Transitions (A Thousand Words Book 1) (12 page)

“What changed your mind?” Dev asked.

Kenny visibly relaxed when he seemed to realize Dev wasn’t going to hassle him. “Parents like you. Against all odds, they read the bit about what you stand for and completely overlook the other side of the same page detailing what Jess stands for.  We’ve been declared a family-friendly band.”

A family-friendly band? With Jess as the face photographed at a new club with a new date every weekend? The voice everyone heard in interviews with his ‘you only live once’ attitude? Not to mention a wardrobe that should make sensible mothers cringe.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Dev shook his head.

Kenny glared at him.

“Not that I’m complaining!” he backtracked. “It’s just – Jess.”

“Yeah. Apparently you make up for him. He really isn’t that bad. As a band, he doesn’t make our image any worse than anyone else out there. When we toss you into the mix though, it tips things in our favor. Also, because you’re sensitive about so many things, we don’t have any explicit lyrics or content warnings. Jess can imply all he likes, but a lot of bands –”

“Yeah, I know. The explicit content warning label isn’t really a deterrent.”

“Not for teenagers, or most of them anyway. Apparently parents
are
paying attention. Or some of them anyway. When it comes to pre-teens, we just got a boost. They don’t have a lot of disposable income, so it’s their parents buying CDs and downloads for them for their birthdays, Christmas, or whatever.”

The dining room table was clean enough, Dev decided. He wasn’t getting anything done anyway, so he walked over to sit beside Kenny on the sofa.

“That’s great, but what does it really mean?” Dev asked.

“Time will tell. I talked to Alec about it. We may get more playtime at school dances where the PTA has a lot of control over what the DJ plays. Church functions too. A little in the way of sales and concert tickets, maybe. We think. The thing is, it puts some pressure on you to maintain that favor. Somehow I think you’ll be okay. You’re not putting on an act, they like you for you.”

No pressure indeed, Dev sighed and pulled his mind back to the present. Kenny was happy about the ad campaign, and the one person Dev could always count on wasn’t. At least now he knew why.

Dev shook the memory away, irritably. He stared at the song in his hand. Kenny wasn’t going to go for it. He’d say it was too ‘green.’ It’d probably spark another debate that A Thousand Words didn’t do political or environmental statements. Parental approval was on Dev’s side now and Kenny wanted to keep it that way, so maybe it was time for them to make environmental statements. Although political might be risky. It wasn’t worth it, Dev decided.

Glancing at the time, Dev was astonished to find he’d been waffling over the song for longer than he thought. He was supposed to pick up Lindsay and meet her friends. Dev already forgot their names, only that they sounded like cartoon characters. Pushing the music aside again, he vowed he’d look at again later. He didn’t have time, but Dev decided he needed to start having more of an opinion on the direction the band was going. It was his image on the line too.

Dev took an instant dislike to Olly and Ruby, but he made the best of it. Lindsay didn’t get along with some of his friends, and he wouldn’t dream of putting her through the headaches it caused him by letting her know he didn’t like hers. It worried him, but he let it go. Dev wouldn’t see them often anyway, and maybe Lindsay would get over whatever drew her to them.

He left Seattle and barely recovered from dealing with Olly and Ruby before he was in New York dealing with Erika Atlas. Kenny insisted Dev needed to do this project. It was a great opportunity for A Thousand Words to expand their fan base. Alec pointed out it would be good for Dev’s image too. Dev wasn’t sure about that, but couldn’t argue it either. He simply didn’t understand the process well enough.

Erika intimidated Dev and he kept remembering how upset Lindsay was about this project. For some reason, it upset her even more when Dev admitted his relief that Erika was cool with using A Thousand Words as the band for the duet. Lindsay immediately questioned Erika’s motives. Dev promised again that he would keep his interaction with her at a minimum, although he wasn’t sure how that would be possible.

Dev rode to the studio with Kenny and Bryan, alternately listening to Kenny’s pep talk and Bryan’s rational explanation that he and Erika were both big names in the industry. Bryan thought it was perfectly reasonable for them to pair up for a duet. It’s what artists did and it was all public relations and marketing, so Dev shouldn’t worry.

By the time they arrived, thanks to Bryan, Dev was much calmer. He’d met other musicians, they had their first album out – with three top-ten hits from it, they were popular. He could handle this.

Erika was waiting at the studio, and suddenly Dev wasn’t so sure he could handle this. Her long, dark hair sported blue stripes framing her face. Erika’s eyelashes were unnaturally long and thick. He knew it was mascara, Dev just wasn’t used to it being quite that effective. Her eyes stood out and her lips shimmered to get his attention.

He had to get through this. Just don’t look at her, Dev told himself. Lindsay was going to kill him.

Kenny handed him his guitar and Dev pushed his discomfort of working with Erika aside as he got down to business. They already learned to play the song and Jess took Dev aside to help him practice singing it. Overall, the studio appointment went almost like the ones before. Almost.

Dev tried his best to just keep his distance from Erika, but she proved impossible to avoid. As they were all stuck in a couple of small rooms together, that shouldn’t have surprised him. There wasn’t any reason for Erika to be in the studio chamber when Dev, Kenny, and Bryan laid down the musical tracks, so she sat in the sound booth and watched. Dev felt her eyes on him, but at least there was a glass wall between them.

○ ○ ○

Jess was late for Dev’s studio appointment with Erika, and Kenny and Bryan were going to have his head if he didn’t get there soon. It took him too long to think of a better cover story than just showing up to be supportive. That was too obvious. Bryan could get away with standing in a corner as a show of quiet support, but Dev wouldn’t buy that from Jess. The kid would immediately look for an ulterior motive, and rightly so. Their relationship was different. Once he thought of the balloons, he had to go buy some, sign autographs, buy a bucket, sign more autographs, and talk some fans into helping him fill up the balloons in the hardware store’s tiny bathroom. That last part wasn’t really that hard.

Tipping the taxi driver to set a speed record to get him the nearly twenty blocks he needed to go earned Jess a look of disapproval. Clearly the man wasn’t a fan. The driver also questioned Jess thoroughly about the contents of the bucket, verifying several times that there was only water in the balloons and it was merely a childish prank. Jess left the taxi gratefully and dashed inside.

Dev, Kenny, and Bryan were still doing their bit laying down the tracks.

“You look relieved,” Erika said.

Jess looked at her in surprise, then again when he saw what she was wearing. It was autumn and most women were pulling out their clingy cashmere sweaters. Jess already missed ‘look at me’ season, but he enjoyed ‘soft and fuzzy’ season as well. Except Erika missed the memo. She was wearing a thin silk blouse that barely covered her thin silk camisole, which didn’t fully cover her lace bra. None of it did much to hide the fact that it was air conditioned in the sound booth and she was clearly chilly. It was a nice look for her.

He pushed the view aside for a moment, it wasn’t going anywhere. Jess took a seat where he could watch his friends on the other side of the glass, but not be in the way of the sound tech in the hoodie doing his blushing best to ignore Erika’s nipples. If the tech sat back, Jess would act as a barrier and give the poor guy a break. Not surprisingly, the tech didn’t sit back.

“I’m just glad I wasn’t late,” Jess answered her.

One of Erika’s eyebrows twitched in amusement. “You are late. And yet you’re right, you’re not. You’re not even supposed to be here.”

“I’m the cheerleader.”

“Dev needs a cheerleader?”

Jess shrugged. “Need is such a strong word. And how do you know I wasn’t referring to Kenny? He’s not used to being on his own. Bryan has Brenda, Dev’s away at college, Kenny gets lonely. He likes to see familiar faces.”

Erika smiled and pointed to the glass separating them from the band. “There are two other familiar faces in there right now.”

“Forgot about them. Guess I didn’t need to bother.” Jess grinned. “Oh well. I’m here now. Might as well stay.”

“Jess?” Dev called from the studio floor. Jess and Erika both turned to look at him. “No offense, but why are you here?”

Jess shrugged. “I found all these water balloons and didn’t know what to do with them.” Jess held up the bucket. When he put it down again, Erika looked alarmed. Dev too, which gave Jess a better idea for an excuse for being there. An excuse for Dev anyway. Until that moment, Jess couldn’t care less what he told Erika. Maybe he should make the kid think he was there to pick up Erika. That should calm him down about associating with her too. Especially considering how she was dressed. Erika didn’t dress like that for Jess, she didn’t know he was coming. She was clearly after Dev.

“In the studio? Even you aren’t that idiotic,” Dev said, shaking his head.

“True, although it’s nice to hear your opinion of me is soaring.” Jess grinned and leaned over to Erika. “Of course he has to leave the studio at some point. Want to bet on how long it takes him to figure that out?”

Erika shook her head and laughed softly.

Jess turned back to Dev. “When we’re at the studio, I only get to hear you sing back-up. How could I miss the opportunity to hear you fly solo?”

“You’re
that
bored?” Dev asked.

No, Jess thought, but I’ll be a pal and help you out. He’d get to know Erika and see if she was possibly better for the kid than Lindsay. Not that it would be a hard sell.

“I’m being supportive,” Jess answered, keeping his true motives private.

Dev looked at him a moment as if trying to read his mind. Jess wasn’t the least bit concerned. Genius or not, Dev was never good at figuring out how Jess thought while Jess could usually lead the kid to the wrong conclusion with little effort. Jess gave Dev an over-the-top grin and Dev nodded as if on cue.

“Then by all means, Jess, hang around,” Dev said.

Jess nodded and turned his attention back to Erika because he knew that was what Dev expected – hoped – to see. Dev played the guitar and Jess played Dev. Sometimes it was too easy. Sometimes. Occasionally. Except where Lindsay was involved.

He really should have recognized the writing on the wall and played that hand differently. It was too late now and a hard lesson learned for the future. Once he got rid of the blond bitch, he’d keep a closer eye on the women that came within striking range of their dear, tender-hearted little bassist. But first he had to get rid of Lindsay.

“Here to be supportive? Anything to do with his extreme shyness and the fact that I’m an unknown?” Erika asked.

“Something along those lines,” Jess agreed. “Although I wouldn’t pitch it like that to him.”

“Male ego?”

Jess considered that. Dev might be a pain in the ass, but he wasn’t delusional. Not about women. Dev wasn’t comfortable around Erika, and he knew his friends knew it.  They also didn’t discuss it. Was that to preserve Dev’s ego? In Jess’s opinion, it was closer to self-preservation. When they forced Dev out of his comfort zone, bad things happened. Jess knew it better than anyone because he baited the tiger on stage regularly. But Jess was experienced in playing with fire and Dev was always expecting it and prepared. And everyone had fire extinguishers. God he was good. Kenny would love that metaphor. This situation was different, but Jess didn’t know how to explain that to Erika, or if he even should.

“Ah – I’m not sure how to answer that. I’ll take the easy way out and say sure, but it’s not entirely accurate.”

“I’m curious now.”

“Go find a cat and ask it how that worked out.”

Erika laughed and watched as Bryan left his drums and Kenny and Dev set aside their guitars. “If you’re going to threaten him with those balloons, you’re running out of time,” she prompted.

Jess nodded. They’d be set up to start laying down the vocals in a few minutes. Perhaps they’d take a break first, but it wouldn’t be long. “The balloons are a pretense. Although I should warn you the cabbie was concerned I might be a terrorist.”

Erika gave him a look he couldn’t read.

“I’m serious. He grilled me the entire way here. Don’t be surprised if the NSA or some other acronym shows up in the next few minutes to cart me away,” Jess assured her.

“I take it he hasn’t seen your shows.”

“I promise I tried to explain, but the thought of one grown man throwing water balloons at another for the entertainment of thousands of young adults was beyond his grasp. To tell him people
paid
to see such things probably would have made him turn the cab around and haul me to the loony bin, so I didn’t bother.”

“And to think, he’s probably going to go home to his wife and teenage children tonight and relate this tall tale, and his kids will bring up your website . . .”

Jess laughed. “I hope so, I really do. The staff at the hardware store got autographs and helped me fill the balloons. They took pictures too. There’s
proof
theses little dramas go beyond the stage.”

Erika smiled. “Tell me something that happened that isn’t on your website.”

Jess grinned and his eyes traveled over her shoulder, meeting Bryan’s eyes as he came in the door. The others would follow.

“Kenny will kill you,” Bryan cautioned.

“Depends.” Jess shrugged.

Erika looked back and forth between Jess and Bryan.

“Fine, forget Kenny. You’re taking your chances with Dev.” Bryan passed by and sat down across from them on a long sofa.

“Chances with Dev?” Kenny said, walking in. He gave Jess a curious look, one eyebrow twitched upward, but he didn’t seem concerned. Actually, his curiosity seemed more for Jess’s proximity to Erika than over anything he might say.

“Don’t worry about it,” Bryan waved him off. “Handled.”

“That concerns me more,” Kenny said and gave Jess a second look.

“What’s a concern?” Dev walked in last, almost running into Kenny as he loitered.

“Nothing,” Kenny and Bryan answered in unison.

Dev immediately turned his attention to Jess.

“You heard them,” Jess answered. He fished beside him in the bucket for a water balloon and held one up. “Want a traditional greeting?”

“You usually save those for my homecomings,” Dev answered.

“Hey! You can’t throw that in here!”

“No water balloon fights around the equipment!” the studio’s engineers protested.

Jess looked at them in amusement. “Really? They let us in Seattle. Are you
sure
?”

“Don’t tease the techs,” Kenny said with a sigh and took the water balloon away from him. He returned it to the bucket, then took the bucket away as well.

“You better not give that to the brat,” Jess warned him.

Kenny made a show of passing it to Bryan for safe keeping. “Happy?”

Jess shrugged. “I want it back
before
Dev leaves.”

“What?” Dev looked at Bryan, Jess, then Kenny in alarm.

“Relax. I’ll give you a head start,” Kenny told him.

Jess caught Kenny’s eye briefly as he turned to join Bryan on the sofa. The single glance the passed between the two long-time friends said everything. Kenny understood Jess’s modified plan involving Erika, and Jess understood Kenny’s impromptu water balloon fight later. Water balloons were within Dev’s comfort zone, and anything they could do to keep Dev partially distracted was probably a good thing.

○ ○ ○

Erika wasn’t thrilled with how the studio session went. The single was going to be great, she didn’t have any complaints there. Kenny was incredibly talented when they worked together to mix it. Mark tried to warn her. They all knew their stuff, as she was aware going in. Their image just made them seem like novices.