Of course, once everything had busted apart with Kenny, she hadn’t wanted to record the song. She’d felt like a fool for ever believing in one moment, in one kiss, in one touch that could change everything. But her label insisted it should be her first single. And she knew they were right, that she couldn’t let Kenny and what he’d done remove the joy she got from her music, so she’d recorded the song, putting every ounce of her heart and soul into it.
But even though she’d hurdled that first huge bump months ago, today she found herself hitting a new one.
She couldn’t stop thinking of Marcus every time they got to the chorus.
She couldn’t stop seeing his face, couldn’t stop feeling his hands holding hers.
And she couldn’t stop reeling from his kiss.
Her dancers had been given a thirty-minute coffee break before coming back to put in another hour or so to try and pull it together. She knew how frustrated they all were with her. She’d never planned on being a dancer, hadn’t trained at it like they had, but she’d always enjoyed moving her body, and had picked up a handful of pretty good moves over the years.
Not that anyone would know it from watching her today.
Even Lori, her fun—and extremely positive—choreographer seemed frustrated.
The sound of Lori’s laughter drew Nicola’s attention across the room. Earlier in the day, Lori had asked if she could invite her brother to observe for a bit. Nicola had been a public figure for long enough that she wasn’t particularly concerned about one more person watching her.
She could see how much Lori adored her brother by the way she lit up while she was talking to him. Not that Lori was ever un-lit, of course, with a ready laugh and a wicked glint in her eyes.
“Good news,” Lori said as she walked back across the large dance studio with a smile. “My big brother is heading over now.”
“Great,” Nicola said, trying to sound enthusiastic despite how low she’d been feeling all day.
But Lori was way too perceptive. “Seriously, Nico, you should tell me if you don’t want him here. I can see him later.”
Nicola shook her head and forced herself to smile wider—and more convincingly. “I really don’t mind at all.”
The other woman frowned. “Is everything okay?”
“I know I’ve been sucking today. Sorry about that.”
Lori reached out and put her hand on Nicola’s arm. “No, you’re doing great. But you seem kind of...” She paused. “...well, sad, I guess.”
Nicola knew better than to talk to someone she was working with about her personal life, but Lori seemed different than most of the people Nicola worked with. Nicer. More honest, somehow.
Kind of like Marcus.
Even though she should keep her mouth shut, she found herself saying, “I met a guy last night.”
Lori’s eyes widened. “A hot guy?”
Nicola was glad for another chance to smile. “Yes. Very hot.” She felt compelled to explain, “But nothing happened. Except for me falling asleep before we even kissed.”
“Oh,” Lori said, clearly caught off guard. “How’d he take it?”
“Great, actually. He made me coffee this morning.” And then told her she was way too young and sweet for him.
“Coffee? That’s all?”
She sighed. “Actually, he kissed me. Just once.”
“And?”
“And it was awesome.”
“Awesome is good, right?”
“Not when it’s also goodbye,” Nicola told her.
Lori looked confused. “Wait, so he kissed you and then you were done?”
“Yup. And for some reason the whole thing is messing with my head. I’m really sorry, Lori, I’m not usually like this. Especially over some guy I just met and will never, ever see again.”
When Lori didn’t say anything for several long seconds, Nicola began to panic. What had she been thinking, sharing all of her secrets with someone who was still, for all intents and purposes, a stranger? Hadn’t she been burned hard enough to know better?
“Look, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Before she could finish her sentence, Lori was throwing her arms around her and saying, “I so get it. Guys suck.” She looked a little guilty when she pulled back. “There’s something I should have told you before now. I’m related to Smith Sullivan."
“Oh. Wow.” Nicola had met Smith at a few industry events in the past couple of years. Something jogged in her memory and she asked, “If you’re his sister, then don’t you have like a dozen siblings?”
Lori laughed. “Not quite. There are eight of us. Although I’m sure it felt more like twelve to my mother.”
Nicola didn’t understand something. “Why didn’t you want me to know that?”
“I’d hate for anyone to hire me because of who he is.”
“I would never do that.”
“I know that now,” Lori told her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more forthright.”
After last night, Nicola was the queen of not being forthright. “Don’t worry about it, Lori. It’s really no big deal who you’re related to.”
Lori grinned and then said, “If the guy you met last night didn’t get how freaking awesome you are—and how lucky he was that you even let him kiss you—then he doesn’t deserve to be with you anyway.”