6
Jude
"Hey Jude."A woman giggled as she grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. "I can't wait to work with you," shepurred.
Feeling the hand on his arm, Jude stopped. He was used to fans grabbing him and allowed it. Everyone else should know better. He turned to look at the woman standing beside him and narrowed his eyes. He recognized her. He knew labels called her in when they wanted to up the prettyfactor.
Plastic, he thought.Like so manyofthem.
"What do you want?" he asked as he yanked hisarmaway.
"I'm Kat Krave. I play keys. I can't wait to get to know youbetter."
"Keys? I've seen you before. You don't play keys, you barely play at all," he scoffed. "Now be a good girl and run along. I don't have the time or patienceforthis."
As Jude entered the red and gold hotel lobby, he spotted Richard standing by the entrance's revolving door waiting for his car and made his way overtohim.
"Dick," Jude said as he approached. "I told you before I'm not babysitting a bunch ofchildren."
"They're not children, Jude. They're older than you were when you startedtouring."
Jude gritted his teeth. He hated when other people were right. Fifteen years ago, at the age of sixteen, Jude drove out to LA with some buddies in the hopes they'd make it big. Jude did. His old friends had to change theirplans.
Back then, Richard Black was a hardworking young man with a dream. He spent a few years working at record companies and believed he had what it took to make money. He just needed therightband.
Spending his nights at dive clubs that hosted new acts, he knew the local bands and their politics. He had a dream band in mind, but everything had to line up. He wanted to take the bassist and guitarist from one band, the lead singer from another, and form a brand-new band. He just needed adrummer.
Jude was playing drums with his old buddies then. When Dick heard him behind the kit, he knew he found his man. It didn't take much to convince Jude to meet the other guys and once they played together, everything else fell into place. Within a couple of years, Silverlight was the biggest band in theworld.
"You know why I'm doing this," Jude said. "You better hold up your end ofthedeal."
"Yes, yes, I know. You want out of your contract. I guarantee it. I just wish you'dreconsider."
"No. I've had enough. You know it was ashitdeal."
"You agreed to it, but I'll remind you that it wasn't my idea to begin with. I would've been happy for Silverlight to go on forever,sheconvinced you otherwise. But you were in love," Richard said as he rolledhiseyes.
"Yeah, love," Jude said. "Too bad Donna didn't feelthesame."
"You know in her own way she loved you. She still asksaboutyou."
"Don't talk to me about her. I know she's your niece and all, but I don't want tohearit."
"Trust me, I'd rather not talk about her," Richard said. "She singlehandedly led to the breakup of the greatest rock band of this generation. Do you know how much she cost me?" A silver BMW pulled up and Richard took the keys from the valet. "Have you listened to Lucky'smusicyet?"
"No," Jude growled. "I'll learn my parts, don'tworry."
"I know you will. But listen to her music. I think you'll be surprised. The kid'sreallygood."
As Richard drove away, Jude entered the hotel. He resented having to join this tour with a bunch of kids just starting out. He knew Richard wanted him to listen to her music, but what did he know? Money was all Richard cared about. He just knew this Lucky girl was going to be some plastic pop tart not much different than thatKatgirl.
As he walked through the lobby, a couple of women in their thirties ran over to him. While they were dressed in business attire, they squealed like young girls as theyapproachedhim.
"Jude! Jude Morrison! Oh, you are even hotter in person!" one of the women said. "I had your poster hanging in my bedroom in high school. Remember that, Becky? That was during Silverlight's secondalbum."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the band exit the restaurant and walk towards the lobby. One of the members stood out for him, a girl with long, light brown hair and curves that wouldn't quit. Her eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses that hid half her face, but it didn't matter, he couldn't tear his eyes awayfromher.
Jude was used to having women fawn over him, and he sometimes used his rock star status. He couldn't help it, it had its advantages. He wanted this woman like he hadn't wanted anyone else in a long time, and he knew all he had to do was say his name and she'dbehis.
