“It’s not naivety, chica. It’s respecting their personal lives.”
“Which you’re now a part of.”
“Privacy matters. Why should they trust me if I’m stalking them on-line?”
“You and your excuses,” Lauren sighed. “So you don’t know that the band started touring when David was only sixteen? They got a gig supporting a band through Asia and have pretty much stayed on the road or in the recording studio from then onward. Hell of a life, huh?”
“Yeah. He said he’s ready to slow down.”
“I’m not surprised. Rumors about the band breaking up are everywhere. Do try and stop that from happening if you can, please. And get your husbo to get his shit into gear and hurry up and write a new album. I’m counting on you.”
“No problem,” I said, not sharing that David was writing me songs. That was private. For now at least. The list of things I didn’t feel I could share with Lauren was growing exponentially.
“I wanted you to crush that boy’s heart so we could have another album like San Pedro. But I can tell you’re going to be difficult about that.”
“Your powers of perception are uncanny.”
She chuckled. “You know there’s a song about the Monterey house on that album?”
“There is?”
“Oh yeah. That’s the famous ‘House of Sand’. Epic love song. David’s high school sweetheart cheated on him while he was touring in Europe at age twenty-one. He’d bought that house for them to live in.”
“Stop, Lauren. This is … shit, this is personal.” My heart and mind raced. “This house?”
“Yeah. They’d been together for years. David was gutted. Then some bitch he slept with sold her story to the tabloids. Also, his mother left when he was twelve. Expect there to be some issues all round where women are concerned.”
“No, Lauren, stop. I’m serious,” I said, nearly strangling the phone. “He’ll tell me things like that when he’s ready. This doesn’t feel right.”
“It’s just being prepared. I don’t see what the problem is.”
“Lauren.”
“Okay. No more. You did need to know those tidbits though, seriously. Events like that leave a permanent scar.”
She had a point. The information did explain his accusations regarding my leaving and the strength of his reactions to that. Two of the most important women in his world had deserted him. Though finding out this way about his history still felt wrong. When he trusted me enough to tell me, he would. But I hadn’t had enough of a chance yet to earn that sort of trust from him. Personal information didn’t just roll off the tongue at the first meeting. How horrible to have it all set out there on the internet just waiting for people to look it up and mull it over for their entertainment. So much for privacy. Little wonder he’d been worried about my talking to the press.
I took a sip of the soda then rested the cold bottle against my cheek. “I really want this to work.”
“I know you do. I can hear it in your voice when you talk about him—you’re in love with him.”
My spine snapped to attention. “What? No. That’s crazy talk. Not yet, at least. It’s only been a couple of days. Do I sound in love? Really?”
“Time is irrelevant where the heart is concerned.”
“Maybe,” I said, concerned.
“Listen, Jimmy has been dating Liv Andrews. If you meet her, I definitely want an autograph. Loved her last film.”
“Jimmy is not the greatest. That could get uncomfortable.”
She huffed. “Fine. But you are in love.”
“Hush now.”
“What? I think it’s nice.”
Mutterings from Lauren’s mysterious friend interrupted my rising fear.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “Keep in touch, okay? Call me.”
“I will.”
“Bye.”
I said “bye”, but she was already gone.