FanGirl Squeal (RockStars of Romance Book 1) by Jackie Chanel, Madison Taylor Page A

the three-minute
time limit for our conversation and that phone call ended. My stomach began to
twist in perfect little knots. I wanted to cry. How could my own parents betray
me like this? And how did I wake up in a universe where Ashley Ford-Houston
actually has my back? This doesn’t make any kind of sense.
    “See!” I shouted tearfully. “This is why I don’t go home! I
can’t even trust my own parents!”
    “Calm down, Banana.” Troy patted my knee. “He’s the past.
You have too much going for you to let that jerk mess up your weekend. Go to
that party, be FIERCE, and let that man see what he’s missing then poof, be gone!
You’re going home for one reason only and Jacoby Reynolds is not it. And don’t
be mad at your parents. You know those poor misguided souls only have good
intentions. I’m sure your momma thinks that seeing Jacoby will be good for you
in some purely psychological way that only she understands.”
    I folded my arms across my chest and pouted. “I’m not
talking to him.”
    “Don’t. You’re going home to celebrate love with your
family, as uppity as they might be. And enjoy the fact that Ashley did right by
you by telling you before you got to New York. You don’t even have to spend the
entire five days up there if you don’t want to. Come home after the party and
we’ll spend the rest of your vacation in Palm Springs sipping mai tais and
getting crispy in the sun.”
    Troy pulled up to the Departures area of LAX and stopped the
car. He hugged me like I was about to board Hogwarts Express and he wouldn’t
see me for months. I wish. I would love to be magically transported to a
fictional place right about now. However, I’m headed to Harlem, New York. My
tummy churned and gurgled its disapproval. Between Cash and Jacoby, I don’t
know how I’m going to get through the next five days.
    Ashley better not be opposed to stopping at a liquor store
when she picks me up.
     

Chapter 9: Under New Management
    “You should have let me hire a car service,” Jennifer
complained as Cash whipped his Mustang Shelby GT in and out of the crowded
Manhattan traffic.
    Cash still drove like he lived in Los Angeles. He couldn’t
help it. Changing the way he drove was on the bottom of his To Do List.
    “I told you to put on your seatbelt. And I like driving my
own car. I paid a lot of money for my cars. Why should they sit in the garage?
I have insurance.”
    “Then hire a driver who knows how to drive in the city,” was
his mom’s snappy retort.
    Cash let it go. His mom was on edge because today was the
day she met the Stone Management team and relinquished her MOMager title. She conveniently
failed to remember that quitting was her idea. As much as Cash wanted his
career managed by someone else, he never spoke that sentiment to anyone who
would tell Jennifer.
    Stone Management came highly recommended by a few of Cash’s
musician friends. The husband and wife team of Bryan and Olivia Stone were used
to working with established artists and were great at taking stagnant careers
to new levels. With the number one album on Billboard, Cash didn’t think his
career was stagnant, but he definitely wanted to explore some other options.
After speaking with Bryan a few times, Cash liked their management approach and
was willing to give then a try.
    Cash pulled his car up to the valet stand and opened the
door for his Mom. When they entered the building, Cash could feel his mother’s anxiety
radiating off her. He was glad that they were alone in the elevator as he
wrapped his mother in a big hug.
    “It’s okay, Mom. Don’t be upset.”
    Cash hated to see his mother upset over anything. There were
years that he couldn’t do anything about her tears. And he certainly didn’t
want to be the one who made her cry again. They were thick as thieves since it
was just the two of them for so long. She was the most important person in his
life and vice versa.
    “Do you feel like I’m abandoning you?”