“That kinda undermines the whole point.We want people to talk about you, talk about the band.”Harper shrugged and pulled the dancer’s picture back up.“We’ll do a thorough background check before we make contact.But I don’t think an NDA is a good idea.She could refuse to sign then tell everyone we asked for one which wouldn’t be a good look either.”
Noah nodded tightly, his eyes focused on the gorgeous woman on the laptop screen.
Harper tilted her head.“Do you want to look at any of the other applications I pulled?”
“No.Let’s go with her, assuming she passes backgrounds.”Noah sat back and drummed his thumb against his leg in a rhythm only he could hear.“I think you’re right about the whole local thing.I wanna find someone for myself.”
I felt a little pang in my chest that I really didn’t want to name.
“Good.”Harper’s eyes twinkled along with her grin.“I like this, Noah.I’m feeling optimistic about this one.”
He grunted.“At least one of us is.”
I didn’t want to label what I was feeling.
But it was weird and wrong.
Chapter 16
Noah
It felt likeGroundhog’s Day.Another day, another ridiculous date with a stranger.
Only this time I’d had to dress up—like a fucking kid going to pick his date up for prom.
I was just guessing there.I didn’t actually go to prom.Seemed like a waste of money since I didn’t have a steady girl.So instead, Xander and I had snuck into a seedy bar and listened to a shitty band and felt like heroes.Mostly because we were drinking underage in public, but also because we totally played better than those assholes.
The car slowed and stopped for a light, shoving me back into the present when I almost slid off the seat.Harper had insisted on a limo.Again.I wanted to drive myself—especially since last time my date took off and left me without the ride I’d paid for—but apparently, I was a stupid man who didn’t get it.Or at least that was what Ella told me.She also muttered something about being able to afford ten limos, like that was the point.
I craned my neck to look out the window behind us, where she followed the limo in her sporty Jeep Wrangler.
Because like last time, this wasn’t really a date.It was another promo opportunity.I was kinda sorta whoring myself out for the band.Again.
I sat back in my seat with a groan.
My heart thudded unevenly in my chest and my breath came faster and faster.God, I felt so stupid.I don’t know why we were all pretending this was the thing that was going to fix me.
Some things were irretrievably broken.
When my hands started shaking, I knew I had to do something.
Strong emotions were a trigger.They’d make me reach for alcohol or my drug of choice to either prolong or suppress whatever I was feeling.
And god, did I ever want to suppress shit right now.
But I did the responsible thing—I reached for my cell and called my sponsor.
I couldn’t remember where in the world he was at the moment.There was a good chance he was already asleep.
But he answered on the third ring.“Hey, man.How you doing?”
“Not great, Mal.”I pinched the bridge of my nose like that would make the feelings go away.
My phone buzzed; Mal wanted to switch our call to a video call.I hit the accept button with a sigh.
“What’s going on?”Mal asked with a frown.His long brown hair was undone and all spread out on a pillow.It looked from the background that he was in a hotel room somewhere.But it was too dark to make out much.
I groaned.“I’m going on another Win-A-Date date.You know, since last time went so brilliantly.We’re enroute to pick her up.”
