Page 57 of My Omega's Baby
“What are the words?”
He squinted. “You ripped my heart out, you stupid jerk. I should have known it would never work.”
I couldn’t help it, and I chuckled. “Seriously?”
He nodded with a grin. “That’s my number one song. Are you dissing me?”
“No way.” I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing some more. “I like songs that rhyme.” Now that I thought about it, I’d actually heard that song on the radio.
“Damn straight.” He finished off his beer and grabbed another. “That one song paid for my ginormous house in Aspen.” He looked out the window, and his expression became somber. “I write good stuff too, but it’s the crap that sells.”
“Crap is a strong word.”
He slid his gaze to mine. “Appreciate the tact. But it is what it is.”
“Well, at least you get to enjoy the good life. You make a nice living, and you have adoring fans all around the world.”
He grimaced. “I guess. But they don’t really know me, so they actually adore a guy who doesn’t exist.”
I didn’t respond since I had no idea what to say.
He gave a self-conscious laugh. “Sorry. I’m in a weird mood.”
“Maybe because you’re going home?”
“You’re smart.” He smiled. “That’s exactly it. Going back to my hometown has me all uptight.”
“Do you have family there still?”
He nodded and his expression darkened. “But my parents and I aren’t exactly close.”
“They don’t approve of your rock ’n’ roll lifestyle?”
His laugh was hard. “They don’t approve of anything about me.” He bit his lip. “I’m gay.”
I kept my face blank. His sexual orientation had nothing to do with me. “And?”
He laughed. “And my parents are super religious and embarrassed by me. I know it’s nuts that in 2017 being gay is still a thing for some people, but they’re as closed-minded as ever.” He held my gaze. “Of course when I bought them a brand-new Mercedes, they pushed through and were able to overlook it for a moment.”
“Naturally.”
“You won’t tell anyone, right?”
I frowned. “That you’re gay?” If he was worried about his privacy, I wasn’t sure why he’d shared that secret with a stranger. But sometimes people did confide in me about really personal things. I guess because I was in charge of their safety, they felt they could trust me about everything.
He nodded.
“Of course not. Your fans have no idea?” I wondered how he kept that a secret. Especially if he was followed around by paparazzi.
“There are rumors. But my manager, Tom, just denies them, and we go on like always.” He sighed. “It’s a drag to be sure, but ninety percent of my fan base is female, and Tom thinks it would hurt my career.”
“People are weird.”
“Yeah,” he said softly. “I think my fans would accept me, but I have a lot of people who depend on me for their livelihood. Tom says it isn’t my choice to make.”
I frowned. “Of course it’s your choice. It’s your life.”
He looked around as if he was nervous. “Don’t let Tom hear you say that.”
