I open the door and delight in the way his gaze eats me up.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“What’s this about lunch?” I tilt my head and enjoy sweeping my gaze up his trim waist and bare chest.
He braces himself on the doorjamb and leans in. “I thought I’d make you a meal for a change.”
“That’s really sweet.” My heart does a little flutter thing and I swear I fall a little harder.
“Don’t get too excited.” He winces and lets loose a chuckle. “I can’t cook for shit. I hope you like pasta. Plain. With butter.”
“Sounds delish.” I glance down before meeting his gaze. “Give me a minute to get dressed?”
“Only because the guys could come back any second.” He reaches for my hip, tugs me forward and captures my lips in a sweet kiss. “Otherwise, I’d insist on a skimpy towel as the dress code.”
I step back into the bathroom, my hand on the doorknob. We’re back to that goofy, stupid smile thing again. It takes all my effort to shut the door, but somehow I get it closed. I don’t know what I was worried about. Leighton is a good man. He’s into me, he really is, and I have no reason to doubt that.
* * *
The guys returnwithin the hour and from then on it’s go, go, go. I’m beat by the time they take the stage, but rally to cheer them on. Nothing can shake my happiness. Even Bedo doesn’t creep me out with his cryptic questions and snarky comments. We all retreat to our hotel rooms for the night, and as soon as I’m inside mine, I text Leighton with the number. Five minutes later he knocks on my door and I let him inside where we kiss and he makes love to me before we both succumb to sleep.
I wake the next morning to my alarm. After I silence my phone, I roll over to reach for Leighton but find him gone. I can’t deny I’m a little disappointed, though I understand. We haven’t really talked about being open with our relationship. I’m not sure it’s a good idea, though part of me wants to stake my claim to the world. Hold his hand in public. Kiss him whenever I want. But this isn’t solely about us; what we do affects the band, and then there’s the press.
Not wanting to dwell on all the obstacles we have to overcome, I sit up and stretch. My body is sore in places it’s never been before, a reminder of our intimacy. He was worried about that last night, and insisted on going down on me before we made love. A pointless argument because I can’t imagine ever refusing him that. The man knows exactly how to make me come.
I use the restroom and get my toiletries out of my bag when I spot a note on the hotel dresser. I recognize his handwriting instantly.
O,
Thank you for last night,
and yesterday,
and for however long you’ll have me.
I won’t stop until I memorize every inch of your skin,
the taste of your lips,
and the lines of your soul.
L
I don’t know whether he realizes it or not, but this . . . this note is everything. I fold the hotel paper carefully, with love, and tuck it inside the notebook I never leave behind. Right beside the ten letters of my father’s. To have a love note of my own strikes a chord of inner joy and I swoon. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you want something until the gift is yours. A longing to be cherished and appreciated runs deep in my soul. For the first time I think it might be in reach.
My phone buzzes from where it’s plugged into the night stand and I walk the short distance to check my messages.
Lexi: Just landed. See you soon!
I glance at the time again, and this time I get my butt in the shower. The morning’s almost over and my sister’s on her way. Today’s the big day. The moment I show her a little piece of my heart. As nervous as I am, there’s excitement too. I think the guys are right. There’s no way she won’t love the song I wrote.
* * *
I meetup with Lexi in the hotel lobby, and join her and Trent for lunch. She tells us about the last few weeks. Recording her HBO special and tales on the road. It’s nice catching up on the time we’ve been apart, and even though I am, I don’t feel like a third wheel. Now that I’ve spent time working for Trent, our conversation comes easy. We’re friends. If the smile on my sister’s face is any indication, she’s happy for our shared comradery.
“Alright ladies, we need to head over to the studios. Sound check’s at three,” Trent announces after paying the check.
We hail a cab outside and a short time later we pull up to the iconic 30 Rock building. Through tourists and city goers, we make our way inside and catch the elevator.
