I scrunch up my nose at that. “Not really. We stayed friendly for a while after our PR relationship was over, but I haven’t talked to him in years. Why?”
“Maybe you could ask for his advice about some of this. Since it sounds like he’s gone through very similar things, right?”
“Oh. Yeah. I guess so.”
She shrugs. “It was only a thought. I want to be able to help you, but I don’t know all that much about the music industry. I figured maybe it would help more if you talked to someone who does.”
“That’s a really great idea,” I tell her. “Thank you.” It wouldn’t hurt to try reaching out to Skyler. He’s always been the nicest guy. “But just so you know,”—I lean my weight into Addison a bit more as my gaze holds hers—“you alreadyhavehelped me. In so many ways.”
“Then I’m glad,” she says, before leaning in to give me a soft kiss.
I want to say more, but I don’t know how. And it’s pretty dark out now. I think I felt a mosquito bite me already. The wine buzz has also worn off and left me feeling sleepy, even though it’s not that late.
A yawn slips out of me, and Addison laughs. “Ready to go inside?”
“Yes. But can we talk more about all this another time?”
“Of course.”
She stands, wadding up the blanket and tucking it under one armpit. Then she holds out her hand to me. I take it, feeling secure and hopeful as she leads me inside.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
ADDISON
“Isthereanycoffee?”Brenden asks with a manic edge of desperation in his voice as he comes barreling into the kitchen.
I roll my eyes and point to the pot. “You can have that, but it’s been sitting there a while. Or if you can handle waiting fifteen minutes, I’ll brew a new one for you.”
His beeline for the pot is no surprise. Neither is the way he pours himself a cup, takes a large gulp, makes a disgusted face, and then continues to drink it.
“Rough day?” I ask, though I’m afraid I’ll regret it.
He shakes his head and takes another sip. “No, it’s been normal. I’m just exhausted because Travis kept me up late last night.”
Yup. Regret.
After a pause in which I don’t respond to him, he says, “Do you wanna knowhowhe kept me up?”
“Nope,” I answer quickly. “I definitely do not.”
“I don’t either,” Sam chimes in from the prep table.
Brenden startles like he forgot there were other staff in here, and to his credit, he looks at least somewhat abashed. But then he comes over to where I’m wiping a counter and sets his coffee cup down in my way.Grinning at me like the little shit that he is, he whispers conspiratorially, “It’s okay. I’ll tell you later.”
“No, you won’t,” I say firmly, picking up his cup and forcing it back into his hands so I can finish cleaning.
“Anyway, we have a wedding booked in October, and the bride and her planner want to meet with you to go over the menu as soon as possible.”
“No problem.”
Tilting his head back, he drains the rest of his coffee, then puts the cup in the sink. And after making me promise to let him know whenever I do make a fresh pot, he leaves.
I finish getting things ready for dinner, then tell Sam I’m taking a break. I need to get that number for the wedding planner, so, against my better judgement, I go looking for my annoying boss.
He’s alone in his office, which means there’s nothing stopping him from being inappropriate. When he sees me, his eyes widen hopefully. “Coffee?”
“Sorry, not yet. I just wanted to grab that bride’s number so I can set up the meeting.”
