Chapter 20
CONOR
We reached Albuquerque at around eight o’clock in the morning, and most of the crew headed straight to their rooms to get a decent night’s sleep. Noon at the pool, and it looked like everyone was still in bed.
Noelle and I didn’t sleep, decently or otherwise—mostly otherwise. I’d kept her in my bed until the sun rose on the desert landscape, holding her close all night while we whispered theories to each other about who sabotaged our relationship.
Follow the money. What money? And if not the most obvious suspect, then who? Noelle was convinced the not Gordo was a fake to throw us off, but why would anonymous even contact me?
The gate to the pool clanged as I picked up my coffee, and my hand jerked, sloshing some over the side.
Rhys strolled toward me clutching an energy drink. “Hey, mate. Get any sleep?”
“A couple of hours.” I mopped up the coffee. “Have you seen anyone else this morning?”
“Just Jermaine arguing with some hotel staff. I guess they didn’t reserve the entire hotel for us, and there are guests milling about.” Rhys cranked his head back and forth. “I don’t see any.”
“I’m sure we’ll survive a few guests sharing our space.”
“I might...” Rhys took a slug of his drink “...but you might get mobbed and beaten.”
Running a hand over my face, I said, “You saw that, huh? It’s all bollocks. I can’t be cheating on Ashley—we’re not even a thing.”
“We all know that, but the people in the Five2 fandom don’t.” Rhys put his hands under his chin. “You were always the sweet one, Con. You’ve destroyed their world with your fuckboy behavior.”
I shot my rolled-up napkin at him. “Piss off.”
“Heard a reunion tour is in the works. Is that true.” He sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees, his eyes glowing like a Christmas tree.
That energy drink was kicking in.
“Between you and me...and a few thousand other people, the lads and I are discussing it seriously for the first time. Ian’s sober, Charlie’s settled, Sam’s between big projects—it’s time.”
“You doing it without Jay? That’s not gonna work, bro. There’s no Five2Go without all five of you.” He winked. “Your fans would hate you even more if you tried that.”
“Yeah, no. I’m aware. We’re gonna work on Jay. He put out some bangers last year. His voice is better than ever.”
“His voice, but what about his state of mind. Is he still hibernating on his farm.”
“Farm. You make him sound like Old MacDonald or something. Have you seen the place? It’s massive. I mean, he has his little lot near his house with chickens and horses and a pet cow, but the rest of it is a huge operation.”
Rhys’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve been there?”
“You know how it is, Rhys. Press makes it seem like we hate each other and are in constant competition, but we’re brothers. Always will be. Of course, I’ve been to Jay’s farm. The trick is getting him to commit to the tour.”
“Maybe Noelle could help. I mean, after she loses her current job.” Rhys squeezed his can with one hand—powerful drummer forearms.
“That bad, is it?” I sawed my bottom lip with my teeth. I’d been more concerned about anonymous than this social media nonsense, but it seemed Noelle had reason to be worried.
“It’s all bollocks, ain’t it? But Noelle always had a way with Jay...all of you. In fact, she should be the one running your comeback tour.”
Rhys had just verbalized what had been stewing in the back of my brain for a while, and I snapped my fingers. “She’d be brilliant, wouldn’t she?”
“And she may need the job. I know you don’t pay much attention to gossip and the socials, but you do know that Ashley is behind the new narrative. She’s the wronged party, and she’s gonna milk it to get sympathy and change her image from bitchy diva to sweet victim.”
I ran a hand through my hair. I hated this shite. “That didn’t work for her last time. Somehow when her husband cheated on her publicly, people blamed her and sided with him.”
“Ah, that’s because Nico played the game better...or his management did.”
Not hyped enough, Rhys tipped a few drops of liquid from the smashed can into his mouth.
“Right after the hookups came out, Nico checked himself into rehab for his sex addiction. When Ashley didn’t stand beside him through his recovery, fans labeled her the bad guy.
PR is complicated. You should know that by now. ”
“It’s ridiculous.” I scratched my chin. “I feel a little sorry for Ashley now. Imagine getting the blame when your partner’s the one fucking around. Doesn’t surprise me that she’s grabbing hold of the opportunity Noelle and I handed to her.”
“Yeah, that’s big of you, Con, but she’s trashing your rep in the process.”
“I’m sure I’ll survive.”
“But will Noelle? Does a publicist really want to be the story instead of the client?” Rhys rubbed his hands together. “Seems to me like you need to stop Ashley in her tracks. Reclaim the narrative.”
“I suppose the best way to do that is to stop interacting with Noelle completely—even in private—because someone on the inside is taking pictures behind the scenes.” I pinged my coffee cup. “It’s gonna be hard to do that...now that I have her back.”
“Do you? Are you guys really a thing again?”
“We are.” I tried and failed to wipe the smile off my face. “Maybe the best way forward is to admit that the publicist cooked up the fake relationship between me and Ashley and just move on. Everyone comes out of that whole—nobody can blame Ashley or me.”
Rhys’s eyes widened. “The publicist. As in Noelle. She’s not gonna come out of it whole. Her company is not going to want to be exposed like that. You need another way, mate.”
“You seem PR savvy all of a sudden—which is weird for a drummer—you come up with something.”
“I’ve learned a thing or two working on so many different tours with different acts. I already told you—counteract Ashley. Run interference.”
“Ashley Bennett seems to be one step ahead of everyone. Looking back, she set up me and Noelle one night at that club in San Diego. Noelle was afraid Ashley would be upset that the paps caught us together, alone, but Ashley’s the one that made it happen.”
“Yeah, she’s a master, that one.” Rhys tapped the side of his head. “But I just might have an idea.”
“If you come up with something, let me or Noelle know. She’s dead worried about all this. I’ve got another issue I’m dealing with.”
“How’d life get so complicated, Con? Remember when we were just young lads bounding onto the stage to make music?”
“That was a long time ago, mate. That was just the beginning.”
Years ago, someone managed me right out of the strongest love of my life, and it seemed as if nothing had changed. Except me. I changed.
I was ready to confront the person who destroyed me and Noelle. And I wasn’t going to let it happen again.
***
By late afternoon, the tour crew crowded the pool area to descend on the barbecue lunch Jermaine ordered for us. Buttes hunched outside the hotel reminding us we were in the Southwest, and the dry heat punctuated it.
I loaded one plate with a cheeseburger and crisps and the other with greens and fruit and straddled the chaise lounge where I’d been camping out all morning. I kept an eye out for Noelle, but I must’ve really worn her out on the bus.
Ashley had flown into Albuquerque later this morning and appeared fresh and rested...and smiling like the cat who’d nipped the cream under everyone’s noses. Which she had.
I’d be happy for her if her success weren’t impacting Noelle’s job. I could make this all right if I pretended to hook up with one of the backup dancers. Then both Ashley and Noelle could claim foul, and I’d take the hit.
I didn’t mind taking it on the chin for Noelle, but it didn’t sit right that I had to rescue Ashley too when she’d engineered this whole shitshow.
I stabbed a bit of lettuce on my plate and glanced up when Jade sat on the edge of my lounger.
She held up her phone. “You don’t mind if I get some video of you, do you? Thought I’d show your adoring fans what Conor Flynn likes to eat for lunch.”
“Adoring fans?” I held up my fork with the lettuce dangling from it. “I think they’d rather I stab myself in the eye with this fork.”
She tapped her phone. “I am not recording that part. Your stans will love you, regardless.”
“It’s the rest of the fandom I’m worried about.”
“Any particular reason?” She fluttered her eyelashes.
“Okay, I’m sure Rhys already told you about the Five2Go reunion tour we’re discussing, so yeah, that’s it. I wanted this summer tour to position me for a comeback with the group, not make me the most hated member.”
“Are you as far as auditioning a backup band yet?” She plucked a crisp from my plate and bit off the end. “Cuz Rhys would really like the opportunity to play with you guys again.”
“We’re not, but Rhys would be at the top of our list for drummer, if he’s available.”
Jade popped the rest of the crisp in her mouth and wiped her fingers on my towel. “I’m sure he would be...and don’t worry about your rep. It’ll all work out. Noelle knows her job. She’ll fix everything.”
“That’s what concerns me. Noelle will fix it for everyone else and fuck herself over.”
Jade raised her phone. “If you’re done using the F word, I’ll start recording the sweet, lovable Conor Flynn. Everyone’s baby in the band.”
I gave her a cheesy smile and held up my burger. “Hello, everyone in social media land. I’m Conor, and I like cheeseburgers.”
She waved and mouthed the word, so I waved at her phone.
“Okay perfect. Lucky for you, I can cut out the audio, so you don’t come across as a complete...wanker.”
“Ah, been hanging out with Rhys too much, I see, but maybe wanker is a step up from fuckboy.”
“As far as I can figure out, not much.” She wiggled her fingers in the air as she sauntered off to video more unsuspecting people stuffing food in their faces.
I finished my lunch, dumped my trash, and headed back to my room. As I swiped my card key, I felt a wisp of air behind me and spun around—nearly knocking Noelle off her feet.
“Why are you sneaking up on me. I almost took you out.”