Chapter 6
Ryleigh
So far, other than sparring with Angus any chance I get, the tour has been boring.
The only bright spot is that I’ve become friendly with Kirsten Aiken and Lexi Rousseau.
Kirsten is Sam’s girlfriend, but she’s also a star in her own right. At sixteen, she sang a duet with Kingston Knight and his band, Onyx Knight, who is the number one rock band in the world right now. The single went to number one, and history was made even though she stayed in high school and had something of a normal life.
I didn’t know Kirsten would be on the tour when I got the assignment, but she and Lexi are close, so I’ve been spending time with them. They’re both down-to-earth and a lot of fun, opening up to me like I’m just another one of their girlfriends instead of an embedded journalist.
Of course, there really hasn’t been anything for me to put in a story.
Kirsten and Sam are in love.
They waited until she was eighteen before they had sex, and he even took her to her prom. The story she told me is sweet and romantic—and incredibly intimate. I honestly don’t want to put any of it in an article. She knows I’m a journalist and she told me the story without any coaxing on my part, so she has to be aware I could use it. Apparently, she doesn’t care.
As for Lexi’s pregnancy, there doesn’t seem to be a story there either.
She’s due on Christmas Day and the plan is for her to stay with the band and on tour until it ends on Halloween. There are some special events in the works, like a November show at Madison Square Garden and something for New Year’s Eve, but Lexi doesn’t seem concerned. She’s going with the flow, and honestly, it’s hard to tell she’s pregnant. Her stomach is still pretty flat, she said she fits into most of her clothes, and aside from sleeping a bit more, she’s feeling great.
Based on my latest email exchange with Rich, he’s losing his patience with me. I’m not sure what he expected me to find after a week, and I can’t just make something up. Apparently, he thinks I should pull something out of my ass.
Beyond great music, there simply hasn’t been anything to report.
Other than the fact that Angus seems to have a problem with me being here.
I’m pretty sure there’s no actual story in that, though.
He just doesn’t trust journalists, and I guess I can’t blame him. I accused him of selling out, which rubbed him the wrong way. I get it. But I have a job to do.
I’m sitting on the bed of my hotel room, staring at a blank email to Rich, trying to figure out how to update him. He wants me to leave the tour on Saturday, which is when we get to Minneapolis. And for some reason, I’m not ready to go.
Despite the fact that Angus and I butt heads, the guys in Crimson Edge are nice. The crew is polite. Nobody’s Fool is amazing, talented, and very generous with both their time and money. They feed all of us every couple of days, Lexi isn’t like any other rockstar I’ve ever hung out with, and all their significant others are fun and easygoing.
The least reportable rock and roll tour ever.
I’m still staring at the screen when my phone buzzes and a text from Lexi pops up.
LEXI: Hey, do you have a few minutes? I want to talk to you about something.
RYLEIGH: Sure. You want to talk on the phone or should I come up to your room?
LEXI: Come on up.
RYLEIGH: Be there in five.
She tells me the room number, and I grab my phone and room key before heading to the elevator. We’d been joking yesterday about how boring the bands are and they’re not giving me anything interesting to write about other than their music, and she’d laughed, saying she’d think about it.
Maybe she has an idea for a story?
It seems ludicrous that the bands would come up with their own stories, but that works for me. I’m still not comfortable with the deceit Rich has set up for me, so if I can find a way to placate him without alienating my new friends, it’s win-win.
“Hey.” Lexi opens the door with a smile.
“Hi.” I walk in and see Kirsten sitting on a chair and she smiles.
“Hey, Ryleigh.”
“What’s up?” I ask, looking around. “Am I in trouble?”
“God, no.” Lexi waves a hand. “But I was thinking about what you said yesterday, how you don’t have anything interesting to write about.”
“Uh oh.” I chuckle as I sink into the chair next to Kirsten’s, while Lexi sits cross-legged on the bed.
“Well, as you know, I’m pregnant.” Lexi motions to her non-existent baby bump.
“I wouldn’t know if you didn’t tell me,” I point out.
She laughs. “I know. It’s weird, but we’ve done multiple ultrasounds and some extra bloodwork just to be safe and everything is fine. I’m just one of those women who doesn’t pop right away, I guess.”
“Lucky you!” Kirsten says.
“Anyway, because I had cancer, along with chemotherapy and radiation when I was sixteen, there was some damage to my health and the doctors always told me I might not be able to get pregnant, and if I did, the pregnancy would most likely be very high-risk. Now that it’s happening, so far everything is good, but we’ve had to put some insurance policies into play just in case.” She pauses and looks to Kirsten.
“That’s why I’m here,” Kirsten says. “Yes, I’m with Sam, and Ford is my brother-in-law, but I’m supposed to be getting ready for college. Instead, I’m here learning the songs and the set, just in case they need me to step in.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t realized that.
“That’s kind of a story, right?” Lexi asks me.
“Well, yeah.” Rich will probably lose his mind.
“There’s been a lot of speculation about my pregnancy, in general, so instead of us just releasing a statement… what if we did an interview? You can spin it any way you want.”
“You want me to do a story about your pregnancy?” I’m surprised and humbled. They don’t really know me but she’s willing to give me a shot.
She nods. “We can talk about my bout with breast cancer, my surprise that I got pregnant naturally, and the fact that Kirsten is here as my back-up. I haven’t told anyone else this stuff, not in any detail, so why not you? You’re already here, and after you called us boring, I figured it was win-win.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” I said, slightly embarrassed. “I just meant?—”
“No, you’re right. We are kind of boring in our personal lives. We’re all married, with kids, having kids… we’re really settled. Thank goodness the music is popular or we’d be the worst rockstars ever!”
The three of us laugh.
“I’d love to do a story like that,” I say gratefully. “And my managing editor will probably pee himself when I tell him.”
“Ew.” Kirsten wrinkles her nose. “That’s kind of gross.”
“Rich is pretty gross,” I say. “I know I shouldn’t say that about my boss but he is. I really don’t understand why he and my dad were friends. My dad wasn’t the best husband, and he was a mediocre father, but he wasn’t a jerk. He was always kind and respectful, so it confuses me that he and Rich were so close.”
“They say opposites attract,” Lexi says thoughtfully, “and sometimes I think that applies to friendships too, not just lovers.”
“Well, whatever it was, I’m just trying to keep the promise I made to my dad on his deathbed.”
“I think that’s manipulative,” Lexi says slowly. “I mean, wasn’t your influencer thing doing well?”
“It was doing okay, but I wasn’t making enough money to survive without a roommate and stuff. No health insurance or benefits… I was struggling, so I know Dad was trying to help since he knew he wasn’t going to be around and he wasn’t able to leave me a lot of an inheritance.”
“Then I’m happy to help,” Lexi says. “If you want to do the interview in the next couple of days, just let me know.”
“I’m ready,” I say. “I’d like to have my laptop so I can make notes and stuff, but you tell me what works, and I’ll make it happen.”
“We have a show tonight and I need to rest, so let’s do it tomorrow. You can ride on the bus with us while we’re heading to Des Moines, and we can talk the whole way.”
“Oh, wow, thank you!” I say. “This is such a great opportunity for me.”
“And I’m happy to give you a few quotes too,” Kirsten says.
“I’d love to talk about how Sam took you to prom on my own channel,” I tell her, “but I wouldn’t do it without your permission. Like a one-minute clip where you talk about the rockstar who took you to your high school prom. Then I’d drop in a few pictures of the two of you from that night, maybe something no one else has seen?”
She hesitates. “I’d have to talk to Sam first, but even if he’s okay with it, I’d prefer if you didn’t mention that I lost my virginity that night.”
“No, that’s too personal for what I have in mind. I’m talking about something lighthearted and maybe poking a little fun at Sam.”
“Do a search,” Kirsten says, smirking. “There are a couple of pictures out there. Get a look at Sam in his tux and then talk to me about poking fun at him.”
I arch my brows and immediately pull out my phone. “Oh, shit,” I say when I find the picture. “Sweet Jesus…”
“Right?” She grins.
“He’s like a brother to me,” Lexi says, “and I swooned a little.”
“I’m swooning now,” I admit. “Isn’t it incredible how well some guys clean up, especially in a tux?”
“Absolutely.” We all grin at each other.
“Well, talk to him. I promise to let you see the video before I post it, and you can say yay or nay.”
“I’ll let you know tomorrow,” she promises.
“Thank you, guys. Really. You’re the best.”
“Women have to stick together,” Lexi says quietly. “Being a woman in this business is tough, even at my level of success. If there’s anything I can do to help you get your career off the ground, just ask.”
If she only knew.
But I won’t abuse this opportunity.
I have something that will hopefully make Rich happy—without having to lie to anyone—which means I can stay a little longer.
And I really want to.