Page 92 of Loved Out Loud
The last thing I expect is to walk into the hotel lobby and see Greg, but that’s exactly what happens. He stands from the wingback chair he was lounging in, a hesitant smile on his face. I wait for the usual ache I feel when I see him after a long absence.
But there’s nothing.
“What’s he doing here?” Sierra asks with blatant distaste.
“I have no idea,” I say honestly. “We haven’t talked much lately.”
“Who is that?” Jade asks.
He doesn’t get more than five feet from me when both Adam and Dan step between us. His brow furrows as he looks between the two towering men at me. I step around Dan and set my hand on his arm.
“It’s okay. I know him.” I turn my attention back to Greg. “What are you doing here?”
Greg’s eyes turn glacial. “Hello to you, too. Is that really how you’re going to greet me after weeks of being apart?”
I shrink into myself. “I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting you.”
“Didn’t you see my text?”
Realization sinks in, I did see it, I just didn’t think to read it yet.
“I was out with Sierra and Jade.” I motion for them both to come over. “You remember Sierra, and this is Jade. She does the PR and social media for Blue Sunday.”
“Nice to meet you,” Greg holds his hand out.
“This is my mentor, Greg Martin.”
“Likewise.” She shakes his hand and then looks at me. “We’ll see you later.”
Sierra glares daggers at Greg, not bothering to mask her distaste. “I can wait for you,” she says to me.
“It’s okay. Go relax, it’s been a long day.”
Adam accompanies them, but Dan stays a few feet from my back.
“Can we go up to your room to talk?” Greg looks over my shoulder, clearly irritated.
“I’m not sure you want to do that.”
“Why?” He reaches out, pulling me in for a hug. His familiar scent wraps around me while I loosely return the gesture. “I miss you, Hazel.”
I drop my arms and nod in the direction of the lobby bar. “Let’s grab a drink.”
A server stops by our table as soon as we sit. I order an iced tea while he asks for a beer. When she steps away, he reaches across the table for my hand, and hurt flashes in his eyes when I don’t give in.
“Why are you being so cold?” he asks in an accusatory voice. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
“I’m just surprised. How did you even know which hotel I was at?”
“You gave me your tour itinerary,” he says the words slowly, like I’m some sort of idiot for forgetting. “Can you tell him to leave?”
I follow his gaze and turn to see Dan standing off to the side of the room, against the wall. “I could, but he won’t listen,” I say, turning back to Greg. “The band has assigned him to me when I’m out in public.”
Greg scoffs. “Why? You’re just a debut author. It’s not like you’re a celebrity.”
“I’ve had a few run-ins with paparazzi on the tour. They don’t want me to get swarmed without security.”
His brows raise as he looks around the bar in mock concern. “I don’t see any paparazzi here.”
