Page 5 of Wild Fixation
I hang up without anything further. I’ll lose focus if I stay on the phone, and this isn’t going to be fun or easy. That pack of press is as tight as a clenched fist. I’ll have to barrel my way through them with brute force, then do the same to get back out.
I heave a sigh as I inch my car closer, as close as I can get without running someone over. The move alerts the press, who start taking pictures of me. As though I’m anything worth paying attention to and not just a big dude in all black here to work security. I look like every bodyguard ever, except maybe the glasses. I can’t help being near-sighted, even if it doesn’t go with the whole tough guy vibe.
My car isn’t enormous, but it’s an SUV, big enough to get the job done. I unlock all the doors and leave the car in park but running so that the second I extract these guys we can get the hell out of here. With a deep breath, I step out of my car and into a scene of utter chaos.
Chapter Three
Jacob
SOMETHING CHANGES IN THE tenor of the screaming. I think I’m imagining it at first, but then the others meet my eyes, a couple of them cocking their heads.
“Thank God,” Shawn breathes.
My relief comes tinged with something extra. I can’t help imagining big, bulky, muscled, masculine Seth charging toward us like a conquering hero, using those broad shoulders of his to barrel through the squawking crowd of press.
I brush aside the image, or try to, at least. I’ve been out since high school. I don’t need to fawn over a guy who technically works for me. Seth is about the worst possible choice, the one guy I should stay away from, if he’s even gay. He looks like a G.I. Joe figure, so I’m not getting my hopes up. I could have just about anyone, partially thanks to the high profile of the band. It would be pure insanity for me to go after my bodyguard. What would my family think? They’ve supported me unquestioningly since the day I came out. I can hear Mom’s disappointment as I choose a guy who’s not only off-limits, but probably straight.
“Oh, baby, you deserve better,” she would say. “Why don’t you find yourself a nice boy?”
As though I’ve summoned him with my fantasizing, the door bursts open, and Seth stumbles into the hall. His eyes sweep over us. It’s hard to tell behind the glasses, but I swear his gaze lingers a beat longer on me before he grabs the guy nearest him, who happens to be Levi.
All thought of disappointing my family or Seth being off-limits flees my brain the second he appears. Instead, my attention fixates on the solidity of his chest stretching his black T-shirt, the squareness of his jaw beneath the beard, the thickness of his arms and thighs. There is just so muchmanto enjoy there, and if he ever gave me the chance, I’d appreciate each and every inch of it. Very, very thoroughly.
“Let’s go,” Seth says. “I’m loading you guys into my car. Everyone should fit.”
“What about our cars?” Levi says.
“Give me your keys. I’ll take care of it.”
We hand them over. Then Seth is back out the door, dragging a startled Levi with him. The last I see of them, Levi is stumbling, barely keeping up with the far larger man.
I gather myself, shaking off the heat flushing my body and brain. He’s just a guy doing his job. That’s all. I shouldn’t be looking forward to my turn to be grabbed and hauled through the throng. I shouldn’t be eager to have that big, strong hand wrap tightly around my bicep and carry me away.
I catch Keannen watching me, a smirk twisting his mouth. I scowl at him. I know that smirk, and it never means anything good. Keannen doesn’t back down from my glare, smiling more broadly when he realizes I’ve caught him.
“Ready to be whisked away by your knight in shining armor?” he says.
“Shut up,” I say, rolling my eyes.
Keannen shrugs. “You could do worse, you know.”
“I’m notdoinganything.”
“But you could be doinganyone.”
I huff a sigh. Normally, Keannen’s jabs roll off my back. It’s his default way of speaking, but I’m finding it a lot less charming and quirky when the accusations strike too close to home.
Thankfully, Seth returns before Keannen can add anything further. He hauls Dan out next. It’s like some sort of extraction mission in a video game. Each of us disappear one at a time, snatched away by the dashing hero and carted off to safety. Judging by the sounds beyond the door, the press isn’t backing off at all. In fact, the noise swells with anticipation. They’ve likely learned the cadence of this, picking up on the fact that they can get a few shots of each of us as we leave one at a time. It’s kind of perfect for them, unfortunately.
“The pictures will be all over the internet before we even get home,” Keannen says, echoing my thoughts.
It’s just me and him now, Shawn recently snatched away and dragged out the door.
“Whatever,” I grumble. “There’s always pictures.”
Even in this short amount of time, I’ve grown numb to seeing my face plastered on the internet. It’s an unstoppable force. The best I can do is mute my name and hope that filters most of it out of my personal feeds.
“There’ll be some pictures of you and your man,” Keannen says.
