Black Falcon: Complete Series Collection (2 page)

She leans forward. “Mr. Falcon would surely give a young, pretty thing like you the time of day. All you have to do is get him to spend some time with you and find out exactly what his vision is for the children’s charity Black Falcon is heading up.”

My throat goes dry. How can I face Noel again? I want to scream that I can’t, but if I want a job at Center Stage, I need to be a yes woman until I get my foot planted firmly inside the door. I can do this—talk with an old friend on a professional level. It might be a piece of cake. I take another huge gulp of water, trying to calm my nerves, while Diana stares expectantly at me. If I let my history with Noel slip, she might yank the opportunity away, and I can’t let that happen. Not when I’m so close to landing my dream job.

Aubrey nudges my leg under the table. She knows why I’m stalling. She’s heard the stories about Noel.

I set down the glass and nod. “I would love to take on this job for you.”

Diana smiles and leans back in her chair. “At least someone is willing to go the distance for this company. What did you say your name was again?”

“Lanie... Lanie Vance.”

Diana makes another note on the paper in front of her. “Does anyone have Black Falcon’s tour schedule? We need to get Ms. Vance to their next show and get things rolling on this.”

Harold types something into his tablet. “Black Falcon’s next show is tomorrow night in Houston, Texas. Then it appears they have a break until Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio a few days later.”

Tomorrow? I scrunch my nose. That’s a hell of a lot sooner than I expected. I figured I would at least have a few days to mentally prepare myself. What in the hell will I say to Noel? “Sorry for stomping on your heart four years ago. Oh, and by the way, I’m only here to land my dream job.” I resist the urge to bury my face in my hands. What have I gotten myself into?

No, I have to look on the bright side. Houston is only about thirty minutes from my hometown. It’ll be a free trip home for the weekend. I haven’t seen my mom a couple months, and I miss her like crazy. New York is a hard place to get away from. I can do this, right?

“Someone schedule this girl a flight for tomorrow and give her the run down on this charity so she’ll know what information we need from the band,” Diana says.

When I open my mouth to tell Diana I’ve changed my mind, Aubrey says, “Ms. Swagger, I’d like to volunteer to go with Lanie. She’s only an intern, and I could go along and show her the ropes on navigating clients.”

Ms. Swagger nods. “Okay, I’ll allow that. Go ahead and book a flight for yourself and Ms. Vance. Report back to me on Monday after the initial meeting.”

I slump in the chair. This may be the worst decision of my life.

Aubrey leads me into the hallway after the meeting is over. Every nerve in my body zings with adrenaline. This is my big break to show Ms. Swagger I deserve a job in her company, that I’m a marketing slave. The only problem is facing Noel.

Aubrey grabs my wrist and yanks me into the supply closet. “Oh. My. God.” She shakes her head, and her auburn curls bounce around her shoulders. “I don’t even know what to say. On one hand, I’m thrilled you have the chance to show these stuffy assholes some of those mad marketing skills, but on the other, I’m freaked the fuck out. Noel Falcon, Lanie?”

I sigh. “I know, I know, but what was I supposed to do? Tell Diana no because I have a painful history with the lead singer? I can’t admit that to her. This opportunity just fell into my lap. I’d be crazy not to jump all over it.”

Aubrey grabs my hands and squeezes. “You’re right. You can get through this. It’s only Noel Falcon. We go down there and take him to dinner. You’ll be fine because I’ll be there the entire time for moral support.”

I wrap my arms around her slender frame. “Thank you for doing this with me.”

She pulls away and pushes my dark hair back before resting her hands on my shoulders. Her emerald eyes bore into me. “You’re welcome, sweetie. There’s only one thing left to do...” Her lips twist, and she picks at my shirt.

I raise an eyebrow at her mischievous expression. “Oh no, I know that look.”

Aubrey’s grin broadens. “I can’t wait to see Noel’s jaw hit the floor when he sees you.”

I roll my eyes and do my best to look displeased, but deep down, I can’t wait to see that either.

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T
he last chord of the song hums in my ears. I can’t believe I’m out in this blistering heat. The sun beats down on my back, and I just know my fair skin will scream at me later. But I have to be here, even if it is the last place I ever want to be—front row of my high school boyfriend’s concert. God knows where he gets the inspiration for his music.

The lead singer from the opening act, Embrace the Darkness, walks back onstage in his tight, black leather pants and ripped T-shirt. The crowd is predominantly women because my old boyfriend is a rock-sex icon. They scream even louder when the rocker grabs the microphone off the stand. Two fights broke out during the opening band’s set, so I’m a bit nervous to find out what will happen when the main act goes on, but I’m not leaving this spot. I’ve waited out here since the gates opened at noon. I want the best view possible to lay eyes on the first boy I ever really kissed.

“You guys are awesome. Thank you so much.” The singer smiles, and the rampant crowd of horny women shove one another even harder to get closer to the stage. “Are you ladies ready to drop your panties for Black Falcon?”

That gets them pumped up again. I look behind me and watch the waves of people scream. My ears ring, but I don’t want to look like a total wuss by stuffing my fingers in them in the midst of all these hard-core rocker chicks. That might get my ass kicked. The middle-aged woman behind me screams Noel’s name followed by “I love you” at least ten octaves higher than her normal voice. The woman shoves into my back, and I crunch into the iron fence in front of me.

“Give it up for BLACK FALCON!” the rocker screams, and my insides jitter.

I’m not sure why I’m nervous. It’s not like he’ll even remember me. He sees tons of women every night, and after a while, faces probably all start to look the same. My gaze glues to the stage. Noel Falcon enters from the right and looks just like I remember him—tall and lean with shaggy, dark-brown hair. He’s not the goofy boy I knew anymore. The past four years have been good to him. Really good. He wears twenty-two well. The dark, scruffy hair on his jaw brings out the blue in his eyes, and for a second, I kick myself for the night we broke up.

Noel stops center stage, wearing a sexy grin, and takes in the arena packed with his adoring fans. He’s close. I can practically reach out and trace the intricate tattoos on his arm. The spotlight beams down on him, and he points out to the throngs of people in the upper deck. The crowd goes nuts, but I stand there awestruck. Not because Noel Falcon, one of the hottest rockers on the planet, is five feet in front of me. He’s Noel Falcon, the first boy I ever loved. He used to be my best friend. The guy I thought at one time was my forever.

Noel pulls the microphone off the stand. “Wow!” He laughs as he stares around. He looks unbelievably hot in his jeans and tight black T-shirt. “I can’t tell you how great it feels to be back in my old stomping grounds. I grew up not far from here, so tonight—”

“I LOVE YOU, NOEL!” shouts the lady behind me again, practically right in my ear.

Noel flicks his gaze down and makes eye contact with me. Surprise registers on his face, and he pauses for what feels like an eternity to me.

“So tonight,” he says, still staring at me, “is a very special night. It gives me a chance to revisit my past. See people I haven’t seen since high school. The good and the bad.” Noel’s gaze leaves me, and he glances back out at the crowd. “Are you guys ready to rock?”

Noel’s band starts off with a fast song. Every person in the arena thrashes, pumping their fists and jumping like crazy Mexican jumping beans.

“Oh my God, Lanie, he totally recognizes you!” Aubrey squeals while grabbing my arm.

“No, he doesn’t.” I attempt to blow off her words. She has no clue how intense my and Noel’s relationship was. She’s only heard stories.

“Hello? Are you kidding me? He even just said ‘high school’ when he looked at you. We have to put these passes to use and get backstage.” Aubrey bounces in time with the beat.

Tonight for her is all about fun and meeting one of the hottest bands around, but for me...I’m not really sure what I expect. Noel’s always been the “what if” for me. The one who got away. Noel straps his guitar around his neck and haphazardly slings it over his shoulder. He grabs the mic with both hands and brings it to his full lips, reminding me of the way he used to kiss. He’d always put his entire soul into everything he did, including the way he loved me.

“Look at me. I see you now. The way we used to be...” Noel sings in perfect rhythm.

His smooth voice fills my ears, and it takes me back. I close my eyes and listen to his words. I remember all the times we sat on the old boat dock overlooking the lake that separated our childhood homes. That was our spot. The place we met in secret so many nights. The first place he sang to me. The first place we made love. It was also the place our love ended—where I told him to give up on his foolish dreams to become a rock star and do something sensible, like me, and go to college. I broke his heart when I said I could never be with a dreamer because dreams don’t pay the bills.

Look at what I knew.

He’s totally made it, and I’m struggling to land my perfect job in this tough economy with my “sensible” degree. Life without him has been lonely. A tear rolls down my cheek. How I silly was to listen to people who said that Noel was a loser going nowhere just because he loved music. We could’ve been happy. We could’ve beaten the odds. But I guess I’ll never know. Just another chapter in my life I need to walk away from because it’s too late.

I open my eyes to take one last look at Noel. His eyes close as he belts out the chorus. Sweat beads his face under the spot light. He’s truly beautiful. But he’s a stranger now. Someone I used to know. It’s time to quit torturing myself and move on. I’ll just have to kiss the job at Center Stage good-bye. “Aubrey, I need to get out of here. I can’t do this.”

Her pink lips twist. “Why? Because of him?” She points at Noel.

My eyes flit up to Noel’s face, and at that second, he looks down at me while he strums his guitar. His eyes hold mine for a second before I glance back at Aubrey and nod. “I have to get out of here. This is torture.”

Aubrey’s whole body slumps like a deflated balloon. “You know we can’t do that.” She sighs. “You have to suck it up and talk to him. You won’t get a job, and I’ll lose mine. Diana doesn’t mess around.” She takes my hand and pulls me through the crowd. I glance back and watch a pile of girls shove into our spot.

The arena is so loud I can hardly hear my own thoughts. We make it to the back of the crowd as the song ends. People scream Noel’s name while they wait for the next song to begin. When it’s oddly silent, I think about taking one last look before I walk out on him again—one last look to remember him by.

“This next song goes out to the girl who shredded my heart back in high school. It’s called “Ball Busting Bitch,” and Lanie, this one’s for you.”

My entire body freezes, and my mouth goes dry. What a dick! My blood boils and my fingers shake as I resist the urge to storm the stage and punch him square in the face. On second thought, that sounds like a fantastic idea. I lunge forward, and Aubrey snags my arm.

“What the hell are you doing?” she asks.

“I’m going to kick his ass,” I snarl.

Aubrey rolls her emerald eyes. “As much as I would love to see you do that, it’s impossible, and you know it. The guy probably has ten hunky bodyguards to protect him from the likes of you. Besides, we have to be civil to that cretin, remember?”

My shoulders slump. Oh, right. I have a job riding on getting Noel to like me. The last thing I want to do is talk to him, let alone be nice to him, but what choice do I have?

“You’re right. Let’s just get through tonight, get the info we need, then get our asses back to New York where we belong.”

Aubrey wraps her slender arm around my shoulders and gives me a little squeeze. “There’s the Lanie I love. Come on. Let’s weasel our way backstage and get to work.”

My fingers rub my aching forehead. This is a bad idea, but I reluctantly tell her okay. She grabs me in a tight hug—her vanilla perfume super strong in my nose—and leads me toward the Restricted Area sign with our backstage passes tight in her hand.

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B
eing backstage at a rock show isn’t as glamorous as one may think. It’s filled with dirty, sweaty men—most of whom are overweight and look as though they haven’t showered in six months. Plus, the way they leer at me is creepy, like I’m a dessert ready to be licked. I shudder at that thought and grip Aubrey’s hand tighter.

“Damn, Lanie, loosen up. You’re killin’ my hand,” she complains.

I drop her hand. “Sorry. Where the hell is the band? Their set has been over for at least fifteen minutes.”

We come to a hallway filled with people and music equipment. Something tells me we’ve come to the right spot. The sheer volume of scantily clad women milling about shocks me. Some of them are even walking around topless as though it’s no big deal. I smooth down my fitted leather halter and jean shorts, feeling like one of the only modestly dressed women around. Do these girls have no self-respect?

Aubrey runs a hand through her auburn curls. “How are we supposed to get any one-on-one time with him in this freak show? Harold is right. Rock star accounts are definitely not the usual.”

“I don’t know, but we aren’t leaving until we talk to him.” I grab her wrist and tug her forward. “We’ll check every one of these rooms if we have to.”

Aubrey giggles uncontrollably as we rush from room to room, throwing the red doors wide open in search of Noel Falcon. Somehow we end up turning it into a silly little game of shocking people as we slam open doors. A majority of the rooms are locked or empty, but I have the feeling if we keep this up much longer, we’re going to get thrown out. The last room we come to has music blasting. Aubrey twists the handle, throws open the door, and shouts, “Booyah!”, causing me to laugh so hard I double over.