The pounding on the door made Kate jump and break out of JC’s arms. She wrapped her arms around herself, strangely cold now that JC wasn’t giving her his body heat. “You’d better get that, it doesn’t sound like they are going away this time.”
In the moments that it took JC to tear himself away from Kate, the person pounding on the door switched from one fist to two. “Okay, okay, I’m coming.”
He stood back from the door so he wouldn’t be hit in the face with the fists that belonged to…Tom. “Hey Tom, what’s going on?” JC leaned against the door jam casually.
Tom took a deep breath and gave JC a moment to study him. Tom was very pale, breathing heavy, and his hands were closed tightly around a clipboard and his phone. “JC –” Tom said through clenched teeth. “What do you think you are doing? Is it your goal to give me a heart attack?”
Not giving JC the opportunity to answer, Tom stepped back and motioned to JC to precede him down the hallway. “Let’s go! I canceled your interview this morning, but you still have sound check, the meet and greet, and in case you’ve forgotten A CONCERT TO PERFORM!”
JC rubbed the ear closest to Tom in pain, shaking his head in denial. “We can’t leave just yet.”
Tom’s voice dropped dangerously low, “What do you mean we can’t leave yet?”
JC shot a quick glance behind him to see Kate again looking out the window. So he was startled when Tom yanked him not so gently into the hallway, shutting the door behind JC. “I’ve done as you asked – that girl’s suitcases have been packed, and her car, if you can call it that, has been detailed and is full of gas with the suitcases packed in the trunk for her. And Pete has been reassigned to another position, NOW we are running late so LET’S GO!”
“Tom,” JC warned, his own voice barely above a whisper. “Pete was to be fired.”
“For what, a personality clash!?”
JC’s jaw clenched and he turned back to his room. He knocked since his key was sitting on the dresser inside. When Kate opened it, he stepped aside and placed a hand on the small of her back, turning her toward Tom and lifting one of her arms with his free hand. “Does this look like a ‘personality clash’ to you?”
His face turning slightly green now as he looked at Kate’s bruised and bloody face, JC watched as Tom’s attention then turned to the wrist he was holding even as Kate struggled to get away from him. “Pete did this?” He asked JC still looking at Kate.
JC nodded.
“Surely, he had …” His voice trailed off with one look from JC.
“Is she pressing charges?”
Kate shook her head quickly, then with a glance at JC turned her attention to the floor.
JC immediately protested, “Kate, you really should.”
She stayed silent and tried to slink back into the hotel room, but JC wouldn’t let her escape. “Tom, we need a few more minutes. Oh and can you have someone take Kate’s luggage to my bus and send Ray to me please.” JC named one of the other bodyguards that he knew he could trust.
He followed Kate back into the hotel room and let the door shut in Tom’s face. JC followed Kate across the room where he settled on the bed as she curled up in the chair with a leg beneath her and crossed her arms over her chest – already closing him out.
“Look, Kate, I know what you’re thinking, but just hear me out for a minute.” He rushed on without allowing Kate to speak. “There is no need for you to keep running any more. Look – you’ve got royalties from the song coming to you. One or two more songs like that and you can be set for life. You can stay on the tour – ”
Kate held up a hand and immediately interrupted, “JC, this was never about money, I don’t want your guilt money. I didn’t seek you out for money, and as for the tour – there is absolutely no way I can ever go on tour with you.”
“Just hear me out for a second.” He rushed over her shake of the head. “You can ride my bus and just hang out if you want to. Take a break, see the world.”
Emphatically, Kate shook her head. “No, JC, don’t you see, this thing –” She waved a hand between them. “This fascination you seem to have for me can go no further. And not only that, even if I did decide to go with you, you have so much press and publicity that if one picture – just one – was leaked…I’m afraid Luke would see it and come find me. And honestly, I could never just hang out on tour, I would get so bored so fast by doing nothing. JC – it’s…it’s not going to work.”
Tamping down the rush of excitement at her words, JC spoke carefully. “So…your objections are number 1 – getting bored on the tour,” he raised fingers in the air as he counted. “Number two – you don’t want to take the money that is rightfully yours and number three – publicity that may be leaked. Is that it in a nutshell?”
“Yes, so JC, if I could just have my car keys, I’ll be gone.” Kate stood up and reached out her hand, palm up.
Instead of placing the car keys in her hand, he grasped it in his, closing his warm fingers around her cold ones. “So, if I get rid of these problems, you’ll join the tour?”
Already Kate was shaking her head in disbelief that JC would be so arrogant to believe that those problems could be fixed so easily. “JC, those aren’t easy problems to fix.”
With a stern look, JC tried another tactic, “Alright, I’ll make you a bet. If I can make the problems disappear – you’ll come with me for the rest of the tour. If I can’t, then I’ll let you go and even throw in a new car.”
“Alright, JC, if and that’s a big if you can solve all these problems, then I’ll join the tour. But you’re never going to be able to stop all the publicity surrounding you.”
JC held a smirk back, she really didn’t know him that well, since she had just issued a challenge – and JC could never turn down a challenge. He released her hand and held out his right one. “Let’s shake on it.”
Hesitantly, she placed her right hand in it. He shook her hand a couple of times, giving her a cocky grin. He nodded once as if everything had been decided already. “Okay then.” Giving her hand a pat before he released it, he moved to the door to start the ball rolling on Kate joining the tour. “I’ve got to get to sound check, you hang out here, if you need anything ask Ray. He’ll be outside the door until I get back. You might want to take a nap, the buses will be leaving extra early in the morning.” With a lighthearted wave, JC smiled and shut the door behind him leaving Kate staring after him confused.
“What have I done?”
