Jax almost dropped his cake. He hadn’t noticed the music tapering off. Afra made a quiet exit as he turned around. “Do these pants make my ass look big?”
“Absolutely not,” Ari answered immediately. “It looks perfect.”
Flatterer.Jax took a deep breath. “Actually I wanted to ask you… what would you think about me coming along on tour with you?”
Ari smiled, gently took Jax’s cake plate and set it on a table, and curled his hands around Jax’s. “I think nothing would make me happier.”
Jax exhaled a laugh that was part relief and part sheer joy. “Good, because Afra thinks I should be your handler—carry out her orders, charm hotel and venue staff, keep you from losing your cool when you’re playing for twenty thousand people… sell a bunch of T-shirts with your face on them—”
Ari cut him off with a chaste kiss. Jax, surprised at the public display even though they were among friends, found himself blushing.
God, he hoped no one saw him. He’d never live down a blush from something so innocent.
“You’re perfect for the job,” Ari said. “But is it whatyouwant? You’re somewhat overqualified.”
Jax shrugged. “It’s not like I’m going to be your PA. And honestly, I don’t really know anymore what I want to be when I grow up, but I know I want to be with you. That’s more than good enough for now.” He allowed himself a moment to speculate. “You know, I bet I can come up with a way to optimize scheduling, accounting for travel time, airfare, important festivals….”
Ari laughed and squeezed Jax’s hands. “You haven’t been Afra’s deputy for five minutes and you’re already planning to usurp her.”
“Notusurp—”
Ari cut off Jax’s weak protest with another kiss. “So. What shall we do to celebrate?”
Jax did not swoon. He did come up with several ideas, but most of them were best saved for later.
Then he smiled. When in Rome…. “Wanna go play a duet?”
