Chapter 11
BIX
When my eyes snap open in the dark, I’m completely disoriented.
My head throbs faintly. I feel the weight of a man’s arm slung over me.
Where am I?
Then it all comes back. The noodle bar. The Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Sam flirting with me.
Making love, but him stopping when he realized I was a virgin.
Maybe it’s just as well. I was drunk on more than Champagne. I was giddy with the excitement of seeing Slayer perform live, and then performing myself on that very same stage. Unbelievable.
And then, of course, the night ended with one more surprise as well.
Sam.
I slide carefully out from under his hold, pull on a T-shirt I find on a nearby chair, and pad barefoot to the living room to get my red diary. Then I tiptoe back to the darkened bedroom and drop into the sleek white desk chair.
I begin by considering all the exceptional events of the day. Hearing Slater perform. Performing on a true stage for the first time since Hilary's death. I always knew I'd have to face the stage solo one day. And Zaza's push was what I needed to get over the hump.
And then there's meeting Sam at the noodle bar tonight. I never thought billionaires hung out in those kinds of places. But it appears they do. I grab a pen.
Then I scribble words in a half-delirious rush near my earlier birthday-wish entry.
I've met him! Birthday magic works. On track to get that record deal and achieve the dream!
With a yawn, I drop the pen, lose the T-shirt, and stagger back to bed. Sam is there, solid and warm.
Without thinking, I curl into him, fitting myself softly along his side. Sam feels so right. I know I promised to respect his one-night rule, but it's my birthday.
And slowly, so far, my dreams are on their way to coming true.