Slow grin, quick wit. Sharp and silver tongued.
Wild laugh, soft touch. Met you, fell in love.
And now all I can think is, you’re lovely, aren’t ya?
Oh, you’re lovely, aren’t ya?
And now all I can dream is, you’re lovely, aren’t ya?
Oh, you’re lovely, aren’t ya?
Oh, I could build a home in your heartbeat.
Knew it from the moment you kissed me.
“Not this song, not right now,” I sighed, rubbing my temples.
The soundtrack for this scene absolutely wasn’t helping things.
Jake narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong with ‘Lovely, Aren’t Ya’?”
“Nothing. It’s a great song.” Jake’s suspicious stare didn’t waver, so I racked my brain for something to say other than the whole truth. “It’s just that it plays five times a day in the café andat the supermarket and even in the background of that video where that Sphinx cat is best friends with an alpaca and then gets an alpaca-wool sweater from his buddy so they match.”
“I love that video.”
“Everyone loves that video.”
Amber chose that moment to announce, “I think Lucy just hates the song because she has a beef with Jake Moody.”
Fantastic. Thank you, Amber.
Jake blinked owlishly at me. “Youwhat?”
I rolled my eyes and turned back to Amber. “I do not have a beef with Jake Moody. Please stop.”
“Please keep talking,” Jake countered. Amber’s eyes widened slightly as her gaze bounced between the two of us. “Why do you think our girl here has a beef with Jake?”
Amber looked at me. I made a long slashing motion across my throat. At the same time, Jake pulled his hat down low to approach the counter and stick a twenty-dollar bill into the tip jar.
Apparently, loyaltycouldbe bought.
“Well, first there’s the way Lucy reacts to ‘Lovely, Aren’t Ya,’” Amber began, as I suppressed a groan. “She hates that song specifically and with a passion. And Jake wrote this song, you know.”
“I do know that, yes.”
“Secondly, she says bad boys are stupid.”
“I’ll own that one,” I said, not backing down. “Bad boysarestupid.” I met Jake’s gaze evenly. “What else would you call someone who ditches their own bandmates at press conferences and who trashes their dressing room so badly it makes the news?”
Jake opened his mouth, then closed it. He swallowed, then started, “That was actually—”
Except he didn’t finish and shut his mouth abruptly instead.
“Really dramatic?” I completed for him, since he went silent. “Completely unnecessary? But I guess Jakedoeshave a history with people close to him and ghosting, doesn’t he?”
Jake gave me a long look, blew out a breath, then said, “He does.”
Suddenly, it was my turn to be thrown. I never thought he’d admit to it out loud, like a criminal confessing in court.
