Page 575 of Manhattan Bossholes

Cameron nodded. “I’m going to help Felicity get her groceries to her place first.”

“I’ll help too, I’ve got a free hand, as long as Boris doesn’t take off again.”

He cradled one of my bags on his hip, and we all headed for the elevator together. I swallowed a dorky grin because I knew Nina was going to absolutely shit herself when her musician crush walked into our place. I hoped she was still dressed from work, because she’d looked especially devastating when she left this morning. I wanted to warn her, but there wasn’t enough time.

“I’m right over here,” I said when the elevator door opened, leading the way down the hall. I knocked as I unlocked the door. “Nina, are you decent? We have company.”

“Who’s with you? Jenny?” she asked, referring to the girl across the hall who sometimes joined us for margarita nights. “Jen, if that’s you, you should know I’m better than decent,” her voice echoed out. “My bra is off, my sweats are on, I’m downing my second glass of wine and life is good!” She came out of her room, saw the group of us and froze.

“Hi!” I waved cheerily. I pointed at Cameron and Tyler. “Company!”

“With a dog!” Nina squeaked out, holding her wine glass out in front of her. “Uh…hi!” She glanced back at the guys and froze again. “Oh my god, you’re Tyler Boyd! In my apartment! What the hell is going on?”

“I’m here with my buddy Cam and this beast,” he answered. “I guess I carried a watermelon.” He shifted the bag in his arms.

“Hold on, did you just quote Dirty Dancing?” Nina asked incredulously.

“Guilty,” he chuckled. “I heard you were at my last show, thanks for coming.” Tyler upped the wattage of his smile and Nina nearly swooned. “I remember you—that red hair is something else.”

“Really? You actually saw me?”

He beamed at her. “How could I miss you? You sang nearly every word of every song. I almost handed you the mic!”

“Oh my gosh, I could never!” She cracked up at the thought. “I can’t even do karaoke.”

“Well, maybe I need to find that out firsthand,” Tyler said. “I’ll be the judge of your voice.”

“Stop,” she gushed flirtatiously, flipping her hand at him. “I’m the worst.”

Boris pulled away to say hello to Nina then explore our apartment. Tyler barely noticed.

“Which song from the set did you like the best?” he asked. “I hope you didn’t hear me go off key during ‘That Night.’”

“You did? You sounded perfect to me! I really liked ‘A Toast to Us,’ but you changed the chorus, and that caught me off guard,” Nina said, walking closer to Tyler. “I liked what you did with it, but I was super curious why you sang totally new lines. Tell me everything.”

Tyler smiled sheepishly and began explaining how the changes in his life made him want to switch up the lyrics, acting like there was no one else in the room but Nina. I finally caught Cameron’s eye and nodded toward the kitchen.

“Can you help me unpack? I could use some extra hands.”

He understood that something interesting was brewing between our friends, so he followed me into the small space with Boris just a few steps behind him.

“He’s quite the charmer,” I said as we set the bags on the counter. “Should I be worried?”

Cameron scowled at me as he started unpacking. “About Tyler? Nah, he’s good people.”

“But he’s like, a rock star,” I said, pointing out the obvious as I pulled the tangerines from the bag. “They’re not exactly known for stability. I love Nina like a sister, so if Tyler is a mess, please tell me. I’m serious.”

Cameron handed me a loaf of brioche, trying to hold it high enough so Boris couldn’t grab it. “And I love Tyler like a brother, so I get it. I’ll always be on his side, but to be perfectly honest with you, he’s had a rough go of it.”

I tsked. “So, I should warn Nina to keep her distance.”

“Now hold on,” Cameron said, sounding defensive. Or maybe protective? “Tyler the man is incredible. He’s got the biggest, best heart. Empathy like no one else. But Tyler the rock star…well, he’s in a different headspace. Ty hit it big, fast, and that does something to a person. He ran with a crowd who liked to party hard, and he got caught up in that lifestyle. When his sophomore album flopped, all those new friends who had become his whole world ditched him, and it broke him. Now, he’s trying to find his footing again. Sometimes he slips up, and I have to step in to deliver a friendly beat-down. That’s actually what I was up to the morning we met. I was worried about him, and I was trying to get to his apartment quickly.”

Hearing that Cameron wasn’t just being a selfish prick about the cab shifted everything about that initial encounter. How else had I been wrong about him?

“He’s lucky to have you,” I murmured, focusing on searching my crowded cabinets for open space instead of the warmth spreading in my chest.

“Thanks. I’m right there with him, every step of the way.” Cameron placed a box of tea on the counter. “He’s an amazing friend.”