Page 144 of Shy Girls Can't Date Celebrities
Portia blinks at me. “Excuse me?”
Wyatt mumbles a laugh, clutching my hand. “Yeah, I stole her. Once I got out of the clinic, I insisted Josie take one of the bedrooms in the penthouse. I mean, there’s four of them and only one of me.”
Portia flashes a smile. “Aw, cute. You got some company.”
“Portia,” Richmond interjects across the table. “Have you given Wyatt the song lyrics yet?”
Impatience streaks across Erika’s expression. “Yes, he needs that. Get in some practice tonight before the recording studio tomorrow.”
Portia turns to Jenna. “You’ve got it, right?”
Jenna plucks a folded piece of paper out of her bag. “Here it is.”
Portia takes it, unfolds it, and places it in front of Wyatt. “These are the lyrics to our song.”
Wyatt blinks at the stanzas before him and his jaw flexes. “Oh, thanks.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll pick it up,” Portia says. She then unlocks her phone and taps a few buttons. “I have a few soundbites from when we were working on it during breaks on set. Do you wanna hear it?”
Wyatt shrugs, bracing himself. “I guess.”
A snippet of ‘Summer Glow’ plays from Portia’s phone before she stops it. “Sorry,” she mutters, becoming flushed. “It’s one of your songs. I was listening to it while freshening up in my room.”
“I know that one,” Wyatt tells her.
Portia brightens. “You do?”
Wyatt nudges in my direction. “Josie, played it for me.”
Portia bobs her head, as she scrolls on her phone. “Oh, that’s nice. So you’re okay with hearing some of your new stuff?”
“Took sometime.” He squeezes my hand under the table. “It was easier once I had Josie by my side.”
Portia smiles, leaning forward to look around at me. “That’s great. I mean it.”
Richmond clears his throat. “Hmm, Portia? The song?”
Portia goes back to her phone. “Ah, yeah, right.”
Jenna reaches for the phone. “Do you want me to find it?”
Portia waves it off. “No, I got it.”
We listen to the snippets from Portia’s phone, and they’re voices sound as good as always, but something is just... off. Wyatt glances at me and we share the same look. I rub my thumb in a circle on his hand. He feels it. Like there’s no soul in his voice.
Wyatt takes the piece of paper and folds it up. “I’ll get it. But right now, I wanna get upstairs.” He nods at me. “Ready to go?”
I nod vigorously, standing from my seat quicker than he does.
Portia looks up at him. “Did you want me to come up to your apartment and help run the lyrics with you?”
Wyatt shifts awkwardly. “Uh, no, umm. Josie’s going home soon, and I kinda just want to spend more time with her.”
Portia sits back. “I totally get that. How about I send these samples to your phone? You’ve still got it right.”
Wyatt pats his pocket. “Got it.”
Portia taps on her phone. “Sending them now. That way you can listen to them when you’re going over the lyrics. Hopefully, it helps you get the rhythm.”
