Fear flashes through my brain as I think back on my father and his one lost opportunity. I don’t want that to be me twenty years from now. No matter how much the idea of exposing myself to these people scares the shit out of me, I have to sing like my life depends on it.
“I’m ready,” I say firmly, wanting him to know that I do in fact want to do this.
Laz’s blue eyes lock with mine, and he motions for me to come forward. “All right then. Let’s get this shit on the road.”
I nod as I roll back my shoulders.
Here goes nothing. I just pray they won’t laugh me out of the room.
“My name is Aundrea Newton, but I like to go by Drea, and I’m going to sing ‘At Last’ by Etta James.”
Laz raises his brow. “Nice choice. Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
With my thumb, I tap out the beat on my thigh and then open my mouth to sing. Fear has me so paralyzed that I can’t look anywhere but at Laz’s face. I can’t bear to see the judging expressions of the other two people in the room. Like an out-of-body experience, I know I’m singing, but it doesn’t feel like I’m actually doing it. My head feels a bit swimmy, and my heart is about to explode from beating so hard.
Dancing wasn’t anywhere near as nerve-racking as this experience, but I’m doing better than I thought I would. Not one note is off-key or flat. Hopefully, it’s good enough to impress these people, showing that I do have talent, even though I know my nonexistent dance skills have diminished any shot I have of getting picked to be in this group.
Laz holds his hand up as I come out of the last chorus. “Stop right there. Thank you. I’ve heard enough.”
Cam’s head whips in Laz’s direction. “What the hell are you doing, man? She’s awesome, maybe even the best one we’ve heard all night.”
“You saw her dance. She was the worst one.”
“So? I couldn’t dance either, but that didn’t stop me from making it into the Romeos. Laurie is the most respected in the business, and if she can teach me to dance, she can teach anyone.” He turns to Laurie. “You think she’s coachable?”
Her gaze flicks over to me and then back at Laz. “With time, I can make anyone an amazing dancer.”
“Time is something I don’t have,” Laz responds.
Cam nods. “True. But I doubt she needs as much vocal coaching as the others, and she could use that extra time to nail these dance steps. Her vocals are on point. That voice is a unicorn.”
“You’ll teach her?” Laz questions Laurie.
They’re completely ignoring the fact that they have been carrying a full-on conversation about me while I’m still in the room.
“Oh, honey, no. I don’t have room for that on my schedule. It’s your group. You want her? You coach her one-on-one until she gets it right.”
Laz rolls his head in my direction and takes a deep breath. There’s no mistaking the conflict in his eyes as he decides my fate. He doesn’t think I have what it takes. He wants to cut me, but the people around him have said that he’s got it wrong and that I have enough talent to make it.
“You can stay. I’ll work with you. But if you don’t get the dance routines, you’re out. I don’t have the luxury of fucking around. I have everything riding on this.”
I lock eyes with him. “I won’t let you down.”
“You’d better not,” he says as he pushes himself up off the chair and heads out of the room.
I stare after him; I can’t believe I’m getting a second chance.
Laz doesn’t want me here, so I’m going to work hard to prove that I’m worth keeping around. Now that my dream has been laid at my feet, I’m going to fight like hell to be a part of this group.
6
Fuck
Lazarus
I’m so fucking screwed.
I don’t have the best track record of doing what I’ve been told, so it’s going to be tough to resist going after Drea. All through the auditions, most of my focus was on her. Something about her just captures my attention and drags me in. I can’t explain it.
Being around her with a semi hard-on and not being able to convince her to do something about it will be torture.
I tried to cut her from the group for that very reason. I can’t lose focus, and having her around will definitely be a distraction for me.
Cam would never cut a voice like that, though. He’s got an ear for talent, just like I do, so there’s no fooling him. And I can’t admit the real reason I don’t want her in this group.
I take a deep breath and walk into the room where the five women I felt would be a good fit have gathered. Drea sneaks in behind me, followed by Cam and Laurie.
Candace pats the empty seat next to her. “Drea! Over here. I saved you a spot because I knew you’d make it.”
Drea races over to the seat, and the two women immediately embrace.
I stare out at the faces of the ones I saved and decide it’s best not to sugarcoat the situation. “Those of you in this room have made the first cut. Ideally, a female group has no more than four to five people in it. The Romeos had six members, and that was entirely too many. Cam can attest that it was a crowded situation.” He nods as he stands beside me. “It was damn near impossible to take that group to the next level. Too many conflicting ideas about creative direction can draw distinct divisional lines through its members, which is why the Romeos only made one record and had one successful year of touring. I don’t want that to happen to the group I’m creating. So how well the next few weeks go will determine if you make it or not.”
The Romeos had some major talent, but we couldn’t keep our shit together. We were too young and thought we knew more than the label did. I don’t want to see this group get fucked up the way ours did. I desperately need everything to work.
“With that being said, I want us all to get to know one another, form friendships. The women who make this group will become sisters.”
“What if we don’t? Not everyone is going to get along all the time,” Annamea, the Latino girl who looks a lot like Jennifer Lopez, chimes in.
“Sisters are going to fight. The key is learning to make up and living with one another through thick and thin. If you don’t, this group will die, and your dreams will go with it. The music industry isn’t a forgiving place. Very rarely do you get a second chance in it, so keep that in mind, and don’t fuck up this opportunity.” I take a deep breath. “To see that no one messes this up, I’m moving you all into my family’s estate where we will stay together and learn to get along.”
“Together?” Drea asks with shock ringing through her voice. “As in you live there, too?”
I meet her gaze. “That’s right, cupcake. You ladies are my investment now. I need to watch over everything. I’ve got a lot of money riding on this, and I’ll be damned if it gets flushed down the toilet because one of you feels extra PMS-y one day and causes problems. If anyone has an issue with me living there, they are welcome to get the fuck out right now.”
The room falls silent, but no one moves to leave.
“I expect you all to go home tonight and pack your bags because I want you at the house by noon tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do in a short time. Bring your A game, ladies, or expect to be cut.”
In theory, living in a house together is an excellent idea because it will create unity in the group. But now that Drea will be moving in, I have a feeling I’ll be taking a lot of cold showers.
I am so fucking screwed.
7
Moving Day
Drea
I toss the last of my clothes into my bag and then zip it up. “How did Lydia take it when you quit today?”
Candace steps up next to me and then finishes packing the stuff she left out before she got the phone call from her new boss at Hellcat. “She was pissed. Said I wasted her time, and if I didn’t really want the job, I should’ve never auditioned in the first place. I explained to her the reason I was quitting, and she laughed. She didn’t believe me an
d told me it was the worst excuse for quitting she’d ever heard. My other job, at the car dealership, didn’t even bat an eye when I told them. They actually wished me luck.”
I twist my lips as I watch Candace pack. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I’m not upset. Lydia not believing in me will only push me to work harder to make sure this group succeeds.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “You’re going to do great.”
“We’re going to do great,” she corrects. She smiles as she leans into me. “Come on; let’s get these bags into the car and kiss this rathole apartment good-bye. We’ve got an hour before we’re supposed to move into the house with the rest of the girls.”
I grab the handle to my bag, and it lands on the floor with a thud. “How do you think that’s going to go?”
“What?” she asks.
“Living with the other girls? You spent more time with a few of them in that little room. Any of them we need to watch out for?”
“Honestly, no one really said much while we waited in there. We did figure out that those of us in there had made the cut. We do need to keep our eyes open and watch each other’s backs, though. Like Laz said, cuts will still be made, and we don’t need anyone ruining things for us.”
“Agreed. But we have one advantage over the rest of them. We’ve got each other.”
Candace drags her bag off the bed. “Exactly. So I’m not a bit worried about us not making it into the group. Although I am concerned about something else.”
My brows furrow. “What’s that?”
“You and Laz,” she says matter-of-factly. “He is exactly your type—rough around the edges and sexy as hell—and to top it all off, he can’t seem to keep his eyes off you.”
“That’s not true,” I argue. But the thought sends a zing of excitement down my spine.
“Oh, yes, it is.” Candace pulls her bag toward the door. “That night in the bar, he was flirting with you, and then last night, when he was supposed to be watching me sing, he was staring off in your direction.”
“No … he wasn’t.”
“He was, which is what makes this situation extremely dangerous for you. He’s kind of like our boss now, and from what you told me about all the one-on-one dance lessons he’s going to give you, the two of you are going to have a hard time keeping your hands off one another.”
“It’s not even like that between us. He didn’t even want me in the group, remember? He was ready to cut me.”
“Only because he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist you. Face it, Drea; you and Laz have a thing even if the two of you don’t recognize it yet. Anyone astute to human nature can see the chemistry between you two. You need to keep your guard up and learn to steer clear of the bad-boy type like I do. They’re nothing but trouble, and you, of all people, should know that after the whole Carlos situation. It’s best not to get involved with Laz.”
The mention of Carlos causes my back to stiffen. That’s one name I hate to hear because it always brings back a rush of bad memories even though he’s been out of my life for years now. They say time heals all wounds, but I’m not sure the damage he inflicted will ever be far from my mind. Being with him most definitely taught me a lesson—to stay away from the kind of guy who brings trouble.
“Nothing is going to happen between us,” I say confidently even though I know myself well enough to know that I won’t be able to curb his appeal to me.
He’s sexy—I can’t deny that—and even if he were into me, a relationship between us would end up a disaster.
Candace holds up her hand and juts her pinkie finger out. “Swear?”
I lock fingers with her. “Swear.”
Candace brings our interlocked hands to her mouth and kisses her thumb, just like she always does when she seals one of our deals. “Let’s get out of here. It’s time for us to move on to bigger and better things, Drea. Our lives are about to get good.”
Outside the city of Atlanta sits one of the biggest houses I’ve ever seen. It’s all stone and looks like a castle. I glance down at the address Laz texted to everyone who made the first round of cuts. I whip into the driveway, pull up to the wrought iron gate, and roll down my window.
“Holy shit! Would you look at this place? It’s freakin’ huge,” Candace announces with more excitement than I’ve heard from her in a while. “This is the beginning of our own rags-to-riches story.”
She leans forward and stretches her neck to get a better view of the lush landscaping and sprawling lawn leading up to the massive two-story white house standing proudly just beyond the gate.
I press the button on the metal call box.
“Yes?” A woman’s voice comes through the speaker.
“Yes. Hi, I’m Aundrea Newton. I believe I’m moving in today with my sister, Candace?” My reply sounds more like a question rather than a solid response.
A buzz emits from the box, and the gate slowly opens, granting us passage inside.
I take a quick glance over at Candace. “Here we go.”
Every cell in my body hums with anticipation of what’s about to come next. I drive up the lane and park directly in front of the house. As if we’re pulling up to a fine hotel establishment, a broad-shouldered young man with glasses approaches the car. He’s handsome with his neatly trimmed dark hair and pleasant smile while wearing a white polo shirt and khaki pants.
He reaches for the handle of my door, but I beat him to the punch and let myself out of the car while Candace hops out on the other side.
“Hi. Is this where I’m supposed to park?”
“Allow me to take care of your car. A garage with ample parking is located around the back of the house,” the man says with ease.
“Oh, okay.” I hand him the keys. “I’ve never had someone do this before. She sticks a bit when putting her into drive, so you might have to force it into gear.”
He chuckles. “No problem. Do you have any bags to get out of the car first?”
I tuck a strand of my dark hair behind my ear. “We have two actually. They’re in the trunk.”
I lead the man around to the rear of the car and pop the trunk. All of my and Candace’s belongings fit into two bags.
The man instantly reaches inside and pulls out both pieces of luggage. “You two packed light compared to the others.”
Candace flanks my side. “Is everyone else here?”
“Yep. You ladies are the last to arrive. The rest have already paired up and chosen rooms. But don’t worry; the one that’s left is really nice, too.”
I stare up at the house and take in its beauty. There’s probably no such thing as a bad room in this place. It looks like a palace fit for a queen, and I can’t believe this is where I’ll be staying even if it doesn’t last long.
“Follow me, ladies.”
We follow behind him as he heads for the front door of the house.
“By the way, I’m Robert, Mr. Rawlings’s assistant. If you need anything, please let me know. It’s my job to make sure things run smoothly around here.”
“Sounds like Laz is lucky to have you,” I respond as we step up onto the massive brick front porch.
“Oh, I don’t work for Laz. I work for his father.”
Candace furrows her brows. “So this isn’t Laz’s house?”
Robert sets Candace’s bag down and opens the front door. “No, it’s his father’s. Mr. Rawlings rarely leaves his room much these days. Even if he did, it would be unusual for you to see him, considering this house is just over thirty thousand square feet—not counting the pool house, which is another three thousand square feet.”
“Wow!” My sister’s eyebrows shoot up as she’s clearly impressed. “I guess CEOs of record companies do pretty well for themselves.”
Robert nods. “Let’s just say, no one in the Rawlings family has ever wanted for anything.” He opens the door and sweeps his hand in front of himself. “After you, ladies.”
Candace smiles at Robert as she passe
s by him, and her eyes linger on him for a little longer than necessary.
I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from chuckling out loud. Looks like Cam might have some competition.
When I step inside the house, my mouth drops open a bit. Holy shit. I’ve never been in a house this extravagant before. The marble floor in the grand foyer resembles a hotel lobby. A curved staircase with intricate dark, wood spindles is the focal point of the room while a round table holding perfectly arranged flowers sits directly in the middle of the space.
I glance over at my sister, who appears just as awed as I am.
Robert clears his throat, and I notice he’s already standing on the staircase with our bags in hand, waiting for us to follow him. “I’ll show you to your room, and then I’ll take you out back to where the rest of the group is awaiting your arrival.”
Candace and I follow behind him and make our way up the impressive staircase to the second floor. At the top of the steps, long hallways extend to the left, right, and straight ahead of us. This place is massive. Why anyone would ever need this much space for one family is beyond me.
“Straight ahead is Mr. Rawlings’s area, which means this hallway is off-limits. To the right is the staff quarters. I reside there along with the rest of the house staff. To the left is the guest hallway where you and the other ladies are staying.”
Before I can stop myself, I ask the one question that’s been on my mind. “Will Laz be in this section, too?”
The thought of him being in such close proximity all the time causes my stomach to flutter.
Robert shakes his head. “No. Lazarus prefers to reside in the pool house. He enjoys the privacy of it. However, Camden will be right next door to your room, should you need anything.”
I laugh.
Candace jerks her eyes over in my direction. “This isn’t funny, Drea.”