“How about in the dressing room?”
He bobbed his head. “Sounds good. I’ll get the guys together and be there in ten. Okay?”
“Sounds good. I’ll just run back to the bus to get my stuff.”
“Make sure Dustin or Ed goes with you.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes at his overprotectiveness. “I will. And thanks for being so understanding about my internship.”
Leaning over, he ruffled the top of my head. “Anything for you, Allie-Bean.”
Bile rose in my throat at the mention of the nickname—the very one Rhys had called me. Of course, I couldn’t say anything to Jake about it. Sometimes it was exhausting keeping up a façade around Jake and the others, especially when Rhys was around.
With Mia and Lily keeping an eye on the twins, I headed back to the bus with Ed, the hulking bodyguard, in tow. Once I had all the materials I would need, we made our way back into the arena. I could hear the opening of Jacob’s Ladder’s rehearsal as we weaved through the chaotic backstage area.
When I got to Runaway Train’s dressing room, I found only Jake and Brayden. “Where are the other guys?”
Jake scowled. “Good fucking question. I just texted them where to be.”
Up the hall, the sound of Gloria Estefan’s Conga blared out of the room where the kids were. Jake and I exchanged a look. “I think we know where AJ is,” Jake said.
I giggled. “Yeah, that has him written all over it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that all the kids are eighties fans.”
Brayden’s brows scrunched in confusion. “Since when does he listen to Cuban music?”
Jake grunted. “Since your kids and his are eighties fans and they wear out that Greatest 80s Hits CD.”
With a grin, Brayden replied, “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.”
Pointing his finger at me, Jake said, “I’ll go get AJ, and you can find Rhys.”
“No, no, that’s all right. I’ll grab AJ, and I’m sure Rhys will show up,” I quickly replied. The last thing on earth I wanted to do was try to hunt Rhys down. Before Jake could argue with me, I dipped out into the hallway.
When I opened the door to the kids’ room, I couldn’t help laughing. Jude, Melody, and Bella were all encircling AJ while dancing around. AJ had Gaby in his arms and was putting down some serious moves. Even Jax and Jules were bouncing wildly in their saucers at the music.
At the sight of me, AJ began singing along, “Come on shake your body, baby, do the conga. I know you can’t control yourself any longer.” With his free hand, he motioned for me to join them.
I held up my hands. “Uh, no, I don’t think so.”
After handing Gaby off to Jude, he then whisked me into his arms before I could protest anymore and then danced me around the room. “No one can say no to the conga,” he replied, when he dipped me.
I giggled. “You’re very persuasive.”
“Dance wif me, Daddy!” Bella cried behind us.
“Sorry to be a party pooper, but I need to get your measurements.”
AJ released me from his arms to smack himself in the forehead. “Shi—I mean, shoot. I totally forgot.”
“It’s okay.”
At Bella’s pouty face, AJ leaned down and kissed her on the head. “I’ll be right back, mija.”
When we got back into the dressing room, I found it was still just Jake and Brayden. “I don’t know where the hell he is. I just texted him again.”
Waving my hand nonchalantly as if it truly didn’t hurt me and piss me off, I replied, “It doesn’t matter. I can work on getting all of yours first.”
Jake stepped forward. “I’m sure you need to get the most important member first, right?” he asked, wearing a teasing expression.
“Of course,” I replied.
Setting down my notepad, I then grabbed my tape measure and pencil and went to work. “Done,” I said, once I’d worked my way from his neck all the way down his body.
“You did that just like a professional.”
I smiled at his compliment. After I draped the measuring tape back around my neck, I stooped over my notepad to enter Jake’s measurements more formally than what I had scribbled on a scratch piece of paper.
When I finished and turned around, AJ was whipping off his “Drummers Bang Harder” T-shirt. I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing. “Um, you don’t have to be naked for me to get accurate measurements.”
He grinned. “After doing your brother’s, I thought you might like to take in an example of a real man’s physique.”
Jake snorted as he collapsed onto the couch. “Keep dreaming, asshole.”
While AJ preened in front of the mirror, flexing his biceps and dancing his pecs, I pulled the tape from around my neck. “Okay, Mr. Hot Stuff, let’s do this.”
A frown lined AJ’s brows as he gazed in the mirror. He ran his hand up and down the washboard abs that drove women wild. “You know, I’m starting to think having kids has turned my six-pack into a keg.”
Across the room from us, Brayden howled with laughter. “Last time I checked, it was Mia birthing the kids, not you, so I’m not quite sure how your girlish figure was affected.”
After AJ scowled at Brayden, he turned to me. “What do you think, Allison?”
I couldn’t help the laughter that tumbled out of my lips at both his question and the seriousness with which he asked it. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, AJ.”
With a waggle of his brows, he asked, “So you think I’m a DILF, eh?”
Jake groaned. “Seriously, AJ? Don’t ask Allison shit like that.”
Ignoring Mr. Overprotective, I nodded. “Totally a DILF. Mia is one lucky woman.”
A beaming smile lit up his handsome face. Drawing me into his arms for an appreciative hug, AJ said, “Thank you. I knew you were a woman with very good taste.”
That was the moment Rhys chose to appear in the doorway. His gaze momentarily narrowed on at me in AJ’s arms. Then as if he realized we weren’t alone, his expression softened. “What’s going on?”
Taking a step back, AJ peered around me at Rhys. “Where the hell have you been, man? You knew Allison needed to get our measurements before rehearsal.”
He shrugged. “Sorry. I didn’t know it was such a big deal.”
His words had the same effect as if he had driven a dagger deep into my chest. Although I should have looked away, I couldn’t help staring into his eyes, desperately trying to find the Rhys I had loved for so long. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why he was being an asshole to me. And while his dissing my internship hurt, the total lack of kindness he was showing me was much worse. Mainly because it was so against Rhys’s usual character.
Rising off the couch, Jake eyeballed Rhys, and I could tell the big brother in him was getting rankled. “Allie’s fashion internship is a big deal.”
Instead of looking at Jake, Rhys looked at me. Deep down, he knew how important it was. He’d been right there with me in Savannah when I’d told him all about it. In fact, he’d believed in me so implicitly then. But now, he was downplaying it like it was nothing at all to him.
“It’s fine, Jake. I was busy with you guys anyway,” I replied, as I brought the tape measure to AJ’s neck.
Undaunted, Jake said, “Why don’t you do Allison a favor and go get Eli and Gabe?”
“They’re still rehearsing with Abby,” Rhys replied, as he grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler.
“Worthless,” Jake muttered under his breath.
Just as I was finishing up with Brayden’s measurements, Frank, the head roadie for Runaway Train, came in the door. “Hey, Jake, I need all of you guys to head on up to the stage. One of the set changes is giving us problems in this arena, and I want to make sure you guys think it’s working out okay.