Page 28 of A Crazy Kind of Love
“I did like those pictures you took. And I’d love to see what you’d come up with. I’ll make a deal with you if you promise not to use anything without getting written consent first. Would you agree to that?”
“Absolutely.”
The applause in the front of the house had picked up into a near rhythmic stomping. Eden paused a moment longer. “I’ll still pay you for whichever pictures I end up keeping. Okay?”
“Deal.”
She jumped up. “Thanks again for coming tonight. I hope to see you again. You’ve got my email, so let me know how it goes with the photos.”
And she flew out the door. By the time I left the room, she was already performing an encore song. I squeezed around to my chair and scooted over next to Zion. Adrianna and Micah had left. I knocked Zion with my shoulder, and he leaned into me. All around us, people were singing along with Eden’s song, but I’d never heard it before. I wanted to leave now, but it would’ve been rude, so I sat and waited for Eden to sing another song and say good night.
The lights came up, and Zion immediately asked, “Have you eaten anything?”
I found my carrots again and took a bite out of one. “Okay?”
“So? What now?”
“Micah said something about meeting him out front. Do you want to see if he’s there? I don’t have any idea where they were planning to go.”
“You sure you’re up for it?”
It was a valid question. I knew he meant because of the night before. But I processed it a little differently. Was I up for tagging along with Micah Sinclair who seemed up for anything? Had he only asked me along to get some favorable press photos? Would any of that be so bad?
“It beats going home and turning in. Let’s go check it out.” I grabbed my pocketbook and pushed through the people crowding around the alcove with the merchandise table. I expected to see Eden back there, signing her CDs, but the line abruptly ended at the girl I’d seen there earlier. I guessed people were waiting until Eden came out to greet them. I wondered if Micah had gone backstage, too.
Zion’s thoughts must have followed my own. He muttered, “I hope we don’t have to wait for him out front for an hour.”
Then I saw Micah’s hair through the blank spaces in the window that the posters didn’t cover. His back faced the window. My face brightened of its own accord. I didn’t expect to feel so . . . what? relieved? . . . to see him out front. I grabbed Zion’s hand. “Are we going to do this?”
“Why not?”
He swung the door wide open, and I saw Micah talking to someone I’d seen before. Someone holding a camera in one hand, resting it on his shoulder for a moment. I placed him all at once. Wally, the guy I’d seen the night before. Possibly the same guy who’d published pictures of me with Micah.
Micah was engaged in conversation with Wally, but when I stepped out on the sidewalk, his eyes turned my way, and a smile broke out across his face. Just like that, my heart slammed in my chest. He lifted his hand up toward me, reaching out to pull me into him if I’d let him.
Everything started running in parallel time. My pulse raced like I’d pressed Fast Forward, like I’d inhaled a pound of sugar. But Wally moved on another time line, in slow motion. First, his eyes lifted and met mine. His eyebrows followed the upward trajectory as recognition registered. Then, his head swung toward Micah. Then back to me. When his gaze dropped down to Micah’s rising arm, his mouth formed a tight O.
And then he reached for his camera.
Time clicked into place. I grabbed Zion’s arm and pressed him to keep moving down the sidewalk. I skirted behind Micah, throwing one glance at the confused paparazzo. His wrist went limp, and the camera didn’t pursue us. Zion’s mind must have caught up with his body because he resisted me slightly.
I tugged him. “Keep walking.”
At the first opportunity, I turned the corner and abruptly stopped.
Zion pivoted so his whole body turned in a wide circle back toward me. “What are you doing, Josie?”
“I can’t go back there.”
“What? Why not?”
“I just can’t. Andy will kill me if I get caught in the news again with Micah with nothing to report.”
“You’re on your own time, Josie.”
“Zion, you don’t understand. He told me I have to choose between work and play. What if he fires me?”
Zion’s eye roll was a study in dramatics. “He’s not going to fire you. But if you wanna be a big baby, we can wait till that guy leaves and then go back.” He peeked around the corner.
