Page 104 of One More Made Up Love Song
“Do you remember that time you got the flu?” she asks. “At the beginning of your Heartbeats tour?”
“Vaguely?” I’ve been sick more than once on tour, so I don’t know exactly which time she’s referencing. But I know thatall timeshave been terrible.
“We were on the bus, and you wouldn’t let me into your room because you didn’t want me to get sick, but you also didn’t want to be alone.”
“So I made a bed on the floor next to my door, and you sat on the other side,” I say, remembering that night, how much of a comfort it was to know she was close.
“That’s when I knew,” she says. “Up until then, you’d been this larger-than-life rockstar, but that night, you were just a guy. We talked for hours, and you were either high onyour meds or high from your fever because you were so incredibly honest. And vulnerable about stuff that made you seem so normal.” She shrugs. “I was cramped and uncomfortable and desperate for sleep and I still didn’t want to be anywhere else. I figured that could only mean one thing.”
“I guess you didn’t want to tellthatstory to Vivica Rose.”
She leans over and gives me a quick kiss. “I do like having some things that only belong to us.”
I nod, agreeing with her, but I’m still struggling to wrap my head around her having feelings for so long without telling me. “That was still years ago, Ivy. Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“Because when you hired me, I promised I wouldn’t fall in love with you. And I wanted to take my job seriously, and it just felt like such a clichéd thing to do. Falling in love with my rockstar boss.”
“It would not have been a cliché,” I argue. “I would have…” My words trail off because honestly, I’m not surewhatI would have done.
“See?” she says gently, calling me out. “I might have been pining away all this time, but your feelings are relatively new, right? Had I said something sooner, we might not be here right now.”
“I like to think I would have wanted to try,” I say. “That it would have woken me up sooner.”
She shrugs. “Maybe. But maybe not. And for that reason, I’m okay with how things have played out now.” She nudges my leg with her knee, which she has pulled up under her. “No regrets. We’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
She’s right. I know she’s right. “So, speaking of your employment. I know you mentioned wanting a job with Voltage Records, and I’m still happy to write you the bestrecommendation in the world. But I’ve also been thinking about the changes to your employment package that come with being my manager. And before you make any final decisions, I was hoping you’d hear me out?”
She grins. “Are you trying to woo me into not quitting?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “Unabashedly.”
“Okay. Give it your best shot,” she says. “But I’m not making any promises.”
“So, the downside is you’re going to lose your salary,” I say. “The upside is that instead, you’ll get twenty percent of gross artist revenue.”
Her eyes widen. “Freddie, that’s…”
“I know,” I say. “You’re worth it.”
She clears her throat. “Okay, well…that’s definitely something to consider.”
“I was also thinking we’d have to do something about your sleeping arrangements on the bus. That little bunk—it’s too small for a manager.”
She lifts her eyebrows, a smile playing around her lips. “Is it now?”
“Definitely,” I say, keeping my tone serious. I lean over and kiss her, my lips hovering over hers when I say, “The bed inmyroom, however…”
She laughs and pushes against my chest. “You reallyareinsufferable.”
I capture her hand, weaving our fingers together and pull it close to my chest, holding it there as I look at her. “I will support you if you want to work somewhere else. But I also don’t want to tour without you. I want you close. I want every opportunity to build on this.” I motion between us. “On us.”
“I want that too,” she says, and my heart expands enough to fill the entire back porch. “Honestly, Freddie, half thereason I wanted to quit was so I could figure out how to fall out of love with you.”
“That sounds horrible,” I say, and she grins.
“Wellnowit does,” she says through a chuckle. “I don’t want to quit. But we have to hire you another assistant. My job is too much for one person.”
“So maybe we need to hireyouan assistant,” I say.
