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I look over at Laiken, watching the way she nods along with what I’m guessing is music. Her headphones prevent me from hearing anything. You can tell she’s uncomfortable, but she’s trying to put on a brave face. And being as she wasn’t even able to do that the last time, I’m hoping that means there’s hope for her to survive this.
Her phone vibrates on the table, and she grabs it as if it’s nothing, but then her eyes widen and her head whips over to me. I’m across the room in seconds. The texts from unknown rarely get much of a reaction out of us anymore, but this one does.
Looks like I’m not the only one constantly watching you.
Fuck.
They can see us.
I spin around, looking for anything out of the ordinary. We’ve been all over this place since we got here, so there’s no way someone is here with us. Which only leaves one option—the camera.
“Grab your things and come with me.”
She nods, telling someone to hold on as she gathers her stuff and follows me behind the bar. We sit down on the floor in the only spot I know isn’t recorded. It was design flaw that I tried to fix, but now I’m grateful for it.
My head falls back against the bar. I wastryingto keep my distance until Cam got back. At least that way, I wouldn’t give into temptation and do something reckless—like fuck her in the back room again.
Jesus Christ, I’m half hard just at the thought of it.
She’s so close that the smell of her shampoo infiltrates my senses. Her arm is brushing up against mine, and it’s all I can focus on. She giggles, making me look over at what she’s doing, and I notice she’s on a video call with someone who looks like they’re in a recording booth.
“No,” she says.
It’s obviously not meant for me, but it makes me curious, nonetheless.
After a little arguing with the girl on the screen, I get tired of only hearing one side of the conversation and nudge her with my elbow. I raise my brows and she tries not to smile as she gives in, taking off the headphones and turning them off so the sound comes through the speakers.
“Hayes, this is Ashleigh,” she introduces me as she turns her computer slightly.
Ashleigh hums. “Hayes, huh? That’s a pretty sweet name.”
“Thanks,” I drawl. “I’ll tell my mom you said so.”
“Oh, already talking about me to your mom, huh?”
What the fuck is going on?
Laiken barks out a laugh. “Now is when I should probably mention that Hayes is my husband.”
I shouldn’t love the sound of that rolling off her tongue, or the way she says it like she still has a claim over me. If Mali were to be here and could hear my inner thoughts, she would tell me that she does. And, well, she wouldn’t exactly be wrong. Lord knows no other girl has even gotten a second glance.
Let’s just say it was a very dry nineteen months.
“Oh shit!” Ashleigh gasps. “My bad. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Laiken.”
I snort. “Mrs. Laiken?”
Ashleigh shrugs while Lai rolls her eyes. “Okay, can we please get on with this? We’re wasting poor Greg’s time.”
“You’re fine,” a guy says through what sounds like an intercom. “I charge by the hour.”
“Shit,” Ashleigh groans. “Okay, let’s go again.”
She puts on a pair of headphones, and Laiken presses a button to mute her microphone as music starts to play. Ashleigh’s voice belts out lyrics to a song I’ve never heard before, but it’s good. Give it time and I’m sure it’ll be on the radio.
The song starts to build, and Laiken looks nervous until Ashleigh nails the high note and both of them light up. When the song finally comes to an end, Lai unmutes herself.
“That was fucking fantastic, Ash,” she gushes. “Greg, please tell me you got that!”
