Rock Star: The Contest (Book 2 of a Bad Boy Romance) (3 page)

“I was asking Meghan.”

Luke smirked, raising his eyebrows at me.

“Spike,” I said, trying to get him to remember his manners. While he was a star at drawing in customers, he had a temper on him that could flare up at any minute. He was a bit of a wild card. Unpredictable was definitely his forte.

“I don’t think we’ve had a chance to meet. I’m Luke Claybourne.”

He extended a hand. Spike didn’t even acknowledge it.

“Let me guess, you are one of Chase’s band members? Or another hot shot from Nashville filling my girl’s head with more ludicrous dreams?”

My girl?

“Spike, I’m not…”

“Well?” he asked Luke.

“No, my friend, I’m not a hot shot. I’m from Kentucky. I’m like you. Just a nobody.”

Spike’s nostrils flared. He dropped the towel he had in his hand.

“Outside. Right now. Let’s go.”

“Spike, settle down.” Any opportunity to fight and he was on it faster than a speeding bullet. “He wasn’t implying you are a nobody. Were you?”

“No, actually I was. But in the nicest way possible.” He smirked again which didn’t help the situation.

“Probably best if we do this later,” I said to Luke. He nodded and slid his chair out while keeping a close eye on Spike who looked like he was about to get up in his face.

“See you tonight.”

“You got it.”

After he left there was an awkward moment of silence between us.

“You know you can’t just keep doing that, Spike. I’m in a contest. I have to work with these folks. If you have a problem with that, you are going to have to deal with it better or…”

“Or what? You going to fire me? You going to not speak to me? You already don’t speak to me.”

With that he turned on his heels, and headed for the entrance.

“I’m taking my break, Sophie,” he called out.

Sophie nodded, and cast a glance at me.

I
t was a disaster
. I had squeezed in by a hair today.

Anyone can sing, only a few can sing well. Those were the words from the judges that day. Five more were eliminated from the twenty-five. The job of the judges wasn’t just to decide who would or wouldn’t make it through to the next round. It was to make sure that everyone had what they needed. To make sure that musicians and writers were combined together.

Some of the contestants were staying at the hotel, others outside of town and the rest had made arrangements with local families. Lakeside had come alive. It was what I imagined city living was like. More people on the sidewalks, extra traffic clogging up the roads. Big banners stretched from one side of the town to the other highlighting the final event.

As we wrapped up the day of singing, Chase had a warning for all of the contestants.

“We have got word that some of you are messing around. Drinking and leaving behind litter in the area. What you do, affects us. This good town has opened up their arms to us, let’s not let them down. If we find out that you are causing trouble, you will be disqualified and booted out of the contest. This isn’t a joke. It’s serious and could lead to a career that few get to have.”

His eyes flicked to me and I wondered if he had got word of me and Luke hanging out. Over the past few days, I had been getting to know Luke more through time writing together. He was drawing out of me ways of approaching writing lyrics and coming up with new melodies that not even Chase was able to do. Every time I would get stressed and down on myself for writing something that was bad, he would encourage me and tell me to let it go. It didn’t matter as long as the song had a good tune, the lyrics could be weak in some areas.

I hadn’t allowed myself that freedom. I’d always been too overanalytical. Going over each line and making sure it rhymed or didn’t sound too clichéd.

* * *

T
hat evening
, arrangements had been made by the coordinators to hold a large party in the local woods. The town had approved it. It was meant to be a way for the viewers to get to know us on an individual level. Throughout the night they would pull each of us aside and interview us. Ask us what it was like to be in the contest. How we thought we were doing so far, and what areas did we think we could improve.

Though murmurs among the contestants said it was a way for Chase Bryan to blow off some steam. I had kind of fallen out of the loop regarding what he was up to. A few times he had come into the café, and asked about me, but I wasn’t around.

I was with Luke out at the lake. We had a routine, and for better or worse it actually seemed to work. We’d hang out by the beach, even though the wind was starting to get cold and leaves had fallen. It was nice. It wasn’t winter yet.

Just that perfect time of the year where it’s not too cold or warm. After that we would head over to the burger joint and share stories of when we were kids.

* * *

T
hat evening
out at Farlow’s Forest, I arrived dressed to stay warm. A large orange fire flickered in the darkness. Instead of meeting Luke at the party, we had spent the day together and then just went on afterward.

When I got out of the truck, I was laughing over another one of his crazy jokes as Chase spotted me. He was talking with one of the other judges. He frowned when I locked eyes with him. His eyes darted to Luke who was oblivious to it all, then back to me.

Cameras were there and lighting had been set up. It was all show business as usual, and I was starting to get used to it. It was strange to see how everything looked on TV, it was always so slick and professional. Yet when you saw it in person, it was just people with cameras, others barking orders and pretty much chaos. There was nothing Hollywood about it.

The night began with a whole bunch of us singing. They recorded it using the fire as a backdrop. They were trying to give the impression that we all were supportive of one another. It couldn’t have been further from the truth. There was more backbiting going on than anything. Every contestant wanted another to fail. The longer we were with each other, the more individuals’ characters started to grind on our nerves. It was just what happened when you threw a whole bunch of strangers together. Initially everyone acts like they get along. Then the outbursts, the resistance to doing what others say, the need for one person to be in control, hell, it was like kindergarten all over again.

“You want a drink, Meghan?” Luke asked heading over to a wooden table that had been set up with coolers and bottles of beers covered in ice cubes.

“Yeah, sure thing.”

As he disappeared into the crowd, music was blaring over the speakers. We had been told to stay close, and as the night went on, they would get to each of us. There was a list given out, with times of when you would be up, just in case you decided to vanish. They wanted to make sure that everyone had been recorded. It wasn’t going to be live. The plans was to pre-record each of us and then the next live show, they would mix in snippets from the night along with the show.

I had been leaning against a tree observing Leann acting like a complete slut. She had to be the center of attention. Her tits were nearly hanging out even though the weather wasn’t warm, she had on shorts that looked as if they were quickly being eaten by her butt cheeks. Teddy was playing a guitar and getting a few of the others to sing. Maisey was doing shots with some guy. And by the looks of it, she was beating him and anyone else who stepped up to challenge her.

“Drink?”

I turned to find Chase with two bottles of beer in his hands.

“Oh, it’s OK, Luke is getting me one.”

He nodded, looking over to the table where Luke appeared to have been cornered by Leann.

“Looks as if he’s a little busy. You sure you don’t want one?”

I cast a glance over my shoulder and then took it from him. As I did, he rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand before letting it go.

“How are you liking this kid? Luke.”

I swallowed a mouthful of beer. “Yeah. He’s a nice guy. Got a lot of talent. Funny too.”

He nodded affirmatively. “I notice you are struggling a bit.”

I cast my eyes down, before straightening up. “Yeah, my mind is a little preoccupied.”

“With what?” He leaned in a little closer.

His eyes peered deep into mine, and I could feel my stomach doing flips.

“You know. Just trying to stay on top of it all. It’s all moving very fast.”

“If you want to do this for a living, it’s going to get a lot faster than this. This isn’t anything. You wait until they have you back to back with interviews. You do a show, go to bed, wake up three hours later to appear at radio station and have to sing at five in the morning live on the air. Then they whisk you away for photo shoots, more interviews, more shows. It’s a train that doesn’t stop.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t.”

I frowned.

“OK, so I don’t.”

“Have you thought of pulling out?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean just leaving this behind, going back to just working at the café?”

“Why would you say that?”

“I just think it’s not too late. You know.”

“What do I risk by staying in the contest? I might win, I might not. Either way I still keep my business and can decide what I want to do.”

He groaned and put his leg up against the tree, while leaning back.

“Can you walk away from this town? From your friends?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be always on the road.”

“Meghan. In my time together with you, didn’t you hear me? They own you. You become the property of XYZ studios. Whatever that may be. Depending on the label who signs you. You will have obligations to meet.”

“What’s it to you anyway?”

His brow knit together.

“Thanks for the beer, but I’m going to get back to the party.”

With that I walked away. What was his problem? First he wanted to help me. Get me in the contest. And now he was talking about having me walk away from it? After all the crap I went through?

“I miss you,” he said as I walked away. I stopped and turned back.

“You in the contest. The whole reason I wanted you in it, the whole reason it’s here in this town is because I wanted to have a reason to be near you. Don’t you get that? Or are you too caught up with this Luke guy?”

“He’s my duet partner. If you had a problem with it, why did you assign me and him together?”

“I didn’t.”

“That’s not what I heard. I heard you specifically wanted me to be with him. Why?”

He looked away.

“Look, it was your idea. Well, Mia’s that we didn’t spend time together while this contest is on. Are you having second thoughts?”

“I just didn’t think it would be this hard. I see you every day singing, then I catch you laughing with him. I just want us to spend some time together.”

He ran a hand over his perfectly stubbled jaw. At that point Luke broke through the crowd carrying two bottles of beer.

“Oh, I see you’ve got one.”

His gaze drifted to Chase. “Chase. How are you?”

Chase cleared his throat. And like that, his personality shifted back to macho guy, and judge over us all.

“I’m good. That’s some good songs you’ve been putting out. Keep it up.”

“Thanks.”

And then he looked at me.

“Word of advice. Don’t go skinny-dipping with this one around.”

Luke smirked, though he also looked confused. Chase strode away.

“What was that all about?” he asked.

“Just wanted to check on how we were doing. If we needed any help.”

I didn’t want to go into what he had said. Inside I was feeling torn. I could tell the only reason he wanted me out of the contest was so he could see me without having to abide by some rules or give people the impression that he was showing favoritism. Truth was, he was probably the one that was being the hardest one me. The other judges had been encouraging; he had been almost insulting about my singing. I didn’t know whether he was doing it on purpose or if he had a change of heart.

As the night wore on and each of us was taken aside and interviewed, more and more people were getting drunk. Dancing had turned into a strip fest and several of the contestants had wandered off into the woods, causing them to send out a search party.

In the end, being familiar with the area, I took a couple of people with me and we went searching for the others. I knew this night wasn’t going to end well. They obviously had good intentions holding the party, but throw in alcohol and guys and girls who were starting to form close bonds and it was sure to be a recipe for disaster.

“Over here.”

We each had been given flashlights. As I shone mine at the forest floor I noticed how alive it was. Creatures of the night were out and they weren’t used to having this much company. I heard several animals in the bushes and had thoughts of a bear jumping out at us.

When we arrived, Teddy was crouched down by a girl that we had come to know as Izzy. She was a bit of nutcase that smoked and some said was taking drugs but no one knew for sure. She was passed out on the floor in a pool of her own vomit.

“Is she breathing?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a pulse but we need an ambulance. I think she’s taken something.”

Slowly the organizers got a hold on the situation. Ten minutes later, medics were on scene. They put her on a stretcher and slid it into the back of their ambulance and sped away.

Blue and red lights pulsed into the night as the police showed up and started questioning everyone. This was definitely not what they had planned. I was pretty sure if this leaked out, the media would have a field day with it.

“You OK?” Chase asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I didn’t know where you went.”

Luke was beside me, there was an awkward pause before Chase went over and spoke with the police.

“Quite a night.”

“You’re telling me. I don’t think they will be doing this again.”

“Stupid girl,” I heard Leann behind me. “Anyone could tell she was a crackhead. Didn’t you see the lines on her arms?”