Page 26 of Reverb (Larkspur Book 3)
“Go on through, Liam,” Isla said, waving at Miles’s closed office door. “He’s expecting you.”
“Thanks, Isla,” Liam said, smiling at the efficient woman who ran Miles’s life.
He tapped on the wood of the door once before opening it and poking his head into Miles’s office. Miles glanced up from his laptop, smiling widely when he saw who it was.
Liam stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Crossing to where Miles sat, he leaned down and kissed him.
“You’re here earlier than I expected. How’s your day been?” Miles asked as Liam took the seat from across the desk.
“Really good. The Eclipse guys were excited to sit in on our session this morning. We spent some time going over the lyrics Dave had written and showed them how to mold them to the random bits of melody that Taylor had.”
“Did you go over any of the songs that were provided?”
“Yeah, there was one that they seemed to all like. They’re going to practice it. We told them to try it in a few different tempos, see which one they feel works best, and then I’m meeting with them again early next week to see what they’ve come up with.”
“You’re doing a great job with them, baby boy,” Miles said, and a familiar warmth spread through Liam at the praise.
He and Miles had been together for three months, and with the help of his therapist and the love and attention Miles gave him, he was less stressed and felt much more in control of his life. Mentoring the young guys from Eclipse had given him a new focus, which he was reveling in.
Miles held up a small sheaf of papers. “I got the interview copy from Music News Now,” he said.
“Yeah? How’s it read?” Liam asked, pushing away a tendril of tension. The band had sat down with a perky young journalist from the music publication a few weeks ago. Most of the questions had been pre-vetted, but it hadn’t stopped Liam from stressing and worrying, and it had taken an intense session and lots of reassurance from Miles to get him back in the right headspace.
“It’s good. Here, see for yourself.”
Liam took the pages and settled back into his chair. Most of the article was a rehash of how they got started and the events of the summer, when Mark had quit and Kellet had taken over as drummer. The interviewer, Fern Attwood, had been polite and respectful when asking them all about how their new relationships had all blossomed in the space of a few months.
He remembered how he’d tried to appear calm and relaxed when she’d asked him about Miles and if their relationship had changed the dynamic in the band.
“So, Liam. It was recently revealed that you’re in a relationship with your manager, Miles Cartwright. Is this something new, or have you been together for a while, and no one has known about it?”
“Miles and I have only been together since early August of this year. We’ve been friends and colleagues since Miles signed us, but only recently discovered we had feelings for each other that went beyond that friendship.”
“And has your new romantic relationship affected the band dynamic?”
“No. It’s early days, but we don’t see it being a problem. We’ve all worked together for too many years to let it affect us. When I’m with the band, I’m at work, but when we’re at home, I’m just Liam and he’s just Miles, and we try and keep work and home life as separate as we can.”
Thankfully, Fern accepted this and moved on to Seth and his secret Las Vegas wedding.
Liam scanned through the rest of the article. Miles was right, it did read well, and he hoped it would keep the fans happy. The reaction to their relationship had been received fairly well. There had been a few grumblings from some people within the industry, but label management weren’t overly concerned as long as Larkspur delivered their album on time.
“Not bad,” he said, dropping the papers onto Miles’s desk.
Miles stood and came around the desk, pulling Liam to his feet and into his arms.
“I’m so proud of you, Liam. And I’m proud to call you my partner. You’ve come so far in the last few months.”
Liam blushed and tucked his face into Miles’s neck, savoring the warmth of his embrace. He felt safe. And loved. Something he hadn’t imagined all those months ago when he’d been picked up from the random hook up in Vegas.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he said, leaning back to wrap his arms around Miles’s shoulders and kissing him.
Breaking apart a few moments later, he glanced at the sofa on the opposite side of Miles’s office and then back at Miles, raising an eyebrow in suggestion. Miles playfully swatted his butt and mock-glared at him.
“No. The last time we made love on that couch, I nearly put my back out. Let me get my things and we’ll head home. Then we can take our time and stretch out in our bed.”
“I don’t think I can last that long,” he pouted with a sigh. “But I suppose the wait will be worth it.”
“It’s always worth it, baby boy.”