Page 29 of Legendary Rock Star
But in that second, I was in heaven itself and never wanted this to end.
Somehow we made it out of the restaurant. The specifics were hazy. I remember holding his hand and feeling like I was on a different level of existence at the same time.
Kissing him sent warm trembles through me.
How was I channeling so much energy from a few sweet kisses?
Yet we made it into the limo and back to the hotel reception in time.
My lips still held his savory-sweet taste.
Part of me wanted to forget everything and just be alone with him all night.
I’d imagined discovering the joy of being with a guy, and it had been his face I saw most of the time.
I was happy to find I could trust him a little, at least, as he kept his promise to get us back to the reception.
We slipped back inside and I fixed my hair that had fallen out of its upswept style.
Jane found us, looking chic in her purple leather jacket and black catsuit that framed her perfect figure. She locked arms with us and said, “So, you two were missing for a while.”
I crashed back into reality fast and stumbled over my words when I tried to defend us. “We … we were …”
“Kissing,” Jane said and stared at me like it was obvious. She then called out loudly for the crowd, “I found the lovebirds for the cast photo.”
Oh no. They’d been looking for me? This was how I failed.
I wasn’t here when I was wanted.
And tonight, I should be furious for being used. My parents had probably heard the song on the radio.
We walked where Jane directed us, and the seven remaining contestants all posed for a group photo with the three judges.
When it was done, the host zoomed in on us with his camera crew that followed him everywhere. He shoved the microphone in Phoenix’s face and asked, “Are you two spending your day off together after the next elimination round?”
Phoenix had been right, then. Our relationship made good TV. The fans would want to know us. I held my stomach to stop the butterflies as I asked, “With the cameras following us?”
He turned toward me and stared at me like I didn’t matter. “That’s the deal,” he said. “Anywhere you go, we get to go.”
Phoenix quickly captured the camera’s attention. He knew how to talk with lights in his eyes. He said, “I’ll probably just go home and order pizza for the crew while I watch TV.”
The host turned his back on me and asked, “That’s your plan?”
A coldness washed through me. I refused to be ignored. This wasn’t who I was. I was here to win. I lifted my chin and said, “If Phoenix wants to spend time with me, he still has some unanswered questions to answer.”
“I’ll do whatever you want.” He grinned and showed those dazzling teeth.
I had the cameras now, but fake flirting was horrible. Eventually the cameras moved on to Jane. I patted Phoenix’s back and said, “Okay, but I still want to know about your parents.”
“I’ve been warned,” he nodded.
I raised my eyebrows and asked quietly, so no one else heard me, “And you’re okay with answering, knowing you can’t kiss me to distraction?”
He didn’t even blink but placed his hand on my lower back like he needed to keep me close, as he said, “It’s fine. I separated from my parents long ago.”
The world knew that, but details were scarce. And maybe that had something to do with why he was helping the rest of us when he shouldn’t.
I said, “I’m going to want details, and I’m used to hearing full confessions.”
