Rory’s body tensed, and he emitted low, grunting pants as he rode it out with me. I bucked atop him until the orgasm passed, continuing to rock back and forth to coax every last bit of the feeling out of this moment I’d waited so long for. And then I collapsed into his arms, wanting to cry. After so much time apart, Rory and I were finally back.
* * *
Rory leftfor the arena around two in the afternoon the next day for a planned meet and greet, followed by sound check. I hung back at the hotel for some quiet time, forgetting how nice it was to just be. As much as I loved traveling with the guys, they overwhelmed me with their energy at times. Sometimes a girl needed a good daytime talk show to clear the testosterone from the mind.
My phone buzzed on the table beside me, and I spun it toward me to check the caller ID. Unknown. I let it go to voicemail. Less than twenty seconds later, the second call came through. The hairs on my arms prickled. The pattern of the calls. Could it be her? I answered the call on the third ring.
“Grace?”
My heart dropped to the floor. Even after all these years, I hadn’t forgotten her voice. I should have hung up right then and there but this woman held some power over Rory, and I feared if I cut her off, she’d find another way to him. And suddenly, he’d be gone again.
“Is this Nikki?”
“Good memory.”
It felt scandalous to talk to her, like I was betraying Rory’s trust after only just yesterday pledging my allegiance. “How do you have my number?”
“I held on to it.”
“For five years?”
“Has it been that long?”
“Almost six, actually.”
“Jesus. Can’t believe no one’s killed me yet.”
This woman was a vessel of negativity. I wondered if she’d always been this way, or if it was a more recent development.
“Are you looking for Rory?” I asked.
“No. Not Rory,” she said. “Just you. Can we talk?”
“We are talking.”
“In person.”
I bit down on my lower lip. “I don’t know.”
“It’s important. I’ll go wherever you want.”
Don’t do it, I warned myself.Don’t do it. But my god, curiosity got the best of me. “When?”
“Now.”
I checked the time, calculating the activities of the afternoon and evening to figure out if it was even feasible. All the Monsters family members were gathering backstage for a dinner before the concert tonight. I was the one planning it, though Tucker had been the one to get it bankrolled. No, I absolutely did not have time for this.
“Come to the lobby of the Grand Villa Hotel at four.”
“They won’t let me in there.”
“Why?”
“I’m a street whore. That’s why.”
Good thing she couldn’t see my face over the phone. I was appropriately stunned. Clearing my throat, I said, “I’ll let the doorman know I’m expecting you. What do you look like?”
“Skinny. Long, dark hair. Vacant stare. PicturePretty Womanon opioids.”
