AllFreeNovel
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She might be annoying as all hell, but she has an amazing voice; I think she deserved the chance. Besides, the fans went wild when I announced that one of my ‘exes’ was opening for me. Apparently, that’s never happened before. Ever.
Except she wasn’t supposed intrude in my sacred yacht time. Although I get where Skye is coming from… She’ll be in Greece to rehearse for the show too, so we might as well meet now. Does that dude have to be rational all the time? Gets on my nerves.
“So,” Jude says, after Skye has left and I’m settled back on my lounge chair, stomach roiling in anger. “Looks like you’re going to be the first to get some action on this boat.”
“Shut up.”
“You’re wound up so tight, man,” Jude says more softly, “lighten up. We won’t let Lou bother you.”
“It’s her friends I can’t stand,” I say. “They are a pack of rabid dogs. But on the flip side, she’ll probably bring Pooh.”
Jude sits up quickly and his hair gets into his eyes. “Are you sure she’ll bring him? Don’t joke about stuff like that.”
“I would never. He’s coming too.”
Jude is as much in love with Lou’s dog, Pooh, as I am. Pooh is a black and white Maltese of the salivating and tail-wagging variety. He looks like a heap of curls from afar. We are all crazy about him.
“Who’s coming?” asks a voice from the door.
“Lou.”
“Lou’s coming here? I’m out!” Miki walks in, barefoot like me, and almost walks out again.
“Hey, look who’s up!” I put out a hand and he grabs it in his warmly. “How did you sleep? Like the new digs?”
“Like?” Miki laughs. “I’m obsessed.” He strolls over to the rail, tilting his face to the sun. “Why haven’t we been here every year, twice a year?”
“Beats me,” Jude says.
“Too bad I’m going to have to be stuck in my cabin as long as Lou the brat is here,” Miki adds.
“Don’t be dramatic, Miki,” I laugh.
“Dramatic is all I have,” Miki deadpans. “But for real, I hate that girl.”
“Hate?” I’m surprised. Miki doesn’t hate anyone. He’s as mellow as they come. “That’s a bit of a strong word.”
He shrugs, tucking one strand of his long hair behind one ear. Miki is half Persian, half Pakistani. He has waist-long, slightly wavy, ebony black hair, a thin nose and full lips. His every movement is mesmerizing. He is by far the most good-looking person I have seen in real life, and, judging by the media attention on him, the most good-looking personanyonehas ever seen in real life.
He's what I imagine ancient gods looked like. His is the quiet kind of beauty that crawls under your skin. I have never seen him frown or complain, even though he has had a very hard life. He comes from a family of immigrants. His real name is Mohmad, but the label made him change it to ‘Miki’. He took it all in stride. He is very talented, but he works harder than all of us. For his family.
“Remember when Louisa kept talking about your mom, your brother and your dead dad in that interview?” Miki goes on, still frowning, and I shudder. I haven’t forgotten. “I hated that she went so personal on you when you yourself won’t give any interviews. She… we are all supposed to protect you.”
“Maybe she didn’t do it on purpose and it just slipped out,” I reply.
“Even so,” Jude says pointedly to Miki, “she was the best choice of the bunch. Every single other artist Isaiah has hired to open for him has used him as a step to fame and then turned against him in the worst way.”
That’s true. There was literally no one left.
“Breathe,” Miki tells me. Both he and Jude are looking at me with brows furrowed. “Breathe, man.”
But I can’t. And to think, I came here to breathe.
…
Night falls, and it’s even more magical than the day was, if that’s possible.
The sky goes all Van Gogh on us, stars reflected in the deep blue waters, the city twinkling in the distance. We don’t play music, we don’t go to the gym, we don’t do anything. We just eat and take in the beauty of the water.
