Plat, page 12
She settled on a chair with a notebook and a pen, and it was kind of fun to perform for an audience of one. At one point, she got up and walked around, watching us from different angles. She called out to Stu and Ford several times, having them change positions, right to left, front to back. Then she went back to her notebook and started writing something.
We did five songs, stopping to chat with Ariel and among ourselves in between each one, before she approached us with her notebook.
“Okay, so this is what I’m envisioning. I know it’s not my band, but being up there with you guys gave me all kinds of ideas. What do you think?” She turned the notebook, and instead of words, there was a drawing. And it was magnificent. She’d sketched out the stage and put us all where she thought we fit. She’d done something cool with Bash’s drum set, having it on a suspended platform instead of one that just sat on the stage, and the subsequent pictures showed us how much flexibility we’d have with that extra space since Bash and his set would essentially be up in the air.
“I like it,” Bash said slowly, “but I worry about the fans in the front. They usually pay top dollar to be that close, and if I’m up in the air, they won’t see me at all.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Ariel said, chewing the inside of her lip. “Maybe we could—”
“Hello, Ariel.” Douglas’s voice made us all spin around.
Sonofabitch.
We hadn’t needed any additional security so far, and there wasn’t much security here, so Douglas had walked right in, catching us off guard.
“Dad.” Ariel looked shell-shocked, and I unconsciously jumped off the stage to stand beside her.
“I thought we could drive home together,” he said with a smarmy smile.
“I’m not ready to go home,” she said, lifting her chin slightly.
“Of course not. You’re too busy spreading your legs at a sex club and hanging out with your new boyfriend.”
“Dad, that’s not even a little bit accurate. We played a show there, and—”
“I really don’t care what the excuses are. It’s time to go. Darren said he got the demo tape, so your work here is done. Let’s go get your things.”
“No.” She reached for my hand, and I wove my fingers into hers.
“Oh, isn’t that sweet.” He looked down at our clasped hands as if disgusted. “Well, I hope you enjoyed it, because whatever this was, it’s over.”
“She said she doesn’t want to leave,” I said, taking a step forward.
“She has zero say in the matter,” Douglas responded coldly. “Let’s go get your things, Ariel. Don’t make me call for help.”
“Call for help?” She scowled. “I’m not doing anything wrong. Who are you going to call? The cops? What are they going to see? An adult superstar performer working in a studio. No drugs, no alcohol, nothing. Go on, Dad. Call them.”
A muscle twitched beside Douglas’s right eye, and I really wanted to smack him, though I sensed he wanted me to do something like that, because it would give him something to call the police over. None of this made sense, but from the outside looking in, all I saw a pathetic man trying to stay in control of his daughter’s money.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but if you believe screwing my daughter gets you any rights, you’re sorely mistaken.” Douglas could have been a handsome guy, but the ugly twist of his mouth and the way he narrowed his eyes just made him look like a weasel.
“The lady said she didn’t want to go with you,” Bash interjected, coming to stand beside us.
“This is ridiculous!” Douglas threw up his hands. “Do you guys understand she’s mentally ill and could be not just a danger to herself, but also to all of you? There’s no telling what she might do, and—”
“Douglas, I’ve spent plenty of time with her both a few years ago and again this week,” Lexi said quietly. “She’s not a danger to anyone.”
“Well, based on her behavior today, she obviously is. How many days since you’ve taken your meds, Ariel?”
She didn’t say anything, merely moved closer to me.
“Ariel?” I squeezed her hand. “What do you want to do?”
Her hand was clammy, and she shivered against my side “I…” Her voice trailed off as she looked up at me. The fear radiating from her was almost tangible, and I squeezed a little harder.
“You don’t have to go. We’re here for you.”
Douglas started to laugh. “You really think he gives a shit about you, Ariel? He’s going to use you until he’s tired of you or you go off the rails, and then he’s going to kick you to the curb.”
“But I won’t.” Lexi didn’t seem any more intimidated by him than I was as she faced him.
“None of you realize the power I have, do you?” He looked around at us. “Darren wants to marry her.” His gaze zeroed in on me. “You’re fucking the woman Darren Randall wants to spend the rest of his life with. Do you realize what that’s going to do to your career? One word from me and all of this—” He motioned with his hand, as if it represented something important. “—is gone. Is she worth it? She comes to you with no money, no power, nothing but a pretty face and fake tits. You think you’re anything without Whiplash?”
None of us said anything because there was no response to his stupidly rhetorical questions.
“Hey, Stu, you think other record companies are going to jump at the chance to work with a felon? One bimbo your buddy is screwing can take everything away from you. Again.”
“You don’t have that kind of power,” I said slowly, finding my voice. “No one gives a shit about a pop star’s overbearing father. You’ll make headlines for two minutes, and then someone else will do something bigger and more interesting, and you’ll slide off the tabloid radar like yesterday’s slime.”
“Perhaps, but this is all just delaying the inevitable. Once I get the authorities involved, none of you will be able to stop me.” Douglas eyed Ariel. “I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish here, but I think it’s past time for another stay at Cunningham. I’ll be back, Ariel, with the law on my side.”
Ariel practically wilted against me as her father turned and stormed out of the studio.
Lexi hesitated for a second before asking, “Who or what is Cunningham?”
Ariel swallowed. “Cunningham Psychiatric Institute. In Santa Barbara.”
“That’s the place you were in before?” I asked her.
She nodded, absently wiping her clammy hands on her jeans.
“Fuck.” I didn’t know what to do with this new development. Damn the fucking paparazzi anyway. Why did they have to follow us like that? We hadn’t done anything wrong, but now I had to do damage control.
“I have to get out of here,” Ariel said, reaching for her things.
“Give me a minute,” I said slowly, my mind racing as fast as my heart. It had taken a lot of self-control not to knock Douglas into the middle of next week, but that wouldn’t help Ariel.
“What are you thinking?” she asked me.
I was mentally plotting out a plan as we stood there. With the demo tape finished, the band was in something of a holding pattern. We could rehearse our own songs, of course, but for the first time in my life I wasn’t that interested in being in the studio. I was far more excited about spending time with Ariel. She was sweet and sexy and talented, all things that turned me on. Our sex life was explosive, we enjoyed spending time together, and had many of the same interests.
Letting her go at this point would be impossible. I’d already been thinking about asking her to stay with me longer, and we’d been interrupted this morning before I could say anything, but her father had forced my hand.
“Let’s leave the country.”
20
Ariel
There was an awkward silence as everyone avoided our eyes. It was just Tyler and me right now, despite the others’ presence, and I wasn’t sure what he was saying. How could we leave the country?
“I don’t have my passport with me,” I whispered, swallowing hard to fight the overwhelming emotions whipping through me. Fear, embarrassment, shame. So many things that made me hate my life more than ever before.
“Doesn’t matter.” Tyler seemed distracted, full of nervous energy.
“But, Tyler…”
“Come here.” He took my hand and pulled me out of the room, into the hallway. We seemed to be alone, but I looked around to be sure.
“Hey.” He drew me against him, one arm around my waist. “The last week has been amazing. I don’t want it to end, and I don’t think you do, either. Now that the cat is out of the bag about us, let’s just leave and go somewhere we can be alone. Be together. I’m crazy about you, Ariel, and I think you feel the same.”
My eyes sought his, and for a long moment I didn’t say anything. I wanted to do this so much. I was terrified and exhilarated and breathless all at the same time, and it made me nervous because I had so many questions.
“Say yes,” he whispered, his eyes burning into mine. “We can do this. We’ll find a lawyer and make your dad go away. In the meantime, we can explore what this is. And how much more we might have as a couple.”
I had a million reasons to say no, but a few very important reasons to say yes. Reasons that gave me hope for my future. Our future. If there was such a thing.
“Yes,” I whispered back. “As long as we’re together, yes.”
Everything happened in a whirlwind once we left the studio. We went back to Tyler’s house while he called Casey to see if she would be willing to send the private jet for us. This was a confusing combination of a nightmare and a dream-come-true because even though I was terrified my father would take me back to L.A. and/or institutionalize me again, I’d finally been forced into action. I hadn’t planned it this way, but now that it was happening, I was going to do everything in my power to get away from my old life. I’d gladly give up my career, even most of my money, if I could just have a little peace.
My only big worry was that my father would go after my friends, which was the last thing I wanted. If not for Tyler, I would have been sick to my stomach, but he was my rock, and I’d never been more grateful. I was glad we were going somewhere far away because I didn’t want my new friends to be in my father’s crosshairs, either. He would go after anyone who sided with me for no other reason than to hurt me, and that really sucked, but if we could find a good lawyer, he or she might pre-empt any strikes before he did any damage.
“We’re all set,” Tyler told me when he joined me in the bedroom where I was trying to pack. “Casey’s sending the jet, and we’ll be ready to take off tomorrow evening. Until then, we need to keep a low profile.”
“Are we safe here?” I asked. “Should we go to a hotel or something?”
“I’m texting Chains, and we’ll see what he says,” Tyler said, pulling out his phone and typing into it. “Security is what he does. He’ll probably have the best idea of how to hide until tomorrow evening— There he is.” He answered the call coming in while I paced.
They spoke for a few minutes, and he hung up. “Chains is going to send a few guys over here for tonight and tomorrow until we leave. It’s going to be fine.”
“Okay.”
He reached out his hand. “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere, and ironically, the timing is perfect. We did the demo tape, we have tons of songs that we’ve already written for an album, and until we hear from Whiplash, we’re in a holding pattern anyway.”
I nodded and tried to focus on packing. First, we had to get out of the country. Second, I needed to find a lawyer. Finally, I had to gear up for what was going to be a battle. I didn’t know how or what my father would do to keep his control over me, but I knew him well enough to know he’d pull out all the stops. I could only hope he didn’t hurt Tyler or the others along the way. But my sweet, sexy boyfriend and I were getting the hell out of here, and that was all I was going to think about.
My boyfriend.
I really loved the sound of that.
Knowing Tyler had an identical twin and seeing them side-by-side were two completely different things. Despite the upheaval in my life, I still understood how much the emotional distance between the two of them had bothered Tyler, and I got a little misty-eyed as Marcus reached out and hugged him when we got off the jet in Hiskale, the capital of Limaj. He’d come to pick us up, and seeing them side-by-side was almost eerie.
“Good to see you,” Tyler said softly.
“Good to see you.”
The brothers stared at each other for a long moment before Tyler reached for my hand, pulling me forward. “Ariel, this is my brother, Marcus. Marcus, my girlfriend, Ariel.”
“Nice to meet you.” Marcus smiled and shook my hand, gazing at me with the same bright blue eyes as Tyler’s. It was a little unnerving, though I smiled back at him.
“Likewise.”
“The limo’s outside,” Marcus said. “Do you have luggage?”
“We do.” Tyler nodded as the captain brought down our bags as well as one of Tyler’s bass guitars, since he hoped to practice a little while we were here. Marcus took the bags while Tyler carried his bass, and I threw the strap of my oversized bag over my shoulder. It was big enough for my laptop, chargers, a change of clothes, and my medication, which was really all I needed at any given time.
“So, you got stuck with babysitting duty, huh?” Tyler asked his twin once we were settled in the back of the limo.
Marcus shook his head with a slight frown. “No. I volunteered. Did you think I wouldn’t come if you were going to be here?”
Tyler didn’t answer, and the brothers looked like they might have more to say, but in the end, neither of them did, and I hated the awkward silence that followed.
“Have you talked to Mom or Dad?” Tyler asked after a few minutes.
“I talk to them every few weeks,” Marcus said. “You?”
“Same. We don’t have much to say these days, though.”
“Same.” They gave each other wry smiles.
“So, how long have you two been dating?” Marcus asked, turning to me.
Tyler and I glanced at each other. “About a week,” Tyler said after a slight hesitation.
“It’s a long story,” I interjected.
“It’s about twenty minutes to the palace,” Marcus said, his eyes twinkling just like Tyler’s did when he was mischievous.
“Well, it started with me telling him about the time I punched a cop when I was seventeen,” I deadpanned.
Marcus’s eyes widened. Then he laughed. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
By the time we got to the palace, he knew most of the story, and the guys were talking about what a jerk my dad was, but I was distracted and mesmerized by the building in front of me. A real-life palace with gilded archways and ornate everything. I’d visited a handful of castles in Europe while on tour, but there had never been time to go inside any of them, and I was suddenly beyond excited that I was going to be staying at one.
“There are quite a few security protocols to become familiar with,” Marcus told us as we pulled into an underground garage. “Both for your protection and that of the royal family. Within the castle, there are no restrictions beyond the royal family’s suite of rooms. We call it the Royal Apartment. It’s like a house within a wing within a palace, if you know what I mean, but they have a private elevator to get there that requires a key card, so you’d really have to go out of your way to get up there accidentally.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to look,” I said, chuckling.
“You’ll be given key cards to get in and out of your suite,” Marcus continued, “and you’ll also show them to guards upon your return if you decide to go anywhere. The grounds are open for you to explore, but if you go around front, you’re bound to see tourists and paparazzo milling about looking for a glimpse of the family, so you might want to avoid that.”
“Can I take pictures?” I asked. “I mean, like me standing in front of the palace and stuff?”
“That’s no problem as long as you don’t post any pictures of the royal family without permission.” He went over a handful of other rules, mostly related to safety and privacy, and then stopped in front of a set of double doors. He used a key card to open it and let us walk in ahead of him.
The room was beautiful, with a large four-poster bed and a small sitting area by a set of sliding glass doors that led out to a balcony. There was a bathroom on one side and an area set up with a refrigerator, coffeemaker, sink, microwave, and dishwasher. The closet was almost as big as the one I had at home, and the bathroom was spacious and elegant.
“This is beautiful,” I said quietly. “Please thank Erik and Casey for me.”
“They’ve invited you to dinner at seven o’clock, if you’re feeling up to it.”
“I slept on the flight,” I said. “I think I’m good.”
“Me too,” Tyler said, nodding.
“So I’ll be here to pick you up around five of, okay?” Marcus paused. “Do you need anything else until then?”
“No, everything is perfect.” Tyler put a hesitant hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Maybe you and I could meet for breakfast or lunch or something, shoot the shit for a while?”
“Absolutely. I’ll take a look at the duty roster for my schedule and we’ll figure something out.”
“Thanks for everything,” Tyler told him.
“Of course. Oh, and if there’s ever a real emergency, like illness or an intruder, anything serious, pick up the phone on the nightstand and dial nine. That will get you right to the security desk.”
“Got it.”
We watched him go, and then I sank onto the bed. “Oh my god, we’re in Limaj, staying in a palace, and there are two of you walking around.”
