bar, her questioning eyes meeting mine. “I’m completely missing something here. Natalie never told me you two were a couple now. What about your brother?”
“We’re not a couple,” I clarify. “She’s still with my brother. Nothing about that has changed, Carla.” I stand up and smirk. “Except the fact that Nat is going to be my pretend girlfriend for six days. At least, I hope.” I nod toward the cooler. “So, I’ll be needing that cheesecake to butter her up.”
Her mouth drops open as she stands up straight. “Do I need to tell you how bad of an idea this is?”
“Nope. I’ve got it all under control, babe. Now are you going to help your favorite rock star out and give me that cheesecake I asked for? Might want to make it the biggest piece. I need all the help I can get.”
Shaking her head, she walks to the cooler and grabs the biggest slice of caramel cheesecake she can find and sets it down in front of me. “Just be careful, Madden. The last thing you want is for things to get messy for you and your brother. Pretending to date someone isn’t as easy as it may seem. Feelings sometimes get involved. Are you ready for that possibility?”
I toss down a twenty and grab the back of her head, planting a firm kiss on her forehead. “Nothing to worry about, babe. Nat practically hates my guts anyway. What could possibly go wrong?” I hold up the container while backing toward the exit. “Thanks for always having my back. I’ll see you when we get back.”
Once back inside my truck, I set the cheesecake down and make my way across the street. When I pull up in the parking lot of Brightside Hotel, a text from Alana comes through that has me wanting this to happen more than ever now.
I need Natalie to agree to this.
3:10 PM
Alana: I think I should sleep in your room again this time. It’ll give us some private time to talk. I can cuddle and rub you like old times. I miss that more than anything. The way your body feels beneath my fingertips. I miss you, Madden, and I know you miss me too. See you soon.
I squeeze my busted-up phone, before tossing it into the backseat with a growl, and then reach beside me for the container of cheesecake.
I have a feeling that Alana is going to be the cause of me having to replace my phone yet again. It’s pretty much on its last leg now, and all it’ll take is one more time of me throwing it for it to die.
Those shitty cases and screen protectors are nothing compared to my anger, apparently.
I step out of the truck, already lighting a cigarette to help calm my nerves. I quickly finish it before I walk inside and begin my search for the one woman who can hopefully get me out of this mess with Alana.
She’s not at the front desk, and since no one else is, I take a seat in the chair and answer the phone when it rings. “Brightside Hotel. What’s up?”
“Ummm…” a confused female voice says. “You’re not Natalie. What are you doing answering the phone?”
“It rang,” I say simply. “Where is Natalie, by the way?”
“Is this Logan?”
“Do I sound like I have a stick up my ass?”
“Well… no. Ooh! Ooh! Wait!” her voice turns to excitement. “This is the sexy little brother, right? The lead singer of RISK.”
“You’d be correct.”
“Do not leave. I repeat, do not leave! I’m heading down to the desk. Oh my god!”
Before I even have a chance to say anything the ecstatic girl hangs up on me.
I look down at the phone and shrug. “Well, all right then.”
I hear footsteps coming up behind me right before I hear her angry voice. The same one she used on me last night before rushing off in a hurry.
She’s probably still embarrassed, and I don’t blame her. She almost groped my dick. Maybe I should have let her…
“What the hell are you doing behind the desk, Madden? Are you trying to get me fired?” Natalie moves around to face me and snatches the phone from my hand with a scowl. I can’t help but to notice once again just how cute she is when she’s angry. “And you seriously answered a phone call? Get up out of that chair. Hurry, there’s cameras for fuck’s sake.”
She gives me an annoyed look and pushes my chest, until I