Page 32 of Galata and Nutmeg
Kaan tries to take my glass from me. “No more alcohol for you!”
I do not relinquish my drink but do decide to forgive him because the food smells too good, and I am positively starving. “Fine, but don’t come crying to me when your face is splashed all over the front page tomorrow.”
He picks up two plates and nudges me out of the way. “Just sit down so I can feed you because you’re obviously a raging monster when you haven’t eaten.”
Dropping onto the sofa, I try not to let the shyness overwhelm me as Kaan delivers two bowls of soup to the table, followed by fresh bread, meatballs and a huge salad. We eat in silence for a minute or so, until I clear my throat. “So… being on the road must have been a blast, travelling with your friends all over the world.”
“I don’t think I would call them my friends.” He says it so matter-of-factly that my eyebrows shoot up. “We didn’t even know each other beforehand.”
“You didn’t?”
I must look surprised because he adds, “It was all managed by the label, and honestly after a while it sucked. You can’t make great music with people you don’t know.”
“Seven of Crows made great music! I loved your last album.”
“Didn’t get to number one.”
“It’s not always about the numbers, you know.”
“It is actually.”
“You wrote every song on that album, didn’t you?”
He shrugs, indifferent. “The idea that we weren’t given equal billing didn’t sit well with certain people.”
He’s talking about Gabe Rushley andthatinfamous meltdown on The Tonight Show when he tried to take credit for their last album which resulted in a fist fight between the two on live television.
“It’s all in the past now, but at the time getting signed with Seven of Crows saved my life.”
“How?”
“At first, it was to keep a roof over our heads. My dad passed away when my sister, Roxe, and I were 17, so I quit school to get a job. I had been washing cars when I heard about the audition.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I try and keep my private life… private, you know? Well, at least until I signed on with Brazen. Now it feels like I’ve invited the tabloids into every aspect of my life!”
I feign outrage by his comment. “You’re lucky to have us.”
“After watching you work today, I realise just how hard your job can be, especially when you’re dealing with idiots like Blair.”
“And…”
“And?”
“Idiots like Blair and…?”
“Fine, idiots like Blair and me.”
I grin at him before changing the subject. Don’t want to push the Pretty Boy too far. “You and Roxe are twins, right?”
“She’s 20 minutes older than me, and will never let me forget it.”
“I’ve got two older sisters who never let me forget anything either.” I laugh lightly. “I’ve also got two younger sisters and they’re just as bad.”
“Older sisters are the worst, but she turned out okay, better than me at least.”
“What does she do?”