“We haven’t had sex.” I let out a strangled laugh. “As if I’d have sex with Tom! I mean, he’s a total mut! I do have standards, you know.” The words are out before I can stop them. And I hate myself instantly.
Shannon’s eyes slide to Tom. The changing expression in them has me turning to look at to him.
Whatever Shannon saw on his face is gone when my eyes meet with his. I see nothing there. His eyes are clear, his face perfectly blank.
Tom looks from me to Shannon. “Not that it’s your business, Shan, but we weren’t having sex.” His voice is cold, detached.
I’ve never heard him sound like that before. It sends a chill hurtling through me.
His eyes slide back to me, and that’s when I see it—the cold masking the hurt.
I’ve hurt him.
“Like Lyla said, she has standards. She would never waste her time on a mut like me.” He looks at his watch. “I’ve gotta go.” Then, he walks away.
I start to panic.
“Mut? What the hell are you two talking about?” Shannon laughs and comes over to me, clearly oblivious to what just happened between Tom and me.
I should go after him. Tell him I’m sorry.
But if I do, then Shannon will know that something is going on between us.
What should I do?
Torn by indecision, I stand here, confused
Then, Tom is gone, disappearing around the corner.
And I let Shannon take the decision away from me when she leads me away in the opposite direction. “We need to get you changed. You’re onstage in less than half an hour, and I can’t have you on there with your ass hanging out. Otherwise, Zane will have mine for letting you perform while dressed like a hooker. Not that I’d mind Zane having my ass. Damn, that man is fine.”
Heart thudding, I zone Shannon out and pull my cell from my pocket.
I open up a new text.
I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. I just wanted to put Shannon off the scent.
I search though my contacts, select Tom, and press Send.
I never should have said what I did. Right now, I should be tracking Tom down and begging him to forgive me, not hiding behind my cell like the coward I am.
But even knowing that, I don’t do what’s right. Instead, I keep walking with Shannon and wait for his response. My heart is in my throat the whole time.
I don’t get a text until I’m back in the dressing room—thankfully Aurora is nowhere to be seen—while Shannon wrestles me into a shiny pair of tight black leggings.
Don’t worry. I get it.
Tears sting my eyes because he doesn’t get it. He doesn’t get it at all.
And I’m not sure that I do either.
A Few Days Later—Suite, Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas
Where am I right now?
I’m in a hotel suite in Vegas, watching Lyla get it on with some preppy dickhead.
Why haven’t I pummeled his face, you ask?
Trust me, if I could, I would because this is driving me nuts, seeing his hands on her.
It’s like acid in my eyes.
I’m getting an idea of how Lyla felt when she saw that half-naked nympho, Aurora Simmons, all over me.
I can’t do anything but watch because this is business.
Acting.
They’re taping a music video.
The single has been hitting the airwaves. Interest is growing. Downloads on iTunes alone have skyrocketed this past week. The band needs a video, so we can get the song on all the music channels.
Lyla and the boys had a show at a club here in Vegas last night.
Zane had decided Vegas would be a good place for the shoot. He acquired a suite at Mandalay to film the video. Of course, the hotel was more than happy to oblige for Jake’s label. They even offered the best suite they had available at no charge.
So, Zane and his team met us in Vegas.
Denny’s here. He tagged along with Zane. Den could never resist a trip to Vegas. I’m glad he’s here. I haven’t seen him since I left on this tour. It’ll be good to catch up.
This morning, they taped the band shot of the video down in the House of Blues Music Hall. It was a great location for the shot.
Now, we’re mid-afternoon and doing the love-interest part of the video. They’re filming in the bedroom. I’m sitting out in the living room, watching. I have a clear view of what’s happening from here, and I can’t fucking wait for it to be over.
They’ve barely started, and I want to punch the guy.
Andy, the preppy dickhead.
When he arrived, he was all, “Lyla, it’s so fantastic to meet you! Love your music! So looking forward to filming with you!”
Kisses on the cheeks. Hands all over her.
Little prick. I should have ripped his hands off the second he touched her.
I know Lyla feels uncomfortable with all this. Apart from the artsy director, Julio, pointing out that she needs to relax every five minutes, I can see it in her eyes.
And worse, things have been weird between us these last few days, and now, she’s got the preppy-boy toy all over her, doing his pretend acting.
The weirdness is because of me. I’ve pulled back a bit. I was getting too close to her. I figured that out the moment I was about to tell Lyla that I wanted to go public with us.
Looking back, I’m glad that Shannon turned up and Lyla acted the way she did. It was what I needed to knock some sense into me.
I mean, seriously, what exactly was I wanting to go public about? The fact that I’m fucking her until the tour is over?
I don’t think so. People knowing our business would only complicate things. And I did a good enough job of complicating things in my own head.
I don’t need any outside help.
But all is good now. I’m right back in the place I need to be.
The newly grown pussy I was acquiring is gone, and I’m back to all big, manly cock.
When I saw Lyla later that night after I’d acted like “Pussy” Tom, I made sure to fuck her like the man I am and the casual fuck buddy that she is.
I might like Lyla…I might care about her…
But I care about her as a friend and nothing more.
I got that twisted up in my head for a short time. It won’t happen again.
“This seems to be going well, don’t you think?” Zane takes a seat beside me.
“Yeah, not bad.”
“Lyla’s nervous, which is understandable with it being her first video shoot, but I think we’re gonna get something good out of this.”
I look at him. “The actor is a bit of a prick.”
Zane stares at me. “You think? He seems all right to me.”