Page 18 of What Happened Last Night

EIGHT

Will

“Don’t worry,” Luna said. “I didn’t tell them anything bad. But I had to tell them something.”

I frowned at my screen, puzzled. We were on a FaceTime call, me in my hotel room, Luna home in her apartment. It was late here in Kansas City, and it was after hours back in Portland.

“Do you know anything bad about me?” I asked Luna as I racked my brain.

“Well, no,” she admitted. I couldn’t see very much of her apartment behind her, but it looked cozy. I could see a window, a small houseplant, a throw over the sofa arm. She was wearing a flannel shirt, a cardigan over it, and no makeup. Her hair was tied up messily. I had never seen her so informal, and I tried hard not to be charmed and deeply curious about what she wore to bed. “But I didn’t tell them anything too personal. I know you don’t want that.”

“Don’t I?” I was honestly confused that the Road Kings and their girlfriends were asking about me. The band and I had gone drinking a few times, and I’d gone out with Stone, too. I hadn’t talked excessively because it wasn’t my way, but I couldn’t recall avoiding any topics, either.

I didn’t mean to be a mystery, but apparently, I was.

“I take confidentiality seriously, Will,” Luna was saying as I sat there, confused. “But they ganged up on me. So I told them things that I didn’t think would matter.”

“Like what?”

“I told them that you bought your apartment, and that you own a car but you don’t drive much because you’re a New Yorker. And they kept asking about your dating life, so I told them that as far as I can tell, you aren’t dating anyone.” She sat up straighter on her sofa. “I mean, that could be wrong. It was just a guess, and—”

“I’m definitely not dating anyone,” I said. “You don’t have to worry about screening those kinds of calls.”

“Right, right.” Her voice had a slight squeak to it. “Good to know.”

It was easier to talk to Luna through a computer screen, because it was acceptable for me to look directly at her face without making her uncomfortable. I’d spent a lot of time with Luna, but I hadn’t had the luxury of studying her face at leisure until now. I hadn’t watched her expressions or the quirk of her lips when she smiled, the way she tilted her chin up when she was thinking, the warmth in her eyes. She had small earrings in the shape of teardrops in her ears. This was intimate, and yet because it was over FaceTime, it had distance, too. The lines kept crossing in my mind.

Like an unwanted visitor, Lizbeth broke into my thoughts. I should broach the subject of the phone call Luna had taken from my ex-girlfriend, but I was too tired to face the topic. Calming Lizbeth down this time had taken too much time, and it had been exhausting.

Lizbeth was unhappy with me. But what else was new?

I just hoped she hadn’t upset Luna somehow. Because Luna could not quit.

“Did you have fun?” I asked her now. “Hanging out with the band? I always do, even with the Toto Torture.”

She broke into one of her smiles, her amusement and delight warming me through the screen. The word beautiful popped unbidden into my head. Luna’s smile was truly beautiful. I pushed the word away.

“It was really good,” she said. “They’re unusual people. Interesting and creative. I keep trying to spot the resemblance between you and Stone.”

“There’s no resemblance.”

“There’s definitely a resemblance.” The smile again. “They told me you got drunk and sang karaoke.”

“I do have a fun side.” I leaned back in my chair and looked around, slipping my fingertips into the neck of my tee and scratching my collarbone. “Lonely hotel rooms in Kansas don’t exactly bring it out, but I swear it exists.”

“Right.” Her voice had a squeak again.

I ran a hand through my hair, staring into the distance as my thoughts whirred. “You can work from the studio anytime you want. I don’t think I specified that. I’m there often, myself. You didn’t know that because the band was on the road when you started. That’s what the office there is for. If you need anything set up, just let me know. Did you see the reports from the accountant?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll look at them in detail when I get back. I’m only gone a few more days. Set up a phone appointment with him on—Wednesday, I guess? I should have a handle on it then.”

“Okay.” Her voice had gone quiet, and I looked back at the screen to see her looking unsure. “Will, I don’t want to pry, but is Lizbeth okay? She sounded—”

“Please disregard Lizbeth,” I said, surprised at how calm I sounded. Sweat broke out on the back of my neck. What to say? What words to use? She cannot quit. “Luna, you handled it exactly right. I know how she can be. I hope she wasn’t disrespectful. Please accept my apology on her behalf.”

Luna bit her lip, and I thought that the gesture was unconsciously sexy and also that she was literally biting back the words she wanted to say. Did I want to hear them? Nothing would make me fire her—Luna could be a serial killer and I’d work out flex hours so she could pursue her hobby—but all the same, I didn’t want to hear her unvarnished thoughts on the topic of Lizbeth. I was an expert at not thinking about Lizbeth at all.

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