Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

It was impossible to ignore the fact that her life was out of control.

A week ago, she had been a pariah in every sense of the word, and now people were reaching out and offering her jobs, while others wanted to interview her and get her side of the story. If she wanted to, Juliette could have a new career right now, but nothing appealed to her. Most of the job offers were for remote work, so she wouldn't have to move, and they all were offering more money than she ever made at Premiere.

Vanessa had actually called just this morning to offer her her old job back, but Juliette had immediately declined. There was no way she could go back there. Too much water under the bridge and there were things her former boss had said that simply couldn't be taken back. Their friendship was never going to be the same and that made her sad. Still, it was nice to be wanted.

She just wished she knew what the next step was.

With everything.

After the visit from Mick, Jax, and Noah, she really expected to hear from Simon. After explicitly telling them that was what she was looking for, she was certain they'd relay the message to him and he'd call her.

But he didn't.

There had been times when she had reached for her phone to call him because one of them had to make the first move, but she always chickened out. Plus, she honestly believed he needed to be the one to reach out to her. He was wrong and he'd hurt her, but the more time passed, the more she feared that maybe he realized he hadn't been in love with her at all—that maybe it was just lust.

"I miss the lust," she murmured, as she scrolled through her Instagram feed just to have something to do. "Hell, I'd be willing to settle for just the lust if it meant having him back."

When the phone in her hand rang, it startled her so much that she nearly dropped it on the floor. Fortunately, she quickly recovered. Mick's name came up on the screen and she knew it was only a matter of time before he'd reach out. From what she knew about him, most people didn't say no to Mick Tyler. If he was telling you to call, you called. He was revered in the entertainment industry, and knowing him—or having him know who you are—was considered a serious coup.

So answer the phone, dummy!

"Hey, Mick," she said with a calmness she didn't quite feel. There could be a dozen reasons why he was calling, but it felt like a big deal that he'd made the first move.

Unlike some people…

"Juliette Bellucci, you are one stubborn woman!" he said with a laugh, and she didn't take any offense. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good," she lied. "And you?"

"You know, can't complain. Listen, the film project with Max is now officially DOA."

"I thought you said that when you were here last week," she reminded him.

"Yeah, well, now it's officially official. It's over. I got the rights to all the footage and we're burning it."

"What? Why? Couldn't you use it for other promotional stuff for Simon? Or for another documentary down the road?" She hated when people acted impulsively like this. It was one thing to act impulsively in your personal life—that was almost acceptable—but not in business. "I get that you don't want any of the bad juju that comes with it, but some of that footage is spectacular! Have you watched any of it?"

"Like I have the time," he told her with another laugh. "Okay, so I won't burn it yet, but we have a new project starting up with Simon's shows in New York. It's going to be a concert film like Simon originally wanted with a new production company, an independent film company, and they need a top-notch PR person to help them. You interested?"

Now it was her turn to laugh. "Um…Mick, you're sweet, but maybe a little delusional. For starters, I'm still unemployed. I haven't taken up with a new firm yet, and I highly doubt they want a freelancer to help them. And besides that, I'm not sure I'm the right person to step back in with Simon's tour."

"Nonsense! If anything, you're the perfect person because you're familiar with everyone behind the scenes. And I'm not talking about Simon, so…don't think I was saying anything offensive."

"I didn't."

"Listen, Jules, you can ask anyone who's ever worked with me and they'll tell you that I'm fair and an excellent judge of character. I see potential in you. I think you're an incredibly talented woman who's had some rotten luck but keeps getting back up. Premiere was a good start for you, but they're never going to grow because they take on pretty much anyone who calls them without doing their research. Vanessa does an okay job, but she doesn't have the skills and discernment her father and grandfather had."

That…wasn't what she expected him to say.

"I'm in management," he went on. "I started my company when it was just me and I worked my ass off to take on the right clients and then hired only the best people to work with me. I want you to work with me. For years, I wanted to branch out into PR, mainly because I feel like I'm already doing that myself. But I'm married and have a family and my wife keeps reminding me that it's okay to give up the reins to other people. I trust you, Jules. I think together we can offer some top-notch PR services to the clients I have in-house so we can keep them all under one roof."

"I…I don't know what to say. I mean…I can see the potential in this, but working with Simon…"

"There's a history there, and I get it. The whole situation Max created sucked, but we're all adults and we're all professionals. I believe the two of you can come to an agreement and work together. At the end of the day, don't you want to see Simon have the film he originally wanted?"

"Of course!"

"You're the only one who's going to make that happen. I think Simon learned his lesson—that he needs to speak up and let the professionals do their jobs—but that's not going to happen overnight. He needs people around him looking out for him still. I'd much rather him put his focus on the new music instead of worrying about what's going to be put on film. As it is, we lost studio time for the new album because of all this bullshit."

"Yeah, um…"

"You can do this, and you can do this well. Don't let the past keep you from an amazing future."

That made her laugh softly. "You're mighty confident, Mick."

"Yes, I am, and I make no apologies for it. This is going to be good for you, Jules. You and Simon. And again, I'm talking professionally. I'm not going to get involved in what happens between the two of you romantically. That's none of my damn business. But whether you fall back in love or decide to be friends, I think the two of you work well together and you can get this project done. And since I brought it up, I don't have a problem with the two of you getting back together romantically. I get that you'd be working for me and I don't want to set a precedent where it's okay for publicists to get involved with their clients, so I'm just gonna say that the two of you are grandfathered in and no one else. So what do you say?"

"I say…what does Simon think of all this? He's the one who told me to leave, I'm sure he'll have something to say about me just showing back up."

"He doesn't know anything about this, but I'm not worried about it and you shouldn't be either. Simon needs to be focused on the tour and getting into the studio to get this new music down. If you don't want to deal with him directly, you know Nikki can help you. The ball's in your court."

It sounded so easy…

"The tour starts up in Buffalo tomorrow. I'll handle all your travel expenses—flights, hotels, all of it—to get you there and Nikki will take care of getting you with everyone for this next leg of the tour."

"Um…"

"I'm emailing you a contract right now with a signing bonus. Read it and let me know what you think. In the meantime, my assistant Lynn is going to book you a flight to Buffalo for tomorrow morning. Will that work?"

"Mick, I mean…I have to look at the contract, and…"

"Jules, I think we both know you're more decisive than this. You know what you want to do. Don't second-guess yourself."

Dammit, he was right.

"Fine. Make the arrangements and have your assistant send everything over. How long will I be needed on the tour?"

"One month. The new film company is smaller, so they're not as polished as Max was. But a month should be enough time to get everything going. Nikki will email you the tour schedule and will make sure someone picks you up at the airport tomorrow. We good?"

"I hope so…"

He chuckled. "This is gonna be great!. I know it. Good luck and thanks!"

When she hung up, she realized she no longer felt nervous, but excited. She could go back to the tour with her head held high and she knew she'd be welcomed back by Nikki and most of the crew. And to hell with Simon Bennett for being a coward and not calling to apologize. Still, she'd go in there and oversee this project and promote the hell out of it, better than any publicist in the business.

Feeling energized, she jumped to her feet and strode into her bedroom and began to pack.

"Buffalo, here I come!"

The flight turned out to be a private jet.

The car picking her up at the airport in Buffalo was a limo.

And the hotel was of the boutique variety in downtown Buffalo. After dropping her luggage off, the car had taken her over to the KeyBank Center where Simon was currently preparing to do his sound check.

Nikki greeted her with open arms. "I'm so freaking glad you're here! I thought you were never going to speak to me again!"

Juliette felt terrible about that. "Please don't hate me for being distant. The whole situation was just devastating, and I couldn't deal with it. I didn't mean to take it out on you. From the moment I came to work for Simon, you've been a friend to me. I'm really sorry."

"We're good, Jules. I'm still shocked at how it all went down, but I hope Max gets what's coming to him. I mean, of all the people in the entertainment industry to go after, why Simon?"

"Probably figured there would be a good shock value there." She shuddered. "From a publicity standpoint, he could have garnered a lot of interest in the film with the promise of a scandal or something from Simon's past. It's a crappy thing to do, but that's the shadier part of the business and I personally don't want any part of it. I'm just glad he's gone."

"Good riddance, for sure." They walked down toward the floor seats and back by the soundboard. "I wanted us to stay out of the way. The film guys are trying to get the lay of the land and grab some footage of this rehearsal, so I figured we'd hang back and watch. Is that okay?"

"Sure!" And maybe she sounded confident, but she was extremely nervous about seeing Simon again.

Even from a distance.

"Oh my goodness! You're here!" Celia came jogging over excitedly before hugging Juliette—hard. "You have no idea how worried we both were about you!" Pulling back, she was smiling from ear to ear. "When Nikki said Mick hired you and you were going to work with this new film crew, I cried! Like I seriously cried happy tears!"

It seemed a bit of an overreaction, but it was nice that she was missed.

"Mick's very persuasive," she told them. "I'm not gonna lie; it wasn't an easy decision to do this. I mean…"

But Celia grabbed her hands to stop her. "No, you need to be here. Simon hasn't been the same since you left. In all the years I've known him, I've never seen him like this. So it's so good that you're back."

Shaking her head, Juliette needed to make it known that she was here as a publicist and that her relationship with Simon wasn't…well…it just wasn't. There was no relationship other than a professional one. She was here to do a job and that's it. Too much had happened for her to just come back, take one look at him, and have everything be okay. Things like that didn't happen.

At least…not to her.

Mick Tyler was giving her a chance, and she wasn't going to let him down.

Glancing around, she asked, "Is Alex with you? I didn't think he traveled on the tour with you, Nik."

"My mom lives down in Pittsburgh and we figured it might be nice for her to come and hang out and get some time with Alex for a few days," Nikki explained. "She's on babysitting duty because it's a lot to ask of Alex to hang out here all day."

"That's so sweet that she was willing to do that!"

"The drive was just a little over three hours, so she was thrilled to have the opportunity. Plus, when she comes to visit us in Greensboro, she has to share her time with Celia's parents."

"And my parents can be a lot," Celia said with a laugh.

"She's not lying," Nikki murmured.

"Ooh…ooh…they're starting," Celia said as the band started coming out onto the stage. "Sit! I always love this part. It's like getting your own private concert!"

They sat and Nikki turned to Juliette and laughed softly. "In case it wasn't obvious, she's still a huge fan."

It made her smile. "Nothing wrong with that!"

Closing her eyes briefly, she let out a long breath and silently willed herself to be okay, but when Simon walked out on the stage, her heart literally ached. In a pair of faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt, his standard attire, he looked perfect. His hair desperately needed a trim and was in total disarray, but it made her want to run her hands through it. The stubbled jaw, the sexy swagger…he was far too attractive for his own good. It didn't matter what happened and it didn't matter that she was hurt; the truth was that she was still in love with him.

Oh God, how can this possibly work? How can I work beside him and not make a fool out of myself?

She was pulled from her reverie when the opening chords of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" started.

"Why do they do this?" she asked Nikki.

"It's a game the guys play. They try to stump Simon, who claims he knows every song ever made." She snorted with amusement. "Sometimes they don't try very hard. I mean…come on. Even Alex would know this one!"

"That's what I was thinking!" Celia said.

But as soon as Simon sang out, "It's all the same…only the names will change…" Juliette was lost.

"I swear, you guys, I think I should be the one challenging you!" Simon said with a hearty laugh. "We've been at this for months and you haven't gotten me yet!"

"Maybe we're going easy on you," his bass player, Raj, called out. "You know…being nice to the guy who signs our paychecks."

With a mock frown, he shook his head. "As much as I appreciate that, you don't have to handle me with kid gloves. I'll gladly admit when I don't know a song and won't go into diva mode. I swear!"

After a few minutes of ribbing about fragile egos in this business, Simon was ready to get them back on track.

"Okay, let's run through our first three songs of the set to get the sound guys going." And as always, "The Power of You" was the opening song. He took his position—the one he started in every night when the curtain dropped—and let himself get lost in the music for a little while. It wasn't like he'd been on a huge break; the week off had been one of the lowest points in his life and it just felt good to be back doing what he loved. Music had always been a refuge for him, and it still was.

Sound levels were tweaked, lights were moved around, but they had a fairly decent blueprint for his shows and it never took long to get everything just right. His crew was amazing, and they worked like a well-oiled machine together. By the end of the third song, everyone stopped to grab some water, and then Simon decided to change things up.

"So…the song I gave you guys last night? I'm thinking of throwing it in next," he explained. "I know it's not polished yet, but I think it could fit here. What do you think?"

"You're going to introduce it, right?" his keyboardist, Aidan, asked. "You gonna just wing something, or is there a story?"

He chuckled. "There's always a story," he said as he walked toward center stage and picked up the mic so everyone in the arena would hear him. "I'm thinking it would go something like this…"

Pausing for a moment, Simon pretended there were tens of thousands of people sitting in the audience.

"I want to thank you all for being with us tonight! Are you having a good time?" Then he paused because he knew there would be tons of screaming at that point. "That's good, that's good. We've been on the road now for months and we've been playing the hits that you all know and love, but sometimes we like to give you a taste of something I'm working on."

Another pause for the screaming.

"Just a word of warning, this song was literally written a couple of days ago. The boys and I have only played it together last night." He paused for dramatic effect. "But out of all the music I've been creating lately, this one just begged to be shared."

Behind him, an acoustic guitar began to play.

In the depths of your eyes, it's undeniable…

A love so fierce, it's simply indescribable…

We're walking on the edge, no fear inside,

In this world of chaos, with you, I'll ride.

And then, the music built up as he stood in place and sang with everything he had. His heart was pounding, but this song, more than any other, was a look into his soul. It was a promise, a plea, for a future he was desperate for.

This love is undeniable, wild and untamed…

In your arms, I'll never be the same…

We'll break the rules, defy them all…

In this indescribable love, we'll take it all.

The acoustic guitar was back, repeating the intro as Simon walked to the edge of the stage and jumped down. When he did that in the middle of a show, he was surrounded by security and there was a path clearly marked and roped off. But for the sake of the moment, he could go wherever he wanted.

And he wanted to go directly to Juliette.

Slowly, he made his way up the aisle to where he knew she was sitting. Celia was practically bouncing in her seat, and Simon had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

"Sweet Juliette," he began, still speaking into the mic, and then sang the last line.

In a world that's lost, we've found our way,

In your love, I'm here to stay.

We'll rise above, we'll take the fall,

In this indescribable love, we'll conquer all.

By this point, the music faded away and he was standing right beside where she sat. Those gorgeous green eyes shone bright with unshed tears. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nikki stand before she took the mic from him.

"Welcome back, my sweet girl," he said softly, holding out his hand to her. She took it as she stood, and he gently tugged her close. "Hi."

Ducking her head a bit, she smiled before looking up at him. "Hi."

There were so many things he wanted to say—needed to say—but ultimately, he needed to kiss her first. Reaching up, he cupped her face and claimed her lips with his and everything in him relaxed. His girl was here and everything was going to be alright.

She kissed him back with equal passion, gripping the front of his shirt, and the only flaw in his plan was that they were in the middle of this massive arena, with a small audience who were currently clapping and cheering. While he appreciated the fact that they were happy for him and Juliette, a little privacy would go a long way right now.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss and smiled down at her. "I really wish we were someplace else right now."

Licking her lips, she nodded. "Me too."

Nikki leaned in close. "Lunch is waiting for you both in the dressing room, and Gage has instructions for no one to bother you for the next two hours." She gave them an overly dramatic wink. "Quick, go! I can't guarantee that people aren't going to come over and start congratulating you!"

It wasn't like he needed the encouragement, but he took it. With Juliette's hand in his, they raced up the aisle and up the stairs on the side of the stage before making their way to his dressing room. Gage was holding the door open for them and gave Simon a thumbs-up before closing it after them.

The silence in the dressing room was almost deafening, and as much as he wanted to take her back in his arms, he knew he needed to grovel a bit first.

"Juliette, I…"

She pressed one perfectly manicured finger to his lips. "Before you say anything, I want you to know that you don't need to. That song…that incredibly beautiful song was more than enough."

Taking her hand, he kissed her palm. "No. It's not enough," he said gruffly. "I'll never forgive myself for the things I said and how I behaved. I don't even have an excuse for it. In my entire life, I can't remember being so closed-minded. It's…it's…"

"You were hurt," she said quietly. "You told me you loved me; you trusted me enough to fall in love with me, and you thought I'd betrayed you. If it were me, I would have reacted the same way."

It wasn't funny, but…it was.

Arching a brow at her, he gave her a small smile. "Seriously? If it were you, I think you would have kicked my ass and then burned the place to the ground and never spoken to me again!"

Luckily, she laughed.

"You know what I'm saying. I'm the kind of person who gives everyone the benefit of the doubt and I didn't with you." He shook his head. "I'm so ashamed of myself, and I'm so sorry, Juliette. You have to know just how sorry I am."

She let out a long breath. "The entire situation was extremely volatile and Max knew exactly what he was doing and just how to manipulate us to get what he wanted. He knew all the buttons to push. As much as I wish nothing but bad things on him, he's kind of a genius."

"Yeah, an evil one," he murmured.

"Oh, for sure!" Taking his hand, she led him over to the table that was set with their lunch. "Wow, Nikki outdid herself!" There was a chilled seafood platter and plates with Caesar salad, warm rolls, and a small charcuterie. "I love all of this."

Simon held out her chair for her and waited until she was comfortable before taking his seat across from her. "I had no idea she was doing this, but I'm really thankful she did."

"When you first came out on the stage, I didn't think you knew I was here. You just sort of went on like it was business as usual, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. And just when I was settling in and enjoying the show, you destroyed me with that song. Did you really just write it or was it one of the songs you started back when we were in the mountains?"

"It came to me a few days ago when Jax pulled my sorry ass out of a two-star hotel in Pasadena."

Frowning, she reached for her roll. "What were you doing in a two-star hotel in Pasadena? I thought you were going back to the house we stayed at in the Hollywood Hills?"

"I couldn't do it. Too many memories. Plus, I didn't deserve to be anyplace nice. I was a horrible person and felt like I should stay someplace horrible."

She smirked. "Was it really horrible, or just…like a clean, basic chain hotel with no room service horrible?"

"Um…"

Reaching across the table, she playfully patted his hand. "Poor baby. No room service and scratchy towels. I wonder who'll play you in the Lifetime movie."

Laughing, he shook his head. "Ha, ha. You're hysterical."

"Okay, okay, sorry. So Jax found you and he inspired you to write?"

"I wouldn't say that Jax inspired it," he said with amusement. "But we talked through a lot of stuff and it got me thinking about what I should have been doing instead of hiding away."

Pausing, he knew he had to say all the things that were in his heart, even if she said she didn't need him to.

"I should have called you," he admitted quietly, taking her hand in his again. "And when we finished in Chicago, I should have gotten on a plane and gone to you instead of selfishly going into hiding. It was childish and so damn disrespectful to you. To us. And then the tabloids…"

"You forget, I'm used to that world. I don't like it and we all know that most of what's out there isn't true. I was a bit surprised at how fast Max was able to get that stuff out there, but it was even more impressive how fast it all got taken down and scrubbed."

"That was all Mick."

"Yeah, he's…he's something. He offered me a job with his company. It would be heading up his PR department and only having a handful of clients. The contract was way more impressive than he let on while we were on the phone."

"And you took it?"

Nodding, "I did. But with the understanding that I wanted thirty days to see how things went with you. I committed to being here with you throughout the filming of the shows, and I'm really excited that you're starting over with someone new."

"You and me both! And I've sat down with these guys and I trust them. They're young and hungry and understand this is all about the music and not creating drama."

"I'm scheduled to meet with them this afternoon while you're on your break before the show."

"That won't work," he said firmly.

"Why?"

"Because you'll be otherwise occupied during that time." He kissed her palm again. "Reschedule."

Taking her hand from his, but holding his gaze, she reached down for her purse and grabbed her phone. "I shouldn't encourage this sort of behavior, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to focus on anything they had to say because I'd be thinking about being alone with you."

"We're alone now…"

Juliette glanced around before looking at him. "We are." Then she paused, leaning in a bit closer. "But there is chilled lobster just inches away and I really want it!"

Unable to help himself, Simon burst out laughing. "How about we eat and then…focus on how much we love being alone?"

"What about rehearsals? Aren't you supposed to be back out there at some point?"

"We have two hours," he reminded her. "And it's not going to take us two hours to eat. Trust me."

She seemed to instantly sober. "I do trust you, Simon. With everything. But most importantly, I trust you with my heart. I can't describe it, but I never felt this way with anyone else before. But with you, I know everything's going to be okay."

"I know it's difficult for you to trust, and I'm sorry that I gave you a reason to doubt me, but thank you for being willing to give me another chance. From this moment on, I promise it will never happen again. I love you, Juliette Bellucci."

Those eyes shone brightly again. "I love you too, Simon. So much that it scares me."

"There's nothing to be scared of. We're a team, you and I, and no one's ever going to change that."

Nodding, she said, "Good."

They served each other seafood, Simon poured black cherry soda for them to drink, and they began to eat.

"Your schedule for this leg of the tour seems fairly full again," she said conversationally. "Any changes this time around? Other than the new song?"

Smiling, he shook his head. "I didn't plan on using that song just yet. I'd like to polish it up a bit before sharing it. I asked Mitch—he's the producer—to film everything today and it will be used in the film as a bonus feature sort of thing. That is, if it's okay with you."

"They were filming us? I didn't even notice!"

He felt a moment of panic. "I'm sorry! I didn't think it would be a big deal, but we can totally scrap it. Really. God, I'm sorry!"

"Simon," she said patiently. "I'm fine with it. I was just genuinely surprised that I didn't notice them. They're good! Far less intrusive than Max's people."

"Okay. Whew! I figured it would be like the last scene of the film."

"I think that would be lovely," she assured him. "Because if you were going to use it in your show now, I was going to suggest it be the encore. It's just that good that it deserves to be the last thing your fans hear before they go."

That pleased him more than she would ever know.

Then they ate their lunch while talking and laughing, and then they made love fast and furiously before they had to get back to the real world. It gave Simon so much hope for what was still to come.