Chapter 18

Candice

The flight was faster than I had thought it would be. Even though I tried to avoid Mick, he switched seats with Caroline to sit with me. My thoughts the entire flight drifted back to last night. When Charlie asked if I was up for some exploring of the city, I said yes because I could really use the distraction. Plus, Caroline and the guys are in a band meeting.

There’s a knock at the door. “One second!”

Charlie is already here, and I was just finishing putting my makeup on.

“Hey.” I smile as I open the door.

“Hi,” he says back. His eyes travel up and down my body. Charlie’s been around for as long as I have with The Hestons, but I never really paid him much attention. Having him here is oddly comforting.

“So where are we going to?” I ask as we head down the elevator.

“Well as you know, I’m from New York, so I am going to introduce you to the best pizza of your life.” He grins.

“I love pizza!” I say.

“I know,” he chuckles. He opens the door for me as we walk out of the hotel.

“Candice? Where’s Mick?” There are about ten paparazzi camped out front.

“Who’s this guy?” One points at Charlie.

“Are you and Mick done already?” another shouts.

“I think Mick is bringing up the rear?” Charlie says to them. They all start to swarm around the front door. “We need to run before they figure out Mick’s not coming out next,” Charlie says to me. We take off running down the street. Charlie pulls me down a side alley and we make it out to the next street. We start laughing as we stop.

“Fuck that was kind of fun,” Charlie says while catching his breath.

“I know.”

“Who knew you were getting to be such a big celebrity.”

“Not me for sure,” I say. I frown and look down at my shoes. “They think we’re dating or something.”

“Are you?” he asks.

“We’re not.” I scratch my arm.

“He seemed pretty protective of you back at the airport this morning,” he says.

“Yeah, he does that,” I say. Charlie directs me towards a little Italian restaurant. After we’re seated, Charlie orders a bottle of wine.

“A little early?” I ask. My phone flashes the time, eleven-forty-five.

“Come on. It’s after eight in London,” he says.

“It just makes bloody good sense then!”

After a few hours and a few bottles of wine, I’m full and drunk.

“Ugh how are we going to get back into the hotel without being spotted?” I groan as we stand up to put on our coats.

“We’ll be fine. Just slide down your sunglasses and act normal,” Charlie starts to chuckle, and I try to stifle a giggle. I am definitely drunk.

“I want a new purse,” I announce.

“I think it’s a bad idea,” Charlie says.

“Why?”

“Because tomorrow when you wake up, you’re going to be pissed I let you get it,” he says.

“Fair point. All right you’re my conscience right now.” We exit the restaurant and stumble back towards the hotel.

“Can I ask you something?” he says.

“Always,” I say.

“Do you like Mick?” he asks.

“Uhm.” I don’t know how to reply. Trying to keep the deal Mick and I made secret is hard when you’re drunk.

“You don’t have to tell me. Stupid question.” He shakes his head.

“No, it’s not stupid.” I frown. I take another step before stopping to look up at all the tall buildings. “I feel like I need something new.” I change the subject.

“You’re in a new country.”

“I want something new for me though.” A neon sign glows Hair by Jarred and catches my eye. “Come with me.”

“Where?” Charlie asks as I pull him across the road.

“There!” I point and he grabs my wrist.

“Candice don’t do something you’re going to regret,” Charlie says.

“It’s just hair! I promise I won’t cut it,” I smile as we enter the salon.

Charlie waits patiently while Mr. Jarred finishes up. After he rinses and dries my hair, he spins me around to see it.

“Oh my God,” I say. I look at my once blonde hair and take in the dark brown which now frames my face.

“Honey you look gorgeous,” Jarred says.

“It’s so different.” I run my hands through my hair. I stand up and walk toward Charlie.

“Holy.” He breathes. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you.” I blush.

“Your girlfriend looks beautiful right?” Jarred says.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say.

“Just friends,” Charlie says.

“Oh sorry,” he says as he rings me up.

We leave the salon and Charlie continues to stare at me.

“Stop,” I say.

“I’m sorry. It’s just so different. Good different,” he says.

“Nice save.”

“Bright side I think we can get back into the hotel without anyone noticing us.”

We walk up to the hotel, and I put my sunglasses on. Charlie was wrong and the photographers continued to scream questions at me.

“Phew. I’m not leaving the hotel again for a while.” I laugh.

“I gotta go meet up with some of the other crew members but I’ll text you later,” he smiles.

“Thanks for hanging out with me.” I smile.

“Any time,” he says. He heads off towards the restaurant and I get into the elevator.

I get inside my room and notice a note from Caroline saying she went out to dinner with Rick. I let out a long breath and look around. Whenever I went on tour with The Hestons there wasn’t really any down time and if there was then Felix and I were either eating or having sex. I hear my phone start vibrating.

“Hello?” I answer.

“You dirty girl,” I hear Nadine’s voice come through the phone.

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

“You and Mick! Amazing. I knew it was going to happen,” she replies.

“There’s nothing going on Nadine,” I reply.

“Sure, sure. It’s not what the pictures suggest.” She giggles.

“How’re things over there?” I ask.

“Good. Boring now that Tommy’s gone. I’m seeing Danny tonight,” she says. Leave it to Nadine to bounce back and forth between the two.

“Ah. Say hi to him for me.”

“Of course. Oh! I’m going to email you a link to something hilarious by the way,” she says.

“Hilarious? Or disgusting? Because I’ve learned with you.” I laugh.

“It’s both.”

“Send it now ‘cause I’m bored.”

“Done. Kisses my love.”

“Perfect. Ciao bella,” I say.

“Ciao.” She hangs up.

I look down at my phone and see a link to a Tumblr account. I open it up and gasp at what I see. Loving Mick Davies comes across my phone. I had heard about Fanfiction and their cheesy plot lines, but this was the first time I was reading it. The way he looked on stage was nothing compared to the way he looked sprawled across my bed… I roll my eyes. I’m only going to read a bit more.

A few hours later I look over at the clock and it’s eight p.m. Chapter eleven had shown the fictional girl, Jess, had fallen for the bad boy, Mick, and had been trying to change him, which proved difficult because Mick was set in his ways. Sounds like the real one to me. I need a break from reading and get up to throw on some jeans. I head down to the lobby bar and order a glass of wine.

“Excuse me beautiful—” I turn around on my bar stool and Conner is standing in front of me, “Candice?”

“Hey.” I smile.

“I didn’t recognize you.” He takes a seat beside me.

“Is that a good thing?” I ask.

“I thought you were hot before and still are.”

“Charmer. How was the meeting today?” I ask.

“Usual. Rick wants to know if there’s anything we haven’t told him.”

“Oh?” I ask, “What kind of stuff?”

“Like who we’re dating, sex tape, and all those types of things.”

“Interesting,” I say biting back my questions about Mick.

“You were brought up.”

“Was I?”

“Yup.”

“That’s it? You’re not going to give me any context?”

“Rick asked Mick if he was single. He said you were friends, kind of, and he pressed him, and he said you weren’t really his type,” Conner says. The slap of reality hits me square in the face.

“Oh,” I reply. Ouch. It shouldn’t hurt as much as it does.

“Excuse me, I’d like two tequila shots,” I say to the bartender.

“We’re drinking then?” Conner says.

“Yep,” I reply. All I want to do is forget Mick even existed.

After two hours I am good and drunk again. Twice in one day is almost my record.

“Can you take me to my room?” I ask Conner.

“Whoa this is moving fast.” He winks.

“Like I said before we’re never going to happen.” I laugh. Conner pays our tab and helps me jump off the stool. I almost fall over as we start to leave the bar.

“Try to walk as best as you can. People are definitely staring at us,” Conner whispers to me.

“Can you hold my hand please? I feel like I’m going to fall over,” I say as my center of gravity shifts and I almost fall.

“Sure,” he says. We get into the elevator with a couple that look at us with wide eyes. They know who we are.

“Uhm sorry but I’m a huge fan.” The girl turns to Conner.

“Thanks,” he says.

“Can you sign this for me?” She hands him a piece of paper and a pen.

“For sure.” He lets go of my hand to sign then automatically grabs my hand after.

“You’re beautiful by the way,” she says to me.

“Thanks.” I smile.

“Good looks run in the family I guess,” she says as they get off the elevator and I look at Conner.

“Great. Another story about me is going to be everywhere by tomorrow. You and I in an elevator holding hands. Next, I’ll be linked with Tommy,” I groan.

“Whatever. Candice, the thing I learned is people are going to say whatever the fuck they want about you, but you know what’s true, which is all that matters,” he says.

“How do you ignore it?” I ask Conner.

“I just don’t read it. I let it fall off my back. Do you know how many friends I’ve lost because of the tabloids? Loads. So I decided to say fuck it. I’m just going to do what I want.”

“God you’re smart,” I say.

“The smartest, baby,” he laughs. I laugh with him as we get to my floor. I see a figure sitting out front of my door and freeze. Mick.