Read Online Blue Shoes #1: New Adult Rock Star Erotic Romance (Morris Music Book 6) by JJ Knight - Free Book Online

women.”
    “Amanda!” Riley swats Amanda’s arm.
    “What?” Amanda won’t shut up. “Jess, he was married before. He had sex with Mrs. Evil Pants. The one who tried to murder him! The murderess!”
    Riley clamps a hand over Amanda’s mouth. “Calm down. We’re in The Roxy. Those guys at the bar are probably reporters. Don’t be dumb.”
    I stare down at the table as the world swirls around me. I didn’t like where this conversation was going, before Amanda started yelling about Dylan’s wife. The woman is dead now, killed by some mechanic who was also her lover. Dylan’s past has so much ugliness.
    I take my glass of water and sip it slowly. I don’t like thinking about the pain in Dylan’s past. I think maybe that trauma is why he loses his temper sometimes. I can’t say I blame him. It upsets me, and it didn’t even happen to me.
    Riley finishes lecturing Amanda and removes the hand from her mouth.
    “I’m just saying,” Amanda says at a reasonable volume, “that if Jess is curious, she’s running out of time. Soon she’ll be a married woman.”
    “Sooner than you think.”
    They both look at me.
    “What do you mean?” Riley asks.
    “Nothing,” I lie. “Just that we’ll probably set a date soon. Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want the paparazzi crashing it.”
    “You don’t have much choice,” Riley says. “You’re a celebrity, whether you like it or not.”
    Amanda nods, her movements exaggerated. “Totally. Anyone can be a celebrity, if people take an interest. Remember how they hounded that fighter couple? The guy… the one who’s friends with Dylan?”
    “You mean Colt.” I just saw some pictures of Colt McClure and Jo the other day. They looked happy, but you never know. Half of the stuff the press runs is fiction.
    Amanda’s eyes grow big. “Oh yeah. She kept changing her hair and trying to blend into the background. But that only made them want her more.”
    Riley adds in, “Plus there were those other people beating the hell out of them all the time.” Riley shakes her head. “Some people will do anything to steal a little fame. They’ll kill you for it.”
    Panic starts to rise inside me.
    “And don’t forget when you have kids,” Amanda says as she signals the waitress for more drinks. “The paparazzi will be all over your baby bump, then your kids, then your cellulite. Plus all those stories about Dylan cheating on you.”
    “They’re saying Dylan’s cheating on me?”
    The volume on the music seems to be getting louder and louder. I don’t want to be here anymore.
    Amanda shakes her head. “Of course he’s not cheating on you. He loves you. But that doesn’t make money. The reporters don’t care. They just want money.”
    I remember what Dylan said and repeat his words, “It’s not personal. It’s not about us. Just money.”
    The waitress places new glasses in front of us. I leave my drink and stick to the water.
    I look over to Riley. She’s frowning, and she looks like she’s having even less fun than I am.
    “Riley? Are you tired? We can go any time.”
    “I’m not tired.” She takes a sip of her drink, then licks her lips and looks thoughtful. “Jess, the photographers aren’t the only ones who are after money.”
    “I know. It’s the people who run the blogs and sell the magazines.”
    Riley looks down at the table, unable to meet my eyes. “I’ve been getting calls from people in the family. Everyone’s asking how much money Dylan has and—” Riley shakes her head. “They can go to hell. I’ve been telling them to leave you alone, but you know how certain people in our family are.” She keeps looking down, her upper lip curling in disgust. “Uncle Danny’s okay, and Nan, of course, but the rest of them… I’m going to change my phone number.”
    I can’t believe my ears.
    My family did nothing for me when I was kid. Nan was the only one who cared about me. Uncle Danny is okay, but the rest of them are awful. It makes me