Page 26 of Animal Beats

Shaking my head, I offer him a cup of coffee and sip mine. The doorbell rings, and Río answers it, then directs the steward to set up in the dining room again. When we’re alone, I remark, “I’m surprised you want to eat in the dining room. I had you pegged for a by the television type of guy.”

“Hey.” He takes issue with my statement. “I have manners.”

“That you do.” I dunk my churro into the hot chocolate and take a bite, licking the yummy goodness off my fingers.

Río watches me. Without warning, he stands and sticks his hand into my churros. Swiping it into the chocolate, he makes a big show out of enjoying it.

I scowl at him. “I didn’t ask if you wanted one.”

“You did yesterday. By the way you were sucking it off, I figured this was the least offensive option.”

“Oh.” My mind scrambles to catch up with his potty mouth.

The rest of the meal goes by in silence.

When we’re done, I jump to my feet and clear the table. “I’ll be ready to go to the lobby and meet up with everyone in five.” I rush into the bathroom and stare at my reflection. Color still lingers on my cheeks. Damn man. He said that about the churros in order to get a rise out of me.

It doesn’t matter. My job is simply to make sure Río doesn’t get into trouble.

Returning into the suite, Río waits for me by the door. He did something to his hair, as it’s now more styled. He’s hot. He knows it.

The door opens. “After you.”

“Thanks.” He can be sweet and sexy all he wants. I have a job to do. Money to earn.

Together, we make our way down to the lobby with ten minutes to spare. Since I brought my camera thinking I could get some good shots for socials, I might as well take advantage. Río sits in one of the chairs, and I capture several photos of the impressive entranceway.

“What’cha doing?”

I turn toward Nese. “I love photography. I’ve been taking lots of pictures of this great lobby.” Turning the camera, I show her previews.

She flips through several. “Wow. You’re good at this.”

“Thanks.”

My true passion lies with photography, which was my major in college. If my parents hadn’t died, I would still be pursuing a career in it. But life moves in mysterious ways. I was able to transfer a lot of my experience into marketing. This job opened up and I was lucky to land it. At least I can still indulge in my “hobby” from time to time.

“So, are you excited for today’s outing?”

“For me, it’s work,” she replies. “Herding all of UC can be a challenge, but I’m down for that. I have a list of shops we should hit. And by list, I mean one store. The boys can’t take it any longer.”

I smile. Nese is a good egg. She probably could shop for the band without any of them present, yet this outing makes sense. Plus, it’s a smart way to keep them together and out of trouble for the afternoon.

We return to the lobby where everyone has gathered. Luke checks his watch. “Alright. You were only half an hour late.”

Río exclaims, “Which means we’re early!”

Without missing a beat, Luke adds, “Nese has one place for us to check out, then you’ll be on your own until soundcheck tonight. So, the sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can enjoy free time.”

Río’s the first to his feet. “All right! I’m ready! How about you, Coop?”

Coop takes his sunglasses from the front of his shirt. “Let’s see what Nese can find for us this time.”

We walk out and follow Nese through several windy streets, pass some more than amazing architectural façades, until she stops outside a storefront. She claps her hands. “Listen up. Go in and take a look around. I’ll stop by each of you to finalize your purchases.” Everyone files by her.

Bennett and Jenna head one way, while the other four men lumber in the opposite direction. Even though I’d love to spend more time with Jenna, I need to stay attached to Río. He picks up a few pairs of jeans, a nice belt, and some boots.

I approach him. “How about a few more shirts?”