Rock Idol (Reality With a Twist Series) (16 page)

“Liked
or loved?” Ember asked.

“A
little of both, I guess.”

Ember
leaned forward on the table. “Well Fox, I like Rick and I’m starting to think I
love him as well.”

“He’s
twenty years younger than you.”

“So
were your second and third wives,” Ember reminded him. “It seems to me that
wife number four was closer to thirty years younger.”

Fox
dismissed his own case from consideration. “It’s different when the man is
older. You realize that Rick is probably just using you.”

This
made Ember smile again, wondering if Fox thought his far younger wives had
simply been in love with him. “Of course that’s possible. It’s one of the risks
we run in this business, isn’t it? But I’ve never given him—either in public or
in private—anything other than my honest opinion of his performance and his
talent.”

“You
can see I’m just worried about the appearance of all of this, can’t you?” he
asked.

“No,
Fox, I can’t see that. And you aren’t just worried about appearances. If that
was your concern you’d ignore this mess and let your PR people sadly shake
their heads and talk about disgruntled contestants. What is this new obsession
about scandal? It’s like you’ve found a new religion. I guess I shouldn’t be
surprised. You’ve always gone through these phases. In the nineties you were
vegetarian for a couple of years. After 9/11 you became a super patriot. Now
we’re starting a new decade and you want to be squeaky clean to the point of
absurdity.”

She
stood up, came around the table and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I’m
trying to be completely honest with you, Fox. I really like Rick, but we
haven’t had sex yet. This really is just something that Hillary and Fawn made
up in their heads.”

Fox
looked her in the eye, obviously trying to measure her sincerity. “You really
haven’t done more than kiss him on the cheek?”

Ember
could see where this was going. It didn’t matter if she were innocent or not.
Fox Atwood was on another of his crusades. “A little more, perhaps, but no, we
haven’t yet gone all the way.”

Fox
shook his head.

She
tried one more time. “No one’s been hurt by this, Fox. Judges don’t have a vote
on
Rock Idol
so my affection for Rick had no impact on Tempest or anyone
else for that matter. Let this one go.”

For
a brief moment, she thought he would do just that. “We’ve been friends for a
very long time, Ember,” Fox told her, and she knew from the tone of his voice
that it was over.

“We
always will be, Fox,” she assured him. Twenty-five years ago, this man had
given her a chance at stardom. Two years ago, he’d helped her rebuild her
career. It never paid to close doors in Hollywood.

“I’m
truly sorry,” he told her.

“So
am I, Fox,” she whispered. Her throat was suddenly too tight for her to speak
any louder. She felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes and she definitely
didn’t want this man to see her crying.

She
picked her purse up off the table and hurried out the door.

“Ember?”
Rick called from the door of her dressing room.

Ember
tried and failed to pull herself together. That shouldn’t have surprised her.
She’d been trying to do that for half a box of tissues.

“Ember?”

He
entered the room and closed the door behind him. “Fox just met with the
remaining contestants. Fawn’s going into some sort of outpatient rehab but will
stay with the show, but you’re—”

He
broke off speaking when she suddenly turned to face him.

She
couldn’t believe she had heard him correctly. “He’s letting Fawn stay?”

“I’m
sorry,” Rick answered.

“Now
I’m really mad!” Ember said. “I could accept him firing me, but letting that
bitch stay, that’s just— Urrggg!”

He
wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry!”

“Has
the world gone mad? How could he fire me and not her?” she asked.

“I
don’t know.”

“I
just—”

“I
know, shhh, we’ll get through this.”

“I don’t
want to cry anymore!” Ember told him.

“Shhhh,”
he whispered. “I’m here now. I’m here now.”

She
rested her head on his strong shoulder and wept in her man’s arms.

Week Ten

Ember
snuggled under her blanket in front of the television waiting for
Rock Idol
to return from commercial break. They were singing a sixties theme this
week—old Beatles and Beach Boys and Rolling Stones and it played well to Rick’s
strengths. He loved the Stones. He’d auditioned, interestingly enough, on the
song
Brown Sugar
. And he’d been very pleased about his coming
performance when they’d talked about it on the phone. He was singing
Satisfaction
—as
in he can’t get any—and that seemed especially appropriate for both of them
this week.

Ember
hugged herself beneath the blanket and wished she could call Rick right now. It
was the only benefit generated by Fox’s actions. Since their relationship was
out of the closet, Rick and she had stopped having to hide their time together.
As a result they’d talked for two hours every night and in doing so, Ember
learned more about him than she had in all the rest of their relationship
combined.

She
liked him better and better the more she learned. He had a great sense of
humor, a keen critical eye, and three thousand miles hadn’t dampened his
ability to make her come.

She
hoped he rocked the whole world tonight!

The
commercial ended and Jonathan King appeared in front of her. She’d wondered how
they would deal with her absence and been disappointed that they’d handled it
by ignoring any change. When the judges had been introduced, Fox Atwood had
stepped into her old spot, and so far, at least, had done a more than competent
job. The crisis was over.
Rock Idol
had moved on. Mitch provided his
normally scathing
performance
and Fawn returned to being her sky high,
air-headed self.

She
knew they hoped the gossip sites would take their cue from this and move with
them, but in Ember’s experience the media was seldom that kind. They certainly
hadn’t been kind to her this week.
Ember, how’s it feel to wreck another
career? Ember, don’t you think Rick is a little young? Ember, what do you think
of Fox Atwood for firing you?
And those had been the kind, semi-civilized
questions. The rest of the media was downright nasty in what they were willing
to ask.

“Our
third contestant tonight,” King announced over the television, “is Rick Rogers,
singing
I Can’t Get No Satisfaction!
”

The
crowd cheered and giggled as the obvious implications of the title mixed with
their knowledge of the scandal of the week. Ember would bet anything that Fox
had wanted to change Rick’s song, but it wouldn’t have been fair to have Rick
practice one song for half the week and then tell him he had to master another
one in half the time all the other contestants got.

Rick
stepped out on the stage and the spotlight hit him, but something immediately
went wrong with the music. The hard driving guitar sounds of the Rolling Stones
never appeared. Instead a light, driving, electrical rhythm filled the stage—a
sound that Ember immediately recognized as one of her own hit songs. Someone
had gotten cute and put the wrong track in the player and even though they were
going to get fired for it, their little joke was probably going to cost Rick
his spot on the show.

Only…Rick
didn’t react like this was the wrong song. He sprang across the stage,
perfectly in rhythm, lighting up the audience with Ember’s first hit,
You
Make Me So Hot!

Her
jaw bounced off the blanket as she watched him. This wasn’t an accident. And
those goofy lyrics she and Mitch had laughed about didn’t sound so funny coming
out of Rick’s mouth.

You
make me hot, hot, hot, so very hot!

You
make me hot, hot, hot, so very hot!

From
across the room

You
set my blood on fire

I
see you

You’re
my one desire!

You
make me hot, hot, hot, so very hot!

You
make me hot, hot, hot, so very hot!

The
camera panned across the faces of the judges. To say that they were stunned
didn’t begin to describe the strength of their reactions. Fawn’s face twisted
in an expression of irrational rage. Mitch simply looked surprised, as if Rick
had just conclusively demonstrated that he hadn’t yet seen everything in Hollywood. And Fox Atwood’s face grew ashen as all the
blood drained south. His mouth gaped open as if he simply couldn’t believe that
this was happening. If he’d thought his little self-made scandal was going
away, he’d just learned it was powerfully here to stay.

The
camera cut back to Rick.

I
need you

To
quench my thirst

I
feel you

You
make my blood burn!

You
make me hot, hot, hot, so very hot!

You
make me hot, hot, hot, so very hot!

The
crowd was having an easier time than Fawn and Fox. Groups of women were
standing in their seats, dancing to the rhythm, and cheering for Rick. Some of
them were even singing. The sight filled Ember’s eyes with tears. Rick had
found the magic combination at last—talent, showmanship and passion—and it was
Ember who had inspired him. It was a shame Fox would have to disqualify him for
breaking with the program.

Rick
was winding up now, dancing like she had when she’d taken the stage, but with a
modern, more masculine, feel to the movements. He’d obviously studied her
videos—the tribute to her glory days was unmistakable.

You
make me hot, hot, hot, so very hot!

Oh
Ember, YOU MAKE ME HOT!

Rick
finished singing and bowed his head. Thunderous applause rolled across the
theater to complement him.

Fox
Atwood made a cutting motion with his hand but Jonathan King affected not to
notice him. Perhaps he knew what Fox should have—some things can’t be hidden,
or covered up, or put back in the box. They have to be dealt with head on.

“Rick,
my man!” King shouted. “That was absolutely awesome! Three years I’ve spent on
this show and I’ve never seen anything like it! But Rick, man, what were you
thinking? What will the judges think tonight, man? You sang the wrong song!”

Rick
looked cool and composed. Long gone was the nervous boy who stepped onto that
stage on Week One. This Rick Rogers radiated confidence and attitude. He
flashed his trademark cocky grin and tossed the blond hair out of his clear
blue eyes, then bumped fists with Jonathan. “Thanks for the kind words,
Jonathan. You’re a class act and
Rock Idol
is lucky to have you. But you
made one mistake. I sang the perfect song tonight! And I’m glad all of you,” he
pointed across the stage at the audience, “were here to enjoy it with me.”

The
crowd roared again, and King had to wait for them to quiet before he could
speak again. It didn’t happen quickly. Fans leapt up from their seats, stomping
their feet and clapping their hands while shouting their approval of Rick.

“That’s
great!” King said, struggling to be heard over the noise and reclaim the stage.
Ember could see in his eyes that he knew the show was in trouble. Rick had
broken the rules but the crowd was telling them they’d loved what he did. No
one watching that reaction expected Rick Rogers to get voted off. Now there
would be a genuine scandal if Fox Atwood did as he should and ejected him from
the competition.

“That’s
great!” King repeated. He was shouting himself to be heard over the roar. “But
let’s hear what the judges have to say about it.”