Page 13 of Before the Encore

Her smile brightened. “Thanks, Bonnie.” Then her footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

The packets crinkled in Madison’s hands. “I’d offer you one, but I imagine it would come with another Ted Talk about bad decisions and sugar or…lubrication.”

Bonnie snatched the packet of M&M’s, partly to shut her up, mostly to prove her wrong. But the bag warmed her hand instantly, and she peeked inside. “These are all melted.” She handed them back, brushing her palms on her purple leggings. Gross.

“Even better.” Madison squeezed the bag, loosening a chunk of melted chocolate, and tipped it back into her mouth.

Double gross.

The click-clack of heels grew louder, and then Scarlett ducked into the room, beaming from ear to ear. “Hey—I hope I’m not interrupting—I just wanted to check if you guys wanted anything from the store? I’m doing a supply run.”

“Are you going to 7-Eleven?” Madison asked, brightening. “I’d kill for one of those slushie, Slurpee things.”

“Sure. I can grab one for you.” Scarlett tilted her head towards Bonnie, blonde hair falling around her face. “Anything for you, Miss Bloom?”

‘To stop calling me that,’ she wanted to scream. Instead, she politely declined, rubbing the ache beginning to thump in her forehead.

Great, just what she needed for recording day.

She caught a yawn with the back of her hand, her restless sleep finally catching up to her.

“Tired, princess?” Madison asked. “Keep yourself up dreaming about me?”

“Never.” She picked up her head and caught Madison openly checking out Scarlett’s arse as she paraded out the door.

Madison’s gaze flicked to hers. “What?”

“Can you stop flirting with anything that moves, including gawking at Scarlett’s arse?”

“I wasn’t. It was gawking at me.”

Bonnie shook her head. “Unbelievable.” She marched out of the room before her headache flared into a devastating migraine.

The sooner these few days were over, the better.

* * *

Bonnie stayed away from the Lipstick Fever frontwoman. She sipped from her water, thoroughly enjoyed her PB&J sandwich and sat cross-legged in the corner, her mindfulness meditation playlist slowly reducing her heart rate. At least Bailey was in the control room with Evan, while Roberto kept busy elsewhere, so she had some peace and quiet.

She needed to focus on herself and forget the others—especially Madison, who clearly revelled in getting a rise out of her. Still, it was hard to deny her curiosity about how the recording was going.

Frank’s bass ran over schedule, with his insistence on getting it perfect, so Madison was last in the booth today. She and Bonnie would hopefully finish up the vocals tomorrow. Despite being merely an observer, it wasn’t a completely wasted day. Bonnie knew what to expect, at least, and it was one fewer day she’d have to spend in Madison’s presence.

With a deep breath, she opened her eyes, focusing again on the warm wooden panels. She blinked, adjusting to the artificial light blinding her retinas. Apart from the fridge humming, silence reigned.

I’m sure one quick peek at the booth wouldn’t hurt.

So, stomach full and mind recentred, she wandered up to the live room. Frank and Kamaria stood by the window, glancing her way as her footsteps drew closer.

“Kit Kat?” Kamaria offered.

Bonnie shook her head, her gaze fixed on Madison. Eyes closed, headphones on, she sang into the microphone like it might be the last thing she ever did. The sound muffled through the glass, unclear, but the words struck her square in the chest—her lyrics.

“When I’m with you, I feel completely alone.”

Her deep rasp curled around each word, strange and yet captivating in a way she couldn’t explain. Someone else singing her lyrics—and not just anyone, but Madison—with such emotion and passion, as if she’d written them herself.

“What happened to the person I used to know?”