Page 146 of Hard Rock Tease

“Has everyone noticed?”

“No. I don’t think anyone’s noticed except for me. But if things don’t simmer down, I’m worried those two might end up in a fist fight sometime soon.”

I debated whether or not to come clean. I didn’t want Kell to think I was just some groupie going after anyone who would take me. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about all this, though. My thoughts kept going around in circles. I was unsure of what to do to make things less awkward for everyone.

“Can I tell you something if you promise not to tell anyone else?”

“Of course.” Kell looked at me thoughtfully. “Come on, let’s go somewhere private.”

He took me back to the tour bus and sat me down on the sofa next to him.

“So, what’s going on with Jayce?”

“We… sort of had a… thing,” I confessed, slowly dragging out each word.

Kell raised an eyebrow.

“A thing?”

“We kissed. And some other stuff.” I tried not to blush. Kell’s lips twitched at the corner as if he couldn’t help himself from smirking. “What?” I asked. “What is it?”

“Oh, nothing. Just glad to see my plan worked.”

“Plan?”

Kell shook his head, laughing. “I knew there was only one girl who could tear his attention away from his guitar.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you think it was too much of a coincidence that Jayce’s internet crush got a job at his music label?”

I frowned. “Are you telling me it wasn’t?”

“How did you hear about this internship?”

“One of my followers messaged me.”

Kell grinned, silent and waiting. It clicked.

“That was you?”

“That was me.” He nodded triumphantly. “Jayce only mentioned your name a couple times because we kept on ragging on him for being a creepy stalker. We told him the girl behind the keyboard was probably a fifty-year-old man in grungy sweatpants.”

“I did wear sweatpants while writing my reviews a lot of the time,” I joked weakly.

“I remembered, though. When Deena told me she was looking to hire a social media person, I couldn’t think of anyone better.”

I was dismayed. “So I only got the job because of you?”

“No! Not at all. You got the job on your own merits, I just made you aware of the opportunity. Deena made the final call. She had no idea about my evil scheme.”

I couldn’t believe Kell had gone through all that trouble just to play matchmaker.

“So Jayce knows now, huh? How long did it take him to figure it out?”

“Not long, I guess.”

“So, I have to ask. If you and Jayce had athing—”he raised his fingers in air quotes, “then what’s with you and that producer guy?”