Ethan certainly had an unmistakable on-screen presence whether it was a stage performance or one of their dark, entertaining music videos. The Strum was an impressive over the top band, but they’d successfully reinvented themselves for the MTV generation from their days as an unknown indie group. Now all three of them, Jaime, Ethan, and the more reclusive drummer Henson were the undisputed Kings of Rock. Mandy was beginning to understand just how big a deal it was to be following them on their London gig in a few days and she became breathless thinking of what this could mean for her career-wise.
Ethan did cut a larger-than-life image, especially during his rapid-fire shred guitar solos, with his white blonde hair streaking fire as he head banged to the all-consuming beat. He exemplified a wild and theatric persona when he was in front of a live audience and while he was no less the ‘bad boy’ in person, Mandy saw a flicker of something more…a deeper, perhaps darker side of Ethan. She could feel that beneath his styled-up image, there was a real person she would have liked to get to know.
Too bad all he thought about was turning her into yet another booty call or groupie rather than treating her with the respect that she deserved.
Mandy turned off her computer and lay down on her bed, for once letting her mind roam back to those searing moments in Ethan’s closet. She smiled at the thought of what her closest friends would say about what had happened between them when she suddenly realized that that she had no interest in ever telling them. But then her smile died as she sighed deeply, wishing the day with Ethan hadn’t ended with that cold distance between them. She admitted that it had hurt, but there was nothing that she could do about it. Her thoughts growing fuzzy, she fell asleep with the thought that she really didn’t care what some self-absorbed rock star thought of her in the first place. Or did she?
* * *
The buzzing of her cell phone caused her to sit up in bed, confused and panicked. She mindlessly reached for the source of the noise and found her phone under a pillow. Still half asleep, she groaned as she hit the ‘Accept’ button.
“Mandy?”
“Huh?” She blinked, wiping the side of her face, feeling the faint moisture. She never dribbled. She must have been exhausted after the day’s drama. “Who’s this?”
“It’s me. It’s Ethan.”
Mandy froze, suddenly registering that raspy, stirringly distinct voice. “Ethan? Are you okay? Is something wrong?” Mandy asked, clearly surprised to hear his voice on the line. She was suddenly wide awake and when she glanced at her bedside clock, her jaw dropped in bewilderment. Why was he calling her at...one a.m.! She had to be dreaming or…
“Yeah. I mean no, nothing’s wrong. Are you alone?” he asked lightly.
“Alone? Yes, I’m alone. What are you…why are you calling? How did you get my number?”
“The same way I got your house address. But never mind about that. Can you – come out with me for a second?”
Mandy was unable to process his request for a few seconds. Ethan, calling her in the middle of the night, asking her to go out with him. What was he thinking?
“Ethan, are you drunk?” Mandy asked suspiciously.
“Drunk? No! I may have had a few at the club, but I’m not drunk at all. No. I just needed to talk to you. About yesterday. Or earlier today – I was an ass. I don’t want you thinking I’m like that. Wanting to get into bed with every woman I meet. It’s just not true, Mandy. I respect women. Very much. And I didn’t want you to come away with the impression that I wanted you on the London team just to get you to sleep with me. Crazy as it is, I like you, Mandy. I don’t even know why. It’s just how I feel when I’m around you. There’s a…peace. Something that I can’t explain to you or anyone really, but it gets to me in a good way and I need that. So, are you coming down? I’m in the black Lambo parked in front of your house.”
Wait…what? Mandy scrambled off the bed and to the nearest window overlooking the front of her house. Sure enough, there was a black, sleek-as-sin Lamborghini stationed in front of her house. In the driver’s seat was Ethan, his distinct blond hair and tattoos visible through the open window. He looked up, saw her, and smiled, lifting a hand.
Mandy gasped, stared for a moment, and turned sharply from the window. Still clutching her phone to her ear, she began to pace her room. “Ethan. I can’t. It’s just…crazy. Why would you even…?”
“I’ll be on my best behavior. Promise. I just want to see you. Half an hour, tops. We’ll just go for a short drive. Anywhere you want, Mandy. Just to talk.”