Falling For Her Bodyguard: A BWWM Suspense Romance (8 page)

“Come on, I’m
trying my hardest to keep you on top here,” Marco argued.

She sighed. “Look,
I know that. I just know that I’m not ready. I’m going to
choke. I don’t want to screw up my whole career because some
idiot has decided I’ll make them more money this way.”

“I won’t
let you choke, we’re in this together.”

Kenzie glanced at him.
“Okay.”

She stepped into the
booth before settling in. Her notebook was flipped open to find the
song she was about to record, but her mind was a million miles away.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the looming date of the
concert, her stomach twisting in worry. There was no way she’d
be ready that soon. It felt like she was drowning. If she didn’t
love singing so much, she knew she would have quit at that moment.
She couldn’t end her career though, it was everything to her.
Besides, doing so would look like fear to the masses. She wasn’t
going to appear to be afraid of anyone or anything.

Usually, she would
have stayed at the studio for a couple of hours, but she knew she had
to power through it. Kenzie shut her phone off before they started.
It wasn’t until after ten that they finished. Both she and
Marco was exhausted. He had discarded his suit jacket some time ago,
his tie lying on the couch. Kenzie herself had just polished off her
third cup of coffee and was already on the next one. Marco finally
shooed her off.

“We can’t
keep going like this. We only have two left. Come back tomorrow.”

She nodded, giving him
a wave as she dashed out of the studio. Brick sat in a chair, the
magazine lying open on his stomach. She pulled her phone from her
pocket, snapped a picture before she shook him awake gently. He still
jumped up on attack mode making her shift away from him quickly.

“Don’t
scare me like that.”

“Sorry,”
Kenzie said stifling a chuckle. “Come on, let’s get the
hell out of here. I’ll buy you a burger.”

“And a beer?”

“Sure. Let’s
go.”

They left the building
before heading towards a pub not far from the studio. Kenzie snagged
a hat from a nearby stand, twisted her hair underneath it before they
went inside. The pub was full so they found a spot at the bar to get
some food and a few drinks before they’d have to head back to
the little house in the middle of nowhere. Kenzie ordered a burger,
fries and a tall screw driver.

“A screwdriver
with dinner? What’s wrong with you?”

“Hey, it’s
got orange juice, so it’s a fruit. It’s healthy...ish.
Shut up.”

Brick burst into
laughter making her crack a grin. The more she got to know the men
watching over her, the more she came to like them. They weren’t
just faceless cogs, they were people. Some of them were more quiet,
more uptight, but they had all started to interest her.

The TV’s above
the bar were showing a baseball game that she could at least take
mild interest in. When their food came, she ate hungrily as Brick
watched her with wide eyes. She didn’t care, she was starving.
There hadn’t been a bite of food in her stomach all day. As she
ate, she glanced around the crowded room. There were people
everywhere laughing, drinking and enjoying each other’s
company. Her eyes fell to a booth in the corner making her almost
choke on her food.

Brick raised an
eyebrow at her. She waved her hand at him as she hit herself in the
chest with the side of her fist. When she could breathe again and
Brick wasn’t staring at her, she peeked at the corner once
more. It was hard to tell in the darkness that resided over that
corner, but she thought it was Gianni. She squinted her eyes. It was
definitely him. He was scratching the back of his head, something he
usually did when he was slightly uncomfortable or thinking. He was
dressed in a black t-shirt that showed off his muscles, jeans and an
expensive watch was on his wrist. Across from him sat a leggy blonde.
The woman looked close to his age and she wore a dress that stopped
mid thigh, the red color looked impressive on her deeply tanned skin.

Kenzie felt a stab in
her gut. She held her stomach trying to figure out what was wrong
with her. It couldn’t be...no, it wasn’t. She panicked.
Was she jealous? The blonde laughed at that moment throwing her head
back, covering her mouth. Gianni had obviously said something very
funny. He grinned. Kenzie’s eyes narrowed. She kept trying to
tell herself that it didn’t matter.

Before she knew what
she was doing, she’d pushed her chair out. She had lost her
appetite. Kenzie paid the bill before telling Brick that she was
ready to go. He gestured to his half full plate. She rolled her eyes,
told him she’d have a smoke outside instead. He looked uneasy
about the notion, but she promised that she’d stay right
outside the window where he could keep an eye on her. She took one of
the slender cigarettes from his pack before stepping outside into the
warm night air. She never smoked, made it a point not to, just to
preserve her voice, but it was the only thing at that moment that
calmed her nerves.

The smoke hit her
lungs, immediately making her cough. As much as she’d thought
that smoking would help her relax, it only made her more anxious. She
wondered what Gianni was doing with that woman, but she also told
herself that it was none of her business. Still, her mind kept
wandering back to it until she felt herself being driven crazy. She
shook her head. The cigarette had grown into a long line of ash. She
tossed it onto the sidewalk before stepped on it. It was easy, she’d
just pretend nothing had happened. They’d never slept together,
she didn’t care. She pushed her way back into the pub.

The noise was too much
for her head to take. She was ready to go back to the house, get some
sleep and put the day behind her. Brick was finishing his beer as she
walked back in. He nodded at her. She threw one last glance at
Gianni, but she hadn't expected him to be looking back. He froze, his
eyes locked onto hers. Kenzie lifted her head, turned on her heels
and headed for the car, her heart pounding in her chest.

She didn’t know
what to make of the look that had been on his face. Was it shock?
Guilt? What? The thought brought her no comfort. Brick walked out a
minute later, before he slid behind the wheel of the car. She slipped
into the backseat and shut the door as she saw Gianni wander out of
the pub. Brick was fumbling with his seatbelt.

“Can we go
already?”

Gianni had spotted the
car. He was making his way towards them, waving. Kenzie scowled. She
didn’t want to talk to him at that moment. Brick had already
started the car. They pulled out just as Gianni almost reached her
door. She was glad that Brick hadn't noticed him. She looked at
Gianni. He had thrown his arms out, the look on his face confused.
She turned around in her seat.

On the way back to the
house, she slipped in her headphones and blared the tracks she had to
work on. She used her phone to jot down lyrics that came to her mind.
There was one in particular that grabbed her. The drums, guitar were
all so heavy, angry. She finished most of that song before they
reached the house. For a moment, she considered naming that one
Gianni, but then decided it’d be nice not to be sued.

Only one light was on
in the house, a car parked in the drive. She knew that they’d
be switching off soon. Brick would go home and someone else would
spend the night watching over her. The thought itself was kind of
comforting, except for the nagging feeling that she wished it was
Gianni’s turn tonight. She mentally scolded herself for it as
she went into her room. The first thing she did was strip the bed of
the sheets and blankets. She tossed them into the laundry basket
before redressing the bed in her linens. It made the space a little
more tolerable.

Kenzie climbed into
bed and turned the lights out. It was darker than in the city. She
was used to the constant glow of lights, the sound of traffic if she
opened her windows. Out here, it was too quiet for her liking. She
tossed and turned for the rest of the night. It felt like the world
was pressing in on her, suffocating her. Her hands fumbled for her
pills in the dark. She swallowed two of them down then stared at the
ceiling until they started to take effect. As the drowsiness washed
over her, she could only think about Gianni.

The next morning she
was up earlier than usual. She got dressed, throwing on a little
yellow sun dress before she waited for someone to drive her into
town. She grabbed breakfast at Uptown Cafe before she walked the
distance back to the studio with one of her bodyguards nearby. It was
another full day of recording, rerecording and the incessant thought
that she should just give up. She wondered what she’d do if she
quit singing. It was impossible to think about going back to a normal
life when this was all she knew anymore.

“Jenny wanted to
go over some things with the concert coming up. Think you have time
to meet her today?” Marco asked her about noon.

She wanted to ask him
if she really had a choice. Instead, she nodded, grabbed her things
and headed down to see Jenny. The woman went over some of the outfit
changes, the effects and the music that had been chosen for her to
sing. It made Kenzie’s head swim. She found herself nodding the
whole time, not exactly listening. Buzzing in her purse broke her
haze as she saw Cassie calling.

“What’s
up?” She asked when she picked up.

“Ben and I are
at the cafe if you want to swing by. We haven’t heard from you
since the party. We were getting worried.”

“I’m fine.
A lot has come up though. I’ll meet you there in thirty
minutes.”

“Take your
time.”

They said goodbye
before Kenzie told Jenny that she had somewhere to be. Practicing for
the concert was coming up soon, she at least wanted to spend some
time with her friends before she’d have to absorb herself in
her work. She walked back to the cafe, the afternoon sun beating down
on her. She had the distinct feeling that someone was following her.
She turned her head to see a man with a camera across the street.
Paparazzi, great. She knew they would only get worse as the days drew
closer to the concert.

Ben waved at her as
she approached, a smile on his lips. He was so enticing in his band
t-shirt, ripped jeans and his blond hair falling into his face. She
sat across from him next to Cassie. The woman looked gorgeous as
usual with her hair piled on top of her head and her thin body
enhanced by the dress she wore. There was a new bracelet on her arm
that looked expensive.

They ordered their
food and drinks before they could start talking. Kenzie was already
feeling the jittery effects of the coffee she’d been drinking
all morning. She kept bouncing her leg beneath the table until Cassie
placed a hand on her thigh to stop her, giving her a dangerous look.

“What’s up
with you? We went to visit, you were gone.” She said.

“It was kind of
necessary. My own little special stalker left me a present. Gianni-”
She stopped herself. The name had slipped out of her mouth
before she thought about it. The subject of Gianni was not one that
she wanted to be discussing. The feelings she’d had the night
before bubbled up to the surface. She pushed them away stubbornly.

“It’s just
better to be where no one can get to me right now,” she said
finishing her sentence.

Cassie raised an
eyebrow. “So, we can’t even know where you are. That’s
weird.”

Kenzie shrugged. “When
this is all over, we’ll go right back to the way we used to
be.” She took a sip from her soda. “Oh yeah, Ben. I
talked to Marco. It looks like you guys can play the opening of my
concert.”

“I told you I
saw something about a concert!” He said to Cassie. “It’s
in a month right?”

She nodded. “Think
you guys will be ready.”

“We’ve
been ready for a long time. You’re so awesome.”

Kenzie grinned at him.
She heard Cassie make a noise, but when she glanced at her, she was
looking away. They ate their lunch together where she told them about
the concert and the album coming out so close together.

“I’m not
sure I can handle so much.”

“You’ll do
great,” Ben said as his hand reached across the table and he
laid it on hers. “I have faith in you.”

“Thanks, Ben,”
she said with a smile.

Cassie had to leave
early, but she and Ben sat together for a while longer talking and
laughing. It made Kenzie’s problems disappear for a while. When
they’d paid for their food, they walked together.

“I wanted to ask
you something,” Ben said as he rubbed his arm.

“Yeah?”
She asked. She could see the nervousness on his face.

“Do you think
you’d want to go on a date with me?” He said quickly.

Kenzie stopped. As she
glanced at him, he gazed back. His eyes inviting and kind. For a
brief moment she thought of Gianni before she shoved him to the back
of her brain. There was nothing there. She was sure of that now.

“I’d love
to.”

“Cool. Let’s
meet at the cafe, let’s say Friday? Eight sound good?”

She nodded. “It
sounds great.”

She loved the grin
that spread across his face. “Wear something comfortable. We’ll
have fun.”

They waved goodbye to
each other as they parted ways. She decided not to return to the
house that night. After doing some checking with her guard, she
rented a hotel room. It was closer to the studio since she had to get
up early and start practicing. The thought made her nervous. It was a
little under four weeks away, she was panicking. She tried to sleep
as best she could that night, but it wasn’t happening. Instead,
she stayed up all night going over the lyrics, practicing her
singing. She was pretty sure she heard the guard groan in protest
around 3 am, but she didn’t care. She had to be perfect.