Manaconda 2: The Second Coming(20)
He shrugged. “I wasn’t in on this one. And I wasn’t really in on the last one either. I just let them in,” he called after me.
“Still a traitor,” I shouted over my shoulder. I checked my peephole, then opened the door at the uniformed woman at the door. “Can I help you?”
“Ms. McManus?” She looked down at her tablet. “Kenny McManus.”
“Kennedy, yes.”
The woman frowned, then looked back down. “It says Kenny.”
“From Hunter Jordan?”
Her eyes lit. “I thought it was a joke.”
I sighed. “Nope.”
“Lucky lady.” She held out the tablet. “Can you sign here?”
“What am I signing for?”
“Tickets.” She pulled out a slim envelope from her bag. “Have fun.”
“Thanks. Oh, wait. Let me get you a tip.”
“No need. All taken care of. Have a good day.”
“You too.” I closed the door. I flipped open the envelope and leaned against the door. “Well, then.”
“What?” Carter came around the island.
“Looks like I have a trio of second row tickets to Mumford & Sons tomorrow night.”
“Holy shit. They’ve been sold out for months.” He snatched them out of my hands. “Three you say?”
I laughed.
“There’s a note in here.” He handed it over to me.
I scanned the typed words, and shook my head.
“What’s he say?”
“How do you know it’s him?”
Carter snorted. “Come on. Even I couldn’t get my contacts to cough up tickets for this show.”
“They are from Hunter. ‘Have fun at the show. I got comped the tickets and can’t use them. Have to work. You told me you loved them.’”
“Girl, marry him.”
“They’re just tickets.” I took them back and tucked them back into the envelope. “I’ve had clients send me tickets before.”
Carter’s eyebrows shot up. “Shitty tickets to a Lakers game is not the same as second row to one of the most sought after shows on tour right now.”
I tapped the envelope against my thigh. “No, they aren’t.” The fact that he remembered an offhand comment I’d made weeks ago should not have warmed my heart.
“Call Felicity, see if she’s available.”
“She is.”
I laughed. “You don’t want to check?”
“Are you kidding? If I said no, I should pack my bags now.”
“Looks like we’re going to a show.”
“Yes!”
“Can we work now?”
He sighed. “If we must.”
I’m not sure why I bothered. The rest of the day was a bust. We went to dinner and rocked out to the amazing show. During the encore, I snapped a picture of the three of us and texted it to Hunter with a thank you.
That was only the start.
For the next three weeks I was inundated with gifts and hand written notes. Though the last ten days he seemed to have settled on photos he’d taken, and then had printed on glass. On the back, he wrote why he thought of me that day.
I started putting them up in my hallway. I couldn’t even say why exactly. There were seven of them now, and the pop of color always drew my eye. From various animals, to an action shot of a playground with the entire band on swings in mid-flight, to a sunset in the mountains.
He’d only missed a few days. I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about him on those nights. And it was usually me who started up a text message war with a side of name-that-body-part.
He was really good at that game.
I never let it go beyond suggestive snapshots. I’d been in the business too long to put naked pictures out there for anyone to find.
The fact that I’d started dressing for him and our nightly chats was troubling, but I couldn’t stop. Then he missed last night.
I’d been off the entire day. I was getting used to finding a new text from him on my phone, even a rude picture that made me laugh was preferable to the silence.
I climbed the steps and recognized the square package sitting on my stoop. I rushed forward and ripped it open before I opened the door. I backed inside, then gave Sammy a distracted pat on the head as I let him out the back.
The picture was of a marquee with The Breakfast Club in old black letters. I gathered the box to put it in the recycler and found a movie inside. I frowned.
What the hell?
I flipped over the picture.
Watch with us at 9:05. Thirtieth Anniversary or some shit. The whole band is going to watch it with Molly Ringwald. How cool is that?
Missing you in Orlando,
H
I had a dinner date scheduled with a few of my old college friends. I didn’t hesitate cancelling. Right now I didn’t want to focus too hard on the fact that I was staying home to watch a movie with a bunch of people I wasn’t physically with.