"I've waited long enough," I tell him.
"You going after her?" Xander asks.
I nod. "Yeah. Yeah I am. I just have to make sure she's single and find a way to make things happen."
"Timing is everything," Kennedy tells me, and I look over to where he's watching me intently.
"That it is."
"You sure she's ready for you?" Kennedy asks.
I turn back to the TV, where my girl is smiling a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, and I get a feeling she's done a whole lot of living in the last five years-and not all of it easy.
I nod again. "She's lost."
Kennedy looks to the TV and studies Lucy as they talk to her backstage. "That light is dimming."
"Time to brighten her up, Jesse," Xander tells me seriously, somberly. "Whatever's been going on with that girl, she's not the same one that we watched when we were on tour a year ago."
"This life's a hard one and I can only imagine what hers has been like."
"Make it happen, man," Kennedy tells me. "We'll find a way."
I nod to him once and turn back to the TV. Lucy's off screen now and we're focused on the announcers.
She's so beautiful, my girl, but something's missing-whatever it is, I'm going to give it back to her.
Over the next ten months we're in the studio working on our next album. I see Lucy everywhere I go. Billboards, TV, movies-the only place I don't see her, is in person. It's frustrating, but the opportunity hasn't presented itself … until now.
We're at Nichols Records in the conference room and we're talking about the upcoming filming of our next video-the first off the new album.
"I'd like to get the video out before the album so we're going to have to get this thing going soon," Cage tells us.
"What do you have in mind?" Kennedy asks.
Cage goes over the storyboards and it looks pretty fucking kick ass.
"Who are the chicks going to be?" Xander says with a grin and a gleam in his eye.
"Xander, keep it in your pants, at least until the filming is over. I'd like to avoid what happened with the Forever Blue video," Cage scolds.
"Dude, she knew the score and she totally came on to me. She had her hand on my dick for most of the day. If you think I'm not going to take what she's offering, you're nuts. Besides, she owed me for keeping me half-hard all fucking day," Xander defends.
I scoff. "If she only had you half-hard, she wasn't worth the hassle."
Ethan nods. "Waste of time, especially since you said she was a dead fuck."
"She just fucking laid there. You'd think she'd try to impress me and maybe get me to fuck her again, but not that one. She didn't do shit until I told her to move or I was going to be a selfish fuck and not let her come. I mean, if she's making me work for it, I'm not going to reward that shit," Xan tells us with a scowl.
Cage merely stares Xan down. "Whatever the reason, don't do it again. If you're going to fuck the actresses, make sure it's after we're done filming."
"No shit," Ben says to Xan and elbows him. Xan just smirks. The fucker.
"Here's a list of actresses and models we're going to choose from," Cage says, and his assistant passes out the list.
Numbers one and two: Serafina Manzini and Luciana Russo. I lift my eyebrows and my gaze goes to Cage's. He's watching my reaction but giving none of his own. Does he remember … he has to.
"Holy hell," Xander shouts, standing up.
"Dude, sit the hell down," Kennedy tells him.
"No way," he says, pointing to the sheet. "This is it. It's like fate. Destiny. Divine intervention. This is so it, Jesse."
I smirk and I swear I see a twitch of Cage's lips.
"What's going on?" Cage's assistant, Dave, asks.
"Lucy and Sera, dude. We want them. That's it. Them. No other options. Make it happen," Xan tells him.
"Uh," Dave stammers, and slides his gaze to Cage.
Cage nods once. "I'll do my best, but it's not guaranteed those two aren't booked during that time. They're my first choices as well."
"Jesse," Kennedy murmurs.
I nod in response.
"Make it happen, Cage. Do whatever it takes."
Cage's brows raise briefly.
I sigh, knowing he's not going to give in without me telling him why. "All right. Here's the story … "
Chapter Ten
Cage
Past
I knew the story from Lucy and from Sera, but I needed to hear it from Jesse, to see his reaction, to weigh it and see if it is the real thing. It is.
It's been no secret that Lucy's been hung up on Jesse for as long as I can remember, and whenever I mention him or Falling Down, she perks up and her smile lights up the room. I want that for her-that happiness. I want her to get past all the things that happened-things we can't change, things she won't let us deal with properly, and I know that Jesse's the perfect one to help her.
Seeing him now, watching the emotions pass over his face, each one reflected even more strongly in his eyes, I know he's serious about her. Seeing as he's been wandering aimlessly for the last couple years, I think Lucy's going to be perfect for him too. They'll be perfect for one another.
I'll make it happen, but neither of them are going to know for sure until the first day of filming. When they see each other again, their reactions, their emotions, they'll tell me the rest of what I need to know. If I don't see what I need to, I'll steer them apart. If I see forever in their eyes, the rest will work itself out. Gio would expect nothing less.
After that, it'll be Sera's turn-with me.
Chapter Eleven
Jesse
Past
After an early morning meeting the first day of filming, Cage still doesn't divulge who the actresses are going to be for the video. I'm wound up tighter than a virgin on prom night. Shit.
I start to pace and Kennedy walks in.
"Dude. You need to chill."
"No shit. I don't know what the hell's wrong with me. I can't stop moving because if I do, then I sit there and think and wonder. Fucking Cage. The dick. He should just tell me if he got them or not. This is fucking torture, man," I spit out as I continue to pace.
Kennedy leans against the doorframe, crosses his feet at his ankles and his arms across his chest, watching me with an amused grin. The fucker.
"We're going to find out in a couple hours. Why don't we go grab something to eat and by the time we're done, whoever they are will be here," he suggests.
I nod. "Yeah. That's good. I gotta get the hell out of here."
"Yeah, I'm sure Cage wouldn't appreciate you wearing a path in his nice carpeting," Kennedy muses.
"Fuck off, man."
Kennedy chuckles. We head out of the office and head outside.
"What are you going to do if it's her?" he asks.
I look him straight in the eyes and tell him the truth.
"Whatever it takes."
"That seems to be the motto where she's concerned."
It is and it will be until she's mine. "I've waited a long time."
"Normally I wouldn't consider whoring around 'waiting' but knowing how hooked on her you've been from the first time you met her, yeah, I'd have to say you waited long enough." He pauses as we get into the car, then he turns to me with a grin. "I really hope it's her."
"Me too."
"I don't mean for the same reasons you do," he explains. "I can't wait to see how hard you've got to work for it."
I grunt.
"Whatever it takes? She's worth 'whatever it takes'? You never know what that can mean, man," he reminds me.
"She's worth that and more."
Kennedy studies me a minute, then nods. "Whatever it takes."
We get temporarily waylaid by makeup and wardrobe when we get back to the building where we're filming. It doesn't take long. We made a stipulation a long time ago that we do videos as ourselves and that's it. No messing with the hair and no eyeliner. That shit's for chicks.
When we head to the stage, we hear music.
"What the fuck?" I bite out.
"Who's playing my guitar?" Ben sneers. "I'll break a motherfucker's fingers."
"Whoa, hold up," Kennedy instructs and we all look at him. "Listen."
A female voice is belting out P!nk's Who Knew and whoever she is, is pretty fucking good.
We stand there a few minutes, just listening, and when whoever it is segues into Red's Never Be The Same a shudder runs through me. They're that fucking good.
"Who the fuck is that?" Ethan asks.
"I dunno but they're kick ass," I answer.
"Only one way to find out," Xander tells us and starts forward.
When we round the corner I can't believe what I'm seeing. I know my eyes are bugging out like some damn cartoon character when I see my Lucy singing her heart out, strumming Ben's acoustic guitar, while Sera is banging it out on the drums.
"Fuck me," I whisper and the guys just shake their heads.
"Dude," Xander mutters and fist bumps me.
"Let's go," Ben says and heads over to plug in and pick up his guitar.