My Brompton Cocktail

7.

The uneasy feeling of being watched doesn't subside until I step foot inside the hotel we are staying at. The cool air hits my face, washing away all of the negative feelings I had. We grab a keycard from the front desk and start making our way towards the elevators when Tonya stops me. 

"I'm gonna go check out the pool and gym, I'll meet you up there." I nod, heading towards the elevators again. The ding, indicating the elevator is coming down to me, is loud and obnoxious. Once the elevator reaches the main floor, dinging again, I quickly get on and hold onto the 'close door' button, holding my breath and hoping nobody appears to get on. The doors close, allowing me to blow out the breath I was holding. All I want right now is to get to my room, shower, and relax a little before I have to get ready for dinner tonight. 

The doors open once it reaches my floor and I take off, looking for room 517. It is quiet everywhere, except for the muffled sounds of a few TVs as I walk past rooms. A door opens from a room to my right as I'm walking past and out walks Jimmy. A bright smile appears when he sees me. I stop walking to stand in front of him. 

"Nadia! Did you and Tonya find a dress?" He points to the bag in my hand. 

"Yeah, we did. It's pretty perfect, honestly." I pat the bag, smiling at the image in my head of me in the dress. It is the perfect dress and I can't wait to wear it on stage. 

"That is such a relief to me! I was worried you wouldn't find one and then you wouldn't want to perform, so it's great you found one!" He gives me a side hug before walking backward slowly. "I'm gonna go hang out with Johnny, I'll see you at dinner!" I nod, walking in the direction I was going. I see that my room is right beside Jimmy's room and slide my key card in the door. 

It unlocks with a click. I push the door open, step inside, and head straight to the bed, faceplanting down into it. My mind is filled with paranoia and anxiety, a whirlwind of negative thoughts occupy my mind to the point where I almost don't notice the door opening. Without moving, I start talking. 

"How's the pool and gym look?" My voice is muffled slightly by the comforter on the bed, but I'm sure she heard me. 

"What are you talking about?" The man's voice startles me, causing me to jump to my knees and turn around to be met with those piercing green eyes. He's not wearing anything, but a towel around his waist, his hair still wet from the shower. I look around, searching for a clue into why Zacky is in my room then I see our suitcases by the dresser. He must have caught on to my confusion. "Tonya texted me and asked me if I wanted to switch rooms. She wanted to be with Brian." 

"Would've been nice if she informed me of the switch, I about had a heart attack thinking I was in the wrong room." Huffing, I fall back onto the bed and close my eyes. It's not that I don't want to share a room, or a bed, with Zacky, it would've been great to have a heads-up, but that is not how Tonya does things. She always wants to surprise me with shit. 

"She told me not to tell you." His voice is full of guilt, even though I am not even mad at him. I don't move from my spot, keeping my eyes closed to not get the urge to look at him almost naked. I can hear him shuffling through his suitcases, searching for clothes. Besides the sounds of him moving around, the room is silent. My heart rate goes back to normal, but I am still left with the paranoia of someone watching me in the store. 

Why would I feel like that in a place I have never been to before? Who would be following me anyway?

My thoughts are interrupted by the bed dipping down beside me. Even though it has been silent for a few minutes, I feel comfortable and most importantly, safe, in his presence. I can feel his eyes on me before I feel his fingers brush a piece of hair off of my forehead. His touch sends shivers down my spine and goosebumps raise on my skin. 

"I'm not mad that we are staying in a room together, you know?" My voice sounds odd to me, barely audible. His hand rests on my head, thumb stroking my forehead. I finally open my eyes to him, his perfect smile, and his still naked torso, but he now has black jeans on.  

"I know you're not mad, I'm not either. Tonya just needs to let you in on things like this instead of treating you like a child who is getting surprised with Disney or some shit." Our laughs fill the room and I am not even irritated with Tonya anymore because this is honestly perfect. "Did you find a dress to perform in?" I completely forgot about getting the dress and how I felt in that store until now. 

"Thankfully. I don't know how much shopping I can handle." My phone rings, interrupting me. Sitting up grudgingly, I grab my phone and see the caller ID says Unknown. A lump forms in my throat, knowing that last time someone called me unknown. I don't answer it but silence it and set the phone on the bed, looking back over at Zacky. "I don't answer unknown calls." A few seconds pass before the voicemail notification goes off. I stare at my phone for a minute, trying to decide if I want to listen to it or not. The time of day makes my mind up for me, seeing it is almost four o'clock. 

"Nadi, are you okay?" Zacky brings me back to reality, there's a look of concern in his eyes. I smile a weak smile, at him to try to change the energy in the room. Going into a deep conversation is something I do not want at the moment. 

"I'm okay, I just...uh...realized that I need to go shower and get ready to go to dinner." The shake in my voice does nothing to help the lie of I'm okay. His hand grabs mine, squeezing lightly. He tugs, pulling me against his bare chest. His skin is warm against my cheek, making me melt against him and wrapping my arms around him. 

"I want you to tell me when anything is wrong and I mean anything." All of the paranoia and anxiety dissipates from my body at the sound and vibration of his voice.  If I could stay in this moment forever, I would not hesitate. "Go get ready, I'll be here if you need me." We pull away from each other, allowing me to get up and figure out what I am going to wear to dinner. 

Zacky.

6:07

The time on my phone stares back at me as I wait, almost, anxiously for Nadia to finish getting ready. She has been in the bathroom for almost two hours getting ready for dinner tonight. 

My feet carry me back and forth across the room, glancing over at the bathroom door with every few steps. I go to look at my phone again when the bathroom door opens, Nadia stepping out a second later. I stop in my tracks and stare at her. 

"Wow," I feel speechless staring at her in her red and black vampire-esque dress and her platform boots, "you look beautiful." Her bright blue eyes find my eyes while a big smile spreads across her face. She tugs at her fishnet leggings, repositioning them. 

"You think so?" She stares down at herself, brushing off different spots of her dress. I walk towards her, reaching for and grabbing her hands in mine. Her hands feel small in mine, but as if our hands were made for each other. The urge to kiss her grows every second I stare at her. 

"I think you look absolutely gorgeous." Without thinking, I pull her close to me to press my lips against her forehead, pushing down the urge to kiss her deep red lips. "Let's get a picture before we leave, commemorate the start of the tour." We step over to the mirror to take a picture. She wraps one arm around my back and places the other on my chest as I wrap my arm around her, placing my hand on her waist, and lightly pulling her against me. Her smile is bright, distracting me from the task at hand for a second. 

"You look so handsome." She says to me in between pictures. When she looks up at me, I take one last picture before kissing her head and walking us slowly towards the door. 

"You ready to go?" 

"Definitely." 

Author's Note

Don't kill me, I know it's been awhile since I updated. I have been dealing with a lot of shitty life stuff, depression, college, and being a mom so this story hasn't been a priority. I am not going to say when I will update again, but I will try to make it soon.