Don't Tell The Paparazzi

Chapter 11

Exhaustion kept Carter's face buried in the pillow, protesting against the morning light. Every part of his body ached absurdly. What the hell had happened last night? Apparently, nothing important enough to be worth the effort of retrieving from his blank memory. Then suddenly, he felt lips working on a curious spot on his body. Damn. That was way better than breakfast in bed, and he had to admit it. He opened his eyes and looked under the sheets. His heart raced."Stella?" Brian said, still groggy from sleep and likely suffering from a rebound effect after too much alcohol the previous night. The girl immediately stopped what she was doing. Her face emerged after she pulled back layers of sheets and brown hair strands. A face he didn't recognize."It's Lindsay!" The girl exclaimed, hurt, her gaze revealing deep disappointment.Brian struggled to recall her features from some recent memory. She had blue eyes, bright as headlights. The kind that wasn't easy to forget."Oh. Lindsay. Sorry," he said, realizing he was in his Los Angeles bedroom, though he had no idea how he got there. "I guess I drank a bit too much."The girl smiled, her central incisors gleaming like mint candies in her mouth. She forgave him easily."Totally! You were super drunk last night!" She crossed her legs and swung her dainty feet in the air. "It was a great party.""Yeah... it was." He furrowed his brows and felt a sharp pang where his liver should be. "Can you refresh my memory? Where did we meet?"The girl straightened up in bed, nestling her face on his shoulder: beautiful breasts. Another reason she shouldn't be forgettable."Here at your house! At the party Elijah threw! He introduced us..." Lindsay batted her lashes, hopeful. "I'm his friend, remember?"The vocalist sighed. Of course, Elijah would take advantage of Brian's absence to throw a party. Typical of the guitarist."Uh-huh..." Carter lied with a disingenuous smile, lighting up her face. "Wow. We... it was amazing last night."Lindsay hugged him, all smiles. Brian caught a whiff of her perfume—overwhelmingly sweet, like a candy store."What day is it today, Lindsay?""Sunday."His brain finally kick-started, and the pieces began to fit. He'd arrived from Denver the previous night, exhausted, only to find his house swarming with strangers: aspiring models dreaming of walking for top brands, B-movie big shots, and all sorts of beautiful, quirky people Elijah loved collecting. "Friends," he'd call them, though the guitarist barely remembered their names.And now Brian found himself in a situation he despised: with an unknown girl who likely fell into the "new-to-Los-Angeles-hoping-to-act-but-soon-dancing-in-clubs-with-50-dollar-bills-tucked-in-her-pants" category. He knew the next step would involve Lindsay demanding some romance, asking if he'd call her the next day, etc., etc., etc. He needed to send her away. Fast. And even though he'd been through this countless times, it still made him uncomfortable.A voice with a Spanish accent preceded three polite knocks on the door:"Mr. Carter?"Saved by the bell."Come in, Eva."The girl Lindsay hid under the satin sheets as the woman peeked into the room."Sorry to disturb you, but Robert's on the phone and insisted I call you.""Who?" For a moment, Brian forgot the name's owner; the connection between the words and the memory was still failing."Your... manager, sir." Eva spoke gently, hoping her boss wouldn't scold her for the audacity. Robert could be convincing, and the housekeeper thought refusing his demands might put her job at risk. "He's already called a thousand times."Lindsay was still staring at Brian with those absurd Siamese cat-like blue eyes. He let out a long, theatrically annoyed sigh before saying:"I need to handle serious business here, Ashley." He got up, grabbing the boxers tossed next to the bed. Eva averted her gaze. "Get dressed. Mrs. Hernandez will escort you out.""I already told you, my name is Lindsay." The girl narrowed her eyes, speaking through gritted teeth, her earlier sweetness gone."Whatever," Brian said, tired of playing nice. "Just get out of here."The girl's eyes widened. Then, with palpable irritation, she zipped up her low-cut dress with a sharp whistling sound, grabbed her sandals, and headed for the door. Before leaving, she turned to Brian, her once-blue, angelic eyes now flashing with devilish rage:"Go to hell, Brian Carter," she snapped, flipping him off. "And for the record, your music sucks.""So did your blowjob," Brian shot back as she stormed out alongside Eva. "Hi, Robert," the vocalist finally gave his attention to an impatient Robert Barlet, already fed up on the other end of the line.The manager, as expected, didn't bother with pleasantries and unloaded a torrent of harsh words over the phone. Brian counted ten curses in every sentence uttered. It was hard to imagine Robert being in such a foul mood at... — the musician checked his watch — eleven o'clock on a sunny Sunday morning."Good morning to you too," Brian quipped.A brief silence followed, soon broken by Barlet's furious tone:"Good morning? Have you read today's paper?""Paper? I just woke up, and I don't subscribe to any papers." Brian Carter knew Robert's tendency to blow things out of proportion, so he wasn't fazed when the manager created enough fuss to confuse a petty thief with an international terrorist."I know! That's why I sent your housekeeper to the newsstand to grab a copy of the *Daily News*."Brian sighed impatiently. He called for Eva, who by now had already escorted Lindsay out. The housekeeper appeared promptly, showcasing her competence."Eva, did you buy the *Daily News*?" he asked, and she nodded. "Bring it to me, please."Eva Hernandez hurried off to fetch the newspaper. Robert continued:"Before you open it, guess who's plastered all over the entertainment section?"Brian remained composed, waiting. Eva returned with the neatly rolled-up paper and a generous glass of orange juice. The vocalist flipped through the pages nonchalantly while sipping his drink."Okay. I'm at the entertainment section."He fell silent after mentally reading the headline emblazoned in scarlet hues:"Dark Paradise Frontman Spotted with Mystery Girl at McDonald's in Colorado.""Shit..." Brian muttered under his breath, as if his voice could go unnoticed by the manager. Naturally, it didn't."Shit is right, Brian. Did you see the photos? Open to page two of the section. My favorite's there."The vocalist already anticipated what awaited him on the following pages and didn't need Robert to tell him it wasn't good."Did you open it?" Barlet's voice hammered insistently, as though his badgering could yield a satisfactory answer."Yes, I opened it.""Now read the third paragraph.""Fine, Robert. I get it.""Read." The manager's voice was menacing, and though Brian knew he didn't have to, he humored him."Brian Carter, lead singer of the British band Dark Paradise, was spotted early Friday morning after a show in Denver, Colorado, accompanied by a mystery girl at a McDonald's outlet. The pair seemed very intimate, sparking rumors that Carter may already be going through a rocky phase in his recent relationship with America's sweetheart, Natalie Wolf." He paused. There was no need to continue. Robert waited silently for the star to defend himself. Nothing happened."Great, Brian. Are you calculating the scale of this mess?""Damn it, Robert. This is nothing. I was just accompanying a friend. What's the big deal?" he emphasized, as if trying to convince himself of his own unconvincing words."Brian, you're wiping ketchup off the girl's lip.""So what? Wouldn't you do that for a friend?""You're wiping the sauce with your mouth."Carter fell silent again. He wanted to shift the focus of the conversation but knew it was impossible. If Robert had seen it, the rest of America probably already knew."Okay, Barlet. What do I do now?"A cynical laugh preceded the answer. The manager enjoyed these moments when the usually daring Brian Carter was vulnerable and at his mercy, so he wasn't lenient with the plea."If I were you? I'd pray. Because your girlfriend's agent already called me, furious. And she guaranteed that Natalie is on her way to your house." ---Just minutes after Robert's warning, the deafening sound of a helicopter completed its unauthorized landing on Brian's private helipad. The rock star rushed to the sink, vigorously brushing his teeth to erase any trace of alcohol from his breath. His vegan girlfriend and spokesperson for a new slimming shake was already angry enough about the tabloid news; learning he had been drinking the night before would only make things worse.He managed to splash some water on his face and throw on the first piece of clothing he found before Natalie Wolf's firm footsteps reached the hallway. He took a deep breath and stood his ground, even as she shoved the door open with zero diplomacy."What does this mean?" Natalie stretched out the newspaper in her left hand. Her right held a Prada handbag—and Lulu, her Chihuahua, who for reasons unknown had hated Carter from the moment they met."Sweetheart, please, I can explain..." Brian didn't even realize when the cliché phrase left his mouth. Seconds later, Wolf dropped the miniature dog and smacked him with her expensive purse."Then explain!" The actress possessed a disproportionate strength for her slim frame, and Carter had to struggle to hold her back."Calm down!" he pleaded, stalling while he racked his brain for a plausible excuse for the scandalous tabloid photo. When he finally managed to restrain his girlfriend, he said with the most hypocritical expression possible:"The girl took advantage of me being drunk after the show. That's all."The features of the double Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress twisted into a cynical smile."Oh! Poor thing. So, you're saying you were a victim?"The man said nothing. Natalie lunged at him again, scratching him with her perfectly manicured red nails (her nail artist had done an excellent job). Brian freed himself and pushed her toward the bed. The sugary perfume from Lindsay still lingered on the sheets. Lulu tugged at the hem of his pants, yapping shrilly."Natalie, stop! Can we talk like civilized adults, please?"The young woman didn't answer immediately. She controlled her breathing and only cast a truceful look at the musician a few minutes later."Fine. Fine. But if you think I'm stupid enough to believe any half-baked story, then you don't know me at all."Carter stood up, freeing himself from the annoyingly dressed dog. If he liked the animal, he might've defended it from Natalie's bad taste, but he preferred to think the little creature deserved it. Then he went to the minibar and opened an energy drink. His girlfriend rolled her eyes."Oh, come on! This early?"He could see the look of disapproval on her face before she even formed it. Since their improbable relationship began five months ago, that seemed to be the only expression Natalie Wolf wore around him. To Hollywood directors, however, she was an artist of many facets."Yes, Natalie, this early." Then, surprising even himself with sudden courage, he added: "Do you want the truth? I wasn't drunk, and I wasn't coerced. I genuinely wanted to be with that girl."Natalie's blue eyes widened, her mouth forming a stunned "O." She wasn't used to being overlooked, whether by famous directors or any other man, especially not one of the highest-paid rock stars of the moment."And you have the audacity to tell me this? Like it's acceptable?""What do you want me to do? Lie to you? I'm not as good an actor as you are, Natalie."She crossed her arms, a maniacal smile accompanied by small spasms forming on her thin lips."Stella? Is that the name of the tramp?"Carter didn't even realize he had called his girlfriend by the wrong name, but it was obvious since the teacher hadn't left his thoughts for even a minute. Not even with Wolf throwing her dramatic tantrum."Stella isn't a tramp, Natalie," he said loudly. He didn't know why he was defending her—Stella wasn't even there to care how her name was being used in vain. Natalie covered her mouth with her hands as if she were about to cry. She was such a skilled actress that Brian couldn't tell if she was performing or genuinely shocked by her realization."Oh my God. You're in love with her."The vocalist rolled his eyes."No.""Yes, you are. I can see it.""I said no.""Be a man, you bastard!"First, he fell silent. Then, after gulping down half the energy drink, he turned his gaze from the expansive bedroom window to Wolf."Damn it, Natalie. And what if I am? This thing between us is just a contract. It's not real."The blonde was speechless. But then she gathered her belongings from the carpet and prepared to leave, not forgetting to grab the irritating dog."If you are, Brian Carter, then prepare to see my worst side."She gave him an insane little smirk and stormed out, slamming the door. Her cunning mind was already plotting revenge. Instead of chasing after her, Brian flopped onto the bed and closed his eyes, replaying the past few minutes in his head. He thought of Ashley (or Lindsay, or whoever she was) and the countless wanderers who had shared his bed. He thought of Natalie and her violent fury.And he thought of Stella. About all the new feelings this girl stirred in him. For the first time, the chaos of his life genuinely bothered him. He realized that, despite not fully admitting it, Natalie might have been right. Maybe he was in love—even if he was too stubborn to accept it.--- "Match!" Tommy Morello cheered as he took another swig of his beer. They were at Barley's, a modest bar in Echo Park that boasted three key qualities: cold drinks, 24-hour service, and hipster clientele who couldn't care less that Brian Carter and Tommy Morello were there. Despite its shabby atmosphere, the place held a certain nostalgia for the musicians. It reminded them of their inglorious days of anonymity when being rock stars was nothing more than a foolish daydream.
"Best of three?" Carter proposed, already devising a new strategy to close the gap after Morello pocketed the eight ball to end the game."Sure, but you're going to get crushed today," Morello teased as he reset the table. Then, in a casual tone, he added, "Hey, Ingrid showed me yesterday's paper. Nice photos."Brian sighed irritably and grimaced before replying, annoyed:"What photos? Oh. From a trashy, unreliable rag called *Daily News*? Seriously, Ingrid reads that garbage?"Morello chuckled, his lips framed by his goatee."Well, Ingrid and the rest of the world, I guess," he paused, then looked at Brian with faint concern. "But how are things with Natalie?"The vocalist sighed deeply."If by 'things being fine,' you mean her coming to my house and attacking me with her purse..." Brian focused on his shot and sank four balls in quick succession. "I'd say we're fantastic.""Dude..." Tommy grimaced, his face reflecting both concern for his friend and the pain of seeing the tough shot he now faced."But things could've been worse. At least she didn't catch the girl who spent the night in my bed sneaking out," Brian added, as if that were the greatest advantage. Morello looked up from the green felt table and gave his friend a reproachful stare."Damn it, Brian. You've got to stop this."The vocalist smirked smugly."Stop making the game harder for you?""No, you idiot." Tommy looked at him seriously. "This reckless lifestyle. And I'm not trying to play Robert's role here because I know he's already given you an earful about all this crap. But seriously, what were you thinking? Taking a groupie to McDonald's? In public? That's stupid, even for you.""Stella isn't exactly a fan."Tommy's eyebrows shot up."Wait a second. That name sounds familiar." The bassist tapped his temple with his finger, then pointed it at his friend. "The girl who came backstage after the show! The one who said she was your friend?"Brian's eyes lit up—a silent confirmation."Wow. I didn't recognize her from the newspaper photos. They were pretty blurry," Tommy added."Yeah. At least she was spared that.""But you and Natalie weren't."Carter shrugged."It's life."Morello forgot the game for a moment and stared at his friend."Jesus... why do I get the feeling you don't care about your contract relationship at all?""Because... maybe I don't," Brian replied, and deep down, Tommy wasn't surprised. After all, it wasn't a secret that the bond between Carter and Wolf was more of a business arrangement than a romantic relationship. So the bassist asked:"But this girl, Stella, she's different, isn't she? You took her to that café table in Prague, and then you meet her again in Colorado...""She texted me saying she'd be in Denver, so I invited her to the show. No big deal."That revelation made Tommy widen his eyes, wrinkles forming on his forehead."Wait. Hold on. You gave her your number?""What's the big deal, Tommy?" Brian asked, giving his colleague a reproachful look."Nothing. I just find it... interesting," Morello replied, suggestively. Brian tried to refocus on the game but gave up when Tommy kept staring at him."Damn it, Morello. Why are you looking at me like that?""Oh, you bastard...""What?""If I didn't know you better, I'd say you're falling for this one."Brian swallowed hard, refusing to admit defeat. His face turned red."Good thing you know me.""But you are?""What?""In love?"Carter crossed his arms and glared at his friend, the veins in his neck bulging."For crying out loud, is everyone accusing me of that now?!"Morello stifled a laugh."Falling in love isn't a crime.""It's not a crime, but it makes you a prisoner of just one woman.""Gee, thanks." The man feigned offense, and Brian tried to backtrack."Don't take it the wrong way, Tommy. Ingrid's great. But you know you miss out on a lot." He raised a finger. "And I'm not encouraging anything bad here. I love your wife like a sister. I'm just... commenting.""You're looking at it from a different perspective, my friend. I didn't lose anything. I gained everything," Morello sighed like a true romantic husband, and Brian rolled his eyes. "But what are we talking about? Technically, you're also committed—to Natalie Wolf."Carter pulled a face."It's more of a marketing strategy. She's good for my image; I'm good for hers..." The vocalist twisted his lips, pensive. "Well, I'm not so sure about that last part. But anyway, everyone wins in the end."Tommy lined up his next shot before saying:"Man, I don't think she sees it that way—as just marketing. Or she wouldn't have stormed into your house to confront you, nor acted like a harpy most of the time. If you don't like her, just end it."Tommy's blunt remark about Wolf made Carter laugh heartily. It was true; Natalie was a cold, calculating woman. He didn't even bother defending her."No, it's not that simple," Brian said. "The PR team says it wouldn't look good for my image."Tommy scoffed."What image, Carter? Rock stars aren't supposed to worry about their image! The bad-boy reputation only makes them more appealing." He paused, adding as an afterthought, "Except for the family-man bassist, of course.""The truth, Tommy..." Brian hesitated, then sighed. "Natalie isn't the type to take a breakup well."The bassist looked puzzled."What do you mean? Are you scared of her, Brian?"Carter responded with a question of his own:"You know what I heard straight from Natalie? That she made up that whole scandal about actress Tess Gardner being involved with drugs and sleeping with directors to land roles. All because the girl started dating one of her exes. That rumor destroyed Gardner's career, but Natalie calls it justice. So you ask if I'm scared. Yeah. Maybe a little. Wolf is influential and doesn't hesitate to use that power for harm."Tommy drew in a sharp breath, stunned."Damn. She sounds like a sociopath. I read somewhere that they're great actors." If Carter hadn't been watching his friend's reaction, he might've thought Tommy was joking, but the bassist's expression remained serious. "And I guess you still want to have a long and happy life... maybe with this Stella, who knows..."A waitress with heavy makeup brought them two more beers before leaving, noisily chewing gum."No, no. If I break up with Natalie, I'm not getting involved with anyone else. The world still has too many distractions, if you catch my drift." Brian winked suggestively, and Tommy gave him a knowing, exasperated look."You do know there's more to life than just carnal connections, right? Like watching movies with someone you love, holding hands on a walk...""Oh, yes, Dr. Morello, Ph.D. in Relationships, I know. And let me tell you, I'm not falling for it." The vocalist pulled a face after taking a sip of his beer, which wasn't as cold as he'd hoped. "As you said, 'different perspectives,' my friend.""Then explain something to me. If, according to your hedonistic theory, the world has enough distractions to keep you entertained for your next lifetime, why did you get involved with Stella again? Is this an exception to your rule because the sex was too good?"Brian didn't know how to respond. Tommy noticed."Well?""I don't even know if she's an exception.""What do you mean?""There hasn't been any sex."Tommy took longer than expected to break the silence, and when he finally spoke, he burst out laughing."What?! Then what have you been doing? Crossword puzzles?"Brian ran a hand over his face and sighed. He knew he was giving Tommy enough material to tease him for the next decade."We just... talked."That was enough for Tommy to set his pool cue aside."Oh, so now you like to get to know your 'one-night-only' girls deeply? Make sure you're compatible before hooking up? That's a new one. And it goes against your thesis."The vocalist rolled his eyes."It's not that, you idiot." Brian glanced around quickly; the nearest person was the waitress, distracted by a rerun of a movie on the TV. Even so, Carter lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "The girl was a virgin. I didn't think it was right to sleep with her and then ghost her."The bassist stroked his goatee, staring at Brian in disbelief."Well, look at that. Brian Carter has principles." Then he frowned. "Okay. Let's pretend that somewhat explains why you didn't sleep with her the first time—because ghosting is never cool, virgin or not. But what about Denver?""That was months later. I thought there was a chance she'd met someone else by then, so... I wouldn't have that responsibility anymore," Carter explained. "Plus, she drank too much, so I ended up playing babysitter."Tommy paused, thumb resting on his chin, his expression Sherlock Holmes-like."Well, you talked, took care of her after she drank too much... Funny, those sound like things someone who really cares would do. What's your game here? Some kind of endurance test?"Carter exhaled, irritated."Damn it, Tommy. Maybe I'm just a little more interested in this girl than others. Happy? Can we play now?""Ha! So you admit you're contradicting yourself, my friend!"Brian kept his eyes fixed on the game, more to avoid giving in than to plan his next move. Morello pressed on:"Are you going to see her again?"The vocalist frowned."She's holding onto something of mine. I need to get it back.""Oh, really? What does she have?""My silver necklace."Morello's eyebrows shot up."The one you never take off under any circumstances?"Carter avoided his friend's gaze, nodding in agreement."Hmm..." Tommy said. A short word, but one that sounded excessively long."What?""Nothing.""Spit it out, Tommy.""It seems like this girl's really gotten to you. Just like this strike I'm about to make... now." The bassist celebrated, finishing the second round."Ah, damn," Brian grumbled. "I'm out of luck today.""Maybe it's the lack of the necklace. Or maybe Stella's completely thrown you off your game.""Ha-ha.""But you know what you should do? Call her as soon as possible, just to get your necklace back. After all, it's your lucky charm. What if you get laryngitis or trip over a monitor at your next show?""Just for that, right?" the vocalist replied sarcastically."Just for that. But, of course, you could invite her to stay a few days... maybe bring her over to meet Ingrid. So she doesn't make the trip here for nothing, poor thing.""And nothing more.""Exactly."Brian glanced at the TV in the distance. On the screen, a couple in a soap opera was sharing a passionate kiss.Suddenly, he downed the rest of his beer, walked over to Tommy, and patted him on the back."Drinks are on you today, buddy."Tommy looked at him, puzzled."Okay. But what about the game? Where are you going?"Brian raised his finger for emphasis as he delivered his parting words:"This time, and just this time, I'm taking your advice. And getting my necklace back."