Page 17 of My Rock Star Neighbor
We finish up our dinner and then wrap up again in our coats and scarves to go outside.
“Is it snowing?”Jing asks.
I nod.We say goodbye to the owner and exit.I hook my arm into Jing’s and walk her comfortably back to her apartment, which is only a few blocks away from mine, so we can continue chatting.The snow flurries land lightly on the sidewalk and seem to stick.
When we arrive in the vestibule of her building, Jing turns to me and says, “Nick’s a good guy.You’d have to be made of steel not to be attracted to him.”She holds up the photo of Nick and me on her phone.
“I’msoattracted to him.”It feels good to say it out loud.
“No shame in that,” Jing says.
“He came with me to my interviews because I sprained my ankle when I tripped and fell into his lap.”At least my ankle is better now.I iced it again last night.
“Smooth move,” Jing says.
“So not smooth,” I say.
“I beg to disagree,” Jing says.“You ended up in his lap.”
I laugh.“He blinked goodbye at me.Do you think that means anything?”
“That meansI love youin cat language,” Jing says.
I pout.“At least Sherlock loves me.”
It won’t be too bad.Nick will be happy to practice late at night.But he does seem to be picky about who he dates, given that he doesn’t date.And he’s probably not going to want to give any credence to thatVarietyreport.It’s not like I want to go around pretending that report is correct.I’m supposed to be a hard-hitting reporter, not some rock star’s floozy flunky girlfriend.Luckily, nobody at work seems to have recognized me.And those bunny slippers.I’m throwing those out.My bag feels especially heavy as I climb up the worn, wooden stairs to my apartment.
Nick’s door is slightly ajar.Weird.I unlock my door.
Nick sticks his head out his door as if my thoughts conjured him up.
“Maddie, I have a huge favor to ask of you,” he says.
“You do?”This could be good.
He nods.He looks so serious.“You never replied to my text of that photo inVariety.”
Because what should I reply?Was he horrified?Why did he send that to me?His “FYI” gave no context.
“I still can’t believe it,” I say.“But congratulations.You’ve got paparazzi.What’s happening with your MusEn deal?Do they want to sign you?”
“They did.”His tone sounds so dismal.
“Theydid?”
“But now they’re worried that I’m a PR risk because of that woman’s video.And she put up another one complaining that I’m cheating on her with you.”
“But she’s a total fraudster.”
“Right.It’s even worse that I’m now affiliated with her and that she served jail time for defrauding an older couple.The record company is concerned that the next headline will quote the lyrics of my last song about ‘looking for the one’ as ‘looking for the perfect victim to defraud.’Or so they said.”He bites his lip.“But if I could say that you were my real girlfriend…”
My heart thuds.“Your real girlfriend?”
“I’ll do anything if you’ll fake date me,” he says.
“Fake date you.”Hurray for my saying that in an even tone.Nick doesn’t want to date me.He wants to pretend we’re dating.
He says, “I know you can barely tolerate me, and the way you just said that… You sound less than thrilled.But this is my career on the line.And you would have to promise to noteverdo a tell-all article.Maybe you could sign an NDA.”
