Page 39 of Stuck With My Rockstar Boss
14
Mika
This morning has been a whirlwind. To the airport and now back to the buses. I’m squeezed in the backseat between Dylan and Lucas. The energy in the car is jovial and excitable. Everyone’s talking about how this is a big fuck you to the label and how exciting it is.
Lucas hasn’t let go of my hand since we left the airport. Right now, he’s stroking it gently with his thumb. I lean my head on his shoulder. He kisses the crown of my head.
“Lucas and Mika, sitting in a tree…” Jay starts to taunt, looking at us in the rearview. Dylan flicks his ear.
I grin and turn my gaze to Lucas. He looks back sweetly. “I’ll take care of everything, Mika.”
“It’s in my contract,” I murmur back. “I knew from the start I couldn’t.”
“No, that’ll get worked out. I mean the house. Your parents. I’ll take care of it,” Lucas says firmly.
I suck in a tight breath. It would certainly be easy to let him erase all my problems with his bank account. But things are still so fresh and new. I don’t know if I could ever accept that from him. “No, you can’t.”
“Yes, I can,” he says with a lopsided smile. “I want to. You’re my girl.”
I nestle into his chest. His girl. That’s a nice thing to hear. “You have no idea what that means to me. But I can’t accept that.”
Lucas frowns but doesn’t question it. He nods.
Maybe I’m too headstrong. Maybe I should just accept his help. His charity. I don’t want to start things like this. The power dynamic already exists: his fame and my lack thereof. We don’t need to make the gap bigger by him picking up the tab of not just me but my parents. “If I can get my contract reinstated with the label, then I’ll be just fine. I always work it out. Always,” I say softly, more of a promise to myself than an actual belief.
“I don’t doubt you will,” he says, although I can detect he wants to say more.
“What if we all pitch in?” Dylan suddenly pipes up from my other side. “We take it on four ways, that’s–”
Jay snorts in laughter. “Take it on four ways…”
“Do you want me to flick you again?” Dylan growls.
“No…” Jay touches his ear that’s still a little red from the last flick.
I laugh. For grown men, they sure can act like kids around each other. “Dylan, I appreciate it, but I just can’t accept your money. It just doesn’t feel right.”
Dylan puts his hand on his chin and leans back, looking out the window. “We’ll think of something.”
Lucas kisses the crown of my head and, for now, I won’t think about the issues of the house or my parents. I’ve got him back and that will make all of this easier, however it shakes out.
§
Back at the buses, the guys are working overtime making calls to Ken and the label, all staunchly saying they won’t perform if I’m not rehired. I think it’s ridiculous, but there’s never a hesitation from any of them. Perhaps it’s a testament to how tight their bond is. Lucas’s happiness is paramount to the band. And I’m sure if any of them were in his position, Lucas would do the same.
“The lawyers are meeting now. You’ve really put the biggest wrench in this day as possible,” Ken grumbles over the phone.
“I’d say sorry, but…” Lucas says with a glance my way.
I blush. I’ve tried to remain as quiet as possible in the background of all these calls so that I can just be an accessory in all of this.
“If we’re amending Mika’s contract, we have to amend everyone’s which means that we have to get all the signatures and that means everyone. We might have to postpone tonight’s concert.”
“We can come back to Oakland. It’s a short flight,” Dylan says, nonplussed.
Ken replies inaudibly. It’s probably some cursing. But this is the business. No one said working with superstars was easy.
“I’ve got an idea,” Jay suddenly pipes up from the kitchenette where he’s just made a bowl of popcorn.
