“I’m bored.” Chloe propped her legs up against the coffee table in the hotel room. She sagged her body into the couch cushions, and her tiny shape was practically swallowed whole.
“Let’s do something fun,” Emelia suggested. She blew on her freshly painted and polished hot pink nails in an attempt to get them to dry faster.
Chloe perked up and raised her eyebrows. Her expression glowed with curiosity. “Like what? Get matching tattoos?”
“No!” Emelia exclaimed with a laugh. “I meant like...shopping or something.”
“Oh.” Chloe looked only slightly crestfallen as she sat up straight. “Yeah, we can do that.”
“I am looking forward to some downtime,” Emelia admitted. “I’m so tired.”
“I know,” Chloe sighed. “And jet lagged to boot.”
“I need some kind of a pick me up,” Emelia admitted. “I am tired of being moody.”
“How are things with you and Grant?” Chloe shifted the subject slightly as if that might be the reason behind Emelia’s recent temperament.
Emelia’s heart skipped a beat. She knew her friend was just merely asking an innocent question. And being this close together on the tour meant that her friend was privy to more about their relationship than she probably wanted to know. After Emelia had returned to the hotel after the party with Trevor, all hell had broken loose. Grant had accused her of all sort of sordid things—things she felt guilty about but never actually engaged in. Yet her water-tryst with Trevor had been enough to flame her guilt.
“I’m giving Grant some time,” Emelia admitted with an unpersuasive nod. “It’s taking him longer than usual to cool off.”
“Well, that’s promising.” Chloe rolled her eyes.
“It’s my own fault. I knew I was stirring up trouble when I went to the party with Trevor.” Emelia glanced at her cell phone for the time. “It’s eleven. Should we get brunch?”
“That sounds awesome.” Chloe stood up and rubbed her stomach. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since like seven o’clock last night. A little hard to have an appetite when I could hear you love birds arguing through the wall.”
“Sorry.”
“Nah, no worries. You know what I think about Grant, and what I think you should do. In the meantime, there’s an egg Benedict in my future. Let’s go.”
“As long as there is a Bloody Mary to dress it up, I’m game.”
“I’m definitely on board.”
Their hotel was right in the middle of the city, in the center of everything. They could hire a taxi, but most things were close, and the weather was beautiful.
“Let’s walk,” Emelia suggested. She retrieved her black purse from the top of the little kitchenette counter in the front of the room. “It’s nice out, and we can get some exercise.”
“If you think a million degrees is considered nice weather,” Chloe groaned, but her lips curled up.
They stopped by Chloe’s adjourning hotel room so she could grab her purse.
They stepped out into the sunny day. Emelia plucked her huge white sunglasses from her bag and hastily pulled them over her eyes. “Wow it’s bright out here,” she chuckled. The sun-drenched sidewalk reflected even more light.
“The restaurant is only about a block away,” Chloe mentioned.
“Good,” Emelia laughed. “I’m ready for that drink. Once we get done with this tour, I’m going to have to immerse myself in a major detox.”
“I hear ya,” Chloe nodded. “I’ve been drinking way more than I normally do.”
“It’s just the lifestyle of being on tour,” Emelia explained as if she had ventured around the world with a rock band hundreds of times. Well, she imagined most rock band tours were like this. She couldn’t say she would be in a hurry to do it again.
They stopped in front of the restaurant. The brick was painted a cute rosy pink color, and there were strands of green ivy growing up the sides that gave it a cozy feel and a pop of vibrant, natural color.
Emelia pulled the door open first, stepping inside. “Ahh,” she sighed as the air-conditioned room hit her sweaty skin. “That air feels amazing.”
“Thank God for indoor central air, right?” Chloe laughed.
The hostess sat them at a table by the window which Emelia appreciated because she enjoyed people watching. She could observe passersby as they talked on their phones, engaged in conversations or pushed a toddler in a stroller down the sidewalk.
Once they ordered their food and drinks, Emelia leaned back in her chair and relaxed.
Her phone buzzed. Confident that it was Grant, she opened the message. Her eyes went wide to see Trevor’s name there. They’d exchanged numbers a long time ago, but nothing had come of it. Emergencies only, considering they’d have no other reason to text each other even though in her fantasies, they exchanged cute messages all the time.
Hey, Emelia. I’d like to connect with your brother. Can you make that happen? Thx.
Her heart sank. That’s not what she expected. Nothing flirty. Not bothering to check up on her. Just a bid to use her connections.
Chloe touched her wrist. “What is it?”
Emelia reread the message, then showed her friend the phone. “I guess he’s really keeping it professional, huh?”
“Yeah. I hate to say this, Em, but do you think he’s interested in you... or your brother?”
Emelia startled. “He’s definitely not interested in my brother!”
The waiter deposited their drinks onto the table. Chloe waited until he’d left to lean in across the table.
“Not that way. I overheard the band talking about getting their music in front of a couple of movie studios. Trevor seems pretty passionate about it. It’s no secret that Campbell is your brother. I hope he’s not using you.”
Emelia frowned and swirled her straw, mixing the contents of her drink together. Her mind wanted to deny such a thing, but reality told her she had to consider it.
“He makes me happy,” Emelia gushed. Tears pricked her eyes, but she held them back. “You could be right, and if that’s true, it’ll really suck because Trevor honestly makes me happy.”
Chloe’s lips puckered, and she furrowed her brow in confusion. “I know. I’ve seen the way you look at him. The thing is, I see how he looks at you, too. There’s something between you both that you and Grant just don’t have.”
Emelia stroked the side of her arm stared out the window. “He’s funny. He tells the best jokes. He seems to genuinely care about me.”
“I understand how easy it could be to get infatuated with him, Em. But let’s look at the facts. He doesn’t remember you from school, even though you have pics of him with your brother, and you showed up at every single venue he played. He gets frisky with you and leads you on but drops you the second the moment is over. And now, he’s digging for an opportunity to meet your brother, who has the power to advance his career. Might be time to take those rose-colored glasses off.” She took a bite from the pickle in her drink. “Besides, what about Grant?”
“Grant?” Emelia felt dazed by the truth in her friend’s words.
“Yeah.” Chloe raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Your boyfriend. Remember him? Now, he’s a right asshole, but I figure he has the right to know if you’re leaving him for a rock star who may or may not seriously be interested in you.”
Emelia traced the pattern on the tablecloth with her finger. The waiter came, took their orders. She wasn’t even for sure what she’d ordered. Her mind was a cluster of doubt. Her body thrummed with desire for Trevor, but her friend could be right. He could merely be using her.
She’d thought they were two hungry hearts, trying to have fun, get to know each other. Was that so bad? It’s not like he was getting on one knee and proposing to her or anything. Nor did she want him, too.
There was the fleeting possibility that Chloe’s point could be valid. It was true that she was having a great time getting to know Trevor, but he was a celebrity. He had a bad boy quality about him. He probably wouldn’t be ready to settle down for a long time, years even. Besides, hadn’t Campbell said that he had hung around with the wrong people back in the day? Maybe that was how it started, him seeking out those who could do something for him.
She needed to focus her energy back to Grant. He was a loose end she needed to take care of, and then she could concentrate on the rest. Suddenly, she wasn’t hungry anymore.
“I think I want to head back to the hotel and rest before the show tonight,” she told Chloe. “Do you mind if I take a raincheck on the shopping?”
“Sure.” Chloe gave a knowing shrug. “It’s kind of hot to be walking through the city right now anyway.”
They finished their meal, the text message hanging over Emelia’s head like a brick. Back at the hotel, she showered and changed, paced the room wondering where Grant was. When he still didn’t show, she took a cab to the auditorium to help get ready for tonight’s show. She scoured the place, looking for her boyfriend, and when he still didn’t appear, took a seat in the stands with her laptop. The crew did their work below, and finally, she caught sight of Grant doing his thing.
She couldn’t shake Chloe’s words. When the set started, and the place was packed with screaming fans, she hung out in the wings. The guitar strums blared through her ears. The drums vibrated through her bones. And as soon as Trevor started singing and moving around the stage, she was transfixed.
He looked so damn sexy. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. His thick muscles were sculpted and moved perfectly as he worked the stage like a true artist.
She edged out a little farther, so she could see better. Trevor made eye contact with her, and her breath caught. She was taken to a different place every time he sang. It was as if every song were meant entirely for her and no one else. It was an incredible feeling, but it wasn’t real.
She was floating so high that she didn’t see Grant come up to her until his arms wrapped around her from behind, and his familiar scent flooded her nose. He pulled her closer and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek. Then, without warning, he spun her, dipped her to the side and claimed her mouth with his. Shocked, she didn’t return the gesture, but he didn’t seem to notice. She prayed that Trevor didn’t look just then and see her kissing Grant. Somehow, that prospect made her feel even more guilty than her growing feelings for Trevor.
Not that it would matter. She was afraid she was going to lose no matter how this ended.