Полная версия
Crazy For You
Crazy for you
After Dark Series – 01
2nd edition
Copyright © 2013 by A. C. Meyer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form by any means without the written permission of the publishers.
Copy editing: Laura Pohl
Digital layout: Andreia Barboza
Cover: Fernanda Fernandez
Text revised according to the new Orthographic Agreement of the Portuguese Language.
Translation to American English by: Paulo de Faria Lopes
To my mother. Because no other love in the world compares to hers.
Chapter one
Julie
Can you picture this girl lying in bed? Yes, the thin little blonde one, with glasses on and SpongeBob pajamas, wrapped up in her duvet and hearing the moaning going on next door?
Lovely to meet you, that’s me, and I’m going to tell you my story.
Every night I wake up frightened by the sounds from the house next door. And every night I feel jealous of those moans from random girls that I long to be my own…
I am Juliette Walsh, but everybody calls me Julie. I am 23 years old, and since childhood I have been head over hills in love with this guy that doesn’t even bother to look at me. Worse than that, he sort-of sees me as his younger sister. This is the guy that causes those moans all night long…
I’ve known Daniel all my life. He’s three years older than me, and his sister, the actual one, is my best friend. We were neighbors. Our parents were very close friends and when I lost mine in a car accident at the age of 14, their mother started taking care of me as If I was one of her own children.
I’m an only daughter, so were my parents and my grandparents had already passed on. The Stewarts were the only family I had left. My family from the heart.
My mother was a beautiful woman, with long blonde, shining hair and vibrant blue eyes. I inherited those physical features, but I’m not quite as beautiful. She was one of those people absurdly in love – with my father, of course. The sudden loss of my whole family meant a lot of suffering, but it may have been better that way. My parents were an annoyingly happy couple, and I don’t think one would have survived the loss of the other.
I inherited from them my belief that love must move our lives, and that one day I will also find my prince charming that will rescue me from all my troubles, and will take me along on a sunset ride, towards our happily ever after……
And I found him. First, as a naughty boy, who pulled my braids and made Johanna and I run after him.
Later, in my teenage years, I saw that naughty boy become a charming young man that conquered the heart of every girl from school with a snap of his fingers. Including mine.
After losing my parents, I went to live with the Stewarts – who gained custody of me, something I am absolutely grateful for – and Danny went on to take even more care of me. He didn’t let me date nor go out with his friends because he said I wasn’t old enough to play “grown up games”. I wasn’t the only one under fire, though. He extended this sort of behavior towards Jo as well.
Eventually he went to university to study Management, and I finally got the chance to have boyfriends. Nothing serious. Actually, they sort of paved the way for when Danny would eventually come home for good, and to my arms, of course.
Though that’s not what happened. After graduating, he came back more handsome, alluring and charming, and treating me even more as a younger sister, as if I was still that little 14 year old girl and not a fully grown 21 year old woman, driving me mad with rage.
Danny came back from college with a life plan that fit in perfectly with mine: he decided to start a business in partnership with his two best friends, Rafe and Zach. They owned a bar with live music every day and a group of mega friendly bartenders. Eighteen months later, After Dark opened its doors with thunderous success and became the hottest spot for the youth of Los Angeles.
You're probably wondering how my life plan fit in with his. Simple: what I do best in life is sing. It's the only thing I know I can do, that I dreamed and prepared for... But Danny won't let me do it. How could I handle it?
When they started interviewing the bands for the bar, I offered, asked, and begged for a chance, but Daniel said I wasn't ready to face a crowd, and he barred the guys from bringing it up.
When I said I'd audition elsewhere, there was panic. We argued a lot and I always ended up yielding. Why is that?
Because love is blind, deaf, dumb and stupid.
Since I couldn't follow my dream of singing, I ended up agreeing to work at After Dark as a waitress.
I never wanted to go to college. My life's dream was to live off music. I took countless singing and dancing classes, I learned to play various instruments. So I never prepared for any other kind of job.
Shortly after the opening of After Dark, I decided to move from the Stewart house. I love Daniel's parents as if they were my own, but I wanted to have my own space. Coincidentally, a property next to Daniel's house —who lives alone—became vacant, and he suggested I move there. Thus, he wouldn't have to worry about me, and I'd have a "family" member close by.
All I could think was that he understood that I had grown up, that I wasn't the little girl in braids he knew anymore. I rescued one of the investments that the accountant had made with the inheritance that my parents left and I bought the house, dreaming that if I stayed there, one day Danny would finally notice me.
Did you really think this would work? There you go, I shouldn't have thought it either. That's why I'm lying in my bed, alone, during my Friday night break, listening to the increasingly loud groans of the slut of the day, who is getting on with the man that should be mine.
Danny's house looks more like a brothel. He's an assumed womanizer and is with someone different every night. Fortunately, most of the neighborhood is single too, and they don't care about that. It would be tricky if we had elderly neighbors wanting to watch the soap opera while the porn channel seems to be on live display in the house next door.
The fact that he owns a bar helps him with his conquests. Every day Daniel gets out of there towards his love nest with a girl hanging on his arm. Despite this high turnover and the variety of women, he never gave me a chance to at least experience the taste of his kiss.
Of course not. I sit here panting and frustrated while he gets off with casual sex.
You must be wondering why I don't get out of here, why I don't change my life.
Let me answer that, and I'm sure you're gonna find me even crazier: what keeps me here is hope... That's what makes me remain here and take a job I didn't dream of, let go of my desire, and spend my nights enduring the groans from the house next door. The dumb hope that one day he'll wake up and see that I am the woman of his life. Oh, dear God. That just sounds stupid even to me. But who says I can give up this man?
That's why every night I go through the same torment. It starts with anger and then frustration. I get up and drink water to try to and calm down, because I refuse to touch myself to seek some relief from the torment while he's having sex with some girl. So, I lay down again, turn on the TV, go on to the internet to find something interesting on social media, or at least someone to chat with. I toss and turn in bed. Sometimes I feel inspired and write songs I shall never sing for anyone, and there I tell all the love I feel for this fool. There I am until dawn, the house next door falls into silence, and exhausted, I fall into sleep.
Chapter two
Julie
On the following day, I push myself to get up at seven in the morning to take a shower and prepare for my morning run.
There are two things I never give up in the morning: my giant dose of caffeine and my run. They are essential for me to be able to face the rest of the day, as I am a nocturnal person and I work at night.
Tonight, I'm working at After Dark, and I have to be in a good mood to face the night.
I put on some leggings, shine the sneakers, pick up the smartphone and select the playlist "Pop Divas", with the songs cheering me on to run.
I walk out the door singing ‘Baby one more time’ as I warm up on my way to George’s house, my running mate and best friend.
He knows everything about me — my musical dreams, and my unrequited passion for Danny.
"George, let's go! Wake up!”
I knock hard on the door of his house.
"I'll be right there, little girl," he screams from inside. "Let me say goodbye to mi amor.”
If George wasn't gay and so well married to the handsome Ben, I'd drop that crazy crush on Danny and grab him for myself. He's beautiful, intelligent, successful, smells and dresses well. He has dark hair and deep, blue eyes. He's basically a younger Colin Egglesfield... it would be perfect if he wasn’t into the same thing as me!
"Little girl, what's wrong? It looks like you fell out of a moving truck! What, you didn't sleep again?” As he speaks, George sticks a doughnut in his mouth, without giving me time to complain that he is eating crap. He's on an intense diet because he has a wedding to attend, and he needs to fit into his smart Armani suit.
"Yes, the Playboy TV live special didn't let me sleep again," I reply, trying to find a lighter side to it at this time.
"You need to do something: either jump on Danny Boy, that Greek sex god, or get another mullet to remove the cobwebs and scare away that frustration.”
"If I jump on him, he's going to keep thinking I'm a kid and I want to play catch-up, and that I don't have any attractive friends or acquaintances.” “Come on, turn Rihanna on and let's run.”
We ran about three miles together with our pop divas, and on the way back, we stopped at Starbucks. This was a tradition that we couldn’t let go of: having a cappuccino with vanilla and resting a little on one of the sofas at the café.
"Julie, what about the audition to be a backing vocalist of that pop band? When's it going to happen?”
"Next week. But I don't know...”
"No, no, no!”, he interrupts me. “Don’t try to fool me with lies that you don't know if you should go. You've been working at After Dark for years, and the handsome fool never gave you a chance. You’re just not gonna throw that opportunity out the window. You have a phenomenal voice.”
At this point, my phone beeps the sound of an incoming message:
Jo: Any news? Did you talk to him?
She sends me the same message every day. My friend still has the hope that after all these years, one day I'm going to wake up, knock on Daniel's door and declare myself to end this for once and for all!
I: Nope.
That's my standard answer. As soon as I press "send", I get a fright as the phone vibrates in my hand, and I answer without even checking who's calling me so early.
"Hello?”
"Ju, it's Danny.” "He's the only person who calls me that. "Are you out? I'm knocking on your door and you're not answering...”
"Hi, good morning" I answer. George rolls his eyes when he hears my mellow voice on the phone. I give him a little push. "George and I are at Starbucks. Do you need anything?”
"I just wanted to let you know I'm going to take an emergency trip. A property appeared that the broker said would be perfect for the new branch of After Dark. The guys are thinking of expanding to other cities.”
"Oh, it's okay. Are you going to be gone long?”
"I don't know yet. I'm planning to stay there a week to study the place and do some surveys. Maybe a little more, but I'll let you know.”
"All right, Danny. You can rest assured, everything is gonna be okay at After Dark. Are the boys going too?”
“Zach's going, but Rafe's staying to take care of everything. If you need anything, call him. I need to run so I'm not late. Take care of yourself. Hugs.”
"That’s fine. Have a nice trip. Hugs.”
I hang up the phone with a sad face and George raises his eyebrow, questioning what happened.
"He will travel to see a property. I can't believe I'm not going to see Danny for so many days.”
"My God, Julie, get over this man! You need to grow up, girlfriend! I'm going to take you out and you’re gonna meet a hot guy and get Daniel out of your head.”
I laugh at his comment.
"Let it go. Right now, the only hot thing I want is a bath.”
***
As I enter the main hall, I am startled by Rafe's screams on the phone.
"Son of a bitch! I can't believe you're doing this to me today!”
My eyes widen as I put my hand over my mouth. That's the kind of reaction - whichever it may be - that I'd expect from anyone but Rafe. He is polite, charming, his tone of voice is ratherhoarse, driving most of the regular party girls crazy and he never curses.
Obviously, just like me, all of my colleagues are shocked.
He hangs up the phone looking as if he had lost his best friend. Everyone scatters, afraid of this new — and frightening — side of him.
Except for me; I am not afraid of danger.
“Rafe, what happened? How can I help?”, I ask without letting his nervousness get in the way.
“No!”, he harshly exclaims, but then, he looks at me and softens his tone. “Sorry. No, Julie.” He passes both hands through his hair, showing all the tension he’s under. “I have to find a new singer within the next two hours. I’m toast.”
“What happened to Snash?”
Snash is the lead singer of “The Band” - a name as stupid as the singer’s - who plays here at the bar during weekends.
“The fool gave up singing. He said he had a vision with some guru who told him to drop everything and travel to India in search of inner peace. Can you believe it?”
No, I cannot. Well, considering that he was always into this inner peace thing, yes I can. What a sod.
“I can help, Rafe. Can you let me sing? Pleeeeeeaaase.” I played out my best version of Puss in Boots to try to persuade this man clearly in need f help.
He gazes at me, brushes hishands through his hair already totally disheveled, and lowers his head again.
“Kitty, you know that’s taboo around here. If I do that, Danny will kill me.”
“I don’t understand why he doesn’t let me perform at the bar. I am a great singer, you guys know that. I won’t embarrass you.”
“He thinks that if you perform here, the guys are going to chase you and you are too innocent to handle these sharks.”
“You guys are being ridiculous. I am twenty-three years old, gosh. I’m not a little girl, I know how to take care of myself. When will all of you realize that?”
“I am aware that you are a woman, but Danny looks at you and Jo as his little sisters. That’s sacred for a guy.”
“That’s stupid and you know it. Who are you replacing Snash with?
“I don’t know Julie, I have no idea.”
I pull away from him, foaming with anger. How can they be such assholes? Something needs to be done about it.
I stay at the bar helping Justin, the bartender, getting the drinks in order, until Rafe comes to me an hour later, seemingly defeated.
"You know when Danny finds out that I’ve let you perform, he's going to finish me off, right?”
"You didn't get anyone?”
"No, Julie. Nobody. Can you do it?”
I scream and jump on top of him.
"Wow! Absolutely!”
He drops me on the floor and shakes his head, rustling out an “I’m fucked”. Afterwards, he goes to the office while I dance away my victory and call Jo and George, asking that they bring me suitable clothes, make-up and their moral support.
Chapter three
Julie
While I wait for my two fairy godmothers, I go to the stage to talk to the boys of the band to find out what is the setlist of the night.
I have good musical memory and zero difficulty reciting lyrics. Besides, I've sung with them countless times during rehearsal—and away from Danny, of course.
"Is our star ready to shine?” Alan, the guitarist, asks. He's the hottest of the three musicians. Tall, very straight brown hair and full of tattoos. I often joke with Jo that he's the embodiment of Kellan Kyle, the good guy from S.C. Stephens' book, Intenso Demais.
"Yesss!” I'm very nervous, but I want to do my best. I want this to be the first of many performances.
"You know that when Danny finds out...”
"Leave Danny out of it. Saturday night people come here because they want to dance to the sound of The Band. We can't let our fans down — I speak with a smile on my face, showing a safety I don't feel while trying to wrap him up.
"That's fine with me," he says, laughing. "It's going to be wonderful to play with you for real. We had this setlist for today, but I think we can make some changes to show a little more of your personality on stage —he says, extending a sheet with the playlist.”
I look through the titles, approving the choices, and thinking about three or four more songs I'd like to include.
"Have you got a pen there? I'd like to add some songs, can I?”
“Of course! You can add and remove whatever you want.”
I sit on the edge of the stage to write, whilst acknowledging this is a wonderful opportunity that I will not pass up.
This is going to be the first of many nights leading The Band, I promise myself.
"Bestiiiiie, we're here!” Jo screams, pulling me out of my daydreams.
"Did you bring something nice to wear?” I ask excitedly, already heading to the makeshift dressing room.
The place only has one dressing room and, as it was an exclusively male band, they shared the space. So, I'm going to get ready in Danny's office, since no one's going to be using it.
George hands me three bags full of clothes from a designer store in the mall, which I'm sure I've never been in.
"What is this, George?” I ask, rummaging through the bags. "Didn't you get me some clothes?”
"Baby girl, what clothes of yours did you want me to bring? Your running shoes? Or those yoga pants you‘re always in? Or jeans and a T-shirt? Of course, Jo and I had to go to the mall and do some shopping on your behalf. And we brought some IN-CRE-DI-BLE stuff!”, he speaks excitedly, clapping.
"Go on, friend, try it all on, and we'll pick and choose the outfits for you to perform in!” Jo keeps pushing me while I stare at them stunned.
“But...but...”
“Don’t “but” me, baby girl! You gotta hurry up, we’re running out of time here.”
I remain looking from one to the other with my mouth wide open for five seconds. I got it, I’m not the most fashionable one around. I live on my sneakers and leggings or the yoga pants, but I have a little black dress at the bottom of the draw that would be perfect for tonight.
I break free from the shock, grab the clothes they give me - a black miniskirt, made of sequins and a white blouse - and I start dressing.
“This skirt is way too short.”
“No way, my dear. You have to show off your incredible legs.”
“The blouse is tight...”
“The front view has to stand out! How do you want to shine on stage, if you’re not dressed for the occasion?”
I look at myself in the mirror and I like it, but I feel awkward. The miniskirt is really short, but is not too tight and it really seems good for a night show. By adding the blouse, the look is still simple which pleases me a lot.
“Now, put on those shoes!”
I grab the shoes that Jo pushes on to my hands. They are black with very high heels and red soles.
Louboutin, I recognize the brand.
“My God, you must have paid a fortune for this!” I complain, upset that my friends went on to spend so much money on me.
“There would be no match without those shoes. You gotta put them on”, George lets out with a laugh.
While I put the shoes on, they place bracelets and hang a pair of black long earrings on me. The one thing I am thankful about is that my waxing is up to date, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to wear that short skirt with hairy legs.
Not yet pleased with dressing and adorning me up as if I were a real-life Barbie version, my friends put me in the chair that sits in the corner of the room, and while Jo opens a giant makeup briefcase, George begins to loosen my ponytail, studying my hair as if it were a scientific experiment.
"What are you doing?” George, holds my hair back.
"Julie, you have a gold mine in here and I don't know why you keep hiding it. I'm going to show you that we can play with that hair and make you look like ‘come and get me’.”
"Oh, my God...”
"Close your eyes and just take it, friend. It's going to be all right.”
With nothing to do, I sit in the chair and leave the two artists to work. I pray that I will be at least presentable and not look like a clown on the run from the circus.
Half an hour of suffering later, especially at the hands of George—who pulled me, shook, and burned my head countless times—I am allowed to stand up so they can "evaluate me." I feel like a prized horse.
I stand up looking like a giant, as I'm not used to such high shoes that add almost five inches to my sparse five feet.
The two of them are standing still and open-mouthed and I start getting stressed, imagining that I look ridiculous and that we won't have time to do anything different because it's already show time.
“What’s the matter, guys? Where’s the mirror? I wanna see!”
The three of us get startled by a knock on the door and George shouts “Come in!”, still stunned. Rafe comes in and starts talking:
“Julie, it’s almost...damn shit!
This stresses me up even more. I must look awful, because Rafe let out his third swearword of the day.
“What is it? Guys, get me a mirror!”
“Julie, is it you? My goodness, Danny was absolutely right. When he finds out that I allowed this... I am fucked” he says, more to himself than to me.
When George realizes that I am about to crumble in tears, feeling that my “pop diva” career failed before it took off, he takes me to the bathroom so that I can look at myself in the mirror.
I feel just like Cinderella must have felt when she saw the transformation the Fairy Godmother did on her for the ball.
As I look in the mirror, I feel my heart tightening hard. I see myself, for the first time, just like my mother. It’s as if I was seeing her own reflection on the mirror, looking at me, just as I recall from my childhood.
My blue eyes are huge, highlighted by the dark shadow and the eyeliner that Jo had applied.
