morning was spent at Iris’s office
preparing information for press kits to be released with the
upcoming album. She included me in the creative process, and both
she and Alana were excited about my contributions. It made me
momentarily forget I was asleep standing up.
By afternoon we were at the studio with the
band, along with such guests as Jasper, Jacob and Lourdes. That
last bit was a little hard to swallow so I stayed mostly a quiet
piece of the furniture in the background as I watched all of the
players in their roles. Iris and Jacob were animated and
articulate, standing on equal footing with the powerful Jasper –
who still intimidated me more than I cared to admit. Lourdes was
friendly and familiar with the band, and she and Vanni played their
parts well as young lovers who couldn’t get enough of each
other.
It reminded me of the night before when Vanni
declared he wanted me. He sounded so sincere, and the imprint of
his body against mine provided that physical evidence supporting
his claim. Yet today he had eyes only for the striking brunette who
sat showing miles of tanned, beautiful leg for him while he sang.
Like any straight, red-blooded man he couldn’t take his eyes off of
her and sang each song as a personal serenade from a man possessed
by love.
How could I fit those two pieces of
information in my head?
I endured two hours of this
confusing hell before Lourdes declared she had an appointment and
had to leave. I heaved a deep sigh of relief at the notion, which
made me question only briefly if I had been holding my breath the
entire time beforehand.
Vanni pouted that she had to go, but
gave her a tight cuddle with a passionate kiss for everyone to see,
as if branding her before sending her out into the world. I wanted
to look away but I couldn’t. It was all a part of the ongoing
mystery how he could claim to want both an Amazon goddess and a
no-name travel writer who was more at home at a tractor pull than
in front of a camera. It just didn’t make any sense.
Yet after Jasper offered to share a car with
Lourdes and they both had gone, Vanni’s eyes sought me out and
never left me again the rest of the time we were at the
studio.
It was like a switch flipped. He sang every
song to me, flashed every smile at me and even spared me a wink or
two, or three, while he did his thing behind the
microphone.
It dawned on me that everyone else was busy
doing actual work whereas I was his only audience, as Lourdes had
been before.
Maybe he just needed an adoring fan to woo
while he sang.
This made a lot of sense in my
limited knowledge of singers and celebrities, but didn’t do much
for my ego. Here I was thinking that there was something special
about me to earn his desire, but it could be as simple as I was the
only one paying him any attention.
This disheartening thought drove me out of the
room. I was popping open a soda when Jacob found me. He wore a
sunny smile and was just as energetic as the night before. How was
that even possible? “Where’s the IV pumping speed into your blood?”
I asked, unsuccessfully hiding my own bloodshot eyes behind my
glasses.
“You learn to catch catnaps with
your eyes open,” he winked.
I stifled a yawn. “I’m surprised you didn’t
leave with your boss. Aren’t you needed at HQ?”
“He wasn’t going straight back to the office,”
he dismissed. “I have about another hour before I’m required. So I
thought I’d hang out here, with you.” He studied my face. “But the
minute Vanni started to sing I think all of us disappeared from the
planet. You got it bad, girlfriend.”
I averted my eyes. “I don’t know what you
mean.”
“I don’t blame you,” he offered. “He is a nice
piece of eye candy. Too bad he doesn’t rehearse like he performs. I
was half-tempted to hide all his shirts.”
This made me laugh. “Please don’t. I’d never be
able to get anything done.”
“Good point,” he agreed with grin.
I sighed. “I’m no
preparing information for press kits to be released with the
upcoming album. She included me in the creative process, and both
she and Alana were excited about my contributions. It made me
momentarily forget I was asleep standing up.
By afternoon we were at the studio with the
band, along with such guests as Jasper, Jacob and Lourdes. That
last bit was a little hard to swallow so I stayed mostly a quiet
piece of the furniture in the background as I watched all of the
players in their roles. Iris and Jacob were animated and
articulate, standing on equal footing with the powerful Jasper –
who still intimidated me more than I cared to admit. Lourdes was
friendly and familiar with the band, and she and Vanni played their
parts well as young lovers who couldn’t get enough of each
other.
It reminded me of the night before when Vanni
declared he wanted me. He sounded so sincere, and the imprint of
his body against mine provided that physical evidence supporting
his claim. Yet today he had eyes only for the striking brunette who
sat showing miles of tanned, beautiful leg for him while he sang.
Like any straight, red-blooded man he couldn’t take his eyes off of
her and sang each song as a personal serenade from a man possessed
by love.
How could I fit those two pieces of
information in my head?
I endured two hours of this
confusing hell before Lourdes declared she had an appointment and
had to leave. I heaved a deep sigh of relief at the notion, which
made me question only briefly if I had been holding my breath the
entire time beforehand.
Vanni pouted that she had to go, but
gave her a tight cuddle with a passionate kiss for everyone to see,
as if branding her before sending her out into the world. I wanted
to look away but I couldn’t. It was all a part of the ongoing
mystery how he could claim to want both an Amazon goddess and a
no-name travel writer who was more at home at a tractor pull than
in front of a camera. It just didn’t make any sense.
Yet after Jasper offered to share a car with
Lourdes and they both had gone, Vanni’s eyes sought me out and
never left me again the rest of the time we were at the
studio.
It was like a switch flipped. He sang every
song to me, flashed every smile at me and even spared me a wink or
two, or three, while he did his thing behind the
microphone.
It dawned on me that everyone else was busy
doing actual work whereas I was his only audience, as Lourdes had
been before.
Maybe he just needed an adoring fan to woo
while he sang.
This made a lot of sense in my
limited knowledge of singers and celebrities, but didn’t do much
for my ego. Here I was thinking that there was something special
about me to earn his desire, but it could be as simple as I was the
only one paying him any attention.
This disheartening thought drove me out of the
room. I was popping open a soda when Jacob found me. He wore a
sunny smile and was just as energetic as the night before. How was
that even possible? “Where’s the IV pumping speed into your blood?”
I asked, unsuccessfully hiding my own bloodshot eyes behind my
glasses.
“You learn to catch catnaps with
your eyes open,” he winked.
I stifled a yawn. “I’m surprised you didn’t
leave with your boss. Aren’t you needed at HQ?”
“He wasn’t going straight back to the office,”
he dismissed. “I have about another hour before I’m required. So I
thought I’d hang out here, with you.” He studied my face. “But the
minute Vanni started to sing I think all of us disappeared from the
planet. You got it bad, girlfriend.”
I averted my eyes. “I don’t know what you
mean.”
“I don’t blame you,” he offered. “He is a nice
piece of eye candy. Too bad he doesn’t rehearse like he performs. I
was half-tempted to hide all his shirts.”
This made me laugh. “Please don’t. I’d never be
able to get anything done.”
“Good point,” he agreed with grin.
I sighed. “I’m no
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