Train
What the fuck just happened? Did I say sothing wrong? She gave the gig, so it couldn’t be that. Unless she’s desperate.
I set Jaxon’s guitar on its stand and turned to leave to find Harmony standing behind .
"Jesus, you scared the shit outta . How long have you been there?"
"How’d it go?" Harmony asked, ignoring my question. She was rocking back and forth on her feet, tapping her fingers together, looking like a little kid waiting to find out what Santa was bringing her for Christmas.
"Fine, I guess." I shrugged. "Or at least I thought so."
Harmony frowned. "What happened?"
"She offered the gig."
"Then why do you look worried?"
"It’s probably nothing," I said. "We were getting along great. I played for her. Then we were singing together, and she just stopped, said the gig was mine if I wanted it, and then bolted."
"Mmmmmm," Harmony humd.
"What’s that? What does that sound an?"
Her mouth turned up in a half smile. "She hit the ejector seat."
"What are you talking about?"
"Rember those old Jas Bond movies?" Harmony asked.
I nodded.
"His car always had ejector seats built into them, right? Well, sotis when lody feels overwheld, she’ll hit the button on her own ejector seat."
"Did I do sothing wrong?"
Harmony shook her head. "Nope."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Because she gave you the gig. lody doesn’t work with people she doesn’t like."
"I don’t get it. We were laughing and singing and then she just went cold and took off."
Harmony sighed. "She’s probably just a little worn out. With everything she’s been through over the past few days, I’m surprised she’s functioning. In fact. I should go make sure she’s okay."
"Yeah, sure." I shrugged. "I’m gonna take off. I’ll let myself out the side door."
"Thank you again, and congratulations. You’re gonna do great," Harmony said, giving two thumbs up.
"Thanks, babe," I said.
I was halfway ho when the bizarre events of the evening began to register as reality. I was about to go on tour with lody Morgan. lody fucking Morgan. She had three multi-platinum albums and one certified diamond. That’s ten million copies sold. She’d played to sold-out crowds around the globe. She was a living pop icon, and I was about to stand on stage next to her night after night and do my best to convince her legions of rabid fans that I belonged up there beside her.
The slick streets told it had rained heavily earlier. Not that I’d noticed. The hour or so I’d spent with lody felt like a day, and once we were alone, she made feel like we were the only two people in the world. Then again, after a lifeti in show business, she probably made everyone feel that way. As much as I liked to act like it was no big deal, she was a legitimate star. A star with a strong gravitational pull.
I’m not blind. I knew lody was beautiful. I’d seen her music videos and even one of her movies. The first one, I think, but film doesn’t begin to capture how hot she is in person. It took every ounce of concentration I had to focus on the songs she was calling out and not just sit and stare at her. I must have kept my shit together long enough to prove I knew which end of a guitar was which, because she gave the green light, but I was scared shitless both lody and I had made the wrong call, and that I’d be on a Greyhound headed for Portland within a week, my bike strapped to the back.
lody
I closed the door to my sister’s guest room and dropped my forehead to the dark mahogany. Holy shit on a cracker, I was fucked. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. Courtland ’Train’ Nash was far too sexy for his own fucking good. Or mine, for that matter.
God, his hands were srizing. He wore a silver skull ring on his right hand, and I had to force myself not to stare at it as he played. Forget what his left hand was doing to the strings on the fretboard. Jesus, I had a feeling he could play a woman the sa way he played that guitar.
I jumped a mile when my sister knocked on my door, pushing it open with a grin.
"What if I was naked?" I accused.
"Nothin’ I haven’t seen a million tis before," she sassed, closing the door behind her. "So... how did it go?"
"It was good," I said, busying myself with unpacking my bag.
"You ejected."
"I did not," I lied.
"Co now, double-O seven," she said in a horrible British accent. "I want a detailed report of the mission and an explanation of why you aborted."
My nostrils flared as I clenched my teeth in irritation. I tried to paste a neutral expression on my face and turned toward her. "I just figured Train needed to get back to doing bikery things, and he did a good job. I also want to spend as much ti with you guys, so..."
"Hence the reason you’re hiding up here, packing and unpacking your bag. Even though you insisted on not staying."
I glanced at my bag and realized I’d just dropped the pair of jeans back in that I’d pulled out seconds ago. "You’re right. I’m gonna check into the hotel after all."
"No, don’t be an idiot. Stay here. With us. We love you."
I let out a frustrated groan and flopped onto the bed. "But I hate you. You brought that... that... that..."
"I know. He’s pretty aweso," she said. "But you’re still going to stay here. Now, fill in on everything."
I filled her in on the session, then dropped my face in my hands.
"He’s sexy, NiNi. He makes my vagina want stuff," I breathed out. "Like his hands. All up in it."
"Well, it can’t have him... or them. Tell the V to stand down."
"I’m going to be on a bus with the man for weeks, sissy. What the fuck?"
"Buy a vibrator."
"I have several," I admitted.
Harmony laughed. "Too much information."
"You brought that man into my orbit, that’s on you."
"Fair."
I sighed, sliding off the bed and pulling my phone out of my pocket. "Look, if I’m going to stay tonight, I need to call Brandy and let her know."
Harmony clapped her hands with a grin. "I’ll et you downstairs and you can help us with dinner. Jaxon’s pulling the ribs off the smoker."
"I’ll be right down."
"Okay." She pulled in for a hug. "I’m so glad you’re here."
" too, honey."
"Love you, DiDi."
"Love you too," I said, and Harmony left to make my call.
The next morning, I was awoken by the slobber of my sister’s black lab, Storm.
"Well, good morning, Storm," I said with a groan.
"Storm," Skylar called.
"He’s in here, honey," I called back, scratching him behind his ears.
"Stormy," Skyler admonished as she rushed into my room and pulled him off of . "You’re so sneaky. Co with and leave Auntie l alone."
I chuckled. "He’s fine, sweetie."
Storm seed to understand exactly what I was saying because he jumped up on the bed and lay flat on top of . Skyler burst into giggles, but then decided to join him.
"Oh, I see how it is," I said, rolling over to snuggle both of them.
"Skylar, there you are," Harmony said, walking into my room. "I thought you were looking for Storm."
"Found him," she retorted, letting out a squeal when I tickled her.
Harmony grinned, stalking toward us, her hands raised like she was going to add to the tickle party.
"Oh my gosh, Mama, no!" Skylar cried, still laughing uncontrollably.
Harmony piled on top of us, and I ordered, "Let’s get her, Sky," and the attack was on.
Skyler and I flipped Harmony onto her back and tickled the crap out of her until she cried, "Uncle."
"Oh my god, I’m going to pee," she warned.
Storm pounced between the three of us, panting and barking, having a grand old ti as we fell in a huddle with Skyler in the middle, relishing the attention from both of us.
"I promise I didn’t wake Auntie l," Skyler said.
"No, that was Storm’s fault," I said.
Storm raised his head at the sound of his na, and I jabbed a finger at him. "Yes, you. Yours was not the tongue I wanted this morning."
Harmony laughed. "Right. Well, we’re going to let you get up and get dressed. Breakfast in twenty. Co on, sweet girl, let’s get this beast downstairs."
She helped Skyler and Storm off the bed, then left to wake up properly.
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