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I unzip my suitcase and pull out a black dress. When I take in my appearance in the bathroom mirror, I realize pretty quickly that I need to touch up my makeup. I look like I've been on the road, and that isn’t exactly the vibe I’m going for right now. I take down my ponytail and run my fingers through my hair.
When all is said and done, I look decent enough. I slide on a pair of ballet flats, grab my purse and room key, and head to find the bar. The only thing keeping me from letting my anxiety completely overwhelm me is that I know for a fact that the guys will avoid going down to the lobby. It would take a few minutes before word got out, and the place would be overrun with screaming fans in no time.
The concierge points me in the direction of a small bistro that doubles as a bar after 6:00 p.m. I take a seat on one of the bar stools and order a gin and tonic. Today calls for something a little stronger than usual.
"Mind if I sit?" an attractive man asks, gesturing to the empty stool next to me.
"Go ahead," I coolly reply.
"Business or pleasure?" he asks, flashing me a megawatt smile.
I politely return the smile. "Business, you?"
"Bachelor party for my soon-to-be brother-in-law." He glances over his shoulder at a small group of men taking shots. "This is apparently the pre-game; we’re heading to some club around the corner shortly."
He extends his hand to me. "I'm Jack."
"Juliet, nice to meet you. Congratulations on the wedding. I’m sure that's exciting."
He shrugs. "I guess. He's a good guy. My sister could have done much worse."
He orders a beer, and we make small talk for a while. He's an investment banker from Tacoma, has a black lab named Rosco, and seems quite hell-bent on getting me to join them at the club.
"I have a big day at work tomorrow, but I would love to otherwise." I lie. I do have a big day, but I am not even the tiniest bit interested in going clubbing with four strange men. If Alyssa were here, she would have already agreed for both of us.
He's a good-looking guy, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying his company, but that didn’t mean I wanted our meeting to extend beyond these four walls.
"You mentioned you're in public relations. Which area specifically?" he asks.
I take a sip from my third gin and tonic. "The music industry," I respond vaguely.
He seems surprised. "Really? That's interesting. What exactly do you do?"
"Well, being a publicist for a musician or a band is pretty vast. It can involve setting up events with the press, planning concerts and tours, and maintaining their overall image. It depends on the client and what their specific needs are."
He laughs. "So, keeping them out of trouble?"
"That can be part of it," I say with a chuckle. "Bad press can kill someone's image."
The bartender asks if Jack would like another beer, and he nods. "I imagine that can be a difficult undertaking when dealing with musicians. They always seem to find themselves in hot water."
A gasp from a woman seated at a high top causes us both to look up.
When my eyes make it to the front door, the cause of her shock is apparent. All four members of the band stroll in, clad mostly in leather and looking like four gods who’d just been dropped onto planet Earth to mingle with us mundanes.
"Holy shit is that—" Jack begins.
"Yep. That's them," I say before downing the rest of my drink.
The guys make a beeline in my direction, and when Jack finally connects the dots, his mouth hangs open. "Wait, you work with them?"
I offer a tight smile, but can’t hide the proud feeling growing in my gut. I worked with Chaotix and that was so cool!
"There's our favorite publicist," Gareth says with a grin. "Who's your friend?"
I introduce Jack to them, and he plays it pretty cool for the most part. It's clear he's trying to hold his shit together and not look like he's totally freaking out. I may not have known him for long, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell his mind is mid-spiral. I didn't peg him as the type to even know who they were, but I was quickly learning that everyone did.
I keep feeling Ryan's gaze on me, so I continue looking everywhere but at him.
