by R H Tucker
When we got back to his room, I took off his shirt because he did spill water on it. Since he was already tipsy, he didn’t notice me eyeing his bare chest and inspecting the band tattoo. He was already in his own drunk world—which, amusingly I found out, is a bubbly, happy place that makes him laugh and sing. He was singing the entire elevator ride up and to his room.
When I told him I didn’t think he wanted to sleep in his jeans, that’s not exactly true. With his shirt off, he continued laughing and began to undo his pants. I tried stopping him, but he rolled over his bed, kicking off his shoes, and then threw his pants at me, giggling the entire time. All I could do was laugh along.
Staying in his bed, he laid his head down, and as I went to leave, he grabbed my hand and asked me to stay. I tried to tell him that he’d be fine, but he wouldn’t let go, and then pulled me on top of him. I thought he was going to try and make out with me, but he just held on to my hand and stayed lying over his sheets. Deciding it wasn’t that big of a deal, I wrapped the blanket over him and fell asleep next to him.
But nothing that happened last night is what has my stomach in knots now.
“Then what?” Leah asks after I just explained to her what we did last night. “It sounds like the night went according to plan. Teen Weekly has him on the front of their website today. It’s posted all over social media. His King of Nice name is getting muddy as hell.”
“Yeah, but … maybe the plan is working a little too well.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “What does that mean?”
“Remember how you asked me if I like him?”
“Yeah?” The word drawls out of her, and she studies me cautiously. When I don’t answer, her eyes pop open. “Oh my God. I knew it!”
I shake my head, trying to convince myself. “No, I don’t like him ... I mean, he’s cute and all, but before last night I was still sticking to the plan. Somehow he’s a good kisser, but I wasn’t letting that distract me. This was the perfect plan, but …”
“What happened?”
“This morning happened.”
“Oooh.” A smirk crosses her lips. “A little morning pick-me-up? You did undress him last night. How’s his body anyway? He looks leaner than his brother, does he have any abs? Is he good with his fingers?” She starts giggling. “He’s lead guitar, so I bet they’re nimble.”
“This isn’t funny, Leah.” My snapping ends the giggling.
“Sorry.”
I shake my head, staring down at the counter. “Nothing happened. At least, nothing like that. We started kissing, and … Leah, when I kiss him, it’s not like the others. I didn’t think about it before. I just thought he was a good kisser, or at least, better than the jackasses I’ve been dating. But this morning …”
Letting out a deep breath, I start nibbling only my lip. I don’t know if I want to say this out loud, because then that will make it real. And I shouldn’t make this real. I should just stick to the plan.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Reaching over, she grasps my hand.
I shake my head. “If Maddox hadn’t walked in on us this morning, I would’ve …” My eyes finally come up to meet hers again. “Maybe ... I do like him. But I can’t! I can’t like him.”
“Why not? What’s the problem?”
“The problem is that even though I came up with this plan, he’s doing it for the same reasons I am. And when we were interrupted, he seemed … It was like he was fine with it. After last night, I know he’s going to be happy with the results. He’s finally kicking the King of Nice nickname. That’s what he wants.”
“What do you want?”
I can’t answer her because I don’t know. I thought I did, but after this morning, what if I could have something with EJ? Would he be interested in being together for real, and not breaking up at the end?
After spending so much time with EJ, when he doesn’t text me the rest of the day, my mind’s left running in a million different directions.
Sitting on our couch, I fidget with my phone, constantly turning it off and on. I thought about texting him last night but decided maybe it was best I didn’t. I don’t need to start liking EJ, especially when this entire thing was my idea.
“Just text him,” Roxy tells me, pushing my knee with hers as she sits next to me. “You know you want you.”
Wrinkling my nose, I turn my phone back on. No missed calls or texts. I switch it back off. “No, he’s probably busy anyway. They’re always on the move with interviews and all kinds of other stuff. I don’t want to bug him. We’ve been making good progress, it’s not like we have to be together every single day now.”
My phone starts ringing, and my eyes jump to Roxy. She twists her head, quizzically staring at me with a grin. Biting my lip, I see EJ’s name across the screen.
“Hey, EJ.”
“Hey, whatchya up to?”
“Um … not much. Just here, you know, hanging out on the TV—couch! Hanging out on the couch, watching TV.” I hit my hand against my forehead, feeling lame, then see Roxy making kissy-lips at me, and feel lamer. “Uh, what are you doing?”
“Same. So, Jade was pressuring me to invite you out tonight.”
“Pressuring? Thanks, EJ.”
“No, no. Damn it, sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Uh, hold on for a second.” I hear a rustling against the speaker of the phone, then he says something, but I can’t make out what it is. “Sorry, I had to get to the bathroom so they wouldn’t hear me.”
That piques my interest. “Okay?”
“So, we had another signing today, and afterward, Jade asked me if I wanted to ask you out with us. We’re checking out some private party Adam Coleman is throwing tonight.”
“Adam Coleman, the actor?”
“Yeah, I guess he’s friends with Maddox from a deejay gig out in L.A. and … anyway, we’re going. Before I could say anything, Jade said I should invite you, but not just you.” Even though he’s by himself, I hear his voice go lower. “She said we should all hang out, like your band and all of us, which I’d be fine with. But … I mean, you know. Your friends know, and mine don’t. But I couldn’t just tell her no. She would’ve started hounding me, asking why I didn’t want to invite you guys, and that I shouldn’t be like that, and blah blah blah.” He starts laughing. “She’s the youngest out of all of us, but sometimes she acts like my big sister.”
As I’m listening to the explanation, a smile’s formed over my face, and with his last line, I start laughing. It’s so EJ.
No, Skye. You can’t start liking him.
“So, what should I do?” he asks. “Should I make up an excuse for you guys? I mean, I’m totally cool with you going, but would Leah and Roxy be able to keep this a secret?”
“You still don’t want to tell them?” I reply. “EJ, I’m sure they won’t think it’s lame.”
There’s a pause on the other end, then a long sigh. “Maybe, maybe not. I still don’t want to chance it, though.”
My smile fades a tad, hearing the hesitancy in his voice. I glance at Roxy, who’s resumed watching the TV. Roxy and Leah are like sisters. And we’ve shared a lot of sisterly secrets over the years. I’m pretty sure we can trust them. “Yeah,” I finally answer him. “They’ll be fine. They won’t say a word, we’d be happy to go. I mean, if … you want us to. It’s totally cool if you want to make up an excuse for us.”
“An excuse for us for what?” Roxy regains her attention, poking my shoulder. I slam my finger against my lips, motioning for her to be quiet.
EJ’s grown quiet on the other end. “EJ?”
“Great,” he finally replies. “Yeah, okay, cool. Um, you want to meet us down in the lobby at nine?”
“Sure, no problem.”
“Hey …” Another pause. I wonder if he felt something this morning, too. I wonder if he’s been feeling anything since we’ve been together. But the questions dissipate, when he speaks up. “You think I should wear the sunglasses again, and style my hair like the other night? Th
at seemed to catch people off guard.”
Right. The deal.
“Uh … yeah, totally.”
“Cool. Okay, see you guys in a little bit.”
“Yeah.” We hang up, and I look over at Roxy, who remains focused on me. “Get ready to go out. We’re meeting up with the Kings in a couple of hours.”
“Are you serious? For what?”
“Adam Coleman is throwing a party and invited the Kings, and EJ invited us. Well, actually Jade told him to invite us. You can’t say anything, though, Rox. They don’t know about this deal.”
She shoots me a confused frown. “Really?”
“Yeah, he feels like they’ll think it’s lame or something. So, please, don’t say anything. I’m gonna go tell Leah.”
She lifts her shoulders. “Hey, we can keep a secret. Especially if we get to party with Hollywood hotties like Adam Coleman.” She purrs and starts to giggle.
It should make me laugh as well, but all I can do is smile. Maybe tonight I can try to focus on EJ and the deal we have, and not overthink about feeling his arms around me or his lips on mine. Because if I can’t, then I don’t know how this whole thing is going to end up.
15
EJ
The car ride to the party is quick. I don’t know if it’s because Leah and Roxy are nervous about being around them or just worried about keeping my secret, but they’re less chatty than usual. Once we get to the party, though, they immediately find their grove, and we all separate, finding others we recognize and start talking.
I’m trying to calm my nerves because I really don’t believe Leah or Roxy will say anything, but I’m still on edge. Walking into the party, which is in the brand-new hotel in Vegas, the Jasper, I don’t know if Skye senses it or not, but I feel her fingers wrap around mine a little tighter. When I glance over at her, she smiles, and like all the times before, it calms me.
“Want something to drink?” I ask over the loud music already playing.
“Sure,” she answers, and we make our way over to the bar with Jade following behind us.
Adam Coleman is maybe the most in-demand actor around right now. He’s starred in the top-grossing blockbusters for the last two years, and his next one—which everyone is expecting to break box office records again—comes out in a few weeks. I see him in the distance, but I’ve never talked to him. Maddox has partied with him on more than one occasion, so I’m not surprised he invited us tonight.
The music, lights, and people block most of everything out that’s not within a ten-foot radius. The pounding bass in the air, strobe lights floating around us, and the chatter of people laughing, who are the elite of the elite in the celebrity scene is something to behold. All in all, I’m glad Skye seems to be taking everything in stride. I’m sure places and times like these can be a lot to take in. I’ve adapted because this is our life now. At times it can be appealing, but with Skye next to me tonight, I find myself wishing it could just be us.
Handing Skye her drink, she thanks me, and then sees Jade take a water bottle from the bartender. “Not drinking tonight?” Skye asks.
Jade smiles. “I don’t drink. Straight edge.”
“Cool. So, EJ said you’re the youngest in the band. How is that when you and Maddox are twins?” Skye asks, and I immediately cringe with a smile. Jade hates it when I call her the youngest.
She lets out a scoff, then slaps me across the chest. “You would say that.”
“What? You are,” I confirm, trying to play it off.
Pinching her lips together, she scowls, then turns to Skye. “We’re all eighteen. Derrik is the oldest, EJ is behind him by three months, and then Maddox and I are behind that by two months.”
I laugh because I’ve heard this before, which is why I always tease her about it. “Four minutes, Jade.” I put four fingers in the air.
Skye’s head bobs back and forth between us both, confused. “Four minutes what?”
With a grinning scowl, Jade shakes her head at me. “Maddox came out before me by four minutes. So, yes, fine, technically, I’m the youngest.” Snapping her face to me, she slaps me across the chest again. “I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“So, what are you guys doing after the festival dates are over?” Jade asks Skye.
She takes a sip of her drink, then thinks about it. “Heading back home. We’ve got a four-week tour coming up with Strange Tides. And we’re still writing stuff for our next record. We’re hoping to get into the studio by the end of the year.”
“That’s great,” Jade says. “I’d love to work on some stuff with you guys. I’ll get your number from EJ, and maybe we can hook up in a few months and do something together.”
Skye nods with a smile, but when Jade looks over at me, I bite my upper lip. “Uh, yeah … maybe.”
Jade scowls. “What do you mean maybe?” She jabs her finger into my shoulder.
“No, I’m just saying …” I glance over at Skye, unsure how to answer and looking for help, but all she replies with is a wide-eyed stare.
I don’t want to let Jade hound me about the phone number later. I know what this is, and since we’re not going to be together in a couple of more weeks, how do I say okay? I should’ve just lied, but I’ve never been good at that. And now, the realization hits me that this entire night may have been a bad idea because of this very scenario.
“You know what?” I try to blow it off, smiling as I take a drink from my cup, but I’m not sure how confident it comes off. Knowing myself, probably not very. “Totally. I can totally give you her number. Right now, even. You got your phone? Let me text it to you. So, you know, that way I don’t forget or anything like that.”
Jade sets her water down at the bar, then folds her arms. Her eyes jump back and forth between Skye and me. Then she grabs my arm, pulling me away. “Sorry,” she tells Skye. “We’ll be just a minute.”
“What are you doing?” I call out to her, but she doesn’t answer. Dragging me through the room filtered with glowing strobe lights and music still pounding, we turn a corner, and she pushes a door open, dragging me behind her still. Slamming the door shut, I look around and see we’re in a bathroom.
“EJ, what are you doing?”
“What are you talking about?”
Standing akimbo, she leans on her hip, lifting a brow in frustration. “Eric James Tyler. So help me, if you’re only trying to hook up with that girl and that’s it, I’m going to be giving you a black eye right here and now.”
“Jade, calm down.” I lean back against the sink counter. She doesn’t think it’s an act. She thinks I’m trying to be like Maddox. I can use this to my advantage. “I’m not doing that. We’re just going out since we’re both in Vegas. We’re keeping it casual.”
Her eyes narrow. “I know you, EJ. You don’t do casual.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t do long term either,” I reply, her words hitting a nerve.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I shake my head. I thought I could play it off, but I’m already growing frustrated thinking about why I agreed to Skye’s deal in the first place. “Nothing, okay? Just let me have my fun and stop worrying.”
I go to leave the bathroom, opening the door, but she slams it shut. “No. Have your fun? EJ, that’s not you.”
“You don’t know that, Jade. I don’t even know that. You want to know why? I haven’t got a shot at having fun. I’m the cute one.”
“So what?”
“So the cute ones get the hugs. The bad boys get the hookups.”
“Ew, EJ. What are you talking about? Even if that was true, which it’s not, who cares? I think she likes you and I’m not gonna let you—”
“She doesn’t like me, okay. We’re just—” I stop myself, feeling the truth bubbling up.
“Just what?”
“Nothing.” I grab the handle again, but Jade keeps her hand against the door. “Jade, let me go.”
“Not until you tell me you’re not
going to try and act like my brother out there. Skye seems nice. And if tonight didn’t show me that, her dragging you into the apartment the other night did.”
“You know about that?”
“EJ, we all know. You were singing all the way into your room. Derrik stuck his head out and saw Skye helping you, so we didn’t say anything. She deserves more than you acting like a jackass rock star, trying to get some.”
“Jade, there’s more going on here than what you’re thinking. Just let me go out there and have fun.”
“What are you talking about? It’s not rocket science, EJ. Girl likes boy. It’s not a hard equation, and I’m not going to let you screw it up. You should be happy about this.”
Taking a deep breath, I stare at the tile beneath our feet. The soft glow of the bathroom lights floats around while Jade continues to hold the door in place. What other lie could I tell her to get her to move? Maybe there is something, but I don’t know how well I can make her believe it. As evident already, I’m a horrible liar.
“We’re not together,” I say in a hushed tone, keep my eyes low. “And we’re not hooking up. We have a deal.”
“A deal? A deal for what?”
“I help her, and she helps me.”
“Ew!”
“No!” I finally look up at her. “Not like that. She’s kind of got a name around the tabloids as a heartbreaker, but she’s not. She came to me and asked if I wanted to help, I don’t know, reform her image or something. Then I got the idea that acting like I’m with her, I could finally shake my King of Nice name.”
“And you agreed to it?”
Tilting my head back, I stare at the ceiling, trying to think of the best way to explain how I feel. But there is no “good” way to say it. At least, not to me. Looking back at her, I lift my shoulder. “I’m the King of Nice, Jade. Do you know how much I hate that?”
A soft, consoling giggle floats out of her, as she puts her hands on my shoulders. “EJ, there’s nothing wrong with being nice.”