Flashing Lights

14 - Stop talking already

A pair of warm hands on my shoulders pull me out of my thoughts. When I look sideways, I see that Karen is the one leaning on me from behind.
She's looking at Hunter with watery eyes, letting her head rest on my shoulders.

"He just gets better every night, don't you think so?" I know she isn't really asking me, she's just expressing how proud she is of him. I smile at her and nod my head. She more or less tells me the same thing every night. I can't blame her. Even I feel a little proud when watching him perform and I'm just his PA. She is practically his second mother.

I would love to tell her what had happened right before Hunter got on stage and how much it confuses me. Part of me really just wants to ask her if he says these things to a lot of people. Maybe it's some weird crew hazing ritual?

I won't though. I don't know how Hunter would react if I was going to tell her what happened - or what didn't happen. 
He's my boss and I just know I'm making a bigger deal out of all of this then it actually is but I can't help it. 

He's probably just being Hunter, trying to get under my skin, teasing me like he always doe when we're at work.
Besides, he has a girlfriend. A supermodel girlfriend.
For all I know they're just laughing with me behind my back.

The crowd goes crazy again and I know Hunter will be off stage within seconds. I still wasn't sure how I was going to act in front of him.

Professional.
I'm going to act professional. 
Duh. 

After hugging Karen, he walks straight towards me. Ever so confident.
I shake my head in disbelief. 
"What? You didn't like the show?" he laughs while grabbing a bottle of water, drinking it in one go. 

"You did great, what else is new?" I say. Smiling my most professional smile. Easy. 

"You've got a meet and greet now, shouldn't take long. You've done most of them before the show, this is just a girl with her best friend. They won a private meet and greet on the local radio station. I've scheduled 10 minutes for it but as it's the last thing on your schedule for today, you can take longer should you want to." I say while checking the details on the screen of my tablet, tapping my fingers against the back of it.
"Aaand that's a wrap for me today. I'm going to walk back to the hotel and Luke will be waiting for you at the crew door. See you at ten tomorrow? We need to go through some practical details for the VMA performance." He just nods, his hands in the pockets of his tight jeans. 

"Don't be late Hunter, I mean it." I sternly add, before I turn on my heel and start walking towards the exit without looking back. 

I breathe in the crisp air that hits my face the moment I get outside. 
I always love this moment. Stepping out of that massive arena, stepping back into the real world.
My world. 

Or at least the world as I used to know it. Before all of this pop star madness. Don't get me wrong,  I still love this job. I just wish it could just be a little less...everything sometimes. 

When almost tripping over the laces of my left sneaker, I decide to take a seat on a nearby bench while tying them. 

Yes, I wear sneakers when I'm working.
Don't judge. It's comfy.
I need comfy when I'm running around all day. You would do the same. 

I look around, only now realizing how beautiful this place is. Cherry blossom trees are lining the street, their petals on the ground looking like a fresh layer of pink snow. 

That's the thing with this fast life. You get to travel the world, but you basically only get to see the inside of an endless amount of hotel rooms and music arena's. There never is time to really see all these beautiful places in the amazing world we live in. 

After twenty minutes or so, enjoying the quiet and taking in my surroundings, I decide it's time to get back up. It really is cold out tonight and I have no interest in freezing to death on this bench. 

I've only taken ten steps when I hear a familiar voice calling my name. 

"Mills, wait up!" Hunter shouts.  

Deja vu. 

"Back already?" I ask, wondering why he decided to walk back. Except after his first concert, he usually goes back to the hotel with Luke. 

"Myeah, I tried to have a decent conversation with those girls but they just kept crying. It got pretty awkward." he laughs, rubbing his neck. He's nervous. 

"Look Millie, I wanted to apologize for messing with you before. I shouldn't have said that before I went to go on stage."  

"It's okay." I start but realize that if ever want to say anything about it, now is the time. 

"Or no, it isn't okay actually. I really hate it when you mess with my head like that" 

"I know..." he starts to interrupt me, but I hold up my finger demanding him to stop talking. I need to finish what I want to say. 

"I thought we genuinely had a nice day together back in Denver, that we could be friends somehow. Then we're standing in front of my room with you almost kissing me and I have no idea what to think of that....You don't mention it again, pretend it didn't happen and get back together with Kimmy. Fine by me. It makes things clear again. But then,..." I rant.

"Millie for God's sake just stop talking already." He interrupts, and with a quick move of his hands he cups my cheeks and before I can say another word his soft lips hit mine. As his tongue enters my mouth, I'm no longer in control of my own body. Thinking straight is no longer an option. 

My instincts take over and my fingers grip his damp freshly washed hair, tugging it, bringing him even closer to me. He pushes me backwards, until my back hits one of the trees behind me. He presses his body against mine - all of his body - and I can feel he wants this just as much as I do.

He tastes delicious - mint with a hint of strawberry - and I don't think I can ever get enough of it. 

I never realized how much I wanted him, not until this very moment. 
I've kissed plenty of times before, but it never felt like this.
Not even close.
My entire body is on fire, and I don't ever want this feeling to stop.

His mouth moves down towards my neck, his hands moving down towards my hips. I throw my head back while a moan escapes my lips.
This man knows what he's doing. 

Maybe now is not the time to think about how he got all that experience... 

Wait.

Kimmy.

How did I forget about her?

"Hunter....stop..." I pant, while gently pushing him away.

He looks at me with a puzzled expression on his face. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't want this...I wasn't sure you wanted this as much as I did at first but you can't deny that now...not after that kiss..."

I shake my head. "No... it's Kimmy. You have a girlfriend, remember?"

He sighs and lets his forehead rest against mine. "Kimmy isn't my girlfriend. She never was."

It's my turn to look confused.

"It's a long story and honestly Millie...I just want to kiss you again. I haven't felt that alive in months...maybe even years...I know you felt that too." His thumbs brush my cheeks and I know that if I don't turn away now, I won't be able to stop myself from kissing him again.

"We can't." I sigh, shaking my head.

"We just did Millie..."

I start walking away but he grabs my hands, trying to keep me here with him.

"And we shouldn't do it again. It was a mistake." I try to sound as convincing as I can but I just know I'm not doing a very good job at it. I want to kiss him. I really do. It takes all my strength to not just crash my lips against his again. But this would all get so very messy and I just can't deal with that right now. I have enough on my plate being his PA.

As I pull my hands from his and start walking away, I hear a couple of clicks coming from across the street.

I don't need to look up to know the meaning of that sound.

Paparazzi.