Chapter 78
“ W hat are you doing?” Levi asks, dropping down beside me on the couch in the waiting room at the Atlanta radio station.
“Working on a design for a Shooting Star T-shirt.” I shrug. “Are you guys done with the interview?”
“I am,” he replies. “So is Stevie. He took off with the receptionist. But Car and Bo are still in there.” He points, and I look. Through the clear glass surrounding the sound booth, I see them and the radio host. They all have their headphones on.
“I like that.” His gaze is on the design I’ve drawn. It incorporates the Shooting Star logo I’ve also been working on. “Like the retro lettering for our name. Like how there’re four shooting stars for each of us.”
“I like all that too.” I bite down on my lip. “Do you think it’s good enough to show to everyone? Just to get their opinions?”
“They’ll like it.” He gives my design a closer look, then glances up. “We like all the things you’ve been doing for the band. The tour is a lot more fun and less chaotic when you’re around.”
“I want you guys to succeed.” I blush at the praise.
“You want Bo to succeed.” As his brown eyes glimmer with certainty, I realize two things. One, Levi is sitting really close to me. So close, I can feel his breath on my skin. And two, he’s handsome. Extremely handsome, but I never really noticed before. My cheeks get warmer as he takes my hand.
“It’s too bad you weren’t around when we were first starting out. Bo was different then. Nicer.” He squeezes my fingers. “He was a lot happier when you two were friends.”
“Meyers!” Bo shouts, and we both jump apart. “Get your fucking hands off her.” Fire practically shoots from Bo’s eyes as he marches toward us.
“Just talking about you, man,” Levi says coolly. “Think about what I said.” He squeezes my hand and releases it.
I am thinking about it. I’m also thinking that even though Levi is handsome, he’s not even in the same stratosphere of hotness as Bo.
“Move away from her!” Bo kicks the coffee table. His wallet chain sways and magazines fall to the floor as he plants himself in front of me. Levi doesn’t seem the least bit threatened by Bo. For some bizarre reason, he grins.
“Yeah.” Levi’s grin gets bigger. “You got it way bad, man.”
“You trying to provoke me?” Bo asks softly, the heat of his anger flaring his nostrils.
“Might as well go ahead and piss on her.” Levi chuckles and shakes his head. “Make it official.”
“How did the interview go?” I ask, trying to get Bo’s mind on something else to defuse the situation.
“Not now, Peace.” Bo flashes me an irritated glance that makes me feel small and dismissible. “Instead of flirting with one of my friends, why don’t you find some work to do?”
“I wasn’t flirting.” I rise. “And I was working.” Hurt slams around inside my chest. I’m suddenly mad too, so mad, I start shaking. “And while I get back to doing that, why don’t you get fucked?”
“Already got fucked, sweetheart.” He looks down his nose at me. “Several times last night as I recall. And if you want more of what you were begging for, you’ll stick to doing your job and stay away from my bandmates.”
My cheeks burning with embarrassment, I poke him in the chest. “You are not my boss, Bo Jackson.” I lose my train of thought for a moment. My finger tingles from encountering his solid muscle and warm skin. His unbuttoned shirt is a distraction. He is. But there’s a lot more than lust pumping through my veins. “Despite what you think, I know how to do my job, and I’m able to do it perfectly well without any instructions from you. Don’t expect any begging from me. I’ll be in my own bed tonight.”