Greer laughed. “Damn straight.”
“Greer’s right, though. He doesn’t like letting people mess with his music. I think that’s the only reason he kept us around, so he wouldn’t have to find new musicians for the next album. We’re familiar. So don’t feel like you’re alone. When it’s all said and done, even though we’ve been around longer, we’re in the same boat.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you want to grab some dinner? I can answer any questions you might have about the tour,” Greer offered as Reid walked back into the room.
“If Chloe has any questions about the tour, I can answer them,” Reid said. When Chloe looked in his direction, he appeared stiff, annoyed.
“Are you going to feed her, too?” Greer challenged. The hint of mischief in his expression made it clear to Chloe that something was going on between them, and she had no interest in getting in the middle of it.
“Thanks, but I’ll pass. It’s been a long day and I just want to crash.” Chloe smiled when she noticed Reid’s posture relax.
“Do you have a place to stay?” Greer continued, undeterred.
Chloe laughed and rolled her eyes. It was obvious Greer was flirting. Even though she wasn’t interested, his attention would help keep her focus off Reid. “I’m crashing with my friend Josie, who’s probably wondering where I am. If we’re done, I’m going to head out.”
“We’re done for the day. Get some rest and we’ll see you tomorrow.” Reid grabbed his keys and held the door open for Chloe. As she stepped into the hall, he followed behind her. “Do you mind getting here about an hour early tomorrow? I wanted to go over a few things with you that I noticed today. I think it will be easier without any distractions.”
Chloe looked over her shoulder at Drew and Greer before turning her attention back to Reid. Her throat tightened when she realized how close he was. Straightening her shoulders, she nodded. Surely with time it would become easier to be around him. “Sounds good. I’ll see you at eleven.”
After sending a text to Josie that she was on her way, Chloe made a quick detour to In-N-Out Burger to grab dinner for the two of them. A surge of adrenaline hit Chloe as soon as she pulled into Josie’s driveway. Even exhaustion couldn’t curb her excitement about seeing her old friend.
As soon as she killed the engine, the porch light came on and the front door opened. Grabbing the takeout bag, Chloe jumped out of the car and jogged up the front steps just as Josie stepped out to meet her.
“I can’t believe you’re here! It’s been too long.” Josie wrapped her arms around Chloe and squeezed before taking a step back. “Why do you smell like In-N-Out?”
Chloe laughed and lifted the bag. “I thought I’d spring for dinner. Have you eaten?”
Josie dismissed Chloe with a wave of her hand and pulled her inside. “Doesn’t matter. I’m still eating whatever you have in that bag.”
“I’m glad to see your appetite hasn’t changed.” Stepping inside, Chloe looked around the room. “Wow,” she exhaled. “Your place is amazing.”
Josie shrugged and motioned for Chloe to follow her into the kitchen. “Thanks. I really lucked out with this place. It was in foreclosure, so I got it for next to nothing. It needed some work, but it was worth it. It’s a mess right now. I hate packing. Anders hates packing. Actually, Anders hates any kind of manual labor, but I refuse to have a bunch of strangers going through my things, so I’m sucking it up and doing a little bit at a time.”
Chloe sat at the island and pulled the burgers and fries from the bag as Josie grabbed two glasses from the cabinet. “You’ve got so much space. I wouldn’t know what to do with it.”
“It’s not that big. It only seems that way to you because you live in one of the most expensive cities in the country where the average apartment is the size of a shoebox. Do you want a glass of wine? I have beer, too.”
“A beer would be perfect.” Chloe bit into her burger and sighed. “God, I missed these.”
Josie grabbed a handful of fries and fell onto the stool next to her. “If you lived here, you could have these all the time.”
“Not all of us can eat like it’s the end of the world without consequences. I already work out far more than I’d like.”
“Whatever. You look amazing. I love the purple hair, by the way. It suits you.”
“Thanks, I did it a few months ago when my mother was being particularly annoying. I would have gotten another tattoo to get under her skin, but money was a bit tight at the time.” Chloe shook her head and took a sip of beer. “Now I’m going on tour with Reid Ryder. Funny how quick things can change, but I’m sure you know all about that.”
Josie grinned. “You have no idea.”