Star Maker Page 6

  He shook his head and snorted. “Right. You were the one I found with another guy in my bed when I came home an hour ago.”

  She glared at him. “I knew you were out partying all night and were wasted. You were probably with someone else too. I’m sure you’re still high right now. Besides, you’re going back on the road and you’re not taking me. That was a pretty messed up decision on your part. You just wanna play with groupies, don’t you?”

  His caramel brown eyes narrowed. He was tired, hungover, and volatile. “Yeah, I do.” He let a sarcastic chuckle slip out. “Actually, sweetie, isn’t that how I met you?”

  She leaned fully into her body weight and threw a punch, nailing him in the stomach. “Go to hell, Joe!” She stormed out.

  He took a moment to catch his breath and get composed. He stared at his empty, unmade bed and seized his suitcase. He didn’t want to deal with it. He stormed into the living room moments later and handed off his luggage to the patiently waiting driver. He nodded. “Let’s get the fuck outta here.”

  He slammed the door behind him and ran down the walkway leading to his long driveway. He sauntered up to the black stretch limousine where the driver had opened the door for him and stood in anticipation. Joe forced a grin. “Can we make one stop before we head to the airport?”

  The driver nodded. “Of course, Mr. Arden. Whatever you need. Let me know where you’d like to go.”

  Thirty minutes later, Joe climbed the steps of the private jet apprehensively. He was dreading going back on tour. He didn’t understand the inner conflict that brewed inside of him. No matter what he did these days, he couldn’t find happy. He wasn’t happy on the road, yet he wasn’t happy on a break. The last thing he wanted to do was figure it out. He preferred to stay numb to the entire process.

  The moment he set foot on the plane and noticed his fellow band members he threw his hands up in the air and yelled joyfully. “Where’s the party?”

  The flight attendant took his guitar case from him and replaced it with a vodka on the rocks. Wilson laughed. “Good to see you, man. The party starts now. We’ve been waiting for you.” He waved him back.

  Joe took a seat across from Wilson and next to the bass guitarist, Snake, who handed him a rolled up one hundred-dollar bill, grinning. “No better way to start the party than taking a little ride on the white horse.”

  He seized the rolled up bill from Snake and stared at the small mound of cocaine on the table in front of him. Several lines were cut on a mirror awaiting him. He swallowed hard and knew he was headed down a dark road, but he didn’t seem to care.

  As the jet took off from the runway in Burbank and they were wheels up, he glanced out the window and grinned, high as a kite. He was now completely content leaving L.A. behind to run off to the circus with the clowns again.

  * * *

  Kit left her shift at Café L.A. early and headed home to change and put on some makeup before heading over to one of the hottest and most legendary clubs on the Sunset Strip, the Whisky-a-Go-Go.

  She found a padded envelope awaiting her on the welcome mat in front of the door to her apartment. She opened it hastily as she ran through the apartment back to her bedroom to get ready. Joe had left her a kind letter and the keys to his home and his car. He told her he would be in touch soon. She sighed, hoping the North American leg of the tour would be easier for him. She threw the envelope on her bed and rummaged through her closet for the right look.

  Kit strolled into the club confidently wearing a distressed, cropped, brown, leather jacket with a tight, black, lace camisole underneath that revealed just enough cleavage to arouse any healthy heterosexual male’s curiosity. Her black, leather miniskirt was tight and short, showing off her long legs encased in sheer black stockings. The sexy, black, leather stilettos she wore made her appear to be a few inches taller.

  When she walked into the club, a big haired, loud, hard rock band was on stage starting their set—nothing out of the ordinary for a night at the Whisky. She found herself surprised moments after she retrieved a drink from the bar. She actually liked the band’s sound and was immediately drawn to the stage.

  As she got closer, she recognized the lead singer and the guitarist. They were regulars at Café L.A., but there was more to it than that. The lead singer intrigued her. Mesmerized, she was unable to take her eyes off of him. She suddenly placed him. He was the guy from Madame Wong’s that gave her that strange, familiar feeling the night she played the gig with Jeff’s band. All the pieces of the puzzle started coming together. Something about his voice tugged at her heartstrings. She felt every note he sang deeply. She certainly found him attractive, but that wasn’t her sole motivation. His stage presence got her attention and seized her interest along with his impressive vocal range and showmanship.

  After the band finished their set, Sully noticed her and motioned for her to come over to the bar where the band was hanging out. She approached them and used her charm. Paired with her brilliant smile, she easily garnered their full attention. It didn’t take much.

  Sully grinned and pointed at her. “I know you. You’re one of the waitresses at Café L.A.”

  Kit smiled once again. “Yep, busted. That would be me.”

  He flashed a winning smile and extended his hand to shake hers. “I’m Sully Foxx and you are?”

  “Kit McKenna.” She nodded and wanted to play it cool but failed miserably when she was unable to wipe the smile off her face.

  Sully had an incredible amount of sex appeal and natural charisma. His long, layered, brown hair fit in well on the Sunset Strip and complimented his sparkling, steel blue eyes. He almost looked too pretty to be a rocker with his exquisite bone structure and perfect nose. His favorable tall stature paired nicely with his tight, fit, tanned body that easily put the Greek god Adonis to shame. Kit wondered if he was an actor too or had modeled before and decided that if he hadn’t, then he should. She could already see him on a record sleeve or in a full-page spread of Rolling Stone Magazine.

  Despite his pretty boy looks, he held true to the part of an up and coming frontman in his torn up, black, sleeveless T-shirt and tight, faded, blue jeans. She instinctually knew that a lead singer with his apparent vocal talent and his looks would go far in this business if he were willing to put in the work. If he proved to be a decent songwriter too, it would be like hitting the trifecta at the racetrack. She wanted to get to the bottom of this and quickly. She had to find out if he was her winning lottery ticket incarnate.

  Jimmy nudged Sully for an introduction. He snapped out of his attempts to reel Kit into his web. “Oh, and this is Jimmy Costa, our lead guitarist.” Jimmy was slightly taller than Sully, with long, straight, layered, dark brown hair, certainly attractive by normal standards, but pale in comparison to Sully’s presence that was already so magnetic, charismatic, and massive it seemed like he was selling out arenas.

  She then recalled Joe’s recommendation. This was thee Sully, the one he told her was larger than life. The one he told her was marked for stardom. She chuckled to herself remembering that when it came to music, Joe knew more than anyone and he was definitely right about Sully.

  Jimmy continued. “And these guys are Remo Sanchez, drums, Tony Miller on bass, and Bryan Donald on keyboard.”

  They all shook hands with Kit. Jimmy maneuvered himself in front of Sully in a classic cock-blocking maneuver that completely cut him off from continuing his conversation with Kit. He looked at her and smiled. “We’re Gypsy Tango. So what did you think?”

  She stared at him for a moment. “Wait, you’re Gypsy Tango?”

  He chuckled. “Heard of us?”

  She ignored him and thought it an interesting coincidence that these were the very guys Maxine and Joe had told her about. She had forgotten that Sully was associated with them. It all made sense now. She grinned. “You guys were great up there, but you need a new sound man. The guy up there doesn’t know shit about running the boards.”

  Jimmy’s dark bro
wn eyes widened. She had caught him off guard. “Huh?”

  She chuckled at his expression. She was used to this. When she played out with bands and managed them in Philadelphia and Chicago, the sound and acoustics were something her trained ear always picked up on. She had a gift for it, no matter the band or the venue. It was second nature to her. She continued. “Your sound guy? He needs to bring up the bass level. It was totally unbalanced, and it messed with the entire rhythm section during your set.”

  Sully raised his eyebrows and laughed as he smiled. He looked at Jimmy and slapped him on the back. “Y’know man, she’s right. That’s what I was trying to tell you but you wouldn’t listen to me.” He poked him in the shoulder with his finger and returned his attention to Kit. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  Before she could answer, Jimmy interjected and looked at her, desperate to connect. “No, I’ll get it for you. Kit, what can I get ya?”

  She giggled at their newfound rivalry. “I’ll have a scotch on the rocks, Jimmy. Thank you.”

  He ordered the drink and Sully pulled him close, giving him a stern look. “Jim, buddy, what are you doing? Why are you messing with me? This is the chick I like. I’ve had my eye on her for a while.”

  Jimmy gave him an irritated look and brushed him off like a gnat. “Whatever. She’s getting this drink from me. If she wants to talk to me, then that’s what she wants.”

  His steel blue eyes glowed angrily as he spoke in a hushed tone through clenched teeth into Jimmy’s ear, quietly enough to be inaudible to Kit. “The only reason she’s talking to you is because you interrupted my conversation with her.”

  The bartender pushed the drink toward Jimmy. “It’s on the house, Jim.”

  He nodded. “Thanks, man.” He focused his attention back to Sully and they continued to bicker in hushed tones.

  Kit tapped Jimmy on the shoulder. He handed her the drink. She smiled. “Thanks for the drink, Jimmy. See ya.” She walked away. The last thing she wanted to do was cause dissent among the ranks. She opted to steal away and let them mend their fences.

  Sully looked at Jimmy. His eyes widened. “See? See what you did? She doesn’t want any part of this shit. We probably look like stupid, amateur teenagers to her. Great. That’s just fucking great.” He shook his head.

  Jimmy shrugged. “Whatever.”

  He faced him, staring him down. “Let’s set aside the fact that we both like her, ok, man? The bottom line is that she was right on the money when she was talking about our set tonight and that alone needs to be discussed. Maybe with her help we can get tight enough to book a paying gig in this town.”

  Jimmy listlessly focused his attention back to his cocktail. “Yeah, ok. I guess.”

  Sully abandoned Jimmy instantly and muscled his way through the crowd until he found her. He yelled over the band. “Kit!”

  She turned around and grinned. “Yeah, Sully?”

  He smiled, secretly relieved she even chose to acknowledge him after how they had been acting. “We’re having a party at Remo’s place later. Why don’t you stop by?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Sure. Gimme directions. I’ll bring some friends with me.”

  Sully gave her directions to the party. He invited her to come back to the bar and talk with the band. She ended up chatting with them again and providing valuable suggestions.

  By the time the band was leaving the Whisky, they begged her to attend their party and their rehearsals so she could give another honest critique. She agreed without hesitation, entertained by their openness to her suggestions—a rarity so far in this town.

  She had waited until the Whisky closed down in hopes of running into Alexa. Seemed she didn’t make it down to the club after all. She opted to go Sully’s event solo.

  The party was already crazy and wilder than anything Kit had ever witnessed back in Philadelphia or Chicago. She strolled in apprehensively and easily commanded attention when she entered the center of the room. The guys couldn’t stop staring and smiling, the girls glared and scowled. She searched the large crowd for any members of the band or any friends she might recognize. She immediately noticed Sully and waved to him.

  He walked over to her and smiled, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek as if she were a long lost friend he had known for ages. “Hey, Kit! Thanks for coming.”

  She looked around, surveying the modest apartment overcrowded with loud, rowdy guests that were spilling out onto the patio beyond the sliding glass doors in the living room. She felt slightly uncomfortable and overwhelmed. “Sure. Looks like a good turnout.”

  He looked around and nodded proudly. “Yep. Can I get you anything?”

  Kit’s nerves eased in Sully’s presence and a devilish smile crept up on her face. “What do you got?”

  Sully giggled and gave her a suggestive grin. “Anything your little heart desires, hot shot.”

  She pretended to think about it for a moment. “How about a scotch on the rocks and a cigarette?”

  Sully smiled and teased. “Ooh, racy. I’ll be right back.” He returned moments later with Kit’s drink and a cigarette. She grinned after taking a long drag. He chuckled. “Scotch girl, huh?”

  She smiled. “That’s me.” She pointed to his drink. “Scotch guy, huh?”

  He laughed. “Nice. Yes, me too. It’s in my blood. Irish.”

  “Really? Me too.”

  He gave her a flirty look. “Y’know Kit, you’re not like most of the girls at our shows or even this party for that matter.”

  She giggled and took a sip of her drink, immediately feeling sassy. “Is that your way of asking me why I’m not one of your groupies yet, throwing my panties or myself at you?”

  He laughed and grimaced. “Touché. You got me on that one. Stone cold busted. I guess I’m only used to that kind of attention from the ladies on the Strip. I guess I underestimated you.”

  Kit couldn’t help smiling. Flirting with Sully was proving to be highly entertaining. “Understandably. You’ve got a great band. You guys are all sufficiently hot. I’m sure you get away with a lot.” She winked at him and grinned.

  He raised his eyebrows and gave her a devilish grin. “Ooh, you’re fun. I don’t think I’ve ever been so turned on by verbal sparring before. Highly amusing.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh loudly. “Yes, I’m a regular one woman circus, Sully Foxx. Speaking of circuses, you’ve got a three ring one going on in here.” She motioned to the loud partygoers in various stages of disarray, dancing around scantily clad, drinking, and laughing.

  He shrugged. “A Hollywood rocker party at its best.” He cocked his head to the side and gave her a curious look. “Wait a minute… is this your first one?”

  Kit pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe, maybe not.” She wasn’t about to admit that this was her first since she’d move there.

  He pointed at her. “Ok, missy. I think this is your first Hollywood party.” He teased. “Where are you from? Iowa?”

  She rolled her eyes. “No. Please. I’m no farm girl. I’ve been to some really crazy parties, just not this crazy. I’m from Chicago and I went to school in Philly.”

  Sully’s eyes bugged out excitedly and he smiled like a Cheshire cat. “You’re from Chicago? Me too! Whereabouts?”

  “Lake Forest.”

  He nodded and took a sip of his drink, surveying her, and energetically taking a step back. “Oh, uh-huh. I get it, rich girl. Very fancy. I probably shouldn’t even be talking to you. I’m surprised you haven’t looked down your nose at me yet. What are you doing slumming it with rockers in L.A.? Shouldn’t you be cozying up to some investment banker in Manhattan or attending some high society function in Beverly Hills with your Harvard educated boyfriend?”

  She shook her head and grinned. She understood the stereotype he tried to place her in very well. It was a stereotype that never fit even when she lived there. She had always felt like an outsider. It was easy for her shrug off his comment without offense. “I do
n’t have a boyfriend and I’m not slumming. Just because I lived in Lake Forest doesn’t mean that’s what I’m about. I’ve got the heart of a city girl, babe, not some spoiled, rich brat.”

  He was more intrigued now. “City girl, huh? We’ll see about that.” He grinned and pointed at her. “Wait a minute. Do you know Joe? Joe Arden. He’s from Lake Forest. He’s my buddy.”

  She smiled wide. “Yes! Joe is one of my best friends. We came out here together. He’s a big ass deal now—not surprising. I think I remember him mentioning you. He spoke very highly of you and I’ll let you in on a little secret. He doesn’t do that often.”

  Sully grinned. “That’s nice to hear. Didn’t he head back out?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. North America awaits his transcendental guitar blessing.”

  Sully laughed loudly and nodded. “That was good one. You have a way with words, little Miss. Ok, so back to you. Regardless of your past in those other cities, this is technically your first Hollywood party, right?” He pointed at her again. “Be honest.” He stared into her eyes eagerly awaiting her response.

  She started laughing. She couldn’t help it. His powers of charm were mesmerizing. “Yes. Technically it is my first Hollywood party. Joe has been too busy to throw a proper one, so I really haven’t had any other invitations yet. And I’ve been too busy. There I said it. You outed me.”

  He offered his arm to escort her and smiled. “Well then, Kit the city girl, let me lead you into the wonderful world of Hollywood debauchery and scandal. Your life will never be the same again.”

  She shook her head and smiled as she linked her arm in his. “Somehow I think you’re probably right. But I want to make one thing crystal clear to you… no matter how much I drink tonight, Sull, I am not going to be one of your groupies, like ever.”

  He grinned and patted her hand. “Deal, babe.”

  Kit awoke around nine the next morning with a pounding headache and a mouth as dry as any desert. She glanced over startled, when she noticed the array of passed out bodies, some clothed, some not. Too many shots and drinks had made her memories of the previous evening fuzzy at best. She glanced down to find that she was fully clothed and breathed an instant sigh of relief. Finding her car keys now presented more of a challenge than she was currently equipped to handle.