Sitting behind my desk, I scroll through the emails that were waiting for me, making this the Mondayest Monday ever.When Nelle buzzes, it’s a welcome break.

“Miss Addy, Jimmy Neumann is on line one for you. Are you ready to start taking calls?”

“Yeah. Go ahead and put him through,” I say absently, reading an email from Bear regarding Wildfire’s contract. When the phone beeps letting me know she’s transferred the call, I pick up. “This is Addy.”

“Addy, it’s Jimmy. Have you received a call from the association yet?”

“Umm…what now?” I close the emails so that I can pay attention to what he’s saying. He sounds frazzled.

“I just got a call. Apparently Beau was a no-show last night in Houston. He was supposed to be a presenter. I saw pictures of him on the red carpet though, so I’m trying to figure out what happened.”

Son of a bitch. “Have you talked to him?”

“Not answering. Sealy said he’s flying so I’m waiting to hear back. I just wanted to give you a heads up.” He pauses. “I thought you were going with him?”

I start typing his name into the search engine. “Yeah, change of plans.”

The very first picture that pops up is from Exposé, a picture of him and Tara Remy on the red carpet of last night’s event. The blood drains from my face, my fingers go numb, and the sound of my heartbeat in my ears makes it impossible to hear what Jimmy Don is saying.

“Addy? Can you hear me? Hello?” he calls into the receiver.

“Did you do any research?” I try to keep the tears that are running down my cheeks out of my voice, dashing them away angrily.

“Not yet. I just got the call.”

“Well, you’ll have your answers. Are they fining him?” I hit mute quickly so that I can sniffle without him figuring out that I’m crying.

“No, I explained that he was there so something must have happened, perhaps an emergency.”

“If sleeping with Tara Remy is an emergency, I would say yes,” I say flatly, trying to turn my sadness into anger so that I can deal with this in a professional manner and not like the broken-hearted fool I am.

“What?” Jimmy asks baffled.

Scrolling through, I see a couple more pictures and then a “Breaking News” video. “I have to go. I need to call Stone and Judge to do some damage control with them before I tackle the media. If you get a hold of him, let me know please. Also call the association back and tell them that he will be donating whatever the amount of the minimum fine is to their charity.”

“I’m on it now.” He pauses. “Are you okay? I mean—”

“I’m fine.” I cut him off. I just want to hang up so that I can figure myself out. “Call me when you have more information.” I hang up before he can say anything else.

For several minutes after I end the call I sit staring at the screen, the way she leans into him, holds onto his arm, smiles seductively. He looks so handsome. The beautiful bastard. All in black—black pants, black shirt, black shoes and jacket. He oozes sex appeal and confidence. His hair is combed to the side and his now almost fully-bearded face smiling down at her the way he’s smiled at me dozens of times before just about kills me.

Deciding I haven’t punished myself enough, I hover over the headline of the video. “Exposé catches up with Beau McCrae in Austin where we ask him about his new new girlfriend who sources say is Tara Remy with Country All Day Radio. Here’s what he had to say…” Burying my head in my hands I practice my breathing as tears drip from my chin onto my desk. Damn him. I told him I didn’t want to get involved. That I get attached. And he promised.

Sighing in defeat, I grab a tissue and turn the video on. It must’ve been taken just this morning when he landed. He looks a whole lot rougher than he did the night before. Even with his hat pulled low, I can see the bloodshot eyes. I can’t even find it in me to feel happy about that. Wearing a backpack, his headphones, and a white shirt that stretches over his barreled chest and thick arms, he makes his way through the airport while they pepper him with questions. When they ask him about his new girlfriend my stomach drops and my breath hitches when he answers back about how hot she is. And seriously, bless the camera guy who said I was hotter. I’m giving him exclusives with all of our artists from now until forever. I watch through the tears in my eyes as Beau jumps into the back of a town car and makes a point to roll the window down and correct the guy on team Addy. I watch it twice more just to torture myself, the tears flowing freely. When I watch it for the third and final time, I spin away from my desk and take in the skyline for a beat before stalking off to my bathroom to fix my makeup, cursing Beau McCrae and the day I met him. Then I curse him again for making me cry.

In the bathroom, I splash my face and blot away the moisture, taking my mascara with it. Knowing that it will be futile to reapply it, I don’t. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I say a little prayer because the way I’m feeling right now, I need Jesus so that I don’t do bodily harm to one Beau McCrae. So maybe it’s him who needs Jesus. With a deep breath, I leave the bathroom as fixed as I’m going to be and buzz Nelle.

“Yes, darlin’?” she asks gently. She must know something. I don’t pretend to know what or how already. She’s like a gossip wizard. “I need you to get Stone and Judge here. Tell them they can bring whomever from the label, but I need a meeting, or at least a conference call, and then I need for you to get Beau on the phone for me.” My voice wobbles a little on his name, but I don’t let her coddle me. If she does, I’ll cry, and I can’t afford to cry anymore right now. There will be time for that later.

“Anything else, Miss Addy?”

“Hold all my other calls. I’m only dealing with this mess today.”

“I’ll take care of it all.”

“Thanks, Nelle.”

Pacing the floor of my office, I rub at my temples and try to wrap my head around all that’s happened. In a few week’s time I've fallen head over heels for a man I wasn't supposed to fall for. A man who won't let me into his past but tries to make me feel like part of his present. A man who I don't think is capable of loving another woman like he did the one who died. And then that same man breaks my heart before I even told him it was his.

* * *

Judge, Law, and Arrow are on speakerphone while Stone and Willow lounge in the conference room, their daughter, Lyric, hanging out with Nelle.

“So what’s up? Why the rushed meeting?” Arrow asks through the speaker.

I look to Stone who nods for me to go ahead. “Well, as you guys know, we signed a new country artist a couple months ago after he was dropped by his label, and we were working on his image and creating opportunities for good press.”

They all answer with a round of yeses. “I got a call from his manager earlier that he was a no-show at the country music radio award show last night where he was supposed to be presenting. They’re not fining him, but we are and that fine will be whatever the association’s lowest fine is and will go to their charity”

Stone and Willow nod their heads. “I think that’s fair,” Stone says.

“What do you mean a no-show? Weren’t you supposed to be there with him?” Judge cuts in a little curtly.

“I was. I decided not to go.”

“So this is as much on you as it is on him. We signed him with the understanding that you would keep him in line,” Judge replies. I can tell he’s in a mood, and lucky for him, so am I.

“And I have. I’ve organized events and interviews, charity functions and book readings, and I’ve gone to nearly every single one of them. I’ve also set up his tour dates and all of his studio time on top of the release of the album we’re finishin’ up for him. That’s not includin’ the stuff I’ve done for the other clients we have or the trips to concert venues to make sure things were as they should be. What have you done, again, Judge? Because last time I checked I wasn’t your fucking assistant anymore.” Stone and Willow are both looking at me with raised brows and wide eyes. I’m not one to pop off or lose my cool, and I’ve just done both and dropped some colorful language while I was at it.

Lawson cuts in with a slow clap and a deep rumbling chuckle. “Guess she told you, bro. About damn time.” He laughs some more. “I think what Addy Mae is trying to say here is that she’s busting her ass making sure the office and everything there runs efficiently while you deal with your fucked up love life and the shit you delegate to her, and she’s doing it all while sleeping with this Beau dude. Only they had a fight and she decided she wasn’t going and then he fell back on his old ways. That about sum it up, Addy?” I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. I’m past all that today. I had a moment of weakness, and that weakness was Beau McCrae. Nothing I can do about it now. I am a little concerned about how easily Law sussed it out though. Am I that transparent?

Stifling a sigh, “Yeah, Law. That about sums it up,” I answer honestly.

“I’m so good at this,” he gloats.

“I’m sorry, Addy,” Judge says. I know he means it. And honestly I don’t feel overworked or taken advantage of. I’m just not the person to cross today.

“Apology accepted.” I don’t bother apologizing because I’m not sure yet that I am sorry.

“So do we need to do anything moving forward, or was this just to be sure everyone was brought up to speed?” Willow asks, looking at me with unmasked sympathy. I showed her the article and video before the meeting started.

“Basically. I just didn’t want there to be something mentioned somewhere and you guys not know, and I also wanted to be sure that it’s being handled the way everyone agrees it should.”

“Whatever you think, Addy,” Arrow replies. The rest of them agreeing.

“Okay. That’s all I needed then.” I say goodbye and disconnect the call, my eyes falling on the very quiet pair watching me.

“What?” I ask, pulling together all the stuff I thought I might need for the meeting.

“You okay, sweetie?” Willow asks.

“Yep.” Anything more and I’m gonna cry, and I may never stop.

“Want me to beat the shit out of him?” Stone asks, and I’m not convinced he’s not serious.

“Maybe. Can we put a pin in that offer?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

Nodding in appreciation, I stand to leave. “I’m going to see him now since he’s not returning anyone’s calls. Pray for him. I’m about to take him to church and not the kind he likes.”