Gee, show some faith, why don’t you?“It won’t bomb. I won’t let it. And my band’s fully on board.” If they weren’t, there were plenty more musicians in the world. But the misfits he’d pulled together had his back. Now to add the key player.
After a few moments of silence, Sebastian ventured a barely audible, “You’re sure you want me?”
“More than you’ll ever know.”And in more ways than one.“In fact, the deal’s contingent on you agreeing to the role of Chris.”
Sebastian quirked up one side of his mouth and shook his head. “Okay. If I can’t talk sense into you, send me the script.”
“Send it where?”
“Um… that might be a problem.”
“No, it’s not. I have plenty of room.”
“I told you….”
“I have four houses, two I haven’t been to in months. No telling what housekeeping’s been up to. I normally rent out those two, but they’re currently empty. I’d like you to stay here with me, but if you’d rather not, you have your choice between three other homes—as a favor to me, of course. Free rent—you act as caretaker when you’re there.”
Lowered brows had to mean,man thinking here.“Where?”
“Besides this one, I own a cabin near Lake Tahoe and a condo in Dallas—don’t ask, I honestly can’t remember why I bought it—and…” Should he tell Seb or not? Better to be honest. “…a lovely two-story in Evergreen, Colorado on lots of land.” He waited, the ball firmly in Seb’s court.
Sebastian stepped away. Henri missed his heat immediately, though the room wasn’t cold. “You bought my house from Charles.”
Chin up. You did a good thing.“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Some assholes were going to buy it, sell off your family’s things, tear down the house, and build a resort.” Okay, maybe he’d been too honest.
Sebastian scowled. “This isn’t your fight, Henri.”
“But I love that house. And the grand piano.”
“Henri….”
This situation called for a littlemorehonesty. “I love you, Seb. This probably isn’t what you want to hear right now. You’ve got your life to get back together and want to do that on your own. I understand. Believe me, I do. I stood in your shoes not too long ago. If not for you, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”
“What you feel is gratitude and pity. Nothing more.” Resignation pushed back the hopefulness on Sebastian’s face.
“Maybe. If gratitude and pity cause butterflies in my stomach whenever I hear your name. If gratitude and pity make my heart do cartwheels when I see someone who sort of looks like you. Seb, I’m writing sappy love songs. The guys are freaked out, but Tessa loves them.”
Resignation turned to shock. “You love me?”
“Yes, and I understand if you can’t say the same right now. You don’t have to. For years I’ve been too busy being famous to realize how few genuine friends I have.” Fists balled at his sides, Henri pled his case. “You taught me what to look for, believed in me without worshipping me for something I took for granted. You get me, Henri, Henry, or whoever the fuck I am. Besides, you’ve done something for me no other human on the planet ever has.”
“What’s that?”
“Made me tuna fish sandwiches. C’mon, let’s take this to the kitchen. I’m starving.” Although Sebastian held his hand, he didn’t say the words Henri longed to hear. Maybe he never would.
* * *
“Who’s thatone from?” Seb pointed to a brightly wrapped package under the tree.
“Tessa.” Henri shook the tiny box, the kind a ring or pin might come in. It rattled. He ripped the paper and lid off to find a packet of crystals. “For luck and protection,” the card said.
Steve the stylist included another cross, along with a clipping from a fashion magazine depicting models dangling crosses from their belt loops, along with snippets from various fanzines showing the legion of Henri’s fans who now copied his style. A “Season’s Greetings” card held the written inscription, “Told you.”
Henri had sent his family vouchers for an all-inclusive resort in Cabo. Their card lay face down on his dresser. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the picture of the three of them smiling in front of the family tree without him, but couldn’t throw the reminder of happier times out either.
