“Yes. Exactly.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame. You guys really do have an amazing stage presence.” After a beat, Josie spoke again, her voice playful. “How serious are they?”
Chloe laughed. “What has Maddie done to you?”
“I think it’s Anders. Living with him is destroying my morals, one scandalous thought at a time.”
“How’s that going?” Chloe asked, happy with the change in conversation.
“It’s fine. He’s still alive,” Josie chuckled. “In all honesty, it’s amazing. I never thought I could be this happy with someone who drives me insane.”
“I’m really happy for you,” Chloe said, her voice filled with sincerity. She jumped in surprise when there was a soft knock at the door. Pushing off the bed, she crossed the room and peeked through the peephole.
“Thanks. It’s been an adjustment sharing a space with someone on a daily basis, but I guess you know exactly what that’s like living inside a bus with a group of people for months on end.”
Chloe opened the door and moved to the side, motioning for Reid to come in. “Thank God for hotel rooms,” she laughed. “I think it’s the only reason some people haven’t killed others.” Reid flashed her a wide smile, well aware she was referring to him and Greer.
“When are you coming back to LA?”
“Our last show for this leg of the tour is the twenty-sixth of July. I’m not due in LA until the middle of August, so I’ll hang out in New York until then.” Chloe’s brows furrowed when Reid’s face twisted into a frown. She tried to get his attention, ask him what was wrong, but he was lost in whatever thoughts were running through his head.
“Well, if you want to come here sooner, let me know. I still have my old place. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it yet, so it’s empty if you want somewhere to crash.”
“Thanks, Josie. I’ll think about it. In the meantime, Reid is here, so I’m going to run. I’m glad we had a chance to catch up.”
“Me too. Take care. I’ll talk with you soon.”
After saying good-bye, Chloe tossed her phone on the table and cleared her throat to get Reid’s attention. “What’s up?”
Reid snapped his head in Chloe’s direction and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I . . . uh, I just wanted to see if you wanted to grab something to eat.”
“Are you okay?” His defensive posture and the way he wouldn’t look her in the eye caused a sinking feeling to spread through her. “Is today a bad day?”
Reid shook his head, but he still wouldn’t look her in the eye. During the last few weeks, he’d hit a couple of rough spots. London was the worst. He’d spent a lot of time there over the years and had made quite a few friends, many of whom were the types of friends he had no business associating with. On the opposite end of the spectrum, others gathered not as a show of support, but to voice their disapproval of the American legal system and Reid’s lack of criminal charges. It didn’t matter that they had no idea what really happened at his home in LA all those months ago. In their minds, he should be behind bars.
“Just a little lost in my head,” he answered finally.
“I see. Well, that makes perfect sense. I’d be a mess too if I had to spend very much time in your head.”
Reid peeked up at her, a smile threatening to lift one side of his mouth. “Are you calling me emo, Chloe?”
With a shrug, she grabbed the bag she’d put together for the show and slung it over her shoulder. “If the skinny jeans fit.”
Reid barked out a laugh, his half grin turning into a full-blown smile. “I don’t wear skinny jeans,” he argued, his expression a mix of mock and genuine horror.
“Yet,” Chloe taunted, turning toward the door.
“Ever,” he insisted, following her into the hall.
Once in the elevator, Reid shuffled his feet. “I was wondering something . . .” He fell silent, almost as if he was waiting for permission to ask his question.
“Yeah?”
He remained quiet for a beat before huffing out a breath. “What’s in New York?” he blurted out, causing Chloe’s eyes to widen.
“Umm . . . what exactly do you mean?”
“Why do you stay there? If you lived in LA, you’d never have trouble finding gigs.”
Chloe laughed as they walked through the lobby and out onto the street. “I don’t believe that for a second. Sure, there might be more opportunities, but there’s also more competition. At least in New York I have connections with the recording studio close to my apartment. If I moved to LA, I’d be starting from scratch.”
Reid disagreed. “You have connections in LA.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I could make some calls. Help get your name out there.”