“Hey,” Adam said when they were close enough to gain his attention. “You’re the chick from breakfast,” he said to Melanie.
Melanie chuckled. “So good of you to remember.”
“You know her?” Madison asked, and there was no question that this news unsettled her.
“She’s with Gabe,” Adam said, flicking a hand in Gabe’s direction.
Madison nodded slightly and shifted closer to Adam, so that their arms touched. Insecurity was shining off the woman like a beacon. “What’s her name?” she asked.
“Hell if I remember,” Adam said. “I just remember sitting next to her at breakfast.”
“Adam was too busy thinking about you to even ask my name,” Melanie said. She had no idea if what she said was true, but felt the explanation was something the woman needed to hear. Melanie wasn’t insecure about Gabe’s affections, but she was definitely the jealous sort, so she understood how hard it was to trust one of these rock star sorts with your heart. Especially when they tried to play down the existence of an unclaimed, unborn child. She slanted a look at Gabe. He didn’t really think she was going to let that rest, did he?
“I’m Melanie,” she said, introducing herself rather than giving Gabe the third degree in front of the couple.
“Madison,” the other woman said and smiled warmly.
“So you’ve known these guys a lot longer than I have. Any deep dark secrets I should know about?” Melanie asked. Such as who that Lindsey woman was.
Madison chuckled. “I might have a few stories to tell.”
“Whoa!” Gabe said, covering Melanie’s ears with both hands. “Great to see you again, Madison. Be sure to keep Adam out of trouble.”
Melanie caught Gabe’s wink at Madison before he turned Melanie in the opposite direction and escorted her toward Dawn. Maybe the svelte redhead knew some secrets about the guys she could share.
It turned out that Dawn knew even less about the band than Melanie did. It was hard to believe that she’d been with Kellen a mere day. They shared a comfort level unusual for two people who’d had such a short acquaintance. Dawn might not have any juicy gossip to share about the guys, but she was fascinating. Melanie was honored to meet the Grammy-award-winning classical composer. She was a bit intimidated, to be honest, but it was cute the way that Kellen bragged about her and then Dawn tried to play down her talents.
“Will you stop?” Dawn said to him, though she was smiling broadly and stood plastered to his side.
“And you should hear the song she composed last night,” Kellen added.
“Maybe I’ll write another tonight,” she said. A look passed between the couple that nearly set Melanie’s eyebrows ablaze. Apparently Gabe wasn’t the only member of the band who knew his way around the female anatomy.
Gabe cleared his throat. “Would you two like to be alone?”
Kellen started. “Gabe!” he said, smiling widely, and pounded Gabe on the back as if he hadn’t seen him in years. “When did you get here?”
“I was here before you arrived.”
“Didn’t notice,” he said.
“With Dawn beside you, I doubt you’d notice if the room was on fire,” Gabe teased.
“She does demand attention.”
Dawn went pink.
“So you somehow talked Melanie into joining us for the evening,” Kellen said, leveling his deep, dark eyes on Melanie. When this man centered his attention on her, she definitely noticed. Her knees wobbled unsteadily. She wasn’t sure how Dawn was still standing after being subjected to Kellen’s attention all day.
“He didn’t have to twist my arm too hard,” Melanie said with a laugh.
“I was surprised your friend left in the limo without you,” Kellen said. “What was her name?”
“Nikki.”
“She didn’t seem too happy for someone getting a free ride in a limo.”
Melanie’s heart thudded unpleasantly. “Was she crying?”
When three pairs of eyes lowered to gaze at the floor, she wished she hadn’t asked.
“She’ll get it over it,” she said. She hoped sooner rather than later.
“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Mel,” Gabe said. “She didn’t start crying until I told her, rather bluntly, that I would not pressure you into having a threesome with her.”
Melanie blinked in disbelief. “She didn’t?”
Gabe and Kellen both nodded. So apparently Nikki had been causing a big enough scene that bystanders had caught on to her ploy.
“I honestly don’t know what to do about her,” Melanie said. She rubbed at her forehead, hoping that would ease the tension gathered there.
“Why do you think she’s your responsibility anyway?” Gabe asked.
“Because she doesn’t have anyone else.”
“Maybe there’s a reason for that.”
Melanie’s jaw dropped. Had that really just come out of Gabe’s mouth?
Chapter Nine
“That’s a really mean thing to say,” Melanie said, unable to believe that he could be so cruel.
“You’re right,“ Gabe said, “that was uncalled for. I apologize. I don’t want to see her get hurt, but I care about you, and the relationship you have with Nikki is obviously stressing you out.”
Melanie laughed sardonically. “It’s that obvious, is it? She’s not so bad when it’s just the two of us.” That wasn’t entirely true. Nikki was always needy, but she wasn’t always outlandish. She just needed lots of cuddles. And validation. And cash.
“Good friends are hard to find,” Dawn said. “But those who claim to love you shouldn’t take advantage of your loyalty, they should cherish it.”
Kellen shifted uncomfortably, and Melanie couldn’t even begin to guess why Dawn’s words of wisdom unsettled him.
A sudden flurry of activity near the dressing room door drew Melanie’s attention. The door was propped open and the smell of spice and seafood accompanied several staff members dressed in white aprons. Tables were set up and a buffet was quickly laid out along one wall.
“Dinner?” Melanie asked.
“They do feed us occasionally,” Gabe said.
“Why didn’t you say something? We wouldn’t have had to stop for sandwiches.”
He leaned close to her ear. “And you wouldn’t have had time to try out my glove.”
She bit her lip to hold in a laugh. “Good call.”
“Hope you like it hot.”
“You should already know that I do.”
“I mean Cajun food. Jacob ordered it, and he likes it spicy.”
It took Melanie a moment to remember that Jacob was Shade’s real name. “I’ve never had authentic Cajun food.”
“You’re in for a treat then.”
When Gabe said hot, he really meant “destroy the lining of your digestive system” spicy. The gumbo and jambalaya were delicious. Well, what she could taste of them. She was certain her tongue, her throat, and her stomach were on fire. She refused to try the crawdads, however. She couldn’t bring herself to eat something that still had legs and antennae. And eyestalks.
After dinner the band was escorted out of the room for a meet and greet with a group of VIP fans. Melanie used the time to chat with Madison, who actually had a functioning brain when Adam wasn’t plastered to her side. Madison always had one eye on the door, though, eager for her lover’s return. Melanie completely understood the desire to be alone with someone she didn’t get to see often. Dawn excused herself to call her agent or something. Melanie wasn’t sure where Lindsey had gone, but she had to ask someone about her, so she settled for the only person in the room not wearing a “Staff” shirt.