Aimee and the Heartthrob Read Free Page A

LJ, not Lester—he hates the name Lester, so obviously we call him that when we wanna piss him off.”
    “Thanks for the tip.”
    “Hey, you got the tickets I sent?”
    “Dude, yes.” Nick grinned. “Front row center. Jay Z was frickin’ sick . Sorry if I forgot to thank you. Didn’t I text a pic?”
    “Ya did,” Miles said, trying not to laugh. “And never do that again. Your selfies get way too personal when you’re hammered.”
    “Had to get it out of my system. Because I’m under twenty-one, the school’s lawyers made me sign like fifty non-drinking and/or substance abuse wavers before they’d take on this internship. But I’m assuming you know your way around those?”
    “Oh yeah, I’ll tell you all . Sorry, though, I dodge all that. Gotta take care of the money-maker.” He stroked his throat.
    “No—yeah, I know,” Nick said, his expression turning sober. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I know you don’t do that. And it’s cool, of course.”
    The truth was, Miles hadn’t drank or lit up for a long time, which kind of sucked when he was the only one who didn’t. But what sucked worse was that by the time he’d been thirteen, he’d already done enough of that shit to last a lifetime.
    Nick knew all about that. He’d even witnessed Miles punching more than his fair share of walls back before he’d learned to control his temper. They exchanged a look, an unspoken conversation that conveyed five years of history and understanding that could only occur between best mates. Pulling strings to get Nick this internship was nothing; Miles would do absolutely anything for him.
    He put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Did you find your bus?”
    “You mean that caravan out back? Dude, how many buses and semis does it take for you to stand onstage and sing a love song in jeans and a T-shirt?”
    “Hilarious.”
    Nick snickered. “Just playin’. This setup is crazy impressive. We just got here and dropped off our stuff, but then I came to find you. LJ told me you were in here, and Aimee went to track down your mom.”
    Miles’s mum had mentioned yesterday that Nick’s little sister had to come with him last minute. He’d laughed at the time because it was so typical for little Aimee Bingham to tag along with Nick. Back in Pacific Pali, before he’d moved to Florida to be on Rockstars Live , she did that all the time, always followed them whenever Miles was hanging out at Nick’s. He hadn’t seen her since he’d left home. Was she still the size of a munchkin, with braces, and did she still have that curly hair that always reminded him of a teddy bear?
    “Mum’s on the chaperone bus. Have you said hello to her yet?”
    “I wanted to see you in action first,” Nick said. “But I’m still confused. Where’re all the hotties? I expected a mob scene. Clothes being torn off and you guys running for your lives. I’m seriously disappointed, dude.”
    “Aw, you just missed it.” He snapped his fingers and grinned. Then, he spotted the girl in yellow. She was talking on her phone near the far exit. Nick never made Miles feel like a wuss because he didn’t party at the A-Listers’ keggers. Still, Miles did have one impressive skill he could flaunt. “Actually, ten seconds before you came in, I was about to seal the deal with someone.”
    “Did you just say seal the deal ?”
    “Yep.” Miles couldn’t help grinning, putting on a full-on player display for his buddy. “I’ve got legendary moves, irresistible to any girl, haven’t failed me yet.”
    “I remember a time or two back home when you put those legendary moves to use—left a trail of broken hearts down Santa Monica Boulevard. Seems some things haven’t changed.”
    “This player’s gotta blow off excess energy somehow.” Miles inwardly barfed at his own words. Player’s gotta play? WTF.
    “So what happened, player? Your newest target ran off like Cinderella before you could seal your deal?”
    “Lucky for me, she