His muse for the lyrics was one sexy as hell redhead who wove into his every thought. He couldn’t get her out of his head and thought it would be cathartic to pour it all on paper. They were the best songs he’d ever written. It was like a damn had burst open, and all these new ideas poured out.
Already he’d sold two songs to an up-and-coming singer Roan Blake who was getting a lot of attention from record companies, and Nate was sure he’d soon see the songs flying up the charts.
Finding Toby sitting in a booth, he slid him a Heineken he’d grabbed at the bar and sat down.
“You played good stuff tonight.” Toby pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose then clinked his bottle against Nate’s. “Looks like you’re building a following.” His gaze scanned the packed pub.
“Thanks.” Nate took a sip of his beer.
Toby smirked, “Although, the new tunes are too girly for me. Since when did you turn soft and start singing love songs?”
Nate flipped him the bird.
Toby laughed.
“Just trying something different,” Nate explained.
“Can’t imagine your band mates playing that stuff.”
“It’s not for the band. Mike’s got new stuff written that we’ve been working on. Sounds good too.” If he said it out loud often enough, maybe he’d believe it. Not that they were crap songs; they were actually the best Mike had written—and mostly without his input.
But the more Nate wrote and played his own stuff, the more the band’s songs didn’t appeal. Once he got back on the road and sang with Harvey’s Territory again, he’d enjoy the music more. He was keeping his fingers crossed and hoped it to be true.
“Not long now and you’ll be leaving to go on tour again.”
A sinking feeling weighed heavy in Nate’s gut, but he pushed it aside. The time to leave was approaching sooner than he liked. And Mike was bugging him to come home early because he wanted to record the new songs for the re-released album that would coincide with the next leg of the tour.
“You don’t look too excited about it,” Toby said.
How he felt must have showed on his face. “Enjoying my time off, that’s all,” he said as he picked at the corners of the label on the beer bottle.
“And enjoying your time with Jade too?” Toby raised a questioning eyebrow. When Nate didn’t comment, Toby added, “Now she’s the one in hiding from the media while you get to live a carefree life. I hope this dies down for her soon.”
Yeah, he did too. “I hate how I’ve put Jade in this position. The vultures keep circling her because they want to know where I am. I have an idea that might take the attention from her.”
“Oh yeah, what?” Toby asked.
“I’ll let you know when I’ve figured out the details.” He pushed his barely-touched beer away and rose from the booth. “I’ve got one more set. I’ll see you later.”
With that, he walked back on stage, and the crowd cheered at his arrival. He sat on the stool, propped the guitar on his thigh, and played a song that spoke of love, the kind that lasts forever.
Chapter 20
“Seriously? I can’t even buy coffee without you people following me?” Jade snatched the packet of beans off the shelf, stomped over to the check-out, and slammed it on the counter.
If she didn’t need her coffee fix so badly, she would never have attempted to dodge the media on her lawn to run to the grocery store. And in her haste to get to her car, she’d forgotten to take her Homer Simpson slippers off. And of course, the paparazzi were quick to take that shot, and a couple of them even followed her.
“I don’t suppose you can call security and get these jerks kicked out of here, can you?” she said to the young cashier who stared wide-eyed at her and then at the two men standing behind her.
“All we want is to ask you a few questions and we’ll leave you alone,” one pap said before the girl could answer.
Jade paid and rushed out of the store. Tweedledum and Tweedledee followed.
“Ms Brennan!” they called, running fast for two short, stumpy people and reaching her car before she did. “A couple of questions please.” They panted.
She blew out a frustrated breath. “If I answer, will you promise to go away and leave me alone?”
They nodded in unison. That would take care of two of them, but what about the five others outside her house? Maybe when they realized they’d lost their chance at an exclusive, she’d be old news and they’d pack up and move on.