Page 37 of Wonderlust

“You should have given me the job, Alex. We would have had so much fun together,” she giggled, moving to get on the back of his Harley. Alex riding a motorcycle was hot to watch. It reminded me of a Steel Roses music video back in his early days. I may have had to wipe a little drool from my mouth when I first saw him ride it onto the set.

“I don’t think we would have gotten any work done, Maddison,” he winked suggestively. I slammed my clipboard down before storming off, making them both look in my direction. Fine! If he wanted Madison as his PA, he could have her!

I was a ticking time bomb today, and had no idea why. As I sipped a cup of coffee near the catering van a few minutes later, Alex walked over to me with a perplexed look on his face. “What was all that about?” he questioned.

“What was what?”

“You’ve been in a strange mood all day.”

“Sorry, it’s being back home. Can I go and see my friend Liv for a few hours? I don’t think you need me here.”

“You don’t have to ask my permission. I’ll meet you back at the hotel later. Bring your friend with you,” he smirked, teasing.

“Call me if you need anything. I’ll think about bringing Liv. You’ll need to promise to be on your best behavior if I do, though.”

“Am Ithatbad?”

“Yes,” I snorted. We both turned when Alex’s name was called. “Looks like you’re needed again so I guess I’ll see you later. You don’t want to keep Maddison waiting, after all.” He nodded before making his way back to the set.

Liv was still working for a few hours, so I headed back to my apartment to try and collect my thoughts. I’d been so stressed these last few days. My conversation with David had affected me more than I realized. He’d hurt me with what he’d said over the phone. Dwelling on things was a trait of mine, but I needed to know if he’d said what he did out of spite or jealousy. Had getting some distance worked? Did he realize he felt something for me? Then there was Mr. Hot Head Rock Star. What was even going on between us? He hadn’t changed that much from the first day we met, but I was beginning to understand how he ticked. I’d be lying if I denied that excited me.

Working with your first celebrity crush…how did anyone even deal with that? I was attracted to Alex. I had been for years. The man was a walking orgasm, but I’d been able to keep those feelings at bay because he’d been an asshole toward me. Now that I liked him, things were changing.

Searching for my old CDs at the back of my wardrobe, I found a few Steel Roses albums and decided to play them. A trip down memory lane, listening to their music, seemed like a good idea until Liv got back from work.

“Nat!” She was shaking me uncontrollably. I must have dozed off. “You’re here. Oh. My. God! Is Alex in London? Is he?” She was jumping up and down with excitement.

“No,” I lied. Now didn’t seem like the right time to introduce them. I needed to talk to my best friend about David. “He’s still in Paris. We fly out to…Berlin tomorrow. He gave me the evening off so I flew over.”

“You are the luckiest cow in the whole world!” She slumped down next to me on the couch and rested her head on my shoulder. “You will let me meet him, won’t you? When he has the time.”

“Of course. It’s a new job, though, so give me a few months.”

“I’ve missed you like crazy. You look fantastic. You’re all tanned and shit!” Liv rolled her sleeve up, putting her arm against mine. “I’m pale as fuck!”

“You look fine. You are your usual beautiful self.” Liv giggled, nudging me. “Are we going to the pub then?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she snorted. “You can get the first round in,” she winked, throwing my coat at me.

“He said that to you?” Liv gasped, choking on her glass of wine. “What a fucking dickhead!” It felt so good to be back in our local pub. It was quiet tonight. A few people were sat at the bar talking to the landlord, but other than that, it was just Liv and me here.

“I’m worried he’ll find out that I’m in London. I can’t see him…not yet.”

“You’re still not over him? Nat, you’ve got to let this crap go! You always do this to yourself—fall for the men you can’t have.” It wasn’t always a good thing to have a best friend that knew you inside and out. “Anyone would think you were scared of relationships.”

“Like you can talk. You haven’t had a proper boyfriend since high school.”

“I’m waiting for Alex,” she sniggered. “You haven’t spoken much about him. Come on, spill.”

“There isn’t much to tell.” Her clear blue eyes widened in disbelief. “He’s your typical rock star with a massive ego. Working for him is…challenging.”

“But you’re enjoying it, right?”

“God, yes. I’ve met some amazing people. Diego, his stylist, is hilarious. Oh, and I’m good friends with the head of security, Shane.”

“I see. So you’re meeting lots of men, then?”

“Yes, Liv. Jeez, could you be anymore obvious.”

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