Love of a Rockstar

Chapter Three, Love of a Rockstar

IT WAS DEAD quiet when I stepped out of the bathroom into the hotel lobby. I glanced at the clock above the elevators. To my horror, the hands revealed I’d been hiding for almost thirty minutes. Hopefully, Josie stuck to her word and covered for me. I couldn’t lose this job. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Luke, deep in a conversation with a silvered haired gentleman. The animated way he moved his hands told me he was displeased. Funny how Luke’s appearance could change but his mannerisms stayed the same. I sensed it wasn’t a good time to interrupt, and returned to the front desk.

Josie glanced up from the computer screen. “Hey, you’re back.”

“I am. Did Robert come by?” I asked, referring to our boss.

She shook her head. “Nope. You’re in luck. But if you don’t mind, it’s an hour past my lunchtime.”

Guilt churned my stomach. It was irresponsible for me to run off without thinking about how it would affect Josie. She deserved a chocolate cake with thick fudge frosting for her kindness.

“Of course. Again, I am so sorry,” I said.

Her shoulders hit her ears in a nonchalant shrug. “No worries. You’d do the same for me.”

She opened the door to the break room and left me to fend for myself. The next ten minutes or so, I buried myself in my work while I tried to pretend as if Luke wasn’t three feet away from me.

“I love when you wear red.”

My head snapped up at the sound of Finn’s voice. His perfectly tousled blonde hair matched his pressed suit. The guy was the reincarnation of a Ken doll, which annoyed the crap out of me sometimes.

“What are you doing here?” I squeaked out.

He cockily leaned against the counter. “I thought I would swing by on my lunch break and see my favorite girl.”

I snuck a glance at Luke over Finn’s shoulder. No longer distracted by the silver haired gentleman, Luke’s eyes were riveted on me. Unable to look away, time seemed to slow down as I drank him in. How was it possible to hate somebody so much, yet feel as if your soul was on fire when you saw him?

Finn followed my gaze. “Hey, isn’t that Luke?”

I nodded.

“That guy is a class A asshole for what he did.”

Overlooking his insult, because it was true, I said, “He’s in town for a couple of days.”

Finn clutched his hands at his sides, ready to fight for my honor. When Luke skipped town, my inner circle of friends heard about it and swore if Luke ever showed his face again, he’d leave Seattle minus his testicles. Finn, the all around popular guy, headed the angry mob. Now, four years later, he had his chance to make good on his threat. However, I couldn’t risk the bad publicity the hotel might receive if Luke Anderson got maimed in the lobby.

“Back down there, Tonto,” I said to Finn.

He nodded in Luke’s direction. “That guy deserves to get punched for what he did to you.”

Luke overhead what Finn said and strolled over. It was like witnessing the devil about to strike.

“Hey Finney boy, how you doing?” Luke asked. It took a lot more than an empty threat to ruffle Luke’s feathers. However, I wouldn’t say the same for Finn. The mere presence of Luke made him take a step back. Fight for my honor, my ass. Finn would be on the ground in two seconds flat if they got in a scuffle.

“How am I doing?” Finn sputtered “A lot better if you left this hotel”

Luke turned his cool gaze in my direction. “Do you want me to leave?”