Don’t get distracted on the job
DON’T GET DISTRACTED ON THE JOB
Wyatt
My focus should’ve been on the crowd in the front row, the people mingling or running around backstage, or the ones who walked in or out of the hallway that led from backstage to the dressing rooms.
It should’ve been on those things.
Instead, I kept getting distracted.
Brynn was captivating.
Pop music had never been my thing—I preferred a mix of country or old-school Eminem and Linkin Park, depending on my mood—but I could hardly look away from the stage, from where she performed.
Her voice was unlike anyone I’d ever heard—a little raspy, but strong and steady when she hit her high notes.
She could also belt out some notes that left no doubts she was a powerhouse of a singer.
Knowing she wrote most of her own songs also had me distracted.
I kept wondering who they were about. Was it the ex that was all over the media supposedly brokenhearted about their breakup?
I hoped they weren’t. He may be crying to the media, but Raf had already looked into him, and he was hooking up with several women on a pretty regular basis since the breakup.
He only seemed sad when he knew the press was around. He wasn’t worth her time or heartache.
So who was she writing about?
I shouldn’t care, but it was becoming obvious I was doing a lot of things I shouldn’t be doing.
She belted out the last note of her song, and then her light laugh rang around the huge space through her microphone.
Her smile was the widest I’d ever seen it as she waved to the cheering crowd before pointing to her dancers as they took a bow.
Then she gestured to her band, and finally up to where I knew the technicians were for the lighting.
With one last wave at the crowd, she ran offstage and straight toward me.
Well, not toward me—I just happened to be standing where I knew she’d come because I’d seen her follow this same routine for all seven shows she’d performed so far.
As her bodyguard, I probably should’ve told her that routines were dangerous for her safety, but I also liked knowing exactly where she’d be at the end of every show.
An assistant was already rushing forward to hand her a water bottle that she took with a smile and a “thank you” before chugging it down.
My eyes narrowed on the way her throat moved as she swallowed before moving up the long column of her neck to her face where her eyes were closed.
I could practically see her shedding the performer persona she wore every night when she was on stage.
I knew she’d open her eyes and snap it back into place for the after-show VIP meet and greet, but this single moment after every show felt like some secret shared between the two of us—even if she had no idea I paid such close attention to her ritual.
Except this time when she opened her eyes, they found mine immediately.
Our gazes locked, and something heady and dangerous passed between us.
The moment felt like it stretched on, but with a single blink, she broke the connection and turned toward the assistant who was already yammering on about who the VIPs were tonight.
Brynn’s expression was back to all business, and I forced my gaze away from her to once again scan the backstage area and assess her safety.
Had I missed anything in those few seconds that it’d felt like she’d held me hostage with that green gaze of hers?
I moved with her as we made our way down the hallway to her dressing room where she’d freshen up before meeting the VIPs, who’d all passed thorough background checks.
Anyone who hadn’t been willing to go through the new vetting process had been removed from the list. I did a quick check of the room to make sure no one had gotten back here while we’d been up front, and then stepped outside so she could do whatever she needed to do.
When the assistant stepped out, I stopped her. “Has she eaten anything in front of you?”
The assistant—whose name was Amanda—blinked up at me with wide eyes. “Uh, I don’t know. Was I supposed to have a snack ready? That wasn’t on my list that Stella left for me.”
I frowned. They all made sure she was hydrated, but this wasn’t the first show where I’d noticed she wasn’t getting offered any snacks or food which I’m sure she needed after that performance.
“Put it on your list,” I told her, handing her a five-dollar bill from my pocket.
“High protein snacks in the future, but for tonight, go down to the vending machine that’s by the restrooms and get her whatever’s healthiest.”
I’d noticed Brynn followed a relatively strict and healthy diet and didn’t want to ruin that, but I was worried about her not having enough fuel to keep going at this pace.
Amanda nodded like a bobblehead and then ran off in the direction of the vending machines. Brynn opened the door to her dressing room shortly after and gave me a quick nod before we headed toward the room that had been set up for the meet and greet.
I saw the change in her body the second before we entered.
With an inhale, she pasted on a smile that could’ve looked genuine to others, but I’d been around her enough to know it wasn’t.
She smiled just a little too wide when she was faking it.
Not that she didn’t enjoy these moments with her fans—because there were times when her shoulders relaxed and her smile met her eyes as they brightened at whatever a fan was telling her—but for the most part, it seemed to drain her more than it inspired her.
I wasn’t sure anyone noticed except me. I’d started to wonder if Brynn even noticed.
After the fifth VIP guest was through, Amanda handed Brynn a granola bar. Brynn’s shoulders fell and relief filled her features. “How’d you know? Is it that obvious I’m starving?” she asked with a little laugh.
Fuck.
“Oh, Wyatt said you hadn’t eaten. I’ve made a note to have high protein snacks for all future shows like he told me. So sorry I didn’t notice. This was the healthiest thing in the vending machine downstairs.”
Brynn had stopped looking at her as soon as she’d said my name.
I should’ve told Amanda not to say anything.
Brynn’s brows furrowed slightly, and her head tilted an inch to the side as she stared at me, an unspoken question passing from her to me that I refused to answer.
I’d had years of practice keeping my face neutral, and I needed every single one of those years to keep it still in this moment.
I wasn’t supposed to care about whether or not she ate. I was just supposed to care if someone attacked her.
“Thank you,” she said, her gaze still locked on mine before she looked at Amanda who was already nodding and walking off so that Brynn could meet with the next VIP.
The rest of the night passed by uneventfully, everything happening just like it usually did.
Except for the fact that Brynn kept looking over at me, especially every time she took a bite of the granola bar.
My gaze snagged on her lips as I watched her take the last bite, and my heart started racing in a way it never had before when I looked up and realized I’d been caught.