Page 24 of Starstruck
With that out of the way, Matthew hits play on the remote in his hand, and the tenth song on the album starts.
Another thirty minutes and three more songs go by before we call it quits for the day. The rest of the album gets the Revolution stamp of approval, which I’m fucking grateful for. I don’t want to do this fucking duet, but at least that’s the only song anyone suggested making real changes to.
And truth be told, it feels damn good knowing this album that’s been sitting like a weight on my shoulders for months is finally well on its way to being out in the world.
“We good?” I ask, standing from my chair as everyone around me does the same.
Maria nods, a genuine smile pasted on her face. “We’re good. I’ll be in touch about the interview withRolling Stone.”
“Sounds good.” I clap my hands together, ready for this meeting to be done. “Thanks, everyone,” I say as they all move to leave the room, too. I receive a few mutteredgoodbyes andyou’re welcomes as the room clears, leaving behind just Levi, Colt, and me.
“Well, that went well.” Colt shrugs casually.
I scoff. “If you call having to do a duetwell, then sure,” I respond, looking back at him as I turn the corner to leave the room.
“It’ll be good, and you know it,” he retorts as I look toward the elevators.
Just as the doors to one of them close, I catch sight of the familiar chestnut-brown hair that has been haunting my dreams for weeks before it—and whoever it’s attached to—disappears.
“Lennon?” I mutter to myself as I rush ahead, slamming my fingers onto thedownbutton, hoping the doors will open so I can find out if it was really her.
But it’s no use. The numbers of that elevator start counting up to the top floor as the doors to the other one open.
“Dude, the fuck was that?” Levi jokes as they approach the open elevator.
I look up at the numbers one more time, hoping they’ll stop so I can head to the floor she’s on, but they’re slow as fuck. So I grit my teeth, join my friends in the other car, and press the button for the lobby.
“Forget it,” I grunt in response.
The look on Colt’s face is skeptical, as if he can see right through my bullshit, but neither of them say anything. Levi shakes his head and laughs, and I ignore Colt’s stare.
Once the doors open, I glance around aimlessly, but there’s no one except Addie around.
“Have a good day, boys.” She grins kindly as we pass her desk.
I send a curt nod her way as I push open the front doors, my jaw clenched tight.
The chances that the woman was Lennon are slim. I don’t think she was tall enough to be, though it was hard to tell from a distance. It’s more likely that, since I haven’t been able to get her out of my head, my mind’s eye morphs every stranger I see into her. And it makes sense that of all places, I’d think I saw her at the label her parents created.
It couldn’t have been her, though—I don’t believe for a second she wouldn’t have told me she worked here if she did. But that doesn’t stop me from wondering for the rest of the day if it was.
Even through my drunken haze that night while a blonde stripper with a massive rack gives me a lap dance, Levi and Colt on either side of me receiving dances of their own.
Or when the same stripper looks up at me from the strip club bathroom floor with a seductive look in her blue eyes and her glossy pink lips wrapped around my cock.
Or when I find myself in her bed at the end of the night, her tits hanging over my face as she rides me, her moans obnoxious and loud and nowhere near as sweet as Lennon’s.
Through it all, I find myself wondering if maybe—just maybe—the woman from the label was her.
[9 ]
HERE TO DESTROY
LENNON
“THE ALBATROSS” BY TAYLOR SWIFT
Baxter was at the label today. On my floor. And healmostsaw me.
