Spotlight by Eden Finley Page 0,29
was a baby, there wasn’t much to update me on. ‘What did she do today? Oh, drank some formula and took a huge dump.’ It’s not like we had to talk about her socialization skills or reading level or any of that.”
I lean against the kitchen counter and fold my arms. “Did any of them know that you’re … you?”
“That I’m Ryder Kennedy. Yes. Because, you know, they could see.”
“You’re hilarious.”
“No, none of them knew they had no chance of hooking up with me, if that’s what you were asking.”
“We don’t have to talk about this if it makes you uncomfortable.”
He takes a plate from the drying rack and stacks it in the cupboard. “It’s okay. It doesn’t. I mean, it does a little, but probably because only a handful of people actually know about me, so I don’t talk about it much at all.”
“Can I ask about you and Cash?”
He freezes. “What did you want to know?”
“Well, you just gave me his number. Is that not weird for you?”
“It’s one hundred percent weird, but it’s not like I can tell you what to do with your personal life.”
“But, you had a thing with him. No matter how short. Best friends don’t do that to best friends.”
“It’s a simple question. Would you go out with Cash if he asked you?”
“He’s Cash Kingsley.”
Ryder scoffs.
“I would go out with him, but only if it was okay with you.”
Please say I can’t. Please say I can’t.
Ryder averts his gaze. “Why wouldn’t I be okay with it? There were definitely no feelings involved between us.”
That disappoints me more than it should. Not the feelings thing. That … kinda makes me happy. But that he doesn’t have a problem if I want to go out with Cash. Then I remind myself about the whole out of my league thing and come crashing back to planet earth. “O-okay. I guess I’ll text him, then.”
“You do that.” Ryder walks away, and my gut churns.
Cash Kingsley wants to go out with me. That sentence doesn’t even compute correctly in my brain. Yet, I can’t seem to get excited about going on a date with him.
Because, apparently, I’d rather be on a date with someone else.
And that someone else is my boss.
I stare at the empty message box with Cash’s number in the address bar. If I don’t contact him, Ryder will wonder why. If I do contact him, it’s done. Ryder gave me the impression Cash is expecting me to message him. That doesn’t mean we have to go out.
Whenever I think that, reality hits me that I’m hesitating over going out with the lead singer of a band I’ve admired ever since they were discovered a few years ago, and I realize I’m being stupid.
Yet, as I type out a message, doubts still circle in the back of my mind.
Hey. This is Lyric.
I hold my breath, but I don’t have to hold it long, which is surprising. I was kinda expecting him to be busy with … I don’t know, being a rock star?
Hey. I didn’t expect to hear from you.
Awkward.
I reply: Well this is awks. I was under the impression you wanted Ryder to give me your number.
I did. I just didn’t expect you to use it. We gonna go out or what?
Straight to the point. I guess I can appreciate that.
I can do most nights except weekends when I gig.
Ooh, where you gig at? I could meet you at a show.
Cash Kingsley at … my show?
Uh, really? You don’t have to torture your ears like that.
Not to mention I’d freak the fuck out about performing for Cash.
Cash responds immediately. I’m sold on it now. If you don’t tell me where it is, I have other ways of finding out. Then I’ll show up anyway.
I type out my reply and hold my breath as I hit Send.
I play at Cedar Bar on weekends at 9.
Nice! I used to play there back in the day before I found my band. I’ll see you tomorrow night.
Oh shit. Am I actually going on a date with him? Is he going to really hear me sing?
I swear I sweat for twenty-four hours straight.
I’m not exactly present with Kaylee all day, but luckily Ryder is busy in his office finishing off songs for the label and doesn’t notice.
Plus, she’s a pretty autonomous kid, which makes my job easy.
We go pick up Chase from school, and then they play together for a few hours.
By the time Chase and I leave so I