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I drink more coffee, but it doesn’t keep my stomach from jumping. I’m sure Liam was not goo-goo eyed at my show, she’s exaggerating, but now I understand why he was so angry last night before the whole shower thing.
“It’s a long story that I’d like to keep to myself for now. My head is pounding, and I need a shower. Can I take a rain check?”
Shea smiles then stands. “Of course. I’ll get to work and have hair and makeup here within the hour. Go get cleaned up, and remember, don’t look in the mirror.”
“Roger that!” I salute. But as soon as I hear Shea leave, I beeline to the bathroom and look in the mirror.
She was right, I shouldn’t have looked.
After a long shower, followed by aspirin, a lot more coffee, and then hair and makeup, I’m a brand-new woman. But nothing can erase the embarrassment I feel at how I was with Liam last night. Sadly, I’m not someone who forgets what I say and do during a night out—I remember every word.
Not only did I talk about “Desire Reigns”being “his song,” I can’t believe I told him he didn’t want to date a fat girl. I thought I was over that body hating BS. Apparently not when I’m drunk… and not when my high school obsession is my bodyguard… a very sexy bodyguard.
I rub my eyes, careful to avoid the dark eye makeup. I don’t want to turn myself into a messy racoon again like I did last night.Ugh!Liam saw that too. I try to push my thoughts away, dreading when I see him again in a few minutes.
He’s going to trail me and the reporter during the interview to make sure everything stays kosher. He probably hates me even more after last night. Not that I’d blame him. He was only trying to help me, and I was being a drunken bitch.
There’s a staccato knock on my door. Time to face the music. I open it to find Liam’s disgruntled face.
Today he’s dressed in another suit, no tie this time. Just a white button up with navy slacks and matching jacket. His hair is still wet, and I swear I can see where he ran his fingers through it. His five o’clock shadow is gone too, and I notice a tiny red dot on his jaw from where he must have nicked himself. His brown eyes are weary, but he doesn’t look like a guy who just slept on his boss’s couch.
“You should look through the peephole to see who it is before you answer, or at the very least ask who it is. I could have been anyone,” he clips.
I straighten at the tightness of his voice. Right, he’s angry. Rightly so. Well, today is going to be a fun day. “I looked,” I lie.
He swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. “I know you’re lying. Just look next time, Ms. Wilder. It’s for your own safety.”
Ms. Wilder. “Right, I will.”
Liam lifts one of his dark eyebrows, surprised that I didn’t give him a hard time. But I have to admit he’s right. I should have looked.
I raise my eyebrow back at him. “What, do you want me to argue with you?”
“Of course not, Ms. Wilder. Are you ready to leave? The reporter from Rolling Stone is downstairs.”
I bite my tongue so I don’t say something snarky. “I am. Just let me grab my purse.”
Liam waits dutifully in the hallway instead of coming in, so I grab what I need before making my exit. I take my position in front of Liam, and he steps behind me, his footfalls heavy as we walk. Nobody is around and I can feel his eyes burning holes into the back of my head.
Once we enter the elevator, I can’t take it anymore. I don’t know why I do it, but I apologize.
“Liam…” My voice is unsteady. He turns his head toward me, but his body remains facing forward. “I just want to say I’m sorry for last night.”
He stares at me for a moment, and for a split second I think he’s going to say something. Instead, he just nods, then goes back to looking forward like a perfect statue.
I want to scream at him, beg him to say that he’s accepted it, but it would be stupid of me to. Clearly, he’s back in work mode. And even if I’m sorry for what I said last night, I said those things because that’s how I feel. He hurt me back then and helping me last night after I fell in the shower did not change the past.
As soon as the bell dings to the lobby, I breathe a huge sigh of relief. I need to leave this damn elevator. As I walk, I take some deep breaths to collect myself. I want this interview to go well, and I can’t let my beef with my bodyguard get to me. I’m a grown woman. I accept that I made a fool of myself last night, and now I’m moving on.
Gia is in the hotel bar when we arrive, talking to the reporter. “She’s here,” I hear Gia say, and the reporter looks up at me. I’m struck immediately by how beautiful she is. She’s got dark red hair and black lipstick on. She’s dressed in a black crop top that shows off her toned midriff and a pair of short jean shorts. Great. Now I feel self-conscious in my thigh-length mustard yellow sundress.
I blow out an annoyed breath. Liam’s presence has really screwed me up. Normally this crap doesn’t bug me, but now that he’s here, all of sudden I’m questioning myself? I’m a sexy rock star and I know it. My ex-high school crush should not be determining my worth or how I feel about myself right now.
“Birdie Wilder!” the reporter says happily. She holds out her small hand for me to take. “I’m Tawny Black, I’ll be interviewing you today.”
I shake her hand. Of course, her name is Tawny Black. It sounds like a model’s name. “Nice to meet you as well.”
“Shall we get started?”
