He'd melted her heart the rest of the way with a wolfish grin and a kiss.
And now Davey was coming at him with this bullshit. His advice? Now that the London gig was over, Ethan should cool things off with Mandy. Like what the hell?
Ethan wasn't having that. Yes, their relationship had gotten some mixed responses from fans. Some hard-core followers of his had been downright disparaging about it, especially when the story came out that Mandy Sloane was just an intern he'd met while working on re-styling his image. Ethan didn't care what anyone said, least of all those who thought he was selling out or losing his mojo by acting like the love-struck dumbass. Sure, Mandy was nothing like the girls he'd been with in the past, women his fans were able to relate to because they were in the rock music industry. He remembered when he had been with Zuriel; the fans had gone crazy for their ‘romance'. And his publicity team had run with it, encouraging the relationship even when Ethan had shown signs he was done with it.
Everyone had turned a deaf ear when he'd hinted at the way being with her had turned him into someone he didn't recognize. The drugs, the hard partying from dusk till dawn, the wild nights when you were never sure who crawled into bed with you – all that was a thing of the past. Zuriel was freakier than what even the public was aware of. She hadn't minded sharing Ethan with other women so long as she got to be in the mix as well. She loved girl-on-girl action and wasn't averse to livening things up with mind-altering substances Ethan didn't even want to touch now.
And Zuriel thought nothing about throwing money away. They could go out and blow a hundred grand on jewelry, clothes, and other useless crap. Or spend half that during a night on the town buying up bottles at the top clubs on whatever continent they happened to be in. Or worse, getting drunk and totaling a two-week old Porsche driving from one party to another. Ethan knew they were both lucky to be alive considering the shit they'd gotten up to, especially while they were both under the influence.
They'd both understood what it meant to live like a ‘rock star', and their fans had loved every minute of watching them burn at both ends.
People always thought they'd started dating when he was eighteen. But the truth was, Ethan had met her when he was sixteen while playing with Jaime and Henson in clubs as an indie band. She'd already started to become well known then, but she wasn't as big a star as she was now. She'd been two years older and the first night they'd met, she invited him back to her place where they'd spent the night together. She'd been his first, which was another tidbit no one knew. Not even his closest buddy Jaime.
It had been a crazy four years with her, and Ethan marveled at how he'd let her rule his life for that long. The crazy mood swings only he got to see … her substance and alcohol abuse problem, her jealous rages. She'd once had a groupie beaten up just because the girl had tricked one of the guards into letting her sneak into Ethan's dressing room, where she waited for him, naked. Zuriel had gone in and found her instead … and then set a couple of bodyguards to rough the girl up and ‘teach her a lesson'. It had taken a lot of hush-work to keep the scandal out of the tabloids, but that was when Ethan had decided that he'd had enough.
Zuriel hadn't wanted the embarrassment of the world finding out she'd been dumped by Ethan Tyler, so she had been happy to bow out of the relationship gracefully. She took an extended trip to Ibiza for a month or two and by the time she got back, their love story had died a natural death. They went on with their music and stayed friends even though Ethan had always sensed she wasn't over him yet.
And now here Davey was, suggesting he restart his relationship with Zuriel as a career boost. Was the man out of his fucking mind?
"The way I see it," Davey said, swiveling in the oversized chair positioned behind his equally expansive desk, "You need to get your groove back. We have the current album to think of, and we need to get as much exposure as possible in readiness for the new stuff ready to come out in a few months. And guess what? Zuriel's record company called to work with the band on that angel whatchamacallit song of yours. Specifically, she wants a duet with you after she reworks the song to suit her genre. I'd say this has the potential to be the best crossover songs of the year and she's ready to start whenever you are. Think about it, Ethan. You and Zuriel, making music and love. And hey, you don't even have to be into her if you don't want to. We'll carefully arrange it to be just some publicity stunt where everyone thinks you two are together. We'll sell loads of albums."
Ethan was staring unblinkingly at him. "You make me feel like impaling myself on a giant metal spike when you talk like this."
"I'm only doing my job. One that's got many top bands staying on top while I work seamlessly in the background," Davey said nonchalantly. "And hey, even the guys agree with me. Jaime thinks you've changed since you've been with Mandy. Even when you play, it's different. Now all we get is your watered down version. It's okay if you want to slow down on the rough life, but remember, that's what being a rock star is all about. At age twenty-five, you've gained a massive following any musician would be proud of; you've refined your skills as a guitarist and gained this incredible brand that makes you stand out as a band member. Playing that new unreleased song of yours at that concert drew a lot of attention, and now's the time to hit fast with a single. Just give it a try, will you? Get in the studio with Zuriel, see if it works out. I'll work on the personal angle along the way. Trust me like you've done all these years. I've never led you astray, have I?"
Ethan sighed deeply and shoved his fingers back through his hair. He was grateful for all he'd achieved so far, and the last thing he'd want is to jeopardize his career.
The fact was, ever since Mandy he'd avoided drugs, alcohol, clubbing, and those smarmy red-carpet events. The last thing Ethan wanted to do again was get into dating a celebrity, even if it was just make-believe for publicity sake. And he felt bad that his band brothers thought he wasn't ‘bringing it' like he used to with his playing. He wished they'd come straight to him about it instead of talking to Davey first. Well, if they thought being with Mandy detracted his focus from his music, they were dead wrong.
Mandy had the power to change his values. She motivated him as a person with just her outlook on life, and even her smile brightened his world. She was definitely a breath of fresh air after the women in his past; females who'd wanted to live off his fame and fat bank account. They'd all wanted something from him, but not Mandy - she had no motives, no demands. And that's why he'd never do anything to hurt her.
He just had to figure out how to do what was right for the band and his career without sacrificing the one thing that meant the whole world to him.
Chapter Twelve
Mandy thought she had to be dreaming when she saw Zuriel walk into her office.
That was right; Mandy had her own office now, with a fantastic view of downtown. Plus enough space for a proper desk and some furniture for the living room area. Needless to say, Jessica was very generous with interns who brought results. Ever since The Strum had signed on as clients to the stylist of the stars, Jessica had seen to it that Mandy was well compensated. She now had an in on all the big projects. Mandy's career had virtually soared – on a larger scale. And when the news got around that she'd be accompanying The Strum on their world tour in less than 3 months, her client list had grown considerably. Jessica was glad for all the publicity. Since Mandy's relationship with Ethan had increased Mandy's tabloid exposure, it also rubbed off on Jessica's firm.
Being the woman in Ethan Tyler's life had its ups and downs. Mandy would be the first to admit that. But even with all the unwanted media attention, the photos and the gossip stories, Mandy didn't regret one second of taking the bold step with Ethan. There would always be hordes of female fans flinging themselves and their underwear at Ethan, and there'd always be paparazzi following them around, hiding in spots to surprise Mandy or Ethan with some juicy picture taken when neither of them expected it. They were all hoping for a scoop, something to help sell their little rumor sheets. Mandy was glad for the support of her friends and family and Ethan's as well, who all helped her stay grounded despite how her life had become steeped in rock star drama.
Mandy could have foreseen a lot of outcomes from her career rise and her new public recognition, but the last thing she thought she'd see was Zuriel coming to seek her out.