Ari blinks. “You’re actually serious?”
My face breaks out in a grin. How can I not smile? I’m getting to lay claim to my man.
Will shakes his head. “Only you, man. Wait. Is he out?”
“No. He’s extremely private about his personal life.”
I don’t miss the looks of pity on Naz and Ari’s faces. They’re looking at me like I’m some kind of sad sap falling for a toxic closet case who will only break my heart by rejecting me publicly, just like the field hockey player I secretly hooked up with my junior year of high school.
“Don’t look at me like that. He’s notcloseted, he’s just private. And don’t judge him either. We live in very different worlds. Ican screw whoever I want and its entertainment news, at most. If he gets outed publicly, it follows him and overshadows his entire career. I get to be Jesse Moore, rockstar and sex god. He’d be Luc Martín,homosexualdefensive back for the Shreveport Cyclones.He’s one of the best defensive players in the league, but I don’t know, Chuck, I’m just not comfortable being in the locker room with one of them queers.Reporters would hound him almost as much as they do us, follow him home, to the grocery store, bother his family. All things he’s spent his entire career avoiding even before he knew for sure that he was gay.”
“Jesse, how can you date a guy who isn’t out and doesn’t want to be out with your level of fame?” Ari asks gently. “How does it work?”
“Well, right now it’s a lot of late-night phone calls and dick pics, but we’ll figure it out.” We have to.
“If Luc doesn’t want to be famous, he might want to reconsider making eyes at you through a camera lens,” Naz jokes.
“I’ll let him know you said so,” I laugh.
“Ooh! When do we get to meet him?” Ari asks excitedly.
“Hard no.”
“What?” All three complain.
“It’s not going to happen. You’ll scare him away with your heavy breathing. Ew. Stop. Also, you’re meddlesome, and you know it. You can’t be trusted not to scare him away. It’s precarious enough just because of who I am.”
“Damn,” Will says. “Can you imagine how many broken hearts there are going to be if it does ever get out? People might actually send you death threats. You could get booed off stage.”
Ari nods, agreeing with Will for perhaps the first time today. “He’s right. I even kind of hate you right now. I don’t want to admit how many times I’ve watched that GIF on repeat.”
Same, Ari. Same. But he’s mine.
“Well, you’re definitely never meeting him now. Stay away. He’s mine.”
SIXTEEN
JESSE
Cory pokes his head into the stairwell, gesturing for me to move quickly. “Alright, you’re clear.”
“Thanks, Cory,” I whisper.
“No problem. Call if you need anything. And Jesse–”
“Don’t leave the room without alerting you first. I know the drill,” I say, taking my bag and guitar case from him. “I don’t plan on leaving tonight for certain, so go have some fun for once. Throw some axes, or whatever lumberjacks do these days.”
He chuckles and stands back, watching and waiting until I’m safe.
My nerves are buzzing. He was alone and about to hop in the shower a few minutes ago when we talked on the phone, but what if someone showed up since then? Cory said he could get fined or even suspended if he’s caught with someone in his room, so I’ll just have to make sure not to get caught. It’s been agony to be so far apart these last few weeks, and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to take advantage of any amount of time off.
I rap on the door quietly, hoping it’s loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough for anyone else to get curious. He said most of the guys were going out to do some touristy stuff in downtown Atlanta for promo opportunities, so there shouldn’t be many people around.
My heart jumps when I hear the door handle move. Darting my eyes up and down the hall, I only see Cory walking in the opposite direction. I pull the belt of my knee-length trench coat open, and position my hands on my hips, praying to every deity anyone’s ever prayed to that I got the room number right.
“Trick or treat,” I say, watching his eyes widen comically.
He’s frozen for a long moment, eyes taking me in from my heels to my garters, to my curly black wig.
