“And that new song. ‘Pink’? That’s a hit in the making right there,” Rick continues. “A little fine tuning is all it would take to turn it into a chart topper.”
“No shit?” I rub my jaw. I wrote it for Ellie, never thinking it could be an actual hit. I just wrote it to work my feelings out.
“Very racy,” the attractive woman says with a faint smile, her gaze meeting mine. Her eyes are ice blue, her hair platinum blonde, her skin is smooth as silk, and her tits look ready to bust out of the low neckline of her shirt. “Lots of innuendo.”
“More than innuendo. We can all figure out what you were singing about.” Rick laughs. “Though you don’t come right out and say it.”
“Yeah.” I smile, glancing around at each of them. “I’m glad you enjoyed the performance.”
“We did. We did. We’re, uh, we’re also very interested in the band that opened for you. Cupid’s Bow.” Rick shakes his head, rubbing his jaw with his hand. “Those boys were something else.”
My stomach sinks. “Did you talk to them?”
“We did. We did.” He nods repeatedly, overly enthusiastic. “We set up an appointment with them next week.”
“Great. They’re an awesome bunch of guys,” I say, fighting disappointment.
Rick keeps rambling, and the other guys chime in, introducing themselves to me, though I immediately forget their names. The woman eyes me like a piece of meat she wants to consume. They talk and talk, but they don’t say anything of substance, and that’s when it hits me.
They’re not going to offer a meeting to me. I know it. I can feel it in my bones. And I did this shit to myself. It was my idea to have Cupid’s Bow open for me, and look what it got me.
Straight out of a record deal.
Twenty-Six
Ellie
The moment Jackson walks into the apartment, everyone starts cheering. Calling his name and clapping, Caleb whistling so loud it makes my ears hurt. I clap along with them, my excitement dying the moment I see the look on Jackson’s face.
He’s not happy. Not at all.
Oh, he’s smiling and nodding and holding his hand up, so his friends can slap their palms together. He graciously hugs Ava and Jocelyn, who are both gushing over his performance. Diego gives him a hug too, just before the couple slips out, having to get home so they can relieve their babysitter, which is Jocelyn’s mom and sister.
But I can see it in his eyes, in his entire demeanor. Things didn’t go the way he wanted them to with the record label, and my heart aches for him.
He takes the beer Eli offers him and polishes it off in a couple of gulps. Caleb gives him another beer as I wait for him to come to me, my eyes never straying from him as he moves about the apartment.
It takes him a while to notice me, but I’m not offended. I can tell he needs their accolades. He was feeling down and they’re treating him like the man. I totally get it. I’m just sitting here, listening to Gracie go on about how she got the Snapchat handle from one of the guys in Cupid’s Bow, and how she’s totally going to hit him up.
Finally, Jackson notices me, and the relief that crosses his face when our gazes meet sends a little thrill deep inside me. I sit up straighter, on the edge of the couch, pleased when he settles directly beside me and leans in for a kiss.
I give it to him, right in front of everyone, pleased that he’s not holding back. I’m so used to him doing that. When we were both in high school, he would talk to me for hours on Snap, and then pretend I barely existed in person. It devasted me.
To have him kissing me in front of everyone, not giving a crap who sees, is what I’ve wanted for what feels like years.
“Are you all right?” I whisper when he pulls away.
His smile stays firmly in place as he slowly shakes his head. “Not really. We can talk about it later though.”
I touch his cheek, wishing he wasn’t so down. “It’s going to be okay.”
“With you?” He raises a brow.
I nod.
Jackson presses his cheek against mine, his mouth at my ear. “I wish we could go to my room.”
“I wish we could too,” I whisper in return. “But they want to spend time with you.” I wave my hand in the general direction of our friends.