Annie strummed until she got the right pitch. “Ready?” At Bristol’s nod, she began singing.

Bristol liked her voice so much that she didn’t jump in when she was supposed to. It was nice to hear somebody with true talent sing. Annie had control of her voice and knew how to project it so it didn’t sound breathy or ragged.

“Are you going to join me?” Annie stopped playing.

“I wanted to hear it all the way through and pick the places where I should start harmonizing.” That was only a small lie. She wanted to hear it, but she was caught up in sitting so close to Annie. Lizzy wasn’t around. Her security was on the other side of the door. When was the last time she’d been alone with somebody?

“That makes sense. How about here, here, and maybe here?” Annie pointed to the piece of paper Bristol was holding. She was only inches away. Could Annie hear how fast and hard Bristol’s heart was thumping? Did she know that Bristol thought about her more than she should? Annie smelled like daisies and fresh clothes. Her hair was damp from a recent shower, and she wasn’t wearing makeup. She was lovely, and Bristol wished this moment would last forever.

“That looks good. I promise not to screw it up again.”

“It’s okay. Like I said before, it shows your human side.” She winked at Bristol and started playing the song. Bristol nodded to the beat and jumped in where they agreed. She used the sheet only twice—once to learn the spots and the second time to break eye contact with Annie.

“That sounded so good. Let’s do it one more time, and then I’ll get out of here and let you sleep,” she said.

Bristol didn’t want her to go. She wanted Annie to stay and get to know her better. “Can I get you something to drink? I know I’m not drinking enough.”

Annie sat back and loosened her grip on the guitar. “Water sounds great. Thanks. I’m going to have to work to stay hydrated and eat more to keep up with the energy of this tour.”

Bristol handed her a glass of iced water and put a plate of vegetables and dip between them. “Just in case you’re hungry.”

“How can you stay so healthy on tour? My willpower is lost, and I just want to eat everything. The muffins and doughnut spread at the arena today was unbearable. I mean, of course I ate one or two, but if I did it every day, I wouldn’t have the energy for a show every night.”