Free The Songwriter by A. P. Jensen Page A

Barbie and Cassie tugged on her hair. Gwen envied Oliver’s casual attitude about performing. He didn’t have any nerves at all. When his manager, a burly guy with a bulldog face, barked that Oliver would be on in fifteen minutes, Oliver saluted her and ambled off with his hands in his pockets. She shook her head and experienced the same episode of hyperventilating, nearly fainting and being sick before Angie stepped up to give her a verbal bitch slap. Gwen wished she could get past the stage fright but the private, introverted part of her always balked. Every night she forced herself out of her comfort zone and it took a toll on her.
    Where Trey seemed to grow more energized with each performance and rarely needed sleep, Gwen was the complete opposite and needed more and more sleep to recover. She never learned how to pull back emotionally from the crowd and the moment she stepped onstage and heard the crowd, adrenaline shot through her veins like in a heady cocktail of elation and rebellion. At the third show, she heard people yelling out her name as she walked onstage and nearly tripped on her way to Trey. During Breaking Out that night, she went over to Alan as he played bass and ran a hand down his chest. The women cheered and Gwen wasn’t quite sure if it was an act when Trey dragged her away from him.
    Her chemistry with Trey was explosive and keeping eye contact with him was imperative to keeping her grounded during the performance until she realized she wasn’t going to die. She was humbled by the fans embracing her wholeheartedly. After the show, she was lying in bed with her eyes closed when there was a knock on her door. Everyone knew how exhausted she was after a show, but she got up to answer the door and was surprised to see Trey standing there.
    “ What’s up?” she asked.
    “ A fan wanted to talk to you.” He took in her robe and freshly scrubbed face. “How are you feeling?”
    Gwen blinked and clutched the robe at her neck. “A fan?”
    A voice behind Trey intruded. “A very big fan.”
    Trey w asn’t prepared for the way Gwen’s eyes went wide as saucers. Gwen squeezed past him and faced Gabriel Heely who stood in her tiny living room. Gabriel smiled as he looked Gwen over from her bright red toenails to the wet hair curling around her face. Gwen looked flustered and star struck and Trey didn’t like it. He watched Gabriel grasp Gwen’s hand and kiss it like a damn sparkling knight in his Ed Hardy shirt and hat. Something hot slithered to life in his chest. Maybe he made a mistake. He and Gabriel went way back and he hadn’t thought twice when his friend asked if he could meet Gwen after watching the show. Seeing the look on her face though, he knew he’d badly miscalculated. How could he have known Gwen had a thing for Gabriel?
    “ Your voice is amazing,” Gabriel said.
    “ Really?” Gwen sounded breathless.
    “ I tell her that every day,” Trey snapped.
    Gwen didn’t even hear him. Her eyes were glued to Gabriel. “You have a great voice too.”
    “ We should sing together,” Gabriel said. “I watched the show tonight. You were great. I’ve heard of you but we never had a chance to meet.”
    Trey felt his stomach dive as Gwen lit up like a Christmas tree. She looked like a giddy sixteen year old, staring up at Gabriel with stars in her eyes. All he wanted to do was push his way between them, tell Gabriel to get lost and send Gwen back to her room where she could change into something less… revealing.
    “ I’d love that,” Gwen breathed.
    Gabriel sat, pulling Gwen down with him. “Trey tells me you write most of his hits. I’d like to book some time with you. Maybe you can help me with my upcoming album.”
    Gwen looked as if all her dreams were coming true. Before she could respond , Trey stepped in.
    “ We’re on tour for six months.”
    Gabriel shrugged. “Well, when you’re done you can call me. I like to record most of my stuff at my house. I live an hour