Chapter Five
It was hard to watch, but he did anyway. For some reason, he couldn't help thinking that he was losing his hold on Brooklyn, especially ever since she had come out to New York to visit him, which ultimately turned into ALL of them. All of his past insecurities of before, thinking that Brooklyn just wanted to break off their relationship, or forget it, came rushing back to him as he watched her bend down and place a kiss on Chris.
Chris of all people. She rarely did that with him, and here, after meeting his friends the day before, she was acting like they had known each other for years. He forced a smile on his face when he saw her rounding out of the restaurant, her hair bouncing with her. "Morning," she said, with a bright smile. "Chris is in there, if you were looking for him," she added, stopping long enough to put her hand on his arm and reach up to kiss his cheek as well.
As if that was going to make everything better.
She turned away and headed for the elevator. "Uh...where are you going, New York?" he asked. He watched her spin, a smile still on her face.
"I have to go and make some calls to Mia about my appearance. Why don't you come up and find me after you're done with breakfast? Maybe I can convince your gorillas to let us go out," she said with a cheery laugh before the doors opened. She walked inside and turned to wave at him before they shut.
The exchange made something in him calm down. The way that she was acting...it was so normal for her. Like nothing had ever or would ever change. Maybe there was a little hope there, he thought as he walked in and spotted Chris. He made his way over to him and sat down in Brooklyn's old chair, looking at the older man. "You and New York enjoy yourselves this morning?"
Chris moved his shoulders in a shrug. "It was nice talking to her. She's a sweet girl, even if she did foil my attempt this morning." When JC raised his eyebrows in question, he began to laugh. "I know where you got that move from," he taunted before explaining. "I tried the old hand in a bowl of warm water trick, but she caught me before I could get it even started. She literally picked up the bowl and threw the water at me before opening her eyes. She was awake the whole time."
He nodded his head before thanking the waiter for the new place setting and the fresh cup of coffee. "Yeah, it's hard to get her, but when you do, it's a big deal. She's already gotten me once by yelling fire when I was trying to sleep. If she hadn't leaned against the door, she probably wouldn't have been standing, she was laughing so hard. Maybe it was funny for her, but not for me."
"She looks like the type of person that would do something like that. So, I was going to ask you. What's the story between you and Brooke? She's cute, you know," Chris said, making his eyebrows jump before he kicked JC lightly under the table.
It may just have been good acting, but Chris thought that it had something to do with the years of interviews and hiding news items from the press that perfected the innocent look on his friend's face. He could see right through it, and had a feeling that he was going to have the same conversation with him that he had with Brooklyn. It seemed like this day was going to have a theme, and it was all about self denial. "What do you mean?"
His eyes rolled before he took a sip of fresh coffee. "Uh huh, just answer my question. Is she cute?"
"I'd go for more beautiful than cute, but yes."
"Good. Is she nice?"
"Of course."
"Sweet?"
"Very."
"Caring?"
"Incredibly."
"Funny?"
"More so than you."
"I'm hurt. Intelligent?"
"Uh huh."
"Witty?"
JC sighed. "Where is this going, Chris? It's a little early in the morning for me to be playing word association or anything remotely close to it. I came down to get some breakfast, enjoy a cup of coffee, and hopefully ignore the fact that I got up far too early this morning, all right?"
From the other end of the table, Chris grinned brightly. His hand shot out and took a sugar packet from the center of the table before he began to play with it. The sound of the paper wrapping crinkling was annoying JC beyond belief. "I think we've decided that she's witty. I only have one more question for you, and it needs more than a one word answer. So, here we go." Raising a finger, he looked at his friend in warning. "Sing and die. What I want to know is, if you think so highly about Brooke, why haven't you asked her out yet? According to you, she's beautiful, nice, sweet, caring, funny, intelligent, witty...that was all of them, wasn't it?"
"I believe so."
"I actually managed to keep track of that? Oh, no way. My memory's better than I thought. Anyway, you have Brooke up on a pedestal, and it's obvious that you have some sort of feelings towards her, and there's all stronger than friendship. We've known for a few months, Jace. You can't hide anything from someone that you travel with and share the same breathing space with for months in hotels and on buses. I know you better than you know yourself-" He broke off when Joey dropped himself in the chair between them, the waiter immediately pouring a cup of coffee. He was about to be a very busy person, since there were only two more members of the group to come in, and they were sure to come in soon. It was almost like clockwork, every morning. "I was saying, I know you better than you know yourself, and I know what you've been thinking and feeling. Again, my question is, why haven't you yet?"
Joey raised his head from fixing his coffee. "Who are we talking about and where's Brooke?"
Smiling, Chris turned to look at him. "Brooke had to go and make some phone calls about this Thursday and that's just who we're talking about. Joe, tell me something, honestly. What do you think of Brooke?"
He started to laugh. "Are you kidding? I didn't think she was real until I talked to her that one day. She's cool, though. Definitely cute."
"Our boy here would prefer to use the word beautiful to describe the fair Brooklyn Turner."
"Stunning, actually," Lance said as he joined the conversation. "Thank you," he said to the waiter, who was beginning to get a harried look on his face. They couldn't wait until he met Justin this early. "And why are we talking about Brooke?"
JC sighed before dropping his head. This was going to be one of the longest conversations he was going to have in months, he knew it. None of them could ever let anything drop, and poor Brooklyn had been pulled into the center of it. He felt incredibly sorry for her at the moment, and wanted to go up to her room to apologize, even if she had no idea why. Then again, just the thought of seeing her again would be nice, he realized. "We're not exactly talking about Brooke. We're actually talking about what JC thinks and feels about her, and why they haven't done the nasty yet. Was that the wrong choice of words?"
Joey nodded. "Probably. You should see his face right now. I think he's going to explode."
"Nah, that's a jealous look if I ever saw one. See how he's flushing? That's a giveaway for JC. That is a good question, though. Why haven't you and Brooke hooked up yet? She's perfect for you, man. And if you don't want her, I'll take her," Lance added with a small shrug of his shoulders.
The other two started to snicker behind their hands. "You'd have to get through me first," Chris said, raising his hand.
"Nu uh. She promised me that she would show me her leather pants. I cannot wait to see her in those. Damn, I've been dreaming about that for the longest time. Really, just think, Brooklyn in leather pants."
An evil smile appeared on Lance's face. "Oh yeah, I've seen her in those before, and she looked awesome. Gyrating hips and all on stage, too. That concert was probably the best night of my life. I had front row, center, seats. And she turned her back to the audience, too."
Two mouths dropped open. "Guys, you're starting to sound like sixty year old men that are waiting for their prescription of Viagra so that they can enjoy watching the new Britney Spears video. You're disgusting, and I don't really appreciate anyone talking about New York like that."
All heads turned towards the entrance after JC spoke, and he counted off quietly, his eyes going to his watch. "Three, two, one," he finally voiced. As soon as he got to one, Justin walked in. A baseball cap was pulled over his head, curls spilling out of the back of it. He looked like one of the Living Dead. It wasn't a pretty picture, and it would probably caused females around the world to scream in fright if it was ever photographer. "I knew he was going to come in," he said plainly as Justin took his seat, closing his eyes and resting his head on his hand, his elbow on the edge of the table.
"Sir, would you like some coffee?"
Justin opened his bleary eyes long enough to look up at the waiter. "Do you have it in an IV drip?"
The waiter shook his head with a confused look. "No, but we do have..." As he started to name off different blends, Justin raised his hand impatiently.
"I'm sorry, but I just woke up. Whatever they're all drinking will be fine, but see if you can find it a day old or something. Tastes like crap, but wakes you up. You might as well just take out an old filter from a machine, run water through it and squeeze the liquid into a mug. That'll be fine."
As he walked away, Justin yawned, having the decency to cover his mouth. "I wouldn't be surprised if he spit in your coffee, J," Joey commented, reaching for one of the piled up menus on the table.
"Won't be the first time that it's happened, and I'm sure it won't be the last."
All of them shook their heads before Chris picked up the conversation from where it had left off. "That's another thing I was going to mention. What's with the private nickname for her?"
JC shrugged, paying attention to his coffee. "I don't know. She doesn't like to be called Brooklyn, and Brooke gets a little old. I was surprised that no one thought of it earlier. It's just a name, Chris," he said when he finally looked up.
It was then that they all, other than Justin who was trying to get a few more minutes sleep at the table, noticed the look in their friend's eyes. It was almost like looking at Brooklyn, with a color change. Instead of green eyes filled with confusion and hesitancy, they saw blue eyes filled with confusion and hesitancy. There were the same slight dark areas under their eyes, and the same nervous chuckle that they gave off whenever someone looked at them for too long. They were absolutely perfect for each other.
"If you say so," he murmured as the waiter brought another cup of coffee to the table. Justin mumbled something that could be thought of as a thank you if you listened hard enough, before he sighed, opening his eyes to look at his friend. "Okay, I'm going to be more blunt than them. You like her. That much is obvious, and she probably likes you, but you're both too stupid or blind to see it. So, jump her and get it over with. End of story, case closed. Can we please order breakfast now? I'm starving."
The group making their way down the hall jumped when Brooklyn's door hit the wall inside with a bang. She giggled, coming out of her room, before she saw them. It was almost like she was a blur as she grabbed Lance by the wrist and pulled him into the room. "You have to hear this song," she said, her voice fading as they disappeared further in. They could hear the television playing softly in the room before they all walked in, looking at the two of them curiously.
A music video played across the screen, before Brooklyn sighed. "Have you ever heard this song?" When Lance shook his head, she smacked him. "Hello? Watch more CMT, would you? It's fantastic. It's 'What He Used To Do' by Tara Lyn Hart. Now this is a beautiful song."
Once the song ended, she turned to look around the room, and gave a startled shout when she saw everyone there. "Wow, didn't expect that one? The Enquirer could have a field day with this one," she said with a laugh, her hand over her heart. "I have evil thoughts running through my mind right now, and I don't know why. Maybe because I'm in a hotel room with five incredibly sexy and talented guys. Forget The Enquirer. MIA would have a field day with this one."
"I'm sure. She tried to have a field day with me," Lance muttered, turning around from the television. A commercial for toilet paper was on the screen. "So, what are we doing today?"
"Yeah, I was just going to ask that. What are we doing today? Hopefully something fun and outside, since it's turning out to be a pretty good day. Come on, guys, please?" she begged, looking at all of them. Her eyes swept back and forth, taking in their expressions. "There should be something that we can do out there today. I don't cane what, but you all could use some fresh air. I'm sure it won't kill you." A sweet smile spread on her face. "You cannot tell me that you don't want to go out there."
The phone rang, interrupting her questions, and she lunged across the bed to pick it up. "Hello?" she asked. No one had this number other than Mia and Joe, and she had already talked to them. Austin wasn't due back for quite awhile yet, so it couldn't have been him. Besides, he wouldn't have called all the way from France while she was on vacation. "Mia? I just talked to you. What's up?"
A short laugh came from the other end. "Oh, nothing much. Do you get UPN there?" Brooklyn picked up the switcher and changed the channel so that it was on the guide. "Brooke?"
"Give it a sec. I need to go through the channels. Yeah, I get UPN is there something that I should be watching?"
"It's a show called...Uncovered," Mia said slowly, not wanting to give away the true name of the show. It could turn Brooklyn off immediately. "You might want to turn it on. They're talking about you, and it's not too pretty."
Brooklyn hung up the phone without another word and changed the channel, moving to the end of the bed. Instead of a scrolling channel guide, it was a dirty blond haired man staring at her, a smug smile on his face. Her eyes squinted, and she looked down at the name at the bottom of the screen. Jack Maxwell. She had never heard it before.
Her head shook as everyone gathered around, watching the television. Her mouth dropped open suddenly. "Since when does The National Enquirer have a television show? Is Star next or something?" she complained, rolling her eyes. She was almost afraid of what was going to be said here.
The host started to talk. "Brooklyn Turner is many things. Beautiful, talented...and taken? We actually have two, different stories on Brooklyn today, but for the first, believe at your own risk."
Again, her mouth dropped open before she began to giggle. "I was in rehab? When did...oh! What I told the flight attendant. I didn't think she even heard me," she said, covering her mouth before her forehead was pressed against the comforter. She started to laugh harder, but it didn't last long.
The second story started, and both her and JC paid careful attention to the screen. A clip of JC walking out on to the Oprah stage, comforting her during the commercial break. The cameras weren't even supposed to be on when he came out, or when Mia did. Anger started to rise in her, making her cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle brighter. She never thought that this would come back to haunt her. It was a sweet, almost tender moment for her. JC had blown his cover, let everyone know that he was there with her, just so that he could comfort her, and this happened. For once, they had actual proof about one of their stories, and that's what hurt her the most.
It didn't take long for the phone to ring again, and no one spoke when she picked up the handset. "Hey, Mia," she said tiredly, rubbing her forehead. "Yeah, this isn't turning out too great. The first story...I made a comment to the flight attendant in Nashville before I boarded the plane. I guess I was talking to myself, so I told her something about not being let out a lot, and when I am, I'm under heavy medication. Just a passing remark, you know?"
Mia sighed on the other end. "Well, we can cover that one as best as possible. It was a joke, right? You were never really in rehab, and if they have some sort of proof that they want to show us, we can shoot it down. I don't think that you've even been near one of those places before."
Her voice lowered. "I was once, but it was a long time ago. I was...fifteen, I think. Austin and I went to go and talk to someone about Dad and his problem. I doubt that anyone has photos from that far back, and even if they did, we'll just tell the truth. That story is nothing. What I'm wondering about is the second one."
"I would call you back to Nashville if I could, but you have that interview in two days, so I don't want you to leave the city. Brooke, I should have known that something like this was going to happen, and I should have stopped it before it did happen, but I didn't. This is mainly my fault. Unfortunately, the blame rests on your shoulders for this. I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "You didn't do anything wrong. No one did."
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that. I think I want to get that camera man's name so that I can head down to Chicago and kick a little ass, but that's not going to be happening. The last thing you need is to have your publicist in jail. That would make a nice little story." Mia sighed long and low. "Okay, here's what we'll do. I do not, at any time, want you to be alone with JC. That includes with bodyguards, Brooke. If you two are going to go anywhere, take someone along with you BESIDES security. Do you understand that?"
"Isn't that a little harsh, Mia?"
"Not until I talk to their publicist and see what he says about this. I've got a fight on my hands, I just know it. Like I said, you and JC are not to be alone at all. I don't want to hear about him in your room, I don't want to hear abut you in his room. When you're eating, be sure to put yourself on the other side of the table, at least two seats away. Can you do that?"
Brooklyn was confused. Mia normally confused her, but this was more than she was used to. She had never been under such strict security and rules before. "I guess I can. I don't understand why."
A groan sounded from the phone. "Because, if the two of you are seen together, sitting beside each other, photographers are bound to pop up somewhere. If you're both reaching for something, and your hands touch, or your arms touch, they'll be in an uproar. You know that. Whatever you do, do not sit beside the same person, or between the same two people all the time. Mix it up a little, so that it doesn't look obvious, but you are not to be near JC. If you're going out, I want you to wear a disguise. Just a hat and sunglasses will do, and for God's sake, find someway to cover your hair completely. It's one of your trademarks, and anyone can pick you out that way." One hand ran protectively over her hair. "Am I beginning to sound like a tyrant?"
"Not at all. Keep going. I'm sure there's more." She shot a quick smile towards the guys and shook her head, telling them not to talk. That was the last thing that she needed at the moment. It would just be another reason for Mia to freak out and give her more rules.
"What else? Okay, no public touching AT ALL. No hand holding, no arms around shoulders, try not to walk together, if possible. That's a big one. Don't be seen wearing any of his clothes. I know how much you like to borrow shirts and things off of friends, but that is a definite no this time. If you're asked about him or anything by a reporter, just tell them that under the order of your publicist, you are not at the liberty-"
Brooklyn broke her off quickly. "I am not at the liberty to make a comment, and if you would like one, please contact Mia Coltrain. Yeah, I've handled that before. Is that it?"
"I wish. Do you have security with you?"
"At the moment, yes, on loan. It's because of a different incident. I'll fill you in when I get back."
Mia sighed impatiently. "Brooklyn, stop keeping secrets from me. I realize that I work for you, but this is getting a little ridiculous. I'll trust you, to this point. You might want to consider cutting your vacation out there short and coming back early. Maybe Thursday afternoon, after the taping. That might be best."
Her head shook stubbornly, even if she couldn't see it. "No way. That's best for you, but not for me. Come on, I've been holed up for how long now in the studio?"
"As much as you would like to use the 'I am a full grown woman, and I can make my own choices and decision in life' discussion, but it won't apply this time, because you kind of screwed up with the flight attendant. I know, you're not really at fault. It's something that you would say to someone in town, but that's the problem. That wasn't Belleview, and it wasn't someone that you knew. You made a comment that could be taken quite a few ways. I'm not ragging on you like I should, only because I know that these past months have been hard, and you haven't been in 'superstar' mode. You haven't had to watch every single step you take. You were free. You were a normal person. That time is over, Brooke, and you have to get back to being famous. If you don't, something like this could happen again, and I can't be on damage control all the time. Sorry."
"New York, it's not like it's black tie down there. Besides, you can't wear your ACMA dress everywhere," JC teased her from the main part of her room.
"Yeah, but remember, Brooke, leather pants go with everything," Joey added, grinning at his friend as he relaxed on the bed. "Who the hell talked me into a suit, anyway," he asked himself, pulling at the tie around his neck. The group had been informed, by security, that for dinner, the dining room was dressy, though not incredibly. They merely asked their male guests to wear a suit and tie. Nothing was said about the women. "Probably some sort of sexual harassment prevention or something," he mumbled, shaking his head when Lance looked over at him.
The bathroom door finally opened and Brooklyn stepped out. "I told you guys that you might as well have waiting downstairs for me. I was going to take a little while. What's with the look? Am I that breathtaking tonight or something?" Leaning forward to JC, she laughed at his astounded look. "I know CPR, you know."
Pulling away, she looked around before rolling her eyes. "Joey, could you sit up...stand up, please?" she asked, correcting herself. When he did, she reached out and tightened his tie again so that it looked proper. "Are we ready yet, or do we have to wait for Beavis and Butthead to finish fighting over the mirror?" She turned towards the door when Chris and Justin burst in. "Nope, never mind. They managed to find the place without directions. You deserve a cookie," she cooed, pretending to reach out to ruffle Justin's curls.
"Hands off, sweetie. Do you know how long it took me to get them like this? One of these days, I'm just going to shave it all off. Wow, you're looking fine tonight, Brooke. Ever thought of going for a younger guy?" he asked, readjusting the collar of his dress shirt.
She smiled and smoothed down the skirt of her floor length black dress. It was nothing special, just a plain black cotton dress with spaghetti straps, but she managed to look great in whatever she wore, as JC always told her. It hugged her in all the right placed, and flared out towards the bottom to cover her feet, which were covered by her cowboy boots again. Surprisingly, they complimented the outfit rather than work against it. Her bangs were pulled off her face by two pins and hidden under her hair, giving her more of a youthful appearance. "Thanks for the offer, Justin, but at this point, I think I'll pass. Don't be surprised if I take you up on that one day though," she said with a wink, picking up a small black bag. "Can we go now? Brooklyn's starving again."
JC was going to offer his arm, as he always did for her, but Joey jumped up before he could and came beside her. "Only if I get to escort you in." JC was practically seething when he saw that.
"Sure," she said with a bright smile, slipping her hand towards his arm. They walked out to the elevators, closely followed by security. All the while, Mia's words were echoing in her head. She had kept her distance from JC when they were roaming around the streets, shopping. Always made sure that she was beside someone other than him. It hurt her to think that she was avoiding her friend slightly, but she had no choice. She still hadn't told him what Mia had said, and she didn't want to. He would try and convince her otherwise, she knew that, and she would go along with it, which was the stupidest thing to do. If she learned one thing in life, it was to always trust Mia.
"You okay? You spaced out for a minute there," Chris said, poking her arm.
Turning to look at him, she plastered a smile on her face. "Just thinking about something. I guess I did space out. Sorry," she added, as her shoulders moved in an apologetic shrug. He grinned back, thinking that he knew what she was thinking. What she was thinking about was far different from what he thought. And that was a lot of thinking altogether, she realized, when she figured it out. "Not that, but something different," she said to him, rolling her eyes.
He nodded his head slowly. "Sure, Brooke. Whatever you say."
JC watched the three of them from the back of the elevator. Brooklyn had gotten back into the conversation between Joey and Chris, laughing with them. The look of pure joy and happiness on his face warmed his heart, but it hurt to think that it was directed to him, and it wasn't because of him. He used to be the one that caused that look on her face. He used to be the one that could make her smile. Now, his friends seemed to be moving in on her.
Not that he could blame them. He had known for the longest time what Brooklyn was like, and how people were just pulled naturally towards her. That was something that she couldn't figure out, but he could. It was just her attitude that people seemed to like. Fiery at times, always funny and kind. She was just a great person, and it was nice to see other people find that out.
He just wished that she was on his arm instead. Ever since the stories on National Enquirer Uncovered were shown, she had been more aloof to him, almost cold. Not that she could ever be cold to someone, he thought as he rocked back on his heels, still looking at her. Their eyes met in the mirror like reflection of the doors, and she smiled at him gently before turning back to Chris to tease him. Just the way that she kept moving whenever he came close, the way that she would instantly gravitate to one of his friends when he came near...he couldn't help but wonder.
Yeah, he had been thinking a lot about the fact that he thought she was distancing himself from her. All those thoughts were erased the night before when he saw how she was acting. She was being so sweet and kind. And now. Now all those thoughts came back to him quickly, and almost like a jolt. She didn't want to be around him.
He also didn't like how close she was becoming with Chris. The two had seemed to take a liking to each other as soon as they set eyes upon each other. They were a lot alike. They put their friends and acquaintances before themselves, always giving more than they were getting. They were both mature, even though there was a streak of immaturity that ran through both of them. They liked the same shows, the same food...they were almost like twins separated at birth. She had breakfast for him that morning. She didn't do that with just anyone. Lunch and dinner was one thing, but breakfast? That was almost intimate for her.
The doors opened with a ding, and they walked out, a fashionable group, heading towards the restaurant. They waited to be seated, and examined the room at the same time. "So, have you put any thought into what we were talking about this morning?" Chris suddenly asked, turning to Brooklyn.
She spun around, her hair flying out for a moment before it settled back in place. "All the time. I can't get it off my mind, and while you may think it's good, it's caused me many sleepless nights. Can you and I get through one meal without talking about this?" she asked with a small smile. Even when she had joined him and JC for lunch, he had brought it up, in cryptic messages that JC couldn't understand.
"I don't know. It's a big deal. A life changing thing, Brooke."
"That's the problem."
A frown went over JC's face. A life changing thing? What in the world could they be talking about? Something that was a big deal, apparently. Something that was bothering her. He was always the first one that she went to when something was bothering her. She always talked it out with him. Now, she seemed to be doing that with Chris. She seemed to be doing a lot with Chris.
The hostess came back and seated them towards the back. Brooklyn took the chair between Justin and Lance. As soon as Chris saw that, he raced for the chair across from Brooklyn. She couldn't hide her groan when he smiled at her from across the table. "Great," she muttered. "I'm going to be hearing about this all through dinner now."
"Hearing about what, Brooke? Not that I can't tell," Justin said softly, handing her a menu. He smiled at her, causing her to cross her eyes at him. He laughed loudly, not hiding it at all, even though it caused people to look over. "It's so easy to tell. You'd think that the world would know about it by now."
But they do, she thought to herself. At least, they thought that they did. Brooklyn herself didn't know if she was falling for JC. Yes, she was attracted to him, but who in their right mind wouldn't be, she asked herself. Any living, breathing female would be jumping at the chance to be by his side if he ever spoke to them. He was more than pleasing to the eye, but there was a hell of a lot more to him than just looks. She knew everything firsthand, and she figured that's what was confusing her even more. She was too close to him, and now she was hiding something that she didn't know about from him. Well, she was hiding more than just that from him.
Lance reached over and touched her hand briefly to get her attention. "Don't worry, I won't mention this at all during dinner, okay?" She smiled, relieved that someone was on her side at least. Judging from the look on Joey's face, he was on the same campaign as Chris and Justin. "However, and I'll just say this," he added, clearing his throat, "if you don't go for it, I'd think you were one stupid person." He grinned and winked before turning away.
"The whole freaking world is against me," she said, louder than she wanted, before tossing her hands up in frustration. "Don't ask. Whatever you do, don't ask." Her finger was pointing towards JC at the time. "You really don't want to know what they're all bugging me about."
"Well, maybe he does," Joey said, trying not to laugh.
"No, he doesn't."
"Yes, he does."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Can I decide for myself?" JC asked, trying to get their attention from the childish flight. "Okay, I want to know," he said with a bright smile when he saw the look of warning in Brooklyn's eyes.
She cleared her throat and blinked twice. "If one word is spoken to him about this, I'll get really handy with this butter knife right here. You may think that it's not sharp enough to do anything, but let me remind you. When I'm WORKING in that SENSITIVE area, a blunt object hurts a hell of a lot more than a sharp one. Ask John Wayne Bobbitt." Even though JC wasn't involved, he groaned as well when he heard that. All five of them crossed their legs for a moment, in an attempt to get further away from Brooklyn. "That's what I thought, too."
"Someone has been taking lessons from Mia," JC muttered.
"She taught me everything that she knows, including that right cross of hers."
The conversation of what Brooklyn didn't want JC to know, and vice versa in a way, was dropped for the moment when she mentioned Mia. Instead, Lance and JC started to talk about the differences between the two women while Brooklyn sat there with a smile on her face. "I totally forgot," she said a moment later, reaching for her purse. "Joey, I brought something for you that I thought you would like."
An evil smile appeared on her face as she took a thin envelope out of her bag and handed it over to him. He took it from her cautiously, almost afraid of what could be in there. The smile alone scared him as he opened the flap and pulled out two photographs. His shoulders began to shake before he started to laugh, looking at the pictures. "See, now that's what I'm talking about," he said, looking at the second one. "Oh, hello! Are you dating anyone right now?"
Her head thrown back, she began to laugh loudly, attracting the attention of the other patrons. Instead of bad attention, however, people were smiling when they looked over at her. JC grinned before reaching for the pictures to see what they were. The first one was one of her taken by a professional photographer, wearing the leather pants that seemed to be the focus on her. His eyes narrowed when he looked at the second one. "I told you that you weren't going to get that one," she said with a bright grin when he looked back at her. "You're the one that went all pig like when you saw that picture, so..." Trailing off, she just shrugged her shoulders when she couldn't come up with a good enough reason.
"And can I just say that you look great in a bikini?" Joey added, laughing. Brooklyn grinned before sticking out her tongue towards him. There was a mad dash to grab the photographs and see what they looked like. Her eyes rolled as she leaned back. The waiter appeared at her elbow and she ordered quietly while everyone else was talking.
"I'm not ordering for the kids. I'm sure that they're old enough and mature enough to order for themselves," she said with a smirk, looking around the table.
Before another word was spoken, five tongues were stuck out in her direction.
"I'll be fine," she said with a smile, smoothing down her hair. "You're acting like I'm a little kid, and this is my first television appearance or something," she added under her breath, shaking her head. Her hand shot out for the sunglasses that were on the seat beside her.
"Are you sure that you don't want us to come with you?" Chris asked again. A frustrated sigh sounded from the woman beside her. "Just wondering. Believe me, he can get pretty nasty sometimes."
She smiled, settling the sunglasses over her eyes. "And I can get nasty, too. I'll dish it right back at him. Look, I've done Letterman about five times before. Granted, I do the Tonight Show a lot more often, but this is nothing. All I do is perform, and then do a small little interview, and then I'm out of here. The limo will be back to pick me up, and when I'm picked up, we'll head back to get you guys from the movie theater before we head back to the airport. Nothing to it, Chris. I've the whole schedule memorized by now. Enjoy your movie. Leave me alone." The door opened, and she slipped out, waving at them. "Have a good time. Don't get mobbed," she called back, grinning and waving when the crowd outside started to cheer.
She was escorted into the empty studio, where her band was just started to set up. "Hello," she cried, waving excitedly. After exchanging a few words with everyone, she took up her guitar and strummed absentmindedly while humming to herself. "Thank you," she said when she was handed an ear monitor. She had a quick talk with the sound technician before they found her level, and she moved back, adjusting the microphone so that it was towards her mouth. "Y'all ready?" she asked into it, wincing when her voice boomed through the studio. It would sound better with more people there, but for the time being, it was loud, almost with an echo.
The drummer counted off the beat before they started to play, Brooklyn closing her eyes before beginning to sing. She thought that singing Let Him Fly was hard, but this song was even harder, maybe because it held such an important message of herself. It was one of the few that she had actually wrote, one that meant something to her.
Somehow, she managed to keep her emotions in check by the time they finished soundcheck. After a quick discussion with the sound technician, she went back into the green room, hanging around with the band and eating what was out there for them. She had never requested anything special, just something to munch on, like she always did. It amazed people that Brooklyn was so down to earth, that she didn't have outrageous demands when she went on tour or did a show. Anything would be fine with her, and it made her a rare commodity in the industry.
The day practically flew by until she was supposed to go out there, and during the commercial break, she took her position, smiling before the camera even turned on her. This was what she loved; just to be in front of the crowd and sing her heart out was all that she ever needed in life. That's what she had at that very moment, and it still gave her chills. She took a deep breath and started to sing, her hands practically flying over her guitar strings.
Black eyes, I don't need them,
Blue Tears, give me freedom...
Positively never goin' back,
I won't live where things are so out of whack.
No more rollin' with the punches,
No more usin' or abusin'
I'd rather die standing,
Then live on my knees,
Begging please
Black eyes, I don't need them,
Blue tears, give me freedom.
Black eyes are all behind me
Blue tears will never find me now.
Definitely found my self esteem,
Finally, I'm forever free to dream.
No more crying in the corner,
No excuses, no more bruises.
I'd rather die standing,
Then live on my knees,
Begging please
Black eyes, I don't need them,
Blue tears, give me freedom
Black eyes are all behind me
Blue tears will never find me now.
I'd rather die standing,
Then live on my knees
Begging please...
Black eyes, I don't need them,
Blue tears, give me freedom
Black eyes are all behind me
Blue tears will never find me now.
It's all behind me, they'll never find me now.
With a grin, Brooklyn stepped a little closer to the microphone before delivering what had to be the most influential line in her life, and one that she was bound to live by from the moment that she penned it on the lined notebook paper, with the chewed on Bic pen in hand.
Find your self-esteem and be forever free to dream.
She stepped back and allowed the cheers to rush over her before there was a commercial break and she was escorted onto the stage. She stopped long enough to thank the band, and with a bright smile, took the normal seat for who was going to be interviewed and nervously fiddled with her ear monitor before she pulled it out and let it hang down her back so that no one could see it. One foot rubbed on the floor carefully before a red light on the camera went on, telling her that they were about to start.
A confident smile appeared on her face as she looked towards David Letterman, waiting for herself to be introduced.
This is what all her dreams were telling her when she was a kid. This is where she belonged, and damn it, she was going to stay there as long as she could. Nothing could ever make her think differently. Now, if she could just decide what she wanted to do about JC, things would be fine in Brooklyn-Land once again.
Chapter Six
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