The Complete Groupie Trilogy Page 10

  The guys, particularly Yael and Felix, schooled me in good sushi so I was able to find several rolls that I fell in love with in the first bite. I was such a sushi novice I had no idea some of them were cooked, and those quickly became my “training wheels” for other sorts of sushi. It was also a very filling meal considering, and the guys and I spent most of the next hour chatting and catching up.

  Vanni was still rather distant, but cordial, through the interaction. It was extremely hard to read how he felt about my being there at all.

  Was it over? Had his feelings disappeared the minute I turned him down?

  Jacob didn’t seem to think so when we had spoken about the trip just days before. He felt that Vanni would always go after those things, and people, he couldn’t have. “Never sleep with him,” he advised, “and he’ll love you forever.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that, given he barely even looked at me, and when he did it was with this unreadable expression that I immediately sensed was disguising some sort of discomfort or problem.

  Everyone disbanded around 5:00 p.m., to go change and prepare for the concert.

  I knew that the semi-formal dress was the one I had to wear for the occasion, but with how peculiar Vanni was acting my enthusiasm to glam it up and be extra sexy had waned. Still, it’s all about image. So I changed and put on my own mask as I headed downstairs for the show.

  The V.I.P. spots were reserved in the balcony, which meant I couldn’t get a front-row seat. I sat with the other executives and high rollers, but Jasper, Athena and Lourdes were all M.I.A. Instead I chatted with one of the other band’s managers and the champagne flowed while the four acts performed.

  DIB was third in the lineup, and I could tell immediately how successful they were becoming when the first note of “Make it Happen” brought the fans on the floor below to their feet. I sat quietly and observed how the girls in the front row responded when he sang, “Inside Out” and “Baby, Say My Name.” Unlike the New York venue these fans wanted intimate access, and were throwing flowers, clothing and even a few hotel keys on stage.

  They closed with “Wanting Her,” and played the corresponding video behind the band. Vanni jumped down off the stage and walked right up to every girl in the front row, singing each line directly to them. Some he even touched their faces, or held their hands.

  I swallowed the huge lump in my throat. This is his brand, I reminded myself. It’s still my song. I knew that everything he did was carefully orchestrated to broaden his fan base and increase album and concert sales. How many of those girls were going to run straight to the box office to buy a ticket for the following night, just because he made them feel like there was a connection tonight?

  I quietly exited the balcony area after they left the stage, and headed back downstairs to the club that hosted the huge after-party celebrating the first night of the concert series. At first I didn’t see any of the guys, and I felt a little awkward standing there by myself looking like a lost rabbit.

  “I hate these things,” I heard a male voice say from behind. I turned to see the manager I sat next to during the first couple of acts. His name was Graham something-or-another, and he had flown in from L.A. to support the opening act.

  Regardless of how little we had chatted, he was at least a familiar face and I didn’t feel like I stuck out like a sore thumb. I made a face. “Me too,” I said. “Someone needs to tell famous people not everything is cause for celebration.”

  He laughed and then looked down at the empty glass in my hand. “Can I get you another?”

  “Sure,” I said, and followed him over to the bar.

  He ordered my drink and then turned to me. “Andrea, right?”

  “Andy,” I corrected. “And you’re Graham…?”

  “Baxter,” he supplied in good humor, then handed me my drink. “So do you work at a firm in Los Angeles?”

  I shook my head. “I’m actually just a writer from Nashville, doing a favor for a friend.”

  He laughed. “I guess that’s not so bad then. You can come out here, have fun, then go back to the real world on Monday.”

  I smiled. “That’s the idea.”

  “In that case,” he said as he put his glass on the bar, “Allow me to contribute slightly to the fun by asking you to dance.”

  I started to shake my head but out of the corner of my eye I saw Vanni walk into the room with Lourdes on his arm. I swallowed down the handful of rocks that had mysteriously appeared in my throat, smiled at Graham and said, “Sure.”

  He walked me to the center of the floor, and of course the minute we get out there one of DIB’s more suggestive tunes was featured as part of the selected music. Graham rested his arm around my waist and casually pulled me close. “They’re really good,” he said near my ear, referring to the band. “It kills me Jasper Carrington got to them first.”

  “Timing is everything,” I remarked as I tried not to look at Vanni, where he stood now with Lourdes at the bar.

  “If they ever want a change in management, give them my number,” he said.

  “I will.”

  He looked down at me with a devilish grin. “And you can have it too. You know, in case things get too boring in Nashville.”

  I laughed. He had to be at least forty-five years old, with short, dark hair and a touch of silver at the temples. But he had the warmest brown eyes I had ever seen and a nice smile. There were worse ways to spend an evening in Las Vegas than flirting with a stranger I could immediately tell was pretty harmless.

  I glanced back over at the bar only to spy Vanni and Lourdes dancing close in the corner. This caused me to grip Graham’s shoulders a little tighter, which he seemed to take as a green light to pull me closer.

  The beat of the song was sensual and intense, like a quickening heartbeat. “Say my name,” Vanni crooned from every speaker overhead. “I’ve got what you’ve been waiting for.” I closed my eyes and allowed Graham to swing me around the floor with some fancier footwork. I followed where he guided, surprised my feet even knew what to do to keep up. It didn’t take long for me to realize some other dancers had moved out of our way to watch us dance.

  Some of the other guys in the band had come into the club and set up a table in the back with Jasper, who had now arrived. Felix watched me curiously as my dance partner led me into a sexier move in time to the beat. As the song ended Graham dipped me backward with a playful grin and I giggled in spite of myself.

  We walked back to the bar. “Not bad for a guy who hates these things.”

  “Necessary evil,” he informed. “Besides, my wife insisted we take dance lessons for our wedding.”

  I glanced down at his hand. I hadn’t noticed a ring. “You’re married?”

  “Occasionally,” he responded in good humor. “It’s an expensive hobby, I’m afraid.”

  He perched on the barstool next to mine. “How about you, Andy? Anyone special waiting for you in Nashville?”

  I nodded. “His name is Simon.” Graham’s grin faltered just a tad. So I went on. “He’s extremely jealous. And a cover hog. And can unravel a roll of toilet paper in ten seconds flat.”

  His eyebrow rose, then together we said, “He’s a cat.” He laughed and then leaned closer to me. “So it wouldn’t be extremely inappropriate then if I gave you my phone number?”

  “I suppose not,” I said with a slight blush. “After all that’s information I need if the band ever decides to make a change in management.”

  He glanced over to where Jasper sat with the band, along with Vanni and Lourdes. Then he looked back with a serious expression. “It may be in poor taste, and completely self-serving, for me to say I hope that they do. Jasper knows how to make people but he also knows how to break them. It can be a toxic environment. He’s going to offer the sun and the moon but God help the person who crosses him. And sometimes that just means standing up for yourself or your principles.”

  I looked back at their table. Graham’s warning echoed what Vanni
had said back in Brooklyn. His life was not his own, and he felt powerless to change it. Graham dug a card out of his coat pocket, pausing only briefly to write something on the back.

  He slipped the card across the bar toward me. I reached for it and he placed his hand on mine. “That warning goes for you too,” he added. “In case you need it.”

  His eyes were kind and sincere. Almost fatherly. “Thanks,” I said.

  He motioned for the check. “And on that note, I think it’s time I return to the normal, quiet world of my hotel room.” He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips. “But thank you for a lovely dance, Andy from Nashville.”

  After he paid I watched him leave. He stopped only momentarily at DIB’s table to say congratulations to the band and to Jasper, who didn’t seem all that pleased to see him. I used the distraction to look down at the business card. My eyes widened when I caught the name of his company. This wasn’t some mid-tier manager – this was Graham Baxter of Baxter Mega-Worldwide Media Corporation… the only record label in the country that could stand toe to toe with Jasper Carrington.

  More curious I flipped the card over. The message he had written: Room #1225.

  It was a gentlemanly way of orchestrating a booty call, I supposed. But I put the card in my purse anyway. I had no intention of going to his room, but the business information might come in handy someday.

  I slid off of the barstool and headed over to our table, though as cozy as Lourdes and Vanni were I wasn’t especially excited to do so. Felix was quick to swing me back out on the dance floor, but mostly because he knew who Graham Baxter was and wanted to know what I was doing talking to him.

  “It was just a little harmless dance,” I said, keeping the other stuff mostly to myself for now.

  “Harmless dance with Jasper’s nemesis,” Felix corrected.

  “Was he mad?” I asked, referring to Jasper.

  Felix just shrugged. “Something has been up his ass since he got here. Maybe he and Athena had a fight or something. I think this Vegas thing is bigger than anyone knows.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Didn’t you hear? She wants to stay here. Have her own one-woman show.”

  “I don’t listen to gossip that doesn’t pertain to the band,” I reminded him.

  Felix swung me around. “So you don’t know that he’s about to lose half his empire over a scandalous affair?”

  My shocked eyes met his. “What is in that stuff you’re smoking, anyway?”

  He just laughed. “Don’t take it from me. Ask Vanni.”

  I would have loved to ask Vanni. I would have loved to even say hello to Vanni. But Lourdes was curled in his lap like a cat. Or was it a snake? Instead I made small talk with Yael and Iain, who both were ready to call it a night.

  I agreed, and we all left after saying a brief goodbye to Jasper, our benefactor.

  “Thank you for the lovely flowers,” I said after he kissed me on the cheek. “That was sweet of you.”

  “Thank you for all you do, Andy,” he said as he patted my hand. Then, he pulled me a bit closer and whispered, “Just remember where your alliances lie.”

  It was then I knew he saw me talking to Graham and wasn’t all that pleased about it, and that was his oh-so-subtle warning to watch my step.

  I was momentarily tempted to go to Graham’s room to ask him in detail about his concerns regarding Jasper, but I knew that it was highly inappropriate given I wasn’t interested in anything other than chitchat. He may have been an older man but all the parts were still in working order, as I could feel against my leg when we were dancing.

  Instead I went to my own room and stripped out of the fancy trappings and into my comfy pajamas. My cell phone buzzed and with a casual glance I saw it was my first real contact from Vanni. “Full dance card tonight,” it read.

  I thought briefly about not answering it, but instead I just wrote, “You too.”

  That was enough to shut him up. My phone didn’t ring again the rest of the night.

  The next morning I skipped the buffet line and opted for another café in the hotel. I sat with the paper, reading the review of the previous night. “Exciting, fresh sound,” the reviewer gushed. “Don’t miss this band.” It gave the other dates for the show during the festival, and noted the local radio station was giving away tickets to ten pairs of lucky fans to the Saturday show.

  I sighed as I checked my planner. I still had to set up the fan event after that show for the winners of the contests. So many errands, so little hair to pull out.

  “You’re not sick of Vegas yet, I hope.”

  I glanced up to see Graham standing next to my table. I offered him a sunny smile. “Not yet. Ask me again on Saturday.” I motioned for him to join me, which he did.

  “I would love to,” he said as a waitress brought him a menu. “If only to see you again.”

  I blushed a bit and averted my eyes.

  “I apologize if my leaving you the hotel room information was a bit crude. I was a bit tipsy and still high after our dance. I forget there are nice girls out there in the world who would never think to go to a stranger’s hotel room.”

  “You can take the girl out of Tennessee,” I quipped. “It wasn’t personal. You are a very charming man.”

  “Say you were at least tempted and make my entire morning,” he asked with a big grin.

  I laughed. It was easy to do with him. “Of course,” I said though I withheld the real reason I considered going to his room. “But I think Jasper might have me drawn and quartered if I am seen fraternizing with the enemy.”

  He chuckled and gave me an embarrassed grin. “It was refreshing to talk to someone who wasn’t climbing all over themselves to get something out of me,” he admitted. “You had no idea who I was, which was a bit humbling I might add.”

  I got the feeling he didn’t need me to keep him humble. He did a great job keeping his profile sophisticated but modest – in direct contrast to Jasper. Everything about him was understated. “I guess I should throw in the towel as an entertainment writer,” I teased.

  “Absolutely not,” he said. “After I realized that you weren’t falling all over yourself to follow me up to the room I went online and dug up your work for the band.”

  “I’m surprised I was that easy to find,” I said, knowing full well I never gave him my last name. But then again the name Andy Foster was fairly synonymous with DIB from the website to the press copy, so anyone who really wanted to find me probably could.

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  “You’d be surprised what you can find if you are motivated,” he said as he tipped his glass of orange juice to me. “But a smart girl like you probably knows that already.”

  I shrugged. I wasn’t sure what I knew. And I wasn’t sure that this was the appropriate forum to ask him for information on Jasper.

  My phone buzzed. It was Iris. I motioned for him to excuse me before I answered.

  “You never called me last night to update me,” she playfully accused. “I’ve been pulling my hair out all morning.”

  I laughed. “I highly doubt that. But to answer your question, it went great. The reviews are in the morning paper and everything is working according to plan.”

  She then shot off a bunch of questions on things that I still needed to do, and I gave her a brief rundown while Graham sat across from me watching the exchange with slight amusement.

  “And thank you for the gift,” I said. “But I think I might be offended you thought I couldn’t pick my own clothes.”

  She laughed. “But was I right? Had you brought the same old tired dresses you already wore?”

  “Of course,” I remarked with a smile. “But what you call unfashionable I call practical. I can’t carry a full wardrobe on the road.”

  “Baloney,” she said. She knew me too well. “You just want a neat little life you can pack in one bag.” She paused and I tried to gulp past the comment. Finally she added softly, “You�
��re well past that now, honey. Embrace it.”

  We signed off with our standard, “I love you,” and I turned back to Graham.

  “Said friend for whom you are doing a favor?” he asked.

  I nodded. “She’s a bit of a dynamo. I think she could have done this job herself from New York while juggling four other clients, chewing gum, patting her head and rubbing her tummy at the same time.”

  “I hope they are paying you well for your service. You do a lot of work for this band. If you get into the habit of doing it for free then certain people will expect they can shortchange you in the future.”

  He wasn’t saying anything I didn’t already know. But I couldn’t really betray my loyalty to Jasper, especially when he had given me my break into the field I wanted. “I can take care of myself,” I said. “But thank you for your concern.”

  “Okay,” he said. “But if you ever need a job…”

  I laughed. “I have enough as it is. But thanks. Speaking of which…” I checked my watch. I had a full schedule and I had to cut the breakfast short, though I found I really didn’t want to. Graham was comforting company.

  He rose slightly from his chair as I stood. “Thanks for sharing breakfast with me, Andy,” he said, this time reaching in to give me a peck on the cheek. “See you tonight.”

  I nodded and rushed toward the door, just in time to see Vanni and Lourdes walk in. Didn’t anyone eat at Las Vegas buffets anymore?

  I paused only briefly to say hello, and I couldn’t miss that Vanni had already noticed Graham at table behind me. He didn’t say anything but his mouth thinned in a line. Was he pissed? Was he jealous?

  Or was he just pouting that I might have casually slept with someone other than him?

  “I’ll see you later,” I offered as I rushed out the door to begin my crazy day.

  While I was out and in between errands I decided to stop into a clothing boutique all on my own. Iris had given me one dress for a special occasion, but suddenly I felt woefully unprepared for the rest of the weekend. The only other special dress was one I had already worn, which normally wasn’t a problem for me but I supposed Iris’s fashion neurosis was wearing off.