Their second night was better than their first. Even though the venue held the same number of people as the night before, their applause and screams were deafening. In a surprising turn of events, Bristol not only sang during Annie’s set, but she also pulled Annie onstage for one of her own songs. It changed the dynamic of the show.
“Thank you, Las Vegas, for reminding me why I love to sing so much.”
The buses were rolling out at five in the morning to put them in Los Angeles at the arena before noon. That gave her and Annie four hours in the club’s VIP section. When was the last time she let loose and danced her ass off? When was the last time she wanted to? The plan was to meet in Bristol’s penthouse at one. That gave her time to shower and change into appropriate clubbing clothes. What she had on was great but covered in sweat, and tonight she wanted to be fresh and flirtatious. She was certain she had chemistry with Annie, and hopefully tonight she could test out that theory.
“Great job. I really felt the energy,” Lizzy said. She handed Bristol the usual—towel, cold water, and her phone. “You should check out what Dom posted. You were on fire. I bet you’re ready to chill.”
“Actually, I’m ready to hit the club.”
“I thought we agreed you should take it easy tonight.”
Bristol did her best not to snap at Lizzy. “You suggested it. I’ve decided I want to dance.”
Lizzy looked shocked. “I don’t have security in place.”
Bristol looked at the time on her phone. “It’ll take me an hour to get ready. I imagine that’s plenty of time for Bruce to prep the guys.” At Lizzy’s worried look, Bristol lightened her words. “It’ll be fine. They can just do a repeat of last night. I feel great, Lizzy. Let me.” She kissed Lizzy’s cheek. “I’m going to get ready, so I’ll see you later.”
Bristol turned and stepped into line between her security. She ignored the giggles and gasps as she made her way to the private elevators. A part of her wanted to smile at the fans, but her joy was quickly replaced with sadness laced with fear. People didn’t want her. They only wanted to be next to someone, anyone, who could get them more likes on social media.
Phoebe, Annette, and Harper, her stylist, were waiting for her the minute she entered the penthouse. “I was thinking the black pants, boots, and green button-down. You know the one with the shimmer to it. You’ll look hot and be able to dance,” Harper said as Bristol walked to the bathroom.
“It sounds perfect,” Bristol said. She closed the door and stripped off her wet clothes. The water was cooler than she liked, but she wanted to be alert and awake tonight. The massage invigorated her, or maybe it was the time spent with Annie, but either way she was ready for more. She dried off, slipped on a robe, and waited for Phoebe. She looked at herself in the mirror. When was the last time she did something without any help?
“Are you ready?” Phoebe asked.
She sat back and allowed her staff to take over. They had her primped and ready within the hour. Lizzy popped her head in.
“Annie and Charley are here. Security is in place,” she said.
Bristol knew Lizzy was pissed. “Hey. Why don’t you just stay home tonight? I’ll be with security and Annie and Charley. You need a night off.” For a moment, Bristol thought Lizzy would take the bait.
“No. Somebody needs to watch out for you.”
“Look, I love you, but I don’t need a babysitter. Nobody’s going to kill me or kidnap me. If they tried, security would take them out. And I’m not going to do anything to get me arrested. I’m going to have a drink or two and dance.” She stood and grabbed Lizzy’s hands. “Let me have tonight, okay?”
“Is it because you need it, or you need time with Annie?”
Bristol gritted her teeth but kept the smile on her face. “Does it matter? I won’t be a prisoner here, Lizzy. Tonight, I’m going out, and that’s the end of it.”
Lizzy took a step back and nodded. “Okay. Be careful.”
Bristol watched her walk out of the room. It was the second time she’d had to remind Lizzy that she was still in charge of things. She appreciated Lizzy’s concern most days, but she had a life, too. There weren’t any skeevy producers or predatory record executives here.
“Who’s ready to keep the fun going?” Even though Annie and Charley stood side by side, Bristol only had eyes for Annie. She was wearing a little black dress, like last night, only this one was shorter and had long sleeves. “You look amazing.” She gave Annie a solid up and down and then turned to Charley. “So do you.” Bristol appreciated Charley’s attempt not to burst out laughing at her redirect.
“Thank you,” Annie said.
“No purse?” Bristol asked.
Annie patted Charley’s jacket. “She’s holding all the valuables. I don’t have any pockets, and I don’t want to stress about where my things are.”
“I understand. How about we find out what Caesars means when they say VIP?”
“Just the three of us?”
Bristol nodded. “And security.”
“We’re ready,” Annie said.
It took a solid ten minutes of walking through the casino to get to the elevators that would take them up to the club. Bristol’s blood was pumping along with the beat when the doors to the club opened. They were immediately whisked away to the VIP section. She grabbed Annie’s hand as the crowd thickened around them. VIP was up the stairs and overlooked the dance floor. The decor, the booze, and the wait staff were top-notch, but they were still detached from the fun. Once they sat and placed drink orders, Bristol leaned over to whisper in Annie’s ear. “Somehow we are going to sneak away and get down on that dance floor.”
Annie turned so that her mouth was inches from Bristol’s. “We’ll need a distraction.”
“You’re distraction enough,” Bristol said. She wasn’t sure Annie heard her until she saw Annie’s eyes widen in surprise and narrow with something else. Desire? Lust? Whatever it was, it made Bristol’s heart swell.
“Now you’re just flirting,” Annie said.
“I was flirting days ago. This is something else.” Bristol was surprised at her own confidence.
“I can have Charley provide a distraction,” Annie said.
“What am I doing?” Charley leaned into the conversation after hearing her name.
“We need a distraction so that we can go out on the dance floor.” Bristol pointed to the first floor.
“You’re Bristol fucking Baines. If you want to dance, you just stand up and tell them, ‘Hey, I’m going to dance, and everyone can just watch from a distance.’”
“Charley makes sense. Let’s do these shots and head out there,” Annie said.
Bristol handed Charley and Annie a shot and tapped her glass against theirs. “Thank you for humoring me tonight.”
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Annie said.
Bristol stood and waved Bruce over. “We’re going to the dance floor. You can watch from a distance, but I won’t need you out there with us.”
He stared at her for the longest five seconds of her life. “Okay. I’ll have people posted around. Just signal if you need help.”
Bristol bit her cheeks from smiling. “Thanks, Bruce.” She grabbed Annie and Charley’s hands and quickly walked to the stairs before Bruce could decide it was a bad idea.
“It’s so dark in here, nobody’s going to know who you are. Besides, you have us as your bodyguards. Don’t let my thin arms fool you. I’m pretty scrappy,” Annie said.
“I believe you,” Bristol said.
“I’m going to grab a drink. You two dance,” Charley said. She moved her fingers in a circle motion, indicating they should get started without her. “I’ll find you.” Bristol didn’t miss the wink that Charley gave Annie before she headed to the bar.
Nobody recognized her in the darkness and flashing lights. She pulled Annie close to her and started moving. She loved to dance. Onstage dancing was different than fun, club dancing. Here she could let go. Onstage, everything was choreographed and in sync with several other dancers. Here she could let her hair down and just have a good time. Bristol put her hands on Annie’s hips as she swayed. Annie covered Bristol’s hands with her own.
“Is this okay?” she whispered in Annie’s ear. She couldn’t hear Annie’s words but felt her nod. They moved slower than the music. Annie’s body molded against Bristol’s almost wickedly. Annie pushed herself against Bristol. The music was too fast for Bristol to put her arms around Annie, but they moved together until Charley showed up with drinks, breaking their moment.
“Rum and Coke. I’m sorry, Bristol. I don’t know what you drink, so I just got you what Annie and I drink.”
They moved off the dance floor. Bristol took a sip. It was too bland for her, but she smiled at Charley and took another sip. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” She fanned herself with her free hand and watched the people around her move. Nobody acted any different around her. She felt normal. She felt alive.
“You’re not the only famous person here,” Annie said, but not maliciously.
Bristol smiled. As nice as this was, she knew her life couldn’t be clubs and late-night shenanigans forever. “Are you ready to get back out there?”
“Listen. You two do your thing out there, and I’m going to gamble. I hope that’s okay? I’m hearing the call of the roulette table,” Charley said.
Bristol knew it was a ploy so that she and Annie could be alone. Well, as alone as two people on a crammed club floor could be. “That’s great. I promise to keep an eye out for her and not get us into any trouble.”
Charley hugged Annie and whispered something in her ear that made her smile and reach for Bristol. They watched as she faded off into the throngs of people. Bristol turned to Annie. “Do you want to go back to VIP? Maybe we can actually have a conversation.”
“Sure. I could use the chance to cool down.”
Bristol grabbed Annie’s hand and climbed the stairs to VIP. They returned to their table, sitting closer this time. Without question, Annie was into her, and it made her feel invincible. She ignored her phone buzzing in her pocket. It was probably Lizzy checking in, and Bristol wanted the night off.
“Do you know those people?” Annie pointed to three women who were talking to one of Bruce’s henchmen and pointing at them.
Bristol squinted in the dark room and felt a chill overtake the heat that Annie had put in her heart. “Shit.”
“Shit?” Annie looked at Bristol and back to the women, who were now approaching them.
“Sterling. Top Shelf executive and my very ex-girlfriend.” Bristol gritted her teeth and pasted on a fake smile. Her entire body was tense as she leaned forward in the booth. “Hello, Sterling.”
“BeeBee. It’s so good to see you.” Sterling leaned forward and kissed Bristol’s cheek, then held out her hand to Annie. “Annie Foster. I’m a big fan. I’m Sterling Mayfield.”
She slid into the booth without being asked. Her friends pulled up chairs without being asked, too. Bristol leaned back and crossed her arms. Sterling was here for a reason, and Bristol knew better than to ask but couldn’t help herself. The sooner they knew why she was here, the sooner she and her primped and pampered posse would leave. “What are you doing here, Sterling?”
“Looking for you, of course. Unfortunately, we missed your show. We just arrived about an hour ago.”
“This is kind of a private party,” Bristol said.
Sterling looked offended, even though Bristol knew she wasn’t. “Oh. I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I know you’re leaving in just a few short hours.” She looked at Annie. “I’m here on official Top Shelf Records business.”
The chill in her bones exploded into a thick, icy mixture that stole her breath. “Oh? What could that be?” Bristol asked.
“We have an interest in signing Annie. She’s been great on the tour, and if we don’t make a move now, I’m afraid somebody else will gobble her up.”
“Wait. What?” Annie asked.
“Yes, the same label that reps Bristol wants to rep you. How does that sound?” Sterling’s nasal voice sounded as annoying as somebody shredding Styrofoam, and Bristol tried hard to show zero emotion. She could hear Lizzy’s voice in her head telling her that Top Shelf was a reputable company, and just because it wasn’t working out for her didn’t mean that it wasn’t good for somebody like Annie. She could also be a sounding board for important decisions if Annie signed with them.
“Oh, my God. That’s amazing,” Annie said.
Bristol could feel Annie’s excitement. She wanted to be happy for her, but trying to smile while Sterling was wolfishly cornering Annie wasn’t possible. She hoped Annie would see Sterling for the snake she really was.
“What do you think, Bristol?” Annie asked.
Bristol forced a smile. “I’m not surprised. You’re very talented.”
“She is. That’s why I’m here.” Sterling brushed her fingertips over the back of Annie’s hand. Annie slowly pulled away and reached for her water but didn’t take a drink.
“I’d love to hear what you have to say. Honestly. I don’t even have a manager yet,” Annie said.
Sterling waved her hand. “Oh, you don’t need a manager. You’ll make more money without one.”
“You most definitely need one.” Bristol had to speak up. Even if Annie didn’t go with Top Shelf Records, she needed somebody who would fight for her. She turned to Annie. “If there’s one piece of advice I’m going to give you, it’s definitely get a manager if you want to go this route.”
Annie cocked her head and, as though picking up on Bristol’s hesitancy, leaned back, too. “All of this sounds really nice, but can we talk about it another time?”
“Yes. We literally just got done with a concert, and we’re unwinding,” Bristol said.
Sterling laughed and touched Bristol’s arm. “Lighten up, BeeBee. We’ve come so far since we were kids. We’re both successful and loving life, and I want Annie to have the same success you’ve had with us.” Sterling turned to Annie. “Bristol is still mad at me for breaking her heart when we were teenagers, which was a super long time ago.” She pouted her lips dramatically, and her entourage laughed. “Come on. Let’s have fun.” She waved her hand to the server who was on standby for Bristol’s table. “We’ll take a bottle of your finest champagne. We’re celebrating!”
Bristol clenched her jaw and stared at Sterling, who was busy avoiding eye contact with her. Sterling was slithering into different personas, trying to find the one who appealed to Annie most. The excited agent didn’t work, so she quickly slipped into party girl, best friend.
“Let’s just have fun tonight, and we can discuss business tomorrow. What’s your phone number, Annie? I’ll be sure to reach out when you’re on the way to Los Angeles. Maybe if you have some time, you can swing by the offices and take a tour of the place. That is, if Bristol gives you time off. I remember her being quite demanding.” Sterling winked coyly at Bristol.
“She’s great. I’ve had the best time the last several weeks,” Annie said. She handed Sterling her phone so she could input her information.
The move irritated Bristol as she watched her entire night start to unravel. Annie’s body language said she was excited about Sterling’s unwelcome pop-in. Bristol didn’t blame her. Being approached by a record executive was exciting. She was just worried that Annie didn’t seem to realize how much Sterling was trying to manipulate her.
“Great. I’ll text you later today since it’s already almost three.” Sterling took the bottle of champagne from the server to pour everyone at the table a glass. “Since we’re all here, let’s toast to a successful future and many more tours.”
Bristol watched Annie’s face light up at Sterling’s words. Top Shelf was a popular recording company that many stars wanted to sign with, but what they didn’t know was that Top Shelf liked to bleed their stars until there was nothing creative left in them. They were bulldogs when it came to business—forgetting that they were dealing with people who had emotions and feelings. It was all about money—who could fill the stands and stadiums and bring them the largest profit?
Bristol wasn’t going to sign a new contract with them. With the tour ending soon, she knew Lizzy was fighting to keep them at bay by telling them Bristol was busy writing a new album. She wanted to finish the tour and walk away from music, at least for the next few years. She sighed when she realized she would love Annie’s life and Annie would love hers.
“Bristol, when are we going to get new music from you? I heard you dropped a new song for your fans. Daddy wants you to come in after the tour and work out a new contract.” Sterling’s voice purred, and Bristol bit back the bitter retort that sat at the end of her tongue.
She was working on a new album, but Top Shelf wouldn’t get their greedy little hands on it. Denny would never produce another of her songs. And Sterling wouldn’t be able to brag that she landed it. “I know we have a meeting scheduled once the tour ends. We can talk more about it then, not tonight,” Bristol said.
“Oh, I know Lizzy doesn’t want us discussing business. She thinks it interrupts your process.” Sterling rolled her eyes. “We’re anxious to get together and discuss your contract. Maybe you should come in with Annie and chat with my father while I give Annie the tour of the place.”
Bristol pushed away the glass of celebratory champagne. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with Sterling. The happiness that had filled her just minutes ago was replaced with a darkness she had been running from since the tour started.
“I doubt I’ll find the time.” Bristol made a big production of looking at her watch. It was hard to see the hands, so she guessed. “Well, it’s getting late, so I should probably go upstairs and get ready to leave.”
“I’ll go, too,” Annie said.
Sterling put her hand on Annie’s. Bristol noticed. The urge to rip Sterling’s arm off her body was strong.
“Oh, stay for a bit. We just opened the bottle of champagne,” Sterling said.
Annie looked at Bristol. “What do you think?”
Bristol knew their moment was over. She forced a smile. “If you want to stay, go ahead. Just give yourself enough time to get packed and to the bus by five.” She kissed Annie on her cheek and whispered, “Don’t agree to anything before you get a manager. Sterling is smooth. Be careful.”
Annie squeezed her hand and nodded. Disappointment filled Bristol that Annie didn’t leave with her. Her security detail picked her up at the stairs. “Bruce, leave somebody here for Annie. I want to make sure she gets out of here without any issues.”
“Will do.”
By the time Bristol got to the penthouse she was angry. Angry at herself for letting her guard down, pissed at Sterling for ruining her night with Annie, and disappointed in Annie for not sticking by her side. Logically she knew she shouldn’t be mad. Annie was an adult and obviously more into a career than a relationship. Even though that statement probably wasn’t true, Bristol wanted to wallow in self-pity for a little while longer. When her phone rang again, she looked at the name and answered it. “I know, I know. It’s completely my fault.”
“I tried to warn you.” Lizzy sounded tired. One of the biggest things they had in common was their dislike of Sterling Mayfield. Bristol knew her personal side, and Lizzy knew how she conducted business. Bristol hated that Sterling had been her first girlfriend. It was a long time ago, and those feelings had hardened the older and wiser she’d become, but she still felt tainted. “I know. I could have sneaked out of there had I paid attention.”
“I even called Bruce, but he said Sterling was already in the VIP section. From her calling me to finding you took about five minutes.”
“She must’ve picked up my itinerary from her daddy.” Bristol hated that her every move was recorded for safety reasons. It was probably more for tracking reasons, but as much as she hated it, it got her out of a few sticky situations.
“It doesn’t help that your phone is technically a work phone. Check to see if you’re sharing your location with anyone.”
Bristol looked and saw that Lizzy was right. Her location was shared with Lizzy, Bruce, her parents, and Top Shelf Records. “Did you know they were tracking me?”
“No, but I’m not surprised.”
“Screw that. I’m turning it off.” Bristol was so angry her hands were shaking.
“Don’t bother. It will only piss them off. Plus, then they will know you figured it out.”
“I’m not letting them track me. Can somebody get me my own phone?”
“I’ll send someone out right now. You’ll have it before we leave Vegas,” Lizzy said.
“Thanks. And have them only program people I like in it. It’ll be my personal one.” There was a small victory in knowing that she would have that control back.
“Did Sterling try to get you to talk about the next album?” Lizzy asked.
“She tried, but I deflected. I told her I was out having a good time and business could wait.”
“Did she press you?”
“Not really.”
“Did she embarrass you? We know how she is when she’s trying to impress somebody new. Everyone else is the butt of the joke.”
“She tried. She made it sound like we were childhood sweethearts again, calling me BeeBee. You know, her usual bullshit.”
“Well, then why do you still sound angry?” Lizzy asked.
Bristol pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. “Because the twatwaffle ruined my night by stealing my date!”