The Hardest Set (Willow Son #4/Brothers of Rock #19) (20 page)

“
Meaning?
”

Andrea smiled.
“
You just think about it. I
already applied on your behalf so you should be getting a call.
”

“
Are
you kidding me?
”

“
Nope.
So do the interview, show yourself off, and see what happens. Go from there,
Nat.
”

“
I
’
m not sure if I
’
m angry or not.
”

“
I
thought you
’
d throw
something at me.
”

“
I
guess I haven
’
t been taking
anything too serious lately.
”

“
Because
of a guy.
”

“
At
least this one is single.
”

Andrea snorted with a laugh.
“
You
’
re something, Nat.
”
Andrea looked at her screen.
“
I
have a handful of events coming up. Pick and choose what you want to work.
Please don
’
t get stuck
behind on rent or bills again.
”

“
I
’
ll make it work. Worst case I
’
ll just sleep at Van
’
s.
”

“
You
mean sleep with Van?
”

“
Well,
I
’
d have to pay him
somehow.
”

Andrea didn
’
t reply, but her smile told Natalie something else
was on her mind.

“
What?
”
Natalie asked.

“
Nothing.
”

“
Don
’
t give me that. What did you
want to say to me?
”

“
Honestly?
You seem happy right now. I
’
m
going to stay far away from it because I don
’
t
want to know a thing. But you seem happy, Nat. I hope you are. You deserve a
little fun.
”

A little fun. We
’
re not just
having
too much fun
…

Yeah, they kind of were.

Being with Van consisted of
flirting, trying to hide in a restaurant to grab a bite, and always ended with
them in bed together. Not that there was any thing wrong with it. Van was good
at everything. He took away worry. He took away pain.

“
You
should get a rockstar for yourself,
”
Natalie said.

“
How
many guys are in the band?
”
Andrea asked.

“
I
can try and put in a good word for you.
”

“
Stop
that. The last thing I need is a man in my life. I
’
d sit there and pencil him in for sex.
Oh, look,
I have ten minutes on Friday between one-thirty and two in the afternoon. Can
you go then?
”

Natalie laughed.

Then something hit her. The last
time she and Van were together
…

“
Hey,
I have a question,
”
Natalie
said.

“
Go
for it.
”

“
Can
you find out information about other parties? Or if I have a name
…
can you look something up?
”

“
It
’
s not a social network,
”
Andrea said.
“
It
’
s
a calendar.
”

“
Yeah,
but you can spy on your competition and stuff, right? I mean, or you know how
to look for parties, right?
”

“
I
have no idea what you
’
re
asking me.
”

“
If
I give you a name, can you dig around?
”

“
Yeah.
You could do the same thing with your phone.
”

“
Your
computer screen is bigger.
”

“
Am
I going to get in trouble?
”
Andrea asked.

“
No.
I
’
m not illegally funneling
money out of the country.
”

“
Oh,
okay, good.
”
Andrea started
to stand.
“
Hey, wait. You
better not type
his
name in my computer.
”

“
Who?
Mark? Please. He
’
s the last
thing on my mind.
”

“
Wow,
I never thought I
’
d hear
you say that. I should buy Van a present for curing you of your curse.
”

Natalie grinned as she blushed.

Yeah, now get the hell out of
the way, Andrea. I want to do the same thing for him.

**

“
This
could spread.
”

Van shrugged his shoulders.
“
And?
”

“
It
doesn
’
t look good,
”
Portis said.
“
I
’
m
in New York trying to organize things and you
’
re
crashing a business party, punching people?
”

“
Whoa,
”
Van said.
“
See, you
’
re already spreading this bigger than it is. I didn
’
t crash a party. I paid to be
there. And I didn
’
t punch
people. I punched a person.
”

Brantley snickered.
“
Christ, brother.
”

“
What?
”
Van asked.

“
This
is not good,
”
Harry said.
“
He
’
s
a lawyer.
”

“
Oh
well,
”
Van said.

“
You
could end up in jail, man,
”
Colby said.

“
Then
take me away,
”
Van said.
“
He deserved it. Sorry.
”

The company
’
s lawyer sat at the head of the table, his thinning
black hair glistening with sweat.
“
It
appears he
’
s just trying to
rattle some chains though. My guess is it
’
s
a pride issue. He didn
’
t
like getting punched, so he
’
s
threatening to get the upper hand.
”

“
So
what
’
s the plan?
”
Portis asked.

“
Give
it to him,
”
the lawyer
said.

What was his name? Chuck?
Charlie? Chris?

“
Give
him the upper hand?
”
Van
asked.
“
How?
”

“
Apologize,
”
the lawyer said.
“
I mean, there
’
s already pictures of it, right?
It
’
s out there. But if Mark
wants to push it, it could explode.
”

“
How
about my side of the story?
”
Van asked.
“
How he
propositioned a woman at that party? How about the fact that he
’
s married? How about
…”

“
Easy,
”
Brantley said.
“
Easy, man. You look ready to
kill someone.
”

Van felt rage inside him over the
fact that something like this was lingering and that he hadn
’
t just told Natalie exactly how
he felt. This was the first time in a long time when everything didn
’
t feel like a mess, so why turn
it into one?

“
Just
tell him I apologize,
”
Van
said.
“
That I had too much
to drink and should have kept my composure.
”

“
The
main business sponsorship there,
”
Portis said.
“
Find out who
it was and we
’
ll donate to
their charity of choice. Keep it all back door and end it.
”

“
I
’
ll fund it,
”
Van said.

“
No,
”
Portis said.
“
I
’
ll
smooth it.
”

“
I
’
m not poor, Portis.
”

“
Neither
am I.
”

“
Okay,
”
Harry said.
“
Let
’
s try and get past this for a second. The show in
L.A
…
. it
’
s pretty massive. We
’
re looking at well over twenty
thousand people. The calls have been coming in pretty fast now. We
’
re looking beyond a small tour.
This could turn into something huge.
”

“
How
huge?
”
Jett asked.

“
I
’
ve got contracts and commitments
from thirty venues,
”
Portis
said.
“
Including full
sponsorships for the entire tour. Meaning it
’
s
all paid for. Any gaps I
’
ll
fund and you guys just play the shows you
’
ve
always dreamed of playing.
”

“
That
’
s not everything,
”
Harry said with a grin.

“
No?
”
Ryker asked.

“
Well,
I had something to show you,
”
Portis said.
“
Then this
legal shit fell on the table.
”

“
Are
we good with this?
”
the
lawyer asked.
“
I
’
ll start drafting something.
”

“
Yes,
”
Van said.
“
Whatever we need to do. But if I
see that piece of shit again, I
’
ll
hit him again.
”

Portis waved a hand, signaling the
lawyer to leave. He reached for his briefcase and took out a folder. He opened
it and spun it around.

It was a picture of two small jets
and a larger plane behind it.

“
New
toys for you?
”
Colby asked.

“
Because
of how much we made for you?
”
Van asked.

“
Not
quite,
”
Portis said.
“
These are yours.
”

“
What
are you talking about?
”
Van
asked.

“
This
tour is going to be stressful. We
’
re
going to space out the shows and make each one its own event. You
’
ll need to travel. So you can
take a private jet or the big plane. Whatever you want. That way if there
’
s a two day gap, we can keep
your equipment traveling and you guys can do what you want. Fly back to the studio.
Maybe do a presser back home and a presser at the next show. Oh, by the way, we
’
re going to make the tour
available to stream. So fans in California will be able to watch the New York
shows
…”

“
Holy
shit,
”
Jett said.

“
Holy
shit is right,
”
Harry said.
“
This is huge. This is
groundbreaking.
”

“
I
expect new material throughout the tour,
”
Portis said.
“
To keep the
shows fresh, original, and to make the upcoming album release exciting. Got it?
”

“
We
have a new song almost ready to go,
”
Van said.

“
That
’
s what I want to hear,
”
Portis said.
“
Each night needs a new set list.
A new
…
everything.
”

“
Done,
”
Colby said.

Done.

Just like that.

The wildness of being a rockstar
was hard to believe. Ten minutes ago the room was somber with the potential of
Van being sent to jail for punching that scum asshole Mark. Now he was looking
at a picture of a private jet that would take him anywhere he wanted across the
country on a tour that would forever cement Willow Son
’
s legacy with the greatest of bands.

“
So
we can officially end this meeting on a good note,
”
Portis said.
“
Right?
”

“
Agreed,
”
Harry said.

“
Good.
I
’
ve got a plane to catch.
I
’
m flying up to Seattle to
take a look at a few bands. I
’
ll
need your input, guys. I trust you.
”

“
So
we
’
re corporate level now,
”
Brantley said.