Picture Perfect

Chapter 47

NICO's POV:

I stare at Toni as she makes her toast and tea. Her mind is preoccupied and somewhere else. Seeing the look on Chris' face, I know he tired her out, and she should be blissfully tired and sated. But somehow, she is thinking something.

She sits down at the table across from Chris with her tea and toast. He smiles at her and she gives him a sweet smile in return.

"Are you alright, gorgeous? You look preoccupied. Something I can help you with?"

She shakes her head.

"Nah, just thinking of the routines for tonight and how I want to shoot the show tomorrow night. I'm trying to put myself in the spots on the stage. Or maybe behind. Or maybe in the pit. I don't know" she says with some irritation in her voice. "Damn it, I need to do some yoga."

She sits up and takes the plate and cup to the sink.

Chris stands up and walks behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Baby, there's something else going on. Talk to me about it."

She turns in his arms and places her hands on his chest. I can see the confusion in her eyes.

"Hey Toni, I wanted to sit with you and Cherry about the song we're gonna do – do you have some time?" I ask her.

She turns and smiles at me. "Yeah, that will probably be better to do first thing this morning and get that off the list."

Chris leans down and plants a soft but demanding kiss on her lips.

"Have fun, gorgeous. Catch up with you later?"

"Yes, of course. I'll find you when I'm done."

She and I walk away from the kitchen and get to one of the private rooms where the performers are practicing.

"So tell me what's up? Somethings up and even Chris could tell. You are all tense when I know he had to have worked out all your tension. So, spill it."

"Come on, let's sit down" she tells me.

"Oh, oh, that doesn't sound good."

We sit down on the leather sofa and she sinks into the comfort of it.

"Harry showed up last night."

"What? What do you mean he ..."

"He knocked on my door last night. It was 2 am in the morning. Chris and I had been ... going at it. We had just finished and Chris had fallen asleep. I heard a knock on the door and didn't want to answer it. Then I could hear it was Harry and it pissed me off."

"Why did it piss you off?" I asked.

"Why? You seriously are asking me why? Hello! It was 2 am in the fucking morning and Chris was lying next to me, naked. I was perfectly delirious from the pheromones when that jackass came knocking on my door. Drunk! You tell me why I was pissed!"

"Okay, okay – I get it. So what did he have to say?"

"Well, at first he didn't say anything. He just stood there staring at me. Then he managed to tell me he wasn't happy but that I seem to be."

"He said that?"

"Yeah, he said 'you look happy'. I told him I was. I asked him what he wanted and he said he wanted to come in an talk. I told him no, he couldn't come in and he asked why."

"Let me guess" I said. "He didn't realize Chris was there with you?"

She nods at me. "Exactly. That was when he said I looked happy and I asked him if he was happy."