Billy Jeffers: Rockers of Steel (29 page)

During the week at work, we are getting ready for
The Shores Talent Scores.
When Billy isn’t there, he is at the lawyer’s office because his father is not giving up on selling the house. Billy is sure he is trying to call his bluff, but there was no bluff to be called.

Billy plays the piano when we stay at his place and the bass when at mine … a lot, insensibly saying it is in preparation for the opening and closing number of the show. Knowing he is nervous about seeing Penelope, I try my best not to push, but it still breaks my heart.

I spend a lot of time with him in my mouth and between my tits. He balks at first, telling me he would receive no pleasure knowing I'm not being satisfied. Then I tell him I may not have a physical orgasm, but the emotional one I would feel when he came would be almost just as good. It isn’t a lie. Focusing on him coming, listening to him tell me how fucking good I am, how hot my mouth is, how hot my mouth am, or him playing with my tits does actually cause a physical one to slip out every now and then.

Score!

When he does sleep, I am approving edits and getting ready to launch Sweet Things on Monday. I thought we could wait a few weeks, but an overwhelming no from my very opinionated female
models
changed that.

The stage is set on Atlantic City beach, close to the Borgata Resort. Is this by chance? No. Tonight, Burning Souls is performing for a sold out concert at the Borgata. Brody and Maddox Hines will be celebrity judges for the first part of the talent contest with Xavier, Taelyn, Nick D, Finn, Memphis, River, and Billy. Not far from us, Adele is playing tonight at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

The boardwalk is bustling with excitement on this sunny, eighty degree day. There is an abundance of nervous talent and eager spectators. It’s a crazy kind of high that is very addicting.

The hopefuls are split into groups of four. The groups are led by Tales, Sonya, Keanna, and myself. We are all paired with one of Steel’s security men and an assistant.

Each of us have four contestants. Each contestant has three minutes to wow the judges and up to a three minute critique.

I stand behind the stage in the designated area for contestants with red numbers.

Billy walks up, wearing jeans, a fitted gray T-shirt, gray Converse, and aviators. His hair is stylishly messy, and I am immediately turned on.

“Are you ready to rock?” I stick out my tongue and give him the shocker hand signal on all the T-shirts and condoms.

He takes my hand and bends the two fingers down, leaving only the pinky up. “But that might work.”

I pull my hand away and shove him. “They are not a good influence on you.”

“Go ahead and blame them and not the fact that your ass...” He stops talking and loses the grin.

I look over my shoulder and see the beautiful blonde walking toward me with a red number four in her hand.

“I’ll see you later.” He turns on his heels and walks away.

She looks up, and I think I must have a stupefied look on my face, because she immediately looks uncomfortable. I don’t want that for anyone who is about to go onstage and sing in front of an overcrowded beach full of people and a panel of judges who have been there, done that.

“Hi, I’m Madison, and you are?” I smile and stick out my hand.

“Penelope Ashley.” She smiles, and I see the same dimple Billy has.

“So, Penelope, what song are you performing?”

“I’ll be playing piano and performing Adele’s, “I set Fire to the Rain”,” she answers.

“I love that song,” I say a bit too enthusiastically.

She smiles then looks around.

Taelyn walks up and hands me a clipboard. “Here’s your list. Don’t lose anyone.”

“Thank you, Taelyn. This is Penelope Ashley. Penelope, this is the co-owner of the label.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Penelope.” Taelyn smiles. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” She smiles back.

Once my crew is in place, we head over to the side of the stage. Sonya’s people are up first then Keanna’s. They are on the other side of the stage. Tales and my crews are together on the left stage.

Xavier and Taelyn take the stage and do their piece about the label and how they are different. A lot of talk about it being a small family and the people they choose to bring onboard have to have talent, believe in teamwork, and expect to bust their asses. They introduce the surprise celebrity judges, and not only the crowd but the musicians trying out go ballistic.

Brody Hines thanks Xavier and talks a little about the type of dedication it takes to make it long-term in the business and the importance of never giving up. Maddox Hines takes the mic next and thanks Xavier and Taelyn for asking them to help out then introduces STD.

River runs onstage and taps them in. Finn walks out with his bass and gives a quick wave. Billy is behind him, nodding to the crowd, and joins in. Then Memphis jogs out to the mic and does his thing. Mic in hand, he goes to the left side of the stage.

“Atlantic City, we love you!”

They scream back at him.

“We’re not some boy band, people; we’re men! Men who can make you scream a hell of a lot louder than that. I said … Atlantic City, tell me what you want!”

He holds out the mic, and they yell, “We wanna rock!”

He runs right and yells into the mic, “Come on, baby. I know the beginning hasn’t always been the best part, but tell me what you want!”

“We wanna rock!” they scream.

He runs to the center and puts the mic back in the stand and yells, “All together now … Atlantic City, I want the shore to vibrate, bringing this whole fucking place to one massive, quivering, quaking, body shaking orgasm, so tell me … What the fuck do you want!”

“We wanna rock!”

The condom cannons go off, and he laughs. “How about a little foreplay?”

The band plays their song that was just released today for the world.

Billy watches me as he plays, and I know it’s just for me.

Tales is watching Memphis, biting her bottom lip. I elbow her, and she laughs. “I’m sorry, Madison, but he doesn’t make a promise he can’t keep, and sometimes, I get a little worked up.”

When the song ends, the guys run off stage, and I grab Billy’s elbow then hold up his pinky.

“If I had to watch your fingers work that guitar any more, I may have begged for this.”

“Thank you, Madison.” He smiles and looks around. When he spots
her
, he looks back at me.

“You should just get it over with today.”

“She doesn’t even know who I am,” he whispers, agitated. “And no one around here knows who she is.”

“Okay, I’m sorry.” I don’t want to put any more stress on him.

“Don’t be sorry, sweet thing, just let today be ours.” He nods, and I nod back. “Good, I’ve gotta get out there. Do you know where I put my sunglasses?”

I reach up on top of his head and pull them down. “Right where they’re supposed to be. Now go.”

I may not be a music buff, but all except one of Sonya’s acts sounds just like each other. Now they are all standing on stage while the panel is huddled together. After a couple of minutes, Xavier stands up.

“Thank you all for coming. You are all very talented, and we are not the end all be all. Never give up on your dreams, but we don’t think any of you are a good fit for Steel Total Destruction.”

They walk off stage, their heads hung low.

I gasp and look at Tales. “I can’t imagine being them right now.”

She nods. “Agreed.”

Keanna’s crew plays, and the same thing happens. No one is chosen.

In my group, Penelope is second to last, and she is a nervous wreck. When she walks out and sits at the piano, I look at Billy whose head is hung low.

I will admit, my Facebook stalking has increased this week. I have searched and searched for videos of her singing, but I have only found her playing piano, and she is fantastic. Therefore, when she opens her mouth and I hear her sing, I am floored.

Her voice is smoky, grainy, and the emotion she exudes is bone chilling. Her singing is incredible.

I watch to see how Billy reacts. His head lifts immediately, and he leans back in his chair to watch her.

Tears don’t threaten to fall; they just do. She is beautiful, talented, and genetically linked to the man I love. If they don’t hire her, I will. She can just … sing to me all day.

Taelyn pops up as soon as she ends the song, sticks two fingers in her mouth, and whistles loudly then claps. Xavier stands next to her and claps, too.

Come on, Billy; get up, dammit
, I try to will him. He doesn’t. Luckily, none of the other band does, either, so he doesn’t look much like a tool.

She looks like a deer caught in headlights when she stands up and looks at them.

“Thank you,” she says.

I look at Tales. “She’s amazing.”

“You’re crying, Madison.” She wipes away my tears, and it makes me cry even harder.

When Penelope walks off stage, she looks at me, and her lip starts to quiver.

“Simply amazing,” I say, practically lunging at the poor girl and hugging her.

The next performer takes to the stage as Penelope Ashley and I stand, hugging one another, crying like two … well, girls.

When she pulls back, I almost don’t let her go. But damn, I have to.

“I don’t think I can do this,” she says, half-laughing and half-crying.

“What do you mean? You just did,” I say, taking the tissue Tales hands me and wiping her tears.

I am two seconds from holding it to her nose and telling her to blow when the crowd erupts in applause for … what’s his name.

I look out and see all the judges standing, and as much as I love Billy, I want to kick him right now.

“Now I really don’t know if I can do this,” she says, shrugging.

“Oh, you can, sister, and you will,” I tell her in a demanding tone.

They call them onstage, and I wait in the wings like the mother of one of those little toddlers in a tiara. Except, she’s not a toddler, and I’m not a mother.

When Xavier stands up and congratulates Alec Frett, I want to kick him in the junk when I see Penelope’s shoulders slouch.

Then Taelyn stands up. “Penelope, we would like you to stick around for final rounds, as well.”

The crowd goes wild. I am jumping up and down, and Tallia is looking at me like I’m nuts.

“Favoritism much?”

“She’s the best so far. You know it; I know it”—I point to the crowd—“and they know it.”

This day can end anytime now
, I think as I sit back, pretending to give a shit about the next four performers. I have very mixed feelings about it all … well,
her
.

There is a part of me that is happy for Penelope Ashley, but I know that, if they bring her on tour with us, I am going to have to face her.

Hell, I left poor Madison alone with her, and that’s messed up on so many different levels. First, I acted like a pussy. Second, I didn’t even kiss her before walking away. Third—and honestly, this one is still fucking with me—I. Left. Madison. Alone. With. Her!.

I love her, but I still haven’t figured out exactly what drives her to do some of the things she does. I assume emotions like most females, but you never can tell, and she has her monthly, so … Well, there’s that other unknown we men are ever curious to understand yet never really want to know.

Xavier dismisses the entire next group. I respect that. He knows he doesn’t want them, so why lead them to believe otherwise? The decision left is not easy. There is a fifty-fifty split, and I am not looking forward to what comes next.

Alec and Penelope are called out, and I wish like hell I could leave.

“Both of you have the raw kind of talent we are looking for. And to be honest, we haven’t decided which one of you will be touring with Steel Total Destruction yet. If it isn’t yet obvious, we aren’t just looking to take on any artist. They have to be a match with us.” Xavier stops and grins. “We have had our hands full with this crew, and there are two other bands we are currently working with that are extremely talented and, without a doubt, will put out chart topping music.

“Therefore, we have decided to ask you both the same question, and the answer will give us the ability to make the right choice for not only us, but for you, as well.” Xavier sits down, and Taelyn stands up.