Mr. Bad Influence

Chapter 4

Nick moved over to the grayish blue couch and sat, but he had barely touched the couch when he got up and paced the room again. He stared at the plain white walls, then down on the mocha-brown carpet, trying to find something to distract him.

Kerri skidded to a stop when she stepped into the dressing room. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you know about the joint interview?"

She smiled and nodded, slipping her bag off her white sleeveless lace top. "That's what I'm here for. Why?" she asked when he didn't reply to her. "Did they change it to something else?"

"No, it's still an interview."

She nodded and gestured to his shirt. "We match. White top and jeans. Should one of us change?"

He waved it off. "I didn't believe Roland when he said you agreed. I thought he might've tricked you into coming." Not that he thought badly of Roland, but he just never thought Kerri—or her mom—would agree to this interview. It didn't help that Roland had kept this interview under wraps until he was in the dressing room.

Kerri dropped her bag on the white dressing table with two large pieces of mirror, each with a line of light bulbs along its length. "I knew."

"I didn't think your mom—"

"I called Roland and told him I'd do it."

He arched his brow. "Why?"

"Because I know, more than anyone, how hard you work. I think you deserve a chance to present your music without people thinking of you as Mr. Bad Influence."

"I don't want you to do this interview." Not when she was doing this all for him. "I wanted to call you, but I don't have your number."

"Why not?"

"You changed your number."

Her grin broadened. "I mean why don't you want me to do the interview?"

"Do you know what this interview will be like?"

She shrugged. "Like every other interview. Someone asks a question, and one of us answers."

"No." He licked his lips as he went over and placed his hand on her back before leading her over to the couch. "Did you watch the series of videos on couples or ex-couples asking each other questions?"

"No."

"There will be a stack of cards with questions printed on them, and we'll each take a turn to ask the questions."

"Okay ... and what's wrong with that?"

"The questions may be sensitive."

She turned to Dana when she entered the room. "Dana, will you get me a cup of green tea latte and an espresso for Nick?"

"Yeah, okay," Dana said and left.

Kerri waited until Dana closed the door before she continued. "We may not have kept in contact over the past three years, but I think I know what happened to us when we were together. I've always been honest with you, and you've come clean about ... everything, right?"

"I cheated on you. I'm sorry for that. If I could—"

"It's over, and I'm okay."

He held her gaze. "Then say it."

"What?"

"Say that I cheated on you."

She looked away, staring at the floor.

"You can't do it."

After taking a deep breath, her gaze shifted and she looked right at him. "You cheated on me, and I've gotten over it."