in the small room the band had been allocated to more back-slapping, applause and champagne…courtesy of Jake. She barely registered the burst of bubbles on her tongue because everything felt so surreal. However, she did register the satisfying feel of Jake’s strong arm wound possessively round her waist.
If anybody speculated on the ‘extra-special’ attention she was getting, no one dared voice it—least of all Rick, who was watching them with a stern ‘headmaster’ scowl as he bellowed to no one in particular that he needed another beer and fast.
Outside, as the venue emptied and the road crew loaded the van with Blue Sky’s equipment—‘Tank’ and Dave, stalwarts of the industry, who had worked with Jake many times before—Rick pulled Caitlin aside as she was about to step up and get into Jake’s familiar black car.
Jake had given her his keys and told her he wouldn’t be long. He was still inside, checking arrangements for the following night when they would play their second and final London gig. There would be an even bigger crowd the next night, he’d told her, because the press would have got wind of her performance via the comments posted on social media sites and would come to check it out.
As Caitlin stood waiting to hear what Rick had to say, right on cue it started to rain.
‘Is something the matter?’ she asked warily.
‘I don’t know. You tell me.’
‘Now you’re being cryptic.’ She started to smile, but straight away saw Rick wasn’t in the mood to be placated.
‘Is something going on between you and Jake?’ he demanded.
Her stomach plummeted to her boots.
‘And don’t tell me you don’t know what I mean.’
His hazel eyes were accusing and his shaggy blond hair was beginning to wave even more in the rain. Tugging up the collar of her raincoat, Caitlin shuddered.
It had been an amazing night. She had not only overcome her trepidation at singing in public, she had really begun to live her dream. She was bursting to talk to Lia and tell her all about it. Up until just a moment ago she’d wanted to shout out her news to the whole world. I did it! I really am a singer in a bona fide rock band! But now, as she gazed anxiously back at Rick, she felt as though someone had got a pin and deliberately popped her balloon.
‘There’s nothing going on between me and Jake other than him looking out for me and helping me settle in…with the band, I mean.’
‘We can’t afford another screw-up after the Marcie debacle. If you end up walking out on everyone because you got too involved with Jake then it will have serious implications for the band. I don’t think they deserve that after all their hard work…do you?’
‘No. Of course I don’t.’
Caitlin knew what Rick was saying was only right, and she had no intention of letting anyone down. Just because Jake had put his arm round her when she’d come off stage and bought champagne to celebrate it didn’t mean that the man was any more trustworthy than Sean. She had already intuited that f she had a physical relationship with him then her heart would seriously be at risk—because any woman with an ounce of common sense could easily see that he wasn’t the type of man to commit to anything more meaningful. And Caitlin wasn’t the type of woman to be intimate with a man and then forget it…as if were no more important than a trip to the hairdresser…
She lifted her chin. ‘Don’t worry, Rick. I promise you that the band comes first. Besides, I’m not looking to get personally involved with anyone.’
Liar. Nobody wanted to be alone for ever. And she wasn’t the only girl in the world who hoped to find love again after the heartache of a failed relationship.
‘Then we understand each other?’ Rick reached out his hand to wipe away a raindrop glistening on her cheek.
‘Understand what, exactly?’ a deep male voice intoned.
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