Star Maker Read online

  The bouncer’s eyes widened and his face lit up. He stared at Joe and smiled from ear to ear. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. Those two. Let ‘em in. I’ll take it from there.”

  He watched carefully as the bouncer stepped out and motioned to Sully and Tina. Moments later, they were walking into the club. Tina hugged him and said thanks while Sully shook his hand again, smiling. “Thanks, man. That was really cool of you. Let me buy you a drink.”

  Alexa answered the door and smirked. She shook her head. “I sure am glad we didn’t give you a key. If we did, you’d just walk right in.”

  Joe rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t lock the door during the day. Makes it harder for me to intrude.” He brushed past Alexa and looked around. “Where’s Kit?”

  She strolled into the living room in a robe with her hair wrapped in a towel atop her head and chuckled. “Who wants to know?”

  He plopped into the chair and grinned. “I’m paying you a visit, girl. Get your ass dressed. I’m taking you to lunch at Rock ‘n’ Roll Denny’s.”

  Alexa’s eyes lit up. “Are you taking me to lunch too?”

  He stared at her, straight-faced. “No.”

  She frowned and playfully punched him. “Jerk.”

  He chuckled. “I’m joking. Of course you’re welcome to join us. You’ve never struck me as a Rock ‘n’ Roll Denny’s kinda girl, though.”

  She grinned and shook her head. “I can’t go anyway. I have a paper to research. I’m headed to the library.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Have fun.” She left the room.

  Kit appeared in jeans and a T-shirt moments later, pulling her wet hair back into a ponytail. She smiled. “Let’s go. Walking or driving?”

  He smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Driving, of course.”

  Ten minutes later they were seated in a booth at Rock ‘n’ Roll Denny’s on Sunset Boulevard. Kit chuckled at the fans that approached Joe shortly after they sat down. She grinned when they walked away. “Welcome to your new life.”

  He nodded and became serious. “I dunno about all this, Kit. It’s happening too fast. I think the Eagles were onto something when they wrote ‘Life in the Fast Lane.’ It’s a lot.” He bit into an onion ring.

  She frowned. “You’re fine. You were born ready for this. Is that what this lunch is about? You going to tell me you’re the reluctant rock star? Well, boo-hoo.”

  He shook his head. “I bought a place.”

  Her eyes widened. “You what? Where?”

  He grinned. “I have a girlfriend now, Kit. I wanted us to have privacy. No more roommates, so I bought one. Plus, having good parties comes along with the gig. I can’t very well throw a party in a cramped apartment with Aaron. You’re welcome to live there when I’m on tour if you’d like.”

  She frowned. “Isn’t your new girlfriend going to live there? Who is this girl? Was she the one hanging all over you at the Roxy the other night? Groupie you met on the road?”

  He scowled. “Groupies are cool, Kit. And yes, I met her backstage on the road. She’s a nice girl. Her name is Janine. And no, she’s not gonna live in my place while I’m gone. She’ll probably be with me. You’re welcome to, though.” He grinned.

  She shook her head. “Joe, give it up, ok?”

  He took a sip of his beer and stared at her. “Give up what, Miss Conceited? When you rejected me, I was done. I have a girlfriend now. I was merely offering that to you as a friend. Totally platonic, egomaniac.”

  She surveyed him carefully. “Ok.”

  He leaned forward and sighed. “Kit, I wanna see you happy.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh no, here we go. That statement alone implies that you think I’m not.”

  He stared at her. “It’s time you moved on and found a good guy. Your stuffy A&R guy isn’t right for you, Kitty. No way. Not by a long shot. He’s got the Darren gene, I can tell. I don’t like that possessive streak he has. Kit, I’m gonna get real with you.” He leaned forward more intently. “This business is brutal. Fucking cutthroat. It’s hard enough as it is when you’re a guy, but you’re a chick. You’re going to be fighting an uphill battle. You’re gonna need a good guy that will have your back, not try to fight you for position.”

  She huffed and folded her arms in front of her chest. “Oh and I suppose you have someone just perfect for me? Like you!”

  He sat back in the booth and grinned. “No, not me. We’ve been through that. There is this new buddy of mine. Sully’s his name. He would be perfect for you. Great guy. Hard worker. He’ll make it. I can see it already. His band, Gypsy Tango, is pretty good. Diamond in the rough for sure. They need some work, but in a year or two, they’ll be on top if they can get the right manager. I tell ya, Kit, even if you don’t like him, check out that band. You may want to add them to your roster. Sully has star power. If I weren’t in Steel Pony, I would have told him to ditch his guitarist and pick me. He’s that good.”

  She sat back and watched him carefully. She wondered why he was doing this and then remembered he had been pulling this stunt for years. He had always hated her ex-boyfriend Darren from the moment she was first with him. He had warned her repeatedly and he had been right. She wasn’t quite ready to give up David though, nor was she ready to add another band to her roster. Regardless, she decided to pacify him with a blanket statement. “I’ll check him out sometime.”

  He grinned. “How about Monday night at the No Bozo Jam? They’re in the first slot at the Whisky. Plus, I’d really like you meet Janine, officially. I told Sull I’d be there. You should meet us there.”

  She sighed. “Monday night? I can’t. Study group.” It was a complete lie. She didn’t want to go. She hated when Joe attempted to interfere in her life. “If this guy is as good as you say he is, I’ll run into him in due time. In the meantime, I’m quite happy with David. How about we address all the blow you’ve been snorting instead? I was afraid this would happen. Joe, you got thrust into this. It’s not good for you to deal with it this way.”

  He stared at her with wide eyes. She had busted him. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get out of this one. The pressures of the road and his newfound stardom were taking a heavy toll, one that definitely was not good for him.

  Kit’s attempts at a long-term relationship with David, the A&R manager, failed miserably. She had been distracted and wrapped up in her own little world, even more so after her chat with Joe weeks before. As much as she wanted to learn from David and hang out with him for his connections, it wasn’t working. With law school in session, she found herself under the weight of intense pressure of the worse kind—her own.

  Her session work as a guitarist combined with social time, managing bands, and David wasn’t conducive to her first semester of law school. Her future was at stake. She was determined to start her law school career at UCLA with a bang. She found that using excuses about time limitations was perfect for lessening the blow with David.

  In truth though, she wasn’t feeling it. She felt no heart connection with David, whatsoever. She found him to be too trapped by his materialism and social climbing mentality. He gazed at his Bulgari watch and the keys to his BMW more lovingly than he did her and it proved to be a major turn off. His only redeeming quality was his career ambition, but it wasn’t enough to keep Kit interested.

  Her bank account was rapidly dwindling. She didn’t have the advantage of a robust trust fund like Alexa and Joe or a job with a steady row of gigs like Maxine. Her session work was sporadic at best and her artists were all penniless pay to play bands leaving her to venture out for work to offset the expenses bleeding her savings account dry on a daily basis. She fell back into what she felt comfortable with, waiting tables. It would have to do until she could get one of her bands to pop or land a great paying internship at an entertainment law firm or a record company.

  On the way home from a fun night out at the Rainbow Bar and Grill with Alexa, she noticed a help wanted sign in the window of a popular café across
the street. Feeling tipsy from too many cocktails and more daring than normal, she ran across Sunset Boulevard and weaved her way in and out of the cars, a few narrowly missing her.

  Alexa stared in horror from the opposite side of the street. When Kit had an idea there was nothing that could stop her. She had seen her do these kinds of things before. Kit was definitely one of the smartest people she knew, but was also a complete klutz and at times lacked common sense. Case in point that night.

  Her bold move proved successful. She marched into the restaurant and demanded to speak with the manager who was about to shut down the café for the night. He refused to see her. She refused to accept that as an answer and searched the kitchen and back room until she found him. She sold him on her experience, flashed her smile that no man could resist, and by the time Alexa crossed the street safely and entered the café, Kit had a job.

  She giggled, feeling victorious. Café L.A. was one of the hottest places to hang out. It sat in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the Sunset Strip club scene where some of the best and brightest new rock bands dwelled. Before shows or on days off they would often come in. Kit saw it is a win-win. Not only did she score the waitressing job, but the possibility to discover the next big rock band to add to the fold of the bands she already managed. The world was spinning in the palm of her hand.

  Her drive and enthusiastic attitude were her saving grace. She was struggling. School had been in session for weeks now. She threw it into rotation with all the other items she was juggling and wondered how it would work. She was pulling it off, somehow, but it was proving challenging.

  She hadn’t seen her old friend, Maxine, since she returned from San Francisco and was happy she had come over for a visit. Maxine had disappeared into the apartment and Kit resumed what she was doing—getting absorbed in the law books in front of her and taking copious notes that left her hand feeling fatigued.

  Maxine resurfaced after ten minutes. She tucked her long, wavy, light brown, sun-kissed hair behind her ears and aimed her camera down at Kit. “Okay, smile pretty.”

  Kit frowned and chuckled as Maxine snapped the shot. “Really, Max? I’m sitting here buried in books researching the brief from hell and I look like absolute crap. I haven’t even had a chance to take a shower yet today.”

  Maxine giggled and her hazel eyes danced. “So? It’s not like I’m going to publish it in a magazine or anything. One day when you’re done with law school, you can look back on this picture with great nostalgia. After all, this is one of the first briefs you’ve worked on, right?”

  Kit was not amused. “Yes,” she responded flatly.

  Maxine chuckled. “Then this is a big deal. You can show this picture to your kids one day when you’re a big music mogul and tell them the story of your humble beginnings.”

  “Kids? I didn’t know I was having any.” She chuckled.

  Maxine laughed. “Okay, alright. I get it. I’m going to leave you to your own devices. Happy researching.” She made her way into the living room to watch MTV.

  She smiled and winked. “Thanks, Max.”

  Maxine shared a long history with Kit, Alexa, and Joe. They went to private school together and had been a fairly tight clique for many years. She had a girl-next-door type of beauty with a firecracker personality, much like Kit. She wanted to break in as a photojournalist for the entertainment circuit. She was extremely talented with a camera and a brilliant writer with a deadly hook that could capture the attention of any reader who glanced at one of her articles for even a second.

  After high school graduation, she headed out to Los Angeles and legally dropped her given last name in favor of one she wanted, deeming herself Maxine Riley. She rationalized that if she was going to make a name for herself, it was going to be with a last name of her own choosing.

  An hour later, the two girls headed out to Ben Frank’s on Sunset Boulevard and sat across from each other, eating lunch and catching up. Maxine was eager to find out what Kit had been up to. “Ok, so tell me the latest? Anything exciting?”

  Kit shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t think of anything really, Maxine Riley.”

  She rolled her eyes and bit into a French fry. “Why can’t you call me Max like a normal person? You called me that earlier.”

  Kit giggled and took a sip of soda through her straw. “I like your new name. I’m still getting used to it after all these years. It’s really cool!”

  Maxine was not amused. “Ok. I’m changing the subject. What time are you off at the café tonight?”

  “Eleven, I think, which really means midnight.”

  Maxine frowned. “Oh. Ok, nevermind.”

  Kit was curious. “Why? What’s going on?”

  She donned a buccaneer grin. “Any desire to take on another band?”

  Kit’s ears suddenly perked up. She was immediately intrigued. “Who? I’m thinking of dropping one of my bands. It would be great to pick up a better one. Who? Who?”

  Maxine giggled. “Stop. You sound like an anxious, overly eager, hooty owl.”

  Kit glared. “C’mon tell me. The suspense is killing me.”

  “Ok. Gypsy Tango.”

  She frowned. “Who?”

  Maxine rolled her eyes. “Ms. Owl, please pay attention. I swear that law school has already fried your brain. The name of the band is Gypsy Tango. Joe knows them. Haven’t you heard of them?”

  She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Oh them.” She sighed and bit into her grilled cheese sandwich. “Are they playing the Strip?” She asked with her mouth partially full.

  Maxine chuckled. “Nice manners, Kit-Kat. Uh-huh, all the time. They’re playing Gazzarri’s tonight at nine. I wanted you to see them, but you’re working.”

  She cringed and wiped her hands on her napkin. “Gazzarri’s on a Wednesday at nine? Ugh. They’re obviously still pay to play.”

  Maxine gazed at her and tried to be convincing. “They are, but they always pack the house. They’re building a decent following. I like ‘em.”

  Kit’s eyes narrowed, carefully evaluating what she had just heard and reconsidering what Joe had said weeks ago. “Wait a minute, here. You’re the least bit rocker. You’re a total waver and into pop and you like ‘em? Are they cute?”

  Maxine laughed. “They are cute, but that’s not why I like ‘em. Believe me, I don’t care for most of the hard rock bands on the Strip right now, even the cute ones. Give me my Tears For Fears, New Order, or Smiths records any day. I’m a waver by nature, but these guys are catchy. I happened to see them when I was there a few weeks ago doing some live shots for a band called Poison.”

  Kit nodded and sipped her soda. “Poison is good. Now there’s a band. The lead singer’s great. His name is Bret. They’re from Pennsylvania, you know. I saw them play back there when I lived in Philly, but they were called Paris. Changed their name when they got out here.”

  Maxine shook her head. “See, I don’t get it. I’m not into them. They’re ok. Their lead singer is a hottie, but I don’t see the draw. I’m happier at my new wave clubs, you know that.”

  Kit nodded. “I guess I’ll have to make a point to check these guys out then. Both you and Joe are singing their praises. Must be worth something.”

  “Do it. They’re good, but they definitely need to be polished.”

  She chuckled. “Funny, Joe said exactly the same thing.”

  Maxine smiled wide. “If there’s anyone that knows how to turn a piece of coal into a diamond with musicians it’s you, star maker.”

  She grinned and giggled, winking at Maxine. “Ooh Miss Max, flattery will get you everywhere.”

  Maxine laughed quietly and her small frame heaved as she struggled to keep the soda she had just sipped from coming out of her nose. She covered her mouth and shook her head. She finally was able to control it, laughing again. “Oh Kit-Kat, you kill me sometimes, I swear.”

  * * *

  Jimmy led the rest of the band by a few strides on his way into Café L.A. “Du
de, where’s the fire?” Remo joked.

  As Jimmy walked into the restaurant and told the hostess how many were in their party, he glared at Remo. “I’m hungry.”

  Sully caught a glimpse of one of the new waitresses, a redhead, as she walked by with a plate of hot food. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was a natural beauty, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail, not a trace of makeup on her face. She reminded him of the girls back home—simple, understated, down to earth.

  He smiled as he gazed at her dreamily. “I’m in love.” He leaned forward and tugged at the hostess’s sleeve as she started to lead them in the opposite direction to be seated. He turned on the charm by flashing a wide-toothed grin, knowing the hostess wouldn’t be able to resist him. “Hey, can we sit in her section?” He motioned to the beautiful waitress he had been ogling.

  The hostess laughed. “Sure. Lucky for you, she’s got a table open, a rarity these days. She’s really popular with you rocker types. Her station is always packed.”

  Sully looked at Jimmy and raised his eyebrows while slugging him in the shoulder. “We got her table again, man.”

  Jimmy responded with a blank stare. “Are you actually gonna invite her to the show tonight or are you going to choke again?”

  Sully shrugged his shoulders. “Dunno. Maybe.”

  They were seated and the waitress took their order quickly. The restaurant was hopping with activity, so she couldn’t be as attentive with them as he would have liked. A few groupies recognized them immediately and squeezed themselves into the booth. Sully was sandwiched in between two decent looking groupies who were feeding him food and doting on him. Talking to that waitress now was the furthest thing from his mind. He’d just have to wait.

  CHAPTER 5

  Joe flung open the front door of his posh, Laurel Canyon home and stared at the uniformed driver blankly. The man shifted uncomfortably noticing his intensity and forced a grin. “I’m here to pick up Mr. Joe Arden.”

  He nodded. “That’s me. Hang on.” He walked back into his palatial master bedroom to collect his suitcase and glared at Janine. She threw on her fringed, leather jacket and pushed past him angrily. “Fuck off, Joe. You’re an asshole.”