Dylan's Rock

By Angela J. Maher

Young widow Amy is tired of the black hole her life has become. When her favourite singer Dylan Knox brings his Australian concert tour to her city, it’s the perfect way to get out and have some fun at last.

Dylan is an American rock star with a troubled past. He’s been married once already, and divorced, and has no intention of repeating the experience. Then he meets Amy...

A relationship seems impossible and they go their separate ways, but they can’t forget each other. When they are reunited, the spark between them is brighter than ever. Then a scandal erupts that could destroy everything...

Dylan's Rock, a sweet rock star romance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Angela J. Maher
• Release date: Jul 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310814310

Angela J. Maher

Australian author Angela is a stay at home mother, daydream wrangler, and bibliophile. She is a member of the Tasmanian Writers Centre and Australasian Horror Writers Association, and is based in Hobart. She has published two horror short stories, a contemporary romance novel, a paranormal novella, appeared in a number of anthologies anthologies, and has a number of projects in development. She has also had several pieces of flash fiction published online. She loves to read just about anything, and this is reflected in her work. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in zoology, she worked a variety of jobs, including archivist and laboratory technician.

Book preview

DYLAN’S ROCK

A Rock Star Romance

Angela J. Maher

© 2016 Angela J. Maher

Published by Angela J. Maher at Smashwords

Cover Design: SelfPubBookCovers.com/joeydurocher

All rights reserved.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, places or businesses is purely coincidental.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

About The Author

CHAPTER 1

Amy Weston paced around her living room, watching the clock. The extra coffee she’d had after a fractured night’s sleep had only made her more jittery. Her cat, Gerald, watched warily, before tucking his head back down and resuming his nap with a sigh. Her limbs felt weighted down by fatigue, but there was no way on Earth she would have been able to sleep, even without the caffeine. Her mind would not let her relax. Dylan Knox, her all-time favourite singer, was coming to town. Tickets were going on sale online at 9:00 a.m. and she did not want to risk missing out. She had been in a state of merely existing for long enough. It was time to get out and have some fun.

Buying a concert ticket was only a little thing, but to Amy, it felt like an enormous step. She had been living the life of a hermit for months, ever since the sudden death of her husband. It did not help that she would have to go alone. She had never been someone to go out often before, and when she had Jacob had always been by her side. She paused in her pacing, anxiety giving her second thoughts. Maybe she should forget about it and stay home.

Oh for heaven’s sake, just do it, stupid woman, Amy said aloud.

Amy looked up at the clock and saw there were only a few minutes left to go. She sat at her computer and logged on to the ticket site. The page took longer than usual to load, shredding her nerves further, but then there it was. The moment the clock struck the hour she clicked through to the ticket sales page. She selected the best seat available and hit the purchase button. Done! She sat back in her chair, pleased she had not talked herself out of it. In her previous attempts to get out and do something fun, she had always ended up cancelling. For the first time since Jacob’s death, she felt a genuine desire to go out. Following through with it had to be the right thing to do.

The website redirected to a page devoted to Dylan Knox and his concerts. She gazed at an image of him singing, taken at a concert a couple of months earlier. How strange that she would actually see him in person. Most major acts didn’t bother coming to Hobart, Tasmania’s capital, when they toured Australia. They preferred instead to only play in the major cities interstate. Amy loved her home, but there were drawbacks to living in a place often described as a backwater. Located at the bottom of the island state, it was too small to attract much attention. Her city was beautiful, though, nestled between deep water and a majestic mountain.

Amy noticed a highlighted square of text next to the picture of Dylan. She read it through and sat up straight, heart beating faster. It was a link to pay for a one-on-one meet and greet with Dylan himself. There was a single session available before each concert. The price listed for the experience made her cringe, but the money would be going to his favourite charity. Amy checked her bank account and found she had just enough money to cover the cost.

Amy sat staring at the link, palms sweating. Should she? It would clear out her savings, but she had recently started working as a temp for a nearby company. The income would allow her to rebuild her finances. It was unlikely she would ever get another chance to do something like this again. With hands trembling, she clicked the link, claiming the meet and greet session for the same night as the concert she was attending.

She felt giddy as she read the confirmation email. Amy owned all Dylan Knox’s albums and listened to them constantly. Wishing she had someone to share the excitement with, Amy’s mood dimmed. She sobered further at the sight of her now close to zero bank balance. She wasn’t an impulsive person, but she had said she needed to get out there and start living again. Picturing herself shaking Dylan Knox’s hand, a buzz of excitement returned, making her giggle. She shut down her computer and took some steadying breaths. It was time to start getting ready to go to work and face the real world.

As Amy dressed in her office clothes, she wondered how different things would have been if she’d had to work from her usual earlier start time. The water company had needed to do some emergency maintenance near her workplace for part of the morning, causing the supply to be cut off. Her boss, Mrs Thompson, had decided to give the employees that time off, for the sake of hygiene. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been until her mid-morning break that she would have been able to buy a ticket. Amy guessed that by then it would have been difficult to get one, let alone secure the meet and greet. Well, it was about time things started going in her favour.

The excitement of her concert purchases gave Amy an extra spring in her step as she walked down the street. It had been a long time since she’d actually looked forward to something and it was intoxicating. She hoped the improvement in her mood lasted for the several weeks until the concert. She was tired of the bleak hole her life had fallen into. Her new job, temporary though it was, had been one major new step for her, and now this. Her future life was looking better all the time.

CHAPTER 2

Pre-dawn light edged past the blinds of Amy’s bedroom window, pushing away the gloom of one more lonely night. Birds celebrated the new day with a loud chorus, but she felt on edge, weary. Her emotions were in a turmoil of darkness and excitement, overlaid with nervousness. Her eyes traced the shapes of shadows on the ceiling, as they metamorphosed with the coming of the sunlight. A cobweb danced ghost-like in an unfelt draught. It was less than a week until the first anniversary of Jacob’s death. In stark, surreal contrast, it was tonight that she would be meeting Dylan Knox.

As usual, her first thoughts on waking were of her husband. Jacob’s unexpected death and his sudden loss from her life had upended her entire existence. He had been her world, her only real family, her closest friend. She had lost all sense of her identity for a while and still felt directionless, weighted down by a depression that some days was harder to live with than Jacob’s absence. She did have good days, but always there was that dark shadow over her head.

The purchase of the meet and greet with Dylan Knox had been to give her life some much-needed fun and excitement, but after being on a high for nearly a week afterwards, her black moods reclaimed her. Now she felt painfully uncertain about the meeting. What was she supposed to say, do? She was sure there was nothing about her that would interest him. She’d had a particularly down week too and was sure it showed. Makeup could hide the dark shadows under her eyes, but not the emotion in them. Amy frowned up at the ceiling. It was going to be a disaster, but she had paid her money and should at least get an autograph out of it, maybe even a photo.

Amy sat up in bed and ruffled the plush fur of Gerald, who had been sleeping with her leg as his pillow. He opened his eyes a crack and started purring, a deep rumbling that even seemed vibrate the air around him. It was a comforting sound that always made her feel at least a little bit better. She got up out of bed, and Gerald jumped down too, heading out to the kitchen ahead of her. Amy followed, putting on a warm shirt. Most of her old clothes hung off her these days. She had lost a lot of weight in the past year and often felt chilled, even in summer.

After feeding Gerald, she made some breakfast and an extra large cup of coffee. Food didn’t have much appeal a lot of the time, but she now made sure she had three meals a day. For a while, she had been dangerously thin. At least, she thought, her slenderness meant she could wear her new, low-waist jeans tonight and not look too ridiculous. She had also splurged on a fitted black t-shirt with a sequined eagle on the front. It wasn’t high fashion, and she didn’t think she would look ‘hot’ as such, but it was a vast improvement on what had become her usual frumpy, baggy style. She needed to start caring about her appearance, for the sake of her self-confidence if nothing else.

After a shower, Amy dressed and headed out the door to go to work. It was an undemanding job, involving repetitive data entry, but it wasn’t that long since she had been unable to work at all. Her intense grief had left her exhausted, and depression had stripped her of all motivation. A chance encounter had led her to this new job and she had so far managed to avoid mentioning her widowhood. To her new workmates, she was an ordinary young woman, if perhaps somewhat quiet. It was the beginning of a new life and a relief to be treated as a normal person, instead of as that poor, sad, young widow. She was surprised and relieved at how well she was coping and enjoyed being back in the workforce.

As Amy entered the front office, receptionist Lizzie Atkins greeted her with a smile. Amy couldn’t help returning it, despite her earlier gloomy mood. Lizzie was petite, with short, spiky blonde hair and twinkling eyes. Amy secretly thought she would be perfect in a movie as an elf or fairy, and few people could resist her charm. Within days of Amy starting work, the two women had become good friends. Their personalities had clicked in a rare compatibility, despite Amy’s more conservative nature contrasting with Lizzie’s unconventional style.

Good morning Amy. Excited about tonight? The boss said you can leave early this afternoon if you want a bit longer to get ready for your big night.

How did she know? Amy asked in surprise.

I think I might have mentioned it in passing. Lizzie’s blue eyes sparkled. Besides, you’re ahead of schedule with the current batch of files, and she says you deserve it. The last temp we had in got next to nothing done, and made so many mistakes it took weeks to fix it all up.

I might take her up on it then. And yes, I am kind of excited. Amy felt her mood starting to elevate. The reality that she was not only going to see Dylan Knox in concert, but meet him as well, was starting to hit home. Until now it had seemed more like an adolescent daydream.

So you should be! exclaimed Lizzie, I can’t say I’m really a fan of his music, but damn that man is hot! I wonder if he’d give you a kiss if you gave another donation to his charity?

Lizzie!

Well, it’s an idea. Lizzie winked. You haven’t mentioned having a significant other, so I’m pretty sure you’re single. Therefore, it’s not like you’d be cheating on anyone, and I read online yesterday that Dylan Knox is unattached too.

Amy’s smile dimmed as her reality crashed back on her shoulders. I’m not really one for kissing men I don’t know. I agree he’s attractive, but I’m not looking for romance right now, or anytime soon for that matter.

Sorry. I can see maybe I’ve hit a sore spot with you, said Lizzie a look of concern crossing her face. I didn’t mean to upset you.

It’s ok Lizzie. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. You’re right, though. There is something I should tell you about, but later, not now. Amy’s smile re-emerged. I do intend to get a photo with him, so I’ll do my best to get a hug at least. For now, however, a pile of files is calling my name. See you at morning break.

Ok, Amy. I brought in a great big chocolate mud cake with me today, so I need you to help me eat it.

Cake? What are we celebrating? Amy asked as she paused in the doorway.

It’s Meeting Dylan Knox Day. Deserves a celebration with cake if you ask me. Lizzie grinned. She was always thinking of reasons to celebrate with cake. Not that you’d know it looking at her tiny frame and clear skin.

Amy shook her head in amusement and headed into the back room to start her day’s work. A messy pile of files sat on her desk, with a stack of archive boxes on the floor. She powered up her computer and settled down in the ugly but comfortable chair. A CD player sat to one side and she put on a Dylan Knox CD in the background. Many of his songs had a dark edge to them. She had gravitated to them when they’d seemed to mirror the way she often felt. She had soon started listening to his other work and before long had his entire back catalogue. She identified strongly with many of the lyrics and could always find a song that matched her current mood. It felt like his voice resonated deep in her chest, a kindred voice out of the darkness. It wasn’t until recently, watching YouTube videos, that she had realised quite how good looking he was as well. She’d always been drawn to his voice, but Lizzie was right, he was devilishly handsome. She might not be ready for romance, but it was going to be a real pleasure seeing him in real life.

During their mid-morning coffee break, Amy told Lizzie about Jacob. Lizzie listened without interrupting. She thanked Amy for telling her, giving her hands a squeeze, eyes bright. As Amy picked at her piece of cake, the conversation drifted to other topics. She felt relieved as they continued to talk, both because Lizzie now knew and also because she wasn’t treating her any differently. For a long time, Jacob’s death had dominated Amy’s life and she had wanted everyone to know about it, but recently she’d begun to dislike the way many people who did know treated her like fragile glass.

The time between the morning break and lunch passed quickly as Amy processed file after file. The monotony that many people would find boring soothed her. The rhythm of the routine was often an effective antidote to the chaos that otherwise overtook her thoughts. As she was about to take her lunch break, Mrs Thompson popped her head into the room.

I see you’re still powering through those files, she said with a smile. Did Lizzie tell you that you could leave early today?

Yes, she did, thank you.

I think you’ve done enough for the day to go now if you’d like? You’ve been doing a great job, and I’d like to give you some bonus time off, said Mrs Thompson.

That would be lovely, said Amy. I’ve just finished off a batch, so I won’t be leaving in the middle of anything. And it’s always nice to leave work early on a Friday afternoon. Not that I don’t like working here.

I hear you’re doing something special later, said Mrs Thompson as she ushered Amy out of the room. I don’t know much about this singer you’re off to meet tonight, but Lizzie seemed rather excited about it, even for her.

He’s my favourite artist, said Amy. I have to admit I’m starting to get rather nervous about it.

Enjoy yourself, dear. I have a feeling you need this. I’m not going to pry, but you’ve been looking a bit wan, especially this week. Some fun will do you the world of good.

You’re probably right Mrs Thompson. And thank you again, Amy smiled.

Amy waved to Lizzie as she left. Lizzie was busy on the phone with a client and gave her a thumbs up with a cheeky grin. Amy couldn’t help but chuckle. Lizzie’s friendship was an unexpected bonus that had come with the job. She would have to make sure to keep in touch once her work contract ended. Amy had smiled and laughed more since meeting her than she had for the whole year beforehand.

Now that she’d finished work for the day, her nerves kicked up a notch. The concert started at 7:00 p.m. but her meet and greet with Dylan Knox was an hour earlier. What was she doing? She hadn’t gone out for so long, and now that she was, it was to meet an international rock star! It seemed a little bit ridiculous for a woman in her late twenties. The nerves were at least pushing away most of the fatigue she had been battling all week. She hoped they wouldn’t also turn her into a jabbering mess.

CHAPTER 3

Amy checked her reflection in the mirror yet again. Her simple outfit was a perfect fit and her hair shone. Despite this, she felt uncertain and self-conscious. She had tried to put