Page 17 of Hard Rock Muse

“How did it go?” Abby asked.

My sister was already in her pajamas and sitting on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn by the time I got home.

“Did you get the job?” she continued before stuffing a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

“It’s not really a job,” I explained. “More like a temporary contract or gig. But yeah. I got it.”

She squealed, jumping up to run over and throw her arms around me.

“Don’t drop the popcorn,” I said as she knocked me over with her enthusiastic hug, but I returned the embrace all the same.

“See?” she said. “I knew all you had to do was put yourself out there.”

“All I had to do was change my appearance, change my name and pretend my old life doesn’t exist, you mean.”

She leaned back to look at me, her eyes full of hope.

“This could be a new start for you,” she said.

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

I wandered over to the kitchen to make myself a cup of herbal tea. I needed something soothing after the day I’d had.

“Tell me all about it,” Abby insisted. She sat down at the kitchen table, chin her in her hands as she watched me.

I realized I’d have to tell her all the details.

I’d have to tell her about Julian.

Shit.

“I’m working with a musician to help him write the lyrics to a song,” I started.

Her eyes lit up. “That’s amazing! You wanted to get back into songwriting. This will look great on your resume.”

“Right.” I poured the boiling water into my mug and dipped my tea bag into it. “But the job comes with a sort of complication.”

Abby looked at me, waiting patiently.

“The musician I’m working with…”

I braced myself for her reaction, not sure whether it would be good or bad.

“It’s Julian,” I said.

Her face went blank, before her mouth dropped into an O.

“Your Julian?” she asked breathlessly.

“He’s notmyanything,” I replied. “But yes, that Julian.”

She let out a little choked back squeak before clamping her mouth shut. It didn’t stop the corners of her lips from curling up into a beaming smile.

I sighed inwardly. I’d feared this was going to happen.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” I told her. “We’re just working together. It’s a professional relationship.”