Alice sniffed too.“Is something burning?”
“Shit.The bacon!”I tore through the room to rescue the bacon.
Alice came back and settled behind the island again, watching me like I was her own personal cooking show.“So what’s your plan for the day?”
“Eh, I was just going to hang out.We have a show tonight.”
“I know.I work at the same place.”
I smirked at her snotty tone.I loved her attitude.It was no wonder we’d ended up in bed together.The only wonder was the fact that it took so long.
“Speaking of work…”
A knot formed in my stomach at her tone.I feigned nonchalance and said, “yeah” kinda distractedly.
“Would you mind if we didn’t tell anyone about this?”
“What?”I turned around to face her, then jumped away from the stove and popping bacon.Maybe I should’ve kept the robe.I shook my head as I took a spot next to the sink.I had to take a breath.It felt like the room was narrowing in on me.“You don’t want people knowing about you and me?”
Alice lifted a shoulder and looked away.
Shit.This was because of me.She didn’t want people to know she was with a loser drug addict.
Because I was a loser drug addict.Would always be a loser drug addict.
After a beat, she turned serious eyes at me.“I know you’re not technically my boss, but you are the one with the power in this relationship.You’re the household name.You’re the one everyone cares about keeping happy.I’m just starting out with my own band.”Her eyes sheened for a second, and she looked away again.“I don’t want people thinking I’m with you for your connections—that I’m sleeping my way to the top.”
It wasn’t ideal, but I got it.And hell, I’d probably do anything for this woman.“Yeah,” I finally whispered.“We can do that.”
“Noah.”I heard her chair scrape against the floor and then her arms came around me.“I hope you know that this isn’t because of you.I like you.You’re an awesome man.”
An awesome man she wasn’t all that thrilled to publicly claim as her own.
But still, I slung my arm around her and pulled her into me.Taking a deep breath, I rested my head on hers for a moment.
I couldn’t deny the hit my ego had taken now that I knew she didn’t want to tell anyone about us.She could say it wasn’t about me, but it wasn’t exactly easy to believe.She’d hated me for so long before this.
Why would she want anyone to know about me?I was a fucking trainwreck.
After one more squeeze, I pulled away and turned back to the stove.“How do you like your eggs?”
I could feel her eyes staring a hole into my back.She gave a sigh then retreated back to her chair.“However you’re making them is fine.I’m easy.”
That was probably an in for a joke, but I didn’t rise to the bait.I was too deep in my pity party to take a swing.
“DJ seems to be settling in pretty well.”
I grunted in reply.
“Anything I can do to help?Make toast or something?”
I shook my head.“I got it.Should be ready in a few minutes.”
Alice sighed again, then I heard her push away from the island and walk away.
Something told me it was a sound I should start getting used to.
But to my surprise, she was back in a few seconds with her phone in hand.She thumbed through her phone at the bar, and I watched our eggs cook like my life depended on it.
