All Access (Brothers of Rock #1) (rockstar contemporary romance) (18 page)

“If you guys want something like that, let’s do it.”

“We have a month off,” Rick said.  “We could... well, not now I guess.”

“Hey,” Johnnie said.  “Be excited.  Be confident.  Practice guitar.  Hell, go to an island and find a woman for a month.  I don’t know.  Just don’t hide in a bottle.  I can’t do this again...”

“Neither can we,” a voice said.

The rest of the band walked into the hospital room.  They all surrounded Rick’s bed.  Brothers.  Brothers in music.  Brothers in life. 

“I’ll break your legs next time,” Chris added.

“I’ll break his drumsticks,” Danny said.

“You couldn’t break a chopstick,” Davey said.

Everyone enjoyed a laugh.

Rick looked at Johnnie and Johnnie turned to the band.  “Rick has an idea for an acoustic album... I think we should do it.”

“Really?” Danny asked.  “What are you going to do, Rick?”

“Play guitar,” Rick said.  “I’ve been practicing.”

“You know two chords,” Danny said.

“Cut it,” Johnnie said.  “Better than nothing.  We’ll figure it out, right?”

Everyone nodded.

“And while we’re talking... I have something to confess.”

“What?  Are you getting married?” Chris asked.

Johnnie thought about the ring, still in his breast pocket, and smiled.  “Not quite that far off the edge yet.  But something came up... for me.  I was offered a contract for a solo project.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up.

“I wrote a song and it was suggested I take it as my own.  But I can’t do that.  I’m sorry I even listened to an offer or saw a contract.  You guys are my brothers and nothing will ever change that.  I’m bringing the song to the new album.  Our first acoustic album.  But I have one catch with it.  Something I have to demand.”

“What’s that?” Davey asked.

“My girl, Jess, she has to sing on it.  You have to hear her voice.  It’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before.  And she has no clue how good she is.”

The band looked at each other, all gradually working themselves into a nod.

“There’s one catch with me,” Danny said.

“What’s that, little brother?”

“I have to be the best man at the wedding,” Danny said.  “After all, I am blood...”

“Get out of here!” Chris yelled.  “I’m the best man.  When you and Davey are doing your guitar solos, who do you think Johnnie bothers?  Me.”

“Wait a second,” Rick said from the hospital bed.  “I’m the one who came up with the acoustic album idea.  I’m the best man.”

“I didn’t propose to anyone,” Johnnie said.  “Not even close.  And even if I did... since when do we follow tradition?  I’ll march four best men up there with me...”

Johnnie looked at each member of the band.  When their eyes met, he knew.  Blood may be thicker than water, but music gave life its soul.  And with these four men, he had life, he had a soul, and he had brothers.  For the rest of his life.

Add to that Jess, and Johnnie had love. 

He had everything.

(24)

Johnnie closed his eyes and counted to ten.  Why the hell was he so nervous?  It didn’t make sense.  He was never nervous.  Not like this.  Not before a show.

There was no call for this show.  No intro song.  No buildup.  Just a casual crowd of diehard Chasing Cross fans waiting to see the guys play. 

“Hey man, you cool?”

Johnnie opened his eyes and saw Rick standing in the doorway.  His cast was littered with autographs and dumb sayings, most of it provided by the band.  They each took turns writing their favorite memories of Rick.  A couple really shouldn’t have been written for the world to see.

“I’m great,” Johnnie said.  “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.  I’m sure Eddie will do just fine.”

Eddie had been with Chasing Cross’s crew for five years.  He handled everything with Rick’s drum setup and mics, and knew how to play every single song.  He would sit behind the kit while the band played.

As far as Rick went...

“You’re okay to sing?” Johnnie asked.

“Why not?  We’re in this together.”

“Brothers,” Johnnie said.

Five minutes later the band took the stage.  The crowd roared and Johnnie stepped to the mic, waving his hands.

“Hey, keep it down,” he said with a smile.  “This is a charity event.  This ain’t no rock show...”

“Uh, Johnnie?” Rick asked into the mic a few feet away.

“What’s up, Rick?”

“It is a rock show...”

They smiled as Rick’s eyes twinkled.  Johnnie knew he was at home, the only place meant for Rick. 

Eddie counted off a four count and the show started.

While the beginning of the song played, Johnnie found Jess - and her friend Marie - standing front and center.  Jess waved and Johnnie blew her a kiss.  There was no way Jess was going to escape tonight without being there.

Especially because of something else Johnnie had planned for her...

Johnnie took the lead with the vocals and when the first chorus came, he backed away from the mic and pointed to Rick.  He expected Rick to stumble or to sound like hell, some karaoke version of the song, but to his shock, he had found another amazing singer.

Rick didn’t just sing the words, he lived them.

So much so that Johnnie looked at Chris who mouthed
Holy shit!.

Johnnie joined in for the chorus and slowly, he and Rick grew a chemistry, knowing exactly when to start and stop singing, when to join each other, and when to even share a mic and really get the crowd into it. 

After playing for almost an hour, Johnnie called for a break and stepped to the mic.

“How about Rick here?”

The crowd cheered.

“Who knew he could sing...”

“Yeah, I kind of messed up my arm,” Rick said.  “I crashed my car into a tree.”

Johnnie froze, unsure where Rick was going with this.

“You want to know why I crashed into a tree?”

The crowd cheered
YES!

Rick winked at Johnnie.  “I crashed because Johnnie called to tell me he was in love!”

The reaction was mixed.  Some cheers.  Some boos.  Johnnie laughed it off, knowing that some would be jealous of him and Jess, no matter what.

“That’s right,” Johnnie said.  “That’s right.  Johnnie from Chasing Cross is a taken man.  A happy man.  A man... in love... and she’s here tonight.  Do you all want to meet her?”

Again, the cheer roared through the small venue.

“Okay, Jess, you heard them...”

**

“...oh, and did I mention she can sing too?”

Jess froze and looked up at Johnnie.  She swore to herself if she were close enough, she’d smack him in the face.  Bad enough he was bringing her up on stage, but this?

Jess took to the stage and walked to Johnnie.  She hugged him, not just out of love, but to get to his ear.

“I’m not singing.  No way.”

“Yes, you are,” Johnnie whispered and kissed her cheek.

“I’m going to play a new song right now,” Johnnie said.  “It’s going to be the first single off our next album.  An acoustic project.  How’s that sound?”

Johnnie looked at the band and nodded at them.  They came together and he explained the chord changes, telling everyone to follow his lead through the first verse and chorus, then kick in with the second verse.  To Jess, it all sounded like a foreign language, but she knew the band would pull it off.

And they did.

Johnnie got a guitar and started to play.  He looked at Jess when he stepped to the mic and started to sing.  He sang the first two lines and backed away.  That left Jess with her opportunity to sing.  It would be the first time she ever sang in public.  The fear crippled her for a split second until she remembered the show was for those suffering from cancer.  This was a show for Chasing Cross to celebrate their music with fans and help people too.

When Jess started to sing, she didn’t want to stop.  But after two lines she did, and then she and Johnnie switched back and forth until the chorus.  They sang at the same time and just as Johnnie directed it to happen, the rest of the band came in.  They played the song as though they had been playing it for years.  Jess looked around the stage in awe, knowing then just how talented they all were, not to mention how close they were.  They could just pick up a song and play it.  Without worry.  And master it.

Even Rick got involved, using one arm to drum, using the bass drum and the snare. 

It all worked.

Jess stayed on the stage for the rest of the show, slowly lingering towards the back, getting a different view of rock n’ roll.  It kept her heart racing the entire time and when the last song was played, Jess felt a lump in her throat.

She had just witnessed something powerful and beautiful.

The five guys of Chasing Cross then stood, arms around each other, and took a bow.

That’s when Jess felt a tear trickle down her cheek. 

She wasn’t just in love with Johnnie anymore.

She was in love with the music and the band.

With
the everything
that came with Johnnie.

An hour later they were back in Johnnie’s hotel room.  To Jess’s surprise, nobody drank.  Instead, they talked, laughed, played guitar, and talked about the show.  Danny and Davey huddled in a corner and played the new song, each taking turns working on riffs and solos.

Johnnie made it a point to talk to each band member alone and did the same for Peter who didn’t take a second to put his phone down. 

When Johnnie finally got to Jess, he took her by the waist and lifted her, carrying her to the bedroom.  She cried out and laughed as he threw her to the bed and climbed on top of her.

“Hope you don’t mind a little sweat,” Johnnie whispered.  He kissed her once.

“I love your sweat,” Jess said.

Johnnie kissed her again.

“You were amazing,” Johnnie said. “I’m sorry if I put you on the spot.”

“I’m fine.  I needed that, as crazy as it sounds.”

“Since we’re on the subject of crazy...”

“I hate when you talk like this.”

“No you don’t.  I’m sure you heard me say about our acoustic album...”

“I caught that.”

“Well, we want you to sing on the album.  The new song.  Like we talked about.”

“You do?  Or the band?”

“The band.  We had a meeting, at the hospital.”

“Rick.  I hope he’s okay.”

“He’ll be fine,” Johnnie said.  “It’s not all fun and games in this business.  But when you have the right people in your life... it’s amazing.”

Johnnie kissed Jess and his hands were suddenly fast and exploring her body.  Before she could say a thing, he slithered from her body, locked the door, and turned off the lights.

The lights would remain off as Johnnie slowly stripped Jess and tasted every possible inch his perfect tongue could reach.  By the time he was naked and ready to love Jess’s body, she had climaxed twice.  One was obvious, the second she tried not to make so obvious. 

Johnnie entered her and together they rolled back and forth in the large hotel bed, not sparing any movements nor sounds.  Jess didn’t care if anyone heard because right now she was living part of her own rock n’ roll fantasy.  The difference was that she wasn’t some one night stand groupie... she was in love with Johnnie and would do this for the rest of her life.

When they finished, Johnnie held Jess in the dark.

Jess kept her eyes open, looking around, thinking.

“I miss the cabin,” she finally said.

“I was just thinking that too.”

“I miss the stars.  The way it felt.  The way it held us.”

“I know.”

“You know the New York thing is a problem,” Jess said.  “So is your tour.”

“I don’t believe in problems.  It’s just a roadblock.”

“No, it’s a problem.  You’ll be on the road...”

“I have a month off,” Johnnie said.  “And it doesn’t matter because I’m canceling your plane ticket.”

“You’re what?”

Jess sat up and fumbled from the bed.  She found the light switch and turned it on.  She turned, ready to unleash hell on Johnnie when she saw him sitting up in bed, a sheet covering his lower half.  His hand was outstretched and between his thumb and pointer finger was a ring.

“What are you doing?” Jess asked.

“Making this forever,” Johnnie said.  “This was what Rick was supposed to find in my jacket.”

“Johnnie...”

“Jess.  I’m cancelling your plane ticket because I already bought us two first class tickets.  I’m coming with you.”

“With me?”

“To New York.  I want to be there with you.  I want to see you shine in your moments.  I’ll be backstage, waiting for the crowds to die down, hoping you’ll find me and kiss me.”