Page 16 of Any Kind of Life
“No, I mean it. I could never forget your face, but fucking hell. When I haven’t seen you for more than a few hours, I’m just reminded all over again.”
“How was the show?” Juliet sipped on a glass of red, her gaze not leaving Paige’s. “Good, I hope.”
“It was quite intense tonight. I know I’ve done a lot of shows now, but there’s something about a crowd of thousands singing back to you.”
Juliet regarded Paige with a lopsided smile. “I wish I could have been there to hear that.”
“Me too, babe.” It didn’t matter if Paige knew Juliet was at home in Liverpool; she would always look out at the crowd, hoping to spot her. “But I’m sure there’s footage somewhere.”
“It’s not the same. It could never be the same.”
Paige reached for her beer. “I know. The offer to get you a ticket is still there.”
“Let me see how things go at the bar. The contractor seems like he knows what he’s doing, but you know what I’m like. I prefer to oversee projects.”
Paige grinned. She loved Juliet’s quirks. “You do. But that just means everything turns out perfect, and I can’t blame you for that. Knowing you’re there, it makes me feel better about the building work.”
“If you’re sure?”
“I am. Of course I want you here with me—we could have made very good use of this room. But I’ll have you all to myself again soon.”
Juliet lifted her phone and repositioned it when she lay on the couch. Her eyelids appeared heavy, and Paige knew she was stifling a yawn. “Is the bed comfy? I could really do with cuddling you right now.”
“Babe, are you tired?”
Juliet covered her mouth with her hand. “Shattered.”
“Why don’t you go to bed?” Paige wanted to spend some time with Juliet, but not at the expense of her losing out on sleep. “I don’t mind.”
“No. I want to stay here talking to you. I don’t want to let you go yet.”
“Then do something for me?” Paige shifted closer to the screen, her head propped up in her hand. “Get into bed, and we’ll talk there.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not very good company lately. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since you left for the tour. You’d think, given the fact I’ve spent most of my adult life sleeping alone, that I’d be used to it, but I got quite attached over the last year or so.”
“Yeah, you did.” Paige studied Juliet through the screen. “Please, get into bed…for me. I’ll stay on the call with you until you fall asleep.”
“You would?” Juliet’s bottom lip trembled. Most people likely wouldn’t notice, but Paige did. She noticed everything.
“Of course I would. Whatever you need.” She stayed on the line, mostly looking at the ceiling in their apartment while Juliet went about getting ready for bed. “I can’t wait to be home, and I’ve only just left.”
Juliet’s face reappeared. “I’m just glad I have something to keep me busy. I know I can’t really do much to help at the bar, but I can still be there…occasionally.”
“You’re supposed to be having a break, babe. Do you ever sit still?”
“When I’m home with you, yes. But other than that, I prefer to stay busy.” Juliet turned out the bathroom light and moved along the hallway. She groaned as she climbed into bed, then she got into her usual position and smiled back at Paige. “I don’t know what I did with myself before you came along.”
Paige could make some kind of joke about Rachel, but it wasn’t necessary. “I don’t either.”
Juliet yawned, her eyelids heavy. “Do you think the bar will still do well once we’ve expanded?”
“Definitely. We already have the client base, and now we can stop turning people down for memberships. You already know it’ll be a success because everything you do tends to be.”
Juliet grinned. “Thank you for making me feel better about it.”
Paige lifted a shoulder. She wasn’t telling Juliet what she wanted to hear. “It’s true, though. You’re so dedicated to anything you do that it’s hard to imagine it failing. And the women-only nights are going to be a huge hit once word gets out about it. Hannah and Caz do nothing but talk about it.”
“No, they talk about your cocktails.” Juliet gave Paige a knowing look.