65. Chapter Sixty-Five
After my recent phone interview with one of Sydney’s top radio stations, I know there will be consequences. The news is bound to spread like wildfire. I was completely honest and firmly rejected any insinuations about my involvement with the young girl that could damage my reputation. My heart goes out to Theo. He”s got his interview later today and now that the media have wind of what happened, he’ll be bombarded with questions. Theo’s right. We need to come together and work out how to tell the truth about what’s been happening with the label all these years.
It’s time to reveal that it’s been Reg who sparks the headlines, painting me as a rebellious rocker with a carefree attitude. This portrayal is far from the truth. I never wanted Poppy to think I was a player or that she didn”t matter to me. Unfortunately, the media has painted me in a different light. Whenever they get a hold of photos of me standing beside beautiful women, including models and celebrities, they always write some bullshit article that portrays me as a womanizing rockstar.
It”s annoying how people have been misrepresenting me all these years, so let”s set the record straight. Especially now, I don”t want the media distorting my relationship with Poppy, making it seem like she”s just another name on a long list of women I”ve supposedly banged. That”s why I feel like I have to come clean about what Reg has done. Once he’s sorted this shit out, I plan to give an interview upon my return home, setting the record straight for everyone to hear.
Reg’s bullshit has once again ruined my day, abruptly cutting short our enjoyable visit to the zoo. I was enjoying every moment I spent with Poppy, and her infectious smile, as I tried to capture as many photos of the animals as I could for our little boy. But the way the media hounded me with questions during that interview, I know we need to go and prepare ourselves for the shit storm that is coming our way.
With Poppy on my left, holding a stuffed kangaroo and a koala for Alex, and Theo on my right, burdened by his two hefty bags, we make our way to the carpark. Earlier, I sent a quick message to Kit, filling her in on the incident and asking her to arrange a speedy car to pick us up.
The three of us squeeze into the back, while Neil sits in the front passenger seat. As the car moves, I remove the cap and blonde wig, running my fingers through my sweaty hair. Theo does the same, peeling off his fake mustache and sideburns. I’m about to burst into laughter when I see his bright red sunburned face, with the white outline of a mustache and sideburns. But before I can tease the fucker, my phone pings.
Ace: Fuck. I thought that asshole was handling it.
I quickly type my response.
Xander: We’re on our way back. Theo’s stressing about the interview. Can you come back?
Ace: Yeah, we”re on our way now. We”ll meet you in your room as soon as we arrive.
I put my phone back in my pocket.
“Was that Ace?” Theo inquires,
“Ace and Nate are on their way. We’ll sort everything out,” I confirm.
Theo nods, then pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through it. I quickly steal a glance at Poppy, who is quietly observing Theo.
“Man, it’s all over the news,” Theo states, before tossing me his phone. There are two photos, one of me and the other showcasing the girl that Reg was supposed to take care of. The headline boldly declares, “Band manager arranges 15-year-old for frontman.”
Poppy leans in beside me, eager to see what Theo has discovered. As I start reading more headlines, a wave of emotions washes over me. It’s always the same shit with the media, never getting any of their fucking facts straight. All I can think about is the second I see Reg, he’s gonna get a fucking punch to the face for dragging me into his mess once again.
“What are you going to do?” Poppy asks.
“I have no fucking idea,” I state. “He’s always dragging me into shit like this. None of it has any truth to it. Well… except the one time I trashed that hotel room. That was legit. But everything else is fake.”
I give Theo back his phone. I notice his leg nervously bouncing up and down as he continues scrolling. “This is really bad, man. It’s fucked. I’m not sure I can handle this,” he confesses.
I can see that he’s on the verge of losing his shit. It’s evident from his restless fidgeting and the way he bites his bottom lip. To an outsider, it would seem as though he’s a junkie desperately searching for his next fix. Normally, Nate would step in, easing his tension. But without Nate here, I don’t know what to do. When we hang out, we’re usually chilling, laughing, and drinking beers. Not this. Maybe I should shoot Nate a text and fill him in so he can help Theo calm down?
Right when I’m about to text Nate, Poppy’s voice breaks the silence. “What did you get from the gift shop?”
As soon as Theo meets her gaze, I notice a distinct change in his mood. He places his phone on the seat next to him and reaches into one of the bags. Excitedly, he pulls out a small elephant and proudly shows it to Poppy. Then he unveils a gorilla, a giraffe, and a kangaroo. Passing them to her, I observe their interaction, and it’s as if he has effortlessly returned to his usual self.
“I’ve got something for the little guy,” Theo says. “I hope it’s okay?” He withdraws a plastic Hippo head on a long stick, with a lever at the bottom. Pulling the lever causes the Hippo’s mouth to open and close. Theo proceeds to give Poppy a quick demonstration.
“He’s going to love it,” she says, with a smile.
Right then, it hits me - my band brothers are going to fully embrace Poppy and Alex. Alex will have three uncles who, without a doubt, will shower him with love and care, simply because he is a part of me.
Theo consistently shows off all the shit he bought at the zoo - magnets, snow cones, and an array of other treasures. As we approach the hotel, Theo regains a sense of calm and composure, thanks to the influence of my princess, adept at handling situations where Nate would typically take charge.
Once we get to my room, Theo gets all worked up again.
“Where are they?” he asks, anxiously checking his phone. “I only have forty minutes left before I have to do this.”
”Don”t worry, man. I”ll handle the interview,” I volunteer, hoping to ease Theo’s burden.
A sudden knock on the door captures our attention. Poppy rushes over, and opens it, expecting to find Ace and Nate outside. However, to her surprise, it’s Reg who stands there, his tone indicating clear displeasure.
“Where is he?” he snaps at Poppy, forcefully barging into the room. As his eyes meet mine, his expression darkens. “What the fuck have you done?” he accuses, approaching the table. “Lionel just called me and he is absolutely livid.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not fucking thrilled either, asshole. It’s out, and I won’t take the blame for some shit I didn’t do, especially not this,” I retort.
Another knock prompts Poppy to open the door, this time it’s Ace and Nate.
“Why is he here?” Nate asks. “I thought this was supposed to be a band meeting.”
“Yeah, it is,” I proclaim, my voice laced with frustration. “The asshole just walked in.”
“What’s going on?” Reg asks, scanning the room. “Are you really having a band meeting without the band manager?”
“Reg, listen the fuck up,”Ace says, moving closer to the table. “I just talked to Lionel, and I told him straight up that this is gonna be our final tour with the label because of this problem. Lionel and I agreed that it”s on you to fix this problem. He suggested you handle Theo’s radio interview.” Ace glances at his watch. “Time is running out, Reg. You have thirty-five minutes to sort this shit out, and if you don”t, Lionel knows we”ll go to the media back home and expose the truth.”
I can”t believe how Ace just put Reg in his place, and judging by their expressions, neither can Nate and Theo. It”s really impressive to see the big guy in action, being assertive, and finally standing up to the label.
Reg scans the four of us, then his gaze lingers on Poppy.
Stepping forward, I know I’ll lose my fucking shit if he starts on her.
”Reg, it”s time for you to go and fix this shit,” Ace says, giving off an authoritative vibe. “Or would you prefer me to call Neil to show you the way out?”
In the intense face-off between Reg and Ace, Reg”s phone starts ringing.
“You should answer that,” Ace calmly suggests.
Reg grabs his phone from his suit pocket, turns, and heads for the door.
We all just stay there, watching him leave with the phone pressed up against his ear. As soon as the door clicks shut, our attention immediately returns to Ace.
“Yeah, man,” Nate says. ”You showed that prick whose boss.”
I move over to Ace and give him a congratulatory pat on the back before heading over to the fridge, wanting to grab a few cold beers to share. Seeing Ace like that reminded me of the time when we were younger, not letting anyone control us.
“I don’t have to do the interview,” Theo asks.
“Nah, let that asshole handle it,” Ace responds, making himself comfortable at the table. Nate and Theo take their seats and join him.
“Did you talk to Lionel?” Theo asks, beating me to the question.
“Yeah, he did,” says Nate. “And man, it was fucking awesome. He didn”t hold back at all.”
As I turn around, holding a few beers in my hand, I spot Poppy sitting on the armrest of the couch. I get she might feel like she”s imposing sometimes, but I really want her here. The fact that the guys actively include her is a clear sign that they share the same sentiment.
As I distribute the beers, I find a spot next to Poppy on the couch. With a twist, I remove the lid and offer her the cold beer. She takes a sip before giving it back to me.
“So, what was his reaction when you told him everything that happened?” I ask, casually tossing the bottle top towards the bin in the corner.
“He was furious at first. He said if we stayed with the label, he’d find someone else to replace Reg. But I made it clear that it was more than just that. We wanted more time off, the freedom to own our songs - you know, all the stuff we”ve been talking about.”
“And how did he react to all of that?” I inquire, casually taking a sip from my beer.
“He said he would come back with an offer,” Ace says.
“Maybe whatever he offers won’t be all bad,” Nate suggests. “We can check out their proposals, set our terms, and see if they can meet them. Let them take care of the hard stuff.”
”Yeah, we”ll check out their offer, but I don”t think they”ll give us the freedom we want,” says Ace. He then shifts his focus to Theo. “Alright, spill it. What happened to you today?”
All attention shifts towards Theo as he scans the group. “What do you mean?” he inquires.
Thanks to Theo’s sunburnt face, the distinct mustache-shaped white outline, and his disproportionately large sideburns, it’s clear what Ace is referring to.
“Just look in the mirror, dumbass,” Ace says.
Theo rises from the table and walks to the elegant mirror hanging on the wall. I catch sight of his smirk and our eyes meet in the reflection. ”This will definitely give the groupies something to talk about,” he says.
Ace, with a roll of his eyes, reaches for his beer while I can’t help but smile and shake my head. Meanwhile, Poppy bursts out laughing.
“Don’t encourage him,” Nate says, smiling, as he grabs his beer.