King of Bad: A YA Rock Star Romance (Kings of Karmichael Book 4) Read online

  So, sure, maybe I did get the chance to do this because he’s my father, but that doesn’t mean I’m taking this lightly. Luxe is my baby, and I’ll be relentless to make it succeed.

  3

  Maddox

  “It’s true,” Adam says, finishing his soda.

  We’re sitting in Luther’s, and I take a bite of my sub sandwich, laughing. “Candice Murray? Get the hell out of here.”

  “Fine, don’t believe me.” He leans back in his chair.

  Luther’s is a sandwich deli, but it’s known around town for attracting more of the celebrity crowd. Sometimes it’s easier to come to these places, where we know there’ll be paparazzi and onlookers outside, than trying to find a regular place where fans will come up to us for autographs. I don’t mind taking pictures and signing things, but at least let me finish my lunch first.

  Anyway, Adam just finished telling me Candice Murray hit him up last weekend. He’s a megastar, so it’s not unbelievable that other celebrities would get in contact with him. Still, Candice Murray is maybe … no, not maybe, she is the hottest supermodel in the world right now. When I say hottest, I don’t mean just in terms of attractiveness. I’m talking popularity. She’s the top model in the world and has graced every sports and fashion magazine there is. Now she’s turning that modeling career into a film career.

  As much as I want to believe him, and he’s never given me any reason to think he’s lying about any girl he tells me he’s hooked up with … it’s Candice Murray!

  “Pics or it didn’t happen,” I tell him, washing down the last bite of my sandwich with my water bottle.

  He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, like I’m gonna whip out my phone and ask for a selfie while we’re in the middle of a date.”

  I lift my shoulders. “Then that is one hookup I’d have to see to believe.”

  He laughs, shaking his head when his phone chimes. Pulling it out of his pocket, he replies to what must be a text message, and slides his phone back.

  “What do we got going on this weekend?” I ask.

  I don’t want to call Adam my mentor when it comes to hooking up with girls, but he’s the closest thing to one I can think of. He just turned twenty-two and has been in the film industry since he was twelve. In that time, he’s learned how to navigate the waters of dating, hooking up, and everything in between.

  I have to admit, before I met Adam I had no idea how to handle myself around famous girls. I mean, sure, I could talk to them, and we could hook up, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I was reactive to the power of my fame instead of proactive. After going to some parties with Adam a few times, I learned how to lay on the charm, or what others might simply call hitting on girls. Believe it or not, there is an art to it. Come out too fast, and you get shot down. Come out too slow, and they walk right by. Of course, it helps that I’m a King, and he’s a Hollywood star. But still, he knew the system, and I learned a lot those first few times we partied.

  So we both have a shorthand of communication when we’re figuring out what kind of parties or fun we’ll be having during the weekends. And when either of us gets a text message, it’s usually the beginning of figuring out what those plans will be.

  “Naw, nothing. It’s just Jules.”

  “Dude, that’s the final lesson I need to learn from you,” I tell him, chuckling. He rolls his eyes at the comment. “It’s true. How in the hell you found a girl who’s fine with you partying and hooking up with others and doesn’t ever ask for you to cut out all the randos, I’ll never know. But I need to! I think Jenny might be starting to get attached.”

  “Jenny seems cool. You wouldn’t go wrong slowing down with her. Jules just knows my situation, that’s all.”

  “That’s what I’m saying! I need a girl who’s fine with my situation.” I finish my water, quirking an eyebrow. “How long you two been … whatever you call it? I can’t believe I’ve never met her.”

  He shrugs, seeming indifferent about the subject. “I don’t know. A while.”

  His response and demeanor about it make me chuckle. “See, you’re so nonchalant about it. ‘Yeah, I’ve been hooking up with a chick for who knows how long. She’s cool and lets me hook up with other girls, too. No big deal,’” I deliver an extremely poor imitation of him.

  “It’s not like that,” he says, laughing. “It just … is what it is. Don’t worry about it, Padawan. One day you’ll get there.”

  His Star Wars reference joke makes me laugh. It’s something I started when we first began hanging out. I called him my dating Jedi Master. “Yes, Master Adam-Wan.”

  I’m supposed to meet up with the guys to go over some stuff for our next record, so I’m just about to pull out my phone to check the time when in walks an amazingly attractive girl. She’s wearing a light blue blouse that’s hanging off of her shoulders, revealing lightly tanned skin, and what appears to be designer sunglasses. A small, gold purse hangs off of one arm, while her brown hair sways back and forth, falling to the middle of her back.

  I can’t tell if she’s looking at me because of the glasses, but her head stays pointed in my direction as she and her friend walk up to the counter. Wait a minute, her friend … I know her. It’s Stephanie from Life with Stephanie. The Kings and I have done her YouTube show a couple of times. Stephanie looks similar, only with a small, pink T-shirt. Both of them have on jean short pants, or whatever they’re called. They’re similar in body shape, too—slightly thinner, though still with curves. But my eyes remain on Designer Sunglasses, not the YouTuber.

  “That might be your Jules right there,” Adam whispers, chuckling, obviously noting my stare.

  Designer Sunglasses glances back in our direction. I still can’t see her eyes, but we’re in the corner, so she has to be looking at me.

  “Oh, it’s on,” I whisper back to Adam.

  Getting up from the table, I drop my sunglasses from my head down to my face. I don’t need them, but I have to make sure I give off the rock star vibe, right? I mean, she must know who I am already, but I have to make sure I stay in the moment.

  Walking over to them, I lean against the counter. The order taker stands on the other side of the bar, waiting for her to place her order, but she pauses. I glance over her shoulder and see her friend smiling, which builds up my confidence. I could bring up that I know her, but I can’t come off like a fan. I’m a King. They must know who I am. Now all I have to do is seal the deal.

  “Can I help you?” Designer Sunglasses says first, catching me off guard.

  Quickly shaking it off, I give her a nod. “Yeah, I think you can.”

  She cocks her head to the side. I see an eyebrow lift over her glasses. “And how might I do that?”

  I lay on the charm, grinning. “How about this weekend? I’m playing Luxe over in Malibu, and I’d like to invite you as my guest. Afterward, maybe we can have a little fun.”

  A shock goes through my system when I hear a snort of laughter. Looking over her shoulder, I watch as Stephanie slaps a hand over her mouth.

  I’ve done this enough that I’ve seen girls laugh out of nervousness, or even cry out of nervousness. Sometimes they’re not nervous, but they’re incredibly flattered at the attention I’m giving them and start giggling. I’ve seen almost every kind of odd reaction there could be, but this feels entirely off. Stephanie isn’t laughing out of nervousness. It’s something else.

  I watch as Designer Sunglasses looks back at her, then at me, smirking. She lifts a finger to her bright red lips, which I’m now drawn to. She’s definitely done herself up today. Even with all of that, she lowers the finger, tapping her chin, and giggles. Again, it’s not a nervous thing. It’s almost … annoyance?

  “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

  She says it loud enough that I immediately tense up. Alarms are sounding in my head, and I quickly take another look at Stephanie. Damn, has Sunglasses been on her show before? That can’t be it. I don’t understand what’s happening, and I glance back at
Adam. He shakes his head, just as confused as me.

  “Uh … Am I supposed to know?”

  She leans closer to me, whispering, “When you figure it out, you can ask me again.”

  Is she hitting on me now? What is happening here?

  Straightening out, she shakes her head, returning her attention to the order taker behind the counter. “Of course, I’ll still say no. Better luck with the next girl, King of Bad.”

  She places her order, Stephanie does the same, and I’m stuck. I stand there waiting for something else. Another remark, or for her to even look over at me, but she doesn’t. She pays for their food, the order taker gives them their drinks, and they walk in the opposite direction toward a table.

  Slowly, I shuffle my feet back to Adam, completely confused. Looking up at me with the same expression I’m wearing, he lifts his hands inquisitively, and all I can do is shake my head. “What the hell just happened?”

  4

  Cece

  “Is he gone?” I whisper over to Stephanie.

  “Wait for it,” she drawls out the words, keeping her face toward me but her eyes to the side. “Alllllmost.” I feel my heart racing a million miles a minute. “Okay, they’re gone,” she says, and lets out the same nervous breath that I do.

  My shoulders slump, and I lean over the table, laughing at myself. “I can’t believe I just did that. I just rejected Maddox Barkley.”

  “Girl, he deserved it! How does he not know his own boss?”

  Giggling, I try to stifle it. “To be fair, my father is technically his boss.”

  “You’re managing the club. Hell, you interviewed him!”

  “Yeah,” I agree, nodding. “Leslie and Tina were there. Plus, he hardly talked during the whole thing. His manager made all the negotiations.”

  “Still!” She goes from laughing to almost annoyed. “Luxe is yours, not his. I bet he thinks it’s his own personal playground.”

  “You saw him this past weekend. He definitely thinks that. I don’t care what he believes though, he’s just the headline attraction.” Thinking over the entire interaction we just had, another giggle bubbles up. “That was too funny.”

  My laughter seems to calm Stephanie’s annoyance down. “It was great seeing him a little out of his element. I’ve interviewed him with the Kings. He’s always so cocky and sure of himself.”

  “You can’t blame him.”

  A Cheshire smile crosses her lips. “No. No, you can’t. Still, he could use a little humility, and I’m glad I got to see it dosed out, firsthand.”

  My phone starts ringing, and I pull it out to see my father’s name. “Hey, Daddy.”

  “Cece, honey. I’m sorry it took me until midweek to get back to you. How’d the opening go?”

  “It’s okay, Daddy. It was fantastic. I’ve sent over the reports to accounting.”

  “Great.”

  “How’s London?”

  “It’s fine. I should be back in town this weekend. I’d love to meet up.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “Winston’s family will be in town, too.”

  “Oh … Great.”

  My happy demeanor from talking with my father switches. Stephanie must notice because she furrows her brow, cocking her head to the side in confusion. I shake her off.

  “He’s making great progress at UCLA.”

  “Uh-huh. I’m sure he is, Daddy.”

  “Cecelia, please don’t be like that. You know your mother and I only want what’s best for you.”

  Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes. This is an ongoing conversation between my father and me for the last month. Winston Thornhurst III LLC, Incorporated. Okay, those last two things aren’t part of his name, but they might as well be with how much my father says them in conjunction with Winston’s family.

  When Mavin International bought out Thornhurst Properties six months ago, that’s when I learned who Winston and his family were. Not because Thornhurst Properties is a luxurious vacation rental conglomerate, but because my father couldn’t stop talking about him. That should’ve been my first clue. But never in a million years did I think my father would try to play cupid in my love life.

  “Cecelia, I can count on you to be there for dinner, right?”

  “Dinner? Daddy, you know I can’t do that. The club opens at seven, and we’re there for eight hours.”

  “Come now, Cece. Surely you can—”

  “No, Daddy, I can’t. I told you, this is my business. I want to make sure it succeeds. I can’t do that if I take a night off the second weekend we’re open.”

  A chuckle floats out of him through the phone. It’s one part proud and one part annoyance. I still get the feeling that he thinks this is all one big joke, and I’ll act like it’s something I don’t want to do anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth.

  Reassuring me today, he backs down. “Very well. I’m proud of you, honey. Can you do lunch, then?”

  Pinching my lips together, I let out a small sigh. “Yes, I can do lunch.”

  “Great. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Bye, Daddy.”

  Ending the call, I drop face-first onto the table. As I let out a long sigh, I hear Stephanie giggle above. “It’s not funny, Steph.”

  “Not to you. I love watching you squirm when you talk about your fiancé.”

  My head jerks up, glaring at her. “He’s not my fiancé.”

  I like to think of myself as pretty savvy. I can see someone trying to lay a line on me from a mile out. So, imagine my surprise when my father invited me to lunch last month. I thought it was a business luncheon, when in actuality, it was my father and Winston’s setting us up.

  The reason it caught me off guard is that these last couple of years, I’ve been meeting with my father’s associates. Making sure I come across professional and competent while planning for Luxe. To prove to my father I can do this, and I’m not some spoiled little girl I regrettably have shown everyone in the past. I’m a young woman now, and I want to be taken seriously while trying to prove to him Luxe is a profitable and shrewd business decision. However, when the first lunch was over, our fathers left the table, and Winston asked for my number. That’s when I figured it out.

  It’s odd to be set up on a blind date you had no idea you were on, even if Winston is cute. He’s on the thinner side, but dressed in a business suit, his appearance looks like he has more bulk to him. I gave him my number because I figured it couldn’t hurt, but there’s nothing between us. That doesn’t stop my father from mentioning their family, and my mother asking me about him.

  “He might as well be,” she snickers. “Cece, what’s wrong with him? I wish I knew what he looked like, but he’s going to UCLA. He’s the heir to Thornhurst Properties. Rich and smarts? Girl, if you don’t want him, pass him over here.”

  I finally sit up and take a sip of the orange soda, shaking my head. “You know that’s not the problem. It’s exactly what you just said … my parents are already planning my wedding. This thing might as well be an arranged marriage. I’ve been out with him two times. And guess what? Our fathers were there on both occasions. It’s weird! It’s like they’re organizing a dating service. He’s kinda cute, but I know nothing personal about him.”

  “What are you talking about? You told me he’s majoring in business, works for his father, and he scored fifteen-fifty on his SATs.”

  “Really, Steph? Are those the type of points you like to cover with guys you go out with?” She giggles, nodding in agreement. “I don’t know, he seems nice and everything, but just the fact that my dad wants us together makes it awkward.”

  She nods, taking a sip of her iced tea.

  “Here you go.” A server stops by our table, setting down two plates with our sandwiches on them.

  “Thank you,” I tell her.

  After taking a bite of her BLT, Steph starts laughing. “What are you going to do about your DJ?” she asks with a mouthful.

  “What do y
ou mean?”

  “When you see him at Luxe. You guys are probably going to run into each other sooner or later.”

  Her comment earns a laugh out of me, too. Biting into my own sandwich, I lift my shoulders. “Who knows? He probably won’t recognize me then either.”

  Truth be told, I’m sure I’ll have to talk to him face-to-face eventually. Leslie is basically his handler when it comes to the club. And Tina handles all other employees, like the bartenders, servers, and doormen. Overseeing all of it, I don’t have to interact with most of the employees if I don’t want to, but I do.

  Like I said, this is something I’ve wanted for a long time. So I’ve made it a point to introduce myself to everyone. I don’t want them thinking I am what they read in the headlines: a spoiled brat whose daddy gave her a nightclub to manage. I want them to know that not only am I the boss, but I want to be a good one. So far, everyone I’ve met has seemed nice. Aside from Maddox Barkley, hitting on me without realizing who I am. That’ll be fun the day he realizes it.

  5

  Maddox

  Six. I approached six girls since the sandwich deli, and I’ve gotten a number from all of them. These aren’t fans either. Well, no, they probably are, but they’re in the business themselves. Models, singers, actresses, producers, whatever. I’m sure a few of them won’t show up, so I always stack the deck.

  “Forget about it already,” Adam says, laughing. He pushes my shoulder while we’re hanging out backstage in between the set I just played.

  I’m usually at the club between ten and two. I’ll play for a couple of hours, take a break, and then finish out the night. When the party’s over at Luxe, we’ll either take it back to our penthouse, or we’ll find something else to do. Needless to say, weekends are exhausting. In a good way. But that doesn’t explain why I’m still thinking about Designer Sunglasses.