The Rock Star Next Door, a Modern Fairytale (11 page)

“Well, you’re
so
damn
stubborn. You worry so much about
what
if
you
won’t go out on a date with an
y guy. And
, Jess . . .” The aqua eyes, mirrors of her own, pierced through her soul.
  “You have to
move on. Not every guy is
like
Kevin
.”  

The
mention of his name made Jessie freeze up
.

“Hey . . .” Jack’s h
ands captured hers. “
I’m sorry, I only meant . .
.”
“
Look at me, not
the table.” His voice grew tigh
t with emotion. “That scene will never happen
again. I swear it.”

Jessie blocked the mists rising in her eyes, concentrating on her brother’s face.  His copper beard was just beginning to fill in, making him look older, wiser than his twenty-fou
r years.
“Is that why you go around threatening any would be boyfriends with bodily harm?”

The arrow hit home. Guilt flooded his golden features, but only for an instant. He growled, his eyes holding only affirmation, never remorse. “I’ll be damned if I’ll ever let
anyone
else hurt you.”

“So
much for forgetting.
  You tell me to forget, but you can’t. Lex told me
about your threat the night of Kyra’s party
.”

Confusion replaced the self-assurance in Jack’s eyes. “I don’t remember.”

“Smooth, real smooth.” Jessie chided, squeezing the powerful hands surrounding her own. “You thre
aten him like Don Cor
l
eone
and then pass out on the bar.
”

“I remember his fa
ce through a fog
. I don’t recall any threat.”

“That isn’t the point. Jack, it’s really sweet the way you think you need to protect me, but, hey . . . we  aren’t in high school anymore, or even downtown LA with the punkers. As for
Kevin
, well, I think you guys should consider yourselves fortunate he didn’t press charges for assault. You can’t just go around threatening people, especially famous people like Lex.”

Jack grimaced.
“I hate
when you do this to me.” He scowled
. “H
ere I am, chewing your ass, and it always ends up
with you chewing mine
.
 
Tell me about him.
”

Jessie
shared the details of their trip
trip to
Disney
Land
last week and
their latest excursion to th
e LA Museum of Contem
porary Art dressed as
tourists.  “He’s
fun,
he makes me laugh.
He’s completely different off stage. He hardly even kissed
me, not
deep, passionate
kiss
ing
--
exce
pt
at Kyra’s engagement party in front of the cameras.” 

“No kissing?”
Cop
per eyebrows rose toward the blue sky
. “And how long have you b
een seeing him
?”

“Ninet
een days.”

Jack gave her an astonished look. “Oh
, so we’re counting the days
, are we?”

“Yeah.”

Jack
looking at his watch. “What time is our appointment?”

“One-thirty.”

“Well, if you’re done extolling the virtues of our illustrious neighbor and his odd methods of courtship, let me
tell you about Lilly.” The emerald eyes grew soft
as a smile broke through Jack’s copper
y scruff
.

“
Lilly?”
  Jessie repe
ated, grinning at her twin.

“
S
he’s a mod
el, lives in the ‘Hills’.  God--
she
’s
hot
.
And
just for the record, I’ve kiss
he
r
every chance I get, tongue and all.
”

After their trip to Santa Monica, Jessie called Lex to
let him know she was home
.

“Hi
, sweet thing
.
”  His greeting kissed her
ear through her cell
. “Woul
d you like to go out for dinner or
order in?”

Jess leaned on the granite counter in the kitchen and scribbled on the notepad
near the house phone.
“I’m craving Mexican. I tried
to talk Jack into stopping at La Golondrina’s
on the way home
but he was in hurry,
he
has a hot date with some model.”

“You like Mexican
?” The sexy voice paused for a mo
ment. “L
et me see what I can co
me up with uptown.
I was thinking
tomorrow
we could dress up again and go to Redondo Beach Pier.  They have the international boardwalk, the arcade,
and lots of rides. Unless, you’
d rather do the Star’s Homes Tour. That’s a riot
when you’re dressed in disguise.
They might take us through some of my friend’s homes
.
”

Jessie giggled
. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d never seen these places you keep dragging m
e to.
”

“
I’
ve lived in LA for almost fifteen years, since the hungry
days
with my band
. I’ve seen everything.
I like seeing it
again through your eyes.”  He paused, letting the compliment sink in. “So, I’m easy. Whatever you want,
Babe
,
it’s
yours.”

“Right now,
I want a shrimp and avocado tostada
and a margarita to wash it down.” 

“Done, Schweet-heart.”  Lex croone
d Bogart-Style.  “Anything else?
”

I want you to kiss me, thoroughly, like Jack said. 
Delicious
warmth fill
ed
her jus
t thinking about it. “
I don’
t know.” She sighed, grinning into the phone. “Come over when you’r
e ready. Use the basement patio entrance. I
t’s
usually unlocked. I have to go. Steve just came in.
I
need to talk to him
.”

Steve breezed past her, whirling about on his boot heel at her last words. “Hey, hanging up on the famous Lex to talk to
me?” 
He feigned disbelief, but seem
ed inwardly pleased that she
noticed him.

“You’re my hero.” Jessie teased. “I guess I’v
e been
busy lately. Jack reminded me thi
s morning. He actually said
he misses me, can you believe it?”

Ste
ve
brushed past her to the ebony refrigerator, searching for a beer. “Hey, who drank the last
Leinies
?
I hate that sewer water they call beer
out
here. Wisconsin Beer Rules.” He rummaged through the bottles, grumbling to himself, cursing Darrell and Jack fo
r dipping into his cache. “Ah-
h
a
.
” he sighed at last, pulling the last
bottle of
Leinenkuge
l’s
beer
from the back of his hideaway in the vegetable compartment
.

Something was eating
at
him. Jessie could sense the melancholy in his movements.  Suggesting
they sit in the minimalist grey
living room, she sat next to him on
the overstuffed sectional sofa
and gave him the same business he always gave her through the years when she was upset about something.

“So, t
alk to me
.”

A heavy sigh answered.
Steve lifted the ambe
r bottle, chugging desperately
. He gave her a curious look and propped his booted feet upon the glass topped coffee table. “Don’t you have a date?”

“Talk to me or I’ll call
and cancel it.”

“I don’t know where to begin.” He rubbed the back of hi
s head. “Oh, shit
--I left my smokes in the car.”

“Oh, no you don’t.
” Jessie climbed on top of his lap, straddling him with both knees dug into the plush cushions
. “Yo
u’re not running out on me. Spil
l it.
Is it the Fender deal? W
as Jack being cocky about it?”

“
No
.
”  Steve spread both arms out on the back of the couch, letting her bully him as he sat bene
ath her. “
I can’t talk about this yet, to anyone.” He gave her a penetrating look.

“Hey, bean-pole,
I’m not
just
anyon
e.
”  Jessie grabbed him by the collar and attempted to shake him down. It brought a smile,
just
as she’d hoped.

“You are
so cute when you’re
being a pain.” He chided. “Let me up.”

“Not until I find out
why you are in such a bad mood.
”

“Merciless Bitch
.
”  Steve teased.
“
I’m lonely, is that a crime?”

“Around here it is.”

“Kyra’s
gone.
Darrell’s been out for two days
and Jack’s
lost
in Lilly’s arms. And you, well, you’re the worst offender. Why don’
t you just move in with the guy?
”

Jessie fingered his
gold
medallions
hanging from his neck
, trying to read between the lines of wha
t he just said. “You’re jealous
o
f all of us for having someone?”

“Hardly.
”  Steve scoffed, dragging his legs from the coffee table abruptly, making Jessie rise up and down with his sudden movement. “I’ve been hanging around a certain club in Santa Monica lately.”  His eyes studied the ceiling as if it were the most interesting work of art.  “Alone. Hoping to hook up with someone.”

“I
’m sorry.” Jessie could feel the melancholy
in his voice.  “We’ll go there tomorrow. I promise.
Jack, you and me.
I’ll tell Lex I’m busy--”

“No.
” Steve pulled his gaze from the ceiling and shook his head, grabbing her by the upper arms. “You don’t understand, Jess. Hell, I don’t understand . . . I don’t know how to say it . . . I’ve met some guys there, guys like me.”

“Like you?” Jessie repeated, unable to fathom his meaning--until she looked long and hard into his eyes. Pulling away slightly, Jessie offered the only word she could at such a precipitous moment. “
Oh
.
”  She smoothed the cowlick in the back of his head, waiting for him to elaborate at his own pace.

“I can’t tell the others, Jess. They’ll laugh, or worse, they’ll hate me,
they’ll kick me out of the band
. They’ll probably kick me
out of here
.
Jack is still upset about being mistake
n for a gay dude
in that article
a few years back
. H
e’ll go ballistic if he finds himself living with one. He’ll be paranoid
, and then the press will make a big deal over it
.
I know Max says any publicity is good but . . . I don’t want that kind of attention.
”

“No
,” Jessie affirmed in a gentle
tone. “No, Ja
ck won’t go off on you. He
wouldn’t let anyone mess with you.
And as
far as the band, you’re solid. N
o one is going to pull that on you.
We’re
all in this together, remember? W
e’re
your people. We’re
family.”

Steve gestured helplessly, avoiding her gaze, uncomfortable with the honesty between them.  Jessie stroked his hair, trying to comfort him, trying to reach him.