Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 46751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
A shiver works its way through me.
He waves me out, his expression grim.
I set my headset aside and reluctantly exit the booth.
"Hey," he says, motioning for me to follow him into the lobby.
"Hey," I say, wrapping my arms around myself. "What's up?"
"We need to talk."
"I'm trying to record, John."
"Yeah, well, your little stunt on stage last night got back to the label," he says, his tone flat. "They aren't impressed. If you want to keep your contract, I suggest you keep your boyfriend off the stage, Kenz."
I narrow my eyes, immediately annoyed by the nickname and suspicious. "Did that come from the label…or from you?"
"What does that mean?"
"You know what it means, John," I say quietly. I resolved earlier not to have this conversation with him right away or alone, but I guess he's not going to leave me any choice. At least Soren and the band are in the next room. It's better than nothing.
"No, I really don't know what you mean, Kenna," he snaps, his blue eyes icy. "Why don't you spell it out for me so I can get on with my day? I have other clients to see."
"You were angry I called him up to the stage last night. It was written all over your face," I say.
"I was disappointed you were making a fool of yourself in public," he retorts. "Have a personal life. I don't care. But when you're selling a fantasy up there. You can't sell it if everyone thinks you're fucking the man you're parading around on stage, Kenz. They need to imagine themselves up there with you and in your bed, not him."
I rear back, shocked. "Don't speak to me that way."
"I'm your manager. It's my job to give it to you straight."
"You don't get an opinion on my sex life," I growl. "Especially not when we both know the only reason you chose to represent me is because you want to sleep with me. You want to imagine yourself in my bed."
"Oh, Kenna." He shakes his head, laughing. "Is that what you think? Good grief. Bring your head back down to reality. I'm not representing you because I want to sleep with you. I'm representing you because you're talented. You have the potential to be the next big star. You know this. I know this. The label knows this. But you aren't going to get there if you keep dragging your boyfriend onto the stage to flirt with him in front of everyone." He steps around me, heading for the door. "Do whatever you want on your time. But don't waste mine and don't waste the label's. Keep your boyfriend off the damn stage."
"It's not your time anymore, John. You're fired."
He laughs loudly, still striding toward the door. "If you want to fire me, take me to court, Kenz. Breaking our contract is going to cost more than you can afford to pay."
"Don't tempt me," I growl. "My brother is a lawyer."
"And I have a whole team of them, sweetheart." He sails out without another word.
I watch him go, dismayed and shaking. He didn't deny wanting to sleep with me. And I don't think he's going to go away that easily, either.
Crap.
Gideon and Kane are going to freak out.
"I'm going to kill him," Gideon growls, pacing holes in the carpet in the lobby.
"Not if I fucking kill him first," Kane growls down the line. "He can't just fucking decide he's not fired. It doesn't work that way."
"He seems to think it does," I mumble, dropping my head into my hands.
"What did he say exactly, Kenna?" Kane demands to know.
"He said if I want to fire him, I can take him to court because breaking the contract is going to cost more than I can afford to pay."
"I read through every line of your contract with him," Kane says. "He's full of shit."
"Unless he's not."
I turn to look at Gideon.
"You're both assuming he was talking financially, but he never said it would cost her money. He just said it would cost more than she could afford to pay. From where I'm sitting, that leaves a whole lot up to interpretation."
"Jesus Christ," Kane growls. "You think he'll try to ruin her?"
"It's one interpretation."
"He could try to have the deal pulled."
"That's why he was here," I whisper. "He said the label was mad that I pulled you up on stage and that if I wanted to keep the contract, I better not do it again."
"Fuck him," Gideon growls. "Do you have a contact at the label?"
"Yes. Well, sort of. I have a whole list of numbers and people I can call if I need anything, but I haven't really had to use any of them. They usually run everything through John since he's my manager."
I feel like an idiot for letting that happen, but you can only keep so many irons in the fire at once. Eventually you have to trust someone to carry some of the load, or you start dropping things. I trusted John. He's been in this business for a long time. I guess the saying is true, though. No business keeps its secrets better than show business. Because I never even heard any whispers that he's a backstabbing jerk. But if he's doing it to me, he's done it before. A leopard doesn't change his spots. An a zebra doesn't grow claws.