“Because you did,” I say, stomping my foot in frustration. “And if you don’t see it then there’s no point in us continuing this conversation.” I turn and open the door to leave.
He grabs my arm suddenly, surprising me. When I turn back to him, he says, “You’re ungrateful when you should feel special.” Anger tinges his eyes, a flame flickering in his irises. “You had sex with Johnny Outlaw. You know how many women would trade places with you?”
I yank my arm free and step out the door. With one last look back, I say, “Having sex with a rock star doesn’t make me special. It makes me a groupie.” I slam the door and walk away. Something hits the back of the door and breaks as I walk back toward the big guy on guard. “Open it.” All my niceties have been used up today.
The door opens but closes just as quickly behind me, leaving me standing in the middle of a group of girls begging for entrance into the great Johnny Outlaw’s dressing room. I lift my chin and work my way through the groupies. Groupies. Ugh.
I’m not worried about Dalton coming after me. He didn’t last night and now he has his idolizing fans to entertain him.
Tracy rushes to my side, Cara flanking my other. “What happened?” Cara sounds edgy, realizing she has no chance of hanging out with the band. “You have something against famous, hot rock stars? They’re not your type or what? Because they’re totally mine. Did he mention me?”
“Ha!” I give her an evil eye. “Sorry to disappoint you, but you didn’t come up in conversation.” I stop walking. “And rock stars are what legends are made of, not fairy tales, so I left. Let’s go, Tracy.” I loop my arm around Tracy’s and leave Cara standing there in her disappointment.
Approaching us from ahead, Jack from the restaurant, says, “Maybe I can call you sometime back in L.A.”
“Maybe not. Goodnight.”
We walk forward, our pace quickening. “What happened, Holli?”
“I just want out of here. This was a mistake. I made a huge mistake, Tracy.”
“No, you didn’t. You had fun. Isn’t that what it was all about? Don’t be so hard on yourself. You fell for a hot guy and his lines. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Leaning against the wall, waiting for the elevator, I feel regret sinking in. “I think I might have started falling for him…” I just drop that there between us and wait for her reaction.
“You know Adam and I met at a frat party, but did I ever tell you that we hooked up that first night?”
I stand up when the elevator arrives. “You never told me that before.”
“I was embarrassed for being easy, but what I’ve come to realize is that I wasn’t easy, Adam was just the right guy.”
As we ride up to our floor, I ask, “So you think I just left the right guy for me back there with a pack of the wrong girls?”
“I don’t know if Jack Dalton or Johnny Outlaw is the right or wrong guy for you, but is it such a sin that he didn’t reveal his fame?” We exit and walk to the door. “We need to talk. I think it’s time you heard some hard truths.”
“Can I get comfortable before this gets any heavier?” I walk into the room and start to undress. I slip on a pair of jeans and a soft heather grey T-shirt with my logo on it, finding comfort in my little lime design.
Tracy sits down on her bed, leaning her back against the headboard. “Here’s how I see it. You’re a great catch, Holli. Too great for most men, but you settle on these pricks who on paper seem to fit what you want or need. But they suck.”
“Geez, don’t hold back, Trace.”
“I’m not going to. Not anymore. You need to hear this. Everything about you shouts single girl who doesn’t need anybody. But you do. You do need people, companionship, and more. And guess what? That’s okay. We all do. You’ve just gotten really good at hiding it, even from yourself. I’m not like you. I can’t be alone. I know this about myself. I’m not brave like you.”
“You have Adam, so you don’t have to be brave by yourself. You have a partner to share that responsibility.” Lying back on my pillow, I say, “I don’t like it. I’ve just lived with it for too long.”
“Holli, let me ask you something and I want you to be honest not only with me, but with yourself.”
“Okay.”
“Why are you up here with me when you have a rock star downstairs?”
“How do I answer that?”
“You don’t have to. Just think about it.”
I sit up and look at the bright lights out the window. Twisting my hair into a ponytail, I glance over my shoulder. When I look at her, she asks, “Do you want me to go back downstairs with you?”