Because of course I wasn’t here to perform. That would be laughable. I tried to keep my voice level as I muttered, “Harper Royce.”
Dallas’s face lit up. “Harper’s here? That’s awesome! I didn’t see him come in.” He stood on his toes and craned his neck to search the crowd in that long hallway, and when he spotted Harper, he waved and shouted, “Hey, hot stuff!”
My twin forgot all about me as he and Harper waded toward each other through the throng. Their reunion was too painful to watch, so I turned away from them and told Noah, “Tell me if they kiss.”
“Dude, are we in the third grade?”
“I know, and believe me, I’m not proud of myself.”
After a moment, he said, “They’re hugging, and yes, there’s a kiss, but it’s on the cheek. Now Harper has his arm around your brother’s shoulders, and they’re talking and laughing. They seem pretty cozy.” When I frowned, he asked, “Since when are you jealous of those two?”
“Since the moment I introduced them and they totally hit it off. That was back when I was working for Harper the first time.”
My friend whispered, “Do not tell me you have a crush on your employer.”
“I can’t help it.”
“Nothing’s going to come from that but heartache, Phoenix. Celebrities always gravitate to their own kind. That means the rich, gorgeous, spoiled, bisexual hunk of man candy you work for will eventually find himself a rich, gorgeous, spoiled wife and crank out a few Instagram-ready rich, gorgeous, spoiled kids, and you know it.”
My frown deepened, and I said, “Can we please not talk about this? It’s depressing.”
“You really do have a crush on him! You’re the very last person I ever expected this from, you know that? You’ve been in this business as long as I have, and I was sure you understood the cardinal rule—don’t fall for the client, and no matter how hot they are, don’t even think about fucking them.” When I grimaced, Noah exclaimed, “You’re kidding me!”
That was loud enough to get a few heads swiveling in our direction. Noah grabbed my arm and dragged me into Harper’s dressing room, and when the door closed behind us, he blurted, “Did you fuck your employer?”
“Maybe.”
That made him roll his eyes. “Maybe is not an answer. You did or you didn’t.”
“Okay, I did. Just once. I know it was wrong and stupid, but it just happened.”
“Right. It just happened. You were minding your own business, and Harper was walking by, tripped, and landed with his dick in your ass.”
A laugh slipped from me, and I said, “Not exactly. We just had a moment in the hotel last night. Then he kissed me, and the next thing I knew—”
“Wait. Last night?” When I nodded, Noah said, “Okay. But it was a one-time thing, right?”
After a moment, I admitted, “Probably not.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with Phoenix Jaymes?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Phoenix I know doesn’t do shit like this! He’s cautious, jaded, and practical as hell. He also understands celebrities are self-centered egomaniacs, and the only way to do this job is to set boundaries and keep them at arm’s length. They’ll chew you up and spit you out if you let them.”
“You’re not wrong about any of that,” I said, “but this is no big deal. It’s just sex, with no strings attached. I’m not naïve enough to think it’s going to turn into a relationship, or that Harper and I are somehow going to live happily ever after.”
Noah looked concerned. “You say that, but I’m still worried you’ll get hurt when this inevitably ends.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m going into it with my eyes wide open and just enjoying this for what it is.”
His expression turned skeptical. “None of this makes sense, because you’re not a casual sex type of guy. From every conversation we’ve ever had about relationships, I know you’re all about monogamy and commitment.”
“And look where that’s gotten me, Noah. I’m thirty years old, perpetually single, and so sex-starved that I almost started dry-humping Harper in the car on the way to the studio this morning.”
“That right there is the definition of TDMI, too damn much information. It even came with a mental picture. I can’t unsee that.”
“Sorry.” He sighed and sat on the arm of the sofa, and after a pause I changed the subject with, “So, how’s life as my evil twin’s assistant? I couldn’t help but notice his latest album was a smash hit on both the