Star Struck(30)

"Someone's coming this way," he announced in a low tone, and this had  Mandy's heart tripping over itself. Oh my God. She didn't dare look over  her shoulder. But the figure who appeared by Marcus' side was  dark-haired, not blond. His grin was wide and charming.

It was Jaime, and Mandy felt no less amazed at seeing him. He  courteously asked to cut in and Mandy nodded to Marcus, unable to say  anything in reply. Marcus told her he'd be close by if she needed  anything.

"Mandy's safe with me, dude, you've got my word," Jaime said, his dark  brows arching at Marcus, whose expressionless face gave no clue to his  thoughts as he nodded slightly and backed away. Jaime turned to Mandy  with a comical look that had her smiling despite herself.

"Amiable fellow," Jaime commented, slipping his arm around Mandy's waist  while holding her free hand, her other resting on his jacketed  shoulder. "New man?"

"Old friend," was Mandy's cryptic reply.

"You look simply ravishing, sweetheart," Jaime said, his dark eyes  gleaming. "Saw you while we were on stage and made up my mind to come  over the first chance I got."

"That's very nice of you. I didn't think you even noticed I was here."

"You can bet we did. You in that red dress...suddenly all the girls in  the room don't even have faces. You're a very nice distraction, Mandy  Sloane. I think I missed you," said the delightful devil.

"I would have thought you'd all be glad to get me out of the way," Mandy  said lightly, fingers tightening fractionally where she gripped his  broad shoulder.

Jaime's eyes sobered for a moment. "Sometimes people do selfish things  in the name of the greater good. The band's soared in ratings, airplay,  and sales. But we have a bassist who's broken in spirit and has lost his  faith in life and love. Not something I like having on my conscience."

Mandy's heart constricted at his telling words. She wasn't sure how much  he knew about her breakup with Ethan  –  and how much he felt he was  responsible for it.

"You were good for him, Mandy," Jaime said simply, his eyes boring into  hers. "In ways I didn't want to admit then. I kept thinking how far he'd  come after his time with Zuriel when he was barely more than a kid. He  was infatuated with her at sixteen. Their love affair ended when he was  twenty. Five years later, he was finally getting to that space in his  head where he could figure out where his journey would take him. Then  you came along."         

     



 

Jaime shook his head slightly. "Ethan is a survivor, Mandy. Him and  Zuriel … all those years ago when he didn't know better, it was a pretty  abusive relationship in the subtlest way you could imagine  –  with Ethan  on the receiving end. Drug addiction, near death experiences, and an  innocent fan getting beaten up … it was crazy. He wasn't happy but because  it was good for the band, we all just stepped aside and let it happen.  I'm not about to make that same mistake again. Ethan is my brother, my  friend. If anyone should get his life fucked up, it wouldn't be me."

"Why are you telling me this? Did Ethan put you up to it? Because I … "

"Ethan doesn't know I'm talking to you. He isn't even here. He left immediately after our performance."

Mandy's heart sank. She wondered if he'd rushed off to meet Zuriel  somewhere. "He obviously couldn't wait to get away," she murmured  ironically.

"It's not what you think," said Jaime. "He just … knowing you were close, I could tell how much it got to him, not being able to … "

Jaime sighed with something like anger but not at anyone in particular.  "I know about Zuriel coming to see you. The things she said. I feel  partly responsible that she thought she could get away with something  like that. How dumb I was thinking that this would end in any way right  for Ethan. What right had any of us to think you couldn't be just what  he needed? Who cares if you may never really fit into what we felt was  ‘our world'? All that really mattered was that you fitted in Ethan's."

Mandy shrugged. "Maybe briefly, I did fit. But Zuriel's taken her  rightful place by his side. Whatever you say was bad between them, maybe  they've found a way to make it right. They're older now. Wiser. And I'm  just some girl who caught his fancy but could never hope to really hold  him once the chips were down."

"Is that why you ended it? I was so sure Zuriel couldn't get to you. I  almost couldn't believe you let her plant the insecurities that must  have made it easy for you to walk away from what you had with Ethan."

The disappointment in Jaime's voice was like a slap in the face. Mandy  drew in an angry breath but managed to say calmly, "I'm not superhuman,  Jaime. Ordinary people like me have it even harder trying to hold one's  own when it comes to feeling not good enough. They were going to make  everyone believe I was with Ethan for what I could get. And one day,  maybe they'd have made him believe it, too. I guess I didn't want to  stick around long enough and wait for the inevitable to happen."

"And what was inevitable? Ethan breaking your heart … or both of you  ending up happy ever after?" asked Jaime. His smile was rueful. "Well, I  guess we'll never know."

Mandy's eyelids lowered. Jaime was right; not that he'd come right out  and said it, but it was true: she'd given up too easily. Everything had  happened so fast  –  falling for him, being in love. At the first hurdle,  she'd crumbled. She had given away a chance at happiness because it had  been easier than staying and fighting. She'd been so blind. How could  she ever get Ethan to forgive her?

"Every day in the last few months I woke up wondering the same thing:  how could I have let him go?" Mandy murmured with a faraway look on her  face. "Maybe I never really believed enough. Zuriel just gave me a good  excuse. I let her win, Jaime. Ethan deserves better than a woman who  couldn't stand up to any obstacle to their love."

"You made a mistake, Mandy. Like anyone could do. Ethan doesn't need  someone perfect," Jaime told her with a gently teasing smile, releasing  his hold on her just as the music ended. "But he does deserve someone  brave."

Mandy's heart swelled with hope; she could learn to be brave … though she  knew she'd need a lot of bravery to face Ethan again and try to make  amends. But then a feeling of panic overcame her as she said, "The world  tour is about to begin  … the band's supposed to be leaving the country  tomorrow."

Jaime's curvy lips tilted in a smirk. "Then I guess you don't really have much time."





Chapter Fourteen



Mandy felt much too conspicuous in her sophisticated red dress and heels  walking into the hotel lobby. But since it was already close to 9 pm,  the grand surroundings looked free of too many people. She walked up to  the desk to make the needed inquiries.

She'd seen Ethan's unmistakable Lamborghini outside. She knew he was  here. All she needed was to find the hotel bar and take it from there.         

     



 

When she saw the huge, bald-headed man standing at the doorway of the  bar two minutes later, she heaved an inner sigh. Ethan was fond of going  around without Vernon whenever he could get away with it. His familiar  face now creased in a smile of recognition when he saw Mandy.

"Jaime sent me here, sort of," she explained with a shy smile. "Is um … Ethan inside?"

"Building up to getting plastered," said Vernon wryly. "Good thing  you're here so maybe I won't need to worry about having to air-lift him  to his suite later. He's been staying mostly at this hotel on and off  for weeks."

"Oh," Mandy said softly. That sounded weird. With each second that  passed, the need to see him grew stronger and stronger. "I can go in,  then?"

Vernon grinned as if to ask if there was any doubt. "Be my guest.  There'll be enough privacy since the hotel kindly closed the bar out for  as long as Ethan is in there. So it's just him."

Mandy gulped inwardly. She'd have liked to have at least a few people  around. Not that she didn't feel safe alone with Ethan; she just  couldn't be sure of his reaction. Maybe it was better this way since no  one would witness her getting cut down in case Ethan ended up not being  thrilled by her appearance.

She smiled and nodded to Vernon, who held the doors open. She drew in a bracing breath and walked in.

There was just one bartender serving Ethan, who was seated in profile.  He was dressed the same as he had been on stage, wearing one of The  Strum's stylish leather coats and nothing else but his snug black jeans  and boots. He heard the door open and turned to find her standing there.  Did he give a slight start? She'd never be able to tell because he  recovered so quickly. He looked away almost immediately. Just as the man  behind the bar began to pour him another glass of scotch, Ethan took  the bottle then told the guy he could leave.