Page 4 of Star Rucked Lovers

“I know.” He’d already figured that, just like him after a match when the media and sponsors and VIP ticket holders were baying to talk to him, Myst’s time after a concert wouldn’t be her own. “I wish I didn’t have to go, but I do, and we’re flying to Edinburgh in the morning.”

“Yes, I’m off to Manchester myself.” Her eyes met his in the mirror, eyes the pale blue of a winter sky, startling in their brightness. “I looked at your schedule. We’ll be in London at the same time, in two weeks.”

“We are?” He felt hope surge in his chest. “I have limited free time, though.”

“So do I.” Myst turned to face him as she discarded the towel, her smile rueful. “Here’s the thing, though. The timing’s never going to be good for us. Is it?”

“No.” He felt something inside him break. “You’re saying there’s no point in trying, right?”

“No!” She took a step forward, reaching out towards him. “I’m saying that if we’re going to try, we need to accept right from the outset that it’ll never be easy. I probably get to dictate my schedule a little more than you do because I can play the diva card sometimes, because without me, there’s no show; but we both have commitments, things we can’t change or delay no matter what our personal preferences might be.”

She understood. A flood of relief washed over George and he nodded gratefully. “I want to,” he said, trying to encompass everything he wanted in a few simple words. “I want to try and make it work.”

“So do I, but before we even commit to trying, can we make a couple of really simple rules? If you decide you don’t want to try any more, I want to be the first to know. I don’t want to go online one day and discover you’ve blocked me on social media, or wake up to photos of you with someone else in the tabloid press.”

“I think you’re more likely to be a tabloid target than I am,” George pointed out.

“True, unfortunately. I’ve already been featured onCelebNationsupposedly dating at least three different men I’ve never even met.“ She made a face. “Don’t believe anything you read on that website.”

“Can’t say I’ve ever heard of it,” he admitted.

“Probably for the best.” She tilted her head a little, those winter-sky eyes studying his face. “So, do we have a deal? Anything real happens, either of us decide we don’t want to try this any more, we’re honest about it, upfront?”

“Absolutely.” He held his hand out to shake, and when she put hers in it, said “I wasn’t looking for you. I’m definitely not looking for anyone else.”

Her smile filled the room with sunshine. “Me neither.”

“Myst!” A bang on the door interrupted them.

Myst grimaced. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go. Can you stay a little while?”

“I could, but it might raise some questions we’re not ready to answer.”

She shrugged, her smile reappearing. “Not really. We’re both high-profile Australians in Dublin. It’s not totally outside the realm of possibility that we’re already acquainted, that you came along to the concert to show your support after I sang the anthem yesterday… that we’re friends.”

“That’s all very plausible, or it would be if I didn’t think I’ll do a really crappy job of looking at you in a merely platonically friendly way.” George spread his hands ruefully, and Myst laughed.

“Me, too. I want to spend all night just staring, soaking you in. Taking in every detail of your face, your expressions.” Reaching out, she linked her fingers with his briefly, squeezed. “We’ll have time. We’llmaketime, right? In London?”

“London,” he promised.

“Myst, seriously!” The banging on the door resumed, and Myst groaned, letting go of his hand.

“I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to be. If we’re going to work on this thing, there’ll be times when it’s my turn to say I’m sorry because there’s something I have to do which I have no choice about.”

“You get it.” Her expression was relieved as she gazed up at him. “You really do get it.”

“I really do.” He stroked his thumb over the backs of her fingers lightly. “I can’t promise I’ll never feel mad and frustrated because stuff happens and we can’t see each other, but I can promise I’ll never blame you for it.”

“And I’ll promise the same.”

“Myst!”

“I’m coming!” she called in response to the frantic screech, and George let go of her hand.

“Go,” he told her. “I’ll wait a bit before following you.”

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