The Rock Star Next Door, a Modern Fairytale (3 page)

Jessie leaned forward to get a better view of the legendary Lex through
the quasi-privacy of latticework
and creeping vines. He couldn’
t see them
but she could see him through the small diagonal openin
g. He was gorgeous. Tall, muscular,
with long dark hair, and
oh so sexy
with his California tan. She
had a devastating
crush on him in middle school
. When the other girls
were sw
ooning over the tame
pop singers of adolescence
, she discovered
Lex. Decked out in
tight black leather
pants and looking like a member the Hell’s Angels biker gang
with his six pack abs, long, wild
hair,
sporting tats and body piercings, he was the bad boy personified. H
is sexually explicit
lyrics
made parents scream for
an R rating on his music covers
and ban him from their homes
.

She’d seen Lex
on MTV in video at the tender
age of fourteen
and his raw masculine se
nsuality had captured her heart. T
hose erotic lyrics made her want him to come out of the speakers and charm her clothes right off of her. His haunting renegade soldier of fortune image seemed to set the stage for a long line of bad boys through her high school
years.
Since those turbulent years of teenage angst
and misguided lust
, she’d become famou
s. Jessie had male groupies following
her now
and the fan letters to prove it
.

Watching Kyra’s heart get
ground into so much hamburger in recent years
by rival band members and male groupies alike, Jessie avoided the sexual component
of the Rock and Roll lifestyle. Instead, she buried herself
in the fantasy world of historical romance novels.
The couple always had a happily ever after, just like in the fairytales
--once they worked through t
he obstacles in their
relationship.
Jessie preferred to
curl up every night with a good rom
anc
e novel instead of a different
lover, u
nlike Kyra, who played the male groupies during
tours better than she played guitar.

Wouldn’t that little tidbit of well-guarded truth just k
nock ‘em dead at Rolling Stone magazine?
What is it you dream about Ms. Kelly, your most private tho
ughts . . . honestly now? “Honestly, male model Jimmy Thomas
in a
pirate’s costume
vaulting over my balcony some night to carry me away t
o paradise.
”

Ah,
Lex was just as sexy and virile up close as any model on the
cover of her beloved
romances. He could be a dangerous pirate sporting an eye patch, a marauding Norman Knight, or a powerful English Lord in a eighteenth century manor house, just waiting for the perfect woman to come along and tame his wild heart.

Damn
,
he was gorgeous, drop dead gorgeous
.
Jess thought as she gazed at the man himself between the
openings
in the lattice work separating their properties. Lex was everything a girl could want, even after high school. He was rich, famous--
and as far above her as the stars in the sky.

Stop it Jessie, stop
drooling. Might as well reach for the moon.

She’d met ple
nty of icons in the rock world
and movie stars. One learned to
get over the hero worship
quickly when they barfed on your shoes at th
e galas or made lewd comments about
your ass and expected you to feel
flattered. Some
w
ere no better than the jerks in high s
chool.
In fact, Hollywood was an awful lot like high school with its share of jocks, stoners, cheerleaders and party a
nimals.

L
ex
was
gorgeous. He was
li
ke Joh
nny Depp, Elvis and Bradley Cooper all
rolled into one exquisit
e package
. The most she could hope for was peerin
g at him through the grapevine leaves
of her patio deck. He
was worldly
and
cosmopolitan
,
exuding raw sensuality and
masculine
elegance,
and she was
, well . . . Jessie
was
practically
a virgin.

“Earth to Jessie.
” Steve called through his cupped hands. The magic
spell was broken
. Steve was right; she was trying to reach for the moon. “I’m going to grab a shower. Le
t’s leave for The Pier at noon. Y
ou can fill me in on all
the gory details then.” He rose
and ascended the steps to the house, passing an exuberant Kyra who was bouncing her way down
the steps
in her
red silk
robe. 

“Oh, Jess.
” Kyra crooned, adjusting her robe about her modestly before she sat down. “Sorry I was short with you earlier. I didn’t want anything to intrude on the magic.”  Kyra tossed her perfect blonde hair over her shoulder and then rested her elbows on
the table, propping her chin beneath
her perfectly manicured fingernails, so
mething Jess could never manage. As the lead guitarist, Jessie practiced daily. She had the calluses to prove it while Kyra played
when the mood struck her.

“I
have the most awesome news.
” Her friend gushed. “Mike and
I are moving in together.
” She extended her
left hand to display an oversized diamond ring
.

“You’re engaged?” Jessie asked, hoping to clarify things for Kyra, who had a long history of being easily seduced and then hurt when things did
n’t work out as she hoped
. 

“Of course, silly.
That’s why we’re moving in together, to see if we’re suited to the marriage gig.
Isn’t it just the coolest thing?
” Kyra sighed, deeply moved by her lover’s sense of reason.

“Congratulations.” Jessie smiled, hoping that this time her friend’s heart would remain in one piece. “Have you set a date yet?”

“No . . .
”  Kyra hesitated. “But--it
is
official--
we’re engaged.” She sho
t Jessie a defensive look to match her defensive tone
.

And after just two weeks of dating
, how about that?
Jessie thought, but kept silent as she offered her friend a plastic smile.

“I have a huge favor to ask of you.”  Kyra began, giving Jessie a grave look as she paused for effect. “Our engagem
ent party is next week.
Friday night, a celebration, a few close friends, business associates, you know, to share the news . . .”

“That was quick, where?”

“The Beverly Wil
shire, where else?”

Jessie
let out a low whistle. The Wil
shire was exclusive, so exclusive that even the top movie stars had to go on a waiting list to get
their events booked at the Wil
shire Banquet Suites. “How could he get booked so quickly?”

“He is Mike Parks
. Lex’s original drummer. Maybe his face isn’t on every CD cover, but he has clout in this town, too. N
ow, Mike has this friend and . . .”

“No
.
” 

“
No?
” Kyra squeaked
in surprise. “I haven’t even finis
hed asking you the question.
How can you say no?”

“No more blind dates.
”

Kyra straightened her spine. Her bottom lip jutted out in an adorable pout, a ploy Jessie had no doubt had gotten the luscious blonde her own way with many a man.

“That is wha
t you were about to ask me, isn
’t it?” Jessie insisted, recognizing the question by the tone of Kyra’s voice.

“Just hear me out.
” Kyra burst forth, waving her
lovely manicured
hands to emphasize her words. “Mike wants his best friend to be there, just like I want you to be there for me. But Lex d
oesn’t go out at all these days. H
e just sits home and mopes.”

“
Lex?
”
Jessie breathed reverently. “You’re asking me to go out with
Lex?
”

“Yes, he’s Mike’s closest friend
and Mike is really worried about him. He c
ame out of a nasty breakup a year ago. Mike says
the guy’s really depressed, and you did say when we first moved in that you thought he was--”

“No.
” J
essie broke in. “Absolutely not.
Lex was making records and touring when we were in eighth grade--”

“Yeah.” Kyra giggled with girlish delight. “O
ur parents wouldn’t let us
go t
o the concert in La Crosse, but
Steve got that sophomore girl to drive us there a
nyway
. T
he one with the big bazookas
he liked
, what was her name?”

“Wendy
.
That is my point, Kyra.
” Jessie paused, giving her friend an imploring gaze. Kyra returned her regard with a confused frown. “
What on earth
would Lex and I have to talk about
? H
e’s way up there with Seal or Bryan Adams from when we were kids
. Y
ou wouldn’t
presume to set me up on a blind date wit
h either of them, would you?”

Kyra shook her head
, giving J
essie a look that said she clearly had missed something important in all of this
. “You
still
don’t get it, do you? You still think we’re
the
kids from Wisconsin, just another high school band looking for our big break. Don’t you read what th
e critics say about you?”

“I try not to.” Jessie returned. It was mostly hype, anyway, designed to sell an image that was far from reality.

“They compare
you to Nicole Kidman, a young
version of Kidman, at least that’s what Cosmo said about your ‘glowing locks and china doll complexion.’ You’re famous now, too, honey, you’re not just an invisible shadow in the music world
anymore
.”

“You want me to go out with a legend whose very name is synonymous with sex, as a small favor to you?”

Kyra just smiled her classic cat that got the mouse smirk that she was known for. “Don’t t
hink of it as a date.
Think of it as a casua
l dinner with a business colleague
, one
who’s
been around a bit longer than you, granted, but--”

Thunderous footsteps down the wooden staircase heralded the arrival of Jack, Jessie’s twin. His little dog,
a pug, who
had been basking contentedly in the warm su
nshine beside Jessie’s Scottie, stood
and began his pathetic whining
while dancing a jig with nervous exuberance
.

“Your little brat is shameless.”
Jessie scoffed as Jack set the c
arafe of fre
shly brewed coffee on the table
and then his mug.  “Look, he’s groveling at your feet.”

“At least he’s faithful.
” Jack quipped, sitting down and slapping his lap. The little dog flew into his lap and began licking his face and hands as if he were
made of steak. “That’s my buddy.
” Jack cooed, patiently allowing the pug to slurp him while the girls scrunched up their faces in disgust.

“G
uess what he w
as licking before you came down.
” Kyra teased.

It didn’t move Jack in the slightest. He soaked in t
he worship with a smile.
Jack filled Jessie’s cup and then his own. He reached into his back Jean pocket to retrieve a small silver flask, adding Jack Daniels to his morning coffee. “What’s up?” Jack’s aqua eyes shifted from Jessie to Kyra, waiting for an explanation.

Kyra gave it to him, not sparing any of the details.

“My sister and Lex.
Cool, can you fix
me up with Scarlett Johan
sso
n
?”