Rock Hard Envy - Part 2 (7 page)

~~~

Of course, things went from bad to worse. Sylvia was one thing, but my career and ability to do my job
were being held up by bureaucratic red tape, or so I thought. Two days later, the package from San Francisco arrived and inside I found my application packet and it was missing many pieces that I had included. I called Ernest, James’ lawyer who had helped me put the application together, and he assured me that what I was looking at was not what had gone out in the mail. I called the license office to speak to Mr. Thompson.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Navarro. That’s what I received on my desk. Resubmit and I’ll do what I can to help,” Mr. Thompson told me. He sounded sincere but something wasn’t right.
If Ernest sent the complete package and this man received something else, either it had been tampered with before he got it or he was lying. In either case, I was getting the feeling this was the Fraulein’s work.

“I’ll have a new application prepared and I’ll hand deliver it this time, if that’s OK,” I said and Mr. Thompson told me he looked forward to meeting me. Again, he sounded sincere but I wondered. Was it Mr. Thompson that had tampered with the application or one of his staff? Again, I suspected Vicky, but I couldn’t prove anything. She was the head of a major talent agency and bound to have many friends in the industry, or rather many pawns. I didn’t think anyone was friends with the Fraulein. In any case, this was a perfect opportunity to get James alone again and away from his conniving ex-wife.

I found James in his office and explained the whole thing. He didn’t look happy but he agreed there was little we could do about Vicky without proof. It sounded as if Josie and Tommy were having the time of their lives but James and I were mired in all this drama. It wasn’t fair. I was happy for Josie but envious too. I wanted just to enjoy being with James, but instead Sylvia and Victoria were interfering.

“I can’t go,”
James told me when I proposed taking a little trip up to the Bay Area to deliver the package. “I’ve got practice scheduled with the band and a meeting with a friend about a little pre-tour gig. I’d love to go, but I can’t,” James said.

“Damn. I thought this would be a nice getaway,” I said and then even though I didn’t want to bring it up, I added, “I don’t want to leave you alone with Sylvia.” James frowned.

“Why not? You said you trusted me. You do don’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, it’s not you, it’s her. James, I know you think she’s your friend, but she doesn’t act that way, especially towards me. She says things that make me worry she’s here to cause trouble,” I replied. James smiled softly and took my hand.

“I promise I have no plans to let Sylvia come between us. She’ll be gone in a couple of weeks and I don’t think she’s trying to break us up. She’s just being Sylvia. So, do you want to take the jet?” James asked suddenly and took my mind off his ex-wife.

“What? What jet?” I asked truly perplexed.

“The band’s jet,” James told me as if I should know the band had a jet.

“You have a plane?” I asked.

“Yeah, the band does. It’s sweet. I’ll call the pilot and get it ready. You could be back tonight if you wanted,” James said.

“Then come with me and we’ll have dinner,” I countered. James stroked his beard and nodded.

“That’s a hell of an idea. I can’t go overnight, but I can go for the day. Then you don’t have to worry about Sylvia sinking her claws into me while you’re gone,” James said playfully. I appreciated the attempt to lighten the mood but obviously, he wasn’t taking the threat seriously. Maybe I was taking it too seriously or maybe James was blinded by his past relationship with Sylvia. I refused to believe for a moment that James would willingly hurt me, but I just didn’t know how deep his feelings for the woman went. However, keeping James away from her for another evening was enough for now.

“Good, we should go somewhere nice,” I told James.

“I have a place in mind but it’s a surprise,” he told me. More flair for the dramatic I suppose. It was a good thing I liked surprises.

“What should I wear?” I asked.

“That cute little business diva thing you’re wearing is perfect,” James said and he reached for me. I playfully slapped his hand away.

“We’ve got work to do, Mr. Turner,” I admonished him and James flashed his devilish grin. I had a feeling our little trip would take an intimate turn at some point. I couldn’t wait to find out.

~
8~

A couple of hours later we were rocketing down the runway at LAX with the application packet in hand. James didn’t tell me much about his jet but I was floored when I saw it. It was huge and black, full of leather and wood inside and even had a small kitchen. My boyfriend had a jet, or at least his band did. A girl could really get used to this. “So why did you drive back from San Francisco to confront Vicky last month,” I asked referring to the day James fired Roland Talent and made me battery’s agent.

“I’m pretty sure the guys would have been a little pissed if I left them stranded in San Francisco,” James explained. That made sense. James went on to say, “We got sick of the bus thing, you know. We tried chartering jets but that was a hassle. Now we go when we want and how we want. Best part, we can come home more often when we’re on tour. Spending months on a bus was fun when we were in our twenties. Hell, we were all drunk most of the time anyway. Now, it’s nice to go in comfort and come home now and then.”

“So when you go on tour, you won’t be gone for months on end?” I asked hopefully.

“No. But I was kind of hoping you’d be there with me,” James said.

“I’d love to go. I just didn’t think that I could,” I said.

“Of course.
I’m rock star. I get whatever I want. I got you, didn’t I?” James said and leaned over to kiss me. We occupied a leather sofa along the side of the plane that doubled as a bed. I half expected James to take me right then and there but he kissed me and that was all.

“You’re not going to make me part of the mile high club?” I asked. James smiled.

“Ms. Navarro, we have work to do. Please try to be more professional from here on out,” James teased trying to sound serious. I laughed at him but he added, “Besides, it’s like a forty minute flight. We’re like halfway there already.” A few seconds later, as if on cue, the pilot informed us we were about twenty minutes out and starting our approach to San Francisco. He advised we should buckle up. I hadn’t even unbuckled yet. A car waited at the private terminal for James and I and we rode into the city in style. It wasn’t long and we found ourselves at our destination.

“Hello, were here to deliver an application packet to Mr. Thompson,” I said.

“And you are?” the receptionist asked.

“Simone Navarro. I spoke with Mr. Thompson this morning,” I told her.

“Mr. Thompson is at lunch. In any case, we don’t accept applications in person. You must mail them,” the woman said.

“Well, this is a special circumstance and I spoke with Mr. Thompson,” I told the woman patiently.

“Leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do,” the woman said. I was leery suddenly. Had this woman tampered with my application? Was it Mr. Thompson? James looked impatient and I was sure he was about to intercede but right then, Mr. Thompson walked in. The receptionist introduced him to James and me. I didn’t miss the look of disappointment on her face. Maybe I was just being paranoid or maybe she was working for Vicky.

“Oh yes,
my that was fast. You’re from Los Angeles, aren’t you?” he asked as he invited us to his office.

“Yes, we caught a flight,” I explained leaving out the small detail that we took James’ private plane. I don’t think this man or his staff knew who James was.
At least not all of them. Whoever tampered with my application certainly knew who we were though.

“Well, have a seat and I’ll look over your application. It’s the least I can do since you came all this way.
I’m really sorry about the mix up,” he said. James and I sat in the two chairs positioned in front of Mr. Thompson’s desk. He looked over the packet and nodded. “It seems to be in order. Unfortunately, I can’t approve it. Just this morning, I received an ethics complaint concerning your previous employment at the Roland Talent Agency. That will need to be settled before I can issue a license,” Mr. Thompson told us. James and I looked at one another. We both knew where that complaint had originated.

“Well, how long will that take?” James asked.

“That could take up to six weeks. I’m sorry but there’s not much I can do. If you had a license, you could continue to operate pending the outcome, but I can’t issue a license if you’re under investigation,” he explained. Again, Mr. Thompson seemed sincere. I was pretty sure he was innocent in all this, a pawn in Vicky’s games. I could identify with him.

“I think I know what this is about. If the complaint is withdrawn, can you issue the license?” I asked.

“Yes, immediately. Well, pending the normal processing but this looks complete and in order,” Mr. Thompson said. James looked ready to pounce but I patted his leg and indicated we should go.

“Thank you for your time,” I said and James and I left after Mr. Thompson told us he regretted we made the trip for nothing. James and I left the office and once inside the car, James voiced his displeasure.

“I’m going to throttle that bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?” James seethed.

“I’m not hungry. Let’s get back to Los Angeles and go pay the Fraulein a visit,” I said and James agreed. He was quiet the entire ride to the airport and then on the flight back to Los Angeles. I could tell he was angry. I’d only seen him like this once, the day he fired Vicky. He was quiet then too. After we landed and were in his truck on the way to Roland, I asked him what
was the matter.

“I’m thinking. I’ve got an idea but I need to work it out,” he said.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” I asked.

“No, not yet,” James told me but then seeing the look I wore, he added, “Yes, my flair for the dramatic.” I smiled as James pulled off the freeway but then turned the wrong way and hoped right back on the freeway going the opposite direction.

“What are you doing?” I asked confused.

“Seeing the Fraulein isn’t going to accomplish anything.
She’ll deny it all and we have no proof. Even if we did, right now she has us by the balls,” James explained. He was right.

“And you’ve got an idea to change that, don’t you?” I asked.

“And if it works, Vicky will be out of our hair forever,” James told me and that sexy, devilish grin crept onto his face. James and I grabbed dinner on the way home at his steakhouse. We didn’t discuss the issues with my license or Vicky. We kept it light, mostly talking about the upcoming tour and the possible pre-tour show, but again James was evasive about that. It wasn’t set in stone and he didn’t want to get my hopes up, or his. We left stuffed and satisfied as usual and headed to James house.

James was busy over the next few days and I had no desire to stick around with Sylvia. I told James I should spend some time at home catching up on things and hanging with Josie, not wanting to bring up my dislike for his ex-wife. I was walking a fine line where Sylvia was concerned. I wanted to let James know what she was up to but I didn’t want to alienate him either. James would be gone much of the time practicing and getting ready for the tour so I wasn’t too concerned Sylvia would have much time with him. Besides, with all the drama going on neither James or I were in the mood to mess around right now. How the heck did life become so complicated?

“Simone,” Sylvia called out to me after I said goodbye to James and I was nearly out the front door.

“What is it?” I asked impatiently.

“My, aren’t you grouchy? Trouble in paradise?” Sylvia asked, never missing an opportunity to twist the knife.

“What do you want, Sylvia?” I asked again with even less patience.

“Can’t you feel it? James is growing tired of you. You’re far too much trouble. Yes, I know what’s going on. He was happy before you came along. It won’t be long and he’ll find a woman that can make him truly happy,” she said. I felt my blood boil and I had to take a breath before answering her.

“Would that be you? I know you’re trying to break us up, but it won’t work. You’re a sad, aging ex-wife of a rock star. You should move on and stop clinging to your past. It’s unbecoming for a woman of your age to act the way you do,” I said and for the first time, I could see Sylvia was off-balance.

“Well, see. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. You’d be smart to just give up and go back to Iowa or wherever it is you’re from. You’re going to lose and lose bad,” Sylvia told me and I should have acted on the threat but I didn’t. I took her desperation to hurt me as just anger and frustration. I wasn’t the shrinking flower she hoped I’d be and that bothered her. However, there was so much more that I couldn’t see yet.

I just turned and left Sylvia standing at the threshold of James’ front door. I wondered if leaving was the best idea, but I had to trust James. What could Sylvia do? James may have been blind to her intentions, but that didn’t mean he was so weak as to fall for her games. Still, I felt as if leaving was a mistake but I couldn’t rationalize any solid reason for staying. Besides, I’d probably choke her to death if I did.