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CHAPTER 15
LUKE—2015
Even though the original idea had been his, Luke was having major second thoughts about inviting Mikey back to his cabin, and they stuck in the back of his mind as he tried to get to sleep later that night. At the same time, he couldn’t deny the something flickering between them, like a shy sunbeam every time they shared a glance.
In some ways, the whole thing seemed so simple. They’d spend a week together, write a few songs, and then…somehow they’d end up back together. In other ways, however, the whole thing just seemed like one big emotional knot, one so complicated he had no idea how or if he was going to be able to untangle it.
Okay,he thought, as he turned over on his side in bed.I’m not going to keep thinking about this. Let’s just see where things go.
It wasn’t so simple, however.
Indeed, he kept mulling the situation over, right up to the moment when he pulled up in front of Mikey’s hotel and waited for him to come out. He was pleasantly surprised there wasn’t a whole horde of paparazzi swarming the place to get a candid photo of Mikey.
I guess that’s what happens when you have a team actually looking out for you,he thought glumly.
He was saved from going too far down a grievance rabbit hole by the arrival of Mikey himself, who came strutting out of his hotel. A tailored dress shirt hugged his slim physique–he still had the body of the twink he’d been in high school–as well as a pair of jeans so tight Luke was pretty sure he’d probably been oiled up in order to get into them. He was also wearing Raybans, and while Luke couldn’t help but curl his lip a bit at all of the ostentation, he also found it more than a little arousing.
Once a pretty boy, always a pretty boy,he thought.
Then Mikey was standing outside his truck, looking over his sunglasses, and Luke’s heart did a little somersault at just how devilishly sexy he was.
All right, calm down, cowboy,Luke thought.This isn’t your first rodeo with Mikey.
Mikey didn’t get in right away, of course, because he needed to stand there looking and preening.
“Are you gonna get in the truck sometime today or are you just going to pose for anyone who might be watching?”
“You never know who’s going to get you in their camera,” Mikey said. “And so you always want to make sure you look your best.”
“Oh trust me, I know all about people catchin’ you when you don’t want to be caught,” Luke said, not bothering to hide the bitterness in his voice.
Mikey frowned, and looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry,” he said, sounding like he meant it.
“Just get in the truck, please,” he said with as much patience as he could muster. “We don’t have all day.”
“What? Is there some appointment you desperately have to keep? The last I checked, we’ve got plenty of time before the concert, and this is just the beginning of our collaboration.What’s the rush?” He gestured toward the beautiful day around them. “Why not drink in the beauty of the day?”
Luke tried, really tried, not to grind his teeth.
“Because,” he said with exaggerated patience, “I just want to get started. Is that too much to ask?”
Something about Luke’s more patient tone must have finally got through to Mikey, because the guilty look reappeared, and he actually got into the truck as he’d been asked.
I might need to start using that tone with him more often,Luke thought, with a smile of his own.
“And just what are you smirking at?”
Now it was Mikey’s turn to be demanding.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Mikey rolled his eyes.
“Don’t try to be all mysterious with me, Luke Carter,” he said in mock admonishment. “I know you too well.” He gave a sniff. “You should try being yourself. It does wonders.”
