Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you ready?” Darcy asked as they stood backstage.
Juliet turned to look Darcy over, the electricity inside of her dialed up even higher. She often got that little high before a performance, as she was amping herself up.
And now, she and Darcy were going to be doing it live, together.
From how voraciously they’d fucked yesterday after their rehearsal – and that was only with producers and techs watching – she knew in her bones: she was going to tear the clothes from Darcy’s body within seconds of Darcy entering her hotel room later.
She folded her arms. “Am I ready? Darcy, I’ve been performing like this for a long time. Much longer than you.”
Because she knew Darcy now, she didn’t jump to taking offense. Didn’t immediately assume that Darcy believed Juliet was ill-prepared to perform in front of a group of people.
“I know,” Darcy acknowledged, her eyes wide and honest. “I was just checking in. After we rehearsed yesterday we didn’t do much… talking.”
Of course Darcy was just checking in. Not because she was slighting Juliet, but because she was so damn genuine.
Damningly, it was becoming one of Juliet’s weaknesses.
Funny how that could happen. At first, she’d hated it about Darcy. Now…
Then again, maybe she’d always hated it because it made her feel this kind of – softness. One that before, she wasn’t willing to entertain.
“We didn’t do much talking yesterday because I had no notes on our performance together,” she clarified, a small, satisfied smile tugging at her lips. “You did well, though.”
Now, Darcy rolled her eyes. “You may have been performing for longer than I have, but – yeah. I know I did well.”
That authenticity combined with her sexy confidence was a lethal combination. If Juliet wasn’t so into it, didn’t get to revel in it, she’d still be driven crazy by it.
Darcy shook her hands out, though, bouncing in place in a way that was… odd for her.
Juliet had now seen her perform multiple times. Only once together at rehearsal, but several times with Blythe and Emerson at different shows. This display didn’t quite feel normal.
She pressed her lips together, before giving in. “All right, now I’ll check in. Are you ready?”
Darcy’s gaze slid to hers, drawn tight. “Yeah. I, uh…” She rolled her shoulders back, loosening them. “I realized that Bill Hooke is going to be here for the tribute show tonight. He’s–”
“The host of Southern Static,” she interrupted, naming the hugely popular station based out of Nashville; as if she possibly wouldn’t know who he was. “Yes, I am familiar.”
She’d done a lot of interviews with Bill over the years. Not a very pleasant man, certainly someone who thought a lot higher of himself than he should.
“Right. Well, he was the judge for a competition that Southern Static was hosting for aspiring musicians in Tennessee last year. We got a spot in the competition. Made it into the final four, actually.” Darcy’s eyes narrowed, glinting at the memory.
Juliet already had a sneaking suspicion what she was going to say, and her stomach sank.
“He, ah, found me, after our last set. Grabbed my ass, then cornered me against the wall. And he made it very clear that the only way We, The Romantics was going to move forward was if I made it worth his while. That I should do it; after all, didn’t I care about my sister and best friend being able to succeed, too?
” Darcy’s lips were twisted into a disgusted scowl as she reached up to drag her hands through her hair.
“When I laid him out on his back right there in the hallway, he informed me that unless I was willing to use being a ‘hot piece of ass’ to my advantage, I’d never get anywhere. ”
An icy-hot rage slithered through Juliet.
This was far from surprising. Not only regarding Bill Hooke, but in general.
Having a very muscular, well-known “boyfriend” and, frustratingly, Harrison’s very well-known name and connections had made it so that Juliet experienced a hell of a lot less of this sort of thing than most other people did.
But someone like Darcy, who came from nothing and had no built-in defenses at all, and looked the way she looked?
Darcy blew out a long, low breath. “That’s when we decided to record the album ourselves. We’d been doing shows and competitions like that as much as we could, for years, and never got anywhere. So, we figured – screw it.”
“Well, you obviously figured correctly,” Juliet was surprised by tightness in her own throat, passion seeping into her words.
Not as surprised as it seemed Darcy was, as she slowly tilted her head. Her expression was vulnerable, before she clicked her tongue and turned to look off toward the stage.
“Yeah. But… you know, it made me feel a little crazy when you acted like I sky-rocketed to where I am right now without paying my dues. Maybe I haven’t had to tithe to the industry like you have, but – you have no idea how much time and energy I’ve had to pour into this.
It didn’t just happen overnight, even if that’s the way it appeared. ”
Darcy’s quiet, hurt tone lanced right into Juliet. Rocking through her with a strength she hadn’t expected.
And she felt… ashamed. In a way she hadn’t, before. Even after they’d gotten to a good place over the last month, she’d essentially felt like they’d called a truce. They’d both waved white flags, and moved on from their acrimonious start.
But their start had only been acrimonious because she’d been so resentful. And Darcy hit the nail right on the head.
“You’re right. You have paid dues that were a lot different than mine,” she acknowledged. “And… I’m sorry,” she apologized, meaning it more than she’d ever have expected to.
Darcy, obviously, felt the same. “I’m not saying this to get you to apologize to me.”
“I know. I wouldn’t feel the need to apologize if I felt you were using it as a tactic.
” She swallowed, her throat a little tight.
It wasn’t easy for Juliet to admit she was wrong, or to voice her contrition.
But she could. And… when it came to Darcy, who always came to the table with sincerity, she would.
“Well, I’m sorry, too,” Darcy apologized, bowing her head. “You might have started everything.” Her eyes glinted at Juliet, a bit of lightness edging in, in a way that Juliet hadn’t realized she’d really wanted to see. “But I went right for the jugular back at you, no hesitation.”
Wow. Juliet definitely hadn’t expected Darcy’s apology to soothe any raw edges still inside of her, but it did.
“You were certainly no slouch,” she agreed. Because Darcy never took anything laying down, and did often increase the volatility.
… which, possibly, Juliet liked in some fucked up way.
“Five minutes to places,” Mattie, the stage manager, called as she rushed by them.
“Thank you, five,” she and Darcy both responded, before Mattie zipped away again.
She turned back to Darcy, stepping in closer as she reached up and gently moved her hair back into perfect style, the way it had been before Darcy had dragged her hands through. She was careful to avoid the mic in her ear and the wiring, as she smoothed her touch down over her shoulders.
“Bill Hooke is a hack who wanted to be a musician and never made it. And you,” she stated firmly, moving her hand to cup Darcy’s jaw in a way she was becoming very used to. It gave her a rush, holding Darcy right there, having Darcy focus in on her. “Are far more than a hot piece of ass.”
The smile that slid into place on Darcy’s lips was so unbearably sweet. “You like that I’m a hot piece of ass, though.”
She scoffed out a laugh, releasing Darcy and stepping back from her. She was already destined to get worked up during the show; no need to start it that way as well.