5 - Control

~Trey’s Point of View~

I stared down at my phone as the guys paused between songs. I'd been texting Bailey about tonight and I was fucking amped up.

Jude was on a writing kick, supposedly inspired by his amazing girlfriend. 

That he constantly mentions, or is kissing … groping in front of us. Not that I’m jealous … well okay I’m flaming jealous. 

Actually seeing one of my brothers so happily settled, so thrilled to death to be with the same woman day after day … was definitely new for me. New for all of us. But I’d be a damn liar if I didn’t admit it suited him. They were literally perfect for each other and it made us all sick.

“Unless you’re going to fuck with an audience can we move this along I’m hitting a club tonight and I need to get my haircut,” Lukas said, twirling a drumstick between his fingers.

Juliet blushed and went to sit on the couch.

“Yeah make sure you get that mop handled today cause you are non-stop with shows for the next week,” Slade said, lifting his head up from his computer.

We all had a sort of image we liked to keep. Jude was the fashionable one. I was kind of a bad boy/good boy combo. Corey looked crazy as shit like … he just escaped from Rikers or something. Like maybe he just had electroshock therapy. Then there was Lukas, who absolutely looked like the boy next door. But he was anything fucking but that sweet and innocent little boy face he was damn proud of … but did it get him laid.

I loved my boys to death, we’d all been through hell and back together and we were still standing. Slade was certainly what held us together though, always there to keep pushing us when we needed it, or give a hug when we were down. Or send a stripper to your green room. He just always knew what we needed.

“All right so I wanna run something by you guys,” Jude said, grabbing a stool. 

I pulled my guitar off and set it down, as Slade grabbed a chair and sat next to Jude. We hadn’t had a band meeting in forever. I loved them though, I thrived off my brothers and their energy.

“All right so I had this kind of awakening when I was out with Lukas. This A&R fucker, Colin … he doesn’t give a shit about us or our music. Just the numbers. He says he’s our biggest fan but we all know that’s a crock. Slade and I talked and we think … this next album is all us. We write it … all of it. No help. If they don’t want it … we fucking walk. Go somewhere else,” Jude said, nodding.

“Or I finally get off my ass and start my own label like I always wanted to do,” Slade said, crossing his arms, smiling.

My eyes grew wide.

“Dude you already do like everything, when would you even have the time,” I said, stepping forward and putting my hand on Slade’s shoulder.

“You already know I’d do anything for you fucks. This is our life’s work, our blood, sweat and tears. I should have stepped in two albums ago when Colin started changing shit, I feel bad about that. But we can turn this around, the fans will love it,” Slade said, nodding.

“You know how I feel about the damn label,” Corey said, dropping down to sit on the floor.

“Yeah man. The shit they’ve been pulling on me on this tour? I got no love lost for those bitches and you know how pissed I was they changed my whole video at the last minute,” Lukas said, hopping up from behind his kit.

I rubbed my face, and nodded. They were definitely controlling us too much. We’d all noticed but just accepted it as how things were … but when you have money like Slade does you can afford to shake up the game.

“I’ve already got lyrics for four new songs. When Lukas gets home for good … we’re grinding. Locking our asses in this room with no distractions and going back to our edge,” Jude said, patting Corey’s arm. Corey was always very easily distracted.

After a lot of yelling and then some shots, we were all beyond amped up. We played for as long as Lukas would allow and I realized I needed to get home and sober up a bit for my date.

I was just gathering my shit together when a hand clapped me on the back.

“Mr. Married Man! Just who I needed to see,” I heard, and immediately cringed. Fucking Angie.

I turned around and gave her the stink eye. She was not my favorite person right now. In fact she was gonna be on my shit list for a bit. I liked those sunglasses and she didn’t even acknowledge that she crushed them.

“Yes your highness,” I said, as sarcastically as possible. 

Slade popped up, seemingly out of nowhere. But he never just did that for no reason. She either asked him to be here for this conversation or he needed to interject something.

“So we have a plan for how to deal with the Congressman,” Ang said, putting down her phone and fist bumping my shoulder.

“Slade’s getting a biker to threaten him,” I asked, half serious. Slade shook his head but smirked.

“You need a girlfriend. If you’re off the market then there’s no marriage. You need a hot number on your arm, in public and pronto. But! I need to vet her … thoroughly. Read my lips Trey … I … must … approve her,” Angie said, slowly. 

Slade nodded, approvingly. Did they just have a meeting to decide my life while I was distracted with the guys? Seems fucking like it. I shook my head.

“I have a date tonight actually, and it’s nobody’s fucking business,” I said, tossing my backpack over my shoulder and turning away.

“A date? With who? You don’t fucking date. Since when,” Slade said, getting in front of me.

“Since I asked and she said yes,” I said, giving nothing else away and walking off. 

“Trey I’m serious! I don’t need to clean up any more shit! We’re still working through a biker killing a guy in Juliet’s yard and it's been a couple months! I don’t need any surprises,” Angie yelled.

That was a totally different situation where Juliet had a stalker. If a guy comes on your property with the intent to hurt you and your family, you do what you gotta do. I don’t see any problem with all that.

I sighed and stopped. 

“I’m having a quiet dinner with her at my condo. Nothing public. She’s a young professional, she won’t be any hassle. She’s from a good family,” I said, not even caring that I couldn’t really back that up. I didn’t even know this girl really.

“Name,” Angie said, getting in front of me.

“Oh hell it’s that girl from the law office isn’t it? The secretary,” Slade said, when I didn’t answer her. He knows me way too well. It was the braces. Or the long blonde hair. Or her age. Her eyes. Shit, tons of reasons why I had to try and see her again.

“She doesn’t even know who I am okay? She’s just a nice girl,” I said, getting annoyed. I looked at the time on my phone. Jude and I shared a chef that cooked for us a couple times a week when we weren’t on the road. I was having him make a couple of my mom’s recipes. We aren’t Italian but that’s what she almost always cooks and it's amazing.

“She’s gonna know you’re a somebody all right the minute she sees where you live. Come on, you really think she didn’t look in her computer to see who you were and why were there? I mean get real …  the lawyer handling your case is $500 an hour,” Slade said, crossing his arms.

“Good thing our lawyer is only $350 an hour,” I said, smiling.

He wasn’t amused. 

“Her uncle is the Kline guy, her name is Bailey, she’s in college,” I finally said, when Angie continued to block my escape.

“Gregory Kline?? You’re dating his niece,” Angie said, then let her mouth hang open.

“I mean not dating, just asked her over for dinner,” I said, throwing my hands up.

And they were making me late! Not a good first impression. Seriously she was going to be over in an hour and it would take me nearly that long to get there. What was I going to do, push it back? I’d look like a dick. Plus depending on how far away she’s coming from she may already be on her way. Traffic around here is a bitch.

I watched as the two shared a look. I knew that look. I’m really pretty sure they have to be fucking, or they were at some point. They’re just always on the same page.

“All right. You have your little dinner tonight. But tomorrow, I want a public appearance. A nightclub, hopefully she’s old enough to get in. Otherwise I’ll find a place. I’ll call Halsey and tell her to be out very publicly with her man this weekend too,” Angie finally said, stepping back and waving her hand.

I scoffed and got moving, not even looking back at Slade. 

I made it just to the front door when he chased me down, handing me an envelope. He didn’t say a word but I knew that look. He wanted Bailey to sign an NDA. Ugh. He made most women we actually dated sign one.

Now I had to hope this just went well enough tonight that I could get a second date. There was no chance in hell I’d tell her I was using her, she’d think I was nuts. She seems like a good girl, trying to be responsible and have a real job. If she was just a spoiled little rich girl she’d be out doing that shit they do for attention instead of actually working. She certainly didn’t dress the part of a spoiled brat and that’s probably why I need more. 

Or a lot of other reasons I needed more.