Sienna embraced her, smelling impossibly expensive, then stood back and smiled at her the way she would a beloved child. “Oh, Claudia, how are you holding up, my friend?”
“I’m okay. Tired, you know. Touring is… exhausting.”
“I know,” Sienna said. “I went on tour with Zane for years. It’ssohard. And now you’ve been drawn into all this silly drama.” She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, that idiotreporter making shit up like that. And it sounds like poor Mike fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.”
Not wanting to say anything disparaging about him, Claudia offered Sienna a small smile. “It’s been tough on everyone. I honestly don’t know why he would write that.”
Sienna shrugged. “Because the truth is boring. No one wants to read about a band who gets along famously.”
Nodding, Claudia said, “Yeah, that must be it. I hope you weren’t upset by it.”
Sienna laughed. It was too long and too loud and clearly meant she was very upset. “Oh, God, no. I’ve been in this business long enough to know what’s real and what’s bullshit. Besides, what Zane and I have is…” She glanced at him, taking his hand. “Beyond anything from this world. It’s fate. We’re soulmates. Nothing can get in the way of soulmates.” She blinked up at her husband, then leaned in and kissed him softly on the mouth, leaving Claudia feeling extremely awkward.
“I’m glad,” Claudia said when Sienna finally looked back at her. “Because as much as I enjoy working with Zane, I certainly don’t want anything more than that.”
“Which is good because that’s all you’ll get,” Sienna answered with a light chuckle. She gave Claudia a once-over, then said, “Love that outfit, by the way.”
Claudia looked down, having momentarily blanked on what she was wearing—a black miniskirt with black tights, a white tank top under an open button-down plaid shirt, and a pageboy cap. She felt completely frumpy with Sienna, in an ivory silk dress, looking down at her from her perch on top of the world. “Thanks, I basically have no sense of fashion.”
“In that case, let’s go shopping tomorrow. We’re in the best city in the world for it. Well, other than Paris, of course.I can get you in at the top designers and get you fitted with some statement pieces and some classics.”
Claudia’s skin grew hot. “No, I couldn’t ask you to do that for me.”
“Don’t be silly. It would be my pleasure to help you,” she answered. “Besides, I’m in desperate need of some time with a girlfriend. I’ve been stuck at home with the kids for over four months.”
Claudia glanced at Zane, who smiled at her as if it were the best idea he’d ever heard. “Definitely take her up on it. She’ll have you feeling like a million bucks by the end of the day.”
“Okay, great,” Claudia answered, a sense of hope coming over her.
“Excellent. Let’s leave by ten so we don’t run out of time.”
“Sounds terrific.” Actually, it sounded awful. Claudia hadn’t been up that early since they’d left California. She’d have bags under her eyes while she was being dragged around from designer to designer by a model.
An awkward silence followed while Claudia imagined herself being ignored while all the designers fawned over Sienna.
After a few seconds, Zane cleared his throat. “Okay, well, we were going in search of a coffee, which I could definitely use right about now.”
Claudia gave him a bland smile. “I should go see if Mike’s up.” She turned her gaze to Sienna. “I’m so glad you’re here. Poor Zane has been missing you terribly, even though he pretends he’s fine.”
“I could feel it. That’s why I hopped on a plane.” She reached out and squeezed Claudia’s upper arm. “I know I’ve never said it, but it gives me so much comfort that you’re here to look after our boys.”
Sienna’s words reverberated through Claudia’s mind the entire way to her suite.It gives me so much comfort…Yeah, right. What a bunch of bullshit. Sienna was here to mark her territory, like a tall, freshly groomed poodle leaving a trail of urine around the yard.Back off. He’s mine.
This assumption was confirmed by Claudia later that night at the show. Sienna and Zane made out backstage without a thought to the comfort of the crew. And in the moments leading up to the show, Sienna called the band into a huddle. “Come on, like we used to in the good old days,” she said, gesturing for everyone to join her and Zane. When they were all there, she put a hand on Zane’s back, and one on Claudia’s, then leaned her head into the circle. “Okay, it’s showtime. But remember, we’re more than a band, more than friends—we’re a family. And families look out for each other, they protect each other, and they love each other. We’ve all got each other’s backs for life. And that’s what makes us special.”
The men all smiled at Sienna as if she had been gifted to them by God himself. Rusty nodded. “Thanks, Sienna. This is exactly what we needed to get through the rest of the tour.”
She gave him a sweet smile. “That’s why I came. Family can feel it when something is wrong. All this silliness with that stupid article cannot come between us. We know what we’ve got here. And we know what’s real and what isn’t. Claudia is a wonderful addition to the band. Mike needs her. We all need her. I don’t care what everyone’s saying about her. I trust her completely.”
Her words were tiny glass shards to Claudia’s insides. She was saying what the men wanted to hear, but Claudia knew what she really meant. She was making sure Claudia knew the world now thought of her as a wanna-be-homewrecker, but Sienna didn’t see her that way. Because a woman like Sienna would never feel threatened by some normal human like Claudia. Believing anything else would be madness. Claudia had never felt smaller or less important in her entire life. And now it was time to get out on stage and act like everything was fine.
At the start of the concert, Sienna made the walk up the aisle, holding her husband’s hand through a thrilled crowd of fans. Zane added a solo acoustic version of ‘Faded Denim’ to the playlist, replacing ‘If I Didn’t Have Her,’ and he got Sienna to come out on stage and sit on a high stool while he serenaded her. He introduced her as the most beautiful woman in the world, the love of his life, his one and only, his muse, and the one he’d die for. It was just the two of them under one spotlight against an otherwise dark stage, with the rest of the band watching from the side. When the song ended, they delighted the crowd with a huge kiss, then pressed their foreheads together and held hands while the audience cheered for their undying love. Sienna cried happy tears. Zane wiped them off her cheeks. Claudia watched, sipping from a lukewarm water bottle, imagining it was her forehead against Zane’s. Those wereherhands he was holding. And it was her body he’d be touching after the show. A pain so pure and deep rippled through her, and she was worried she might cry too. But she didn’t. Instead, she smiled at Mike. “Aww, isn’t that sweet?”
“So? Tell me how you’rereallydoing.” Sienna put her elbows on the small wooden table and leaned forward. “And don’t you dare say everything’s wonderful, because I’ve been on tour with these men before so I know better.”
The women had stopped for lunch at a little bistro. Claudia’s feet were surrounded by bags, after having a successful start to their day of shopping. She felt like Julia Roberts inPretty Woman, only there was a much prettier woman calling the shots instead of a handsome billionaire. It was a crash course in dressing for her body-type (and wasn’t she lucky to have curves where Sienna was straight like a stick?). Cinched waistlines, bodysuits under jeans, expensive fabrics that skimmed her body just so. There would still be a time and place for her grunge and boho looks, but if she wanted to turn heads, she needed to play to her strengths, hold her shoulders back, and let the geniuses of Milan do their work. After lunch, they were heading to a salon so Claudia could get her hair done. It was a place that normally took months to get into, but as soon as they knew Sienna was asking, the answer was yes.
So, overcome with gratitude, Claudia decided to tell Sienna the truth. After all, the woman had taken an entire day of a two-day trip to help her out. If that wasn’t true friendship, what was? “Honestly? I knew being on the road would be tough, but not… like this.”
