Strung (Rock & Romance I.)

Chapter 4. - Live

A/N: Upon request, I decided to make another collage of how I pictured the girls from Strung. Please note that it's this picture and the personality it captures that I see them as, rather than the celebrity I choose. Idk if that makes sense to anyone else besides me lol.

Shoutout to Cray-CrayReading for being incredible - this one is for you!

***

Working down the line took about an hour, during which Arielle - and through her, Shai - offered to go to the buffet to get a few drinks for us. I stayed and chatted with Nikki about the band's upcoming album release party.

"I love everything you've done so far!" She gushed on. "The whole enchanted forest idea... Just brilliant! I can't wait to see the pieces in person!"

I smiled. "You are welcome to visit my studio anytime - although, I have to warn you, it's not glamorous."

Nikki cocked a brow at me. "And you think life with these kids are?" She asked, nodding towards the band.

I followed her line of sight, catching a kiss between Jesse and a fan, after which he wiped his mouth and loudly exclaimed: "Who's next?!" Frowning, I turned back to their manager.

"Yes. Maybe it's not as glamorous as it would first appear." I admitted. "But at least you get to spend everyday with your husband! That must be worth all the-" I glanced toward Jesse again, who was tilting another girl back by her waist, while Lukas LaBelle pretended to play guitar with her airborne foot. "-all the extra annoyance."

Nikki chuckled. "Oh, I'm not complaining. They're a little rough around the edges, but these boys have the biggest hearts! Even if they are very good at hiding it." She smiled fondly as she glanced their way. I could tell she genuinely cared about all of them, and their connection went way beyond just formalities. "So." She startled me, by turning my way. "Do you have someone special in your life?"

I shook my head. "No, not right now." Then, when that usual awkward silence descended that often followed these questions, I added. "I'm focusing on work at the moment."

"Well, from what I hear, you have plenty of it!" She said kindly, but the weird air around us remained. The truth was that I felt this often - people who were happily taken asking about my love life, and then not knowing what to say when I told them about the lack of it.

Thankfully, Arielle and Shai came back just in time, with a couple of beers in their hands. I realized now just how helpful the bodyguard was - his giant hands fit about four bottles each.

"I forgot to ask you what you liked - so we just got one of everything." Arielle explained. "They didn't really have any other alcoholic options."

"Oh, there's vodka." Shai murmured. "But I'm not allowed to drink on the job, and she still has an American taste."

"Not in every aspect." Arielle replied, wiggling her brows, to which her guard rolled his eyes.

I suspected there was a story behind it, or a hidden meaning, but I didn't have time to ask, as Shai pushed the first bottle my way. "This one's sweet. It'll go down easy."

I took it from him, and took a generous swing. "Are you trying to get me drunk?" I asked, no longer feeling awkward about the fact that Arielle had a shadow. Ignoring him didn't work for me, I supposed, and he seemed talkative enough.

Shai shrugged. "If I have to watch you struggle over some boy band member all night, it might make it more entertaining if you were a bit tipsy." He admitted, shocking me with his honesty.