“Done,” I say to her. “Forgotten.”
“You are so annoying it’s not even funny.” She pushes the stool away from the island. Grabbing the water bottle, she says, “I don’t know why I expected us to have an actual conversation.” I don’t know if she’s asking me or talking to herself. Walking to her purse, she picks it up and turns back. “Thanks for the talk.” She turns and storms toward the door, but I’m faster than her, so as soon as she opens the door, my hand is on it over her head, holding it shut. I should have let her go, should have just let her walk out the door, but I didn’t. My stupid body moved faster than my brain. She turns around, and she is way too close. Close enough that I see the tiny freckles she has on her nose. I’m close enough to see the vein in her neck move while she swallows.
“We don’t have time to get into this.” My voice is lower than it was before. “And it doesn’t help that for the next ninety days, I’m going to be your shadow. But”—I lean in a touch closer, and her chest stops moving as she holds her breath—“when we get back, if this thing is still here, the gloves are coming off.” My hands itch to touch her, to run my thumb around her jaw and feel her skin under mine.
“What?” she whispers.
“In ninety days, we get back home. If this thing is still going on between us, I’m making my move.”
“Your move?” She just blinks.
“My move to make you mine,” I tell her, and the need to lean in just a tad and feel her is so great. Instead, I push off the door and watch her not say anything. She just swallows and then turns around and walks out of the house. My eyes follow her to the white Range Rover where she gets in and drives away. I watch her until she turns the corner and I can’t see her anymore.
I turn and walk back into the house, locking the door behind me. I can still faintly smell her perfume. “Well,” I say to the empty room, “that went well.”
Chapter Seven
Kellie
“It’s go time.” I hear in my earpiece and get up from my makeup chair. Looking into the mirror, I make sure my first costume is on properly, and it is. My hair is down in thick curls, and I know the minute I get on stage with the lights and the dancing, I’ll be a sweaty mess and not one curl will be left.
“You got this,” Cori says from behind me, and I just look at her reflection in the mirror.
Turning, I walk out of the makeshift dressing room. The minute I walk out of the door, I see him leaning against the cement wall. Brian’s wearing black jeans and a white polo shirt. His arms are bare with just a watch on. He walks behind me, and I start doing my vocal exercises while I think of our last conversation. When he said he was going to make me his, I should have told him no, that it was too late and that it was just a crush, but I didn’t. I just swallowed and rushed out of there before I could jump into his arms and wrap my hands around his neck. It was the first time he even acknowledged that something was between us. I went there to tell him to forget what happened, and instead, I walked away with a ninety-day ticker.
The hallway is decorated with pictures from past events, and when I turn the corner, I see all my crew is there. Everyone from the sound check people to the girl who makes sure nothing slips off me while I perform. I duck my head and walk to the middle of the room, and everyone makes a circle around me.
“I can’t believe it’s finally here,” I say, looking around at all the faces. “I want to thank you guys for coming with me for the next ninety days. For leaving your family and your life behind to travel in a bus. There are no words.” I stop talking when I hear the fans chanting my name. “Let’s give these people what they paid for.” Lowering my head, I say a quick prayer. Everyone claps their hands and goes their way. I start to bounce up and down, and the little purple skirt flows around my thighs. My name starts getting louder and louder when the crew climbs on stage. “Is everyone ready for after?” I ask Cori, who just nods her head.
As I walk to the lift under the stage and get in, my eyes are on Brian, who nods at me. “I’ll be here the whole time.” I don’t respond as I grab the microphone from the wall. I ride the lift up to the stage, and the lights go off in the arena with forty-five thousand fans screaming. Whatever shit I have to go through, this is the reward. I stand behind the red curtain, the sound of the drums starts to fill the speaker, and the screaming gets a touch louder, if that is even possible. I bring the microphone to my lips, and say, “Santa Clara.” The curtain lifts, and the spotlights focus on me while I start to sing. And for the next two hours and forty-five minutes, my mind shuts off. I go through fourteen costume changes, and each time, three people come out to help me change. While I do this, Brian sits in a chair facing the lift where he watches. When I finally bow and run off the stage, everything happens so fast. Brian puts a hand around my back while Sandra grabs the mic and headset I hand her. We make it to the bus in record time with Jackie and Trisha right behind us. We get on the bus, and the driver pulls out right away before the fans start to pour out of the venue.
Cori hands me a water bottle, and I finish it in record time while I start peeling my last costume off. It’s a black leather cat suit that molds my body perfectly. I sit in the chair and peel off the boots and then turn to Cori who unzips the back. I’m about to pull it down when I hear Brian. “Um, maybe you should undress in your room,” he says, not looking at me but looking at the driver. My head snaps to him, and I peel the suit off right in front of him. I’m wearing a strapless bra that is stuck to me with tape, almost like it’s crazy glued on. I peel it off my hips, and my nude top also stays on.
“Does me being half naked bother you?” Wearing almost nothing, I stare straight at him. I’m not sure what he is thinking, but I might see a twinkle in his eyes. He doesn’t have time to say anything because I turn and walk to the back of the bus, my ass on full display because of the thong.
“Well, that was interesting.” I hear Trisha from just outside my door, probably standing at her bunk. Peeling off the top of the bra, I wince. It’s almost like a Band-Aid, and you just have to rip it off. The bottom is easier. Turning on the water in the shower, I jump right in. The water goes from cold to warm, but knowing all three of us have to shower means I don’t waste time in the shower. I grab my pink lace panties and matching sports bra, then slide on a hot pink fluffy robe and tie it at the waist. Walking out, I nod at Trish, and she gets up and goes to the bathroom.
“Shower is free.” I walk down toward the kitchen, and I see that Cori is setting things on a plate. Brian is on the couch, and his shirt is freed of one more button. He looks up at me from his phone.
Going over and sitting in the chair in front of him, I cross my legs, and the robe opens just a touch. Cori comes over and puts my plate down in front of me. It’s grilled chicken and roasted vegetables. I groan inwardly. Looking down and then back up again at Cori, I see her standing there with her hand on her hip waiting for me to complain. “You know what I could go for right now?”
“I’m all ears.” Cori turns to go back to the kitchen and starts cleaning up things.