ever offer me water.”
“Wow. That’s intense,” he said and picked up his fork. “I didn’t pick up on that. Your guard was always up.”
It still was. We both ate. I finished quickly as I wasn’t eating the fries or the bread.
In that meeting with the producers, I’d signed an agreement to stick to a strict diet. And I refused to let the cameras catch me cheating. Maybe after the show ended I’d eat carbs again.
I put my fork and knife down and said, “But that was only the beginning.”
He finished eating and said, “What else, then?”
My entire body had a thrill of desire rushing through my veins now. The heat of my anger had dissipated. I told him the absolute truth. “Well, after getting to know you, I see you’re kind, smart, and, honestly, you should be one of the judges, not one of us. But that doesn’t forgive what happened tonight.”
His blush was cute as it amplified those dimples of his. He said, “We’ll find out what happened, and I swear I won’t profit off you.”
I didn’t know if I believed him. His lifestyle was high end and nothing like mine. So his cost serious cash. Sure, he’d been a child star on TV, and then briefly in one of the most successful bands on the planet, until he’d been kicked out. But he still lived in a mansion and made money writing music.
I should hate him. He was seriously overqualified compared to the rest of us on this eight-week show. I waited as the waitress took our plates away and he motioned for the check. Once we were alone again I said, “Maybe. But every contestant on the stage is better because you’re helping us all and not treating it like a competition, like you should be.”
“Can I be honest about why?”
“Absolutely,” I said, and stilled as I waited for the news.
He gave me an intense stare that made my hair stand on end, while he said, “I want to win, but I can’t destroy more careers.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He stared into his glass as he said, “My old band mates still have me helping with compositions. Music has always been in my veins and it’s a small way of giving back to my muse.”
“There’s more to it than that. Way more.” I ran my hand through his slightly too-long hair, though I knew I shouldn’t touch him. It threw me off course. I said, “You’re re-rendering every genre. Most people are only skilled in one area, but you make the most obscure songs relevant again.”
His thumb stroked my cheek and he said, “Rewriting your songs is fun. You’re an angel.”
This didn’t answer the question about why we were here, and what he was holding back. My lips parted and I tilted my head while he added, “An angel who doesn’t want to get in trouble. Let’s get going.”
I wasn’t an angel. I was here to be a star and get my own concert tour. I closed my eyes, and let the tingles rush through me, betraying my singing dreams.
“One second,” he said.
“Mmhmm,” I said quickly, and then his lips met mine.
And the intensity inside me made me forget who I was, where I was, or anything else. He still hadn’t told me anything. What had happened to get him kicked out of the band, or what caused him to help everyone on the stage. And I wasn’t sure I could believe him when he said that he’d not use me. He had been using me all along, right?
