Read My Rock #5 (The Rock Star Romance Series - Book #5) for Free Online Page B

drummer laughed and the pianist said, “That
attitude won’t get you any votes.”
    I shrugged again and said, “This isn’t an attitude
contest. If it were I wouldn’t have even entered it. It’s a talent contest and
I know this song is good the way I put it together.” The pianist still looked
skeptical, but he didn’t argue further. We did a practice run and I could feel
how good it sounded when it was coming out.
    When I finished it the pianist said, “I think I was
wrong,” with a smile.
    “I think you were too,” the drummer said.
    I thought about that as I stood up at the mic and
suddenly the nerves returned. I knew it was good, but the real question I guess
was whether or not everyone else would like it and vote for me. I tried to
stuff that down and just sing. I had so much nervous energy built up and I was
never sure if the nervous energy would help or hinder my performance.
    When I opened my mouth, it all fell away and I just
got into the song. When I finished, the whole theatre, including the judges, was
up—standing ovation all around. Suddenly Ethan was the one that looked nervous.
    Diva was crying. She did that a lot, but this time
she had real tears. “You just won my heart,” she said.
    The country star was grinning and he said,
“Amazing.”
    The record producer just gave me thumbs up and a
smile, but that was a lot coming from him. I could see Elly on her feet. She
was putting her fingers in the sides of her mouth and whistling. It was cute. I
walked out of the theatre that night feeling like that million dollars was
already in my pocket.

 
    CHAPTER
TEN
    ELLY
    Once again, Tristan was incredible . I left the theatre knowing that
unless American’s were absolutely out of their freaking minds, he had this
contest in the bag. We’d gone home together and both of us were too wound up to
sleep. He seemed really nervous still. He’d made a few little suggestions that
we have wild sex on my bed. He said it would get rid of his nervous energy. But
Susie was home in her room with a friend. They were studying and I would just
be too self-conscious doing it right in the room next door. Our walls were
pretty thin. Susie’s friend already looked Tristan up and down when Susie
introduced them like he looked good enough to eat. I didn’t want to encourage
her any further.
    So, we were sitting on my couch watching television.
There was a re-cap of the show on the ten o’clock news and the news anchor was
gushing about Tristan and how good he was. She looked like maybe his singing
wasn’t all that she was interested in—she had the same look on her face that
Susie’s friend had. I wondered what it felt like to have people you didn’t even
know adore you like that. Tristan hardly seemed fazed by it at all. He must
have gotten used to it when he was a kid and had all of the little teenyboppers
throwing themselves at him.
    He did seem a little uptight and antsy though. He
wasn’t much of a talker, so I didn’t even ask him what was going on in his
head. I was sure that it had to be an incredible amount of pressure to sit and
wait and wonder if he was going to win. I don’t think that I would handle it
very well.
    “Let’s go for a ride,” he said out of the blue.
    “A ride? On the bike?”
    “No, on my horse,” he said with a smirk.
    I raised my eyebrows. “Don’t be an ass.”
    “Come on, let’s go for a ride…please.”
    I looked out the window. “It’s kind of late.”
    “Will you turn into a pumpkin at midnight?”
    “No…”
    “Come on. My nerves are killing me and I’m not going
to be able to sleep. A ride will calm me down; it always does, especially if I
go down to the beach.” He was at least admitting that he was nervous. That was
new.
    “You don’t really need me for that,” I said. The
truth was riding on the back of his bike scared the shit out of me. He drove
like a bat out of hell and I didn’t want to die splattered across the pavement.
    “No, I don’t need