I pull back from Candace and roll my eyes. “We have an audience.”
She bites her bottom lip as her eyes light up. “A cute one?”
My gaze flicks over to him, and as much as I would love to say absolutely not, Candace would call my bluff the moment she spotted the guy. No one in their right mind would deny the guy was drop-dead gorgeous.
“Silence from you means he’s smokin’. Which one is he?” She spins on her heel and nearly smacks into him. She stares up at him as he grasps her elbow to steady her. “No wonder you had my sister speechless. You’re sexy.”
I grimace and fight the urge to smack her. Candace has the uncanny ability to say the perfect thing to embarrass me when we’re around members of the opposite sex.
“I tend to have that effect on women.” He winks at me and then turns his attention back to Candace. “You did a phenomenal job up there. I’m interested in seeing you again.”
It doesn’t shock me that this man is into my sister. She’s a babe. She’s smart, beautiful, and talented—the total package—so I can’t fault the guy for trying, but little does he know, his rejections for the night are about to double.
“No offense, but you aren’t exactly my type. I’m not into the whole bad-boy thing.” Candace turns and gives me a knowing grin because she knows that I am. “That’s my sister’s department.”
“That’s good,” he says coolly as he reaches into the back pocket of his jeans and pulls out a business card. “I’m not asking for a date. This is a business opportunity for you. My name is Laz Rawlings, and I’m putting together a female band. You might be a good fit.”
Candace takes the card and studies it. “Second Coming Records? I’ve never heard of it or you.”
“It’s my label—a start-up. This new group I’m building will be the inaugural act for me.”
I step up beside Candace to get a better look at the card. It’s black with gold font—nothing special. “Anyone can get those printed. Doesn’t mean he’s legit.”
“I assure you, there’s no one more real than me in the record business. Google me if you’d like. I was making hits while you were still wearing braces in middle school.”
I shake my head. “I still don’t buy it. I won’t allow you to meet this guy alone somewhere, Candace. This could be a trick to get you somewhere secluded. It’s probably the line he uses to meet women.”
Laz smirks. “Trust me, baby, I don’t need to put in work to get pussy. That comes willingly to me.”
My top lip lifts in disgust, and I grab Candace by the wrist. “Come on.”
“Tell you what …” Laz’s words halt Candace in her tracks, forcing me to stand there and listen to more of his bullshit. “If you don’t trust me, you can come and audition, too. I heard you singing along with her. Honest truth, you didn’t sound half bad, but you don’t exactly have the look I’m going for.”
“What’s wrong with the way I look?” I snap back.
“Nothing is wrong with you per se. I’m going for a little more Britney and a lot less Marilyn Manson in the vibe department, but that’s nothing a makeover can’t fix if you’ve got the vocal talent I’m looking for.”
This is the second time this man has insulted me in the past twenty minutes. He’s really begging for me to punch him in the nuts.
“You’re a dick.”
He lifts one shoulder, giving off the expression like, Yeah, I know. “It’s my job to call it as I see it. I’m a producer, and I have an eye for what works in the business.”
“And you think my sister has what it takes?”
“I know she does. Everyone in this place just ate up that performance. The rest of the world will, too, once they get an opportunity to hear her. That’s where I come in. I can make her a star.”
Candace grins, and I know what he’s saying is music to her ears.
Becoming famous singers was our mutual dream when we were kids. It was the one thing that bonded us after our parents got together when we were twelve, and she would come to visit us every other weekend because her father had custody. I’d look forward to her visits because she understood my desire to sing.
But having your dream offered to you on a silver platter is something that only happens in fairy tales.
“I don’t think—”
“We’ll do it,” Candace answers, instantly cutting me off. “If you can do all the things you said, then count us in.”
Laz smiles. “Great. Text me your number, and I’ll send you the address for the auditions.” His blue eyes slide over to me. “I look forward to seeing what you’ve got.”
I open my mouth to smart off and tell him that he’ll never see what I’ve got, but he doesn’t give me time. He steps around me and then gets swallowed up by the crowd.
Something tells me we’ve just agreed to jump into bed with the sexy devil himself.
2
Big Break
Drea
Candace lies on her stomach in the middle of her bed as she searches the internet for Laz Rawlings. “Holy shit, Drea. You’ve got to see this.”
“Just tell me what it says. I’m running late enough as it is.” I slap the green trucker cap, which reads Taco Hut across the front of it, onto my head and then pull my thick ponytail through the hole in the back.
Staying out so late last night, celebrating the fact that Candace was the newest Hellcat, made it hard to get up today.
She dismissively waves me off. “Screw that job. Our ticket into the music business has fallen into our laps in the form of a tall, tattooed man named Laz. The guy is actually legit. Come see for yourself.”
My shoulders slump as I trudge toward her. “Candace, I really don’t—”
“Stop with the doubt.” She sits up and twists the computer so I can see the screen. “Laz Rawlings was a member of the Romeos.”
“Of the what?” I ask as I lean down to get a better look at the pictures she found on Google. I squint as I fix my eyes on a bunch of pictures of young teenage boys who can’t be more than sixteen years old. None of them appear to resemble the well-built man we met last night. “What exactly am I looking at?”
Her mouth drops open, and she points her French-manicured finger at the tallest kid in all the pictures. “That’s Laz. He was a singer. This group was popular, like, fifteen years ago.”
“Hence the reason I have no clue who they are,” I mutter. “This doesn’t make the guy legit, though. We watch enough music documentaries to know that most guys in boy bands end up as washed-up losers who have to get real nine-to-fives like the rest of us.”
“I would tend to agree with you if I hadn’t read his bio.” Candace clicks on another web page where it lists his most recent professional activities. “It says here, after the Romeos broke up, Laz went on to produce some of the biggest pop and hip-hop songs of the past decade. This guy is definitely for real, Drea, and he wants us—both of us. This could be our shot at jump-starting our careers. I’ll sing, of course, and you can write all the songs. It’ll be just like we dreamed about.” She clicks on the photo of Laz, enlarging it so we can get a better look.
I stare at the blue-eyed devil on the screen. He’s impossibly good-looking and knowing he’s the real deal only increases his appeal to me. There’s just something about a wild guy, the whole Rebel Without a Cause vibe that makes me weak in the knees. When someone goes against the grain of society, it’s a turn-on. I could never let myself go to be that free—to do whatever and not care about what anybody thinks.
It’s a good thing Laz would never pick me to be in his group. I’m nowhere near as good at singing and dancing at the same time as Candace is, which does make her perfect for an all-girls group.
“You should call him since everything checks out. This could be your big break.”
Her beautiful face lights up. “I think so, too, and I’m excited that we’ll get to do this together.”
My lips pull into a tight line as I sit down next to her on the bed. “I’ll go wit
h you to the audition, but we both know I have zero dancing abilities.”
“That’s only because you refuse to let loose in front of people. I know you have what it takes, but your fear takes over, and you doubt your ability. You have to dance like no one is watching and not give a shit if you look ridiculous.”
I lean over and wrap my arms around her. “Not everyone is meant to be a star, sis. It’s okay for someone to be in the background.”
Candace pulls back, her blue eyes burning into mine. “Not when that someone is as talented as you are. You just need to grow a pair of lady balls and share your talent with the world because, when you sing, your gift is undeniable.”
I smile. She’s always been my biggest supporter, and I love her for it, but I know I’m not that good. She’s being kind.
I glance down at the time on my cell. “I’ve got to jet before I’m late for work. Call Laz to set up that audition, and I’ll go with you.” I shove myself up off the bed. “Don’t get your hopes up that he’ll want me in the group, too. You’re the real talent.”
“Laz invited you because he can see what I see in you. Don’t sell yourself short. Be confident.”
I shove my hands into the pockets of my black slacks. “I’ll work on that. Call him, and then text me all the details.”
“All right,” she answers as she reaches for the cell lying next to her. “Have fun at work.”
I roll my eyes and head for the door to go to a job I absolutely hate.
It would be amazing to have a career in the music industry, but I know the likelihood of that happening for me is a long shot, so there’s no point in allowing my hopes to rise. Good things don’t happen to people like me. Dreams coming true only occur in the movies, and my life is far from a fairy tale.
The minute I walk through the door of our tiny apartment, I spot Candace sitting on the couch, surrounded by a pile of used tissues.
“Oh, God. What’s wrong? Did someone die?”
“No,” Candace whines and then sniffs.
I toss my hat and car keys onto the floor and then sit down next to her. “Then what is it?”
“He hasn’t called back.”
“Who? Laz?”
She blows her nose. “Yes. He’s probably found a different girl.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Don’t think like that. You know guys play all those fucking head games when it comes to calling girls back. Don’t sweat it. He’s going to call. Confidence, remember?”
She sighs and opens her mouth to say something, but at the same time, her cell rings, causing her to scramble through the tissues in search of it.
She blows a big puff of air from her mouth and then hits the green button. “Hello?” she answers casually, hiding the fact that, only moments ago, she was a sobbing mess. “Yes.” She pauses, smiles, and then responds quickly, “Yes, we’ll be there. No problem. Okay. Bye.”
I hold my breath while I wonder what exactly she’s agreed to.
When she presses end on her cell, her eyes light up with excitement.
I hold my hands out, wearing my best “tell me what’s going on before I explode” expression. “Well?”
“Tonight at nine, Laz wants us to audition. He’s texting the address.”
“Tonight?” I question. “We don’t have anything prepared.”
She dismissively waves me off. “So what? We’ll wing it and use one of the Hellcat routines. You know those as well as I do. We practiced them for a solid week.”
“I … I don’t know, Candace.”
“Don’t you dare try to back out of this, Drea. You owe it to yourself to at least audition. I know this is your dream, and it’s never going to come true if you don’t put yourself out there.”
When my sister is determined to make something happen, there’s no stopping her. Besides, she’s right. Getting into the music business has always been a far-fetched dream of mine, and this might be my one and only shot at ever making it come true.
I’d be crazy not to grab this opportunity by the balls to see what comes of it.
3
Big Break
Drea
The brakes squeal a bit as I come to a stop at the address Laz texted. I scan the small brick building that looks like it used to be a car repair shop, but cinder blocks have replaced where the garage doors would be. This place has seen better days, but this part of town is known to be run-down.
I put the car in park and look over at Candace. “Are you sure this is the right place?”
“Fourteen twenty Alpine Street. This is the place,” she confirms. “It’s not exactly what I envisioned when I dreamed about auditioning for a music producer.”
“Maybe he’s not as well connected as we thought.”
She frowns. “Yeah, maybe so, but he’s still connected, and that’s all that matters when it comes to getting your foot in the door. Let’s go in there and melt his face off with our mad skills.”
I sigh and tighten my grip on the steering wheel, unable to dig down and find the self-confidence to make me get out of this car.
Candace touches my right hand. “You’re going to be great. Once he gets past that tough-girl persona of yours, he’s going to love you like I do. Hell, the whole world will. You have a gift, Drea, and it’s time to share it with people.” She pats my hand. “You’ve got this, and I’ll be right there with you.”
I lean over and wrap my arms around her, hugging her tight. Candace is not only my stepsister; she’s also the closest thing to a best friend that I’ve ever had. She knows everything about me and has always supported me. I love her for that.
“Thank you,” I tell her. “I’m probably not going to make the cut, but I know you will. And I want you to know ahead of time that I’m happy for you.”
“Stop,” she orders. Then she pulls back to lock eyes with me. “This is not a time for self-doubt. It’s time to square those shoulders and keep repeating over and over in your head that you’ve got this until it sinks in, and you believe it. You’ve got to stop sabotaging yourself like this.”
“I’ll try my best.”
She shakes her head. “No try. Do.”
I laugh a little. “Okay, Yoda.”
“I’m serious, Drea. I need you with me on this. I need someone I can trust by my side.”
“I’ll be on your side, whether I make it or not.”
She smiles. “I know, but think of all the fun we’d have if we could share this experience.”
Dread pits in my stomach, but I know she’s right. If I don’t go through with this right now, I’ll always wonder what would’ve happened. The one thing I learned from my father is that you only get one true shot at greatness, and only fools like him let it slip through their fingers without going for it. More than anything, I don’t want to be like my dad, so I need to seize this opportunity.
Dad once told me that he blew his one shot at a record deal when he was a teenager. Apparently, record labels aren’t into signing teenagers who have knocked up their high school girlfriends. Although he’s never said it, I know he blames me for screwing up his dream because every time he looks at me, he hits the bottle hard. I don’t want to end up like him, living a life full of regrets.
Candace opens the door and then whips her head in my direction before she gets out. “Ready?”
I blow a rush of air between my pursed lips. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.”
I hop out of my little white Corolla and then shut the door.
This is it. It’s do-or-die time. Let’s hope I don’t get laughed out of the place.
Candace comes to a heavy wooden door and squares her shoulders before knocking.
I’m about to open my mouth and tell her that we should get out of here—this place is dark and a bit creepy and certainly can’t be the right place for an audition of this magnitude—but then the door opens, and a tall, handsome man wearing a baseball cap over his blond hair stands before us.
The man’s dark e
yes roam over my sister from head to toe before he meets her gaze. “You Candace?”
“Yes,” she answers coolly, showing no fear whatsoever.
The corner of the man’s mouth turns up into a grin. “Nice. Laz definitely downplayed your hotness.”
Here we go again. Another man entranced by Candace’s beauty. Having her as my sister, it’s a wonder I’ve been able to secure any dates in my life.
“I assume he’s expecting us?” she asks, completely ignoring the man’s attempt to flatter her. “We’re here to audition.”
His eyebrows rise, and his gaze points in my direction, like he was oblivious to me standing here in the first place. “Oh, that’s right—the sisters. He did mention that. Come on in.” He extends his hand to Candace. “I’m Cam Owens. I’m a friend of Laz’s.”
Candace shakes his hand. “Cam? As in the Cam who was in the Romeos with Laz?”
His smile widens. “Yep. You’ve heard of me, I see. You a fan?”
She giggles. “Not even a little bit. You guys were before my time. I’m just good at doing my homework.”
He dramatically throws his hands over his heart. “That wounds me deeply. The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen, and I can’t even impress her a little bit with my fifteen minutes of fame. Guess my usual lines won’t be getting you into bed anytime soon.”
She pats his chest as she steps around him. “Better luck next time, Cam.”
Cam stares after Candace as she makes her way down the long hallway to the room that’s lit up at the end of it. “Hard to get ones are my favorite.”
I’m not sure if he’s saying that to me or if he’s just thinking out loud, but I feel the urge to let the poor guy down as I step inside the building. “She’s really very sweet, but when it comes to guys, she’s … particular.”
I begin walking the same direction Candace did when Cam steps up beside me, matching my pace.
His eyes flick over to me. “So help me out. What’s her type?”