“Suityourself, sweetheart, but be sure to take good care of him, okay?”
Mymouth fell open to protest as Kylie’s features contorted with more anger than Ithought possible. Before I could say anything, she pushed the blonde’s handsoff my chest.
“Idon’t think so,” she spat out, and the girl glared angrily at her.
“You’rethat bitch he pulled on stage,” she pushed from her heaving chest. “Why wouldhe chooseyouoverme?”
BeforeKylie could open her mouth again, I wrapped an arm around her, squeezingreassuringly. I held up a hand to the stick-thin blonde and smiled politely,appreciatively even. “She’s actually my wife, sothatwould be why, andI’m not interested in anybody else. But, I’m sure Robbie is quite capable of,uh … showing you a good time.”
Kylie’sgaze was glued to me, my t-shirt clenched between her fingers, while the blondeblinked her disbelief.
“You’remarried?” She shook her head, as though she didn’t want to accept itcould be possible that I’d be in a committed relationship.
Hereyes fixated ahead of her, at Kylie’s hand on my chest. “So, why isn’t shewearing a ring then?”
Icouldn’t believe the audacity of this woman, challenging me and the status ofmy relationship with the love of my life. Asking these questions, as though shehad a right to know. My eyebrowtwitchedand I foughtthe urge to blast her with every defensive retort pulsing through me. But Iglanced to Richard and saw the look in his eyes. A warning, cut with sympathy,and I inhaled deeply.
“We,uh, don’t believe in material things?” I glanced at Kylie to back me up and shenodded affirmatively. Satisfied, I turned to the blonde, saw the acceptance ofher disappointment, and tossed in, “Would you like me to sign something foryou, though?” I felt strange for asking. I felt powerful for having a reason toask.
Shereached into her tiny sequined purse for her ticket, and Richard handed over aSharpie. It was the most surreal moment, seeing my hand scribble the same nameprinted on that ticket. Like I was posing as someone far more important thanDevin O’Leary, contractor. But when I handed it back to her, I watched as sheexamined it. Pleased and clutching it to her chest. Smiling with childish aweup at me, and it was in that very moment when I realized Devin O’Leary,contractor, was dead.
“Thankyou,” she breathed, her chest heaving with labored breaths.
“Thankyoufor coming out,” I said with a genuine smile, capping the Sharpieand stuffing it into the pocket of the unfamiliar jacket. “Have a good night.”
Andwith my arm around Kylie’s shoulders and my heart pumping a mile a minute, Iwalked us toward the door that would lead us to the black van, where a driverwas waiting to take us back to the hotel. Where I would take all my remainingadrenaline and make love to her, and hopefully have a good night’s rest beforechecking out and heading toward New Jersey.
Outside,there was a small swarm of women waiting for me. While the other guys andRobbie’s companion climbed into the van, I stayed out for a few minutes. WithKylie and Richard hanging in the background, I took the requested selfies andsigned concert tickets, and when I finally said my goodnights, I climbed intothe back of the van with Kylie at my side.
Shekissed me hard and whispered a breathless “wow” against my lips.
“Yeah,”I agreed in a whisper, to keep the others from hearing over the radio. “Thisshit is getting fucking crazy.”
“Yeah,it is,” she said, nodding, “but that’s not what I was referring to.”
“What?”I asked, my eyes dropping to her lips as I imagined how good they were going tofeel around my aching erection.
“Youcalled me your wife,” she said quietly, glancing quickly at the blonde in themiddle row, and just like that, my thoughts were pure again.
Myeyes met hers. “Yeah, well, I needed to make her back off.”
Kyliedropped her gaze to my chest with a hopeful smile tugging at her lips. “Is thattheonlyreason?”
Thepounding of my heart decreased to a series of nervous flutters. “And maybe itkind of feels like you already are my wife.”
Itfelt as though I had just asked her to marry me, and maybe I had, unofficially.And maybe I hoped she would accept, unofficially, because everything else wascoming true for me, so why not that?
Sheedged closer, lifted her gaze and reached out to grip my t-shirt between herfingers. “When the tour is over andyou’reback home,will you ask me?”
“Askyou, what?”
Witha smile as beautiful as my love for her, she said, “To marry you.”
“Soyou can reject me in the comfort of our own home and notin front of these people?” I teased, lowering my lips to hers.
“No,”she said, reaching up to tug at my hair. She sighed; I knew she was going tomiss it.
“Thenwhy?” I asked again, teasing the ends of her hair with my fingertips.
