Page 33 of Something to Believe In
Jami chuckled. "Axel and Mads are together, Sean."
"No shit?" He stepped toward them, and Axel stood. "It's about fucking time."
Axel's deep laugh made her smile. Sean shook Axel's hand, then reached out to her. She stepped into his arms and welcomed the hug from her longtime co-worker and friend. After all he'd been through last year, he, more than anyone, recognized how love filled your heart and your creative well. He'd been writing songs like a man on fire since he and Gloria had gotten back together.
Once all the congratulations were completed, Tony clapped his hands once. "So, now on to other good news. We have a big gig tomorrow in Tampa. It's short notice, but I'll be working today with a PR company we're considering bringing on full-time. We'll put them in the frying pan and see how that all goes. The owner's name is Carlene Matthews, and she owns Shout It Out PR. She'll be spending time getting to know us all, and she'll likely ask personal questions. If we bring her on as our PR manager, she'll need to know what she's getting into. Be honest with her. Don't lie. She'll ferret out how she'll disseminate information moving forward. But tomorrow her biggest job will be working with the venue and filling the seats.
Maddyn's stomach twisted slightly. They'd performed hundreds of times, but now she and Axel would be performing as a couple. It was a dream come true and a test of their professionalism. Groupies always lifted their shirts for the guys while on stage. They screamed things out at the guys about what they'd do to them and for them if they got the chance. It was usually quite graphic and vulgar. It always made her feel gross. And on the occasions Axel, Jami, or Sean had brought groupies back to their hotel rooms, it saddened her. Now, though, she'd wonder if Axel would miss the opportunity to do just that. Sean and Tony didn't seem to mind not bringing groupies back with them. They both jumped into their relationships with eyes wide open. But this would be the first time the Laceys of the world would be off-limits to Axel. It dawned on her they hadn't had that conversation. Tonight, she'd speak to him about it. She wouldn't be in a relationship where he cheated. It didn't matter to her that it was just sex. He needed to make a promise to her that from this point on, he'd only have sex with her. Period.
She took a deep breath as she waited for Tony to continue, vowing to herself to not think about it and keep her head in the music until later.
Tony continued. "So, we're also spending the night in Tampa. And we'll be giving our new roadie a tryout. It's about time we have help schlepping our instruments and equipment around. You need to be here tomorrow at noon. We'll instruct our roadie, whose name is Zeke by the way, on how to load our equipment. You can go home and gather your things after the trailer is loaded. You need to be at the hotel by four o'clock. We'll get ready there. Our gig starts at seven. We're opening for Shona and the Rebels."
Jami clapped his hands in front of him. "That's fantastic, Tony!"
Tony laughed. "So this is our time to show them we have what it takes. Turns out their opening band flaked on them. They were in a pinch. The venue recommended us because I've been talking to them about playing there. In case you haven't been watching, Shona has had three top ten hits for the past four months. We have a real opportunity here. Let's do our best."
Maddyn turned to Axel and smiled. He winked at her, and her tummy flipped. This could be the beginning of a whole big thing. It's what they'd all been dreaming about.
Sean laughed and hugged Jami. They began chatting about the gig and walked into the studio. Livia hugged Tony and kissed him. "Great job, Babe."
He laughed and hugged her close. "Thanks."
They disappeared into the studio. Axel hugged her to him and kissed her forehead. "This is it, Baby. We're going to do it."
She chuckled. "That we are."
They turned to enter the studio together. Axel's phone rang and he halted to answer the call. Maddyn continued into the studio but heard Axel answer, "Peters". Then no response again. He swore under his breath and caught up to her.
They entered the studio and took their places. She couldn't wait to finish the song she'd been writing. Hopefully, now that the stress of telling the band about her and Axel was behind them, the words and music would flow.
Jami turned to face them all. "Let's start with our set from the beginning. We'll do one run-through, then rest up for tomorrow."
They played their songs, their entire set, without issue. Most of the songs they'd been singing for a while now. Even the newer ones had been performed multiple times. She sang every note perfectly. Her life was finally catching up to her dreams. Now all she needed to do was write a hit for Hart & the Hurricanes, and she'd be living on cloud nine.
After they finished running through their set, they packed up and got ready to leave. Mitch was there installing cameras, and he gave Axel a rundown on how to use the software on his phone for the cameras at his house, which Axel was extremely happy with. No more mystery packages and notes.
Axel took her hand and they left the Barn together. Her heart felt light. The past couple of days had weighed heavily on her. She was thrilled they didn't have to stay a secret. The thought of lying to their friends left a sour taste in her mouth.
They climbed into Axel's loaner SUV, and he held her hand as he drove. "So I'm hoping you'll spend the night at my place. I'll swing by your place, and you can pack a few things. How does that sound?"
She smiled. "I mean, your place is quiet. What will I do without my neighbor's loud music blasting through the floor?"
He laughed. "I'll keep you busy."
Her brows rose as she stared at him. He had the sexiest grin on his face, and she wanted nothing more than to spend the night at his place.
He pulled in front of her apartment building, and they ascended the stairs together. The ever-present music wasn't on.
Axel whispered, "Do you hear anything?"
"I don't. That's unusual."
Unlocking her door, she opened it and stepped inside, Axel behind her. She went straight to the bedroom and began pulling clothes from her dresser. Axel lay across her bed, his head propped in his hand, watching her. "You could pack for a few nights. I won't mind."
She chuckled. "Next thing you'll say is that we should live together."
She pulled her suitcase from the closet and laid it in front of Axel. She opened it up and began laying her clothes inside. After a few minutes, she looked at Axel, who had gone quiet. She saw his eyes watching her.
