as it turns out, for one of us.” His eyebrow rose as he listened to me finally confess my big secret. “It started in Philadelphia. He acted like he was interested, like really interested.”
Jacob leaned against the bar on one elbow. He knew who I meant. There was no judgment. Not even curiosity. Just concern.
“I guess that’s his M.O. Make the fans think they can have something they can’t have.”
“To a degree,” Jacob conceded.
“Nothing happened. I left early, and he contacted me. We emailed and talked on the phone. He wanted me to come to New York. Made it seem like when I got here…” I couldn’t even finish. The idea seemed so ludicrous now.
I threw back another drink and then signaled for another. Jacob put his hand over the glass and shook his head at the bartender. “And when you got there, you found out about Lourdes.”
I nodded with a pout I could no longer hide. “But he still acted like he was interested. Acted like the thing with Lourdes was no big deal. He was attentive. Sexy. Sweet. So on his birthday we left early. Together. Went on a hansom cab ride through the city.” Jacob groaned but I forged on. “Ended up at my hotel. Went up to my room.”
Jacob changed his tune and signaled for the bartender again. He indicated I needed another drink, and this time ordered one for himself. He glanced back at me. “You didn’t.” It was more of a hopeful plea than a statement.
I shook my head. “He got a very timely call from his new roommate.”
“Oh, honey,” he crooned. Jacob put his arms around me for a hug four months overdue, and I held onto him for a long, painful moment. I hiccupped back a sob when we pulled apart. “I’m sorry, Andy,” he said. “I wish I would have known.”
“I couldn’t tell anyone,” I said. “Both Iris and Alana told me not to get involved. And then, once I knew he was dating someone, there was no alternative. I knew it was wrong to try and make something happen. I don’t know. I guess I felt entitled.” I dabbed at my eye with the corner of a cocktail napkin. “The clincher was the interview with the two of them. When I heard he wrote ‘Wanting Her’ for her Lourdes I just couldn’t take it anymore. I had to leave.”
Jacob chuckled, which surprised me.
“What?”
“He didn’t write that song for her,” Jacob told me in a hushed whisper. “They had that song from the moment they hit the studio. June? July, maybe? It was still summer, that much I know. Lourdes didn’t come into play until after that.”
“Labor Day,” I supplied, because I had memorized every damn detail of that relationship even though I hadn’t wanted to.
“Remember when I told you that people who have something to sell are all about marketing an image?” I nodded. “Jasper is trying to sell Dreaming in Blue. What better way to create buzz about a single than to have some juicy backstory?”
I didn’t know what to say. It bubbled up in my fuzzy brain that if he wrote the song in the summer, it still could have been about me.
It was a crazy, nutty, completely self-serving thought – but it made me instantly giddy.
“So Lourdes and Vanni…”
Jacob glanced down at the mid-level. Jasper had arrived with Athena and Lourdes. He glanced up toward our area and Jacob pulled us back away from the edge. “Are crazy, madly in love. On the record.”
He gave me a meaningful look and I nodded. I instantly understood.
It also made sense why Vanni had been so eager to be with me, despite her moving into his apartment. If they didn’t have a real relationship, he was free to pursue anyone he wanted.
And he had wanted me.
Jacob hugged me again. “Thank you for telling me,” he whispered against my ear.
“No, thank you,” I said. He had definitely given me food for thought.
But Jacob wasn’t done. He took both my hands in his. “Andy, I love you and I want to see you happy. I’m not convinced that involves this crazy life or a man like Vanni.
Jacob leaned against the bar on one elbow. He knew who I meant. There was no judgment. Not even curiosity. Just concern.
“I guess that’s his M.O. Make the fans think they can have something they can’t have.”
“To a degree,” Jacob conceded.
“Nothing happened. I left early, and he contacted me. We emailed and talked on the phone. He wanted me to come to New York. Made it seem like when I got here…” I couldn’t even finish. The idea seemed so ludicrous now.
I threw back another drink and then signaled for another. Jacob put his hand over the glass and shook his head at the bartender. “And when you got there, you found out about Lourdes.”
I nodded with a pout I could no longer hide. “But he still acted like he was interested. Acted like the thing with Lourdes was no big deal. He was attentive. Sexy. Sweet. So on his birthday we left early. Together. Went on a hansom cab ride through the city.” Jacob groaned but I forged on. “Ended up at my hotel. Went up to my room.”
Jacob changed his tune and signaled for the bartender again. He indicated I needed another drink, and this time ordered one for himself. He glanced back at me. “You didn’t.” It was more of a hopeful plea than a statement.
I shook my head. “He got a very timely call from his new roommate.”
“Oh, honey,” he crooned. Jacob put his arms around me for a hug four months overdue, and I held onto him for a long, painful moment. I hiccupped back a sob when we pulled apart. “I’m sorry, Andy,” he said. “I wish I would have known.”
“I couldn’t tell anyone,” I said. “Both Iris and Alana told me not to get involved. And then, once I knew he was dating someone, there was no alternative. I knew it was wrong to try and make something happen. I don’t know. I guess I felt entitled.” I dabbed at my eye with the corner of a cocktail napkin. “The clincher was the interview with the two of them. When I heard he wrote ‘Wanting Her’ for her Lourdes I just couldn’t take it anymore. I had to leave.”
Jacob chuckled, which surprised me.
“What?”
“He didn’t write that song for her,” Jacob told me in a hushed whisper. “They had that song from the moment they hit the studio. June? July, maybe? It was still summer, that much I know. Lourdes didn’t come into play until after that.”
“Labor Day,” I supplied, because I had memorized every damn detail of that relationship even though I hadn’t wanted to.
“Remember when I told you that people who have something to sell are all about marketing an image?” I nodded. “Jasper is trying to sell Dreaming in Blue. What better way to create buzz about a single than to have some juicy backstory?”
I didn’t know what to say. It bubbled up in my fuzzy brain that if he wrote the song in the summer, it still could have been about me.
It was a crazy, nutty, completely self-serving thought – but it made me instantly giddy.
“So Lourdes and Vanni…”
Jacob glanced down at the mid-level. Jasper had arrived with Athena and Lourdes. He glanced up toward our area and Jacob pulled us back away from the edge. “Are crazy, madly in love. On the record.”
He gave me a meaningful look and I nodded. I instantly understood.
It also made sense why Vanni had been so eager to be with me, despite her moving into his apartment. If they didn’t have a real relationship, he was free to pursue anyone he wanted.
And he had wanted me.
Jacob hugged me again. “Thank you for telling me,” he whispered against my ear.
“No, thank you,” I said. He had definitely given me food for thought.
But Jacob wasn’t done. He took both my hands in his. “Andy, I love you and I want to see you happy. I’m not convinced that involves this crazy life or a man like Vanni.
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