After my mini meltdown in front of our pilot, Carter had literally dragged me onto the plane. It wasn’t the first time he’d ever had to do it. And it definitely wouldn’t be the last. But, in the end, he’d been right. I was fine. Drunk after having chugged three more gin and tonics, but fine nonetheless.
The flight had been remarkably uneventful. Which really just meant it’d been only mildly terrifying. Our pilot had managed to get us on the ground fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. I was still going to be late for the show, but at least my openers wouldn’t have to extend their set by more than a few songs. Well, assuming I could sober up in time.
“Let’s go,” Carter announced as soon as the door was open.
“How far to the venue?” I slurred, scrubbing my hands over my face.
“Less than an hour. You need coffee,” he said, snapping his fingers at Susan.
She appeared seconds later with a steaming paper cup filled to the brim.
“Thanks.”
She smiled warmly, patting me on the arm. “I put a bottled water and a sandwich in your bag too. Eat it. The food will help.”
I returned her smile and draped an arm around her shoulders. “Any chance you’re single, Susan? My current wife is failing on his wifely duties.” I glanced at Carter and waggled my eyebrows.
She shook her head and slapped my chest. “Have a good concert. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Fantastic. Another flight. I can’t wait,” I deadpanned.
Carter nabbed his carry-on and tossed my backpack to me. His eyes traveled over me before he blew out a loud breath. “You look like shit. Let’s hope Macy can work a miracle on the way over.”
“You sure know how to make a man feel good about himself,” I smarted before taking a sip of the coffee.
He was probably right. God knows I felt like shit.
Shrugging my backpack on, I followed him to the exit.
“How’d it go back there?” I heard Ethan, or whatever the hell our pilot’s name was, ask, but Carter’s massive body blocked him from my view.
“Great. Thanks, man,” Carter replied, patting him on the shoulder and then stepping out of the small door.
Focusing on not spilling my coffee, I shuffled after him.
“I see you survived unscathed,” the pilot said to me as I passed, his voice thick with humor.
Keeping my gaze down, I dropped a pair of sunglasses over my eyes even though the sun had set hours earlier. “Yeah. Thanks. And…ya know, sorry about earlier.” It was a halfhearted apology, but my mind was on my show and how the hell I was planning to pull it off if I didn’t get my shit together—soon.
“It’s no problem. I should be the one apologizing. That joke was out of line.”
“Make whatever joke you want as long as you get me safely on the ground. See you in the morning,” I said dismissively, jogging down the stairs. My stomach sloshed from the movement. “Ugh,” I groaned, folding my hands over my midsection and heading straight to the limo door that Carter was holding open for me. “I feel like death.”
“You don’t look much better,” my hair and wardrobe stylist, Macy, said as I slid into the seat beside her.
I moaned, leaning down to rest my head in her lap. “Carter says I need a miracle.”
“And a breath mint,” she corrected, pulling a small metal tin from her bag and popping one in my open mouth. She tangled her fingers in my hair as I closed my eyes.
It had been a crazy-long day, and add two panic attacks and what felt like a gallon of gin and tonic into the mix and I was spent.
“Well, the good news is your hair is supposed to look like you’ve slept on it for a week,” she said. “Bad news—it takes at least an hour for me to make it look like that.”
“I can live with bad hair. Just let me sleep,” I pleaded, stretching my legs across the seat.
I heard Carter climb in the other door right before I felt the car pull away.
“If you promise to give me fifteen minutes before we get there, you can relax for now,” she said, scratching the top of my head.
“Mmm,” I hummed.
“Oh, and hey. I managed to get Robin that new Hermès bag she wanted. It should have been delivered earlier this afternoon.”
Whatever sleepiness I’d been feeling left me on a rush. My eyes popped open wide, my gaze landing directly on Carter, who was sitting diagonally across from me. His expression of concern matched mine.
“What bag?”
“The Hermès. She called last week and said you told her to call me since it hadn’t been released yet.”
I swallowed hard and immediately pushed myself out of her lap. “Who paid for it?” I asked Macy while holding Carter’s gaze.
“I put it on your account.” Her gaze swung to Carter before turning back on me. “Shit. Was I not supposed to do that? She said it was cool with you.”
“How much?” I asked ominously.
She chewed on her bottom lip. “Well, I mean, the collection hasn’t been released to the public yet. I got it at a steal.”
Clenching my teeth, I lost my temper. “How fucking much, Macy?”
“Ten grand,” she squeaked.
Carter and I both cursed in unison.
His phone was at his ear before I’d dug mine from my back pocket.