Rock bottom, p.21
Rock Bottom, page 21
“You can interview me if you like,” she said with a grin. “I love doing interviews.”
“It’s a music magazine. The next issue will feature the article about Carter and one about a band back in Minneapolis who just got their first record deal.”
“Oh, lovely.” Cheyenne smiled. “You’ll text me the name later, okay? I can’t wait to read it.”
Aurora rolled her eyes, but we’d just arrived at the event, so there was no time to say anything else.
I had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I hissed under my breath to Kingston the first chance I had. “What made you think inviting Aurora was a good idea?”
He sighed. “She’s our manager, and she wanted to come. What was I supposed to say? No, you can’t ride in the limo with us because Zeke is grumpy about the way you treated his girlfriend?”
“You could have given me some warning,” I snapped. “So I could prepare Presley. This is all new to her.”
“She and Cheyenne are already like two peas in a pod,” he said, motioning to where the two of them were heading toward the ladies’ room together. “She’s fine.”
“For now. Aurora was being snarky in the limo, and I’m sure she has a lot more where that came from.”
“You don’t have to sit near her during the movie. Just chill, man.”
“Are you purposely trying to piss me off?”
Kingston shook his head. “Come on. You know me better than that.”
“I thought I did, but this was a dick move.”
“Look, I’m sorry, but you and Aurora need to get past this. She’s our manager and damn good at what she does.”
“We don’t need her or anyone else at this point in our career. We manage our own shit for the most part, she just handles the details.”
He looked away.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I demanded. “She have something on you?”
“Not on me, no.” It wasn’t like Kingston to be cagey like this, and it was starting to worry me.
“Then who?” I demanded.
He met my gaze almost guiltily. “Carter.”
“What can she have on him? He’s a hot mess, but essentially an open book. He doesn’t give a shit what anyone knows.”
“I don’t know the details, but I overheard them arguing. She was threatening to go to the press about something, and he called her a cunt. After that their voices were too low for me to hear much.”
“Seriously?” Carter was a wild child, but also a gentle, sometimes overly sensitive soul who adored women and didn’t like to argue with anyone. I couldn’t imagine what he was hiding.
“She said he better hope we don’t fire her because the whole world would find out. I tried talking to him, but he told me to mind my own business, he had it under control.”
“You don’t believe that, though.”
“No. He was spooked when they were arguing.”
“Fuck.” I tapped my foot. “You have any idea what it could be?”
“Something that could impact the band?”
“Then we need to make him tell us.”
“Good luck. You’ve been distracted so I’ve been trying to pry it out of him, but he won’t budge with any info.”
“Which means we’re stuck with Aurora forever?” I groaned. “That’s bullshit. I’ll talk to him.”
“We could get him high, then he’ll tell us anything we want to know, but that’s kind of counter-productive,” he said dryly.
“I want her gone,” I said in a steely voice, meeting his gaze. “I don’t care what he did. If our manager, who’s supposed to be on our side, is blackmailing him, she’s not someone I want as part of the team.”
“I agree, but he’s just out of rehab and already teetering on the edge of sobriety. Do we really want to risk whatever this is getting out until we’ve had a chance to do damage control? And what if it’s something really bad?”
“Like he killed someone?” I wrinkled my nose. “You think Carter’s capable of that?”
“Maliciously? Of course not. But what about vehicular homicide? Him driving under the influence?”
“I think we would’ve noticed.”
“I don’t know. And to be honest, Kellan and Tom and are so far up Aurora’s ass, I don’t know how we’ll ever get them on board.”
“Irony here is that when I wanted to fire her a few months back, Carter was the only one on my side. How come?”
He didn’t hesitate to meet my angry glare. “Because this is a business, and there’s a lot of money on the table. The band is already on the outs. We’re not close like we used to be, and it’s starting to show.”
“Starting to show? To whom?” I demanded.
“You think we wrapped up this album in record time because we’re that good?” he asked quietly. “Or because we just wanted to be done, so we could get the hell out of there?”
I stared at him.
He stared back.
“Is that what this is?”
“You’ve been distracted, and rightfully so. I get it. If I had a kid, I’d want to be there for everything too. But you’ve missed a lot the last few months. Other than a few events we were committed to for the band, we didn’t hang out once while Carter was in rehab. When was the last time we went three or four months without hanging?”
“We just spent two years on the road together twenty-four-seven,” I protested.
He spread his hands, palms up.
“Is this my fault?” I asked, starting to get an uncomfortable feeling in my gut.
“It’s not one’s fault. It’s our current reality. It’s happening, regardless of who or why or what. And if we start fucking around with the foundation—namely the people who helped get us where we are—I think it’s going to make it worse.”
“Did it ever occur to you making some changes might make it better?”
“Sure. But is it a risk we want to take? We’re on top and changing things could impact everything we’ve built. Especially if Aurora is the vindictive bitch she’s showing herself to be.”
I didn’t have an answer to that.
Not yet anyway.
But I was going to figure one out.
33
Presley
I’d never been on a red carpet before, and I would’ve been lying if I said it wasn’t exciting. Even with the weird vibe happening with Aurora, I was having a blast. Cheyenne and Didi were both nice, especially Cheyenne. She was one of the top supermodels in the world, but very down to earth and easy to talk to. Didi was a lot more reserved. Zeke had told me she and Kellan broke up and got back together regularly so she tended to keep her distance from the band and anything they were involved with.
Cheyenne had no such qualms, even admitting to me that things with Kingston weren’t serious.
“Oh, it’s just sex,” she said, dabbing gloss on her lips. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s lovely. Handsome, good in bed, rich, generous. He ticks all the boxes. But he’s thirty and I’m only twenty-two. I’m at the height of my career and nowhere near ready to settle down.”
“Is he ready to settle down?” I asked curiously.
She laughed. “These guys all want that. They’re just not comfortable admitting it, as if needing some stability to go with the chaos of rock and roll is something to be ashamed of. It’s bloody ridiculous.”
“Zeke seems ready,” I said thoughtfully.
“Oh, please.” Aurora came out of one of the stalls, shaking her head. “You had his kid, honey. That’s the only thing he’s interested in. Once the band goes back out on tour, he’s going to forget all about you.”
“I live in his house,” I said, refusing to let her intimidate me. “So I doubt he’s going to forget me.”
She looked momentarily surprised but then shrugged as she washed her hands. “It’s convenient. He doesn’t want to schlep back and forth to Minnesota or even to some little house he sets you up in, in the Valley. Plus, he has a very high libido.” She smirked at me. “Keeping you close is advantageous. He gets to see his kid whenever he wants, and he gets to fuck the pretty little thing that’s already in his bed. Who wouldn’t like that kind of arrangement short-term?”
“What would you know about his libido?” I snapped, irritated at her insinuation that it was nothing but sex between Zeke and me.
She paused, cocking her head. “Honey, I was sleeping with Big Z while you were still in middle school. I’m guessing he didn’t mention that.”
I was too shocked to respond, so I was grateful Cheyenne had my back.
“Past tense, eh?” She cocked her head. “It’s always a bitch when you’re replaced with someone half your age.”
Aurora narrowed her eyes. “I’d be nicer to me if I were you. The women in the boys’ lives come and go, but you know who’s been here through all of them? Me. And I have no plans to go anywhere.”
Cheyenne wasn’t even a little bit put off. “I could have every one of those boys eating out of the palm of my hand with a snap of my fingers.” She glanced at me. “No offense.” Then she looked back at Aurora. “If I wanted you gone, you’d be gone.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re nothing but Kingston’s flavor of the month. Like you said a few minutes ago—it’s nothing but sex.”
“You’re the one flattering yourself if you think someone like Zeke is going to marry a woman almost as old as his mother.” This time Cheyenne was the one who smirked.
“Go to hell.” Aurora tossed her dark hair back over her shoulder. “Pretty little things like you are a dime a dozen. They like fucking you but when it comes time for something with a little more depth, they come to me. And don’t kid yourself—if I wanted you gone, I can make it happen just. Like. This.” She snapped her fingers like Cheyenne had.
Cheyenne laughed. “Careful, Aurora. Your fangs are showing.” She reached for my arm. “Come on, Presley. Let’s go find our dates.” She said the last word as an obvious insult since Aurora had come alone, and I grimaced as we stepped into the hall.
“Thanks for sticking up for me,” I told her, “but she’s their manager and I really don’t want to cause trouble for Zeke or the band.”
“Looks to me like there’s already trouble,” she said, her gaze traveling down the hall to where Zeke and Kingston looked to be in a heated discussion.
They immediately stopped talking when we approached, and Zeke took my hand. “Ready to go in?”
“In a moment.” Cheyenne looked at Kingston. “I don’t appreciate being threatened or spoken down to. I don’t care who Aurora is to you, but she’s a fucking cunt and I’m not riding back in the limo with her. So, you can go home with her or go home with me. You decide.”
“She threatened you?” Kingston looked surprised and annoyed.
“She also had some fun information for Presley,” she said, glancing at me.
“It was nothing,” I said quickly. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t do that.” Cheyenne shook her head. “That’s how trouble starts. Don’t try to protect him—he’s not the one who needs it. Trust me on this.” She slid her arm through Kingston’s. “Let’s go.”
“What did she say to you?” Zeke asked me as they headed into the theater ahead of us.
I didn’t look at him, feeling both frustrated and embarrassed, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. “She told me about the two of you.”
“Fuck.” He pulled me close. “You know that’s all in the past, right?”
“Yes, but why didn’t you tell me? I thought we’d agreed on honesty and a clean slate.”
“It didn’t seem important, to be honest, because we kept talking about starting fresh, you know? What was the point of bringing up the past? It was only going to make you uncomfortable.”
“Probably less uncomfortable than I was finding out from her in the ladies’ room.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry, babe. Really. I had no idea she was attending tonight. If I’d known, I would have hired our own car to bring us here. Can you forgive me?”
“Do you promise not to keep things from me anymore?”
“I promise.”
“Then you’re forgiven.”
He smiled. “Shall we go find our seats?”
The movie was an action-adventure type thing, with lots of explosions and car chases. Everyone in the audience seemed to enjoy it, and we all cheered when Onyx Knight’s song played in the background. What I hadn’t realized was that Cheyenne had a small part in it, playing herself in a scene with the hero. It was only two lines, where he hits on her and she shoots him down, but I reached over and squeezed her arm.
“Congrats!” I whispered.
“Thank you.”
I liked Cheyenne a lot, but Didi and Aurora made me uneasy. They seemed to have formed an alliance, with Aurora sitting next to her and the two of them whispering the whole time. I wasn’t sure what was going on but there was an odd tension amongst the band. They smiled and waved as we left the building when the movie was over, but they didn’t look at or talk to each other. For guys who’d been friends for so long, something was off with them.
We went to a party at the home of the movie’s director after the premiere. He lived in an opulent mansion in Bel-Air, and there were so many famous people here I had to stop myself from staring.
“Overwhelming?” Zeke whispered in my ear, one arm around my waist.
“A little.”
“We can leave whenever you want. I thought we’d make an appearance, maybe have a drink or two, and then we can take off.”
“I’m fine. I just never imagined being in the same room with some of these people.”
“Me either.” Our eyes met and we smiled.
“I’m going to hit the head—will you be okay for a few minutes?”
“I’m fine.” I nodded.
He disappeared around a corner, and I wandered out to the pool area. There were people everywhere, talking, drinking, eating, and even dancing. Big name movie stars, musicians, models, influencers. It was heady to be here among them.
“Well, hello.” Someone came up behind me and I recognized him from a popular television show.
“H-hi.”
“I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Greg.”
Gregory Mink.
I knew who he was all too well.
“Presley.”
“Like Elvis?”
I smiled. “My parents were big fans.”
“Now I’m a big fan.” He leaned forward. “What do you do—no, wait. Let me guess.” He squeezed his eyes shut as if thinking. Then snapped his fingers and pointed at me. “You’re very tall… model?”
I laughed. “Nope.”
“Aspiring actress?”
“Not even close.”
“Hmm. I’m stumped. Do you sing?”
“Only in the shower.”
“I’d like to see that.”
“I don’t think—”
“Knock it off, Greg.” Carter came over and put his arm around my shoulders. “This is Z’s girl. Presley, this is Greg Mink. He’s a pain in the ass, but mostly harmless.”
“Man, you never let me have any fun.” Greg flashed a million-dollar smile before shaking Carter’s hand. “It’s good to see you, Carter. Heard you were back in rehab.”
Carter nodded. “Yeah, you know how it is. People worry, they do an intervention, I wind up in rehab.”
“I’m familiar.”
The two locked eyes for a second but then Greg turned back to me. “Well, Ms. Presley. Big Z’s a lucky man. Have a good night.” He wandered back inside, and I looked at Carter.
“You didn’t have to step in.”
“He’s a good guy but I’ve seen him get handsy when he’s had too much to drink, and Z would lose his mind if he came out here and found someone with his hands on you. I was just heading off trouble at the pass.”
“I appreciate it.”
“You doing okay?” he asked quietly. “Aurora was a real bitch, and I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m learning to navigate these unfamiliar waters I’ve been treading the last month or so.” I paused. “What about you? Is it hard to be at a party like this? Being sober, I mean?”
He hesitated. “Not really? At least at a party like this there’s stuff to do, people to talk to, damsels in distress to rescue—” He paused, pretending to give me the stink eye, and we both laughed. Abruptly, he sobered. “Being home alone is the most dangerous time for me. There’s nothing to do and no one to do it with.”
“How come you don’t have a girlfriend?” I asked. “You’re hot, rich, and successful. They must be banging down the doors for you.”
He shrugged. “The ones I usually like don’t want to be with someone on the road for two years at a time. The ones that want me don’t want the real me, they just want Carter Ambrose the rockstar. And the one I love, well, she belonged to someone else.”
“Belonged?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Zeke and I are almost always around if you ever just want to hang out. You know? If you’re alone and you think you’re going to do something you shouldn’t. Just reach out.”
“Carter, there you are.” Aurora came over and slid her arm through his elbow. “There are people I want you to meet. Come on.”
“I’ll find you in a minute,” he said, his tone snippy. “Presley and I are in the middle of a conversation.”
“For fuck’s sake, Carter, I said—”
“And I said no. Give me five.”
“Fine.” She turned in a huff and Carter exhaled sharply.
“You okay?” I asked him, watching him follow her retreating figure with his eyes.
“Do yourself a favor and stay far, far away from Aurora,” he said softly.
“Hey, there you are.” Zeke joined us. “I was looking all over for you.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I came outside to get some air and then Greg Mink was hitting on me and Carter came to the rescue.”
