Face the Music (A Brothers of Rock - GONE BY AUTUMN - Novel) (16 page)

“Take it Asher!” Ryan screamed.

Asher started to play a solo. It wasn’t anything fast but it his hand moved up and down the neck. He had his head back for a few seconds and then looked down at the guitar. For a quick second Jocelyn thought she saw Asher wincing in pain. But then he looked right at her and smiled.

He finished the solo and put his right hand out and crouched down. Tanner played his solo and Jocelyn reached up toward the stage. From her vantage point, Asher was twenty feet in the air. But he was able to touch Jocelyn’s hand. He gave her his guitar pick and then stood back up. He lifted both hands in the air as Tanner finished his solo. They let their guitars ring out as the drums kept going. Ryan took to the mic and started to sing the chorus, getting the crowd involved right away.

And that’s how the show went. Song after song, the band didn’t just play the music, they lived it. The made sure to get the fans involved every chance they could. Watching Asher move along the stage like nothing was wrong. He climbed up on the drums at one point and jumped from them. He and Tanner went back to back, lifting their guitars, playing together. He even sang with Ryan for a couple songs.

The band then slowed the show down, just like they’d done at The Jack. That’s what amazed Jocelyn the most. The fact that they played with the same chilled out style in front of tens of thousands of people as they did at The Jack. Like it was just another show. Another chance to hang out with the fans.

There were stools put on the stage and electric guitars were traded for acoustic. Asher strummed a few chords. They all took a drink, giving cheers to themselves first and then holding their cups out to the crowd.

“Get ‘em up!” Ryan yelled. “This is for you. For the fans out there. Each and every one of you who bought a ticket, a shirt, a poster. Each and every one of you who downloaded a song, an album, or just even listened to us. You created this. You celebrate yourselves. Not us. We’re playing for you.”

The crowd lit up again.

“Hey, put some lights on,” Asher said. “Let’s all hang.”

The lights slowly leveled out so that the entire crowd could be seen. Jocelyn looked back and it made her shiver. So many people in one place for one purpose. For the music. It made her dig deep for a second and realize that this was happening because the guys were real. The band, the music, the entire thing. It was all real. Jocelyn felt her heart tear a little, knowing she hated everything about her company. She had been bidding her time for so long now, waiting for Chad to be satisfied. But he never was and never would be.

“This is about dreams,” Asher said. “Fighting back. Finding fun in life…”

Jocelyn looked to the stage and saw Asher staring right at her. Jocelyn smiled and was blushing, even in the crowd.

Gone by Autumn then went into a small acoustic set of three beautifully written songs. The four guitars were haunting all together. Gabe traded his bass for a guitar and the extra guitarist added a deeper sound to the song. And when the band all song, their voices were amazing together. It left Jocelyn tingling head to toe that the band was talented beyond what showed up on their recorded songs. They saved all this stuff for the live shows.

When the acoustic set ended, guitars were exchanged and Gabe put his bass back on. Blake stayed behind the kit and started to a play a little drum solo. Gabe then came in with the next riff. Just the drums and bass together were so thunderous that Jocelyn felt her body shaking.

Ryan took to the mic and just stood there. Tanner and Asher hit an open chord at the same time. The growling guitars were back to life. And this time, when the song started, Jocelyn caught herself cheering and jumping.

She lost herself for the rest of the show, loving every possible second of it. The way the band commanded the stage. The way they made the fans feel important. Not to mention when Ryan jumped off the stage and put the mic into the crowd for everyone to sing a song to the band. And at the end of the show, Asher made sure to give credit to the other guitarist, a guy named JT. The young man stood there and waved.

Then Ryan yelled
goodnight
and everyone left the stage. Jocelyn took two steps but then stopped. The crowd wasn’t breaking up. Instead, they all remained in place, clapping and cheering. This time when a Gone by Autumn chant broke out, it carried through the entire crowd. They kept going and going, cheering, refusing to give up on the night.

And then… one by one… Gone by Autumn walked back on stage.

Jocelyn jumped up and down, cheering too.

They were coming back out. They were doing an encore. And not just any encore, but another five amazing songs that took another thirty minutes to play. By the time they were done, the five of them walked to the front of the stage, covered in sweat. Asher dropped his guitar to the stage and started throwing guitar picks into the crowd. Blake threw half a dozen drumsticks. They stood, waved, and pointed to fans, giving thumbs up. Ryan reached down and grabbed a couple cell phones and took a few pictures of the audience and handed it back to the fans.

It took another five minutes for the band to finally get off the stage. When they did it now, the lights came on. That meant the show was officially over.

Jocelyn looked to her right and the same security guy that took her to the front of the stage was waiting to take her backstage again. He rushed to the guy and caught the sight of Gone by Autumn standing next to the stage, all of them cheering and hugging. There was a sense of innocence to them and it was pretty awesome.

Asher spotted Jocelyn and waved her over. When she was close enough, he grabbed her and pulled her close for a sweaty and hot hug.

“Hey, come with me for a second,” he said.

Jocelyn stumbled and followed. She was then in front of Sam, who she had learned was the band's manager. She remembered seeing him and seeing how he was stressed all the time.

“Sam, this is Jocelyn,” Asher said.

“Jocelyn, hello.” Sam raised an eyebrow.

“She’s a clothing designer. Really talented. Figured if you were talking serious about products for the band…”

Jocelyn looked at Asher, already shaking her head. “What are you doing?”

“It’s called helping someone out,” Asher said. “I’m helping Sam by solving a problem he has.”

“Helping me, huh?” Sam asked.

“I’m sorry… I… I wasn’t…” Jocelyn stumbled on her words.

“She’s nervous,” Asher said. “Too many rockstars at once.”

“Don’t be nervous,” Sam said. He leaned in. “Most of them are assholes. Including the one standing next to you.”

Jocelyn smiled. “I see that now. If I knew you were interested or…”

“We’re going to need some stuff soon for the tour,” Sam said. “I’m sure Asher can give you my number or give yours to me. We’ll talk soon, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jocelyn said.

Sam showed his phone and tapped it. “I have to take this call.”

Sam hurried away and Jocelyn faced Asher. She felt anger boiling within her. “What the hell…”

“What?” Asher asked. “I overhead Sam talking about the tour and needing shirts, hoodies, hats, designs. All kinds of stuff. I figured you would know about that, right?”

“I don’t… my company... we don’t do that kind of thing.”

“Oh,” Asher said. He frowned. “Why not?”

“We don’t.”

“Is it something you’re interested in?”

“Well, yeah,” Jocelyn said. “It’s kind of cool. I don’t know how custom it would be. We’re not really a printing shop. We’re a designer…”

“Jocelyn, look at me right now,” Asher said.

She looked at him. He took her hands and inched closer. “Would you be interested in doing that? For the band? Probably
bands
. The tour.”

“The company…”

“Fuck the company,” Asher said. “I’m asking you. Jocelyn. You.”

“Me? Yes.”

“Then do it. Don’t pull back.”

“You don’t understand it, Asher. I told you I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Right,” Asher said. “You don’t want to talk about it. Then what do you want?”

“To be here right now with you. Live this… fantasy.”

The word felt icky the moment it fell from her mouth.

Fantasy? Was Asher a fantasy?

Well, of course he was a fantasy. He was a tall, strong, gorgeous rockstar. He was staring down Jocelyn in a way that made her feel warm and alive. For Jocelyn, this didn’t seem possible.

“Then come live it,” Asher said.

He took Jocelyn by the hand and led the way from the back of the stage to the backstage area. It was a giant gathering of the all the bands, some press, and plenty of drinks to go around.

Asher looked back at Jocelyn while they pushed through the thick of the crowd.

He could just let me go right now and I’d disappear. He could just be done…

But his eyes told a different story.

Asher cared. He wasn’t just a sexy rockstar, he actually cared.

*

Asher had to get through the gathering of people. Everyone wanting to touch him, talk to him, ask him questions. He had to use his left hand to push through everyone as his right hand kept tight to Jocelyn’s. When he found a small clearing near a wall, that’s where he went. He kept Jocelyn close and tight as he looked around. He spotted Ryan near a dressing room door and Ryan waved to him.

Once again, Asher pushed through the crowd of people.

Now there were questions.

Great show, Asher! How’s the hand feeling?

Are you medically cleared to play guitar like that?

Are you pressing charges…?

Is this the female…?

That was the one Asher got hit hardest with. He stopped dead and looked to his left. A guy his height but nowhere near his build stood there. The guy had a sleazy look on his face, probably the one who loved to dig up the dirtiest stories and make ten bucks off them.

“Asher, hey,” the guy said. “There was a picture of you leaving with female passenger…”

“Get him the fuck out of here,” Asher yelled. “Now!”

The crowd started to fall silent.

“Asher!” Ryan’s voice boomed.

Asher closed his let hand tight.

Yeah, it’s sore, man. It’s really sore. I just played a fucking concert for almost two hours. But it works. You want to see how much my left hand works…?

Asher really considered hitting the guy. With his left fist. Just to prove a damn point. Before Asher could react, Ryan got between him and the reporter.

“Bro, look at me. Not worth it. Come on, get a drink.”

Asher sucked in a breath. He was getting full right now and it didn’t feel so good. Full of anger because of questions like that guy threw at him. Full of annoyance because of Jocelyn being so hidden and pulled back. It was the reason why he always stayed focused on the music. He kept the door to caring, loving, and all that shit locked tight.

As weak as Jocelyn tried to play herself to be, she was strong enough to knock that door down.

They went into the dressing room and Ryan got both Asher and Jocelyn a drink.

Asher went to a corner to sulk for a minute and to try to calm down. He looked over his shoulder and saw Jocelyn looking down into her glass. A look of regret on her face.

It had nothing to do about her business… not even her personal business… it was because her face lit up with a beautiful fire the second Sam started talking to her. The opportunity there for her to take. Maybe a chance to start over even.

But the more Asher thought about it, the more he realized two things. He needed to know more about pretty Jocelyn… and to do that… he’d fall for her even more.

(14)

Asher stood outside the arena and looked at the tour bus. The lights were on and the party was alive inside. The bus would be leaving in a short bit to head back east a few hours. But that wasn’t the plan for Asher and Jocelyn. She stood next to him, feeling almost a mile away.

A private car pulled up and then took them to the hotel.

The room was large and beautiful. An open space maybe meant to spend time and nights there. Asher’s initial idea had been pretty cut and dry. One stop shop right to the bedroom to enjoy the time he and Jocelyn had before it was gone and wasted. Those two words now bothered him a little.
Gone. Wasted.
That didn’t seem right to think of Jocelyn in those terms right now.

“Drink?” Asher asked.

“Please,” Jocelyn said.

He got two glasses, kept his back to Jocelyn, and poured the drinks.

He sensed the beautiful woman behind him and turned to find her a foot away.

“Something’s bothering you,” she sad. “Is it your hand?”

“Hardly,” Asher said and handed Jocelyn her drink.

“Then what?”

“I need to grab a shower,” Asher said. “Wash the show off me. I feel smelly and sticky.”

Jocelyn nodded. “Okay, Asher. Is it something I did?”

“No,” he said. “No, love. I don’t want you to ever feel guilty. I just… what you believe is a fantasy, to me, is maybe some kind of reality. And I don’t put myself out there like that. Ever.”

Asher cut alongside Jocelyn and kept moving. She called his name once, twice, but Asher kept going. He knew if he turned he was going to explode and perhaps say something he was going to regret. He promised himself he’d never hurt Jocelyn, even if it meant just walking the hell away.

Just like the morning in his apartment, Asher shut the bathroom door but didn’t lock it. He got into the shower and turned it on. The cold water hit him first and made him hiss and shiver. It quickly changed to hot water and he stood there, letting it rush down his face and body.

Sometimes the truth was a bitch. A cold, evil bitch. The truth that Jocelyn had other obligations. Had a different life to live. That this thing between he and her was more than what Asher had always wanted.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

Asher washed up and then turned the water off just in time to hear the bathroom door open. He opened the shower door and grabbed a towel. He stood there, wiping water off his face as Jocelyn entered the bathroom. She was fully dressed and had no intentions of stripping naked for him.