Page 43 of The Roadie
No one ever made her breakfast in bed before, and her heart sank that she spoiled the surprise. “That’s the sweetest thing. I can go back to bed and pretend to be asleep if you want.”
Grant chuckled behind his coffee mug. “You two are adorable. And by adorable, I mean sickening.”
Brett threw a dishtowel at his brother. “Quiet. Before I burn your omelet.” He returned his attention back to Kira and hugged her for a long time. Without words, his tender embrace conveyed how much he cared, and Kira never felt more warmth and love from anyone in a single hug. When he loosened his hold on her, he had a small smile on his face. “You looked like an angel sleeping next to me this morning. I watched you for about 20 minutes before I decided to get up and make breakfast.”
Heat flushed her cheeks, because she usually slept with her mouth open, and Audra once told her that she snored.
He kissed her again before turning back to the eggs. After flipping the omelets, he motioned to the pot on the counter with the spatula. “Help yourself. It’s organic.”
A grinder sat next to a coffeemaker that was twice the size of her Keurig. Mugs were already on the counter along with a small plastic container of raw sugar. She poured herself a cup and went to the refrigerator for milk. There were several kinds – almond, cashew and oat, but no regular milk.
“I hope you’re not looking for cow milk,” Grant said. “Or artificial sweetener. My brother thinks that stuff will kill you.”
A fond memory of their time on the buss filled her head. Brett had bought almond milk for his coffee on one of their stops, and he loved the espuma that Angel had proudly served with his cafecito. She fixed her coffee and rejoined Brett. “Can I help?”
He handed her a plate. “You can help by eating and telling me how delicious it is.”
“Oh, God.” Grant moaned from the breakfast bar. “Can you two be any more in love?”
Kira sat across from Grant and sighed dreamily. “I don’t think so.”
Brett kissed her cheek as he slipped onto the stool next to her with two plates in his hands, pushing one across to his brother.
While the three of them ate quietly, enjoying the morning meal, a cool breeze blew in from the sliders. The omelet contained some of the vegetables they picked from the garden yesterday, which made the meal even more special. Kira gazed at the green landscape of flowering shrubs outside the house and the endless blue sky in the background. It was the total opposite of New York City, and completely breathtaking.
“Paper?” Brett asked, holding up the LA Times.
“Thank you.” She took the newspaper and wondered if he remembered that she liked to read the business section with her morning coffee on the bus. It was hard to concentrate on what she was reading because of the overwhelming normalcy of it. She’d only met Grant yesterday, and this was the first breakfast the three of them shared, but they were all comfortable and settled as if they already carved out a routine.
“They spotted a shark in Newport,” Grant said, from behind the Orange County Register.
Kira’s gaze immediately shot to Brett. They both smiled as the surf lesson in Miami silently crossed their minds, then they returned to their respective reading material. “The NASDAQ’s up,” Kira stated, cheerfully.
Brett and Grant looked at each other, as if it were a crazy thing to say, and then they both lowered their heads and snickered.
She elbowed Brett playfully, then realized it was something Audra always did to Jimmy. Instead of laughing it off the way Jimmy did, though, Brett elbowed Kira back. They ended up in a little elbow wrestling match at the breakfast bar which resulted in them both laughing so hard tears were coming out of the corners of their eyes, and Grant was mocking them with the shake of his head.
They resumed reading in silence for several minutes, then Brett said, “There’s an article about Bulletproof’s show tonight at the Staples Center in the entertainment section.”
Kira looked over his shoulder. “Let me see.” It was really just a small blurb and a photo, but there were so many accolades that it had Kira pumped for tonight. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the show.”
Brett held Kira’s hand as he led her backstage. She’d been to the Staples Center more times than she could count with Immortal Angel, but the vibe was totally different tonight. The guys from Bulletproof were all about a good time. For a moment, their infamous pre-show and after-parties had Kira worried. But, apparently, the free sex, heavy drug use, and trashing the place were all things of the past. Now that the guys were all paired off in committed relationships, things must have settled down. There were still a million people in the main dressing room, which belonged to Brandon Bullet, but everyone had their clothes on, for the most part, and there were no drugs, except the sweet smell of pot floating around the room. There was plenty of alcohol and food, though, and lots of beautiful people, including several rock stars.
“Stay close to me,” Brett said, over the blaring hardcore music as they moved through the crowd.
Someone began hollering with excitement above the noise, making Kira jump. She turned toward the voice just in time to see Derek MacAlister, Bulletproof’s lead guitarist, hop onto a table. He started playing air guitar and rocking his long black hair back and forth while singing Asking Alexandria’sThe Violenceat the top of his lungs. He was wearing a black and gray kilt that made him look incredibly sexy, and a smile bloomed across Kira’s face. “Look at Derek.”
Brett threw his head back and laughed. “He’s sees a table and he’s gotta dance on it.”
“There she is! The girl Brett can’t stop talking about.” Brandon Bullet wrapped his arms around Kira and kissed her cheek loudly. “Let’s get you a drink.” Brandon raised his finger in the air and shouted for a bartender.
A bartender?Kira thought she didn’t hear correctly, but, seconds later, a server showed up with a tray filled with glasses of champagne. Another presented a tray of crab cakes. She declined the appetizers but took a flute of champagne. “Thank you.” She was beyond impressed at the luxuries that were provided for this room filled with people during pre-show festivities, but she really shouldn’t be surprised since Brandon was known for his extravagance.
“Did you meet my husband?” Brandon asked, stepping aside so a tall handsome man could join them. “He’s from New Yawk, too.” Brandon exaggerated the latter word to mimic an East Coast accent, which garnered a playful eyeroll from his husband.
“I’m Cameron Douglas, but please call me Cam.”
Brandon’s husband was well dressed in designer jeans, a Tom Ford button-down and Ferragamo dress shoes that shone with rich black leather. If Kira remembered correctly, he was a high-powered executive in the financial field. She immediately felt a connection and shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet a fellow New Yawker.” She tried to overemphasize it the way Brandon had, but it sounded no differently than the way she normally said the word. While Brandon chatted with Brett, she engaged in conversation with Cam.
