Chapter Six
Sawyer
I stepped off the plane and smiled. It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles. The sun shone bright in the cloudless sky. My email confirmed the surprise for Kurt in Denver was all arranged. I hoped he liked it. His mom had been more than touched when I’d asked, and she loved the idea of it being a surprise.
My phone vibrated.
Kurt: Waldo should be there to pick you up. We’re going over some last-minutes changes to our set.
Oh, I loved Waldo, the band manager.
Me: Sounds good. Have you seen the clothes yet?
Kurt: No, why?
Me: No reason.
My phone rang, and I answered it with a smile. “Why hello, Mr. Rockstar.”
“What did you do?”
“Who, me?”
“Sawyer…”
I stepped off the elevator and searched for the short, balding man. “Hold, please. I need to play Where’s Waldo?” I saw hands waving toward me and said, “Point to Sawyer. I see him. See you soon, Mr. Glitter Sparkles.”
Quickly, I ended the call and walked over to Waldo. “Hey there. How are you doing?”
“I’m good, Ms. Wade.” His phone chirped. After reading the text, he said, “Oh dear. Looks like you’re in trouble with the boss man. He wants us to come to the studio immediately.”
I gave him a wink. “It would probably be best if we took our time. He’s going to be a little pissed. I may have added some rhinestones to one of the leather jackets he wears for the tour.”
Waldo’s eyes grew wide.
“What?” I asked with a shrug. “It tested well with the female audience. I made an executive decision.”
He busted out laughing. Inside my purse, my phone rang.
“Are you going to answer that?”
“Nah. Let’s give Mr. Glitter Sparkles a chance to cool down. I don’t have to be on the bus for a few hours. How does some shopping sound?”
“Oh, you’re going to get me into trouble.”
I linked my arm with Waldo’s. “Life isn’t fun without causing a little chaos. We’ll get Kurt a present. That’ll make everything better.”
* * *
Waldo had disappeared into a tie store. Oh, Where’s Waldo had a thing for a flamboyant tie. We’d agreed to meet in the park across the street in about forty minutes. I was walking on the sidewalk taking in my surroundings as kids played Frisbee in the area beside me. It was a gorgeous day in LA. My phone vibrated again. For shits and giggles, I pulled it out.
Kurt: Waldo said you kidnapped him to go shopping?
Me: I will neither confirm nor deny that traitorous statement.
I nearly gasped when my phone rang. Poor guy. It was time to throw him a bone.
“Hello?”
“Seriously? You’re all chipper when you have completely emasculated me.”
“Sparkles help everyone. They aren’t gender specific. Don’t be prejudiced against glitter.”
“You realize this means game on, right?”
I gave a hearty laugh, and at that moment, some cute puppies caught my eye. “You are a funny man, Mr. Glitter Sparkles. Gotta go. I need to squeeze some puppies. See you in a few.”
“Sawyer—”
Before he had a chance to finish, I ended the call and walked over to the pen set up ten feet away from the sidewalk in the grassy area. “Oh my, these are adorable puppies. What kind are they?”
“Lap oodles.” The woman had a strong accent, and her sweet smile endeared her to me.
I reached in to pat the white one, who sat ever so calmly among the sea of craziness. “Lap poodles?”
“Yes. They’re good dogs. My daughter breed them. Sorry, my English not great. I’m from France. My daughter get lunch.”
I smiled. “That’s totally fine. You’re doing better than me, considering I don’t speak any French.”
The woman’s face lit up. I imagined it had to be hard being in another country where you weren’t totally fluent in the language. “Are these small little lap dogs?”
She shrugged. “Umm…they lap poodles. I don’t know size in English.”
They were so fluffy and the perfect size. The little white dog licked my hand. “May I pick him up?”
“Of course.”
I picked up the puppy and snuggled him. He was probably fifteen pounds or so. My heart instantly fell for the little bundle of fur. I was a goner. In an instant, I decided. “How much?”
“Six hundred.”
That was a lot of money. Snap decisions normally get you into trouble. The puppy licked me. His chocolate-brown eyes implored me. I had to have this puppy. “He is so cute. I think I must buy him and call him mine.”
She laughed. “He likes you very much.”
“I think so, too!”
I pulled out the money from my wallet—good thing I’d gotten a lot of cash before leaving for California. I handed her the six hundred dollars, and she gave me an envelope. “Papers. My daughter number on papers if you have question.”
“Thank you. I hope you enjoy your time here.”
“Thank you. I will.”
As I turned to leave, I saw Waldo walking toward me. Oh, now I had to overcome the next hurdle—get Waldo on board. He was a good guy. From what Kurt told me, Waldo was one of the few band managers who hadn’t been jaded from the industry.
Waldo was carrying four large bags. If all those were filled with ties, he needed an intervention. “Looks like we were both successful. You found the mother lode of ties. I got a puppy. Isn’t he cute?”
Waldo smiled. “I had no part in this.”
I stuck my hand out. “Deal.” Then I leaned in to whisper, “We need to make a quick stop at the pet store and get to the bus before Kurt gets out of his meeting. Come on. We gotta burn rubber.”
Waldo took his handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed his forehead. “This is going to be an interesting afternoon.”
We hurried to the car. “Live on the edge, Waldo. It’s more fun that way.”
He gave me a hearty chuckle. “What are you going to name him?”
“George. I think George is the perfect name.”