Huffing, I fold my arms over my chest. “Can’t argue with that,” I remark, turning to Lunar. “All right, let’s head out. I gotta eat.” Taking Lunar’s hand in mine, needing to feel a bit of comfort, I lead her away from Effa.
“I’ll come by later with the demo,” Effa calls out to me excitedly.
“Sure,” I call back. Lunar giggles beside me, hurrying to keep pace. “What?” I ask.
She glances at me and grins. “You’re gonna cave, you know that, right?”
“No. I won’t,” I retort.
She laughs, cuddling into my side, giving me the comfort and support I’m craving, and we make our way to the hotel restaurant together.
***
Ryan has joined us, and we’re digging into our meals. I decide to fill Ryan in on what happened with Effa. “So, Effa approached me about doing a duet with the band,” I begin.
Ryan nods, taking a sip of his soda. “Well, honestly, Danger, that could be a smart move. Her voice is amazing, and if we get the two bands to collaborate, it could benefit us both.”
“Yeah, but I don’t even know what they sound like?” I add, voicing my concern.
“I do. When I went back to my room, I pulled up some of their songs. They’re pretty amazing, Danger, and to be honest, they are practically the pussy version of us. I think it’ll flow well, and we should do it.”
Gnawing down on my lip, I hesitate, then turn to Lunar. “What do you think?” I inquire.
“Well, the way I see it, there are two options. You could either blend two of your existing songs or collaborate with Effa to write a new one specifically for the two bands. I think option two would resonate better with the fans.”
With a nod, I smile. “Okay, I’ll listen to Effa’s demo. Get a feel for their sound and talk to her about a new song.” Despite every part of me wanting to avoid Effa. The problem is, now that Nate has pointed it out, all I see when I look at Effa is a stark reminder of Ella and everything that went wrong in my life.
But I need to put those feelings aside for the band’s sake.
“Good idea, it’s the right call, Danger.” Ryan takes a massive bite out of his steak, and we go about finishing our dinner.
Heading back to the hotel room, Lunar’s hand fits perfectly in mine. The soft lighting casts a glow down the hall, illuminating the sporadically placed artwork and bringing a smile to my face. Approaching our door, I find myself in a relatively good mood.
Once the door clicks after placing my card on the reader, we walk through. Then Lunar places her bag on the counter, and I turn to pull her to me. She wraps her arms around my neck and presses her body against mine—my cock begins to strain behind my zipper in an instant.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Lunar leans in, her lips pressing against mine, my hands sliding down to her ass, gripping tight onto her supple cheeks. Her tongue collides with mine while my cock grows rock hard against her. She whimpers into my mouth as I lead her back toward the bed, just as there’s a knock on the door. I groan, pulling back. “I don’t care who you are, fuck off,” I grumble in annoyance, and Lunar giggles, releasing me.
“He’s joking!” she calls out, placing a tender kiss on my cheek.
Goddammit! I walk to the door, my feet heavy, while I rearrange my cock in my jeans. Letting out a heavy exhale, I turn back to Lunar. She smirks, gesturing for me to open the door. When I pull it open, I am surprised to find Effa standing in a giraffe onesie, with the biggest smile on her face.
What in the hell.
My brows knit together in confusion. This woman is seemingly unfazed that she’s wearing the world’s weirdest fucking outfit.
“Effa, you really are strange.” I take a step back, struggling to process what I’m seeing.
She beams brightly, her pearly white teeth almost dazzling me with their brilliance before she moves to enter. I stand to the side to let her pass.
“Thank you, that’s so nice of you to say,” she replies, like she really is happy for me to tell her she is strange. Then she walks past me into my room like she owns the place.
I turn, close the door, then my eyes widen as she walks away from me. Her onesie has a tail. Chuckling to myself as she strolls around and waves to Lunar, I rub the back of my neck, wondering what in the hell I’ve gotten myself into with this chick and her ridiculous band.
I step past her and settle on the bed to sit, keeping my distance from her because even though she looks ridiculous, shestill reminds me of Ella, and any memories of her are still too raw for me.
“Okay, so this song I’m going to play you is all about how when you love someone, it’s with your whole being. Not just with your heart, but your soul, your skin, your hair, your energy, and your aura.” She takes a deep breath as if the words are soothing to her. She closes her eyes, taking in the peace of the silence.
