get into fights."
Ethan laughs. "Fair enough. I think Kit's fond of you. But then, he keeps his cards pretty close to the vest."
I stretch my fingers. Tap my toes. I need to rely on my people skills. Only I don't have people skills. I offer Ethan my best smile. "You know any Sinful Serenade songs?"
"A few."
I raise my brow.
"You guys write good shit. You especially. Not that your ego needs stroking. After all, you are the Drew Denton."
I smile. He's already on board.
Asking for help isn't the worst thing in the world.
That's a good thing. I'm gonna have to get better at it quickly.
I keep my voice steady. "How do you feel about filling in for me?"
His blue eyes go wide. "Full time?"
"Here and there. A handful of shows this year. More in the future. If you want."
Those eyes light up. "Fill in for Sinful Serenade? Fuck yes."
"You'll play two and a half hours straight some days."
"My hands have plenty of stamina." He rolls his shoulders back and tests his guitar with a few chords. "Teach me before I change my mind."
That, I can do.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kara
Tom is the same bundle of energy he was this morning. I've got no clue how Willow deals with it every day. Sure, it's nice when you're in a good mood. But when your stomach is in knots from a mix of morning sickness and fear your fiancé is about to give up everything else in his life for you...
I stay ten paces behind as he leads the way through one of those casino passageways. The Luxor to the Mandalay Bay. I think. I lost track of which casino was which a long time ago.
It's been a busy day of decidedly un-depraved activities—The Atomic Testing Museum, The Neon Museum, and an amazingly relaxed tea shop with a large non-smoking section. I appreciate how much the Steeles are trying to keep me from feeling like a third wheel.
But I've had enough. I need my bed and I need Drew in it, his hands on my skin, his voice in my ears as he convinces me this is going to be okay.
Smoke wafts into my nostrils as we step onto the casino floor. The lights and sounds wake up the tension headache that has been dormant for ages. My shoulders and back tense. My neck is in agony.
"Tom, it's been fun, but I'm about ready to crash." I undo the tie holding up my hair in the hopes of easing the strain on my neck. It's about one percent better.
"Nope. Your baby daddy wants to make a gesture." Tom checks something on his phone. "And I've got to nail the timing."
"Sweetie, why is it you have to nail the timing?" Willow asks.
"Cause I'm the rhythm section," he says. "Well, me and Pete, but he's busy... sure we can all guess what he's doing." He pulls her into a quick hug-kiss combo then he turns to me. "You got another half-hour in you?"
I can do another half-hour if it ends with Drew explaining how he's going to make this work.
"Good." Tom's smile lights up his soft green eyes. He turns back to Willow and whispers in her ear.
"Oh." She turns to me with a smile and offers me a thumbs-up.
Okay, everyone knows what's happening except me.
Awesome.
Tom motions for me to follow as he steps into the closed door of the hotel theater.
Drew's in a theater.
My stomach settles. Drew won me over by stepping on stage and singing for me many months ago.
The stage is what he knows, where he belongs.
This might work out.
I follow Tom and Willow inside. The venue looks like it seats about a thousand, but it's hard to say with all the lights off.
There are two figures on the stage, but they're barely silhouettes.
"Any day now," Tom taunts.
The stage lights turn on. That's Drew, standing in front of a microphone in jeans and a tight t-shirt. He looks as yummy as always.
His expression is nervous.
He must be scared for me to see that all the way back here in the cheap seats.
A guitar kicks in. But that doesn't make sense. Drew isn't holding a guitar, and the sound is live, not pre-recorded.
My brain has no time to contemplate it. Drew wraps his hands around the mic, brings it to his mouth, and he sings.
It's all over.
I'm ga-ga out of my head,
One of those idiots
I always made fun of.
Drew is singing for me.
The same song he used to win me over that night.
I push past Tom