Page 52 of For Eva

She filled my cup before heading off to the next table. I doused the coffee with cream and sugar and watched the liquid swirl as I moved a spoon through it.

I’d been settled into the booth at the hotel restaurant for a good while, trying to wrap my head around how to tell Eric he had to get his shit together. Not only because we were in danger of losing the tour, but because I was genuinely concerned about him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure approaching the booth. My heart quickened, and my first instinct was to attempt to casually turn my head toward the wall and let my hair fall over the side of my face.

“Eva?”

Fuck.

I swept my hair behind my shoulder and turned to face him, staring up into a pair of eyes that looked like the life had been drained out of them. Dark circles, made even more prominent by the paleness of his skin, framed his lids. I swallowed and glanced back down at the table.

“Hey,” I said.

Eric slid into the seat across from me, his long legs brushing mine underneath the table.

“So. Who spiked the punch last night?” He cracked an emotionless smile and motioned for the waitress.

My face tightened as she returned to the table, her cheeks tinted pink. She clearly recognized Eric and was starstruck, even though he looked like shit.

“Can I get a Bloody Mary—heavy on the vodka, light on all the other shit that goes in it?” He winked and shot her sly grin.

“Of course.” She giggled and shifted her wide blue eyes from side to side, as she pulled a napkin and pen out of the apron tied around her waist. “And would you mind giving me an autograph?”

He smirked, picked up the pen, and scribbled his signature on the napkin. She smiled and swiped it from the table, stuffing it back into her apron.

“Thank you,” she said, her cheeks still flushed.

“Anytime…Kristi,” he said, studying the name tag pinned over her ample right breast.

She let out a little squeal of excitement and hurried away to put his order in at the bar.

I ran my hand through my hair and let out an incredulous laugh.

He looked across the table and shrugged. “What?”

I pressed my lips together. “Eric, you fucked up last night’s show beyond all recognition. And now you’re ordering a drink at nine in the fucking morning? Have you even been to sleep?”

Eric rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. I forgot some lyrics. So what?”

“Forgot the entire set list is more like it.”

“You’re being dramatic.”

I sighed and shook my head. “No, I’m not. You’re just not taking this seriously.”

Kristi returned to the table with his drink and placed it in front of him. “Heavy on the vodka,” she said, her voice shaking with excitement.

“Thanks, doll,” Eric said, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a large sip. His hand shook as he set it back down. “It’s perfect.”

“Let me know if you needanythingelse.”

Eric’s eyes scanned her body. “Will do.”

I sucked in a deep breath. “We need to talk about this, and I need you to listen.”

“Okay, Eva.” He leaned back against the seat and folded his arms behind his head. “What do you want to tell me? That I fucked up some words? That I missed some cues? Big fucking deal.”

“It was beyond that, Eric, and you know it. Or maybe you don’t. You’ve been so messed up lately, and I—”

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