“I’m bringing you the special bat cupcakes Imade this morning to go along with the bat swimsuits you two were wearing. Ilove the vibe!” the barista turned baker says, and now I’m truly smiling, so Isnap a photo of Jett with both of them, and it makes my heart skip.
“Oh, yes, please! I’ve been too lovesick, Imeanbusy,to eat much the last few days and Ireally need sugar.”
That garners a huge, throaty laugh from Jett and a shit eating grin from the baker. Ithink that makes him happy; his pastries must get rejected often by these Hollywood types always trying to be stick thin, but it’s exactly whatIneed right now. “Girl, say no more!” He peers at Jett likehe’sthe delectable dessert before disappearing into the back.
I hold the cup of iced purple tea, complete with edible glitter swirling around inside, up to Jett. “That is not fucking tea!” He laughs, but Imake him try it. He grimaces, then checks to make sure the baristas aren’t near, “I don’t even think that’s fit for human consumption!”
Ilaugh and try it. “Better than the energy drinks Jude’s addicted to! Shit, Iwasn’t supposed to mention—”
Pastries arrive, and Jett picks up the closest one and presses it to my lips, so Istop talking, and Iam just as grateful for that as Iam for the sugar. Mine was getting dangerously low, Icould tell. My eyes roll back in my head as the adorable cake shaped like my favorite creepy Sam from Trick ‘r Treat explodes with pumpkin and cream cheese insanity in my mouth. Imoan and hope only Jett heard.
Jett licks sparkly orange ‘whipped scream’ off a drink with his eyes trained on me. “Ya know, Iwasn’t jealous reading those tweets, but I’mveryjealous of whatever the hell you just put in your mouth. Iwant to be the one making your eyes do that.” He checks his phone. “In like six more hours.Fuck.”
Chapter 20
Maddy
Next, we hit up a pub, play a round of pool and two rounds of darts, and share several pints to neutralize all the sweets we just had. Then we’re hopping in the car again.
We arrive at the next part of our date, and it’s a big, open loft studio in the arts district. The kind you walk up a metal spiral staircase to get to.
There are beautiful, hyper-realistic paintings on the walls of everyone from dogs to royals and old Hollywood actors. Iam so absorbed in studying each one that Ibump into the artist herself.
“Hi, Maddy? I’m Jasmine, I’m going to be painting you today.”
The painter is an insanely beautiful Amazon woman with tawny skin and a thick, black braid down her back.
My jaw drops. “Painting me? Like that?” Igesture to the most gorgeous painting of my queen, Lady Gaga, in front of me. She looks like a goddess. “Are you serious?”
“You and Jett, yeah. I’m so excited, Iam a huge fan of your dad and was just listening to your mum’s new book on Audible, so Ifeel like Iknow more about you than you’d probably like. If they like your portrait, please, tell them I’d drop everything to paint them.”
I thank her and, in a daze, fall into the love seat where Jett is scratching lyric ideas into a tiny notepad.
Howold school.How,Dad.
He stashes the pad in his jacket and tosses it on a nearby chair. We are once again matching in tight white tees and black leather pants. He has onthe same gold chain he always does, the one from our photoshoot back in the day. Only now do Irealize that's yet another sign Imissed.
“I love matching with you, actually.” He grins.
“Jett, Ican’t believe this!” Iwhisper. “This isnota first date activity!”
His face falls. “Don’t you like it? There’s a retro video game arcade across the street if you’d rath—”
“I love it, Jett.” Iglance over at Jasmine, who is preparing her paints and moving her easel closer to us. Ilower my voice. “This is just not the behavior of, well, a rockstar with your reputation.”
“Fuck my reputation, Baby.” That makes me wetter than the ocean itself. “I knew how good we looked together from day one. It’s nearly late July, so in three months it will be eight years we’ve looked like a perfect pair, everyone has always said so. Is eight years really too soon to wanna see us together on canvas?”
“I suppose not,” Isay.
What if he’s tired of me in a week? What if I’m not like, on his level … in the bedroom? Maybe I'll bore him, he does bore easily. Shit! Will this painting end up at a thrift shop someday?My stomach turns inside out, and Inearly dry heave.
Jasmine is glowing with her paintbrush in hand, “I don’t know if I’ve ever painted a more beautiful couple in my life. You look like you were simply made for each other.”
She’s so sweet, but the unintended pressure behind her words makes my stomach threaten to bring my beer and cupcakes back up. “So, you can talk to me, talk to each other, just sit and stare, but keep looking at each other, all right?”
“Okay,” Isay, Jett’s eyes melting me from the inside out.
“Easy.” Jett smirks.
