Cake: A Love Story (7 page)

It might not seem like a big deal to most, but to me it was a downright shocking thing to do. People who met me for the first time just assumed, because of my dark past, that I couldn’t take a joke. It was a reaction that I’d grown accustomed to and one I’d come to expect. Only those closest to me knew I had a good sense of humor.

But here was some random girl playing a joke on me! I was more than a little intrigued. All the sudden this indistinguishable stranger blossomed before my very eyes. My fatigue vanished. For the first time in a long time I was wide awake. And I was shocked to discover just how beautiful this girl standing before me was. How had I not seen her before? God, those shiny brown eyes, that smoking hot body, and those dimples! I was mesmerized. As if making up for lost time, I hung on her every word with unmasked enthusiasm. Casey probably thought I was some inexperienced little boy the way I was smiling and flirting. But I couldn’t help myself. The way she called me out…her witty comebacks…her boldness…I was awestruck. She was unlike any girl I’d ever met and I felt an immediate and intense attraction to her. She had it all…funny, smart, confident, interesting, and sexy. And the way she interacted with me…there was no fussing, no excited babbling, no declarations of undying devotion…Casey just talked to me like I was any other person…completely unaffected by my stardom. It was clear that she wasn’t a groupie. In fact, I wasn’t even sure if Casey was a fan and the idea of meeting a girl with a totally clean slate appealed to me more than I could ever say.

When my mom called me away, I didn’t want to leave. It was such an odd reaction for me. Usually I couldn’t wait to get away from conversations with strangers but after ten minutes of talking to Casey, somehow, she was no longer in that category.

Leaving the restaurant I was distracted, anxious…giddy.

“What?” Kyle questioned, eyeing me suspiciously.

“What do you mean what?” I asked.

“You’re acting weird.”

“How am I acting weird?”

“I don’t know…you’re like all cheerful and shit.”

“So you think it’s weird when I’m happy?” I asked.

“Sort of, yeah.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled. His assessment annoyed me.

“So?”

“So, what?”

“Jesus Christ Jake! What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I just met that girl,” I mumbled. “Damn…she’s a smoke show.”

Kyle eyed me skeptically. “Yeah well I hate to burst your bubble, J, but she was hitting on me earlier.”

“Seriously?” I asked, my stomach dropped. I was way more disappointed than I should have been after just meeting the girl.

“Yeah, during the rehearsal.”

“Casey was hitting on you?” I questioned, trying to clarify Kyle’s claim. It just didn’t seem like her but…God…how would I know? Maybe she was just putting on a show for my benefit.

“I don’t know what her name was, dude, but her tits…damn.”

“Wait are you talking about the brunette or the blond?”

“The blond with the enormous…,” Kyle finished the sentence by holding his hands out like he was juggling melons.

I felt instant relief. “I was talking about the brunette, Casey.”

“The last girl you were talking to?”

“Yeah.”

“Did she have big tits too?”

“What’s it with you and big tits today Kyle?”

“So…that would be a no,” Kyle grinned, ignoring my question.

“Shut up. I don’t care about big tits. You know I’m more of an ass man. And before you ask…yeah, she had a nice ass.”

“Well, to each his own…I prefer the busty blond myself.”

I made a face. “You can have her.”

“Oh wow thanks, bro, it’s so nice of you to give me your leftovers,” Kyle replied sarcastically.

I ignored his comment.

“So this Casey girl must be pretty hot to get you all worked up.”

“Yeah, she’s hot…but it’s not even that. I actually had fun talking to her.”

“Holy shit! No fucking way?!?” Kyle teased. “Talking huh?”

“Shut up,” I laughed. “I’m not kidding. She’s the first girl I’ve met who just talks to me like I’m a normal human being.”

“Jesus, what’s wrong with her?” Kyle joked. “Clearly you aren’t normal.”

“God, I almost forgot how annoying you are,” I said, shaking my head in irritation.

“Well hell. I’ve only been off the tour for two weeks and you’re already starting to forget my character flaws. That is just unacceptable!”

“And I have two more full months to enjoy a Kyle-free tour. How lucky am I?”

“Keep that shit up and I won’t come back,” Kyle grinned.

“Promise?”

“Shut up. You know you miss me.”

“No. Actually I don’t miss you at all,” I lied.

“Yeah, you do. You’re bored without me. Admit it.”

I didn’t respond.

“Admit it!” Kyle pressed again.

“No. You realize I could fire you at any time, right?”

“Yeah, but you won’t. Face it Jake, you can’t live without me,” Kyle said dismissively.

He was right. I would never fire Kyle. As annoying as he was, Kyle was more than just my little brother…and I needed him by my side. Over the years there would sometimes be grumbling amongst the crew that Kyle was a freeloader getting a paycheck simply for being my brother but I didn’t see it that way. Kyle’s job title had always been somewhat murky but officially he was on security detail. He liked to tell people he was my personal bodyguard but really he just hung out with me and kept me sane. My world was filled with “yes men” and Kyle was there to say ‘no’. He never let me take myself too seriously. If I was feeling full of myself, Kyle was there to knock me down a few pegs with a well-placed insult. He reminded me of who I was and where I came from. I shutter to think who I would be without him. There were only a few people I trusted in this world and Kyle was at the top of that list. So yeah, maybe I did pay him to be my brother and to kick my ass when necessary. Who cares? It’s my money. And truthfully I did miss him. I couldn’t wait for him to get back to the tour in August after he finished his stint on a reality show that was about to start filming.

“Whatever. I don’t even know what we are talking about anymore,” I shrugged.

“Me neither,” Kyle laughed. “Oh wait…it had something to do with you being normal.”

“Not being normal…just being treated normal.”

Kyle smiled mischievously at me.

“What?”

“It doesn’t take much to win you over, does it?” Kyle shook his head. “Seriously, if the groupies only knew.”

I shrugged. “Well, I thought it was cool. Plus Casey is really fucking hysterical. You would not believe the shit that comes out of her mouth,” I swore, shaking my head in amusement.

“I heard you laughing.”

“Yeah, she cracks me up. The first thing she did was punk me.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I asked her if there was anything important I needed to know from the rehearsal, she told me all I missed was learning the dance routine.”

“What? There’s a dance routine?” Kyle asked confused.

“No, dumbshit, that was the punk.”

“Oh. Wait, what?”

“Jesus Christ, Kyle, try to follow along,” I shook my head impatiently. Sometimes he was so goddamn stupid.

“I’m trying. You’re confusing me.”

I sighed. “She lied to me and told me that the wedding party was going to dance down the aisle at the end of the ceremony. Then she shows me the dance we are going to do. And it’s the worst frickin’ dance you could ever imagine. There was no way I was going to do it. I mean I would rather have dropped out of the wedding party than embarrass myself like that,” I laughed. “But just before I pissed my pants from the horror of it all, she starts laughing and tells me that she was just kidding. I couldn’t believe it. No one jokes with me like that.”

“That is pretty funny actually,” Kyle nodded, impressed.

“Yeah. Casey was so chill. I can’t remember a time I was that interested in something a girl had to say.”

“Wow, that’s deep,” Kyle joked. “You should put that on a bumper sticker.

I laughed.

“So are you going to hit that?”

I shook my head. “Something tells me she’s not that type of girl.”

Kyle scoffed. “You’re a fucking rockstar Jake, with you, every girl is that type of girl.”

“Trust me, not her. Casey doesn’t seem impressed with all that.”

“Or so she says.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe it’s all an act to get you interested.”

I gave Kyle a dirty look. “Not everyone I meet has an agenda, asshole.”

“I’m just saying…you never know.”

“So you want me to live my life never trusting anyone’s motives?”

“Don’t you already do that?”

“No!”
Yes.

Kyle shrugged. “Better safe than sorry, right?”

“Jesus, K, that’s fucked up. With that thinking I might as well get used to being alone with just my hand for company.”

“Isn’t that the way it is already?” Kyle laughed.

“Shut up!” I shook my head. “Anyway, Casey isn’t like that.”

“And you know this because you talked to her for what? 15 minutes?”

“No I know this because I consider myself to be a pretty good judge of character. For example, I know you’re a piece of shit,” I joked.

Kyle laughed out loud. “This is true. So…did you get her number?”

“No.”

“Why?” Kyle shook his head like I was an idiot.

“I’m going to see her tomorrow? Why would I need her number?”

“For emergencies.”

“What? If I fall and can’t get up?”

“No if you fall and can’t get up and need a quick blow job,” Kyle smirked.

I laughed. Kyle could be so crude. “I think I’ll be okay. Besides, Casey would require a lot more effort than I’m willing to put forth tonight.”

“Damn Jake, you’re so romantic,” Kyle joked.

“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, she probably already has a boyfriend.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I don’t know. She just has a very relaxed vibe to her. Like a girl who isn’t looking for a guy so she can act herself around them.”

“So why isn’t he here then? This is a wedding for one of her best friends. Why wouldn’t he be here too?”

“I don’t know, Kyle, maybe he is here.”

“Very doubtful.”

“Why?”

“Because if I were some girl’s boyfriend and I saw her talking to you, I would be at her side in a frickin’ second,” Kyle admitted.

“I don’t know, Kyle,” I said, feeling myself getting frustrated. “And I don’t care. I just think she’s hot. That’s all.”

I headed back over to the hotel with my family. In the car, my brothers and I laughed and insulted each other relentlessly. My older sister Emma yelled at us to shut up. My mom yelled at her to stop yelling. My dad laughed from the driver seat. God how I’d missed my dysfunctional family! I left home at sixteen and often felt like I missed out on so much growing up. But my life was different back then. This closeness I share with my family now, it didn’t exist when I was sixteen. During that time in my life, I actively tried to push them away. Going out on the road on my own was the perfect way to distance myself. But the longer I was away, the more I missed my family and the more I appreciated what I’d left behind. I spent the short stretches of time at home between tours trying to reestablish the bonds. I was lucky. My family never blamed me for the way I acted. In fact, they welcomed me back with open arms. After that, I never took them for granted again.

Kyle slammed into the side of me after a violent push from my incredibly irritated sister. I had been deep in thought and hadn’t seen what he’d done to piss her off. Emma was more of an introverted person, preferring peace and quiet to the chaos that a rowdy family of eight always seemed to provide. As a kid, Emma loved getting Kyle and I in trouble. We couldn’t do anything without her telling mom on us. I always viewed her as the enemy. But after the kidnapping, when I was so scarred and afraid, it was Emma who would sit silently for hours in whatever room I was in just reading a book. We never spoke but it was what she didn’t say that stuck with me all these years. She was there for me unconditionally when my life was at its worst. I’d never forgotten her loyalty.

“Stop it, Kyle!” She screamed.

Kyle raised his eyebrows in amusement. I could tell from the look in his eyes he was not even close to stopping whatever he was doing to irritate her.

I pulled him back. “Relax, idiot.”

“Fuck off,” he whispered in my ear so mom wouldn’t hear.

“Stop now or I’ll tell mom what you did in Greece,” I whispered back.

He scowled at me. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me,” I replied.

“Then I’ll tell her what you did in Japan.”

“Go ahead. Because by the time I’m finished telling her what you did in Russia she won’t even care.”