“I’m not her man,” Kellan interjected.
Nick ignored him. “We’re going to fuel the flames of Kellan and Sienna madness, and ride the hype to the top of the charts.”
My heart sank as I looked at the eager expression on Nick’s face. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but I was sure I wasn’t going to like it. His demeanor radiating caution, Kellan asked, “What do you mean?”
Excitement on his face, Nick spread his fingers. “We’re going to play up the romantic portion of the song, make the video seriously hot. Naked bodies, deep kisses, moaning and groaning, whatever we can get away with.” Winking at Kellan, he added, “Anyone who watches it will immediately need to take a very cold shower. The buzz around you and Sienna is going to skyrocket.”
I wanted to stand up and tell this scheming moneybags that Kellan would be doing no such thing, but knowing it wasn’t my place right now to say anything, I grit my jaw tight. Kellan’s face went the opposite way; his mouth dropped open. “The song is about a breakup,” he sputtered, mystified.
Nick nodded, steepling his fingers under his chin. “Yes, and what great breakup didn’t start off with a fiery romance?”
The room was silent for a moment. Evan and Matt were staring at me, making my cheeks heat. Griffin was ear-to-ear smiles. I wasn’t sure if he was happy about filming the music video in general, or about watching Kellan film a scene with Sienna that would make him need “to take a very cold shower.” Probably a little of both.
Finally, Kellan told Nick, “I’m married. I can’t do that.”
Griffin volunteered immediately. “I can!”
Ignoring Griffin’s outburst, Nick gave Kellan a hard stare. The look on his face made goose bumps break out on my arms. Definitely a man who was used to getting his way. “I’m not asking you to have an affair with the woman. That part is entirely up to you.” He smirked and flicked a quick glance at me. As I glowered, his eyes returned to Kellan’s. “I’m merely asking you to film a fictional video with her to a song that you’ve already recorded, a song that we own, by the way.” He pointed at Kellan with laced fingers, and a chilly smile touched his lips.
Leaning back, he placed his hands on his thighs like he was going to stand. “Entertaining the masses is part of your job description, and sometimes that includes acting. If we’d known you were . . . unwilling . . . to do that, we wouldn’t have signed you.” Standing, he narrowed his eyes and took an intimidating stance above Kellan. “All I’m asking for here is for you to buck it up and do your fucking job. And in case you couldn’t tell . . . I’m not really asking.” His voice was ice cold; it raised the hair on the back of my neck and filled my stomach with lead. Shifting his focus from Kellan, Nick walked out of the room.
There was a thick layer of silence in the room after Nick left. You could have heard a pin drop. Not surprisingly, Griffin was the first to pop the stillness with a loud exclamation. “Dude! You get to film-fuck Sienna Sexton! High five!” He held his hand up in the air, palm exposed to Kellan in congratulations.
Still shocked at this turn of events, I had no comment to Griffin’s statement. Kellan glared at the bassist, then seemed to realize that was pointless and shifted his gaze to the floor.
He was silent one moment longer, then abruptly stood. Staring at the door Nick had strode through, Kellan’s face hardened. “This is bullshit.”
He stormed out of the room, harshly brushing past my legs in the process. Evan stood in his wake. “Kellan?”
Kellan didn’t answer him. Hands clenched into fists, he disappeared without a backwards glance at his band. We all stood and stared after him. “What’s he gonna do?” Matt asked the room. No one had an answer, and a feeling of dread pricked my skin. I knew exactly what he was going to do. What he always did when things got too hard. He was going to run.
I took off after Kellan, the guys following after me. Kellan wasn’t on the stairs, and for once the stunning view didn’t impress me. Nothing was impressing me at the moment, because I was pretty sure I was going to have to do something I did not want to do. I was going to have to convince Kellan to make out with another woman. No, not just make out. Simulate a love scene. Somehow, that made the whole thing ten times worse.
I found Kellan in our room. Face stormy, he was shoving shirts in his bag. My empty bag lay beside his. A part of me wanted to start packing up my stuff in silent concession. That would be an infinitely easier choice. Instead, as Evan, Matt, and Griffin trailed into the room behind me, I asked, “What are you doing?”
Kellan glanced up at me, his eyes blazing. “Pack your stuff. We’re going home. I’m done.”
Griffin immediately burst out, “What the fuck, Kellan?”