Glam Metal (9 page)

“Jay, you and Sam look wonderful together,” said Tammy. “Sam, how ever did you tame this bad boy?” Jay laughed and pulled Sam closer.

“Not a woman alive that can tame me Tam,” Jay answered for her. “Besides, you’
re my favourite girl.” They all laughed.

It was the glint in his eye as he said it and the way that he pulled her closer to him that suggested to all present that this was perhaps a potentially serious romance.

It felt good to Sam to be with him, he made what Nick said seem unimportant. She would just forget everything that he said and enjoy the time she had with Jay.

It was late when Jay and Sam fell into bed. She was exhausted. It had been a long day and a long flight. She was jet lagged.

“Babe, we’
re doing a session down at the studio in the morning!” Jay said. “Not sure how long I
’
ll be, should be a wrap by lunch!

“You can take the limo out and I’
ll finish as soon as I can!” She was in his arms, he was caressing her shoulder.
“Mmmmm, your pool is just what the doctor ordered”. He laughed and pulled her onto him, kissing her.

They fell asleep close to dawn. Sam wrapped up in his arms, breathing steadily.

It was almost midday when Sam surfaced. She grabbed a mug of coffee and brought it out to the terrace. Lisa was lying on one of the loungers. She was wearing a very skimpy bikini and a wide brim hat. She greeted Sam warmly.

“Long night was it?” They giggled. “You two were making a lot of noise!” Sam blushed.

They chatted and laughed for a while. Then Lisa got up, took off her hat and glasses and jumped into the pool and swam a few lengths.

As she got out, there was a very audible whistle from the French door.

“Now that is a sight I’
d love to see again.” It was Nick. He walked over to Lisa and picked up her towel and standing behind her, wrapped it around her waist. Sam turned away, but not before he said “Afternoon, Sam. You look tired.” She turned and looked him flush in the eyes.

“You look sleazy as ever, Nick.” He roared with laughter and sat down next to Lisa. They were deep in conversation when Jay and Steve came back.

Jay went over to Sam and planted a kiss full on her mouth. She raised her arm over her head and pulled his head down to her. There was no doubt that she was falling for him.

“Sleep well Darlin?” She nodded. Jay went over to the cooler fridge and took out two cokes and handed one to Steve. “Where did you get to Nick? You were supposed to be at the studio this morning.” From his tone, they all knew Jay was pissed off with Nick.

“Geeze, Jay lighten up, it was only a jamming session. Not a recording.” Jay swore and went inside. Nick said to Steve. “The prima donna is back!” He laughed. “It was only a jam for cryin out loud.”

“Nick, get real, he’
s worked hard on the tracks for this album. Geeze, you could have turned up dude.” Steve too was pissed off. “For this album to work, you two need to sort out whatever is eating you, man. This is shit.” He got up and went out to the driveway to his car.

Sam took off her sunglasses and went inside, glaring at Nick as she passed.

She found Jay in his den strumming his guitar. He smiled as she came in. She sat beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. He kept strumming.

“That sounds good,” Sam said. “Is it new?”

“I wrote the words and the music. It’s gonna be our next single.” Jay said. The strains were intense and the guitar solo was the best Jay had done to date. His emotions came through.

“Oh Jay, it’
s beautiful.” Sam was so touched by his solo riff. He touched her cheek lightly with his hand.

“Sam, you are the most seductive woman I have ever been with,” He put down his guitar. “You are making me feel things I shouldn’t
be feeling.” She knew exactly what he was feeling. She was feeling it too. 

He reached over and kissed her passionately. She put her arms around him and kissed him back.

“Sorry, guys.” Jay pulled away from Sam and looked up at the interruption. It was Nick. Sam knew that they needed to talk so she excused herself and left them.

“Dude, I didn’t
think!” Nick said. “I thought with you been so occupied for the next few weeks, it didn’t matter.” Jay picked up the guitar and began to strum a few chords. He growled at Nick.

“This is our first album with our own material in a long time. That’
s important to get over the shit we
’
ve come through.” He was referring to the very public bust up the two of them had on stage and when Jay went into rehab for his drug addiction.

“Geeze, Man, I know you’
re tryin. The music, the words it
’
s all good. Only one thing I worry about,” He looked at Jay. “This broad, dude, what gives? I mean I thought you were only banging her in London. Now, you bring her to LA? What the fuck Jay?” He was being serious.

“Nick, she’
s not a groupie, there
’
s something about her. She has class, you know,” he grinned as he added. “Her friend has some good qualities too; you know what I
’
m sayin!” They both laughed and stood up and hit their knuckles together in that very masculine way. They had made up.

Out on the terrace, she found Lisa. She was drinking a glass of wine.

“Sam, we need to talk.” Lisa said seriously. Sam looked at her friend. She looked confused.

“Sure Li, what’
s up?” She sat beside her friend nibbling on a tortilla crisp. Lisa removed her sunglasses and lowered her eyes as she asked:

“Sam, what do you honestly think of Nick?” Should she tell Lisa the truth as she believed it to be? That he was a total bastard prima donna with an ego the size of Mexico! She decided no.

“I think he knows he is hot property. I don’
t like him very much. Why?” Lisa paused for a moment and leaned forward and said quietly.

“Sam, I know Jay is big into you. You’
re almost divorced. And you can bonk his brains out as we all heard last night.” Sam went red. “Des doesn’t do anything with me, Sam. He doesn’t make love to me or talk to me.” Lisa looked at her friend and continued “He
’
s having an affair with that cow; remember the night of the party, she came into the kitchen for the wine?” Sam nodded; she really had no idea how bad things were with Lisa and Des. She always thought that Des worshiped Lisa. At least he seemed to be besotted with her in public.

“Do you think I’
m a slut if I hook up with Nick for the next few weeks?” Sam was incredulous. In all the time she had known Lisa, she never guessed that she was having so many personal problems. She had been there to support Sam after her separation from Dan.

“Oh Li, how can I tell you what you should do? I don’
t like Nick because of the way he behaves to me and Jay. But I can
’
t tell you not to be with him, only you can know that,” she held her friend
’
s hand. “Li, it will only be just sex. Nick can
’
t commit to any one woman, you know that!” she tried to come to terms with her friend
’
s sadness. How could she not have noticed? To think that all this time, she was blabbing on about her problems when she should have been giving the same support to her friend.

“How long has the affair being going on? How did you find out about it?” Sam asked. Lisa brushed away a tear and forced her best smile.

“About three months ago, I was sending out his suit for the cleaners and I found the receipt for a hotel in the Cotswolds. He never took me there. Then I went looking in his wallet when he was in the shower and found another receipt for dinner at a little restaurant in Soho,” she paused. “The night of the party, I saw them on the deck and they were kissing.” Sam hugged her. “Why didn’t’
t you tell me before now, Li?” Lisa laughed.

“You were so pissed off yourself!” They both laughed and hugged each other.

Nick and Jay came out on to the terrace laughing. Sam held out her hand to Jay. He looked happy. He pulled her up and put his arm around her and asked:

“You guys want to go sailing?” It was an open invitation to all. They all agreed.

The sun
’
s reflection on the water was glistening. It was blinding almost. The ocean was calm and as blue as the sky. It was almost impossible to know where the ocean ended and the sky began. And the heat, it was caressing every inch, every fibre of Sam
’
s body.

She was sun bathing on the deck of Jay
’
s beautiful yacht. It made the yacht, he had rented in Essex, seem like a row boat. It was a massive sixty footer with onboard living accommodation. Which, he sometimes used to throw lavish parties aboard.

Sam stretched out on the full length of the sun lounger, enjoying the warm sun on her face. Lisa and Nick disappeared as soon as they got aboard and Jay was at the tiller sailing the boat out of the marina. He hadn
’
t come down on deck yet. She turned over onto her stomach and closed her eyes. She was enjoying every moment of it.

“Now that’
s something I got to get some of!” Jay
’
s voice startled her. She giggled as he sat on the lounger in front of her. Sam, on her side, licked her lips seductively and Jay nearly fell off the lounger. “Oh man! You are driving me insane.” They talked for a while. All the time Jay was looking at her body. Knowing the effect she was having on him, Sam unashamedly teased him more.

“You still jetlagged Darlin?” He asked. Sam said she was. It was a feeling like she was in a permanent state of drunkenness. Jay got up and said he’
d be right back. He went below deck. Sam watched him disappear out of sight.

A few minutes later he returned with a mug with steam coming from it. He handed it to Sam and said:

“Drink this, it will help cure it,” Sam took the mug and looked up at him questioningly. “Pur’
eh tea; it’s Chinese. I discovered it a few years ago when we were touring. Did wonders for the jetlag”. He took up his old position on the sun lounger in front of her. She took a sip of the scalding liquid. It tasted good. It was really refreshing.

Jay put on some music and they talked some more. He told her about the tour, how well it had gone. They were due in the recording studio next week to do a video for their next song and then they were going to be recording their new album.