Holly looked up from her macaroni and cheese that she had recently ordered from room service—on The Futurists, of course—and made an unreadable face. The scrap of a meal she ordered from Shut Up and Eat did little for her appetite and cost twice as much as what she was eating now. “Don’t get me wrong,” she murmured before taking a nice big bite of the cheesy noodles and chewing the warm substance. Macaroni and cheese was probably Holly’s favorite food ever, and she loved ordering the food at different locales to taste the differences or similarities the restaurant provided. “Sean’s cute,” she continued once she swallowed. “I understand why women fawn over him and whatnot, but he’s not exactly someone I am attracted to.”
Tanya hid a knowing smirk from her face by taking a bite of her chicken Caesar salad. She perked her brows up, and asked, “Then what attracts you to guys, Holly?”
Holly paused for a moment, and let the question run through her mind. What did attract her to certain guys? Psychologically, she knew that women tended to go after Alpha-males due to stability, ambition, and physical appearance. Some women went for the Beta-male, which were similar to the Alpha-male, but less reserved and more opened. But if she had to describe the perfect guy …
“Physical appearance is obviously very important,” she said, looking at the noodles she had accumulated on her fork. “I mean, if there’s no chemistry, then there really is no point in engaging in any relationship.” She paused, shifting her jaw as she tilted her head to the side. “Ambition has always been a favorite quality of mine as well. If a guy knows where he is going in his life, then it can be assumed that he’s thinking about the future, which is reassuring for me. And I really like somebody who is supportive of what I want to do in life, someone who listens to me and takes what I have to say seriously.”
“And Sean doesn’t provide that for you?” Tanya asked with a grin, taking a sip of her beer.
“Sean loves talking about himself,” Holly replied flatly. “I mean, don’t get me wrong; I’ve seen him play guitar and he’s really talented, but his arrogance kind of diminishes any attractiveness he may have.” She sighed through her nose, rolling her eyes up to the ceiling before locking them on Tanya as her lips curled up. “You know, Tommy apologized to me.”
“What?” Tanya asked, her dark eyes going wide and she leaned over the table as though the two were sharing some sort of secret. “I’ve never heard of Tommy Nye apologizing ever.”
Holly nodded as a smile curled onto her face. “Well, he did,” she told Tanya. “He said he wanted to start over with another session.”
“And what did you say?” Tanya asked.
“I told him okay,” Holly replied, shrugging her shoulders and taking another bite of her food, “and then I went back to hang out with Sean.”
“Ah, you little minx!” Tanya exclaimed proudly, before nudging Holly’s shoulder with the palm of her hand. “I am so proud of you. I really have taught you well.”
“So,” Holly began after taking another bite of her food, “because I engaged in conversation with another male and all but ignored Tommy caused him to apologize?”
“Oh, Holl.” Tanya shook her head so her dark hair followed her head. “You know, for a psychologist, you can be really dense.” Holly opened her mouth to say something, but Tanya cut her off, knowing exactly what her friend was going to say. “Yes, I already know I’ve said that before, but think about it, Holly. How could you be so smart and not know these things?”
“Uh, I don’t know these little relationship games, Tanya. I haven’t really been with a guy for a long period of time.”
“What about Brett?” Tanya asked, tilting her head to the said before munching on a crouton. “You know, that football player that you went out with your junior year. Wasn’t he a senior?”
“I was with Brett for a month at the most,” Holly corrected, tossing her head to the side dismissively. She really didn’t want to talk about it. “And even then, that’s stretching it. I couldn’t exactly learn anything in that period of time, especially not with Brett.”
“Well, you’re learning now.” Tanya gave a sure nod of her head. “And that’s what counts. Tommy couldn’t keep his eyes off of you, by the way. You know, Holl, when you really try to look good, you look really good. And you know I didn’t mean that in an insulting way, right?”
Holly rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes, I know you didn’t mean that. I just don’t see the point in dressing up when all I’m doing is going sightseeing.”
“What if you meet your soulmate in sweats, Holl?” Tanya asked, cocking her head to the side. “And don’t you tell me there are no such things as soulmates. Jeez, what is going to happen when you have kids? Are you going to ruin Santa Clause for them? But anyway, that’s beside the point.”
“Well, if he’s my soulmate, shouldn’t he love me no matter what?” Holly arched a brow.
“It’s like you said, Holl, physical appearance is important,” Tanya said in the same tone. “Yeah, you have a pretty face, but when first meeting someone, a guy takes in everything, not just your face. Which is why, when you get ready for tonight, you should pick out an outfit that makes you feel beautiful. Just go with me, all right? When you slip on your dress, do your hair and makeup, and whatever else you wanna do, make sure you feel absolutely beautiful.”
“What are we doing tonight?” Holly asked, furrowing her brow as she regarded her friend.
“You mean you weren’t paying attention?” Tanya wiped her hand over her forehead. “We’re all getting dressed up to go to the casino tonight. I am forgoing the concert. That’s about to start in … Oh!” She glanced over at her laptop to look at the time before turning her focus back to Holly. “Seven minutes. Now, if the concert is about an hour and a half, everybody should be ready in two hours.” Tanya bit her bottom lip. “Oh, shit. I only have two hours left. I’m going to hop in the shower, okay, Holl?” And with that, Tanya stood up and headed into the bathroom.
When Tanya had finished, she all but forced Holly to take a shower, though Holly assured her friend she had taken one the night before. This didn’t seem to matter to Tanya, so Holly took a quick shower before blow drying her hair. She wasn’t very talented concerning makeup and its placement on her face, so Holly wrapped a fluffy white towel around her body and stepped out into the living room, where Tanya was waiting to help her. The makeup took longer than Holly had originally expected, and by the time Tanya had finished, she was already stressing. Holly tried to calm her friend down, but it wasn’t until Tanya stepped out into a beautiful gown that she finally relaxed.
Tanya looked absolutely stunning in a feminine black cocktail dress. The straps were thin and pulled back so it took on a halter shape. With a built-in strapless push-up bra, Tanya’s cleavage was revealed. Holly knew Mitch wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off of her. Across Tanya’s bust was gold pleating in a triangle shape, with golden embroidery over it as well. The same gold design was also etched into the hemline of the predominantly black dress that ended about mid-thigh, maybe a little bit lower. Her dark hair was curled in soft ringlets, falling down into her face in order to frame it. The rest of her hair was pulled up into a sexy, messy bun. On her feet were black pumps with golden bows. She looked amazing.
Holly had retreated into the bathroom after assuring Tanya how great she looked in order to slip on her own dress. It was a deep purple with a ruched bust, as well as thick, halter straps, showcasing Holly’s bust in a classy way. The straps were beaded and the neckline was wide. Beaded embroidery also decorated the empire waistline. It, too, was short, coming to Holly’s mid-thigh, and on her feet were matching high heels. Her long red hair was pulled up into a loose bun, showing off her sharp facial features. As Holly looked at herself in the mirror, a small smile touched her face. This must have been what Tanya was talking about; she loved the way she looked, and as a result, felt confidence seep into her.
“Come on, Holly,” Tanya said, knocking on the b
athroom door. “We’re already late.” When Holly stepped out, Tanya’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Holly.
“Well?” Holly asked, gently biting her bottom lip.
“Let me just say,” Tanya told her friend, a mischievous glint in her dark eyes, “that Tommy’s not the only man who won’t be able to keep his eyes off of you.” She slipped her arm through Holly’s, pulling her toward the door. “Now let’s go!”
Chapter 18
The first thing Tommy fixated his gaze on while he was waiting in the lobby with his band was the elevator. A couple of people had recognized him and his band mates, and though Tommy obliged and signed a few autographs, he wasn’t exactly giving his fans the usual attention. He, of course, wouldn’t admit it aloud, but the reason for this change in attitude was because of Holly. For some odd reason, he could feel her slowly start to crawl underneath his skin, and he highly doubted that she even knew it. He had been thinking about her a lot in the past few days, and found it rather disappointing when she wouldn’t be at his concerts. He knew, however, that she and Tanya would be getting ready tonight and therefore couldn’t make tonight’s concert, but some part of him wanted to know if she had wanted to go in the first place.
He was an asshole; Tommy Nye had known this for quite some time. He just didn’t know that other people knew he was an asshole. In fact, he hid his ways with obvious charm, a devious twinkle in his eyes and a disarming smile on his face. Then came Holly who saw right through his bullshit to the person he really was. He hadn’t expected that from somebody like her … he hadn’t expected it at all. Maybe that’s why their first session together was such a fucking disaster. He wanted to push her away in hopes that she wouldn’t find out more about him. The world now saw him as a loveable person—a charming, witty person. He had worked hard to achieve that public status, especially after everything he went through in the early nineties. He didn’t want to be reminded of his past; he didn’t want to be reminded of who he was.
Once the people had disappeared, he focused his gaze back on the elevators. Tommy wasn’t exactly sure why he was nervous, but he was. The man continuously began to shift his weight from one foot to the other, crossing his arms over his chest before placing them down to his sides. It almost looked like he was a child who couldn’t stand still, no matter how hard he tried. Would Holly focus all her attention on Sean, the guitarist? Or would she talk to him? He hoped she would talk to him. Whether or not he liked the fact that she had called him out on his shit, he liked conversing with her. She really was smart.
And beautiful. Yup, she was definitely beautiful. Tommy found that when he was talking to her, it was actually hard to hear what she was saying because he was solely focused on how her lips formed the words she was saying. He frowned at this thought, and cocked his head to the side, his shaggy dark hair following his movements. He had never found a woman who could distract him as she did, except for Delilah, and Delilah distracted him in a negative way. He wasn’t in love with Holly or anything, of course. But he found that he liked her, and he was growing accustomed to her presence on the bus. Who knew what would happen in the duration of the tour?
Then again, he didn’t want to get involved with someone. Serious relationships scared the bejeezus out of him, and he could admit that fact, at least to himself. After the whole Delilah situation … He shook his head as he ran his fingers through his unruly hair. He didn’t actually want to think about Delilah. Maybe somewhere inside of him, a piece of him had the desire to explore a relationship with Holly. He knew she was more than just a groupie, just a fuck buddy, to him, but at the same time, he knew how relationships went, and knew that one of them—but most likely both of them—would end up hurt. And he would rather be happy and lonely than pained and committed. Even if it was to Holly.
At that moment, the elevator doors pinged before sliding open. The first and only thing he saw was the woman who had been plaguing his thoughts for the past couple of weeks. God, was it possible for her to get any more beautiful than she already was? The answer to that was apparently so, because as he looked at her, he couldn’t force himself to look away. Even if he wanted to, even if he knew that she would catch him and might even possibly use it against him, he couldn’t bring his eyes away from her. She looked absolutely stunning. As though Holly knew Tommy was looking over at her, she met his eyes with her brown ones. Still, he could not look away. If she wasn’t wearing soft blush that highlighted the tips of her cheeks, he was sure that she would be blushing now. Her lips curled up into a smile, and she nodded once at him as she and Tanya made their way over.
“Well, don’t you gents look spiffy,” Tanya stated as her eyes captured everybody’s gaze before focusing on just Mitch. Mitch wrapped his arms around her waist and began to whisper something softly into her ear.
Holly glanced around, standing awkwardly in front of the band and her friend. Tommy could tell she was uncomfortable, so he took what he hoped to be a nonthreatening step toward her and offered her his patented charm smile.
“You look,” he began, his eyes sweeping her body up and down before finally reaching her eyes once again, “I guess indescribable will do, since I can’t think of a word that would capture you perfectly.”
Holly arched a suspicious eyebrow and regarded him with a cool stare. She wasn’t stupid, and didn’t fall easily for charm. “I would take that as a compliment, but I’m not sure how many women you’ve used that line on,” she told him, but her eyes studied him and his attire. Much like the rest of the band, Tommy was in a black and white tuxedo, minus the vest, blazer, and tie. He looked rather casual for such a formal setting, even in half a tuxedo. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
Tommy chuckled at her comments, but offered her his arm nonetheless. He perked his brow and his eyes asked her the question his mouth wouldn’t. Holly thought about it for a moment. He had been the cause of her irrational anger, her confusion, and her endless thoughts on why she felt the way she did. However, a piece of her wanted to know what it was like to be the woman on his arm, even if it was only temporary, and decided that what happened here could stay here. Her smile deepened, and she bit her bottom lip before slowly reaching out and slipping her arm through his. If it was possible, the sparkle in Tommy’s eyes got brighter, and he turned to his company.
“Let’s hit the tables, hmm?” he announced, and began to lead the group out of the lobby and into the attached casino.
Casinos had the most melodious noises. The roulette tables offered a jittery sort of sound, while the slots offered different bells and pings to indicate winning and losing. Cheers and groans of the gambling patrons also provided sounds to the melody, and Holly found herself watching the faces of said patrons to gauge their reactions. Tommy watched Holly’s awed face, and it struck him that she might not have ever been to a casino before. He smiled at this, excited to be accompanying her on her first adventure here, and showed her around. There was a separate poker room that had a few different versions of the game, roulette tables, blackjack tables, craps tables, and slot machines. People dressed similarly in formalwear occupied the majority of the casino, and the dealers all looked sharp in their uniforms.
Holly paused to watch a roulette game go on. She happened to be standing by an older man who was shaking his wrist, jiggling the die in his hand. When he noticed Holly standing beside him, he leaned toward her. “Would you blow on my die?” he asked her, offering his fist.
Holly’s brow rose and she took a look at Tommy, wondering what she should do. He grinned at her confusion, and nodded in approval. Holly rubbed her lips together before looking at the man’s fist once again and puckered her lips slightly blowing cool air on his hand. The man nodded his thanks and tossed the die on the table. One five and one two popped up, causing the whole table to start cheering. The man pulled Holly into a tight hug before plastering a wet kiss on her cheek and collecting his winnings.
Tommy laughed at the expression on Holly’s face as she wiped the ma
n’s saliva off of her cheek. He wrapped his arm around her waist and continued to lead her through the casino. The night was young, and so were they.
Chapter 19
“So,” Tommy began, interlocking his fingers and resting them behind his head, “I wanted to start this over after last time. Pretty disastrous, if you ask me. But …” Here, he pulled a genuine wince and couldn’t meet Holly’s eyes just yet. “I guess that may have been my fault. But we’re both adults here, we’ve both moved on, whatever.” He took one of his hands from behind his head and waved it dismissively. “I just wanted to ask you a favor.” He paused, and shifted with obvious discomfort. Whatever he was about to say seemed to make his voice disgruntled. He sighed dramatically, before running his fingers through his black hair. “I really don’t like talking about myself. The whole I’m-talking-to-a-psychologist thing is just kinda awkward for me, so I’d appreciate if maybe you could tell me things about yourself that would take away the awkwardness.”
Holly gazed at him from across his bedroom in the tour bus, her eyes narrowing only slightly and her head cocked to the side. “You,” she began slowly before looking down at her clipboard which housed information she found on the man as well as her notes, “don’t like talking about yourself?” She arched a brow, indicating that she didn’t exactly believe him. “I’ve done research on some of your fan sites. All of the interviews, whether video or in print, you always seemed enthused to talk. About your band or your personal life, it didn’t really matter.”
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