since then. As soon as the lawyers were satisfied with all their signatures, the whole band was heading to Vince’s summer house on a lake in his hometown of Hella for a much needed break. They had intended to begin recording again the next month, but for now it would have to wait.
Alicia smiled. “Really?”
Emerson nodded, pushing his long brown hair out of his face and behind his ears. He had a tendency to hide behind it, especially when Alicia was around, and he fought the urge now. He’d been wanting to get Alicia alone for months, but other things always got in the way between work and the other members of the band. He’d kept his growing feelings a secret because he didn’t want anything the guys did, even with the best of intentions, to ruin things for him. “As my guest. I insist. Here I am bitching about having to sign stuff, all the while you’ve been shuffling all this shit around for days with, I’m thinking, very little thanks.”
“Your thinking is correct. Everyone has been a bit testy.”
He set back to work on the papers, finding every highlighted spot and adding his signature or initials. He paused. “Did you do all this?”
“The highlighting? Yeah.”
He let out a long sigh. “Wow. I am going to make it my personal quest to see that you have an amazing time. As soon as I’m done, I’m telling … um … blond guy?”
“Theobald.”
He stopped with his pen in mid-air. “Theobald?”
She nodded. “Get used to it. I think he’ll be a great manager.”
“Well, I’m telling him you are coming with us. You were always on top of things with this last tour, so I know exactly how hard you work. You learned the ropes so quickly.”
She laughed. “How did you know I was always on top of things? My job changes every two days around here.”
He straightened the papers, trying to come up with an answer. He couldn’t very well say he watched her constantly, always made a point of knowing where she was and what she’d be doing each day, at every stop, in every city. When their eyes met after his long pause, he almost thought she might guess. Quickly, he said, “Because every time I see you, you’re doing exactly what you’re meant to be doing, which is usually making sure we aren’t missing a cue or an appointment or doing something completely stupid, not to mention reminding others of the jobs they need to be doing.”
She blushed and laughed again. That laugh was improving his day more with each passing second, and the color rising to her cheeks was adorable. “Wow. I’m glad someone has noticed.”
He nodded slightly and said in a soft voice, “I certainly have.”
“Then I would love to come with you guys. Are you still going this afternoon?”
“I think so.”
“And Vince won’t mind?”
“No. There’s plenty of room. No one has ever had to sleep on the floor, I promise.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I’m sure.”
He knew she was thinking of Vince’s and Garren’s reputations. Both of them had flirted with her on many occasions. “You’ll be my guest and have the perfect freedom to tell anyone to fuck off. I’ll do it for you if I have to.”
“So I’ll have a protector from the band’s bad boys, huh?”
“Oh yes.” She had always seemed immune to the charms of the other guys, but was this a mistake? He hadn’t made her status as his guest, or what he intended her status to be, one hundred percent clear yet. If she didn’t know he wanted this to be like a date, what would prevent her from hooking up with someone else? Most women would do almost anything to get in Vince’s bed. Or so it seemed to Emerson.
She smiled and seemed about to say something when Vince walked in. “Hey, Em, are you done yet? I figured you and I could ride up together.”
He looked down and saw he had six more pages. “Almost.” Then inspiration struck. “Hey, you know, I remember the security codes and all. You guys go ahead when you get ready. Alicia’s going
Alicia smiled. “Really?”
Emerson nodded, pushing his long brown hair out of his face and behind his ears. He had a tendency to hide behind it, especially when Alicia was around, and he fought the urge now. He’d been wanting to get Alicia alone for months, but other things always got in the way between work and the other members of the band. He’d kept his growing feelings a secret because he didn’t want anything the guys did, even with the best of intentions, to ruin things for him. “As my guest. I insist. Here I am bitching about having to sign stuff, all the while you’ve been shuffling all this shit around for days with, I’m thinking, very little thanks.”
“Your thinking is correct. Everyone has been a bit testy.”
He set back to work on the papers, finding every highlighted spot and adding his signature or initials. He paused. “Did you do all this?”
“The highlighting? Yeah.”
He let out a long sigh. “Wow. I am going to make it my personal quest to see that you have an amazing time. As soon as I’m done, I’m telling … um … blond guy?”
“Theobald.”
He stopped with his pen in mid-air. “Theobald?”
She nodded. “Get used to it. I think he’ll be a great manager.”
“Well, I’m telling him you are coming with us. You were always on top of things with this last tour, so I know exactly how hard you work. You learned the ropes so quickly.”
She laughed. “How did you know I was always on top of things? My job changes every two days around here.”
He straightened the papers, trying to come up with an answer. He couldn’t very well say he watched her constantly, always made a point of knowing where she was and what she’d be doing each day, at every stop, in every city. When their eyes met after his long pause, he almost thought she might guess. Quickly, he said, “Because every time I see you, you’re doing exactly what you’re meant to be doing, which is usually making sure we aren’t missing a cue or an appointment or doing something completely stupid, not to mention reminding others of the jobs they need to be doing.”
She blushed and laughed again. That laugh was improving his day more with each passing second, and the color rising to her cheeks was adorable. “Wow. I’m glad someone has noticed.”
He nodded slightly and said in a soft voice, “I certainly have.”
“Then I would love to come with you guys. Are you still going this afternoon?”
“I think so.”
“And Vince won’t mind?”
“No. There’s plenty of room. No one has ever had to sleep on the floor, I promise.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I’m sure.”
He knew she was thinking of Vince’s and Garren’s reputations. Both of them had flirted with her on many occasions. “You’ll be my guest and have the perfect freedom to tell anyone to fuck off. I’ll do it for you if I have to.”
“So I’ll have a protector from the band’s bad boys, huh?”
“Oh yes.” She had always seemed immune to the charms of the other guys, but was this a mistake? He hadn’t made her status as his guest, or what he intended her status to be, one hundred percent clear yet. If she didn’t know he wanted this to be like a date, what would prevent her from hooking up with someone else? Most women would do almost anything to get in Vince’s bed. Or so it seemed to Emerson.
She smiled and seemed about to say something when Vince walked in. “Hey, Em, are you done yet? I figured you and I could ride up together.”
He looked down and saw he had six more pages. “Almost.” Then inspiration struck. “Hey, you know, I remember the security codes and all. You guys go ahead when you get ready. Alicia’s going
Similar Books
