Page 105 of Rebooting Conor Flynn

“If you thought Conor broke up with you, why were you calling him out on stage every night for being a cheater?”

“Because I thought we made up. It was all a big misunderstanding. Now he can dump you, I can dump Tomo, and we get back together.” She pressed her hands together. “Everyone loves a second chance romance.”

A sharp pain lanced my skull. “I...”

“It solves your problem too, Noelle. You thought Con and I had broken up, and you thought you had another chance with him. You never would’ve kissed him if you knew he was still with me. He never would’ve kissed you if he thought we were over for good. In a moment of weakness, we reached for second best.”

“Thanks.”

“That does mean—” she looked up at me through her fake lashes “—you two have to stay away from each other, at least on this tour.”

“I’ll put that one on the list, Ashley. We’ll review all our options at the meeting today...except hypnosis.”

“In the meantime, I’m going to get a massage, facial, mani-pedi, body scrub, and crystal alignment.” She stuffed the rest of the toast in her mouth and hopped up from her chair. “See you at the meeting.”

Ashley let the hotel door slam behind her. I could use a crystal alignment myself.

Instead, I crammed my laptop, phone, sunscreen, a paperback thriller I started reading two weeks ago, and a bottle of water into a canvas bag for the pool. I pulled my ponytail through the opening in the back of my baseball cap and tugged the hat’s bill over my forehead. Maybe I could slip down there incognito.

Opening the door, I poked my head into the hallway and looked both ways. When the elevator door opened, revealing Shanice, I clapped a hand to my chest.

“You scared me.”

“Thanks.” She adjusted her sunglasses on her face. “I feel like shit, and I look like shit. Stayed out way too late last night.”

An idea hit me, and I blurted it out without thinking. “Was it you who leaked those pics of Ashley and Tomo? He’s your ex...”

I trailed off as Shanice pulled her sunglasses to the tip of her nose and stared at me over the top of the frames.

“Are you serious? I already told you. I got nothing but love for Tomo, but he’s a manchild. Totally like him to get mixed up in all Ashley’s bullshit. Besides—” she shoved her sunglasses back up the bridge of her nose “—that shit coming out is gonna hurt you. I wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Okay, it was just a thought.” I wedged a shoulder against the elevator car as we settled onto the next floor. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. What’s done is done.”

When the door opened, Marcus, from the band, stepped between us. “Ladies.”

We nodded at him but stopped talking.

When the car reached the lobby, Shanice leaned in. “Are you going to be able to fix it?”

“I’m working on it.”

She blew me a kiss and continued toward the lobby as I veered off for the pool. I did not want to see Ashley here and continue our conversation from my room. She’d made herself clear. I didn’t have to worry about seeing Conor. He texted me a picture of TJ’s recording studio earlier.

I snagged a towel from the kiosk and shook it out before laying it on a chaise lounge. I waved to a couple of crew members soaking up the sun and settled down with my laptop.

Reviewing my proposal, which even included Ashley’s sex addiction, I made some notes. I focused on Ashley’s redemption and left out my own role in the chaos. I didn’t need to remind Dina—she’d reminded me enough over the past twelve hours.

When the waiter in the board shorts and cowboy boots stopped by, I ordered an iced tea and put away my laptop. I had several suggestions for the team, most of them outright lies or some distorted version of the truth. Exactly what they wanted to hear.

I slipped out of my shift, adjusted my bikini, and sprayed myself with sunscreen. I grabbed my book and read two lines before a shadow fell over me.

I sighed as I looked up at Jade. I was never going to find out whodunit in this book. I couldn’t even remember what they dun.

“Hi, Noelle. Got a minute?”

“Yeah.” I pulled my legs up to my knees, making room for Jade to sit at the bottom of my chaise. “Are you okay? Late night?”

Jade’s subdued manner conflicted with her usual bubbly personality.