Page 33 of My Rock Star Neighbor
“He’s also very supportive of my career,” I say.“He’s made so many sacrifices to support me.”
Nick makes a choked noise next to me.
Another female reporter looks like she’s about to ask me to detail his sacrifices.Also, as much as teasing Nick is fun, hehasbeen considerateat times.
“He’s really sweet, but you can probably tell that from his lyrics.I sprained my ankle about a month ago, and Nick bought me groceries and made sure I stayed off it,” I say.“And honestly, how could I say no?”That is the crux of the matter.Nick has worked so hard for this opportunity, and our fake dating makes sense as the solution.It is only three months—and then we’ll return to being friends, and the contract will remain a secret between us.
“You sound like a changed man,” Christina says to Nick.
“I learned from my mistakes,” Nick says.
“Seriously.”The other female reporter gazes dreamy eyed at Nick.“So can we ask if ‘Fevered Dreams’ is about Maddie?”
Nick starts.
Poor Nick.“Fevered Dreams” is about liking the girl next door—the girl next door?I turn to look at his face.
“You wrote that about two months ago, right before you guys got together, right?Did that song give you the courage to tell Maddie you liked her?”
“Yes,” Nick says.
What?My eyes widen.But it does fit so well into the narrative.
“You didn’t realize that?”the interviewer asks me.
I should have stayed hidden behind him.
“I didn’t,” I say.
“It was supposed to be a secret that I fell first.”Nick pantomimes looking crushed.“But she knows ‘Peony’ is about her.I’ve told her never to change her shampoo because I love that scent.”He squeezes my hand again.
I stare at him.No, I did not know that.Is he making this all up?The cameras flash again.Not that they can really see my face since it’s still covered by my parka hood.But I guess they’ve now caught the stuffed coat looking at him.
I turn back to face the reporters and catch that one confirming with the photographer that he captured that shot.
“And ‘Together Forever’ is the song I sang to tell her I liked her,” Nick says.
Okay.Finally, the story we agreed upon: Nick sang “Together Forever” to tell me of his feelings—on the fire escape as we were sitting out there one night chatting.
She asks some questions about that, and then Nick says we have to go, as he hails a free cab.He shields me again as I climb into the taxi.He gives the address of the 24-hour deli on Allen Street that has the back entrance into our apartment building on Orchard Street.The deli is also owned by our landlord, and its supply room has a back door that leads into the laundry room of the apartment building, which has an entrance on Orchard Street.Only the tenants have a key.The laundry room used to be a speakeasy bar with several exits and entrances in case it was raided.To enter the basement laundry room while in our building, one pulls a book out of a bookcase that covers the back of the foyer entrance, and the bookcase door swings open, but it can be bolted from inside the laundry room.Our landlord loves showing it off to tenants once they’ve signed a rental contract.
“We can lose them in there if they follow us,” he says.
I pull down my hood and unwrap my scarf.
He texts Amira to let her know that the press did show up and we gave an interview, but they definitely took photos of us at the beginning before we were aware of them.
I hate photos of myself.I have a much more positive image of myself in my head, and that always gets destroyed when I see myself in a close-up—bags under my eyes, freckles spotting my nose, mascara clumped, and of course, I forget to hold in my tummy.Not that I need to remember when I’m wearing an oversized parka.
Still, it’s only worse knowing that trolls will tear me apart online.I feel like throwing up at the thought.
Nick pulls me close in the cab and looks into my eyes.“Are you okay?That wasn’t so bad, right?”
“No, but really, ‘Peony’ and ‘Fevered Dreams’ are about me?”
“‘Peony’ is about you.Doesn’t your shampoo smell of peony?I like it.”
Shocked, I touch my hair.
