False Notes & Broken Frets (LPD Records #3)

By Elle Bennett

Joan Washington just got the gig of a lifetime - lead guitarist for Jordan King. She packed her bags, moved to the big city, and has decided to be single for the first time in a long time. No romantic distractions - just the music.

Jordan King was once known as boy band royalty. Now he's moving on, releasing a solo album. His new band is nothing like his old one, and he definitely won't be making the same mistake this time around by dating someone in it.

Of course, his label has different plans.

After a single picture shows up in the tabloids of Jordan and his ex-boyfriend, his manager throws Joan and Jordan into a PR relationship.

It's fake, though. Totally fake.

They definitely won't fall in love with each other.

Of course not.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elle Bennett
• Release date: Feb 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005697280

Elle Bennett

Elle Bennett is an author living in Knoxville, TN with her husband and their two cats.You can usually find her with a cup of tea and a good book.

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

Copyright © 2020 Elle Bennett

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a review.

Jordan

Technically, I wasn’t supposed to listen in on the in-person auditions for my band. My team didn’t want any of the people auditioning to know that they were going to work for me until they were actually hired. It wasn’t like it was a secret that I was going solo, but they thought that the people auditioning would be more likely to fuck things up if they found out exactly who they were potentially going to work for.

After all, I was the Jordan King. Former member of the boy band sensation FLICK IT. Ex-boyfriend of StarFlower. A total playboy and ladies man. Worldwide heartthrob since the young age of sixteen.

At least, that’s what the general public thought they knew about me.

Honestly, StarFlower was just Becca to me. My best friend. Not my ex.

And as for the FLICK IT stuff? Yeah, I was in a boy band when I was younger. It had never been my original plan, and I didn’t want it to be my future.

I was going to play my own music the way I wanted to, the way I wrote it.

Well, as much as I could with my label still straight-washing things. Clementine Music Group was not the most flexible of labels, and they didn’t give me much freedom when it came to being my true self. I couldn’t show the world certain parts of me that I hadn’t wanted to hide for years.

And I also didn’t want to hide in the back room, listening to someone absolutely shred on the guitar in the next room over. I had to see who it was.

I couldn’t help myself, so I opened up the door and saw her. Her brunette hair was up in a bun, but a lot of it had fallen out, so there were pieces framing her face, showing off the wild waviness that didn’t want to be confined. She played the audition song on a worn and clearly loved guitar. She wasn’t singing along with the song, since she was auditioning just as a guitarist, not as a backup singer. I wasn’t auditioning backup singers, anyway. Not yet.

My god, she killed it. She absolutely, truly killed it.

Without a second thought, I said, Hi, you’re hired, before any of my team could say a word.

There was no way that anyone else could outplay her. I knew she was the best, and I wasn’t about to let her slip through my fingers. I wouldn’t let my team ruin this one for me.

She blinked her big brown eyes up at me, a loss for words. I supposed it might have been a shock for her to find out that she was auditioning for me.

Wait, you can’t just - Houston began to say before I cut him off. I held up a hand.

Oh, I can just. What’s your name? I asked the woman in front of me.

I’m Joan. Joan Washington.

I smiled at her and held out my hand.

Nice to meet you, Joan. I’m Jordan King. She shook my hand, her eyes still wide. I’d like for you to be my lead guitarist. How does that sound to you?

Fucking fantastic, she said with a wide smile.

I’ll have some contracts sent your way, then. Houston, will you get on that please?

I heard him sigh. It was the same sigh I’d heard a million times since he became my manager five years ago. A few papers shuffled around, and I heard him grumble something, but I couldn’t be bothered to look at him. I still had my eyes on the woman in front of me, the woman that I knew I’d never be able to beat in a guitar competition. I was a little bit jealous of her skill, honestly, and I’d only heard her play half of a song.

Jordan, you didn’t even let her finish her audition, Houston said.

"Did you hear her play? She doesn’t need to finish her audition. I already know she’s the one."

Joan smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

Two months later

It was official - my entire band was hired. All I needed was a recording studio and a whole lot of hours, then I’d have my solo album.

When I got the word from Houston that all the contracts were signed, I told him that I wanted to throw a party for my new band members. I needed them to meet each other, and I hoped that they’d get along. They would have to at least tolerate each other. Hell, if I could make things work for years with Steve, Zack, and Tim when I was a teenager, the grown-ass adults I’d hired could figure out how to get along for the sake of their jobs.

Sam, Kate, Pru, and Joan were going to be my main band. I had a few other musicians playing other instruments on the album, but these were the people who would be sticking with me for good - heading on tour with me, creating the next three albums I made with me (all in their contracts, of course).

I meant for the party to be a low-key affair, for us all to get to know each other as people as well as musicians. But of course Houston fucked that up, allowed the word to get out, and there were way more people there than I had the energy for. As much as I wanted to be a people person, I failed spectacularly at it. I didn’t really like most people. Most people wanted something from me, and I honestly didn’t have all that much to give. All I had was my music.

It had been almost two years since FLICK IT broke up, and almost a year since Steve broke my heart.

Getting dumped really did wonders for writing a solo album, though. I had to thank Steve for that, at least.

The album I’d written was depressing as hell, though there were definitely a few bops on it. For the most part, it was about keeping a relationship secret when all you really wanted was to shout your love from the rooftops. It was about getting dumped because your boyfriend thinks you’re cheating on him when you’re actually the most faithful person in the fucking world. I’d be surprised if the Jove fangirls out there didn’t figure out exactly what had happened between me and Steve. I knew there was already a bunch of fan-fiction out there about their theories.

The difference between the fan-fiction and my songs was simple enough though - my songs didn’t include male pronouns. The songs that did have them were taken out by the bigwigs at CMG. I had to fight to get them to not change them to female pronouns. I could only handle being shoved in the closet so much.

Even with them sweeping my truth under the rug and censoring my lyrics, I couldn’t wait to get into the studio and turn my music and lyrics into actual songs.

My new guitarist walked into my house, and she looked taken aback by the crowd there.

Joan was stunning - a few inches shorter than me, with wild brunette waves out from the confines of the bun they’d been in when I first met her. The black shirt and dark jeans she wore made her skin look more porcelain than simply white - like one of those dolls my mom collected when she was a kid.

After I’d hired Joan, I looked her up online out of curiosity to see what else she’d done before auditioning for me. I listened to her album Summer Sunset and I was impressed by the quality. It had been an independent project she’d done with a friend of hers, and it was one of the better indie albums I’d heard in my lifetime.

I also discovered she had a brother in a punk-pop band called Peristerophobia, and that she’d played the guitar for them on a tour in the past few years. I found some videos from that tour, and I was in awe of her, even as I watched a blurry video with bad sound.

I was so glad to have her on my team.

I waved hello and she smiled at me. She walked past Pru (my bassist) and I saw her clearly check her out as she passed her by. I didn’t blame her - Pru was a beautiful Filipino-American woman with bright blue hair and a thousand watt smile. But more importantly than that, Pru was the best bassist I’d ever heard in my life.

Normally, you don’t hear a bass solo and think Wow, this is incredible. But if you heard Pru play, you’d be singing a different tune. I had a feeling that she and Sam would make my rhythm section the envy of everyone in the business.

Sam was the best drummer I could have possibly found for my band. They gave Keith Moon a run for his money, and made Meg White look like an amateur. They were tall, white, blonde, and the only non-female person in my band. I wasn’t trying to make my band the opposite of FLICK IT, but it kind of worked out that way.

Sam stuck their head in my fridge.

Is there any beer? they asked.

Sorry, I think I ran out, I said. This get-together was only supposed to be a few people, so I didn’t exactly have drinks for this size of a party.

No big deal. Water’s good.

Grab any glass, I said.

Joan walked up to me as I watched Sam take a glass from the cupboard and fill it from the water dispenser on my fridge.

Your place is really nice, Joan said.

Thank you. Have you gotten a chance to meet your fellow bandmates yet? I asked. She shook her head. Sam!

Sam turned to me, the glass of water up to their lips, ready to drink. They lowered it and said, Yeah?

This is Joan, our guitarist. Joan, this is Sam, our drummer.

Nice to meet you, Joan said.

I knew that Sam had already met Pru and Kate, since they’d been there for a while. But since Joan had just arrived, I figured I should help her meet everyone.

Follow me, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the band. She did just that. As I walked up to Pru, I said, This is Pru, our bassist.

I’m Joan, she said. Guitarist.

Oh, hey! Pru said with a smile, giving Joan a once-over. I wondered who you were when you walked in.

Joan smiled back at her.

I’m the guitarist. That’s who I am.

I’m sure you’re more than just a guitarist, Pru said.

Joan laughed.

Not really. Music runs through my veins. If you looked at my blood under a microscope, I’m pretty sure you’d see cells in the shape of half notes and treble clefs.

Both Pru and I chuckled at that. Then I spotted Kate.

I’ve got to introduce her to Kate. You already met her, right? I asked. Pru nodded. We’ll see you later, then.

Yeah, definitely, Pru said. She smiled only at Joan before she tucked a piece of blue hair behind her ear.

Kate sat on my couch, next to Houston and talking animatedly to him. I got a flirtatious vibe between the two of them, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were hitting it off. The age difference between them had to be at least twenty years, but I could understand why she’d be attracted to him. Houston may have been an ass the majority of the time, but he was also a bit of a silver fox.

Kate was a few years older than me, the oldest out of all my backing band members, but she was still young, only in her late twenties. Her dark brown skin contrasted against the flowing light pink tank top she wore, and I watched her face light up as she shot Houston a devastating smile.

I hired her the moment she finished her song at the audition. Much like when I heard Joan’s audition, I couldn’t stay behind that door. I came out and told her right away that she was hired. She had more talent on the keys than I ever would. But then again, the most I’d ever been able to play on the piano were the opening notes to Chopsticks.

Kate? I said. She looked up from where she’d been gazing into Houston’s blue eyes.

Yeah?

This is Joan, our guitarist. Joan, this is Kate - the keyboardist.

I love that alliteration, Joan said. Kate the keyboardist.

Kate smiled at her.

Thanks. I definitely chose the keyboard as my instrument of choice simply for the alliteration.

I figured, Joan said with a completely straight face. I held back a chuckle and smiled at the two of them. It seemed like Joan would fit in fine with everyone else.

We’ll let you get back to your conversation, I said. Joan and I headed back towards the kitchen. So, that’s the band. What do you think?

I think that you have an all-women band, which is interesting, considering your past, Joan said, curiosity shining through her eyes.

Actually, no. I don’t.

No? she asked.

Sam is non-binary. They and them pronouns.

Joan looked embarrassed. Shit. I didn’t mean to make her feel bad, but I also didn’t want her to make the mistake of calling Sam anything but enby.

Oh, shit. I shouldn’t have assumed. Just because they’re presenting more femme today doesn’t mean they’re a woman. Sorry.

Well, now you know. At least you didn’t say that to them, I suppose.

"Yeah, then I’d really have my foot in my mouth, she said, her cheeks still red. Well, my point still stands that there are no men in your band. Did you do that on purpose?"

Not consciously, I said. Anyway, now that you’ve met the band, feel free to hang out. I need to mingle, see who else Houston invited without my permission.

Houston’s your manager, right? she asked.

Yeah. He’s the one talking to Kate. I’d get after him for inviting more than just the band members, but I guess I didn’t make it clear to him that this wasn’t supposed to be more than that. He invited my entire guest list that I have for most of my parties. Not that I have a lot of parties, but. You know.

She shrugged.

Huh. Do you think that’s why your ex is here? she asked.

Wait, what? The only real ex I had was Steve. Everyone else I’d ever hooked up with was just that - a past hook-up. Unless you counted those super short relationships back when I was a kid, before I’d even joined FLICK IT.

I looked around to try and figure out what she was talking about. Then I spotted Becca. Oh. Okay. Not my ex. Not really. Understandable why Joan would think so, though, considering the PR angle of things. There were so few people who knew the truth about me and Becca, that we’d pretended to date while I was really in a relationship with Steve. The truth of me being bi and Steve being gay was always hidden behind fake kisses with Becca, staged photos of us holding hands on walks through the park. We were shoved in the closet while Becca and I played the perfect straight couple role in public.

When Steve and I broke up, I asked Houston to orchestrate my supposed break up with Becca as well. I was pretty moody after everything, so I didn’t have much of a choice but to dump Becca. I was a decent enough actor, but not good enough to pretend like I was happy with her while I was actually miserable about him.

Steve and I weren’t exactly on speaking terms anymore, but Becca and I were closer than ever. I could see how that might seem weird to Joan, since she didn’t know the whole story. And for some reason, I found myself telling her the truth of my friendship with Becca.

Well, most of the truth.

Joan

I blinked up at Jordan. I was still in awe that I was even there talking to him, but I was more in awe that he’d just told me that his relationship with StarFlower had actually been fabricated for the tabloids and that she was really his best friend. He didn’t tell me who he’d actually been dating while he was with her, but I could read between the lines.

There was obviously someone who had been in his life that Clementine had hidden from the world. A person who had broken Jordan’s heart.

I wanted to know the entire story, but for once in my life I kept my mouth shut and just took what he let me have.

Oh, okay, I said.

It made sense, honestly. I was a little bit surprised, but I knew that most relationships fed to the public from Hollywood were fake. Jordan smiled at me. It really was hard to be so close to someone who was that beautiful - with all that lean muscle, a sharp jaw, and perfectly styled dark hair - and not flirt with them. But Jordan was technically my boss, so he was off-limits.

Even if he wasn’t my boss, and was just in my band, it would be a bad idea to hook up with him. I’d seen what happened when bandmates dated. My brother and his on-again-off-again girlfriend/my best friend had put me off the idea a long time ago. I didn’t want that drama in my life. So even though I was back on the market after breaking up with the girl I’d been seeing back home (she was getting way too close to me, and I wasn’t about to let her break my heart, so I broke hers first), I’d be the best damn guitarist Jordan could ever have, and I wouldn’t flirt with him. I wouldn’t flirt with any of the other members of the band either.

Even though they were all beautiful.

So, if you could just be nice to her and don’t treat her like my ex, since she’s not, Jordan said. Also, don’t call her StarFlower? She’s not really keen on people calling her by her moniker.

Yeah, no problem. I’ll call her Becca, I said.

Honestly, I’d forgotten that her real name was Becca until Jordan had mentioned it. Becca Day. A perfectly good name, but a common one. There were plenty of Becca Days in the world, but there was only one StarFlower.

Jordan, darling! Becca shouted in the most adorable posh British accent that I’d ever heard in person as she spotted him from across the room. She ran up to him and gave him a hug. I wondered if anyone else at the party knew the truth, or if he’d only told me.

I wasn’t even sure why he’d told me. I could easily blab it to everyone. Not that I would, but I could. He didn’t know me. Why the hell had he trusted me with that kind of a secret?

I’d only ever seen Becca online, on album covers, marketing photos, or in magazines. She was always StarFlower in those pictures, with professionally done makeup and a perfect wardrobe. But in real life, she was just… She was just a person. Her no-way-was-that-shit-natural platinum blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and she wore a plain pink shirt and jeans. She had a natural makeup look going on, rather than the bold look she ran with as StarFlower.

I supposed there was no reason to go full StarFlower for a simple house party at her best friend’s house.

Who is this delightful creature? she asked.

This is Joan. She’s my new guitarist, he replied.

Hello! You’re adorable, she said to me.

Thanks. You too, I said with a smile. I wondered for a moment if she was flirting with me or if that was just her being British. It was so hard to tell with them. Every British person I’d ever met was a total flirt, whether or not they were actually queer. I couldn’t begin to tell you how hard it was to be a bisexual woman with her gaydar on the fritz.

My gaydar seemed to be working just fine that night, though. It was going off all over the place at Jordan’s house. I was ninety nine percent sure that Pru was hitting on me earlier (I’d never go for her though, since she was a bandmate).

Oh, by the way - I told Joan that you’re not actually my ex, Jordan said. I don’t see any reason why I should lie to my bandmates about who you are to me. It’s not like the guys in FLICK IT didn’t know the truth.

I looked at him in curiosity.

They all knew? I asked. I supposed that made sense. They all seemed pretty close.

Becca let out a laugh.

"I take it that you didn’t tell her everything, then," she said.

No, I didn’t. Maybe someday, he said.

Well, I was apparently still out of the loop.

I could use a drink. I’ll leave you two to it, I said. I suddenly felt insecure about hanging out with two people who were clearly way out of my league.

Oh, darling, you don’t have to leave, Becca said. She placed her hand on my shoulder. My stomach flipped over at the contact. I couldn’t help it - the woman was absolutely gorgeous. There was a reason why she’d been on the cover of Vogue more than once.

No, it’s fine. I want to mingle, bond with my new bandmates.

I think Pru wants to do more than bond with you, Jordan said with a wink.

Pity I’ll never date anyone in the band, I said. She is very cute.

Jordan raised his perfectly shaped eyebrows at me. There was no way that he didn’t have those waxed professionally. He probably had an entire team devoted to making his appearance picture perfect at all times, due to the paparazzi. A small part of me wondered if plastic surgery had any part in his perfect face. Was that his original nose? You never knew in this part of town.

Smart decision, he said. Dating people in your band only leads to disaster.

No kidding. My brother’s in a band and he brought his girlfriend - my best friend - into it, and it was this whole hot mess. I never want to deal with that shit myself.

You mean… April. Right? I listened to that album you put out with her, Summer Sunset? Jordan said.

I lit up. I couldn’t believe that he’d listened to my music. I still felt out of my league, though. That album was recorded with the cheap equipment that Andrew had lying around our parents’ basement from back before Peristerophobia got signed. It wasn’t exactly up to Jordan’s level of quality.

Yeah, that’s her. You listened to Summer Sunset? How did you like it?

I loved it, he said.

I melted.

Thanks, I said.

Which one is Pru, anyway? Becca asked, interrupting us.

The one with the blue hair, Jordan said.

I don’t think I’ve met her just yet. I love that hair. Should I go blue, darling?

Jordan wrapped his arm around Becca and kissed the top of her head.

You could go any color you wanted to, and you’d still look fantastic.

I left them to it and walked to the kitchen to get a drink. I opened the fridge and found a ton of vegetables, fruits, kombucha, and some tofu. There were a few glass containers covered with lids, and behind those, I found a can of Diet Coke. I grabbed it, since I wasn’t about to drink kombucha, and I wasn’t in the mood for water. It wasn’t my favorite beverage, but it would do. I opened the can up and looked around the room.

Jordan’s house wasn’t small by any means, but it wasn’t as massive as I assumed it would be. I was pretty sure there was a pool in the backyard, and there had to be at least five bedrooms in the place, but I still expected a mansion from a person with his level of fame. I respected that he hadn’t wasted his money on a huge house that he’d barely be able to use.

The rest of the party was a fairly calm affair. I spoke with my new band members, and I let Pru down gently when she offered me a ride home (to her place, not mine). I explained my hesitation in hooking up with someone