Too Many Rock Stars (Access All Areas #1) (8 page)

Another Friday night working on the door for the bands. Although it was not exactly busy. Definitely not the usual Friday night crowd, that's for sure. I wished I'd grabbed a book to read so I had something to occupy myself with. Instead, I was stuck at the door with nothing to do while only a few people trickled in.

"Is there something else on tonight?" I asked a couple of girls coming in the door.

I usually keep track of those kinds of things. A big band touring or a festival could explain why the people were staying away.

"People think you're closed," one of the girls said. "We thought so then the guys said they were playing here tonight."

Shit, Chuck would have a heart attack if he found out about that. That was his worst nightmare and it'd do nothing to discourage him from selling the place. I thought he'd just been being a big baby about that newspaper article but maybe he'd been right. He'd have a hissy fit when I told him how crap the night's takings were.

I stamped their wrists and waved them through.

Those poor bands, playing to an almost empty room. And poor me. We'd had dead nights before but this was something else altogether. If it was a Monday night, this would be bad. For a Friday it was a disaster of epic proportions. These were good bands that normally drew decent crowds.

We had to dispel any image of the club sinking into the shit. I’d been working on making sure we had the best line-ups possible. I’d done all the promo I could for free, working the hell out of our social media.

If people saw us spending a lot of money on promotion, they'd know it was just a stupid rumour. But how to get Chuck to spend money? I buried my head in my hands, my brain strained from trying to sort the whole mess out. It was becoming too much for me. Maybe I should agree to the stupid competition and be done with it. Maybe everyone was right and it was just a few hours of my time. It's not like I didn't have both of them hanging around bugging me anyway. Maybe, at least with this competition, I'd get rid of one of them. But which one did I want to win?

"What's the problem?"

I put my head up as Razer walked through the door.

"Hey, it's 15 bucks!"

"You aren't making me pay, are you? I just turned up to see you, not the bands."

"Those guys need to eat, you know. You wouldn't want some bum freeloading on one of your gigs."

He pulled out his wallet and handed me a tenner then fumbled through his change, counting out the coins. Damn rockers never had any money. I did feel a little sorry for Razer but it wasn't like he had to come out and spend his last $15. I threw the coins in the tray.

"Since you're so broke, go to the bar and get me a drink. Tell them to give you one too."

Chuck's ban on free drinks had so never stuck. This was a bar. Why would people come if not for free drinks? Why would we work here? Chuck paid us peanuts. Barely enough to survive on. Even my rat hole apartment was hard to afford on my wages. And I had to dress right for work. I couldn't turn up looking like shit. If I didn't love my job, I'd have quit long ago.

Razer came back with beers for us.

"Thanks," I said, raising my glass to him.

"It's dead tonight. What's up?"

"People are hearing all kinds of rumours. Rats deserting the sinking ship, you know."

He drummed his fingers on the table as though deep in thought.

"We're going to have to do something about that," he said.

He got out his phone then wandered out to the stairwell to make a call. I could just hear him over the music.

"Yeah, mate, the band is killer. Get your arse down here or you'll be sorry you missed out."

He hung up and made another call. I wasn't sure if it was going to work. How many people did he know, anyway? He might get a few people to come along but a situation like this needed more than a few phone calls. It needed serious publicity and stuff like that. I really appreciated him trying but it would just be a drop in the ocean.

"...no way are they closing. The place is going off. And man, there are some top shelf babes here too..."

A few calls later and he came back in to sit down.

"Thanks for trying," I said. I was still dubious. I mean, people loved Razer but it was a Friday night and they'd already have plans. It's not like they would drop everything and head here on Razer's say so.

I had to run to the bathroom so I got Razer to keep watch on the door for me. It wasn’t like he’d have to do much.

When the opening band finished, Sally came over to relieve me while I went back stage to check on everything. It wasn't even like I had to push my way through a crowd. The situation was dire. All up, I'd say there were maybe 20 people in the room and some of those had been on the guest list.

"Sorry," the leader singer said. He gave me a weak grin. "We had a bunch of friends who promised they'd turn up but those bastards let me down."

I rubbed his arm and got the next band out there. I almost told them to back up their stuff and go home. Surely not playing at all would be better than playing to an empty room. That guy from the first band looked so defeated. I bet Chuck would think I should be going hard on him for not drawing more people there is only so much you can expect.

Before I could say anything, one of the guys from the next band interrupted to say he had lost his lucky guitar pick and wanted me to find it. I rolled my eyes at him but that wasn't hint enough for him. Seriously, it would take more than a lucky pick to save them.

"If it's here, I can't see it," I said. "And anyway, I have to get back to the door. I have better things to do than look for your pick." That was actually a lie but not really. Even filing my nails was more important than looking for that dude's pick. If he couldn't look after his own crap, what did he expect? I wasn't his mother. Then I saw a flash of colour.

"Hey, what's that red thing under the table?"

"Sweet. You found it."

He picked it up and kissed it, which kinda grossed me out considering how many germs would've been walked over that floor.

I returned to the desk with the weight of the world on my shoulders.

"Bitch, leave me here for the rush of the night," Sally said when I got back.

"Yeah, right." I laughed, thinking she was joking.

Then I looked around and noticed the room had filled up. There were people. Lots of people. I'd been so far in my own head, worrying about things, I hadn't even realised I'd had to push through them to get back.

I could almost hug Razer. He'd actually done it, gotten a crowd in here, just on his word that that night was pumping.

I looked around for him.

I got a glimpse of him in the middle of the room with a bunch of people. They were all doubled over, laughing. Then more people turned up at the door and I lost sight of him.

A while later, I saw him again with two guys at the bar. One of them slapped him on the back while the other nodded. Who even knew what that was about? Then a couple of girls came over to join them. One of the guys handed Razer a beer.

Then a girl came over and dragged him away. He shook his head at the first group as though to apologise. He really did have a charisma that got people flocking to him, an air that said he was a star, yet still one of them. Alex, on the other hand, always had an aloofness about him. He had fans, not friends.

Another rush of people came through the door and I lost sight of him again. One of them fumbled through his wallet, then his pockets, trying to find his cash. I smiled and told him it was okay, even though inside I shouted at him to just hurry the fuck up so I could get back to watching the band. Because it was the band I wanted to watch.

The second last band had come on stage and the room was buzzing, that kind of energy you only get once you reach a critical mass of people. That magical feeling when the crowd and the band become one. That was perfect.

Razer had turned this around from a disaster to a top night.

I had to stay on the door until the last band and Sally hadn't come to relieve me. The bar was way too busy, that's why. I picked up my beer glass. It was truly empty. Not even slops in the bottom for me. Any other time, I'd have that guy hanging around wanting to get me drinks but, when I really needed one, he was too busy with other people.

Even though I understood that, if he'd called people to come down here, he needed to talk to them. I got another glimpse of him, standing at the back of the room, arms folded as he leaned against a pole. He had some short guy with him. I knew that guy, he had a show on a local radio station, but I could never remember his name. God, when Razer folded his arms like that, the muscles bulged. Buff guys weren't usually my type but there was something mesmerizing about watching his tats move as the muscles rippled.

As I watched him, memories of that night in the rain came back to me. How he'd carried me back to my apartment, then later. If Chuck hadn't called, what would've happened? Was it possible to have something like that happen without it messing up the rest of your life?

Finally, Razer came back over and sat himself on the edge of the table. I didn't even yell at him for it since I was so grateful. His eyes twinkled as he smiled at me and I smiled back. God, that hint of dimple did things to me.

"I got you a drink," he said. "Well, truthfully, I told Sally I was getting drinks for both of us."

"Thanks," I said, taking the beer from him.

For a moment, our hands touched and a shiver went through me. I didn't even want to examine that. It was just gratitude.

"Lots of rumours going around about this place. People heard the place is going under. You'd think the club had been boarded up and emptied out the way people have been talking. Weird stuff, Violet. Does Chuck have any enemies? Because it sure looks that way."

I had no idea of anyone in particular but I bet he had a ton of enemies. Chuck was the kind of guy that attracted enemies like honey attracts flies. I mean, if you are a total jerk, that's what happens.

I looked up at Razer, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

"Thanks for tonight," I said. "You really helped out a lot."

"Aw, it was nothing, Vi. I couldn't have you sitting here looking all depressed. If I can help, you know I will."

My gaze got caught in his and a warmth flooded my body. I didn't want to break that moment. It was like we connected and, for once, I didn't feel like it was a bad thing. He'd been so great lately that I'd begun to see him as not just another self-centred rocker but as a friend. Maybe, at times, more than a friend.

I was about to reach out for him when some guy in a Grateful Dead t-shirt came over a slapped him on the back, handing him a beer.

All those emotions seemed to dissipate into the crowd, out of my grasp. What had happened there?

I hadn't helped Violet out to score points with her. I'd have done it for anyone. There was weird shit going on at the club and I loved that place. I didn't want it to go under, that's for sure.

I hadn't done much anyway, just called a few friends.

Still, if Violet felt more warmly toward me because of it, I didn't mind.

The way she’d looked at me at the end of the night, I could've pushed things further. It wouldn't have taken much but I'd have never known if she was just being nice out of gratitude and relief or if she wanted it. That wasn't how I wanted to play this. You take advantage of a woman when she's in emotional distress and you aren't much of a man, in my book.

I walked into rehearsal feeling on top of the world. I didn't need a stupid competition to win her over and she only seemed to get annoyed when anyone mentioned it anyway. She would be mine. If fate and higher powers existed, they'd make that woman realise that we were meant to be together. Still, one good night wouldn't save the place. I had to think of better ways to help Violet.

"Are we rehearsing or are you lost in a daydream?" Bill asked when I got to the studio.

He wasn't kidding. I had to get my eyes on the prize. The prize that was making sure our performance was as solid as it could be. Competition or not, we needed to be the best band around. I couldn't let Alex steal everything from me.

"How are things going with Alex?" I asked Dazza. I wouldn't pump him for information but, if he offered it, I would listen.

"He's a slave driver. We rehearse for hours. Then he makes me practice on my own for hours. But they have much better food at their rehearsal studio than we do."

That wouldn't be hard, since we had no food at all.

I plugged in my guitar and checked that the guys were ready. We'd been working our guts out on the new song. It had to be perfect when I played it for Violet. It had to break down the walls she'd built around her heart and that was a big ask for a little song, but I believed I could do it.

By the end of rehearsal, my head was filled with dreams of playing that song and having Violet fall into my arms. In those dreams, my guitar conveniently disappeared the moment she decided to fall so that I didn't have to deal with it. She’d cling to me, breathless with wonder at the depth of my love for her. In that moment, she threw away all her stupid rules and realised just how right we were for each other.

Without even thinking, I headed to the guitar shop. On the way, I bumped into Alex.

I grimaced at him. I didn't want to actually greet him because I couldn't stand the guy but I couldn't just ignore him either. A grimace was enough of an acknowledgement. To be honest, I almost didn't recognise him, since he was done up in a fancy suit and tie. Not the rocker image he usually kept up around the club, that's for sure.

He gave me a half-smile in return. I wasn't going to stop but he kinda waylaid me.

"Just give up now," he said. "You don't want to humiliate yourself. There's nothing you can give Violet. You have no job, no future. Within a few years, you'll be a washed up rocker with just dreams of past glory."

I snorted.

"You give up, mate. I've not seen her all that interested in you either. I'll have a future. A future you can only dream about. And that future will be painted violet."

He rolled his eyes and started to walk off. I grabbed his arm before he could go.

"I have no idea where you came from and what's going on with you but I'd bet my last dollar there's some nasty stuff in your past. If you think I'll let that shit anywhere near Vi, you are a bigger fool than you look. I mean it. She's a sweet girl under that rock hard surface and if you let your black heart hurt her, I'll take you down so fast, you'll think you ran into a bulldozer."

He tried to laugh it off but I'd seen that flicker of fear in his eyes before he could readjust his expression. I'd been spot on about that nasty stuff, that's for sure. And he definitely didn't want Violet knowing about it. I'd tried to tell her a few times that Alex had some crap in his past. He'd been riding high on his success with his old band, and you don't just ditch that and move to a new town to start over without a good reason.

As he walked off, I yelled after him, “And that Les Paul too. She’s my baby and, as far as I’m concerned, you are just babysitting her until I get her out of your hands.”