Page 11 of Rebooting Conor Flynn

“I’m just taking the piss, mate. You can do what you want. The PR rep is going to be there, and I’m sure she’s arranged everything.” I knew I could count on Noelle’s efficiency for the appearance to run smoothly.

“You could’ve stayed at my friend’s place with me instead of the hotel. I know how much you hate hotels. Don’t know why you didn’t stay with Charlie at his place in Malibu.”

“He’s not there right now, and I didn’t want to intrude on his sister, Poppy. Malibu’s too far from everything anyway. I hate driving around LA.”

“Doesn’t Ian have a place there, too?”

“You’ve been following PopWiz, I see. They had a blind about Ian buying his fiancée a place in Malibu, but I don’t even know if that’s true.” I shoved my room service tray away from me and pushed up from the chair. “It’s all good, Toby. The tour kicks off soon, and we’ll be hitting the road in the magic bus.”

“I can’t believe Ashley Bennett is going to ride in the tour bus.”

“She’s trying to cultivate a softer image. Her manager just might insist.”

“Better you than me, mate. Last time I had an encounter with Ashley, I had to check to make sure I still had my balls attached and she hadn’t stuffed them in the little dog purse she was carrying around with her.”

I snorted coffee out of my nose. “That’s Ashley—the old Ashley.”

“She’d better not hear you calling her the old Ashley if you value your balls.”

“I do very much.” I grabbed my crotch just to make sure they were still attached. “I gotta go, mate. The studio’s car is gonna be here in five minutes.”

Toby assured me he’d be at the next rehearsal before we hit the road, but I really didn’t need him by my side every second of the day. That’s what 92 West and Noelle were for. I was sure we were paying them the big bucks to manage PR for this tour. I just wish this fake relationship with Ashley wasn’t part of the deal.

We’d all played this game before, but for some reason it left a bitter taste in my mouth this time. Maybe because Noelle suggested it.

The second I ended the call with Toby, my phone buzzed with a notification about my car’s arrival. Ashley was staying at another hotel and had her own ride, which suited me. She’d been good fun in the early days of our careers, and we’d both gone all-in on the fake relationship back then. The same crew that ran Five2Go’s career managed hers too with Gordon Cooper overseeing everything. We were all eager to do what they asked—in exchange for stardom.

It worked.

It worked overtime for Ashley. She rocketed to the top, but she let fame go to her head. I watched it in real time. Celebrity changed her from a sweet, funny Southern girl to an entitled diva who demanded spring water from Iceland filtered through volcanic rock.

I almost reached the same level of absurdity as part of Five2Go, but the boys and I kept each other humble. I managed to reclaim my identity when the group broke up, but the fame gave me a fear of leaving my house and being in crowds. I separated from the star machine—literally the name of the TV show that launched Five2—and traveled to out of the way places around the world.

It saved me, but I often found myself slipping back into the grind—including this fake dating bollocks. But this time I was doing it for Noelle.

My phone vibrated on the table, and I grabbed it before leaving my hotel room.

I let out a sigh when I saw the Town Car parked at the curb. I’d been afraid AM LA was going to send a stretch limo for me—must’ve reserved that one for Ashley.

Ji-yoon wouldn’t be at the show today, reserved for the co-headliners of the tour. I suppose I had Noelle to thank for my upgrade.

I greeted the driver and slid into the back seat for the thirty-minute drive to the show’s studio in Burbank. We’d be doing a short interview with Hayley Williams and whoever co-hosted AM LA with her. I didn’t have a clue. Then we’d each sing a song with the show’s backup band.

Noelle was responsible for delivering the music for four possible songs to the show, so we shouldn’t have any surprises. I’d given her a list of my solo songs only—no Five2Go songs, although that’s what most people wanted to hear.

Maybe it was time to reunite as a group. Everyone seemed open to it except Jay. We figured we might get Ian to go out to Jay’s farm and convince him. Ian was the only one who could ever get under Jay’s skin.

A few stop and go traffic jams later, the car pulled through the studio gates where a crowd of people had already started forming. I slid down in my seat, despite the anonymity of the darkened windows. I didn’t need anyone screaming at me this time of the morning.

AM LA hosted musical acts every Friday to kick off the summer season. We were launching the tour in LA, so management figured the show would be a good springboard for the tour dates here.

The car careened around the side of the building where the show had installed two security guards on either side of a non-descript door.

The door swung open, and Noelle stepped outside, putting the weak morning sun to shame with her bright yellow jumper and white jeans. My mood lightened in an instant. She could always do that for me...not that she was perpetually cheerful. She wasn’t. Instead, she had a quiet presence that calmed me, and it was my role to cheer her up, get her out of her shell. Make her smile. I always liked making Noelle smile.

“You gettin’ out of the car, man? I mean, I don’t blame you. This show sucks.”

My eyes met the driver’s in the rearview mirror and widened. “Really? Not cool, huh?”