Page 40 of The Roadie
Kira practically ran off the plane the moment the “fasten seatbelt” sign went off. She pushed past the other passengers with the rudeness and impatience of a typical New Yorker, which couldn’t be more uncharacteristic of her. She stretched her neck to look for him when she was on the escalator, when she really wanted to shove everyone out of her way. A glimpse of bright pink roses caught her attention, then a dark beard made an appearance, and she practically squealed with excitement. Waving her arm like a lunatic, she watched his face light up when he noticed her.
She rushed down the last few steps of the escalator and flew into his embrace. He dropped the flowers, lifted her off the floor and kissed her with a ferocity that she felt in her bones. Seeing him after a week apart, when she was used to seeing him every day, made her heart soar. The way his hands ran across her back and through her hair ignited every nerve ending inside her body, and she realize just how much she missed him.
He set her down on her feet but still held onto her arms and beamed at her, the balls of his cheeks round from his smile. His beard was a bit scraggly, which she found even sexier than before. She clung to him, running her hands up and down his biceps, instantly remembering every curve of his flexed muscles. They stared at one another, each holding onto the other while their eyes searched the other’s face as if it had been months, not days, since they’d last seen one another.
Brett finally broke the silence. “I missed you so much. I can’t believe it’s only been a week, and you’re finally here.”
“Me too. I want to meet your brother and your friends. I want to see where you live, and I want you to show me this city that you love so much. I want to see everything.” She was overexcited and rambling, but she couldn’t help it.
He nodded through everything she said with a happy smile. “Good. Because I want to share everything with you. I got to know your friends and family and bond with them while we were on tour. You showed me your favorite places in Central Park. But you didn’t get to see any of my life, and I want to show it to you.” He retrieved the flowers that he’d dropped when she ran toward him and handed them to her with a sheepish smile. “These are for you.”
A few of the petals had fallen off and a sprig of baby’s breath was broken, but she didn’t care. She brought them to her nose and inhaled deeply. “They’re gorgeous. Thank you.”
“Is this all you brought?” he asked, glancing at her small carry-on suitcase.
“This is California. I thought all I needed was a bikini top and a pair of cut-off jean shorts.”
“I got a girl whose closet is bigger than my bedroom, and she packs light. Could you be any more perfect?” He laced his fingers through hers, grabbed the handle of her suitcase, and led her out of LAX.
She was surprised that he hired car service to take them to his home rather than picking her up himself, and she was concerned about the expense. “You didn’t have to pick me up in a Town Car, Brett. I think it’s nice that we’re taking a car so we can talk, but we could’ve just taken an Uber. You didn’t need to spend so much money on a fancy car.”
He cast a playful glance in her direction, and she wasn’t really sure how to take it. She didn’t mean to insinuate that he couldn’t afford it. She only wanted to let him know that she didn’t need to drive around in private limos or fancy Town Cars. She was just a regular girl.
Thirty minutes into the drive, she noticed the car getting on the 405 toward San Diego and realized he never told her where he lived in California. She assumed he lived in Los Angeles, but that obviously wasn’t the case. “Do you live in San Diego? Did I fly into the wrong airport?”
“No. I live in Fountain Valley. John Wayne Airport is closer, but there’s not a lot of direct flights. LAX is fine.” He was silent for a second before he said, “There’s a joke that goes, how do Californians say I love you?” He gave her a broad smile and answered the question. “I’ll pick you up from LAX.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I’m sorry! Is it really that bad? I’ll look for flights into the other airport next time.”
“You do love me,” he said, placing his hand over his heart. “L.A. traffic sucks, but I’d rather have you here as fast as possible than have you change planes in order to fly into Orange County.”
She sat back, stunned. “I can’t believe I never asked you where you lived. This whole time I thought you lived in L.A.”
“That’s what people automatically assume. Orange County is beautiful, and it has a different vibe than L.A. I think you’ll like it.”
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a gorgeous split-level ranch with a Spanish tile roof. “Is this where you live?”
He nodded. “This was my parents’ house. The house my brother and I grew up in. When they passed, we inherited it.” He motioned to one of the two cars in the driveway. “My brother is home. He’s really looking forward to meeting you.”
She squeezed his hand, thrilled to meet the only member of his family. “I can’t wait.”
They entered the house which was beautifully furnished. The décor was more reminiscent of an older couple than that of two young men living alone, and Kira imagined Brett and his brother living here with their parents. “Your home is lovely.”
“Thanks. My parents worked really hard to buy this house. My dad worked two jobs when I was a kid.” He looked around the room, as if re-living old memories. “I remember the day we moved in. I was just starting high school.”
She took his hand and felt his melancholy, understanding it firsthand. “I’m glad those memories are here for you. They always helped me when I was a kid. I still feel them when I visit my father. He’s renovated a few times, but I know he’ll never sell the Central Park apartment.”
“I could never sell this place, either. My parents left us some life insurance. Not a ton of money, but enough so that I could pay off this house. I didn’t know if I could afford to pay the bills. I just figured that if I settled the mortgage, it was one less thing to deal with on a month-to-month basis. That was the advice I got from Brandon. I know he’s not exactly a pillar of responsibility, but he and the guys from Bulletproof get a lot of advice on their finances from Felix Osbourne. They all said that Felix’s first piece of advice was for them to buy a home outright with their money when they first made it big. I figured the guy knew what he was talking about.
There was a nice chunk left over from the life insurance, so I split it with my brother and put his half in a trust fund. He gets it when he turns 21, and I want to make sure he’s not going to blow it all partying his ass off or making the wrong choices. I want to make sure he graduates college.”
“Give it a rest already with the college,” a voice from the other room called, as footsteps approached.
Seconds later, a tall, clean-cut younger version of Brett entered the room wearing a welcoming smile. “Hi. I’m Grant.”
Kira extended her hand. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Kira.”
“Nice to finally meet you too. My brother never stops talking about you. I hear you’re crazy about him.”
