It took him about fifteen minutes to get on the costume that he kept stored in the spare room. The colored contacts were always the hardest. No matter how many times he put the suckers in his eyes, they never went in the first time. And the wig scratched like a bitch. He pulled on jeans, an old, worn-out t-shirt, and a denim jacket to hide his tattoo-less arms. He didn’t need his stage clothes for an interview.
Now ready, he sat at the small kitchen table and opened his laptop. He connected with Mike and his friend’s smiling face filled the screen.
“I’m ready,” Nate said.
“Great. I’ll buzz Clay in and we’re good to go.” Mike did whatever he had to do on the computer to start the group conversation, then Clay’s face was on the screen.
“Hi, boys. Nice to see you. Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview,” Clay said a little too enthusiastically. Nate hated journos who tried to suck up his arse.
After a bit of small talk, he fired off the questions. The same questions Nate had heard thousands of times. What’s your inspiration for the new album? What’s your favorite city? Are you looking forward to the next leg of the tour? These he answered on autopilot. They didn’t need much thought.
Then the sleazier questions started. The ones they think will make them sound cool for asking. What country has the hottest women? What band member sleeps around the most? Do you leave a woman in each city?
Nate was about to tell Clay to get fucked and it wasn’t any of his business when the journalist’s eyes lit up and he beamed. “Who’s the lovely lady?”
Nate whipped his head around and found Jade standing at the entrance of the kitchen wearing his t-shirt. And from the light shining from the living room, her silhouette showed she wore nothing underneath. Not even her Puss in Boots undies.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry to interrupt,” she gasped. A hand flew to her chest as she spun on her heels and disappeared.
“Got yourself a hot one there. I love a fiery redhead. They’re wild in and out of the sack. Is she a natural?” Clay gave a sleazy smirk.
Anger percolated in Nate’s gut. Not because Jade had walked into the kitchen, but because of Clay’s derogatory remarks. He made it sound like some cheap woman was occupying Nate’s bed.
Just as Nate was about to tell Clay to stick the rest of the interview up his arse, Mike jumped in, thanking him for the interview and ending the call before Clay asked more questions or made any more salacious comments.
“Fuck!” Nate spat. “What are my chances of that getting cut from the interview?”
Mike shook his head. “I’m afraid low. Let me call our lawyer and see if she can do anything about stopping it. Who’s the woman? Is she a hook-up while you’re in town?”
Now he wanted to put his hands around Mike’s throat. But isn’t that what she was? What they agreed to? Having Mike say it that way degraded his time with her, and Jade was anything but cheap.
“She’s a friend.” That’s all he needed to say.
“Okay. Well, hopefully your friend isn’t splashed all over the internet tomorrow.”
Nate fucking hoped so too. He hung up and went in search of Jade.
Chapter 16
When Nate, still dressed as his rock star persona, stormed into the bedroom Jade was putting on her shoes, trying to ignore her jittery stomach.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said.
He pulled off his wig, tossed it on a chair in the corner of the room, and ran his fingers through his flattened hair. “It’s okay. You couldn’t have known.”
So why the cold stare when she walked in on him? “I should go.” Thick tension curled around Nate. She wasn’t staying where she wasn’t wanted.
“Before you do, I need to tell you something.”
Okay, wow. He wasn’t even going to try to sway her to stay? But to show he hadn’t upset her, she lightened the mood and said, “You’re Batman?” Maybe he had multiple disguises she didn’t know about.
He lifted an eyebrow. “I’m not Batman.”
“That’s a shame, I would’ve liked a ride in the Batmobile.” Joking was better than facing his rejection.
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Sorry to disappoint.” Then his mood darkened again. “You walked in on an interview with a music magazine. Those journos are like sharks, swimming around waiting to take a bite of anything juicy they can find. When he saw you, he knew he’d hit the jackpot. You were fresh bait, and he smelled blood.”
Jade’s stomach sank. By the somber tone in Nate’s voice, this wouldn’t end well. “What’s Jaws going to do?”
