checking them in? Putting them in the monkey house?”
“Oh, no, they are fighting over whether Logan knows how to pick good music.”
“Come here!” Logan shouts.
Given that he’s trying to punch Ben, he shouldn’t be surprised that his cousin doesn’t obey.
“Um, isn’t anyone going to get them to move somewhere not so public?” I say.
“Yeah, it’s interesting. Logan’s mother would have come down on them like a ton of bricks. Maybe they just need to let off some steam.”
Logan hoists a heavy pottery vase.
“Whoa! Hey!” I shout. “Enough. Break it up, guys.”
Ben turns and gives me a sheepish smile. “Come on, don’t fight in front of the pretty girl,” he says.
Logan glares at me.
I feel like a babysitter as I put my hands on my hips. “Put it down. Come on. You don’t just trash other people’s stuff.” And now I sound like a babysitter, even though Logan and I are the same age.
Ben smirks but doesn’t join in, which shows he’s smarter than he acts sometimes. He looks past me. “Zach, hey, what’s up?”
Logan hastily returns the vase to its spot on the end table.
“Not me. Jet lag.” Zach’s voice is right behind me, and even though it’s soft, I hear every word. Every nuance.
“Eh, it’s all good. Slap on some concealer like a real man.” Aidan walks over and gives what sounds like a friendly clap on the shoulder.
“Oh, yeah, right. And some eyeliner,” says Zach.
“Tellin’ ya, man. Chicks dig metrosexual.”
“I was ten when people used that word. Dude, you’re showing your age.”
“Rub it in, rub it in.” Aidan’s voice moves off in the direction of the elevators.
I stand, rigid, as if someone’s holding a gun to my back. My plan to act purely professional is going just great ; just the sound of his voice puts me on edge. My heart’s pounding. It’s as if I can feel where he is in relation to me without even looking, and I don’t get why. I mean, I get why I break a sweat just being in the same room as him, but I don’t get why my feelings are even more intense now. We didn’t do anything last night.
“Ms. Armijo,” says Zach.
I turn way too fast. His hair’s still wet and he’s wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts. I can see every inch of his toned and muscular body—and the fact that he’s been working out.
He inclines his head as if we’re mere acquaintances. “You goin’ to the zoo today?”
I have no idea. “I think so,” I squeak.
He nods as if my reply is normal, but his eyes twinkle. “Good, good. It’s a great zoo.” Then he walks off in the direction of the elevators. I watch for several seconds before I get a grip, turn around, and try to act natural. Ben’s gaze flicks between me and Zach, and he chuckles before he walks over to me and says in a low voice, “Yeah, good luck with that.”
I’m grateful for my dark skin. It should mask my blush a little. Otherwise, I’d be beet red.
“But if you ever wanna come by my room…” Ben winks at me.
I shake my head.
He shrugs and strides off.
Logan is now glaring after Zach, but I can tell there won’t be any more violence.
“Yeah,” says Aidan. “I’m thinking he won’t be going to the zoo either. Bet you ten dollars it’s just Zach.”
I have no idea how to respond to that. This morning has just been too weird, and the one thing that consumes my attention is the fact that no one tried to protect Triple Cross’s image. A few media stories about this morning and their reputation will take a hit.
The zoo is closed. This is a private tour, and Aidan was right. Zach’s doing it solo. Zach and Rick (I now know for sure it’s Rick-the-Manager) argue on the way over.
“People are doing extra work for this,” is Zach’s take. “It’s a privilege being offered.”
“It’s another item in your already overfull calendar,” says Rick. “You guys should have some downtime. No one else will be on this zoo tour, and you see the stress on your band
“Oh, no, they are fighting over whether Logan knows how to pick good music.”
“Come here!” Logan shouts.
Given that he’s trying to punch Ben, he shouldn’t be surprised that his cousin doesn’t obey.
“Um, isn’t anyone going to get them to move somewhere not so public?” I say.
“Yeah, it’s interesting. Logan’s mother would have come down on them like a ton of bricks. Maybe they just need to let off some steam.”
Logan hoists a heavy pottery vase.
“Whoa! Hey!” I shout. “Enough. Break it up, guys.”
Ben turns and gives me a sheepish smile. “Come on, don’t fight in front of the pretty girl,” he says.
Logan glares at me.
I feel like a babysitter as I put my hands on my hips. “Put it down. Come on. You don’t just trash other people’s stuff.” And now I sound like a babysitter, even though Logan and I are the same age.
Ben smirks but doesn’t join in, which shows he’s smarter than he acts sometimes. He looks past me. “Zach, hey, what’s up?”
Logan hastily returns the vase to its spot on the end table.
“Not me. Jet lag.” Zach’s voice is right behind me, and even though it’s soft, I hear every word. Every nuance.
“Eh, it’s all good. Slap on some concealer like a real man.” Aidan walks over and gives what sounds like a friendly clap on the shoulder.
“Oh, yeah, right. And some eyeliner,” says Zach.
“Tellin’ ya, man. Chicks dig metrosexual.”
“I was ten when people used that word. Dude, you’re showing your age.”
“Rub it in, rub it in.” Aidan’s voice moves off in the direction of the elevators.
I stand, rigid, as if someone’s holding a gun to my back. My plan to act purely professional is going just great ; just the sound of his voice puts me on edge. My heart’s pounding. It’s as if I can feel where he is in relation to me without even looking, and I don’t get why. I mean, I get why I break a sweat just being in the same room as him, but I don’t get why my feelings are even more intense now. We didn’t do anything last night.
“Ms. Armijo,” says Zach.
I turn way too fast. His hair’s still wet and he’s wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts. I can see every inch of his toned and muscular body—and the fact that he’s been working out.
He inclines his head as if we’re mere acquaintances. “You goin’ to the zoo today?”
I have no idea. “I think so,” I squeak.
He nods as if my reply is normal, but his eyes twinkle. “Good, good. It’s a great zoo.” Then he walks off in the direction of the elevators. I watch for several seconds before I get a grip, turn around, and try to act natural. Ben’s gaze flicks between me and Zach, and he chuckles before he walks over to me and says in a low voice, “Yeah, good luck with that.”
I’m grateful for my dark skin. It should mask my blush a little. Otherwise, I’d be beet red.
“But if you ever wanna come by my room…” Ben winks at me.
I shake my head.
He shrugs and strides off.
Logan is now glaring after Zach, but I can tell there won’t be any more violence.
“Yeah,” says Aidan. “I’m thinking he won’t be going to the zoo either. Bet you ten dollars it’s just Zach.”
I have no idea how to respond to that. This morning has just been too weird, and the one thing that consumes my attention is the fact that no one tried to protect Triple Cross’s image. A few media stories about this morning and their reputation will take a hit.
The zoo is closed. This is a private tour, and Aidan was right. Zach’s doing it solo. Zach and Rick (I now know for sure it’s Rick-the-Manager) argue on the way over.
“People are doing extra work for this,” is Zach’s take. “It’s a privilege being offered.”
“It’s another item in your already overfull calendar,” says Rick. “You guys should have some downtime. No one else will be on this zoo tour, and you see the stress on your band
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