The Rock Star Next Door, a Modern Fairytale (7 page)

“May I?” 

Jessie turned to find an elite member of the rock world, none other than Big Boss, the rap singer, asking her for a dance. He was six feet seven, thin as a rail, and wore dark shades even in the dimly lit room.  She smiled at him, relieved that it wasn’t the man she was
trying to avoid
. As they danced, he talked to her about her latest tour. Jessie felt herself relax with the handsome black singer. After the dance, he led her to a table. They sat together, discussing the merits of touring by bus over using the airways, a friendly
exchange. Out of the corner of
her eye, Jessie rea
lized that Lex was watching her
from across the room. And, worse, he was
talking to Jack; a very inebriated
Jack.

Against all logic, her stomach did a flip-flop. A warm feeling enveloped her at the mere glance Lex gave her, a dangerous, compelling, enchanted look.

“--
Detroit
, man, you haven’t seen
anything
until you’ve played in Motown.” her companion was saying,
but Lex’s smoldering gaze
captured her attention. Jessie nodded politely, offered the expected utterances at the a
ppropriate times, all the while
wondering what her brother was discussing so intently with Lex.

*   *   *

“Hasn’t been on a date for over two years.
The last guy,” Jack slurred.
“.
. . he was a pervert, a real cree
p. Just watch it, she’s my little sister, dude
.
”

“I suppose it’s too early to propose.” Lex quipped, finding the young man beside him amusing in his heavily intoxicated state.

“Whoa?
”  Jack raised clumsy hands as if to stop a charging horse.

“Easy, kid
.” Lex joked,
patting the boy’s shoulder, his heart lighter than it had been in what seemed years. “Do you believe in fate, Jack?”

“I believe we
make o
ur own fate, good or bad.” Jack’
s aqua eyes became hardened stones. “If you’re after my sister, let me give you a little advice . . .”  He leaned forward, as if offering Lex some persuasive tidbit. 

Lex leaned down, so that hi
s head was level with Jack’s

“Dude, you hurt my sister, you’re dead meat. Understand?”

Lex remained frozen, unsure of how to respond. It was gothic, pure mob mentality, almost hilarious in its
morbid insinuation. And yet, as
Lex looked into Jack’s eyes, he realized in that brief instant that Jack Kelly meant every word. His eyes were stone cold sober, no longer lost in the haze of cocaine, or whatever the kid had used to get through the evening.

“And I have a word of advice for you.” Lex straightened. “Stop reading my publicists fables. I’m not the same Lex as the creature on stage. I have no intention of hurting your sister.”

“So you don’t get off deflowering virgins on the steps of mausoleums, by the light of the full moon, like in
Graveyard Ecstasy.” 
Jack lit a cigarette, sucking in and then puffing out as he spoke. “I loved that video. I think it was your best.”

“No more t
han Stephen King terrorizes the neighborhood
ch
ildren in real life
.” Lex returned. “I need a m
artini.” He swept an arm out, inviting Jack to join him at the bar. “What will you have?”

“Surprise me.” Jack shrugged. “No, wait . . . a
Kamikaze
.”

“Are you driving tonight?”

“Nope. Limo, just like everyone else in this town.”

“That’s a comfort.” Lex leaned against the bar and rai
sed an arm.  When the bar keep
returned, he ordered. “A dir
ty m
artini for me, and a
k
amikaze
for the kid--young
man.” Lex
amended, reminding himself of Jack’s thre
at not to make him mad. He didn’t  actually believe the kid would harm him, but
he intended to befriend Jack
so he could
lear
n more about his elusive beauty
from her twin
brother
.

“Tell me, Jack.”  Lex sipped his martini, “Do you always threaten your sister’s would be suitors?”

Jack swallowed his shot in one quick jerk of the wrist,
and
then signaled the bartender
for another. “Hell, yeah. You have no idea
the scum that used to come
on to he
r
when we lived in downtown LA.”

“I can imagine.” Lex agreed, as visions of blue haired, earring nosed, punkers filled his mind, replete with dog collars and knuckle armor. “A rough place. But, Jack, my friend, look around you, this is the upper class, surely you don’t think--”

  “Then, there was Kevin
. Steve broke his arm, which is pretty awesome when you look at the ol’ bean pole over there, considering
Kevin
was
a stunt man
.”

“Why did Steve find it necessary to break his arm?” Lex turned his head from the bar to the dance floor, where the slender youth was cavorting with a pudgy brunette singer of nominal renown.

“He was--be
c
ause Jess--
oh, never mind
.
” Jack’s jaw clamped shut. He swayed slightly as the alcohol surged through his system.

“Here, sit.” Lex pulled a stool up behind the languorous bo
dy. “
Can you keep a secret?” The young man
nodded. “I’m going to marry your siste
r.
Will you help me?”  

Jack frowned and took to
looking Lex up and down with surprise. “Are
you nuts, man? You just met her.
”

“In this life.
Do
you believe in
reincarnation
?”

“I believe in this
.
”
Jack leaned sideways and snorted
the offering a white powder by the acquaintance
that
suddenly appeared
with a tray in his hand.  Jack’s
eyes watered as he turned back to Lex and their conversation. T
he man offered some to Lex as well but
moved on
when he declined.

“Everything
else is
subjective
. . .” Jack slurred.
“God, truth, love, beauty, salvation . . . sexual preference
. . .” His eyes glazed over. “What was the question, Dude . . . ?” 

Chapter Five

“Oh, Damn.
”  Jack moaned, rolling over in his own bed as
Ozzy
stood up and began
washing his face. “Crimeny dog. W
hat did you do, pee in my mouth
while I was asleep?
”

He sat up and
bent over from the pain and nausea. It wasn’t the fir
st time he’d awakened in his bed
not kn
owing how he got there. N
ot remembering the events of the night before. He reached over to the nightstand and pressed the intercom
. “Hey, Jess . . . Steve . . .
anybody?  Bring me a beer,
quick
.
”

He rolled over onto his back, arms outstretched, staring at the ceiling.
Ozzy
’s
wrinkled face filled his vision, as the pug stood
with front paws on his chest,
sniffed him,
and then
gave a worried moan.

“Aw, buddy. You’re right. I gotta quit the hard stuff. I will. I promise.”

Ozzy
sat back then, gave a woof of approval, as if he actually
understood what his master
said. The curly tail wagged affectionately.

The door opened. Jess peeked in. She
entered bearing a tray. The
scent of food sent Jack racing for his private bathroom
. When he could bring up no more, he rinsed his mouth, grimaced at
the ragged image in the mirror
and returned on wobbling legs to the bedroom. Jess sat next to
Ozzy
with the tray on her lap, smiling at him pleasantly.

“What the hell do you think you’re
doing?
” He growled,
and then
reached up to cradle his aching head from the sound of his voice.

“It’s called breakfast. I made your favorite, blueberry pancakes.” 

He had to admit, it looked delic
ious. A
familiar rumbling grew in his stomach. “I
asked for a brew.
” He offered gruffly as he eased down onto the bed and let h
er
place the tray across his lap.
“How did we get home last night?”

“
Limo, remember? The hired limo for the band.
I believe orange juice is the order of the moment. Jack, you have to eat. We have to talk. You’re killing yourself.” 

He waved her comment away with his fork. Bacon teased his tongue, and
Ozzy
's big black nose edged nearer.   “Get out of here
.
” He scolded the dog. “Down,
Ozzy
.
” The dog
looked up at him, as if to say,
surely
you don’t mean it, you’re
teasing me.
  “Down
.
He growled, and the little dog withered away with a wounded expression.

“Jack, we need to talk.”

“Okay, I admit, I need to cut back on the partying. I will. I promise. Just ask
Ozzy
, there. He said the same thing j
ust before you came in.”

His sister smiled indulgentl
y. “Well, there’s that, too. It
wasn’t first on
the agenda
. I meant about last night.”

“Hmmmm.” Jack reveled in the sweetness of his sister’s offering, chewing thoughtfully before commenting. “I should take a camcorder with me so I’ll know what I’m guilty of before you
start interrogating me.”

“Damn.
”  Jess stood up and paced the room. “I was hoping you could tell me what you two we
re talking about so secretively
in the corner of the bar
.
”

“Who
was I with
?”  Jack felt the pancakes go solid in his gullet. “I swear
, Jess, whatever I said, I didn’
t mean it.
I'll call Marty. W
e’ll write a retraction for the papers, we’ll find a way to get
a
round it
.
”

“What are you talking about, Jack? You sat with Lex for over an hour, whispering, and looking me over, like a couple of Russian spies. I’d like to know what you were discussing with him
.
”  She looked worried. Too worried.

“Oh,
that
.
G
uy stuff.” He tried to sound casual, so she’d get off his case. After all, he couldn’t remember even being with Lex, so why should she be so worked up, unless . . . something happened between them.  “Did you
two get into a fight?”

“I wish it were that simple
.
The jerk told the press
he knew the first time he saw me I was
the girl he was going to marry. C
an you believe it
?
”

“He m
ust be serious, then.”

“
Jack
.
” Jessie sank down on the bed, upsetting his tray. He scrambled to save his pancakes from a bath of orange juice.

He lifted the plate just in time to avoid as the bright liquid flooding the tray on his lap. “Meatloaf proposed to his wife after
only knowing her for nine days
and they’ve been married twenty some years.”

“That was back in the 80’s. Hello? They’re divorced. Happily ever after, not so much. If you’re going to quote trivia at me then at least use something from this century.
” Jessie sat on the edge of the bed with her back to him. She leaned
forward to prop her head in her hands. This was going nowhere. He wasn’t getting the point. Jack was crazy if he believed she should waltz off with Lex as if they lived in fairy tale.

“W
hat’s wrong with him?”
Jack’s blunt question pierced the air, making her sit up straight again to defend her stance.

“How would I know? We just
met, had two dates?” Jessie turned to
face him, unable to believe Jack could so calmly accept
a near stranger
telling
the world he wanted to marry her, witho
ut asking her first
.