Page 60 of One More Made Up Love Song
“What about your origin story?” Carina asks.
“Like, how we met?” I ask. “That seems pretty obvious.”
“Yeah, but like…when did your relationship turn from boss/assistant to something more? Because probably someone’s going to ask.”
My brain snags on Carina’s words.Boss/assistant.Honestly, we’re good enough friends that I don’t always think of Freddie as my boss. It helps that when it comes to most things, I’m more in charge of his life than he is. He might sign the paychecks, but I keep everything running smoothly. It’s never reallyfeltlike there’s a power dynamic between us. But that doesn’t change the reality. Heismy boss. Thereisa power dynamic whether we give it much heed or not.
And that’s something we both ought to keep in mind.
Freddie nods. “She’s right, but I think the answer is easy enough. We just tell everyone it happened on tour. We spent so much time together, we couldn’t help it.” He looks at me, green eyes bright in the morning sun streaming through the window of the SUV. “We fell in love.”
My heart stills, and I’m momentarily transfixed by the sound of those words delivered by those lips. If he only knew how much I wished the statement were true.
“Aww,” Carina says. “If you say it just like that, everyone will absolutely believe you.”
Minutes later, we pull through a private access gate at the Burbank airport and head toward the chartered jet parked inthe distance. Carina’s eyes are wide as she stares out the window.
“This is so much better than waiting in line at TSA,” she says, and Freddie chuckles.
The SUV pulls to a stop, and Wayne and the driver both jump out. A few other members of Freddie’s security team have already arrived, and they move up to the SUV, pulling double duty as they unload our bags and move them over to the flight team, who will screen our bags before loading them onto the plane.
While Carina gets out on her side of the car, Freddie climbs out too, then turns and reaches in, offering me his hand.
I pause, looking at him, taking in his open, earnest expression, and a sense of trepidation washes over me. Somehow, it feels like taking his hand is the beginning of something I’ll never be able to undo. Like a snowball rolling down a hill.
“You coming?” Freddie asks.
The warmth in his voice gives me the courage I can’t seem to find on my own, and I slide my hand into his.
Here goes freaking nothing.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Freddie
I’m still holdingIvy’s hand, halfway across the tarmac, when Sloane appears in the open doorway of the jet.
I slow my steps, tugging Ivy to a stop beside me. “Uh, did you know Sloane was going to be flying with us today?”
Before Ivy can answer, Kat appears beside Sloane, lifting a hand to wave like her presence should be wholly expected.
“Or Kat?” I add.
It’s a very Sloane move to just show up, but Kat being here is a little more surprising. Then again, I have no idea how the public has responded to the press release she put out, so maybe itisgood she’s here.
“Nope,” Ivy says, “though it might have been mentioned in the emails you didn’t let me read earlier.” She tugs on my hand. “Come on. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
Once we’re all settled on the plane and Carina has been introduced to everyone, Sloane and Kat sit down across fromIvy and me, an iPad on the table between us with what looks like a long list of bullet points.
“Sorry for the surprise ambush,” Sloane says. “I was up in San Francisco when I heard that Kat was in LA for a meeting, so I suggested we meet here so we could see you in person.”
“Just to go over the finer points of your schedule for the next few weeks,” Kat says.
My stomach sinks at the sight of Kat’s list. I get that we have things to discuss. But I was looking forward to relaxing on the flight home. Normally, Ivy would just update me on stuff like this, but I clearly can’t expect that of her now. Not when she’s in the middle of everything too. Still, I can’t keep myself from looking over at her. “I think I’ve got a pretty solid handle on my schedule. Is it changing?”
“Only in the sense that now, you won’t be attending anything alone,” Kat answers. She reaches over and offers her hand to Ivy. “It’s good to see you again, Ivy. We met in New York, didn’t we?”
Ivy nods as she shakes Kat’s hand. “We did.”
