Chapter Twenty-Seven
I signed my name for the hundredth time, completing my last new-employee form. Last night, Garrick and I had negotiated a salary. He wanted to pay me more; I wanted less. We settled on an appropriate amount for the job I would be completing. It wasn’t about the money, but it turns out I had to be paid, as per federal regulations.
The nameplate on my office door caught my attention. Knoah Shaw. Staring at my last name, I smiled.
My computer dinged with an e-mail from Brenda regarding another meeting planned with a potential venue. For now, all meetings were held here until I could venture out to visit. It made the job a little more difficult, but I would manage.
Today had been busy. To my right, I had created a board with a complete list of events Brenda organized every year. There were fourteen. Last night, Garrick asked if I would be open to hiring an assistant. The thought was that I would train one to assist in handling events. We had a long, serious talk because I felt I could handle it alone. Of course, Garrick had a point. We needed a balance. If I started working obscene hours, it would contradict what he wanted to accomplish. After all, that had been my initial argument against a management job in the first place. And it helped solve the problem of me leaving the office.
So I agreed.
“Knock, knock.”
Kurt stood at the door, casually dressed as usual, his hair a complete mess.
“Hey, you. What are you doing here? I thought you had meetings with the lawyers this morning.”
“It’s done. The record label is fucked. I figured I’d take you to lunch. You free?” I studied him for a minute to make sure he was okay. “I promise it’s good. You’re protected. They’ve put my back against the wall, and if I let it slide, everyone will try to dick me over. So I’m going after them.”
Better him than me. “If you’re sure.”
Teasing, he held up his little finger. “I’ll pinky promise if you want. It’s in the lawyers’ hands now. Garrick’s going after them, too. It won’t be pretty.”
“I bet.” If it were up to me, I’d want it dropped, but Garrick said this was part of keeping boundaries. If weakness was shown, the sharks would circle.
Raising an eyebrow, Kurt asked, “So…lunch?”
“Oh, yes. I would love to, but Sawyer asked earlier this morning. Want to join us?”
Mischief danced in his eyes. “Absolutely.”
I hid my smirk. If I pressed Kurt or gave him a hard time, he’d run. It was his MO. “Let me call Garrick and see if he’s coming. He wasn’t sure this morning.”
Kurt nodded and walked around the sparsely decorated office. It was an entry-level office, which I’d asked for. I was serious when I’d said I wanted to work my way up. Ultimately, Garrick supported it. And at the end of the day, I think he respected me for standing my ground.
I glanced at my phone, and seeing the button he’d requested be programmed to call his office directly gave me a warm, squishy feeling. I pressed it.
“Hey, sweetheart. How are you doing?”
“Good. Really good. I’m going to lunch with Sawyer and Kurt. Do you want to come?”
It sounded like he was shuffling a few things around. “I can’t. I’m triple booked—unless you need me?”
Unless you need me. Every day he showed me that I was the first priority in his life.
“No, I’m good. I’ll bring you back some lunch. I’ll let Annie know.”
“Thank you. Got to run. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I hung up the phone. “Looks like it’s just us.”
“Damn it. I was hoping I could talk your husband into firing you.”
I stood, smoothing my wraparound dress as I quirked my brow at Kurt. I sent Sawyer a quick text that we were on our way. “Why in the world would you want me fired?”
“I want my Betty Motherfuckin’ Crocker back.”
With a laugh, I shook my head. “You’re living with one. Or maybe she’s more a Martha Stewart.”
Shocked, he said, “Sawyer?”
“Yes, she’s an amazing cook. Does crafts, too. And decorates. Puts me to shame.”
“She’s been holding out on me! And to think I’ve been handling the meals lately, thinking she couldn’t boil water.”
I pressed my lips together, unwilling to admit I’d given Sawyer away.
“She played me! I cannot believe this. I’ve been making all the meals.”
“Not involved.”
Kurt poked me in the arm. “You are so involved. Don’t tell her I know.”
“Switzerland.”
He snorted. “An undercover agent pretending to be Switzerland, maybe.”
Ignoring him, I grabbed my purse from my desk drawer. “You ready?”
Being in between Sawyer and Kurt sounded like the exact opposite of a good time.
Right before we left the office, Kurt grabbed my elbow to pull me back. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Did any evidence come back tying the Wades to Navarro?”
Kurt really liked Sawyer, but he was searching for a reason to distance himself. I patted his arm. “He was in financial trouble but got the proper backing. All is good. We’re still being cautious, so I’m keeping my contact with people at a minimum.”
“Makes sense. Doesn’t give Navarro anyone to use as leverage.”
“Exactly. Are you ready?”
“Let’s go.”
If we talked too long about this, Kurt would realize I was holding back some of the truth from him. In this situation, it was best to be nonchalant and move forward. Hopefully he’d let it go. I hated lying to him, but the alternative wasn’t a viable option. Sawyer never needed to know. And it kept Kurt safe.
As we left the office, I nodded to a few people I’d met this morning. Of course, most were in awe of Kurt. From the looks on some of their faces, they were trying to figure out if he really was the Kurt Hendrix.
We’d left just before the massive crowd for lunch, so there wasn’t a long wait at the elevators. But before the doors closed, more people joined us.
A few of the businessmen glanced my way. I heard the words Shaw and wife whispered behind me. Oh boy. News traveled fast. I faced forward, remaining stoic and unaffected, as did Kurt. Living the life he did, he knew the score.
The doors opened, and I received another cursory glance from the man in the black suit. The pleasant, neutral expression stayed plastered on my face as I looked over each of their heads to avoid eye contact.
Kurt mumbled, “Ridiculous.”
Following the people out, I said, “It’s part of it.”
“Still ridiculous.” I shrugged, spotting Sawyer across the way, already seated at a table. Something had her rapt attention—so much that she hadn’t noticed us when we arrived at the table. “Hey, stranger.”
Sawyer closed out the e-mail on her phone. She looked great. Over the past few days, her clothes had taken on a more hip vibe. Basically, Sawyer loved clothes and had a habit of blending into the world she was immersing herself in. The artfully ripped jeans with the rock star T-shirt suited her. The messy bun and heels topped off the look. “Oh, hey. I was reading the latest social polls.”
We each took out a chair to sit. I nodded to Marlena to bring me my usual. Kurt placed his hands behind his head, the picture of relaxation. As we got settled, Sawyer pulled a small box from her bag and removed one of my mint chocolate chip cookies. I recognized the container. It was the one Kurt had brought when he’d come to pilfer the kitchen when he found out my baking days would be less frequent going forward.
“Wait. Where did you get those?” He straightened, his mouth dropping a little.
Sawyer gave him a sweet look, but there was something else on her mind. The light didn’t quite reach her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Those cookies. Are they from my stash? I had mine in a container like that.”
Since the turkey-call incident with Sawyer, things had been relatively quiet. After the conversation with Kurt today, I learned that Sawyer had been silently striking back. I watched the two of them, wondering if they realized there were sparks between them—bright sparks. Their sexual tension hit a ten on the hot-o-meter.
With a sugary smile, Sawyer responded, “Stash? What stash?”
“My stash of—did you take them all?”
On cue, her mouth formed a surprised O. “I thought you made these for me to take to work since I’ve been working such long hours. After all, you talked Cameron into you hiring me as your right-hand man, as well.” Her brow quirked.
“How many are left?”
“This is the last one.” She gave an apologetically pained smile.
Oh, she’s good.
I thought Kurt was going to fall out of his chair. Quick like a tiger, he grabbed the cookie from Sawyer and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Kurt! What the hell?”
Around a mouthful of cookie, he muttered, “It’s a damn good cookie.”
With her lips mashed together, it was clear Sawyer was suppressing a smile. “Yes, they were.”
A giggle escaped, and I covered my mouth.
Kurt pointed at me. “Traitor.”
I held up my hands in surrender, but was saved from response by Marlena’s approach.
“Black coffee for me, please,” Kurt said.
“So, how’s the job going?” Sawyer asked before taking a sip of her tea.
“Good. I’ll be meeting with the PR team this afternoon. I’m glad to be working again.”
“How are you going to split your time if you’re doing both?” In his lap, Kurt had the container open and was picking out the leftover cookie crumbs.
Sawyer caught my eye and gave me a wink.
“I plan on spending two hours a day with the PR team as an apprentice. Then I’ll spend the rest of my time on event planning as I train someone for that, as well.”
“That’s amazing.” Sawyer’s phone dinged, pulling her focus away. “Oh, our travel arrangements are made. Looks like everything’s all set.”
Our travel arrangements?
“Where are you guys going?” I asked.
Kurt slipped into business mode. “We’re headed to California to check out a few venues as well as meet with some licensors for a few events. Sawyer will be strategizing and executing a marketing plan. So far, it looks like I’ll be hitting the road in a tour bus after New Year’s.”
“Yes. And I’ve been conducting some polls to identify what Kurt’s fans are looking for most. They want vintage. The road trip across America is already giving us fantastic results.”
I’d forgotten that Sawyer had helped Mickey with the marketing at As You Wish. Is that something she wants to do but walked away from? Sometimes I thought Sawyer and I were more similar than I ever imagined.
“The band is lucky to have you.”
“We are,” Kurt echoed.
She beamed at the compliments, a light blush coloring her face. For a second, their eyes locked.
I took a sip of coffee. “When do you head out of town?”
Marlena brought Kurt his coffee. “We were supposed to head out of town Wednesday, but we bumped it to tonight. We’ll be back on Sunday.”
With a polite smile, Marlena asked with her cute southern drawl, “Are y’all ready to order?”
“We are,” I answered. Each of us placed our food order. Salads for Sawyer and me, a greasy burger for Kurt. I had no idea how in the world he stayed so fit with all the junk food he ate. “How are your parents doing?”
Sawyer shrugged. Something about her parents was bothering her, and I believed that was the source of the earlier worry I’d noticed. Did they say something? I leaned forward, waiting for her to respond. “I’m not sure. Mom seems like she’s recovering. Dad seems stressed, which is understandable with his business.”
“What’s going on with the business?”
Kurt glanced my way for a brief second. Please don’t know. Please don’t know. I nervously smoothed my hands over my dress.
She blew out a breath. “Dad is thinking about selling to a new investor. I know it’s a hard decision for him. He built the company from the ground up, but I think they’re slowing down.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Christopher was smart enough not to involve his family. Reaching across the table, I touched her hand. “This seems like good news.”
“It is. It’s just a major change. Cameron and I were shocked. They may move away, too. They’re thinking about moving to their Colorado home. I’m sure it’ll be fine. There comes a point where everything changes, and I get that. I just wanted it to be a little further in the future. I just get the feeling he’s keeping something from me.”
Beside me, Kurt softened, and his hand touched hers. “Sometimes tragic accidents make people take another look at their lives. Your mom was in a serious accident. They probably want more quality time together.”
“You’re right.” Her hand covered his. “Sorry, I’m still processing. It’s a lot to take in.”
“Of course it is. LA will be good. You’ll be able to take your mind off everything.”
“That sounds amazing.” This time, Sawyer’s eyes lit up when she smiled. “Thanks for bringing me along.”
The look they shared was too personal; I had to look away to give them privacy. Maybe LA would be good for more than work.