Authors: Alison Rose
‘No, it’s OK. Tell me about it. What have you been doing today?’
‘Oh, Johnson, you don’t want to hear about my day. You’ve just performed a great gig, and the last thing you need is put up with my moaning.’
‘But I do. I want to know what your life’s like now. Talk to me. Please. Unless you’re really too tired?’
His concern made her feel petty. Just an hour ago, she had been wallowing in self-pity because she didn’t have anyone to share her day with, and now she was pushing him away when he offered. ‘Actually, I am a bit tired, but I know I won’t be able to sleep for a while,’ she admitted. ‘I was with one of my parishioners when he died this evening. The poor old chap was the last of his family. He had no one. I couldn’t bear the thought of him dying alone.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured. ‘That must be tough.’
‘Yes, death is never easy. Even though I know they are going to glory, I still find it hard to see them go. Old John had been a widower for a long time, he was looking forward to the end. I can find comfort in knowing he’ll be with his beloved wife again. It’s just … Oh I don’t know. I’m just having a pity party, I suppose.’
‘Go on.’
She blew out a frustrated breath. ‘I don’t want you to think I’m a self-pitying old woman,’ she warned. ‘But tonight as I watched John fade away I was suddenly seeing myself in twenty years’ time. The thought of being alone for that long fills me with horror.’
Johnson’s heart sank. She was comparing herself to an old man who had waited patiently alone to be reunited with his dead wife. Did that mean that she was still so in love with her late husband that she wouldn’t consider the possibility of another relationship? Or was she saying that she was ready to love again? ‘Is being alone your only option?’ he asked softly, his knuckles turning white as his grip on the phone increased.
‘Oh goodness, I hope not!’ came the heartfelt response. ‘But who knows what God has planned for us?’
‘What about your plans, Sandy? Does God have to be the boss all the time? What about free will?’
She chuckled. ‘We all have free will, Johnson. But I’ve always found that when I use my free will to follow where God is leading, then things turn out a lot better than when I try to follow my own path.’
‘And where is God leading you at the moment?’
‘Ah, now that’s the question. If I’m honest, right now I don’t know. I feel restless, unsure of myself. I don’t know whether that’s pointing me towards a change, or whether the devil has sent you to distract me from my true path.’
‘You think I’m the devil?’ he laughed.
‘I don’t know. I really don’t. You don’t seem to be. But then again, the only other time in my life when I’ve been truly tempted to walk away from the right path involved you. Are you here to tempt me again, Johnson?’
‘Would it be so bad if I was?’ came the soft reply. ‘Maybe this time my path is the right one. Maybe God thinks it’s time to give us a chance.’
Alex didn’t know what to say. How on earth had the conversation gotten so deep and philosophical?
‘You still awake, honey?’
‘What? Oh yes, just about. I’m sorry. I was just trying to get my head around all this. Do you always have such deep conversations in the middle of the night?’
His sigh sent tingles down her spine. ‘Only with you, Sandy. Only with you. But I guess I’d better let you get some shut-eye.’
‘Yes, you’re right,’ she agreed, wanting to carry on talking to him, but knowing that she had to be up early. ‘I’m glad we’ve had this chance to talk.’
‘Me too. Will you call me again?’
‘You really want me to?’
‘Oh yeah. You and I have a lot of years to make up for, Sandy.’
‘We can’t turn the clock back, Johnson. Those years are gone. We can only go forward.’
‘I know. So let’s spend some time trying to figure out whether, this time, we’re meant to follow the same road, huh?’
‘I think that would be a very good idea.’
‘Did Kate talk to you about Manchester? The gig next week? She thought you’d get a kick out of seeing my show.’
‘Yes, she did. I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be a bit of a change from your parents’ basement or the high school hall.’
Johnson laughed. ‘I hope I’ve improved after all these years.’
‘You were good then, so I’m expecting great things.’
‘OK, I’ll do my best to please.’
‘Lovely. Goodnight, Johnson. God bless.’
‘You too, hon. Sleep well.’
As Kate waited at the arrivals gate at Manchester airport, she reflected on the change in Paul since that first embarrassing encounter in the suite. She had hidden in her room until the last possible moment, unwilling to face either man. She’d been annoyed with herself, feeling like a coward.
But the prospect of being forced to spend the next three months in close proximity with Paul Brand, under the scrutiny of his father and a whole entourage of tour staff, was enough to have her planning to run home to her mother and forget that she ever wanted to be a journalist. Joining a convent seemed the only sensible option, given the devilish temptation of Paul Brand’s kisses.
But it hadn’t been like that. From the moment she had emerged from her room to join the team for breakfast the next morning, Paul had been different. She frowned, trying to put her finger on what had happened. It was as though he’d deliberately switched off his sex appeal. Yes, that was it. He had gone from ardent seducer to harmless friend as though they had never kissed before. Instead of sending her steamy looks, he had gone out of his way to be friendly in an almost asexual way. Kate should have been relieved. It made her job so much easier. But she wasn’t. She was annoyed. And hurt. And confused. The fact that he continued to make her laugh and fascinate her in equal measure didn’t help one little bit.
The board showed that her mother’s flight from Bristol had landed. They were going to the gig at the Manchester Arena. Kate had a pair of front row tickets in her pocket. Her mother would be spending the night with Kate at the band’s hotel, then catching a flight home tomorrow afternoon when the entourage moved on to the next venue.
That was another source of confusion. She just couldn’t work out what Johnson Brand wanted from her mother. Did he plan to rekindle their romance, or was he just getting reacquainted with an old friend? When she’d mentioned to Johnson that she’d thought her mum would enjoy his show, he’d been taken aback, and then pleased in an almost shy way. Then he’d set about making it happen with startling efficiency. Part of her liked and admired the man, another part of her wanted to chase him off with a pitchfork before he could hurt her mother again. The fact that, in reality, she could do nothing but sit back and wait to see what happened added to her frustration.
Then her mother emerged, looking as nervous as a schoolgirl.
‘Mum! You look great!’ Kate hugged her with enthusiasm. ‘We’re going to be the hottest babes in the place tonight. You’ll put Johnson off his set.’
Alex laughed and returned her embrace. ‘I doubt if he’ll even know I’m there,’ she responded.
Kate looked surprised. ‘Of course he will! He’s been checking his watch all day and reminding me what time your flight was due.’
‘Really? How sweet!’
Kate laughed. ‘Only my mother would call someone voted the sexiest man on earth – three times no less – “sweet”.’
She shrugged, a little embarrassed. ‘Well, we only spoke for a little while last week. We’ve both been busy I suppose. I didn’t think he’d remember I was coming.’
‘And how do you feel about that? I mean, I thought you liked him, and although he’s very tight-lipped about you, from the way he’s been acting today I’ve the impression that Johnson’s very keen on seeing you again.’
‘Oh, Kate, I don’t know. I would like to have a bit more time to talk to him, to catch up on all the years we’ve been out of touch. But I’m not expecting anything.’ She picked up her overnight bag. ‘Now come on, if we don’t get in the queue for a taxi we won’t have time to drop our things at the hotel before the concert.’
‘Don’t panic, Mum,’ Kate put a hand on her arm to stop her. ‘We don’t need a taxi. There’s a car waiting for us.’
Alex blinked. ‘Goodness! I am being spoiled.’
‘That’s what I thought too,’ Kate grinned.
‘What a charming child I have. I’ll deal with you later.’
The ‘car’ was in fact a limousine, and Alexandra sat back on the soft leather seats and gaped at the plush interior. The driver served them champagne in crystal flutes, Kate enjoyed watching her mother as they sipped their drinks and giggled, drunk on the novelty of such an over-the-top form of transport.
‘So these are the rock star’s wheels. I must congratulate him on his choice. No one will notice one of these things passing by. Anonymity guaranteed,’ Alex mocked gently.
‘Mum, stop it! It was very generous of Johnson to send this. He’s obviously trying to impress you.’
‘I wouldn’t say impressed is the right word. I’m amazed! I’d never realised how
bling bling
these things were on the inside.’ Her sweeping hand encompassed the television, phone, and drinks cabinet, complete with decanters and more crystal glasses. ‘You could house a family in here, and probably lose the children in the carpet pile. I wonder where they’ve hidden the Jacuzzi.’
Kate laughed and sat back to enjoy the ride, watching her mother try very hard not to be impressed. She also realised that she was looking forward to this evening, knowing Paul would remain back stage out of sight. She could enjoy the concert without inhibition, like any other fan of the famous JBB.
Their driver said he would be taking them straight to the arena, and then take Alexandra’s luggage on to their hotel. At the venue, they emerged laughing from the limousine, rather self-conscious at the attention they were getting. Her mother thanked the driver, and zipped up her cinnamon-coloured suede jacket while Kate had a quick word with the man. Kate joined her and they approached the line of people queuing up to get in. Johnson had offered them the full VIP treatment of course – back stage passes, and so on. But she and her mother had decided they wanted the ‘public’ experience – to join the crowds and soak up the excitement like everyone else. They had compromised by agreeing to be led backstage to meet up at the end of the concert.
Kate clutched their tickets in her hand, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She was looking forward to this evening. Since she’d joined the tour she’d always stayed backstage and observed from there. Paul had stayed out of her way, which was just as well – it allowed her to get on with her work. Her next piece for the paper would be from a spectator’s viewpoint.
There were people and noise everywhere. Concert goers, programme sellers, ticket touts. The latter glanced around all the time, on the lookout for both customers and the police. Kate hooked a hand through her mother’s arm and they edged through the throng.
They were almost at the entrance when Alex fell. Only Kate’s support saved her from sprawling face first on the concrete steps. Her bag slipped off her shoulder and its contents spilled all around.
‘Oh!’ she cried. ‘My things!’
She fell to her knees and began gathering them up while Kate yelled for people to give them some room, and bent down to help. Within seconds they were upright, and Kate was brushing her down and fussing, as the crowd moved on past them.
‘Are you all right, Mum? Have you got everything?’
‘Yes. Yes, I think so.’ She quickly checked. ‘No wait. My purse is gone.’
‘Here you go. It fell right at my feet,’ said a soft voice behind them.
They swung round. The woman, who spoke with an American accent, was holding out Alex’s purse. She smiled sympathetically. ‘This crowd’s a bitch, isn’t it?’
‘Er, yes. It is. Thank you so much.’ Alex took her purse, and gave the woman a grateful smile.
‘Have we met before, miss?’ the woman addressed Kate. ‘In the US, maybe?’
Kate raised her eyebrows, startled by the question. Her gaze locked with piercing grey eyes. No, she had never met this woman. She would have remembered her, she was sure. Then the stranger blinked and smiled, and Kate shook her head.
‘No, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I’ve never been there,’ she said.
‘My mistake,’ she said. ‘Enjoy the show. Johnson Brand is a very special man.’
Before they could respond, she was gone.
‘Whew! What a weird woman,’ Kate exclaimed as she focussed on her mother. ‘Are you sure you’re OK. You look very pale.’
Alex took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. She looked unsettled. ‘I’m fine. Someone was obviously keen to get in there; they gave me the most almighty shove. Thank goodness you were there to catch me! But never mind that, have you still got the tickets?’
Kate held out her clenched hand and opened it to reveal two bedraggled pieces of paper. ‘They’re right here.’ She checked her watch. They had plenty of time. ‘Now, what do you say that we get in there and find ourselves a bar? I could do with another drink after that little episode.’
‘Good idea, but I’ll settle for something non-alcoholic. I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night!’
‘Are you kidding?’ Kate laughed, once again linking arms with her. ‘The night has only just begun!’
Alex laughed, acknowledging that this was undoubtedly going to be a night to remember.
By the time they arrived at their front row seats, Kate was amused to see her mother’s eyes were shining with excitement.
‘I can’t believe I’m here! Do you realise, I haven’t seen Johnson perform live since the end of the seventies? Even then I knew he had a special gift. He just had to sing and the whole world listened.’ She glanced at Kate and gave her a sheepish grin. ‘That sounded a bit over the top, didn’t it?’
Kate laughed. ‘It sounds incredible. He must’ve been really special.’
‘Oh, he was,’ she responded. ‘I remember hearing him singing in school productions, and playing with his band at high school dances. In the end, he stopped auditioning for the shows so that some of the other kids could have a chance at the lead roles.’
And he’d refused to play all night at the dances too, so that he could dance with his girl. Johnson had told Kate that much.
‘Wasn’t he discovered while he was still at school?’
‘Yes, that’s right. The music teacher persuaded his parents to let him enter a talent contest run by a local TV station. One of the producers had a brother who worked for a record company in California. He sent him Johnson’s audition tape, and before he’d sung his first song on the show he was being offered a record deal. It was incredible! Johnson was hailed as “the Next Big Thing”. The new Elvis, even.’
‘Elvis? But Johnson isn’t anything like him.’
‘No, of course not. It was silly really, but Elvis had recently died, and they were all looking for the new King. Oh!’
The lights dimmed, and Kate felt the tension in the arena tighten around her heart. ‘It’s starting!’
It was obvious from her expression that Alexandra hadn’t expected a support act.
‘Mum, relax. This band is really good.’
Alex jumped when Kate squeezed her arm gently. ‘Oh Lord, I’m such an idiot,’ she groaned. ‘I’ve got to calm down otherwise I’m going to have a heart attack.’
Kate laughed. Her reply was lost as the band struck the first note and sound exploded all around them.
Backstage, Johnson was straining to see around his son, who was peeking from his vantage point behind a screen.
‘Can you see them? Are they there?’ He had to lean in close to Paul’s ear to be heard.
‘Yeah I see ’em. Man, that woman is hot! And her mom’s not bad for an old broad,’ he teased.
Johnson laughed and leaned back against the wall. ‘I guess I’m in a bad way, huh?’
‘And over a middle-aged woman. You’re a hopeless case, old man.’
‘Yeah, I know, I can’t remember ever being so anxious,’ he admitted. ‘Sandy is right out there in the first row! The last time I sang for her was in my folks’ basement in Indiana. She cried.’ He took a deep breath, moved by the memory. ‘I asked her to go to California with me. She said no. I realise now how unfair I was. She really had no choice. Her grandma needed her, and her student visa was about to expire. She had to leave whether she wanted to or not.’
‘Must’ve been tough on both of you.’
‘Yeah. If I hadn’t been so damned arrogant, perhaps we might have survived – a year wasn’t so long. But no, I yelled and demanded. All or nothing. I ended up getting my heart stomped on and hurting her in the process.’
‘Hey, Dad. It was a long time ago.’ Paul was disturbed by his father’s passion. He’d never talked about it before, and for him to open up now, when there were thousands of people out there, all waiting to see the great Johnson Brand …
Oh hell.
‘Yeah, son, I know. And now is not the time to dwell on it, huh?’
‘What, now you’re a mind reader?’ he laughed. Paul peeked through the curtains one last time and smiled as he saw both women singing their hearts out to the chorus of the support band’s latest single. Kate Armstrong drew him like a magnet. The past week had been the hardest seven days of his life. He had played his part well, when all he really wanted to do was fling her over his shoulder and carry her off to bed. But his dad had been right. He needed to think very carefully before he exposed a sweet thing like Kate to his world. And she was sweet. He’d checked her out thoroughly, unwilling at first to believe that any journalist could be as open and honest as Kate Armstrong. She was either the genuine article or a real good hustler. A shame, because dealing with a hustler, no matter how attractive she was, was a damned sight easier than keeping his hands to himself. Talking to his dad last week had shaken him. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, he had to treat Kate with kid gloves, and every day that went by convinced him that she wouldn’t last more than five minutes in his world.
But his dad looked like he was ready to forget the complications and risk his heart. Paul had never seen him so keen to pursue a woman, despite paying lip service to the dangers. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. If Johnson and Sandy, or Alexandra or whatever she was called, did get together, that would throw him and Kate closer together. Could he resist her? Did he want to? Before he had the chance to think about it, the guitar technician grabbed their attention.
‘Hey, Bob,’ Johnson greeted him. ‘What’s up?’
‘Guys, we got a problem. Greg’s missing.’
‘What do you mean missing?’ Paul asked. The band’s lead guitarist had been with his dad for years. He’d never let them down before. ‘He’s probably in the john.’