California Dream (4 page)

Chapter five

Meanwhile, Out on Tour…

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Eddie left the party early. It had been a rocking party, too. Still, his overwhelming concern for his best friend drove him to dismiss a luscious young lady and leave her lovely promises unfulfilled.

Despite his concern, Eddie banged unceremoniously on Roddy’s door. Roddy was wide awake, even at that ridiculous hour, and opened the door in his underwear. Eddie barged past him and settled himself in a chair, propping his booted feet on a table before saying a word.

“You okay, man?” he asked as he helped himself to one of Roddy’s cigarettes.

Roddy dropped into another chair and gave him a quizzical look. “Yeah, why?”

“You’ve been different ever since we played that gig in Minneapolis,” Eddie said through a haze of smoke. “You haven’t been to an after party since. You just sit in your room by yourself.”

“Oh,” he said at last. “You’re still thinking about her? Jeez, Rod, you haven’t done that since you were twenty.” Eddie meant to give him a hard time about her, but somehow couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm for it. Something was seriously afoot.

Roddy ran a hand over his face. “Just because I liked someone I slept with doesn’t mean I’m doomed.”

Eddie just smiled. “I don’t know about that. You’ve spent almost all your time alone since you met her. I can’t even remember the last time I saw you go outside.”

“I’ve been writing,” was Roddy’s explanation, and he indicated a pile of papers under the guitarist’s boot heel.

Eddie stretched forward and snatched up the papers, scattering ashes everywhere as he did so. Ignoring the mess, he read the lines Roddy had scrawled on the pages.

“This is pretty good,” he remarked a few minutes later. He set the sheaf down and rose from his chair. “I think it could be better, though. I’ve got a couple ideas to spruce it up a little. I’ll be right back.”

Eddie returned to Roddy’s room a few minutes later with an acoustic guitar. He sat down to show his bandmate what he had in mind, and in minutes, the two of them forgot the outside world as they collaborated on the song, as had happened so many times before. Roddy always started out with great material, and Eddie’s input gave it the extra edge to turn the song into a chartbuster.

For the rest of that night, and for several nights following, Eddie holed up with Roddy in his hotel rooms so they could work on the song together. It was five o’clock in the morning when Roddy finally tossed down his pen and turned to Eddie with a smile.

“I’m not giving her another night, Roddy,” he said firmly. “I’ve lost enough sleep over some woman who doesn’t even like me.” When Roddy looked like he was going to protest, Eddie waved him back down. “You don’t give me enough credit, my friend. I remember when you picked her up at the backstage party in Minneapolis. Maybe you don’t think I pay attention, but I do. I notice a lot more than I let on.”

“And sometimes even stuff that isn’t there,” Roddy grumbled, getting defensive.

Eddie told himself to tread carefully. They had both been subsisting on very little sleep for several days, and they were both short-tempered. It probably wasn’t the best time to needle his friend, but he couldn’t just let it go.

Eddie grabbed his guitar and tried not to grin too much on his way out. He wasn’t sure what was suddenly making his best friend act so different, but he really hadn’t been the same since the blonde in Minneapolis. That Roddy was touchy about her spoke volumes, and Eddie wasn’t even going to mention the rest of the lyrics to the new song.

Life was sure getting interesting.



It seemed all hell had waited for Roddy to finish writing his song before breaking loose. In one week’s time, he had two television interviews in Chicago and three radio shows in other cities along the tour. As if that wasn’t enough, Zeke’s lawyer telephoned him one day to announce that some girl in Florida was slapping his bandmate with a paternity suit. Mike got arrested for disturbing the peace in Kansas City. Then, just when things seemed to be cooling off and it looked like they might be able to finish the tour in some sort of peace, Dana McMillan showed up in his doorway.

Dana was an old flame Roddy had been glad to extinguish several years ago. She was a professional model and as narcissistic as they come. Roddy had gotten involved with her in the first place because his manager told him it would be good for his image to be linked with someone like her. It was Roddy’s own fault he indulged in an affair with Dana shortly after they made their acquaintance, and he had cause to regret it almost immediately. From the moment the paparazzi got wind of their relationship, not a day went by that Roddy didn’t have a camera in his face or trying to get into his bedroom. When, in the end, Roddy finally decided to end his association with her, his face appeared on every tabloid in the country, accompanied by untrue stories of his emotional and physical abuse.

Dana McMillan brought back anything but pleasant memories, but now here she was, standing in his doorway in the tightest dress Roddy had ever seen.

Unmoved by his less than enthusiastic greeting, Dana flung her arms around his neck, knocking his bandanna askew. She knew he hated to have his bandanna messed with, but as usual, his feelings weren’t part of the equation with her.

“Oh, Roddy!” she squealed, smearing lipstick on his cheek as she backed away about an inch. “It’s so good to see you again!”

“Dana.” He pushed her away with unnecessary force and scrubbed at his face with the heel of his hand. “What did I do to deserve this?”

“Come on, Roddy,” she said on a purr. “You know you need the publicity as much as I do.”

That wasn’t exactly true, as Roddy was already on television at least once a week, the band’s San Francisco concert was airing on pay-per-view that month, and, at the moment, his face was on the cover of just about every trade publication that counted. Any more exposure for Roddy would have crossed the line into exploitation, so he knew Dana must be desperate for some media attention of her own.

He was unsurprised a moment later when Dana suddenly draped herself over him just long enough for a photographer to appear and snap a very cozy picture. He was sure it would appear in the tabloids within days, accompanied by a false story of their reconciliation.

Roddy managed to extricate himself from Dana rather quickly that day, but she kept appearing everywhere he went for the next week, and finally Roddy had had enough.

“Get that bitch away from me,” he muttered to Eddie when he saw her headed his way.

Eddie seemingly pulled a shapely blonde out of thin air and made the introductions before Dana could approach.

“Greta, meet Roddy O’Neill,” he said with a flourish to the startled blonde. “He’s been watching you all night and asked me to make the introductions.”

Greta recovered amazingly well and quickly attached herself to Roddy like Velcro. Roddy wasn’t thrilled with the situation, but he supposed it was better than being photographed with Dana again.

The next day, Roddy was on the cover of a tabloid smiling into Greta’s incredible blue eyes. The accompanying story cattily informed the world that Roddy had thrown over the luscious Dana McMillan for a Swedish college student and, in retaliation, Dana had taken up with Eddie. It didn’t help Roddy’s mood any that part of the story was true.

Roddy had really given it his best with Greta, but even the ethereally beautiful young woman couldn’t hold his attention. That was apparently still with his library clerk back in Minneapolis, so after a couple of hours of being photographed with Greta at the party, he extricated himself from her, as well.

Irritated with the world at large, Roddy took out all his frustration on the band. Eddie, as tired of everything as Roddy by then, finally made him lose his temper. One night in a bar, words came to blows, and in seconds they were rolling around on the floor, getting their photographs taken. Roddy and Eddie were laughing again by the time their bodyguards pulled them apart, and he supposed both of them had needed the release of throwing a few halfhearted punches at each other.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” he said to Eddie as they knocked a couple of friendly beers together.

“Yeah, our record stays at number one for another week!” Eddie roared on a laugh before he sucked down his entire beer and loudly ordered another round.

It was true, and Roddy found himself finally able to let go of some frustrations. Wasn’t it better to laugh and roll with it? This wasn’t the band’s first long, grueling tour, and they were always fraught with tensions and stress. Roddy wasn’t sure why he was so uptight this time around, but it felt good to let loose at last.

The tour finally wrapped up two weeks later, and the band was in high spirits. Roddy gave everybody a month off to relax and go their separate ways before rehearsals would begin for the next go-around. As expected, Eddie would return to his home in the Hollywood hills and the woman there who posed as his girlfriend. The rest of the band scattered in several directions.

“What’s in the cards for you, Rod?” Eddie asked over breakfast one morning as they sat in a diner sipping coffee.

“I think I’m going to head for Minnesota. I hear the weather is nice up there this time of year.” Roddy tried to sound casual, to no avail.

“You son of a bitch,” Eddie said on a laugh. “You’re going back to her. Even after I introduced you to Greta!”

“You can have Greta and her ilk,” Roddy grumbled. “I wanted to kill you for passing her off on me. There wasn’t nearly enough of a language barrier.”



Roddy didn’t want to examine his reasons for returning to Minneapolis too closely. Naturally, he was going back for Lee, but was it just because he desperately needed to see her again, or because he needed to assure himself she was no different than any of the other women he’d met in the two months since he had seen her? He supposed if he had the answer to that question, he wouldn’t be making the long drive from Los Angeles to Minneapolis, to the address where he had figured out she worked.

He could have flown, of course, but Roddy liked to drive, and he needed to clear his head. He couldn’t think of a better method of doing so than pushing his Maserati past 100 miles an hour every chance he got along the way.

Even when he was minding his own business, Roddy couldn’t avoid publicity, though. When he got a speeding ticket in Kansas, it made the evening entertainment news and a quick spot on MTV. Wryly, he noticed it helped his record stay at number one.

It seemed an eternity had passed since he had last beheld the Minneapolis skyline. Seeing it again, he realized he was finally only minutes away from the woman who had haunted his dreams for two months. It made him feel sixteen again, the way he felt after he played his first high school dance so long ago, and that brought a smile to his lips. He had the feeling this trip to Minneapolis would also have a major impact on his life, and his foot pressed harder on the accelerator in anticipation.

Chapter six

Lee’s heart leapt to her throat when she saw Roddy in the library, casually leaned against a magazine rack. The library didn’t get many visits from men wearing custom-made white leather pants that fit like a second skin. Lee also knew she would have recognized his rattlesnake boots anywhere. Roddy’s hair was caught under a bandanna tied over the top of his head, and when he smiled at her, she thought he looked good enough to eat.

One thought kept reverberating through her mind: he was there for her.

She had a few seconds to drink in the sight of him before he noticed her, and she felt a warm rush as she watched him flipping carelessly through an issue of
Rolling Stone.

“Hello,” she said a bit unsteadily on her approach. “May I help you?”

In response, Roddy set aside the magazine in seeming slow motion and then sauntered up to her, stopping just inches away. He frowned, and Lee wondered what was wrong until he wordlessly reached up behind her and set her hair free from the severe bun in which she’d had it confined.

“That’s better,” he said with a smile. “It’s a crime to hide such beautiful hair.”

Lee knew she should have been outraged at the gesture, but found herself smiling back instead.

He gave her a long, slow appraisal, taking in her prim white blouse and knee-length gray skirt. He finally said, “You look different.”

“You really had me going with the flowers. I never would have thought in a million years it was you. I can’t believe you even remembered me, and I didn’t even tell you my name.”

Roddy frowned slightly. “Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I? It really started to bug me that you were being so secretive about yourself. You were sleeping, so I just looked in the most obvious place. I didn’t snoop through anything else.”

Lee realized he was about to kiss her, in front of Mr. Eggers and everyone else in the library. She also knew she wouldn’t have stopped him if Mr. Eggers hadn’t suddenly stepped in. Belatedly, she realized he had been watching their entire exchange with avid distaste.

“Sir, is there anything I can assist you with this afternoon?” he asked stiffly, approaching from behind Lee’s objectionable visitor.

Roddy turned and gave him a smile. “I think I have everything I need right here.” He laid a proprietary hand on Lee’s shoulder. “I’d like to check her out for the weekend.”

“We’ll need your library card,” Mr. Eggers said automatically, before his mind fully processed Roddy’s request. When both Roddy and Lee looked amused, he puffed up angrily.

“I think I can handle the paperwork,” Lee said on a smile.

She tried to keep her amusement to herself, but obviously wasn’t doing a very good job of it, since Eggers stiffened up some more. She was afraid of what might happen next, as Roddy didn’t seem to care much about library rules and etiquette, and didn’t seem willing to back down from a challenge from her boss.

Eggers surprised her with a tight smile. “You’ve worked awfully hard this week, Lee,” he said. “Why don’t you go home a little early today so you can spend some time with your visitor.”

He appeared eager to get Roddy and his leather out of the library.

Lee still couldn’t quite believe Roddy had come back to Minneapolis just to see her. Their night together came rushing back, and it was obvious Roddy fondly remembered it, too. The chemistry between them was as strong as ever. He had a twinkle in his eye when he stared at her, and it was all she could do to remember where she was.

She forced herself to remember her manners and smile gratefully at Mr. Eggers. “Thank you. I’ll just go get my things and we’ll be off.”

“Take your time,” Roddy told her. “There’s no need to rush, and I’d like to see more of the library.”

Mr. Eggers did not look pleased by the announcement, and Lee chuckled to herself as she left them alone to rush back to Research and Cataloging.

Debbie seemed excited when Lee walked in.

“Lee, take a look outside!” she commanded from her post near the window. “There’s a Maserati out there.”

“I know. It’s Roddy’s.” Lee strove to keep her voice calm, but already felt it rising before Debbie turned to give her an incredulous stare. “He’s here.”

“Roddy O’Neill? He’s
here
?” Debbie knocked a stack of books onto the floor as she raced across the room to enfold Lee in a bear hug. “I knew he sent those flowers!”

Lee hugged her back for a second, but quickly pulled away. “Eggers is letting me go early, but I think he just wants to get Roddy out of the library. He’s wearing leather pants and a bandanna, and one of his tattoos is showing.”

“Oh my god!” Debbie laughed. “Eggers must be having a heart attack. What are you doing standing around back here talking to me? Go have some fun with your man!”



I can’t believe this is really happening to me,
Lee thought with glee as water streamed off her head and washed over her body.

While she took her customary after-work shower, Roddy O’Neill, the world-famous rock star, was sitting in her living room with her furniture, photos, and books. It was possible he had ventured into other parts of her apartment and probably even noticed what a mess her bedroom was. She supposed it didn’t matter what her apartment looked like. The important thing was that Roddy O’Neill was in it. She still couldn’t quite believe her luck.

Once again, her life seemed to have slipped the confines of reality. For the second time now, she wasn’t just Lee Miller, the dull library clerk who wore no-nonsense skirts and boring sweaters to work. With Roddy, she became a sexy, desirable woman capable of bringing the hero of millions back to her from thousands of miles away.

Lee didn’t want to examine the reasons why Roddy had driven all the way from California to see her. She didn’t want to worry about where things were going. For now, she was living in the present, and she would continue to do so for as long as Roddy O’Neill was there. It wasn’t likely they would have a future of any kind, so she needed to enjoy what she had in hand.

Annoyed that her thoughts had even gone down that road when she really should just be enjoying herself, Lee sternly shut off the shower and wiped water from her eyes. She flung back the shower curtain and reached blindly out to pluck her towel off the counter.

It wasn’t there.

Instead, Roddy was perched on the edge of the counter where the towel was supposed to be. Admiration for her wet, naked body gleamed in his eyes.

Lee’s first impulse was to shriek and jump back into the tub with the shower curtain to cover her. She tamped down on it, though, and forced herself to smile boldly at him instead. This was Roddy O’Neill, a man who freely admitted he did whatever he pleased. Apparently, she pleased him a lot at the moment, and she couldn’t find it in herself to complain.

“Nothing on TV?” she asked saucily as she stood there like having a rock star in her bathroom was an everyday thing.

“It’s more interesting in here,” he murmured as he handed her the towel.

She took it, careful not to appear too hasty, and applied it to her wet hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Roddy slipping out of his boots. She stilled and held the towel in front of her body.

“I can get you another towel if you want a shower,” she suggested helpfully.

“Don’t need one,” he said, kicking his boots aside and coming toward her in his socks, which were fast getting soaked with all the water Lee dripped onto the floor.

He removed the towel from her suddenly uncertain fingers and flung it over his shoulder. Then he picked her up and carried her down the hall to her bedroom.

“I took the liberty of finding out where all the important stuff is in this place,” he informed her while she caught her breath. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Once in her bedroom, he set her on the bed, then pushed her gently onto her back. He kissed her once before rolling them over so she was on top of him.

“Take my pants off,” he husked in her ear.

Operating on sheer instinct, Lee fumbled with the laces that closed his pants while his hands roamed softly over her body. Once Roddy’s pants were loosened, he rolled back over so Lee was beneath him again. He rose onto his knees to tug his pants down and yanked his shirt over his head, then tossed it over his shoulder with the same carelessness he had shown Lee’s towel. Then he paused to simply stare at her.

No words were necessary between them. There was only the hunger and need they had both denied for so many weeks. Frantic hands and ravenous mouths met heated skin as they gave and took. Their bodies seemed built solely for each other, like two parts of a whole that had been deprived of each other for far too long. They came together with a driving need that was almost violent.

Afterwards, Roddy cradled her gently in his arms while he took deep, ragged breaths. If Lee wasn’t mistaken, he seemed just as swept away by this thing between them as she was.

She lay there staring at the ceiling in the gathering darkness and bit her lip. It seemed unbelievable this had started as a simple, unfulfilled crush on a rock star. Her first night with Roddy had been surreal, a night excluded from time. Not once had she allowed herself the tiniest hope that he would come back for her. She certainly didn’t think a man like Roddy O’Neill needed to drive halfway across the country just for good sex. So why had he come all the way back? What did it mean for her future? Was there any way at all they could have a future?

She forced her voice to sound light and careless when their breathing slowed and she finally spoke. “How was the rest of the tour?”

“Sheer hell,” he grumbled into his pillow. “I’ve never seen so many publicity stunts. I suppose it’s good for record sales, though.”

“Like Dana McMillan?” Lee couldn’t resist bringing up the model. She at least needed to understand Roddy’s relationship with the other woman.

“Dana McMillan isn’t good for anything,” Roddy told her flatly. “Just to preserve my reputation, I’ll have you know I had the good sense to finish with her years ago. All those photos were faked.”

“I wondered why you’d come to see me if she was waiting for you. I mean, she’s so beautiful and famous.”

“Also shallow, empty-headed, and vain, and I’m sick of talking about her already.”

Roddy looked decidedly unhappy to be discussing an ex-lover while in another woman’s bed. He sat up and pushed the sheets away, then rose to his feet with a stretch. Lee admired his naked body while he hunted around on the floor for his clothes, but didn’t know what to say when Roddy left the room in search of her bathroom again.

She regretted bringing up Dana McMillan now. Lee realized she didn’t know Roddy well enough to grill him about other women in his life, and hoped he wasn’t upset with her.

He was smiling when he came back to her bedroom with his clothes on a few minutes later. He perched on the bed next to her and asked, “Are you hungry?”

Roddy gave her a lopsided smile. “I guess I need to work on my reputation a little. You seem to think the worst of me. First you thought I was going to kick you out of my hotel room, and now you think I want to leave already? I didn’t drive all the way here to spend a half hour in your bed, though it
was
worth it.” Roddy sobered for a moment. “Unless you want me to go?”

“No!” Lee exclaimed, feeling even worse now for making him think she didn’t want him there when he had driven all the way from Los Angeles just to see her. She wasn’t handling anything very well, and strove to fix it. “I just thought you got upset when I mentioned Dana, and…”