Star Maker (22 page)

She was
still dating Steve, but things were strained. She didn’t see much of a future
and wondered how much longer they would be together. He and Sully did not get
along and Steve was a good part of the reason why Sully was motivated to
officially make the move into his condo.

She was
grateful for Steve’s help throughout the semester. He definitely contributed
to her maintaining her straight-A average, but she didn’t know how much longer
she could do a romantic relationship with him. In truth, he bored her.
Regardless, she had invited him to the party.

Alexa
and Maxine walked through the door carrying two large boxes that contained
bottles of booze. Kit laughed. “Damn, that’s a lot of alcohol. And knowing
our friends Lex, that will all be gone by tomorrow.”

Alexa
laughed. “No doubt. Is Sully bringing the nightmare tonight?”

“Who?
Ekaterina, the Ukrainian model?”

She
nodded. “Yeah, her. Ugh. I don’t like her. So snobby and whiney. And that
accent is so annoying.” She rolled her eyes.

Kit
chuckled. “She bugs you, huh? I don’t know if he’s bringing her tonight.
Apparently, they’re only casually dating. He’s not exclusive with her. He’s
left his options open, which translates to… he’s not into her. I think he’s
getting really irritated with her, so he may be solo and on the hunt tonight.”

Maxine
giggled. “Ooh, watch out single ladies, Sully is on the prowl. Actually, I’m
sure most of them wouldn’t mind being hunted by him.”

Kit
nodded. “That is an absolutely true statement. Ok, ladies, anything else that
needs to be in order before I start getting ready?”

Alexa
shook her head. “Can’t think of anything. See you in a while.”

The
apartment was filled with wall-to-wall people by eleven. Since the party
consisted mainly of graduate students that Alexa went to school with at USC and
law students from UCLA that knew Kit, it was much more subdued and the music
was more pop, new wave, and dance than rock. There were rockers at the party,
including all of Gypsy Tango, but they mixed and mingled easily, enjoying a
change of pace and a different environment.

In true
Sully fashion, he was surrounded by a group of doting females, dancing with
them. Kit walked up to Alexa and Maxine who were watching him, smiling, and
whispering. “What are you two gossiping about my frontman?”

Maxine
smiled. “We think Sull may have some alternative career opportunities.”

Alexa
laughed. “Yeah, if this whole frontman thing doesn’t work out for him, maybe
he could be a male stripper. That boy sure knows how to shake his ass and
grind like no one’s business.”

Kit
laughed loudly. “Y’know, you two are right. And he’d probably get lots of good
tips too.”

Maxine
nodded. “Him covered in a little baby oil in skivvies? Oh yes! I gotta get
some air. It’s suddenly getting hot in here.” She fanned herself with her
hand.

Kit
giggled. “Maxine getting hot and bothered by Sully. Aww, that’s cute.”

Alexa
raised her eyebrows. “Maybe, then again, maybe not. I think that’s Max’s
clever ruse.”

Kit
frowned. “What do you mean? Clever ruse for what?”

“A nose
candy break.”

Before
Kit could ask Alexa for more detail, Sully walked over smiling and threw his
arms around both of them. Alexa smiled at him. “Hi, handsome. Having a good
time?”

He
grinned. “Sexy Lexy, it is your party, so of course I’m having a good time. I
like your friends.”

She
smiled. “Good. Here comes one now. Let me introduce you.”

Kit
glanced over and noticed Steve giving her a dirty look from across the room.
Rather than start world war three, she abandoned Alexa and Sully and headed
over to him.

CHAPTER 16

Kit
rushed toward her car and hoped she had the foresight to put the window up
earlier that morning. She was in the midst of the first big rainstorm to hit
Los Angeles that year. She found it amazing that she hadn’t seen a drop of
rain since July and it was now February. She was even more amused by the fact
that Southern Californians did not know how to drive in the rain.

She got
into her car, drenched from top to bottom, and threw her backpack on the seat
next to her. She sighed before starting her car. She was grateful for it.
After Joe’s death and Veronique’s elected relocation to Lake Forest to live
with Joe’s parents, she had generously gifted her brand new BMW to Kit. As she
drove back to her humble abode in Hollywood, she thought about the last two
months and how quickly they had passed.

Kit had
dedicated a good portion of her time to her studies. Her second year was still
not letting up and frequently consumed her. She and Steve had called it quits,
deciding that being friends and study partners suited them better.

She had
put the word out about her own management company, KMK Management, and hired
two people to help her manage her bands successfully, with the exception of
Gypsy Tango, the only band she now handled personally. She had gotten three
more bands from her KMK management stable signed to labels already.

Sully
and the band were finally on the brink of being signed after sixteen months of
hard work under Kit’s leadership and the release of their three song EP the
previous month. They had decided three was better than four songs with the
rationale that it was better to leave the audience wanting more.

Kit and
Sully had taken investment deals with Veronique and Wes that allowed them to
produce the EP effectively and distribute it as they wanted without any
monetary restrictions. They were now one of the hottest bands in Hollywood,
getting airplay on the all local rock stations, constantly in heavy competition
with Guns ‘N’ Roses and Poison for the premium, paying performance slots on the
Sunset Strip and a consistently growing base of loyal fans.

She had
all the top record companies courting her for the opportunity to sign them now,
including some of the majors that she and Sully had always dreamed of. She was
waiting for the most opportune moment to strike, driving Sully nuts. Her
reputation in the music industry was a solid one and she had plenty of new
bands knocking down her door begging for her management company to handle them.
KMK Management’s roster was experiencing rapid growth.

Kit
walked through the door, plopped her backpack on the table, and immediately
retreated to her bedroom to strip off her rain-drenched sweater and jeans. She
returned moments later in a comfortable pair of baggy, gray sweats and her UCLA
sweatshirt. She couldn’t get over how quiet it was in the apartment.

She
elected to capitalize on the sweet silence and was about to dive into writing a
brief, when the phone rang. She picked it up and rolled her eyes when she
heard the rambling male voice on the other end of the line. She ran her
fingers through her hair to calm her mounting frustration. “I told you once and
I’ll tell you again, Ted. Listen carefully, they headline The Whisky on Monday
night or no go. They have too many other shows during the week, and we can’t
run them back-to-back. They’re in demand right now, and they need rehearsal
time too. C’mon, stick with the plan. Don’t back down.”

She
received the answer she wanted and hung up the phone. Sometimes her direct
reports at KMK got on her last nerve and wanted handholding. She shook her
head, trying to figure out a way to make that stop. She immediately abandoned
searching for a solution in favor of schoolwork when she noticed the time. She
had exactly had exactly four hours to catch up before heading out to meet up
with the gang.

Kit
strolled into The Roxy solo after a quick jaunt to The Whisky to check on one
of KMK’s new bands. She noticed Maxine at one of the tables with Trent, her
lazy, musician boyfriend whom they had nicknamed, ‘the sponge.’ She was
engrossed in conversation with Alexa.

Kit
walked up to the table and smiled. “Hey, guys!”

Maxine
stood up and hugged her. “Did you just get here?”

“Yep.”

Sully
strolled in and headed over to the group. They were all happy to see him. He
took a seat next to Kit. She stared at him, trying to get a read. “Any headway
between you and Jim?”

He
avoided her gaze and sighed. “I don’t wanna talk about it. Can we keep the
focus on hanging and having some fun tonight?” He forced a grin and patted her
knee under the table.

She
nodded, smiled, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “You got it, babe.”

Kit
surveyed Maxine carefully the entire night, as much as possible. She could
tell Maxine was extremely high on some kind of substance, way beyond the
alcohol she was consuming. She recognized the pattern, remembering what
happened with Joe and figured Maxine was headed for trouble.

She
made her rounds in the small club and was approached constantly by several
different male musicians. She was surprised to see that Sully was getting very
annoyed. That wasn’t like him.

Maxine
approached Kit and pulled her aside, interrupting her observation of Sully.
“Hey, Kit, wanna go to the ladies’ room with me?”

She
nodded. “Sure.” She followed Maxine into the ladies’ room and noticed two
girls were in there already. One of them looked at Kit and pointed.

“Hey, I
know who you are!”

Kit
grinned. She had never seen this person in her life before. She had no idea
who she was or why she claimed to know her. She played it off well. “I’m
sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

The
girl smiled enthusiastically like a hyper, teenage fan. “My name’s Amber. I
met you the other night at The Troubadour. You are like a female legend in
Hollywood. You work with all the cool bands, and you get to hang out with them
too! Do you think you could introduce me to Sully Foxx? He’s here tonight! I
love him!”

Kit
stifled a chuckle. She couldn’t believe this was happening. All the talk
about her being a female legend seemed odd. She shrugged it off and figured it
was an angle for her to introduce them to Sully. “Sure. I’ll introduce you to
him tonight if you want.”

Amber
grabbed her arm and gave her a look of utter gratitude. “Oh, thank you so
much! You are the coolest! Meet you out there?”

She
nodded and the two girls left the bathroom. Maxine exchanged a look with Kit.
She was caught between shock and amusement as she grinned. “My, my, my, aren’t
we the popular one?” She burst out laughing.

Kit
couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. The scenario was entirely too
surreal for her to comprehend. “This whole scene is getting too weird and
unbelievable at times Max, y’know?”

Maxine’s
eyes glazed over in a cocaine daze. “Hey, after The Roxy closes down, Trent and
I are going to have a party back at my loft, downtown. Are you and Sully
coming?”

She
shrugged her shoulders and figured it wouldn’t hurt. She could put up with
Trent for a few hours. “Sure, Max. That sounds like fun.”

Maxine
and Kit headed out of the ladies’ room and back into the mayhem. Keeping her
word, she searched for Amber and her friend who were sitting at a side table
sipping strawberry daiquiris. She looked for Sully. She noticed him sitting at
Maxine and Trent’s table, crammed in with all of their closest friends. She
stared, hoping to get his attention.

He was
in the middle of a conversation with Maxine when he glanced over and noticed
Kit staring at him. His eyes met hers and he smiled. She beckoned him
suggestively with her finger and a buccaneer grin. He raised his eyebrows,
pointed to himself and mouthed, “me?” jokingly. She started laughing as he
sauntered toward her.

He
walked straight up to her and put his face within inches of hers. He gazed
into her eyes with a mischievous partial grin on his face. When he spoke, Kit
could smell the scotch he had been drinking on his breath. “Hi, baby. What can
I do for you tonight?”

She
stared into his steel blue eyes that were suddenly and surprisingly
intoxicating to her. She felt at any second her knees would buckle. She
immediately shook it off, chalking it up to her own buzz from the two drinks
she had consumed. “Someone wants to meet you, babe.”

Sully
followed suit and seemed to snap out of his daze, getting back to the business
that needed to be taken care of. Genuine curiosity seized him, thinking maybe
it was a record executive. He suddenly became alert and focused as the
question eagerly rolled off his tongue. “Who?”

Kit
turned him around to face the direction where the two girls were sitting. She
pointed. “Amber. She’s convinced that she’s your biggest fan.”

Sully
sighed. He was unenthusiastic. Kit was immediately concerned. This wasn’t
his normal reaction. He always loved the attention and his
fans—especially the doting females. She wondered if all the drama and
arguments with Jimmy were taking a toll on his love for Gypsy Tango. She hoped
that wasn’t the case.

He
turned back around to face her. “Can’t we hang out tonight? Just you and me?
No work. Us and guitars back at my place?” He grabbed her hand, interlocked
his fingers with hers, and gazed into her eyes. “I think it’s safe to say that
you and I have been working our asses off lately.”

Kit
stared at him, barely able to comprehend what he had asked. She wondered if
she was talking to Sully or if someone else had temporarily possessed his body.
“We’re making good headway tonight on the Strip and we have Max’s party to go
to later. We can play guitars together any other night. Sull, babe, are you
feeling ok?”

He
nodded, suddenly feeling vulnerable and instantly snapped back into his
entertainer mode. He forced a smile. “I’m great. I think I need to drink a
little more.” He tried to make light of it. “Kit-Kat, let me have another
drink and then I will meet whoever you want me to.”

She
took his face in her hands and smiled. “You promise?”

He
nodded sadly and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I promise, baby. Whatever
makes you happy.”

Kit
watched Sully walk away, headed to the bar. She wondered what was going on
with him. She saw him chatting with one of his old friends at the bar. She
returned to Maxine and the rest of the group for a bit and then headed to the
bar to get a drink. Sully had disappeared. She wondered if he took off for
the night.

Maxine
was telling a funny story of her latest photo shoot with one of KMK’s bands for
Rock City News
. Kit was laughing so
hard that she had to fight the scotch from coming out of her nose. Sully came
up behind her and tickled her, making things worse. She screeched with laugher
and turned around. He smiled and chuckled.

Her
eyes lit up, happy he was still there. “I thought you took off for the night.”

“Nope.
I made you a promise and I’m here to keep it. Where’s that fan of mine? Let
me go charm the panties off her.”

She
giggled and grabbed his hand. “C’mon. She’s over here.”

Kit
walked up to the two girls who were engaged in typical Sunset Strip gossip.
Amber’s mouth dropped open. Her friend smiled so wide Kit thought her face
might crack as her eyes glazed over staring at Sully.

He
flashed his most brilliant smile. “Hello, ladies.”

Kit did
the introductions. As she walked away, she noticed Sully kissing each of their
hands. She chuckled. He was great with his fans. When she reached the table
where her friends were, she watched him. He crouched down on the floor,
stationed in the middle of their table for two. He talked to them both, making
eye contact, listening, and being attentive. They ate it up.

He met up with the group fifteen minutes later and sat down next to
Kit, put his arm around her, and fit perfectly into the conversation already in
progress. As his new friend Amber and her friend left the Roxy, they looked
over at Sully. He blew them both kisses and waved to them. They squealed with
delight, blew him kisses back, and left.

Alexa
giggled as she walked by Kit who was stationed at the table. Her law books
were open, but she was staring off into space. “Are you still half asleep?
Want me to pour you a cup of coffee before I head to work?”

She
snapped out of her daze and slowly looked over. “Huh?”

Alexa
chuckled and set her purse down. “Hold that thought.” She returned with a cup
of hot coffee and shoved it at Kit. “Baby, you’re burning the candle at both
ends. You need to take a break. What time did you wake up this morning and
start studying?”

She
sipped the coffee and cast her eyes down. “Five.”