Things Lost In The Fire (11 page)

“How nice for you,” Sadie replied weakly. Tess had done some fancy work with her eyes, giving them a smoky, hazy look framed by glorious lashes. Her skin tone was lightened and her lips painted a sultry, shimmering burgundy. When she reached up to touch her new hair, Tess swatted her hand away.

“You mess up the hair and I won’t fix it again.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Tess?” The manager and Tess’s old friend, Leon, leaned into the tiny dressing room. He had black dreadlocks, skin the color of warm caramel and a million-watt smile. “We have less than an hour till we open the doors. We’d like to do sound and lighting checks once more with Piper if that’s okay?”

Sadie gave a frail squeak at the thought of the crowd that would be lining up outside. Tess nodded confidently. “Got it, Leon. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

As Leon left, Sadie tried to regulate her breathing as best as she could. Tess helped her out of the chair, admiring her outfit.

“I knew silver would look stunning. You’re going to light up the stage like the star you are.”

Sadie tugged at the hem of the dress. “It’s a little short.”

“You have rockin’ legs, girl. No need to be shy. Now c’mon. Just like we rehearsed.”

“I walk out on cue, sit at the piano, and try not to vomit,” Sadie recalled, wishing her heart would slow the hell down.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Tess opened the mini fridge stocked with bottled water and pulled out a bottle of champagne. “Some bubbly for the nerves.”

“You’re a lifesaver.” Sadie grinned as Tess grabbed two plastic cups and popped open the champagne. She poured and then handed a cup to Sadie.

Tess lifted her own cup for a toast. “To Piper Gray’s Coming Out Party.”

Sadie snorted a laugh and clicked her cup against Tess’s before taking a sip. She gulped down about half the cup then set it aside. “Okay. One more sound check. Then more champagne. And then I think I’ll have enough courage to do this.”

“You’re doing it whether you have the courage or not,” Tess reminded her. She wrapped an arm over Sadie’s shoulders and led her out of the room. “You’re going to kill it tonight.”

“Kill it,” Sadie repeated, feeling a little more confident. She lifted her chin up and tried her best to stay that way. “I rock, I’m worth it, and I so deserve this.”

Tess pulled her in for a side hug. “Yes, you do.”

WHEN IT came time to sit down for dinner, Brody was a couple of shots of tequila in and feeling much better. He wandered out to the backyard and surveyed the crowd.

Dozens of round, six person tables were grouped on the expansive lawn, topped with royal blue tablecloths and stunning white orchid centerpieces. Strings of lights draped over the trees and across the yard, giving the area a celestial glow.

Chase came up from behind and led him to the head table perched in front of the stage, where a band was set up playing soft music. Brody plopped down into a chair across from his father. Though he was tempted to say something, he bit back the urge and focused instead on nursing the Corona he’d swiped from the kitchen.

Chase settled into the chair beside him, along with his heavily pregnant wife Abby. She sent Brody a polite, albeit strained smile, as she lowered herself into the chair.

“Do you need anything? Water? Juice?” Chase offered his wife.

She patted his hand. “I’m fine.”

“You sure? It’s no trouble.”

“I’m sure.” Her hazel eyes went to Brody, quietly measuring. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Join the club.” He nodded at her rounded belly. “You have a name picked out yet?”

“Charlotte.” Abby brushed strands of strawberry blonde hair out of her face, unable to hide her smile. “After my grandmother.”

“That’s nice.” Brody grinned at his brother and patted him on the back. “Nothing beats family tradition.”

Chase started to say something, only to be interrupted as a trim older man with a smooth pelt of white hair walked onstage and tapped the microphone.

Brody sat back in his seat and sipped his beer as the man rambled on about Max’s stellar career as a defense attorney. From his meager beginnings just out of law school, working as a state appointed attorney for the drug addicts down in East L.A., to the creation of his firm and its steady rise to the top. And most notably, when his talented son joined him just a few years earlier, ready to carry the torch for the Odell name.

There was widespread applause at the mention of Chase. Brody’s eyebrows rose as he glanced around at the crowd, then back at his brother, who was smiling sheepishly. Chase got to his feet, champagne glass in hand, and went to the stage. He shook hands with the previous speaker, then took the mic.

“Hi, everyone.” Chase smiled as he looked out at the crowd. His free hand dove into his waves of chestnut hair out of habit. “I just want to thank you all for coming. I know it means a lot to my dad, who, though he doesn’t like to show it, is actually really excited today. Excited to be surrounded by so many great friends, colleagues, family members. Surrounded by the people he loves.” His eyes fell to Brody as he continued. “When my brother and I were young, my dad taught us to be competitive. He taught us to never give up, to never quit. We both ended up stubborn as a result of it, but I think that’s a good thing. We’re too stubborn to give up on life when it has so much to offer. Just like Dad was too stubborn to let the firm fail when we went through hard times. So thanks, Dad, for instilling in us that stubborn streak you used to change the world.”

He lifted his glass in a toast, prompting the crowd to follow suit. Brody lifted his beer, his gaze drifting to his father. Max caught his eye, his mouth twisting in what was probably meant to be a smile but came out looking more like a grimace.

After the toast Brody drained the last of his beer, realizing he’d had enough. Any longer in this hell hole and he’d do them all a favor and shoot himself in the head.

Before Chase could leave the stage, Brody stood up and walked back into the house. He didn’t even bother to see if his father was watching. More than likely, he wasn’t. He didn’t make it to the front door before Chase caught up with him.

“You’re leaving?”

Brody opened the door and handed his empty Corona bottle to his brother. “Yep.”

“But—”

“I said I’d show up. I never said I’d stay,” Brody began, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Nobody wants me here. I don’t want to be here. So just let me go.”

“So that’s it, then?” Chase shot back. “You’re just going to leave?”

Brody nodded. “In case it wasn’t obvious, yes.”

Chase’s hands tightened over the beer bottle, disappointment clear on his face. “You love meeting everybody’s low expectations of you, don’t you? And the second someone tries to make you a better person, you do all you can to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

He turned and walked away before Brody could reply.

Brody cursed under his breath. Shaking his head, he slipped out the front door and shut it behind him. After retrieving his car from the valet, he drove off into the night and tried not to dwell on the damage he’d caused.

As he emerged from Bel Air and headed east on Sunset Boulevard, he cranked up the music on the radio to tune out his own thoughts. He drifted through Hollywood on autopilot, not even knowing where he was going or what he’d do when he got there.

When he came to a stoplight in front of The L.A. Rock Lounge, he noticed a horde of people flocking inside. An old college buddy of his worked as a bartender there and could probably get him in. A few more beers and a live show, whatever it was, might be exactly what he needed to take his mind off his brother. It was at least better than going home to sulk.

He pulled down a nearby side street and miraculously found a metered parking spot. Within minutes, he was meeting his friend at the door and entering the venue feeling much better than he had before.

“Thanks, man.” He nodded to his friend as he paid for a beer at the bar and settled in to wait for the show to start.

“PIPER, YOU’RE on in two minutes.”

Sadie paled, squeezing Tess’s hand so tight she thought bones might break. Her friend winced and pushed through the pain.

“Remember to
smile
. Be nice. You don’t have to say too much. Play off the mystery of Piper Gray. No one expects to know you. They just want to hear you sing.”

“Okay.” Sadie tried to breathe as Tess led her to the edge of the stage, just hidden behind the curtains. She chanced a peek at the crowd just as the lights dimmed. Her stomach rolled when she saw it was a packed house.

Leon walked onstage and a spotlight zeroed in on him. He smiled as he lifted a mic to his lips, waiting for the onset of applause and excited cheers to die down. “I have to say, it’s a special honor and a privilege tonight to host arguably the most mysterious and brilliant artist on today’s music scene. She came out of nowhere with lyrics and a voice that has touched millions. History is being made here tonight, guys. And all of us here at The L.A. Rock Lounge are proud to be a part of it. Give it up for Piper Gray!”

The lights went out as Leon walked from the stage, the crowd buzzing with excitement. It was Sadie’s cue.

“Go on.” Tess nudged Sadie from behind the curtain. She struggled to keep her knees from giving out and barely managed to make her way to the piano without tripping over her own feet. She huffed out little breaths as she sat down on the bench, her hands shaking.

For what felt like an eternity, she waited with bated breath for the lights to come on.

When they did, her entire world was bathed in blue. She felt like she was floating, suspended in this bubble of anticipation. The moment the crowd saw her, she was greeted with an explosion of cheering and applause. It brought a nervous smile to her face, which she hid behind her hair.

Focusing her attention on the piano, she launched into her first song.

The crowd settled down and seemingly fell into a trance, lost in the sound of the piano and her voice. She found she forgot they were there completely. Instead, she felt like the loneliest person on the planet, singing about a childhood she never had, missed opportunities she never took. The heartbreak in her voice was real, and she felt its pain as she gave all she had to the music. Her eyes closed and she felt parts of her dying with each and every keystroke, only to be rebuilt again by the power in her lyrics.

As she sang the final, heart wrenching note, her head fell back, revealing her face to the light.

Her body felt weightless, her mind in a state of euphoria, the second before the crowd soared to their feet with praise.

It took her by surprise, shocking her from her reverie. Her lips curved as she faced her fans, unable to see them clearly with the lights in her eyes. But they were there, and they adored her.

“Thank you,” she spoke into the mic, laughing at the sound of whistles and cheers coming from the back corner. She felt her confidence blooming as she took another deep breath and faced the crowd. “I don’t know what to say. This is all kind of new for me. Anyway, this next song is about coming home. I hope it speaks to you the way it does to me.”