Page 3 of Stuck With My Rockstar Boss (Soul Sounds Brothers #4)

Lucas

I’m not fucking okay. Of course , I’m not fucking okay. I’m getting flashbacks to the last tour, to what happened, to the last time she saved my ass. Fuck, man, get a grip.

“Fine, I’m fine,” I say, though my voice comes out like a whisper.

Mika’s brow is furrowed. She looks worried. And I hate that look. I hate when people are worried about me.

“You, are you okay?” I ask.

She almost laughs. “I mean, yeah, I’m fine. I wasn’t the one with fans trying to eat me alive.”

I know she means it as a joke, but I can’t laugh. Because that’s exactly what it felt like.

“Aren’t you gonna go out with the guys? I think you missed the – “

“No, no, I’m… tired.” What is wrong with me? She’s just being nice, but I can’t manage a coherent sentence. “Gonna shower and then hit the sack.”

She smiles softly. Despite the hard lines of her makeup, Mika’s face is kind and sweet. She looks like she could fuck you up and then would ice your wounds after. “I get it. It was a big night.”

“Really big,” I say, a smile finally cracking onto my face.

“You were great, by the way,” she adds and then looks away from me. “I mean, you’re always great, but…”

Relief floods through me. I have to remember that. The show was fucking great. We did an amazing job. “So were you. You killed the vamp on ‘Snake’.”

“Ugh, it’s one of my favorites to do!” Mika announces.

I feel a spot of pride. After all, I wrote it.

She crosses her arms and looks back to the door of the tour bus. “Anyway, I’m gonna head to my bus, and – “

“You’re not going out either?”

She shakes her head. “I prefer to get out bright and early in the mornings and see the city when I’m touring. Instead of nursing a ridiculous hangover.”

I smile. That’s how I would feel too if I could go out without getting recognized and having a complete panic attack.

“Anyway, I’ll get out of your hair,” Mika murmurs, turning to go.

“Shit, thank you, by the way,” I cry out.

She turns and smiles, her lips curling to the side. “Don’t mention it. Hopefully, none of them run to the gossip rags and say you’ve got a new girl.”

I can’t help but blush. “That rumor is always out there. They haven’t gotten it right yet.”

We stare at each other maybe a moment longer than we should. It feels like something is unspoken, although I have no idea what. “Sorry you keep having to save my ass from – “

“Oh god, Lucas, don’t mention it. They’re pain in all of our asses,” she snorts.

Suddenly, it hits me. I have an idea. “Would you…” I stop. It’s stupid.

“Hm?”

“I… you can say no,” I say. God, I’m selling this well. “You’re really good at making them all back off, and I really appreciate that. And I wonder if maybe you could do that more often?”

Mika narrows her eyes. “What?”

“Fuck, I’m not making sense. Can we sit?”

I lead her over to the small table that juts out from the wall of the bus with booth seats on either side of it. “Fans never leave me alone. Even in Houston. It’s fucking nightmarish. But it was… you were able to just get them to all clear out.”

“Yeah, cause I’m an asshole,” she chuckles.

“No, because you’re badass,” I reply. And she is. For her little, birdlike frame, she could have rammed them all down. A one-woman army. “I’m not badass.”

Mika’s eyes widen. “Are you crazy? You’re Lucas Tremaine!”

“Okay, onstage, sure. But off. I’m…” I swallow. “Look, let me just get to the point. I want you to be my chaperone.”

She raises an eyebrow.

“And like, just be with me. In public. And if things go sideways, just do what you did.”

“Um… I don’t know, Lucas, that’s– “

“I’d pay you, obviously.”

She goes quiet at that. Her eyes fall to the table and her lips twist. She’s thinking. Then, she speaks. “Look, Lucas, I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. If people think we’re dating or anything, I could lose my job. I know that’s not what you’re asking, but– “

“No one has to know. We can keep it a secret, I know we can.”

She still doesn’t seem convinced. I’m gonna have to tell her.

“Look, I have this… ever since last tour, my anxiety is through the roof. It’s always been there, I guess, but now it’s just impossible to deal with and–” I stop and take a deep breath. “After what happened last tour, I know you really have my back. It would mean a lot to me.”

Mika’s worry melts off her face.

“Just give me a chance. One day. Tomorrow. You can just take me wherever you wanted to go. I won’t be a pain in your ass, I promise. Just to try it out.”

She nods and I think I’ve hooked her in, but then she says, “Let me sleep on it.”

At least it’s not a no. But fuck, I hope she says yes tomorrow morning. “Sure. Sure, just come by the bus whenever and we can chat.”

Mika smiles and gets to her feet. “Sounds good. You sleep well, okay?”

“I will.” At least, I’ll try.