Page 8 of Stuck With My Rockstar Boss
Lucas follows my plan to a T, laughs and grips my waist. He’s a good actor because if I didn’t know he was faking, I’d think he might want me.
“This okay?” he rasps in my ear.
“Perfect,” I reply and stroke my hand through his hair.
The giddy fans look at us with wide eyes and start whispering to each other. Our charade is sufficient enough to make them back off. I retreat from Lucas and sit back on my stool. “We’re good,” I announce although I sort of hoped we weren’t. I’d have to up the ante, then.
The worry from Lucas’s face has dissipated. Now it looks like he’s on the cusp of laughter. “That really worked?”
“Oh yeah. Of course, it did. What are they gonna do? Come over and tell me to back off of my boyfriend?”
Lucas bursts into laughter. A little too hard for my taste. Is that such a ridiculous idea? Is he that out of my league? “You’re fun, Mika,” he adds at the tail end of his laugh.
I smile at him. “Stick with me, kid. The fun never ends.” I almost want to gag at how stupid that sounds. Luckily, the bartender interrupts and keeps me from saying anything else totally idiotic. I order a Sazerac, a classic Louisiana cocktail, and Lucas orders the same. “Copycat,” I say, jostling my knee against his after the bartender is gone to make our drinks.
“You just seem like you know what you’re doing. Like you had the day planned out perfectly.”
I snort. “I never know what I’m doing.”
“Ah, I guess you’re a good actress, then.”
I smile. Our drinks arrive and I take a sip, the bitter whisky and absinthe blooming on my tongue. “I just… you know, I love being a backup singer. It’s really fun to be out there with you guys every night, but if I’m being honest, getting to explore these amazing cities is the real reason I keep going on tour.”
Lucas considers me, his green eyes tightening at the corners. “I totally get that. I wish I had more opportunities to do that. Without getting recognized by everyone and their uncle,” he says, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. He looks into the pool of his glass. “How do you think today went, Mika?”
I like the way he says my name. Not hard on the ‘k’ like some people. It comes out smooth and sweet. “I think…”
“Be honest,” he suddenly adds and takes a big swig of his drink. “If you want to say forget the whole thing, I won’t be mad.”
“Well, how do you think it went, Lucas?”
Lucas’s eyebrows twitch as if he’s surprised I asked. “Um. Well, I think it went… really great, actually. I had a really good time. And just having you around puts me at ease. Like, don’t get me wrong, I still get really nervous around a lot of people, but having you at least makes it a little manageable. Does that make sense?”
I grin. “I’m glad you feel that way. I mean, that’s the point, right?”
Lucas looks at me expectantly. He’s just poured his heart out to me and now he needs to know if it was in vain.
“I think it was great. I think we should do it again.” Fuck, it sounds like I’m telling him I had a nice time on a date.
Relief passes over his face. “Thank god.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, just–it means a lot, Mika,” Lucas announces. “Like a lot a lot.”
I look down into my lap and try to keep myself from blushing. “Let’s not forget you’re paying me, so it’s not totally out of the goodness of my heart.” Even though my heart is totally in it.
“Right, totally,” Lucas laughs lightly. “I just never get to go out and see the cities like I’d like to. What’s the point of traveling the fucking world if you can’t see it?”
“Exactly.”
“You’re more than a chaperone, you’re like my own personal tour guide.”
I raise my hands up in a shrug. “Call me Tripadvisor.”
He holds up his glass. “To my own personal Tripadvisor.”
“I’ll drink to that,” I say. We clink our glasses and both take a gulp of Sazerac. It burns in the best way. “We just have to make sure there aren’t any pictures or anything. I don’t want to see my face on TMZ. Ken would have my job.”
