Simon: Rockstar Romance (The ProVokaTiv Series Book 3) Read online

  Simon stood up and I suddenly didn’t see him in the screen. “Hello?” I called out.

  “I’m here,” his voice said. All I saw was a rather large room with a table, a bunch of chairs, and no artwork.

  “Where are you?”

  “Over by the window,” he said.

  Very matter-of-fact, I thought. “I meant the physical location,” I said, laughing at it.

  “Oh, the offices for my new recording label.”

  “Wow! Congratulations, that’s awesome. I didn’t know about it,” I said.

  “No one really does yet,” he said. “This is interesting, I’ll give you that, Jessie. What does it have to do with me, though?”

  I froze. This was it. The moment I asked for what I wanted. I breathed in.

  “Hello?” Simon shouted. I was about to respond when he showed back up in front of the camera.

  “So, I was wondering if you had any connections that might want to perform in The Cities for a concert. I don’t have all the details finalized yet, but I have a lead on a venue, exhibitors for science and herbs, that kind of thing.”

  “Wow, you’ve put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?”

  I broke out my puppy eyes, willing to use any antic I could think of that was somewhat respectable. “This is really important to me.”

  Simon looked at me and smiled. I could see a mini me framed in my computer screen in his eyes and it fascinated me for a second, reminding me of one of those trippy mosaics you see made up of loads of pictures. “It sounds like a really interesting project,” he said, in a voice that didn’t sound interested at all. “Do you have any specifics on paper?”

  “I do, fifty pages worth so far,” I said. I didn’t know whether to jump up and down or to cry. Maybe he was just asking for specifics as a way to shoot me down. Or as a way to end the call. I took a deep breath. Had to keep the cool, you know. “I can email those over to you if you like. It’s in a PDF and breaks down a lot of details, mostly the research and the humanitarian angle, but the fundraising is the last section of it.”

  “I see,” Simon said, his fingers tapping on the keyboard. Great. I was boring him.

  “Good,” I replied, not sure how to take that. My computer pinged with the sound of an incoming Skype message. Simon’s email address.

  “Oh! Is this where I should send the file?”

  “That’s right,” Simon said, his voice clipped.

  “Thank you so much, Simon. I really appreciate it. I’ll send you my email, too, just in case it goes to a junk filter.”

  “No guarantees,” he added.

  “No, of course not,” I said. In my heart I was screaming, “You have to do this!”

  “Great, well, I’ll look for that and get back to you in a few days,” Simon said.

  “I look forward to it. Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions if you want. Call, email, or whatever…” Shut up, I thought. You sound desperate. There was good reason for desperation, I guess, because I actually was quite desperate.

  “Will do, have a great one,” Simon said.

  We stared at each other for a bit of time. I didn’t want to disconnect first and eventually, his face faded away from my screen but I remembered it clearly in my mind. Good looking, serious. Too serious, maybe, to be the answer to my prayers.

  Chapter Four:

  This Could Work

  Sitting on my mahogany desk, printed out and right in front of me was the fifty page paper combined with proposal that Jessie had emailed over to me. I was thoroughly impressed and that wasn’t easy to do. She was more than just a beauty, she had brains, too.

  And her message that went along with it: you don’t have to read the entire thing. Then she listed out the sections she thought might be relevant to me. Somehow, I suspected she knew I’d read the entire thing. You didn’t have to know me well at all to realize that about me.

  I reviewed all my scribbles and comments, sprawling out certain pages in various areas of the desk. Most people thought it was archaic to print these things out and not just view them on a computer, but I liked the feeling of holding the papers in my hands and reviewing them. It just seemed more real that way, just like I enjoyed holding an actual book if I chose to read, compared to staring at it digitally.

  My phone rang and I glanced down. It was about time. “Dominic, hi. Thanks for calling back.”

  “What’s up, Simon?” he asked.

  “I think I came up with an idea for Blaze Line, just wanted to run a few logistics by you and have you get a feel for it. Do you have time to come over?”

  “I could schedule you in for Thursday a.m. Does that work?”

  “This has to move more quickly than that. How about today? As late as you need is fine.” That was my compromise.

  “I, uh, sure. I’ll make a few calls. Rearrange a few things. Meet at your place, 8?”

  “Excellent, thanks,” I said and hung up.

  I leaned back in my brown leather chair and stared up toward the ceiling, processing everything and trying to think of an affordable way to pull this all off. It was a huge challenge, but not insurmountable. The potential, though, was amazing. This would be me, a guy just starting in the full gamut of music, rise up to the same level of action that a Bono could pull off. The challenge made me salivate; I loved pushing my limits and pulling off the supposedly impossible.

  Then I thought of Jessie. She was so compassionate and sweet, if not a bit too-head-in-the-clouds with her desires to help others, or at least more than what I’d ever be naturally. I’ll admit, she had me so wrapped up in what she was saying that I’d been mesmerized.

  Watching her with that sexy hair tousled upon her head so casually and showing that she was a natural beauty, nothing processed or fake about her, made me more drawn in than I would have been otherwise. And those angel wings on that t-shirt, that’s all I could see, but they were so fitting. Thankfully, I was able to shove all those sentimental whimsy’s aside and stay focused on the business. I couldn’t let passion sway my actions or everyone would start pleading their case to me if given the chance. No thanks.

  My thoughts drifted off to Jessie and her loyal posse of friends. She, Brynn, and Trinity, were so tight. Genuine friends who relied on each other. Despite being so different, each one of them, they remained close and legit friends. That certainly wasn’t the case with me and Gauge and Hunter. We got along and were amazingly compatible artistically, but somehow, it never gelled on a more personal level.

  We’d undoubtedly be even better as a band if we did, but such wasn’t the case. I saw the future and believed that’s where my true legacy came in; Hunter did good things but never seemed to think about what may happen even a day out.

  And then Gauge, well, who the hell knew what he was thinking most of the time. His naturally quiet nature had lessened a bit since Brynn had been around, but not with anyone aside from her really. And that’s why Blaze Line is so important to me for the future, I thought.

  *****

  I took two bottles of Perrier from the refrigerator, one for me and another for Dominic, set them on the counter, and glanced around. I loved the perfection of my kitchen, the cherry cabinets, granite countertops, and stainless steel. It was neat, precise, and made a good impression, which made it quite ideal for me. I’d worked hard to get this life going and I planned on keeping it moving up, not stagnant or downward.

  When I got back to the living room, I sat down on the couch and looked over at Dominic. I’d given him a few minutes to start reviewing all my notes and the documents, eager for him to reach a quick assessment and hopefully a sound idea to go with it.

  “I have bigger ideas for this plan,” I said to Dominic and handed over the papers. “What do you think?”

  “You don’t pay me to be a yes guy,” he began. “But, I don’t know. This doesn’t seem all that different from the ideas you axed just a few days ago. It doesn’t really fit with your brand to me.”

  “I’ll agree, it’s of
f the path a bit, but no one’s done this type of thing out of the gate. I believe it would give me distinction. And with Jessie, being how she is, it will stand out, I’m sure of it.”

  Dominic pursed his lips together. “And this Jessie, it doesn’t look like she wants distinction, it looks like she wants to become the next Mother Teresa.”

  “Maybe, but she’s smart…reasonable. So, what do you think, is it doable?”

  “Sure, I suppose so, if it’s what you really want. You thinking next year? Spring maybe?”

  “More like a month, two at the most.” Dominic just about choked on his sip of water as I said that.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, dead serious. If you can help me organize everything and get crews there, I’ll try to take on a majority of the work. I know it’s big and it’ll require everyone’s best efforts, but I’ve got to do this.”

  “Why so quickly?”

  I had to answer this carefully. My reasons didn’t particularly jive with my overall approach to business, hell, to anything. “Jessie had a deadline for this. It involves her graduate degree.”

  “And that concerns you because…” Dominic was eyeing me up curiously.

  “Because she approached me with the idea and she had a timeline,” I said.

  “Who’s this Jessie Martineau and how do you know her?” Dominic pressed.

  “A friend…a friend with a good idea,” I replied. I’m pretty sure my answer indicated that there better not be a follow-up question.

  “Okay, so which of the artists that you’ve signed are you planning to ask to play? Any other bigger names?”

  “If you mean ProVokaTiv, I haven’t even mentioned it to the guys yet, but I feel confident that they’d be good with it.”

  “And we could have Brynn do a huge write-up about it with The Rift. Front cover,” Dominic said eagerly.

  “I’d imagine that would work,” I conceded.

  “Yeah, this could actually work,” Dominic said, drumming his fingers on the counter. I was happy to see his face starting to light up and show some enthusiasm. That brain under his brown curly mop top of his was kicking into gear. “You know what? This actually may be the ideal time. I know of a bunch of guys who are available for work and cheaply, too. The concert gig they were supposed to leave on for Salacious got cancelled due to the lead singer’s health problems. These guys had the time booked out and will likely be up for something, anything, to earn some money.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got some sound ideas generating. No promises until you clear it through me, though, all right?”

  “Of course,” he said quickly. “So, what’s next?”

  “I’m going to see if I can go to the Twin Cities this weekend. I want to go over it all, finesse the details with Jessie in person. She hasn’t gotten confirmation that I’m in yet. My plan is to take off Friday afternoon from here, get there early evening.” Perfect time for a dinner with her, I thought. The impression she’d left on me made her stand out amongst the many women that I encountered daily, especially in LA.

  “It’s a start,” Dominic said. His voice trailed off.

  “But?” I asked.

  “I just see a big clash between your two approaches, not certain that it would work.”

  “I’m a business man, I know negotiation and compromise. What else would I need to know?”

  “Well, okay then, a plan is in the works, I guess,” Dominic said, holding his hand out for a high five. It was an awkward moment for me. I just didn’t high five a lot, especially about ideas that hadn’t come to fruition. If we pulled this thing off and it did what it was supposed to do for Blaze Line—and for Jessie too, of course—it would be a high five worthy endeavor.

  Chapter Five:

  The Business Trip

  I wasn’t even sure how to process the way my heart raced and my stomach flipped over when Simon told me he wanted to come to the Twin Cities. I was excited because it was a step in the right direction for me to do something major and graduate with a bang—something no one else had done. That was my desire to go big.

  Of course, my advisor and professor also had me a bit jazzed up, still. They’d created a grudge in me that I wanted to see through to the end. But in my heart of hearts, I just wanted to do something meaningful and help. I loved a challenge and the occasional ‘in your face’ moment, but there was more. I was completely into spending some one on one time with a rock star who was completely hot. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too distracting, but then again, I wasn’t complaining—the thought made me smile.

  The three days I had to wait for Simon to arrive were really busy, thank God, with labs for school and endless papers, plus further finessing and researching. It was pretty surreal to go through that intense level of work, it was tenser than anything I’d done in all my accumulative years of school thus far. I wanted to make a serious impact on the world with my small part in the quest to eradicate Ebola. Was it a problem that would ever impact me personally in the US? Likely not, but when I saw the faces of those sad children, either sick themselves or orphans because they lost their parents, it made my heart bleed.

  Now that it was time to see the man who was intricate to my plan and I had so many questions. They would not calm down in my mind. I was driving myself nutty! What did Simon want to tell me? Where his ideas compatible with my objective?

  I showed up at the Loews Minneapolis Hotel, a place I could barely afford to look at, it was so upscale. One of the best in the Twin Cities because it was in the heart of the theater and music district, nearby some of the most amazing restaurants, too. The lobby was gorgeous and I soaked in the red granite pillars and gilded chandeliers draped from the high ceilings. Wow. The concierge and front desk eyes casually washed over me and they smiled politely and I smiled back.

  Yeah, actually I beamed back, shaking like I was a martini being made for James Bond, noticing that I was running on a nerves-and-energy cocktail of emotions. It was fall and a bit chilly out so I’d worn a pair of black leggings with some ankle boots, a pale blue angora sweater and my black trench. A woman of mystery, showing up to meet Simon Jefferson to talk about a project in the fanciest clothes I owned by far. Grad students gravitated toward comfortable clothes, especially when you were in a lab a lot. At least this grad student did.

  “Do you need help, ma’am?” the doorman asked by the elevator.

  I glanced down at my phone. “I’m headed up to room 6018.”

  He nodded and got into the elevator with me, pressing the ‘6’ button so it lit up. The elevator ascended quickly and within seconds, the door was opening and he was saying, “To the right.”

  “Thanks,” I said, walking out the elevator and down the hall to the door that had 6018 in large black numbers that were cut precisely, no serifs.

  I stood there, breathing in and holding my hand in the air, fisted up and ready to knock. “This is it,” I whispered.

  My knuckles gently wrapped on the door and a few seconds later, Simon opened it up and stood to the side. “Hey Jessie, come on in,” he said but I barely heard him, my ears were roaring with my bounding pulse. He looked so handsome, wearing some gray wool pants, black loafers, and a royal blue shirt that matched his eyes like it was a custom color.

  “Thanks, how was your trip?” I somehow managed to say. Not what I had planned at all. “Pretty good, I guess. I can’t stand flying,” he said.

  “That’s a bummer because I’m guessing you have to fly all the time,” I said.

  “Yes.” That was all he said in reply.

  Okay, I hope I don’t have to extract every word out of his sexy mouth tonight!

  The room was dripping with luxury and modern appeal. It was a large open plan suite, definitely the best of the best even for an upscale hotel. Everything was done in sleek black and white but with a few tasteful pops of maroon, practical but comfortable. Overly tidy, yet inviting. “Do you like your room?”

  “It’s great, thanks for the recommend
ation,” he said. “Have you stayed here before?”

  “Me? No,” I said, smiling. “But, I’m from this area so I really don’t need to stay in hotels. Truth be told, a place like this would be out of my price range, no matter what city it was in.”

  He glanced at me, assessing my blunt honesty, maybe? I couldn’t read him at that moment and it was unsettling.

  “Where’s good for dinner?” he asked.

  “I didn’t make any reservations because I wasn’t sure what type of food you might like. I am fairly easy.” My face flushed with heat and I hurried to add, “with food, that is.”

  Simon smirked. Oh God, he probably heard shit like that from girls all the time. I needed to show that I wasn’t just any girl. “I could go for a steak. That’s my kind of cuisine. Any recommendations?”

  I thought for a minute and suggested, “The Capital Grille would be good, great steak and, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try their Stoli Doli.”

  “What’s that?”

  “They’re kind of known for it. It’s a martini. With pineapple infused vodka.” Stop rambling, I thought.

  “I’m not much of a drinker, but if you want one,” he offered.

  I was horrified. Great! He thought I was just set to party. “Not much of a drinker, myself.” I doubted I sounded convincing because I did enjoy partying a bit. I just didn’t get a chance to do it often, anymore. Helped having the besties in different cities, too.

  Simon smiled at me like I’d just said something brilliant. It made my heart melt. “You look great, by the way, really stunning.”

  “Thanks,” I said, feeling the heat rise up my entire body and land on my cheeks, probably turning them into a red hot mess. After a completely awkward pause, that Simon didn’t even seem to register because he was grabbing his wallet, I added the thing I’d meant to say when he first opened the door, “And thanks for coming to meet with me and talk about this further. I’m really excited to go over it. It’s such an important mission to me.”