Page 43 of Legendary Rock Star
The host’s eyebrows went up as he asked, “That’s it?”
Phoenix stared into the camera but I could have sworn he was speaking directly to me as he said, “I guess. The world knows the truth now about why Indigo 5 kicked me out. Fiona Desiree spent three months in rehab after the car accident, and never recovered her fledgling career. I don’t know what’s happened to her since, but I hope she ends up with her second chance soon.”
So that was why he helped every one of his competitors. He knew this televised world. And no one else had that charisma with the cameras. Clearly he hadn’t forgotten a thing about how shows work, and I was a fool for wanting to believe there was more to “us.”
A female voice I sort of recognized came on and said, “That’s good to hear from you, Phoenix, even if that’s years too late to count. You don’t deserve a second chance. The show invited me here to sing while they tally the votes.”
Fiona Desiree had once had a hit with some song my parents had called a wanna-be stripper song. I’d not been allowed to listen to it. I remembered that the second the beat started. And Phoenix smiled at the woman he’d once been close to and said, “Good luck, Fiona.”
A gentleman as always, when the world was watching. The host stood next to Phoenix on stage and didn’t let him leave.
It was like the show wanted to keep him in front of the viewers and not let him off screen.
Even I was hooked. My arms ached to hold him and to throttle him at the same time. I should hate him. He had used me to gain sympathy with the audience.
I didn’t move until the crew led Finnigan, Jane, Sawyer, Rihanne and myself out to join Phoenix in a line.
I was stuck on the other end, as far as possible from him. And I knew from the lights on me that this wasn’t good.
I’d be at the bottom and he’d be at the top. And this was my fault. I hadn’t rearranged my last song to the best of my abilities. I’d been lazy. I heard the judges say, “Well, Phoenix, I think you know the answer to this …”
Phoenix quipped like he was in on the joke, “I don’t think we clapped enough for Fiona Desiree.”
The crowd roared. The host had to wait for the applause to die down. Then he pointed theatrically to the other spotlight for Phoenix to go to as he said, “You’re safe.”
But I wasn’t. I’d dug my own grave.
Phoenix said, “Second chances are rare. Thank you.”
This was on me.
Finnigan was in the bottom three.
Jane’s performance had been spotless, so she was safe.
The host then said, “Sawyer, go join Finnigan.”
The show cut to commercial with the light on Rihanne and me, like we were both an option. Rihanne’s country styling had been good. I was the one who’d messed up.
The lights came back on and Rihanne and I held hands. And then the host shoved the microphone in my face. My entire body was still as he said, “And Maggie, after your performance earlier, you also are in the bottom three.”
Yeah. I’d known. I sauntered over to Finnigan and Sawyer and took their hands.
I hadn’t been good tonight, and I hadn’t asked for help. I wiped my eyes and didn’t care if the world saw, or if anyone heard me when I said to myself, “I won’t let go of my dreams again.”
We finished filming and the lights went off.
The rest of the contestants walked back to their rooms to unwind, shower or relax.
I walked over next to Phoenix and didn’t move until he steered me back to our rooms.
I went with him, but my words failed me.
As we neared the dorms, he stopped outside of the women’s area and said, “Look, you only have one night to get better.”
“And I’ll do it by myself.”
He traced my face and said, “Maggie, I’m sorry.”
