Above the Noise (39 page)

Just before we left that night there was a huge crash in the kitchen. Gracie, Jake, and I ran back, and it was Buzz. He’d fallen somehow and was unconscious. We called an ambulance, locked up the bar, and then spent the rest of the night at the hospital. None of us had known Buzz had no family. We knew he wasn’t married, he always said the bar was his wife, but we were shocked to find out he’d only had one sibling, and his brother and parents passed away more than just a couple years ago. If we didn’t stay with him at the hospital, he’d be all alone. After all the help he’d given the guys over the years, how could we not stay the night until the doctors gave him some answers?

“Buzz, I just want you to know how much we appreciate the help you’ve given us with our flights. It’s really too much. I’m starting to feel guilty.” I smiled at him and patted his arm.

“Now, stop that. You guys have spent more on beer over the last three years than what those vouchers would cost. It’s my pleasure to be able to help you out.” He smiled, but he looked tired. “Just go, kids. I’ll be fine.”

“Buzz, we’re not leaving.” Calon put his hand on Buzz’s shoulder. “Now get some sleep, old man.”

“Don’t you boss me around. I know your landlord. I’ll have you evicted.” We all got a good chuckle out of that, considering Buzz owned the duplex Calon lived in. Calon lived upstairs, and the bottom floor was rented out for football weekends. I was sure Buzz made more money off those weekends than what Calon paid in a year.

It was Monday, and Buzz was still in the hospital. We had an early morning flight back to LA, but the doctors assured us they would be releasing Buzz after he met with his team of doctors. Buzz never gave us any explanation for his collapse and none of us wanted to ask. I hated to leave him while he was still in the hospital, but I knew Gracie and Jake would keep an eye on him, and Calon and I would be flying home in a couple weeks for my next doctor’s appointment. I shook that thought from my mind, because that’s when Calon would fly back to LA without me. At least we’d get to celebrate Valentine’s Day before we’d be separated by so many miles. I decided to focus on that.

“You don’t have a show on Valentine’s Day, do you?” I wasn’t sure if he was sleeping or not, so I spoke quietly.

He made a face, like a wince, and didn’t even open his eyes but spoke in a hushed voice. “We’ll have to ask Danny.”

I closed my eyes again and fell sound asleep until we landed at LAX. But because we were unexpectedly bombarded by reporters asking questions about Charlotte’s accusations and my baby bump, it took us longer than usual to get to the line of taxis to take us to the hotel. None of us could fathom how the false accusation got from Knoxville to LA so quickly. We were stumped.

“CALON, I KNOW
your fans would love your explanation for your arrest that’s been trending on the internet.” Jimmy James, BMX-FM’s smart ass DJ waggled his eyebrows at Calon, like he was trying to trap him on live radio.
Asshole.

I stood behind the glass that separated me from where they all sat with headsets on. I snapped a couple pictures of all of them in their dorky headphones. Bones made stupid faces at me, and I giggled.

“Listen, Jimmy, I wasn’t arrested. I was asked to go to the police station for questions regarding a report that had been made. I have no explanation for the accusation other than some people will do anything to have their name coupled with a rising star in the news and tabloids.” Calon rubbed his chin and stared back at Jimmy, challenging him to push further.

“Yeah, but you didn’t answer my question. Sources say you may have…” Jimmy looked up at me and winked. “Well, they say you forced yourself on a sorority girl in a back room of the bar you guys play in Knoxville.”

“I did no such thing.” I saw his jaw clench.

“Was she the same girl whose ‘hashtag who Calon knocked up’ tweet ended up getting, what was it?” Jimmy flipped through the stack of notes and tabloids on the desk in front of him. “Forty-two hundred retweets?”

“Jimmy, come on, man, you’re smarter than that. Do you believe everything you read? I don’t. If I did, I’d think you were transgender.” This time Calon raised his eyebrows at Jimmy.

“Wow. You are just dodging every one of these bullets. Let’s see if you can go three for three. How do you explain this?” He held up a tabloid for the guys to see. I couldn’t see the picture, and he didn’t turn it my way but all four guys’ eyes got as big as saucers. All eight eyes flashed up at me. I shrugged. I couldn’t react if I couldn’t see what they were gawking at.

“That’s one of our managers. She had a little too much to drink that night, so I walked her home. She caught me off guard and took a picture of us. It looks a lot worse than it is. She’d tell you herself, if she were here.” Calon smirked, and it was obvious Jimmy wasn’t getting what he wanted. I caught a glimpse of the photo on the cover when Jimmy tossed the paper onto the seat next to him. A selfie of Danny and Calon.
When was that?

The questioning went back and forth in a similar manner for the full thirty minutes. Jimmy eventually moved his attention to Manny, Spider, and Bones when catching Calon in something scandalous didn’t work out for him.

Jimmy was cocky and just about throwing a tantrum because he hadn’t stirred up any trouble during his show that was usually controversial and R-rated. So, when a devious smile slowly crossed his face, I worried just a little.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here? I just got a text from my producer that it’s rumored your manager from the photo has ties to Malcolm Phoenix.” He raised one eyebrow. “Calon, you have anything to say about that?”

I texted Cyan immediately.

Me:
Hey. Is there any connection between Danny and Malcolm Phoenix?

Cyan:
Not that I know of. Why?

Me:
Jimmy James is digging deep to try and find dirt on the guys. He said there was some connection.

Cyan:
Malcolm’s a dick, I hope she’s not messed up with him

Me:
Me too. Thx

All I heard of Calon’s answer to Jimmy’s question was, “Jimmy, I’m sorry I’m not giving you whatever it is you want, but, quite frankly, I couldn’t care less what the tabloids, or Malcolm Phoenix for that matter, throw at us. I’m not a vindictive person. It’s just not something I choose to waste time on.”

“I don’t know about all you listeners, but I’m starting to wonder if Calon Ridge is bad ass enough to be a rock star. You don’t let drunk girls have their way with you, and you don’t want revenge for false accusations that could ruin your career.” Jimmy shook his head, and Calon rolled his eyes. He looked up at me and rolled them again.

“Well, thanks for having us, Jimmy. We’ve gotta hit the road.” Spider smacked his hands on his thighs and scooted his chair out from the desk.

“It’s been great. Ladies and gentlemen, Alternate Tragedy. Keep an eye out for them. They’re playing all over the city these days.”

“You can find us at the El Rey Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week. We’re back at The Hollywood Bowl on Saturday and then The Wiltern Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week. And…” Bones looked around for help from the other guys. I was floored at the number of upcoming shows Danny had booked.

“We’re at the House of Blues Saturday the thirteenth and Sunday the fourteenth.” Spider cleared his throat. “After that, you’ll have to check our website.”

I rolled my eyes at Calon and walked out into the ground floor lobby of the radio station. That schedule was ridiculous. I’d need to look at it all written out, but from what I gathered as Bones and Spider rattled off their gig dates, it seemed as though Calon and I might get three or four days together in the next two weeks. That meant, they’d be rehearsing most of the afternoon and playing at night while I stayed in the hotel twiddling my thumbs and sleeping away the mornings. I knew I was being selfish and unprofessional, but I needed Calon more now than ever. I started to wonder what the hell I’d even flown back for.

Strong arms slid around my belly from behind and clasped across the front. “Have I told you lately how absolutely stunning you are, Miss Mowry?”

That’s why I flew back. This man.

“So, what’s with not taking Valentine’s Day off?” I spun within his hug and poked him in the chest.

“What? When’s Valentine’s Day?” He looked like a deer in headlights.

“Are you fucking serious right now, Calon Ridge?” I smacked him hard in the chest.

“Relax. It’s our first Valentine’s Day together, how could I forget it? But, we’ve been talking about playing the House of Blues for forever, and they had a last minute cancellation, so Danny pulled some strings and got us in. It sucks that it’s on Valentine’s Day, but I thought that would be considered a sappy holiday in ‘The Book of Becki’. Besides, I promise I will make it up to you.” He tipped his hips into mine and moved them from side to side.

“Damn straight, rock star. We might have to find out just how kinky you are to make up for this one.”

“Oh.” His eyes widened with intrigue.

“Now, let’s go spend the twelve minutes I have with you in the next two weeks, doing something fun.”

“What did you have in mind, Becks?”

“Well, I could eat the ass of a horse right now. So, first you have to feed me.”

His head flew back, and he laughed so loud it echoed off the marble tiles that lined the never ending hallways just off the BMX-FM lobby.

We walked hand in hand to a little vegetarian café on a bustling corner. We sat at an outdoor table and looked over the menu. Just the two, well, three of us.

“How did we not know this place was here? Calon, I can eat anything on this menu.”

“I know. I thought you’d like it here. Every time we pass it on the way to the studio, I think of you.” He smiled and winked then looked back down at his menu.

“Well, how nice of you.” It came out harsh and bitchy, but I was exhausted from the flight the day before, and I was starting to get uncomfortable with my growing body.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can I get you guys drinks?” The waitress just about fell over when she looked up from her order pad and saw Calon. Here we go again.

“Oh. My. God. You’re Calon Ridge. You’re Calon Ridge!” Tears welled up in her eyes, and I was just about to stab her in the head with my fork when she cleared her throat and calmed herself down.

“I think I’ll have a Rolling Rock.” Calon smiled and licked his lips, as though he was in a desert, and she was about to hand-deliver the oasis. I think she had her own thoughts of what his tongue sliding over his bottom lip meant.

“I’ll just have a water. With lemon, please.” I wanted to do something, anything to get her eyes off him. Good God, it was like she already had him naked in her mind. Her. Teeny. Tiny. Little. Fucking. Mind.

“You’re an ass.” I slammed my menu on the table when she left, which threatened to knock the salt and pepper from the little tray they sat on.

“What the—” Calon scrambled to right the shakers.

“Calon, you can’t lick your lips like that when a stranger is gawking at you. Don’t you know everything you do will have girls reading into your intentions?” I thought back to when Gracie and I used to dissect every nuance of his performance to convince ourselves he wanted one of us.

“You’re crazy. That’s your hormones talking.” He rolled his eyes.

“Gracie and I had a whole thesaurus written in our minds for what each of your movements on stage meant.”

“Your Rolling Rock, and your water.” Teeny Tiny Mind interrupted us and looked as though she’d hiked her skin tight pencil skirt up two inches before coming back with our drinks. “Are you both ready to order?” She said it to both of us, but she hadn’t looked at me once.

“I’ll have the house salad but without onions. Onions make our baby hiccup, and it’s a really bizarre feeling.” I patted my belly and reached across the table for Calon’s hand. He shook his head, and his curls danced around his face, his perfectly gorgeous face. Her eyes were as big as saucers, and I knew at that moment it was a stupid trick to have pulled. It’d be all over the internet as soon as she went back to the kitchen and tweeted with the hashtag ‘who Calon knocked up’.

“And I’ll have the Greek salad with no onions… you know, so she, the baby, doesn’t get hiccups.” He smiled politely like what he’d just said wasn’t ridiculous. She giggled, jotted his order down, grabbed our menus, and left our table without saying a word. And also without the huge flirting grin she’d been spilling all over us before.