Blue-Eyed Soul (18 page)

"Not in the way you're thinking, it doesn't. It's the small-town feel of it. I don't think I knew how much I missed it until I had it around me again. People here care about each other,
cher.
It's an entire world away from L.A., which is what I love about it."

Alli arched one brow as Remey passed her one of the steaming mugs and the box of tea bags. "And about the teacher?"

Remey smiled, shaking his head as he dunked his tea bag into the water, poking at it to submerge it. "Aleks is... he's not just a small-town teacher. He lived in New York City for a long time and he's an artist. You should see his paintings; you'd get the biggest kick out of them. I... he's special. Very much so." Remey stared down into the mug, his hands wrapped around it, a little thrown off by the depth of feeling he could hear in his own voice.

Alli's brows rose as she bobbed the tea bag into the mug. He could see her wheels turning and finally she came right out and said what she was thinking, like she always did. "You sound like you're falling for him."

Remey flicked his gaze up and smiled at her across the island counter. "I am. Or... have, I guess. Yeah," he said, voice growing more certain and smile widening. "I've fallen for him. God, head over heels, Alli."

Allison blinked, looking stunned. "You're... you're in love? I leave you on your own for a month and you fall in love?" She shook her head, like she was trying to process the information. "What about the kid?"

Remey beamed. "Oh, man, her name's Willow. She's three and she has all these red curls and the prettiest dark blue eyes and she's
smart.
Holy shit, she's smart. She sings my songs and always wants me to sing for her and she flails when she sees me and she's... wow. She's amazing."

Alli let out a soft breath, then smiled. "Aw, shit, Cajun, this is the real deal, isn't it? Then I'm happy for you, baby, I truly am."

Remey grinned, rounding the island to sling his arm around Alli's shoulders, pulling her close. He'd missed her over the last few weeks. She was so much more than his assistant and tour manager. "I'm happy, too,
cher.
Ridiculously so. You're staying, at least for a few days, right?" He wanted Aleks and Willow to meet Alli. He was sure the adoration would be mutual on all sides.

"Might as well," she teased, hugging him back. "It's not like I've got anything to do in L.A. with you out here in the backwoods of nowhere."

"Not to mention Rory has a new boyfriend and you want to be nowhere around, right?"

Alli sulked at him, and Remey bit his lip to hold in the laugh. Rory was about as gay as they came, but Allison had nursed a hopeless crush on him ever since Remey had hired Rory three years ago. It was so cute to see his go-getter, take-no-bullshit best friend faced with the one situation she couldn't make work to her advantage. Luckily, the crush was out in the open, and Rory wasn't the least bit bothered by it.

"Shut up. Now I'm going to make you take me shopping for some clothes I can wear in this... this tundra without freezing my girly bits off. Consider it my Christmas present."

Remey laughed. He knew better than to argue with Alli when she had shopping on the brain. "Finish your tea. There's an outlet mall about half an hour away. We can go there."

Alli nodded, wrapping her hands around the mug and blowing on the tea to cool it off. "So... back to Mr. Small Town America. Am I gonna have to ask him what his intentions are?"

Remey nearly choked on his own tea, waving a hand while he caught his breath. "Oh, no. No, you don't. You will behave yourself with him or else." He took a deep breath, sobering a little as he watched Alli across the island. "He doesn't know how I feel. And I'm not going to tell him until he's good and ready. I know he likes me, and he enjoys our time together, but... he's not comfortable with my career. He's got good reasons, and I understand them, but it makes things a bit more... difficult than they might have been otherwise," Remey admitted.

"What kind of reasons?" she asked, her tone wary.

Remey smiled, knowing the over-protective thoughts racing through her head. "It's not like that,
cher.
Willow's mother left them for a career in music, jazz, and ever since..." He shrugged. "He doesn't trust easily, especially musicians. Top it off with the fact the paps were nuts when I first got here and you have a recipe for a reluctant man."

"Ahh. Hmm. I see the dilemma. Well, he has to come around, right?"

Remey nodded with a smile. "I think so. He already is, I think. But he has baggage and he has a child, so he's not going to rush." He sighed. "I hope, anyway."

She tilted her head. "So it's gone there?"

Remey laughed, peering up through his lashes, then back down to his mug. "None of your business, miss."

Alli let out a gleeful cackle. "So yes. Okay, I have to meet this man."

Remey grinned and nodded. "You do. He directs the marching band on Fridays during the football game. I was planning on going this week. You can come."

Alli's eyes widened. "Thirty-something degrees after dark, you need a freaking Eskimo parka to not die of frostbite, and you want me to go sit on metal bleachers for three hours? You are so lucky I love you. Let's get out of here. If I'm braving a high school football game in December, at least one fabulous outfit is going on my expense account, mister."

* * * *

"Allison, come on. Get out of the car," Remey coaxed her, trying not to laugh. Alli was sitting in the front seat of his car, bundled in the new winter clothes she'd bought herself the other day on her shopping spree, her arms wrapped tightly around herself and one of the several blankets Remey had brought for them wrapped around her.

"Hell, no. Leave me the keys so I can put the heat on and then bring your hot teacher boyfriend here during a break between innings--"

"Quarters," Remey interrupted, swallowing a laugh. "Innings would be baseball."

"It should be baseball and then I wouldn't be dying of frostbite," Alli griped. "God, why do I keep working for you, anyway? I could so get a job with Gaga or someone way more fabulous than you."

Remey laughed out loud, waving at Mona and Joe from the café, carrying several insulated urns of coffee, hot chocolate, and apple cider. Remey's mouth watered thinking about it. "Fabulous or not, you love me,
cher.
Come on. Get out. We'll find seats and then I'll get you a cup of the best apple cider you will ever taste in your life, I swear."

Alli sighed gustily, pushing at his chest where he stood in the open passenger door. "God, fine. But only because I'm leaving tomorrow night and I'm indulging your celebrity whims."

"Duly noted," Remey answered, helping Alli out of the car.

She tucked her arm into his, and they joined the straggling line of parents, families and students streaming toward the football field from the parking lot.

"It's not even super cold. God, you look ridiculous. Give me the blanket before I have to disown you." Remey took the blanket, laughing, and she scowled at him.

"Well, forgive me, Mr. Ice Prince. I haven't had a month to get used to this nonsense. Honestly, snow and freezing cold and people
out
in it. It's insane." She stuffed her hands in her pockets, her face down into her enormous scarf and followed Remey, grumbling the whole way. "This whole town is a death trap."

Remey snickered, holding her arm tighter to steady her until they were off the pavement. "God, you're such a drama queen. Who's the celebrity here, me or you?"

Alli scoffed. "You never have been very good at the diva celeb thing, Cajun. Fame is wasted on you, I swear.
I,
however, would thrive as an A-lister."

"Don't we all know it," Remey teased.

As if on cue, a group of teenage girls chose that moment to summon all their courage and dart up to them. Remey smiled and took a few minutes to sign some stuff and snap a few pictures before they disappeared into the crowd, chattering and squeaking amongst themselves.

Alli grinned. "Those are going to end up all over Twitter in about thirty seconds," she murmured. "Nice to know you can still keep your name in the public eye, even all the way up here."

Remey shook his head. "I'm not here for publicity and you know it. This isn't a staged press event, Alli."

"I know. I know, but still. You can't let people forget you, fickle as fans are."

"Yes, mother hen," Remey needled her, unsurprised when Alli dug her pointy elbow into his side. Thank goodness all the layers they were both wearing prevented her from doing any damage. "Besides, no one's going to forget me, Alli. I'm doing a benefit concert here in two weeks, plus I finished the song for the band Rory likes... those young kids from..."

"Seattle," Alli filled in as they stepped up onto the bleachers. "They're called Sky Palace. You should maybe try to remember their names, Remey. According to Rory, they love the song and it's going to be their first single so people will be asking you about it and them."

"Don't worry so much,
cher.
I know fans are fickle, but no one expects me to put out another album right after a two-year tour. I'll do some other shows here and there, too, write some more songs, do some interviews. It'll all be good."

Alli opened her mouth as they eased down an already packed bleacher row, but Remey hushed her with a shake of his head. He chose seats for them right behind where Aleks would stand while he conducted the band. They weren't on the field yet, huddled over behind the bleachers on the opposite side of the field to try to keep out of the wind. Alli laid one of the blankets on the bleacher before she sat down, taking another to wrap around herself.

"You promised me cider, Cajun. Go on now." She shooed him with a wave of her hand, and Remey laughed as he made his way toward the concession stand. He chatted a bit with Mona while she filled two to-go cups with the hot cider. He glanced into the stands, spotting Stevan and Jess down in the front row, Willow between them, only recognizable because of the stray red curl hanging into her face from under the furry hood of her snowsuit.

Taking the cups of cider, Remey made his way back to their seats, handing Alli hers and leaning in. "At halftime, after the band plays, I'll take you down front to meet Aleks's brother Stevan and his wife Jess. They brought Willow to the game." Hopefully, Aleks would be able to snatch a few minutes after the Haven band played their halftime show to meet Alli.

Alli grinned. "I have to admit, I'm pretty excited to meet these people. I haven't seen you this happy since you got your first Grammy nomination. Maybe not even then." She gave him a gentle look. "You know you can't stay here forever, right? You have to come back to L.A."

Remey sighed. "I know. But, Alli... I'm not going to live there anymore." Before she could form words to respond, he rushed on. "It made sense to live there when I was starting out, but I'm coming off my second world tour, I'm completely established and, not to sound full of myself, I don't need to be in L.A. every day making sure those people know who I am. They know."

Alli gaped at him. "Remey, you cannot be based out of Nowhere, Massachusetts."

Remey smiled. "I won't be... if you agree to move to New York. It's only a few hours' drive, half an hour if I hop a plane in Albany. I'll keep the house in L.A., and, of course, I know I'll have to be there often. But not every day. Not even every week when I'm not recording. I've thought this through, Alli, and I'll understand if you want to stay in L.A. and not move to New York City... okay, I'm lying. I'll be fucking depressed. You have to agree."

Remey knew Alli had never considered living anywhere but L.A.. Sun and sand and surfers... and he was asking her to trade it in for snow and five-hundred-square-foot apartments for three grand a month? But there was also him here. And maybe someone
not
gay who would return her feelings and she could stop crushing on the unattainable.

She sighed, apparently thinking along the same lines. "You're out of your mind."

Remey grinned, taking a sip of his cider. "This wouldn't be the first time you've told me that,
cher.
But, come on, it makes sense. The label has offices in New York. I'll help you find a nice apartment--"

"What about Rory?" Allison cut him off, her eyes sharp. "And Kevin? He's been managing you from the get-go. Are you going to ask them to move to New York, too?"

Remey shook his head. "I wouldn't need to. They can do their jobs from L.A. easily enough, and like I said, it's not like I'm never going to set foot in California again. The scheduling will be a little tougher, but... I need this. You, though... I can't have you working from L.A. I need you close." Remey shrugged, hope rising when she didn't refuse flat out. "I thought about asking you to move to Albany--it's only half an hour away--but I figured New York City would be a better selling point. I can't not have you close,
cher.
You're too important in too many ways."

Alli gave him a long look, then sighed. "I have to think about it. I still think you're nuts, though." She broke off, though, gesturing to the field as the band began filing in along the sidelines. "Oh, there they are! Where's this man of yours?"

Remey grabbed at her arm before she could stand up to peer around, hissing at her through a laugh. "Oh my gosh, stop. If you embarrass me right now, I will hurt you." He watched as the band began to take seats in the center section of the bleachers, smiling as he spotted Aleks, pointing him out to Alli. "There he is."

Remey leaned forward, smiling when Aleks turned and scanned the crowd, gaze landing on Remey. And then he smiled, and Remey's heart thumped hard.

Beside him, Allison let out a breath. "Holy shit. Not only is he smoking hot... baby, he's head over heels for you."

Remey tore his eyes away from Aleks and gave her a sharp look. "What're you talking about? He is not. Is he?" His voice rose a bit at the end and Alli laughed, grabbing his hand and tugging.

"Shush, you'll cause a scene. God, Cajun, are you blind?" She gestured to the field, where Aleks was talking to the kids, but kept looking back up at them--at him, if truth be told. "How can you even doubt it? Did you see his smile? He can't take his eyes off you. The first thing he did when he came out was look for
you.
"