Annie looked up to find a family of four standing far enough away to be respectful, but close enough so Annie could hear their request. “Um, sure.” She stood and waited for the mother to hand her phone off to somebody at the bar and ask them to take their picture. Several times. Annie’s food arrived during the photo shoot. They posed for at least ten pictures.

“You’re such a wonderful singer and an inspiration to so many young women out there.” The woman’s hand was on Annie’s arm, and alarm bells started going off. She was entirely too comfortable in Annie’s personal space.

“Thank you. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to eat my dinner.”

“Let’s go, honey.” The woman’s partner had to pull her away from the table. Honestly, it freaked Annie out. There was normal attention, but then there was this obvious invasion.

“I’m so sorry that happened. We’ll make sure you are undisturbed from now on,” Amber said. She dropped off the side of mayonnaise and extra napkins and gave Annie a weak smile. Annie asked for the check immediately. She ate half her burger, dropped cash on the table, and ordered another Lyft to take her back to the stadium. If this was what Bristol had to deal with all day, every day, it was no wonder she wanted out.

Chapter Twenty-two

Bristol’s heart fell when she didn’t see Annie in the crowd. She couldn’t blame her. Lizzy had asked that they cool it until the end of the tour because they both had big decisions to make. She felt terrible every time she blew off Annie with a text. A month ago, Lizzy was joking about them hooking up, but now she was dead set against it. She insisted it would be easier to make a clean break from Top Shelf if they had fewer entanglements. At the time, it’d made sense.

Being in Annie’s arms made her forget that they were on different career paths. Annie was on her way up, and Bristol wanted out. They didn’t have a future. Annie didn’t strike Bristol as a one-night-stand kind of girl either. As much as Bristol cursed Lizzy’s bad timing that night in Bristol’s suite, it was a blessing. At least it had seemed so at the time.

Not seeing her face with that beautiful, beaming smile and light blue eyes staring back at her soured Bristol’s mood onstage. She had to work extra hard to keep her voice upbeat and a spring in her step as she danced her routines. She couldn’t wait for the tour to be over.

“Good job, but not your best,” Lizzy said as she handed Bristol a towel and a cold water.