Page 34 of Half Notes and Highlights
“Let me clear things up.” Ethan cradled Tyler’s hand between his palms and caressed it. “I’m crazy about you. Why do you think I do insane things like jet off from my tour to see you for a couple of hours? But—”
“I knew there was a but.” Tyler shook his head.
“It’s not a bad but.”
There was a joke there just waiting to be made, but Tyler didn’t have the energy.
“We said we wanted casual from the beginning and that’s where my head’s at,” Ethan said. “My life is crazy. I’m not ready to settle down. Are you?”
“No.” Tyler wasn’t sure the answer was entirely true, though. He wanted to ask Ethan if he meant he wasn’t ready to give up his bass player, but he refrained.
“Good. Let me know if anything changes, and I’ll do the same. Good or bad. Let’s just be honest and upfront. Cards on the table at all times so no one gets hurt. Deal?”
“Deal.” Tyler smiled but his heart wasn’t as happy as he thought it would be. Maybe it was a sign that he really did want more.
The rest of the boat ride was breathtaking, and they had an amazing seafood dinner courtesy of a picnic basket. Their little talk put some ease in Tyler’s heart, but he still cautioned himself not to fall headfirst. “When did you plan this?” he asked when the boat was heading back to the dock.
“This afternoon. We had an interview and short performance this morning. When we were done, the guys were talking about what to do for the rest of the day since nothing was on the agenda. Everyone threw out suggestions, but I was thinking about what you were doing. I decided I wanted to spend my free day with you, so I had Zoe, my assistant, take care of thearrangements. It was just a lucky coincidence that I showed up at your salon when you were just finishing up.”
“I guess today was my lucky day.” Or, maybe, this whole move to California was the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Movement in the water caught Tyler’s attention, and he stretched his neck to get a better look. “Oh my God!” He jumped up and leaned over the side of the boat, pointing like crazy. “Look! Dolphins! Dolphins!”
Ethan joined him, smiling like a lunatic, with a finger stuffed in his ear. “Are you speaking native dolphin?”
Tyler realized his voice had gone up several octaves in his excitement, and his words came out in a high-pitched squeal. “Sorry. I can’t help it. In all the years I’ve been coming to California, I’ve never seen a school of dolphins. Look at them. They’re majestic.”
“That they are,” Ethan agreed, holding onto Tyler as if he were about to fall overboard.
They watched the graceful mammals slice through the water in perfect arcs, all swimming as a group until they were no longer in sight. “That was so beautiful.” Tyler sighed, then turned to Ethan with a grin as an idea filled his head. “Titanic me!”
“What?” Ethan asked on a laugh.
“Titanic me!” Tyler repeated, running to the back of the boat.
“Slow down!” Ethan called as he chased after Tyler.
Tyler stood on the first wrung of the railing, spread his arms out to the sides as far as he could reach, turned his face up to the sun, closed his eyes, and breathed in the ocean air. Ethan’s arms were suddenly around his waist, squeezing the life out of him. “Easy, Hulk. I break.”
“Be careful. You’re not wearing a life jacket.”
“I’m not gonna fall in. I’m nimble.”
“Nimble? You’re crazy. Do you know that?”
Tyler spun around and wrapped his arms around Ethan’s neck. “Crazy about you, rock star.”
“I’m crazy about you too, baby.” Ethan kissed Tyler so hard he almost lost his balance. “Let’s get you away from the edge of the boat.” He led Tyler back to the bench seat and they sat down. “You’re a lot of fun, Tyler. That’s one of the reasons I like you so much. You’re not boring. At all. My life is crazy. It’s nonstop, and there’s never a dull moment. So, when I meet someone, sometimes they’re underwhelming. Not you. I never know what to expect when we’re together. But I know, whatever it is, it’s going to be fun and entertaining. You really know how to enjoy life.”
“I try. We only get one life, so I’m trying to make mine the best it can be.”
The two bodyguards came out from inside the boat, fingers pressed to their ear coms like in the movies. “Paparazzi is waiting at the dock,” one of them said. “Someone must have spotted you when we left. Backup is meeting us there.”
Ethan frowned. “How bad is it?”
“We got it under control.”
Tyler didn’t know what to expect, but he could see a crowd with cameras at their faces as the boat navigated closer. When the boat reached the dock, a line of security guards opened a path for Ethan and Tyler, and the paparazzi started shouting questions at Ethan as soon as they stepped off the boat.
“What are you doing in Los Angeles?”
