Page 45 of California Love Songs
Damien did not relish having strangers on his property. He especially did not love having reporters inside the gates. In fact, it made his skin crawl—and soon they were going to be in his recording studio, his most sacred and cherished of places, watching him work. He had spent so long guarding his privacy, and now this. But deep down he knew he’d brought this on himself. Nothing to do but be philosophical about it. Hopefully, Crystal and Erin were right and they’d be able to turn the negative publicity into something positive, something that might help launch Opal’s career without tainting her reputation or his own.
So, he pulled himself together and put on a welcoming smile when Roxy Thanton climbed out of the van. Roxy was an ex-supermodel, her image often splashed across the gossip pages of magazines with A-list men, and she was known for being a fashion icon. In person, she was every bit as polished, with her long blonde hair pulled into a swishing ponytail and a skintight black dress. She was undeniably gorgeous, but she wasn’t Damien’s type. Not by a long shot.
He walked toward her with his hand outstretched and shook it vigorously, like he really was pleased she’d made the journey on such short notice.
Roxy sent him a speculative look, but responded to his warm welcome with gushing friendliness of her own. “I am so happy to finally meet you, Damien,” she said. “I’ve been trying for some years to sit down with you one-on-one. At first, when I got the call, I thought it was a hoax. But Archer Davenport wouldn’t drag me down here for a joke.”
He laughed, and when they reached the studio, he introduced her to Opal, who was looking a little out of her element and pretty suspicious of all the camera crew suddenly buzzing around, bringing in cables and lighting and sound equipment to what she obviously already considered to be her creative workspace.
He’d nixed any suggestion that they shoot inside his house for the interview. They would do it in the studio—that was as much intrusion into his private space as he could tolerate. He allowed them to move things around and then he and Opal took a seat to do a quick sound check once the stage was set for the interview.
The lights were so bright he blinked several times before Roxy asked him more informally how he’d first met Opal. He began by explaining how he’d heard her playing in a coffeehouse in Brooklyn and had fallen under the spell of her talent.
Roxy looked between the two of them and went straight for the kill. “Is there anything more going on than just a working relationship?”
Damien balked for a second, surprised by how quickly she’d gone there. “Absolutely not.”
Opal explained once more that she had a boyfriend at home who would really not appreciate seeing rumors about her and Damien online.
Roxy said, “There are rumors online?”
Roxy had been known to create a scandal where there wasn’t one, but Damien kept a straight face when he thanked her for being a journalist with integrity, and said that was why they’d chosen her for this exclusive interview. He wondered if he was laying on the flattery a little thick, but she seemed to be lapping it up. She reminded him that she’d interviewed his brother Arch a year earlier, and he said the quality of that interview had really stood out.
They agreed that they’d begin by filming Opal in the recording booth, with Damien at the mixing boards producing the song, and then they’d talk to the two of them in a more formal interview that they would cut to between parts of the song.
Damien really felt for Opal. Talk about being thrown right into the fire, but if she was nervous, she hid it well. If she was going to make the big time, she’d have to get used to the media scrutiny, and fast.
He was aware of Crystal and Erin standing quietly in the background while the camera crew recorded Opal singing her song and Damien mastering it. He felt proud of his protégée. She’d been nervous, but once she started to sing and let her music carry her away, he doubted she even noticed there were other people around.
Even better, he could see that Roxy was as entranced by Opal’s talent as he had been. It was a relief to know that his instincts had been right, and he was also relieved for Opal’s sake. It had been a gamble to invite the press, but Crystal was right: he had a feeling it was going to pay off.
While Opal sang about love gone wrong, he found his thoughts drifting back to Crystal and to that kiss that shouldn’t have happened. Now that it had, he couldn’t figure out whether it had changed everything forever, or if their friendship could find a way through the woods. He’d been so happy when he saw her arrive at the studio that he’d almost forgotten how badly they’d left things between them, and how hurt he’d been when she didn’t reply to his messages. Was he relieved because he wanted to get their friendship back on track, or because he simply wanted to see her beautiful smile? And more…
He’d been sincere when he told Opal how, when he was nervous before a big gig—and yes, he still suffered from nerves from time to time—he pictured himself singing to Crystal. Maybe he shouldn’t have admitted that, but it was true.
He was pulled from his reverie by Roxy Thanton announcing they were ready to get started.
He settled into one of the leather armchairs the team had pulled into the center of the room and Opal sat in another beside him. He was glad that Erin had spent some time preparing her for the interview. It was easy to get flustered when the lights went on and you were put on the spot. But he began to relax as Roxy asked her questions. She asked about the mentoring dynamic and why Damien had chosen to spend time in Carmel when he could be anywhere in the world.
“Why did you decide to mentor this particular musician, Damien?”
That gave Damien a chance to sing Opal’s praises. He hoped he’d said enough to prove that it was her talent he admired, nothing else.
Then, with an arch look, Roxy said, “I’ve heard rumors that there’s more than business between you two. Is there any romance?”
They both knew the question was coming, but Damien still felt Opal bristle beside him. He spoke first. “Absolutely not. This is purely a business relationship.” Again, his mind flickered to Crystal.
Roxy turned to Opal and said, “Women all over the world would give their front teeth to be working as closely with Damien as you are. How do you feel?”
Damien let out his breath. This phrasing gave Opal the opportunity to give a much more honest answer. Smiling, she said, “I’m such a huge Damien Davenport fan. I think he’s an incredibly talented musician, and I’m honored to be working with him, even though it means I’m missing my boyfriend, who’s back at home watching this now.”
Damien smiled, proud of how well Opal was holding up under pressure, and super grateful to Crystal and Erin for coaching her in such a short time. Now he was fairly certain two things would happen. One, the rumors of any romance would be scotched. Two, Opal’s career might take off faster than she could ever have imagined.
He persevered through the remaining questions, which were mostly about his lifestyle and when he was heading back out on tour. He remained ambiguous, unwilling to share just yet that he was about to take his new music in a totally different direction. Then, just as he was getting tired of all these people in his space, it was over. They wrapped, shook hands, said their goodbyes, and the vans rolled out again.
Opal and Damien high-fived. “That’s more than enough work for one day,” he told her, and they headed for the house.
Crystal and Erin were drinking coffee in the kitchen. He thanked them both, full of genuine gratitude for how quickly they’d pulled together and helped him sort out this PR mess. He gave Erin a hug, and then, because it would have been weird if he hadn’t, pulled Crystal into a hug, too. Her hair smelled incredible and the feel of her skin made him tingle all over. He lingered in their embrace just a fraction too long and when he pulled back, he saw that Crystal’s cheeks had colored. So, she felt it too. That undeniable animal draw between them.
