“I’m going to meet him” Her voice was a raspy whisper as she looked up at me. “We’re going backstage?”
“We are. Now come on, we have to get over there.”
“You’re not teasing me?”
“Nope.”
She burst into tears again.
21
Brianna
* * *
There were no words for how excited I’d been to meet Luke Bryan. I’d cried, then I’d had to take a few minutes to calm down and fix my makeup, and then we’d gone backstage and had the best time ever. I’d never met a celebrity before and not for the first time I realized how incredibly sweet and thoughtful Declan was. He was so different than anything I’d thought a rock star would be, and though he did have the fame and money to do things regular guys couldn’t, he used them to help people or to do things to make them happy.
His success was a means of giving back, I realized. Sure, he enjoyed the finer things in life, but that wasn’t all of it. And anytime I met people in his life, from his bandmates to their significant others to his housekeeper to other celebrities, everyone liked him. He was kind and respectful of everyone we came in contact with, and it meant a lot to me to see the genuine, caring person he was. I’d grown up surrounded by so much negativity, I’d sworn that wouldn’t be a thing in my own life, and it wasn’t. Other guys I’d dated had brought a lot of that with them, which was one of many reasons I’d remained single until now.
Declan changed everything.
How close we’d gotten in such a short amount of time made me nervous, but I couldn’t help myself at this point. He had a lot going on in his life, just like I did, but somehow being together made everything a little easier. He’d said something like that this morning and after the night we’d had, I just wanted to give him everything I had, to try and make him as happy as he made me.
We had things to talk about, especially me going to school and his situation with the band, but it could wait until I got off work on Sunday. For now, we were still in a romantic haze of fun. We were having dinner with Stu and Lindsay in a little while, and though I’d met them briefly, I was excited to get to know more people in Declan’s inner circle.
“Kiki’s so jealous,” I told him as we drove to the restaurant. “I texted her all the pictures from last night and she said she’s not speaking to me.”
“Will she feel better when you bring her that autographed T-shirt?” Declan asked, chuckling.
“Absolutely.” I paused. “I feel bad I didn’t get anything for Noah, but he doesn’t like country music so it seemed kind of pointless.”
“We’ll find something else for him.”
“I don’t even know who his favorite bands are,” I admitted. “I know he likes rock, but he’s been such a mess I haven’t really paid attention to little details like that.”
“It’s okay. He’s doing better, right? Look at how well he’s done working for Marla and things seem to be great with Kiki. He’s not doing drugs, which is huge, and he’s been gaining some weight.”
“Yeah, but he’s still drinking. A lot.”
“Yes, but if that’s the short-term solution to keeping him off meth, I think it’s okay. Once he starts to realize his self-worth, and finds something to fight for, we can help him work on sobering up. Have you considered another stint in rehab?”
“Of course, but who’s going to pay for it? I spent thirty grand last time, everything I’d saved for school, and I can’t do it again. I love my brother, but I’m working two jobs to plan for my future. He can’t keep derailing me.”
“I could help,” he said softly.
“No.” I shook my head. “Please don’t go there. I love that you want to, but we’re still really new together and you can’t just swoop in and let Noah think he has a free pass to fuck up because I have a rich boyfriend.”
He sighed. “Betty Ford is the best place for him. It’s—”
“Out of my price range,” I cut in. “Please, don’t make this a thing. He’s not so bad right now, but Noah is a junkie and an addict. He can and will take advantage of you if you allow it.”
“My father is a narcissistic prick and an alcoholic and I still paid off his house. I’m not an idiot so I’m not going to send him money on the regular so he can drink himself to death, but I can still help in other ways.”
“Okay, aren’t we supposed to not be talking about serious stuff until Sunday?”
He chuckled. “Yes. Fine. We’ll table this for now.”
“Good.”
* * *
Lindsay was a curvy brunette with long hair, big dark eyes, and a gorgeous smile. She and Stu were adorable together, his dark, tattooed, rock star persona coupled with her light, airiness made them striking. She was a lawyer and incredibly smart, so conversation was lively and interesting as she told us about some of her cases. I told them about some of my waitressing debacles and we sat at the table long after we’d finished eating. Declan, Stu, and Lindsay had finished a bottle of wine and were working on the second, and though no one said a word about my not drinking, for the first time in my life I actually wanted to try it.
“Can I have a sip?” I whispered to Declan.
He looked at me in surprise. “How come?”
I shrugged. “Everyone seems to be enjoying it so much, I feel like I’m missing out.”
“It’s dry,” he said. “A full-bodied cabernet. I don’t know if this is the right thing for you to try for your first sip of alcohol.”
“It’s a sip. Just one. I want to experience it.”
He hesitated but then slowly handed me his glass. Stu had gone to the restroom and Lindsay was checking something on her phone, so I lifted it to my lips and closed my eyes. I tipped the glass back enough to get a small sip and immediately grimaced.
“Oh, lord have mercy.” I made a face at him. “This is what you’re all enjoying?”
He laughed. “It’s an acquired taste. I told you it probably wasn’t right for you.”
“On that note, I’m no longer curious.”
He kissed the side of my face, whispering, “Please don’t feel like you have to do this because we drink. Really. I don’t think Stu and Lindsay even noticed.”
“Thank you.” I whispered back. “That means everything to me. But I do believe it’s healthy to have an idea of what’s what, because as a chef, how can I recommend wines and such if I know nothing about them?”
“That’s fair.”
“Tell me about culinary school,” Lindsay said, and the conversation turned to things that were more comfortable for me.
“When do you think you’ll go?” Stu asked when he joined the conversation.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “With my brother doing so well, I feel like this would be a bad time to abandon him. Not to mention now that Declan and I are dating. I don’t have a time frame in mind.”
“You know, speaking of Noah, I had another idea,” Declan said. He glanced at me. “Before you say no, listen to my idea.”