Just Another Spark
A Stand-Alone Short Story
Read Just One Spark for Dash and Cassidyโs full story.
Note: This stand-alone short story takes place nine months before Just One Dare and four years after earlier Kingston stories.
Chapter One
โOnce again, Dash Kingston has been photographed out with Peyton Jones, the twenty-two-year-old singer and opening act for his band, The Original Kings. The Kings are currently finishing up the final leg of their U.S. tour on the West Coast, and it looks like their lead singer is taking full advantage of being away from home.โ
Cassidy Kingston glared at the television in the break room of K-Talent Productionsโ New York City offices. Someone had left the TV on, the channel showing CGC. Celebrity Gossip Central was currently focusing on Cassidyโs husband and whatever dirt they could make up about him based on no evidence and innocent interactions.
She placed her laptop down on the table, just as the well-known host of the show continued to talk. โWhat does Dashโs producer-wife, Cassidy Kingston, think of all the intimate time the two stars are spending together, heads bent in deep conversation?โ
โShe thinks youโre full of crap,โ Cassidy muttered.
โOr has Dash already broken up with his wife so he feels comfortable moving on in public?โ
Despite knowing better, she glanced at the screen in time to see Dash, so sexy with his inky-black hair, long and falling over his face, as he leaned close to Peyton. The young, dark-haired, rock star was beautiful, a pink stripe on one side of her hair only adding to her funky appeal. Cassidyโs stomach twisted in agony at the sight.
โShut this off now.โ Cassidyโs sister-in-law picked up the remote and clicked off the television.
The silence was a blessing. โI didnโt hear you come into the room,โ Cassidy said.
โBecause youโre too busy watching trash TV.โ Sasha, her dirty-blond hair tied into a messy bun, glared at the now blank screen.
Cassidy couldnโt argue the point made by the woman who wasnโt just Cassidyโs sister-in-law. She was also Cassidyโs former roommate, the world-famous actress whoโd given Cassidy her start in Hollywood as her personal assistant, her boss, since Cassidy had begun working for K-Talent, and her best friend. It was the best friend role Cassidy valued most.
โPlease donโt tell me you believe a word theyโre saying.โ Sasha closed the break room door, giving them privacy.
Cassidy shook her head. โNo, of course not. But hearing the rumors and seeing the photos when Dash and I can barely connect for more than five minutes at a time makes the innuendo really hard to ignore.โ The time difference between the East Coast, where she was, and the West Coast, where his shows were, had made their availability to talk difficult, to say the least. She felt emotionally distant from her husband, something sheโd never experienced before. And it frightened her.
Cassidy pulled out one of the comfortable chairs around the table and settled in to talk to her friend.
Squeezing her shoulder in commiseration, Sasha sat down beside her. โHow are things when you do speak?โ
Cassidy shrugged. โRushed. We donโt have enough time to catch up, let alone bond on any emotional level. Itโs like two friends saying a quick hi before one or the other is called away.โ She blinked back unnecessary tears, born more of frustration than fear.
She missed her husband. Theyโd had so much time together before the band went on tour, the separation had been more of a shock than sheโd anticipated.
โLook, I get why the gossips are talking. I knew who and what Dash was when I married him.โ After all, heโd all but ghosted her after a one-night stand and the next time Cassidy had seen him, heโd been dealing with a potential, thankfully mistaken, paternity scandal. โBut he changed.โ Even if the media and tabloids tried to make the world believe otherwise.
Sasha nodded, her blue eyes firm in her agreement. โHe did. He changed for himself and for you. So hang on to that belief in him.โ Reaching over, Sasha squeezed her hand. โI know better than most how damaging it can be to let yourself believe what you see or hear. Unless itโs from your husband himself.โ
Cassidy nodded, aware Sasha and Xander had broken up for a long time when he believed he couldnโt trust her. As an A-List actress whoโd risen to sudden fame, sheโd been subjected to the same scrutiny Dash was now under while on tour. Thankfully, Sasha and Xander had had their second chance and were now happily married and working together in K-Talent. Xander, also a thriller bestseller and screenwriter, continued to author books.
โGood advice as always,โ Cassidy said, doing her best to pull herself together and trust what she knew.
In the years she and Dash had been together, she didnโt believe heโd ever cheated. Not in their early days when they were both living near each other in the Hamptons, and not now when he was away on tour.
โAnyway, I saw you staring at the television and came to do damage control, but I need to make a few calls.โ Sasha stood just as the break room door creaked, indicating someone was walking in.
โGuess who came to visit!โ At the unexpected sound of her brotherโs voice, Cassidy spun around.
She squealed and ran for Axel, flinging her arms around his neck. โI missed you!โ As The Original Kingsโ drummer, heโd been traveling with Dash and the band. โWhat are you doing in New York?โ
Axel set her down. โI grabbed a free twenty-four hours and came to see Tara,โ he said of his veterinarian wife.
โHi, Axel,โ Sasha said with a smile. โGood to see you.โ
He treated her to a grin. โAlways nice to see you, too.โ
Sasha tipped her head toward the door. โI was just going back to my office. You two catch up.โ She waved and walked out of the room.
โI canโt believe youโre here! Was Dash able to get away too?โ Cassidy asked, excitement filling her at the prospect, and she looked past Axel to the empty doorway.
Her brother shook his head as he slid his leather jacket off his broad shoulders and hung it over the back of a chair. โThereโs a lot of backstage drama going on and Dash has been handling it.โ
She narrowed her gaze. โWhat kind of drama? Because if the tabloids are to be believed, heโs busy with Peyton.โ Cassidy despised the bitterness in her tone. It wasnโt like her and the only reason she was feeling insecure was the damned media hammering home Dashโs supposed infidelity.
Axel met her gaze. โNo, Cass. Just no,โ he said, obviously talking about her husband and the young rock star. โItโs ugly drama weโre trying to keep under the radar until the tour ends. Dash will explain when you two talk, Iโm sure.โ
She raised her eyebrows. โMake that if we talk. Neither one of us have had the time. Heโs called away, Iโm needed on set.โ She sighed. โItโs hard to hear the gossip and see the photos, Ax.โ
He pulled her into a hug. โDash would rather be here with you. Trust me, if I thought otherwise, Iโd rip out his vocal cords, the band and the money be damned.โ
She grimaced at the visual, but she believed her overprotective brother and relaxed for the first time since hearing the gossip-based news.
Axel had been her rock since their parents passed away in a car accident when sheโd been five and Axel, seven. Theyโd gone to live with their grandmother, who theyโd lost to cancer when Axel had been eighteen. Heโd taken over as sixteen-year-old Cassidyโs guardian. As a result, she and her brother were tight. If Dash was cheating, Axel would tell her and blow up the band, just as heโd said.
โDash also has a photo shoot today he couldnโt get out or heโd be here. He tried,โ Axel assured her.
Cassidy let out a rough breath.
โFeel better?โ he asked.
โI do. Thank you.โ
He held out his hand and she bumped his fist with hers. โYou and me first,โ he reminded her.
She nodded. โYou bet.โ
He changed the subject to Taraโs business and the new doctor sheโd hired because the practice was growing. Whatever was happening on tour, Axel obviously didnโt want to talk about it. Cassidy would just have to push Dash to make the time so she could find out the details and support him in whatever was happening.
She turned her attention back to her brother. โWhere are your constant companions?โ she asked of the dogs, Walter, his and Taraโs shelter adoptee, and Dakota, their Samoyed. Axel had once borrowed Xanderโs golden retriever, Bella, to win over Tara, and when he was in town, he never went anywhere without their pets.
โI flew in last night, surprised Tara and spent the night with her. She was called into emergency surgery and I spent the morning with the dogs. Iโm here to see you before I leave for the airport again in a couple of hours. Can we grab a bite to eat?โ he asked.
โWe sure can.โ Cassidy smiled. โYou do realize, your wife is a lucky lady?โ With one night free from a concert, heโd traveled across the country to see the woman he loved.
โNah. Iโm the lucky one. Now come on. Letโs go eat. Food makes everything better.โ Axel picked up his jacket again and hooked it over a finger, wrapping his free arm around Cassidyโs waist and leading her out the door.
She spent a couple of hours with her brother, listened to the funny band stories, and ate away her worries. Axel settled her into her ride to the movie set where she was needed, and he left for the airport.
Hours passed and by the time evening rolled around, Cassidyโs feet hurt and she couldnโt wait to go home, eat dinner, take a hot bath, and crawl into bed. It was only once sheโd settled in the back seat of the vehicle taking her home, that she had time to look at her phone.
Once again, sheโd missed a call from Dash and though the message was sweet, a glance at her watch told her he was now on stage. She sighed in frustration. He never called her after a show, knowing sheโd have been sleeping for hours. Sleep she needed since she had an early day on set. She shot off an I miss you, text, knowing thereโd be no talking to Dash tonight, either.
Canโt wait to read .