Page 14 of Stuck With My Rockstar Boss
If I had one more drink in me, I’d kiss him. If I was just a little bit more willing to say “fuck it” and give into the adventure.
But I can’t. I just can’t.
I break away from him suddenly. “Bathroom!” I mutter quickly and then stumble off the dance floor to the back of the bar. I follow the signs to the restrooms and lock myself in the women’s which is marked only by a wrought iron mermaid on the door. So dumb.
I go right to the sink and lean over it to catch my breath. I look up into the mirror. I’ve got a bit of a sunburn on my cheeks. And my hair looks greasy. I need a shower. A cold one. I turn on the water and splash a bit on my face which always seems to work in movies but does nothing for me now. What is happening? Why is it happening? It’s just Lucas. I know Lucas! I’ve been around Lucas before… never this close, but–
There’s a knock on the door. “Mika? You okay?”
“Shit. Yeah. Sorry.” I dart over to the door and throw it open. His eyes are wide and worried. “I felt faint, I just–”
“I got so worried, I–”
“I won’t drink so much next time. That was totally out of line.”
Lucas doesn’t speak for a moment. Recognition passes over his face, as if he remembers what this actually is. What it’s always been.
Business.
“Right…” he says quietly.
“We should go,” I say with a sheepish smile. “Hit the sack. Orlando tomorrow. We could hit Epcot. Drink around the world. Or you could drink around the world. I’ll just watch. Anyway.” I brush past him to avoid him being able to see how embarrassed I am and how bad I’m flushing.
We drive back in silence, except for the radio. A Soul Sounds song comes on: “Snake in the Grass”, which Lucas immediately turns off. It was their first big hit. They have to play it at every concert. I’m sure he’s tired of it, just like Robert Plant is tired of ‘Stairway to Heaven’.
“I’m sorry,” I say smally.
“Hm?”
“I’m… I’m sorry. That was just really uncool of me.”
Lucas frowns, not looking away from the road. “What are you talking about?”
“Just. I’m meant to be looking out for you. Not the other way around. That’s all you did today.”
“You’ve saved me more times than I can count. In much worse positions than this.”
I think about what happened at the end of last tour. The details I don’t know. I just know it sounded like he needed help, so I called security. That isn’t anything. That isn’t…
The car rolls to a stop light. Lucas drops his hands into his lap and looks over at me. “Mika. You know that’s not how this works right?”
“It’s exactly how it works. I’m supposed to–”
“Chaperone. Not take care of,” he says.
“But you pay me.”
“Yeah, because why should you have to lug me around town or walk with me back out to the bus when I forget my phone?”
“I just want to help,” I say.
Lucas laughs. “And you do. You take my mind off everything. You had me dancing in the middle of a tiki bar. I can’t do that with anyone else right now.”
His face is so soft looking. Still with all the angles, but so vulnerable and gentle.
“You make me feel normal, Mika. Thank you.”
I’ve never been so happy for someone to tell me that I made them feel “normal.” Normal has always felt like a nasty word. But for Lucas to feel normal when we’re together? That’s the best fucking compliment I’ve ever gotten.
