into my seat and swore under my breath as we rolled toward the runway.
Fortunately, I hadn’t been able to book a direct flight to Nashville. After two and a half hours we landed in Denver, and I went straight to the ticket counter and booked the next available flight back to Los Angeles. There was no way to retrieve my luggage since it had been ticketed through to Tennessee, but the woman behind the counter assured me it’d be sent back to L.A. Right now, that was the least of my concerns.
I had to wait a few hours for my return flight, so I used some of that time to call Blake Brooks. I thanked him for his offer, then told him I had to turn it down. When he asked why, I said, “Because I’d be leaving my heart in L.A., and I actually really need that to make music.” It was ridiculous and sappy, but it was also true, and he seemed to understand.
Several hours later, I finally landed back in L.A. and ordered a Lyft as I rushed through the airport. I really wanted to catch Harper before he left for the premiere, because I felt like what I had to say to him couldn’t wait. I’d gathered my courage and psyched myself up, and now was the time.
My Lyft driver was a middle-aged woman named Audrey, with long purple hair, a ‘Love is Love’ T-shirt, and a Pride flag hanging from the rearview mirror of her white minivan. All of that made me so happy that I wanted to kiss her.
She glanced at me in the rearview mirror, and as she merged into the traffic leaving the airport, she told me, “I love your music.”
“You’re thinking of my twin brother,” I said automatically.
“No, I know you’re not Dallas Jaymes. I love the videos you posted with your boyfriend Harper. He’s such a hottie, and you two are adorable together.”
I grinned and said, “Yes, he is. It’s his birthday today, and I’m trying to catch him before he leaves for a movie premiere. There’s something important I need to tell him.”
“Well, let’s hurry up and get you there.” She switched lanes and stepped on the accelerator, while I fumbled for my seatbelt.
I thanked her when we pulled up in front of Harper’s house, and she smiled at me and wished me luck. I knocked when I reached the door, because I wasn’t sure if I should just barge in. When Kel answered, he grabbed me in a hug and exclaimed, “Phoenix! You’re back!”
“I am. Is Harper here? There’s something I need to say to him.”
“No, sorry, you just missed him. He took a limo to the premiere.”
I turned around and waved my arms at my Lyft driver, who was still parked at the curb. When she rolled her window down, I called, “Can you drive me to Westwood? Harper already left.” She told me that was no problem, and I said, “Great! Give me five minutes, because I need to change.”
I’d brought my tuxedo to the house earlier in the week, before Nashville came up, and then I’d left it in Harper’s closet. I rushed upstairs and put it on, then ran back down to the living room while working on my bowtie. Kel said, “Let me help you,” and while he concentrated on tying a perfect bow, Loco darted into the room and stared at us. Someone had dressed her in a tiny rainbow tutu, which made me happy.
“I was really going to miss you and that chicken,” I told Kel.
“I knew you’d be back.”
I grinned at him and asked, “Were you that sure I’d wash out as a singer?”
“Of course not. I knew you and Harper belonged together, and I figured it was just a matter of time before you came to your senses.”
“You were right.”
I exhaled slowly and shook out my hands, while he knit his brows and tried again with the bowtie. “You know, he’ll be back after the premiere,” he said. “You seem really nervous, so you could just tell him whatever it is when he gets home.”
“No, I’ve waited long enough.”
“Well, the screening starts at seven sharp and the red carpet is probably already under way, so unless you want to keep it bottled up through a two-hour film, you should hurry.”
I said, “That’s definitely the plan.”
Finally, Kel stepped back and exclaimed, “Nailed it!”
I adjusted the cuffs of my crisp, white dress shirt and asked, “How do I look?”
He considered the