What was it about her? Bristol ignored the rapid flutter in her chest and the lightness in her heart as she watched Annie perform. Something was different about Annie tonight. Maybe it was her confidence or that she was finally embracing the opportunity, but whatever it was, it was sexy. They had barely gotten to practice, but Bristol assured her she would be ready to sing her song. She’d learned it this afternoon. Music was a part of who she was, and learning a few verses was easy.
“It’s like she’s a whole new person up there,” Lizzy said.
When it was her time to sneak onstage, Bristol grabbed the microphone from a roadie’s hand and started humming while Annie was singing. When the fans recognized her slowly making her way to Annie, they screamed with excitement. Bristol started singing softly, careful not to upstage her. She looked into Annie’s bright-blue, expressive eyes and saw happiness and pride. Annie was having the time of her life. For the first time in ten years, Bristol forgot the words to a song.
Instead of getting upset, Annie threw her head back and laughed. She kept strumming. “It’s okay. We can make up the words as we go.”
Bristol covered her face with her hand. “I’m so embarrassed.” She leaned closer to Annie. “I’m so sorry. I thought I knew this song forward and backward.” She didn’t tell her that being this close to her was unnerving. When was the last time she’d felt the little kick in her heart or wanted to stand this close to somebody?
Annie kept strumming and reminded Bristol of the words. Their fans were eating up their exchange. It was flirty, fun, and showed the world that Bristol Baines wasn’t as cold as the tabloids indicated.
She took a deep breath and looked Annie directly in the eyes. “Just a little bit longer, my heart grows stronger and stronger.” She found the beat again and finished the song. When she was done, she hugged Annie, waved to the crowd, and bounced offstage. She liked surprising the crowd. She liked singing with Annie. It felt good. When was the last time she felt so complete?
“You were seventeen the last time you froze onstage. What happened?” Lizzy and security flanked her on her way to her dressing room.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m tired.”
“Or maybe somebody’s baby blues got you all messed up.” Lizzy smiled.
Enough time had passed since her last relationship that the ribbing didn’t sting. She thought about denying Lizzy’s remark, but what was the point? “She is attractive, isn’t she?” Bristol kept the excitement out of her voice to convey a more laid-back response.
“I should’ve asked her sister if she’s dating anyone,” Lizzy said.
“I’m not interested in anything at the moment,” Bristol said. She wasn’t sure why she added “at the moment.” Maybe she was ready, but hooking up with one of the performers or somebody on the tour made for a sticky situation if the relationship went south. She’d made that mistake once and wasn’t going to do it again.
Bristol pushed open the door to her dressing room. Annette and Phoebe were in the room standing by to fix her hair and makeup. Her stylist had picked out the two outfits for tonight. As much as she liked summer dresses and light makeup, she loved the turning point in the concert when things got a little grittier and darker. It was almost as if she was playing a part in a movie or play. Breaking out of the squeaky clean good-girl image was tough, but this concert was proving she could be sexy yet still sweet.
“Let’s finish the tour first. It feels like a lifetime away.”
“The time will go by faster than you think,” Lizzy said. She got out of Annette’s way and thumbed through the clothing options on racks, even though outfits had been already picked out. She held up a pink shirt and a fun light-gray skirt. “What about this combo? Then you can wear sandals instead of heels. I can’t imagine the pain you endure nightly in those death heels.”
Bristol snorted. “Three-inch heels aren’t bad, but I do love to wear the boots.”
Lizzy held up a pair of soft-toe military boots that Bristol had broken in years ago. “Maybe you should think about another pair?”
“Those are my favorite.” Bristol frowned as Lizzy laughed and dropped them back in their place.
“They’ve seen better days,” she said.
“We all have.” Bristol’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Touché.” She picked up another pair and held them up. “What about these?”
“Those give me blisters.”
“Why do you still have them?” Lizzy asked.
“Because they’re awesome and give me height.”
Lizzy gave up trying to change Bristol’s footwear. She scrolled on her phone, making faces and smiling at whatever was on the screen. “Dom is doing a great job promoting the concert. And Annie’s getting great press on your page. Even Fast Cars is blowing up. This has been a stellar tour.”
Talking about the business side of things in front of the staff was a no-no, but sometimes Lizzy forgot her environment. “Let’s focus on tonight. Can you grab me something to drink? Like a flavored water? Thanks.” Bristol gave Lizzy a smile and blinked hard twice. It was her signal to Lizzy to stop the discussion. Money didn’t matter at this point. Bristol could lock herself into one of her houses for the rest of her life and live off the money she made from this tour alone, but that didn’t mean they should discuss it in front of the crew.
She couldn’t wait to be done. She wanted to let her guard down. She wanted to walk around town and grab a coffee or pick up dry cleaning or wash her car in the driveway without twenty paparazzi trying to take her picture and printing false headlines. Bristol Baines spent all her money—has to wash her own car. Or Bristol Baines gets own dry cleaning because entire staff quit. Claims she’s the devil.
“You’re done here. Off to wardrobe,” Annette said.
Bristol was so engulfed in her thoughts she didn’t realize her hair was pulled up and curled and her makeup applied. She stepped out of her clothes and slipped into her first outfit. She had exactly ninety seconds for the wardrobe change halfway through. She twirled in front of the mirror. She was wearing a pink skirt and a white sleeveless top. It was a bit too wholesome, but it served its purpose for the angel half. She had faux leather pants and a black shirt picked out for the devil half.
Lizzy pressed her fingers to her ear. “Fast Cars just finished the set. You’re up in fifteen.”
Bristol took a deep breath. Her confidence was the wobbliest right before going onstage. Once she started singing, she was okay. Getting there, all eyes on her, was unnerving. “Okay. Thanks.” Lizzy knew not to bother her right before the show. She put her AirPods in, cleared her mind, and practiced breathing until Lizzy tapped her leg.
“It’s go time.”
Bristol gave a final deep breath and nodded. “Let’s go.”
* * *
It was just a quick get-together with Annie to review the song, but Bristol was pacing. She’d spent a lot of time in the mirror trying to look casual and adorable. Black leggings, T-shirt with a repetitive small heart pattern, and her hair back in a ponytail. It was almost two in the morning, but Bristol wouldn’t fall asleep for another few hours. She jumped when she heard the soft rap of Annie’s knuckles on the door.
“Hi. Come on in.”
“Thanks.” Annie walked only a few steps in and waited for Bristol to shut the door. “I know it’s late, but I’m not even tired. Tonight was amazing.”
Bristol snorted. “Except for the part where I ruined your song.”
Annie touched her arm. “It was perfect. It shows that you’re human. Most people think you’re a goddess, and your little slip made you seem more accessible.”
Bristol was having a hard time looking away from Annie’s eyes. They were so blue. There wasn’t a speck of any other color but blue. “I’m just a regular person.”
“That everybody wants to be like,” Annie said.
She hoped that wasn’t true. She wanted Annie to be a regular person and treat her like a regular person. “Let’s get started. The conference room isn’t above any bedrooms, so let’s go there. Nobody will hear us.”
Annie handed her a printout of the song lyrics. “Just in case you need them.” Naughtiness perched at the corners of her mouth. Annie was teasing her, and Bristol couldn’t help but laugh.
“Things I’ll never live down. Have a seat.” Bristol pointed to an empty chair across from the one she sat in.
“Are you sure we won’t wake anyone?”
“I’m sure. The advantage of the penthouse suite is privacy. Play away.”
Annie strummed until she got the right pitch. “Ready?” At Bristol’s nod, she began singing.
Bristol liked her voice so much that she didn’t jump in when she was supposed to. It was nice to hear somebody with true talent sing. Annie had control of her voice and knew how to project it so it didn’t sound breathy or ragged.
“Are you going to join me?” Annie stopped playing.
“I wanted to hear it all the way through and pick the places where I should start harmonizing.” That was only a small lie. She wanted to hear it, but she was caught up in sitting so close to Annie. Lizzy wasn’t around. Her security was on the other side of the door. When was the last time she’d been alone with somebody?
“That makes sense. How about here, here, and maybe here?” Annie pointed to the piece of paper Bristol was holding. She was only inches away. Could Annie hear how fast and hard Bristol’s heart was thumping? Did she know that Bristol thought about her more than she should? Annie smelled like daisies and fresh clothes. Her hair was damp from a recent shower, and she wasn’t wearing makeup. She was lovely, and Bristol wished this moment would last forever.
“That looks good. I promise not to screw it up again.”
“It’s okay. Like I said before, it shows your human side.” She winked at Bristol and started playing the song. Bristol nodded to the beat and jumped in where they agreed. She used the sheet only twice—once to learn the spots and the second time to break eye contact with Annie.
“That sounded so good. Let’s do it one more time, and then I’ll get out of here and let you sleep,” she said.
Bristol didn’t want her to go. She wanted Annie to stay and get to know her better. “Can I get you something to drink? I know I’m not drinking enough.”
Annie sat back and loosened her grip on the guitar. “Water sounds great. Thanks. I’m going to have to work to stay hydrated and eat more to keep up with the energy of this tour.”
Bristol handed her a glass of iced water and put a plate of vegetables and dip between them. “Just in case you’re hungry.”
“How can you stay so healthy on tour? My willpower is lost, and I just want to eat everything. The muffins and doughnut spread at the arena today was unbearable. I mean, of course I ate one or two, but if I did it every day, I wouldn’t have the energy for a show every night.”
“You’re doing great. I do that so the crew and everyone on the tour can snack while they’re working. You’d be amazed at how many people work on putting the stage together. But I hear you. The lull of junk food is so easy when you can’t just cook something for yourself.”
“Although your suite has a full kitchen. Do you like to cook?”
Bristol thought about what she did on her downtime, but it had been so long she couldn’t remember if she really enjoyed cooking or did it because it was her only option when not on tour. “It’s hard to cook for just me, but I usually enjoy it. It’s better when the family comes over and we grill out.”
“Do you live close to your family?” Annie wasn’t fishing for information. She was genuinely curious.
“My mom and brother live in my neighborhood in LA. I also have a cabin in Vermont and an apartment in Madrid. When I stay there, they usually come visit.”
“As in Madrid, Spain?” Annie’s mouth dropped open.
Bristol wrinkled her nose. “Yes. That sounds excessive, doesn’t it?”
“Good for you. You’re living the dream, and if you can afford it, I say why not? I would love to travel. I’ve only been to Mexico.”
“I’ve toured everywhere, but I haven’t really seen the world. We tried to do better on this tour by spreading it out so we weren’t so rushed, but that just made it drag out. I can’t tell you how happy I am that we’re in the homestretch.”
“It has to be so hard to be away from your family and friends that long,” Annie said.
“I miss my mom a lot. I’m sure you already understand that. You’re really close to your sister and niece. And you have some really great friends.” Bristol was thinking of Charley and how protective she was of Annie.
“I already miss them like crazy. My sister raised me, so even though the rest of the tour is only six weeks, this is probably the longest we’ve been apart.”
“Your sister raised you?” Bristol didn’t want to ask the obvious. If Annie wanted to tell her what happened there, she would.
Annie slid the guitar off her lap and placed it gently against the table. “My parents died in a boating accident when I was thirteen. Sarah was twenty then and became my legal guardian. She sacrificed so much for me. And now she’s dealing with Peyton’s illness. She needs a break.”
“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Bristol said. She remembered being thirteen, trying to figure out who she was and tripping over her emotions. It was a pivotal moment in her life. She couldn’t imagine losing her parents then. “I like your sister. She seems nice.” She remembered the eye patch Peyton wore while they were backstage and was curious about it, but didn’t want to pry. “You don’t have to tell me, but what illness does your niece have?”
“It’s a condition called retinoblastoma, which is a form of eye cancer.”
Bristol gasped. “Is she going to be okay?”
Annie smiled and nodded. “She is. She’s a fighter. She’s so tough, and I’m so proud of her. I know she’s confused about it because none of her friends at preschool have medical conditions, but she’s getting to know the kids where Sarah works, so that makes it easier. She says she’s special, and she most certainly is.”
“Sounds like the Fosters are a strong family.”
“We have to be. All families have their problems, but we’ll get through them. Tell me about yours.”
Bristol knew people only in the entertainment industry, and they were horribly selfish and greedy. Annie was so genuine. She was a breath of fresh air. “I’m close with my mother. My teenage brother is a pain in the ass, but he has a good heart. My dad’s an artist and thinks I’m wasting my talent just to get famous.” She gave Annie an eye roll for effect. “We argue about everything, so I’m not really close to him.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. The fact that he’s an artist is pretty cool, though. What about your mom?”
“My mom runs one of my charities. She never remarried after the divorce. My dad’s on marriage number three. The latest wife is maybe two years older than me.”
“That’s awkward. Tell me about your brother. What’s the age gap?”
“He’s eleven years younger. I call him my oops brother. He doesn’t like that so much.”
“He’s probably really proud of you. I bet your entire family is. How could they not be?” Annie asked.
Just when she was going to tell Annie things she’d never told anyone except for Lizzy, her phone alarm went off. “Where did the time go? It’s already four.”
Annie jumped up. “Oh, my gosh. You need sleep. I need sleep. We need sleep.”
Bristol just now noticed how Annie’s bright eyes were a little droopy. “I’m so sorry I kept you. Thank you for the chat. I needed it more than you know.”
Annie hugged her, and while Bristol was completely taken aback by the gesture, she leaned into Annie for strength. She wasn’t used to people touching her without her permission. She wasn’t offended. It was just foreign to her.
“Sleep well, and I promise to get the words right,” Bristol said.
Annie grabbed her guitar case and walked to the door. “I’m not even worried. I think tonight was a bigger success than any other night we’ve had so far. Thank you again for the opportunity, Bristol Baines.”
“Have a good night, Annie Foster.” Bristol locked the door and slid under the blankets. When was the last time she’d climbed into bed smiling?