Page 34 of The Librarian and the Rock Star

“That’s a generous tip,” I commented, putting on my jacket and slinging on my purse.

Jack shrugged. “We moved a bunch of stuff around for the interview, and who knows if I put it back in the right spot. Plus we used every single coffee mug.”

“We’re jerks,” I laughed. “Look at us, trashing a hotel room!”

His grin was so sweet it nearly overwhelmed his stunning eyes. “Welcome to being one of those asshole rock star types.”

“Yeah, we’re the worst.”

We headed down to the lobby, and as we neared the row of taxis waiting outside the front entrance of the hotel, Jack seemed to get jittery again.

“What’s wrong?”

He set his bags down, scooping me into his arms for a giant hug. “I hate goodbyes, they really disturb me. Please know that I’ll be thinking of you every minute until I get back to Toronto.”

“I’ll see you Thursday,” I murmured against his chest. “That’s only a few days. And Vancouver is really warm right now, you can go for some lovely walks.” He gave me a curious look, until I added, “Okay, I checked the weather there this morning.”

He laughed. “Research addict.”

I nodded, then stopped. “Hey, If your entire support base is in Toronto, why would Paul move you out to Vancouver?”

Jack shook his head. “He said he wanted to make us seem like a more mature band.”

“And you thought that was a good idea?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. The rest of the guys seems to go along with it.”

“Or did they just go along with it because they follow you, and you were being agreeable?”

“Hmm.” His lips mashed into a straight line.

I held my hands up to indicate that I was just asking questions, no judgment. “Hey – sometimes people just follow the leader, you know?”

“Okay, I hear you. But Paul said he had a vision for us, so we went out there.”

“What was the vision?”

Jack looked perplexed. “You know, he never told us, that I recall.”

I grinned, trying to cheer him up. “Now we have a little project. Text me that you got home safe.”

He grabbed me, tipping me backwards in a huge, dramatic movie star kiss. It was impossibly romantic, but after a moment I tapped his arm to put me down. “People are looking,” I said, blushing furiously.

“Let them stare. You’re so beautiful, it will be a treat for them.” He grabbed his bags and we headed out the door

“Have a boring flight!” I called as he jumped into a cab. He waved out the back window until they turned the corner.

19. Strangely Empty

After spending so much time with such an energetic, charismatic man for a few days, I felt strangely empty the moment he left. It wasn’t like me to get attached to someone right away. Mind you, it wasn’t like me to really get attached to anyone. I tended to go my own way, and if anyone didn’t fit perfectly, I’d mentally check out.

Jack was completely engaging. Immersive. It was like the entire world lit up a bit when he was around. I’ve never done drugs, but I’ve heard people say that cocaine is the same way. I’ve tried energy drinks, and it’s a bit similar. Everything and everyone is amplified a bit. Things are funnier, brighter, more fascinating.

I’m not sure whether it was him, or the way he made me feel about myself when I was with him. I’ve never considered myself sexy, desirable, or intriguing. But here I was feeling like an alternate universe version of myself, and truly loving it.

I also felt myself being drawn into his spotlight, his strange manic energy that made everyone look at him. It was totally unnerving, and exciting beyond belief.

The steadfast, routine-based part of me wanted to get back to normal and put this nonsense behind me. There were more pressing matters to deal with, like straightening out the entire employee communication system at the library. But the part of me who desperately needed a change, a kick in the pants of life, couldn’t believe the perfect timing of Jack dropping into my world.

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