Page 79 of Tease Me


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"No offense, but what part of, ‘I don't want to be famous,’ might have slipped past you?" I asked. "The last thing I want is my life on a screen." I grimaced. I couldn't imagine anything worse. Although, on paper it sounded like a great premise. I'd watch it. Or read it, if it was a book.

He chuckled. "Okay, we can skip that one and go straight to the manager and the hot… I don't know."

"Backing vocalist?" I suggested. "I've seen the way Ripley looks at you."

He looked surprised again. "I'm old enough to be her…"

"Big brother? You're not that much older than her," I said.

"Maybe not, but my life is all sorts of complicated. I'm not sure I'd wish that on any woman."

He looked wistfully into his coffee cup. Having a kid would make things more tricky for him, but he deserved to be happy, even if it took a lot of hard work to get there. Anything worth having is worth working for, so they said.

"If it meant to be, then it's meant to be," I said. Maybe I should apply that thinking to my own love life.

"That's very poetic," he said. "You might secretly be a lyricist. Or a romance author."

"Maybe I just spent too much time daydreaming when I was a kid. Luckily, those days are behind me and I'm a realist now." Actually, that sounded kinda depressing. After all, I was doing my dream job. I had no right to be dissatisfied with that. And yet, my personal life left a lot to be desired.

11

Hayley

"Hey, Axel have you got a few moments?" I had to trot to catch up with Axel, his legs were longer than mine. When he turned and saw me, he stopped walking.

"Hey. Of course, I do." He offered me a tentative smile, like he thought I might bite his head off or something. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Ohhh, Axel is in trouble," Strike teased.

"Shut up, Stuart," Axel said cheerfully. If there was anything in this world Strike hated it was being called by his given name.

"Hey, that's a low blow, dude," Strike said.

"And yet, completely warranted," Cord said. "Come on guys, let's leave them to it." He waved the rest of the band down the hotel corridor to the elevators.

Of course, Strike couldn't resist making kissing noises before he disappeared around the corner.

"Sorry about him," Axel said at the same time as I said, "Sorry about the timing."

We both laughed, but mine was tinged with a nervous pitch.

"I'll try not to keep you for too long," I said. Maybe this was a bad idea, or at best, bad timing. I licked my lips. "You know what, it can wait. Sorry to keep you." I turned to walk away.

He grabbed my arm. "Wait. I don't have anywhere urgent to be. We were just going to have dinner, but it can wait for a bit. Let's talk. Do you want to go somewhere more private?"

"My room is three doors down," I said. "We could go in there if you want. No one will interrupt us." Unlike his room where Strike or the other guys might turn up without any warning.

He nodded and lowered his hand from my arm, but seemed reluctant to do it.

Without another word, we walked to my door and I swiped the card in the reader to unlock it. I shoved the door open and stepped inside. He followed me and closed it behind him.

"Just clarifying, did I piss you off again?" he asked.

"Why, have you got a guilty conscience?" I placed my hands on my hips and cocked my head at him.

He grinned. "No, but it wouldn't be the first time I did something and didn't know I'd done it until I got yelled at for it."

"That's an interesting observation, but in this case I'm not aware of you doing anything. Yet. If you feel like you have something to confess, go ahead."

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