AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Tell Charmaine she’s all set,” I tell Apollo. He grins, flashing a row of perfectly white teeth.
“Wonderful. Thanks for being so prompt, Lyndsey.” He keeps grinning and looks dreamily out the window, resting his head against the glass.
“How did you meet, anyway?” I ask.
“She did costumes for our Europe Tour in 1998. The moment she handed me a custom-made silk shirt, I was gone.”
“Truly! She handed him a shirt, and then when she left the room, he turned to me and said, ‘I don’t know how, but I’m going to marry her,’” Priya confirms.
“That’s so sweet! So y’all,” I pause, choosing my words carefully, “Worked together?”
“Oh yeah, if she didn’t do costumes, we never would’ve met. The universe has a way of placing the right people in your life at the right time.” Apollo stares at me for a beat too long, his brown eyes peering into my soul.
Does he know about me and Vince? Did Vince blab? Suddenly, I picture Henry, Vince, and Apollo trading secrets like they’re at a sleepover, and it warms my heart. My heart needs to be impervious to all of this.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll have a great time tonight.” We’d been on the road for six weeks, with three off days. I booked us a hotel for the night to give everyone a chance to sleep in a real bed, and I booked Apollo and Charmaine’s room on a different floor to give them some privacy.
I turn to Priya. “Apollo and Charmaine are on the fifteenth floor, and the rest of us are on the sixteenth,” I clarify.
“Oh, thank God,” Priya mumbles.
Just then, Vince emerges from the dark, cool cave of his bunk, sleep still crusting in his eyes. It’s almost noon. His hair squishes to one side. He’s shirtless, and I catch myself staring at the smooth plane of his abs. He’s so much less scrawny up close, not that I notice.
“What’s new?” he asks.
“Um,” I pause. I’m speechless because I keep imagining his tongue in my mouth.
“Char’s coming tonight, and Lyndsey booked us a hotel,” Apollo exclaims.
“Lovely. Atlanta tonight, yeah?” Vince looks over at me for confirmation, and I nod.
Vince claps his hands together, and I jump. “Great, well then, I’m grabbing breakfast. Do you need anything?”
“Nah, I’m good,” I manage to choke out. The awkwardness between us is palpable.
When we check into the hotel, it smells fancy. The air smells like lavender and wisteria, with no hint of mildew or antiseptic like the bus.
The lobby is spacious, with vaulted ceilings and post-modern paintings dotting the walls. The band spots a container ofcucumber water next to the check-in counter and makes a beeline.
“Hi, I’m checking in for the Horowitz party,” I start. The receptionist nods and then quickly realizes it’s a fake name as Priya swoops her hair up into a bun and elbows Henry. “Quit hogging the cucumber water!” she hisses.
I give the receptionist a look before she can say anything. She hands me a pile of keycards.
“So, Alfred’s in room 1431. Pauline’s in room 1520, Harold’s in room 1516, Victor’s in room 1517, and Lyndsey’s in 1518.”
My stomach falls. I thought having walls between us would make it easier to avoid Vince, but I guess not.
I grimace and remind myself to keep things professional. “Perfect, thank you.”
I corral the band into the elevator, and we stop at our separate rooms. Vince lingers outside his door, staring at me like a wounded basset hound.
“What?” I ask as I slip my keycard into the door.
“Go for a run with me,” he says softly.
“What?” I repeat.
“I said go for a run with me. Soundcheck’s not until four. You seem cagey. I asked the concierge, and there was a big park across the street. It’ll be good.” For some reason, he sounds remorseful, but why?
