Page 36 of Legendary Rock Star
“An ex. Samantha,” he said, and my heart sped up. He swung his hands in the air to get his driver’s attention and added, “The show wanted to upset me today.”
“Clearly both of us.” I prodded the easiest topic first, as we headed past the fence, “How long did the two of you date?”
There were fans waiting on the sidewalk, and he held me closer as they screamed for a photo. He said, “She was a mistake that only lasted three dates.”
The producers would know we’d left, as a dozen phones took our pictures. Thankfully, his limo came up beside us quickly and he held the door for me. Once we were both inside, I tried to relax. I asked, “And she was planted as a waitress?”
“Right. Should have tipped me off there was more to come.” He traced my knee with his finger as he said, “She’s an actor. I’m sure the show has some reaction scene from her about how I didn’t even acknowledge her.” He folded his hands between his legs. “But we’re alone, finally, and I don’t want to talk about her. I’d rather talk about the show and the song.”
“It’s what I want to talk about too,” I said and held my sigh in, like that might stop me from wanting Phoenix. “When we’re alone.”
His driver turned away from the studio and Phoenix relaxed into his leather seat as he asked, “Okay. A few more minutes then. So how was I with your parents?”
“Probably good,” I said and glanced up. “I was so upset that they still wanted to control my life though.”
He sat up. “At least they care about your well-being. Since my aunt and uncle died, I’ve only had my cousins and Mark.”
“How many cousins?”
“Twenty, but most are spread around the country now, and not here.”
Cousins weren’t the same, though, not that I had any to compare. I was an only child as were both of my parents. I said, “I need to win in part because I need to be free of them. I love them. They love me. But I can’t live and die in that small town anymore.”
He scooted closer and asked, “So you’re controlled?”
“Down to my clothes.” I recognized the black gates as we drove onto his property. I wrung my hands together to get control of myself as I said, “But I get why they want to protect me. It’s not like I could even tell them I have a contract to be paid for the song they heard on the radio.”
And I’d be crazy to forget that the song had been released without my consent.
“Right,” he said. “But Mark’s a decent agent, and most singers would sacrifice a limb to have him represent them.”
We stepped out of the limo and I glanced up at his glass and cement roof. His life was charmed.
My home was nothing this fancy. The brown Berber wall-to-wall carpeting in my basement was clean from stains, but that was the highlight of it.
I tried to ignore how my heart thumped differently when I was near Phoenix and said, “I wanted to do some research on Mark Powers and the contract he sent to me, and I’ll need unmonitored access to WiFi.”
“Not a problem. I’ll even throw in some water and whatever you want to eat, including bread.” He directed us toward a side room.
As he flipped on the lights, I saw the laptops and a TV that worked as a screen for him if he wanted. He directed me toward a white leather couch, and when I sank in, I understood it was more than just a couch. It had controls, including a back massager, and I could put my feet up.
I’d only seen these as single chair models, but he had a couch. I pressed a button and massagers vibrated and pushed against my back.
“Mark texted me again,” he said. “He’s anxious to talk to you.”
“Good,” I said and closed my eyes. The couch was amazing.
And no one was going to tell me to get off in two minutes.
He dropped onto the seat next to me, holding a tablet, as he said, “So you can search whatever you want.”
I opened my eyes and took it as he said, “Enjoy the couch.”
“Thank you,” I said. I searched Mark Powers.
His client list was top notch.
If Phoenix seriously meant what he said, he’d not take a dime till I was guaranteed a share of the profits. And if it was true that this agent wanted to get me a record deal, I’d be stupid to avoid talking to him.
