“Anytime.” I grab the tray and lift it above my head with the skill I honed waiting tables during college summers. The guy stares at me for a moment as if what I did is amazing and then moves to clear a path through the crowd for us to the stage. We climb a few steps that are off to the side, and the pitchers he was holding thump when he sets them down on a small table before turning to me. I have a sudden urge to touch him, and I horrify myself when I brush my hand against his as he takes the tray.
Our brief contact sends a pulse of heat through me, and I swear his fingers are hotter than humanly possible. He must have felt something weird too because he freezes to stare at me. I smile as the heat of a flush creeps up my neck. But the guy blinks, hands me the tray, and turns away before I can say anything. It’s as if the warmth of the sun is suddenly blocked by a cloud, because I’m let down. I realize he has no idea who I am and probably thinks I work here. It makes me chuckle to myself as I walk away. The mystery brother is about to find out I’m going to change his life, and if I get my way, he and his band are going to make me rich.
2
A s much as I want to approach the serious brother about the band, I think it’s best to talk to the lead singer, Adrian, instead. Once the band finishes their last song I wait patiently for the crowd to clear. It’s not hard, because the display of muscle as the Lindquist brothers break down their equipment isn’t a bad encore. I blink when the lights flip on, and slide off my stool to approach the stage. The brother I’m attracted to is lifting an amp, and I tear my eyes away from the sight as I focus my attention on the lead singer. “Adrian Lindquist?”
He glances up. “Yes?”
I hold out my business card as my heels tap up the wood steps to the stage. “Noel Keating, Link Murphy’s assistant.”
Adrian frowns and takes the card from me to read it. He glances up at me to ask, “You’re a talent scout?”
“I am. And I have to tell you, you guys are even better in person than you are on video. My boss would like to meet with you.”
I have to hand it to this guy, because he’s not impressed, and that makes me think he’s smart. He squints at me with what I guess is skepticism. He asks, “Really? Why?”
I decide to go with candor, so I say, “Earlier I sent him a video of your performance tonight, and he’s impressed. Most likely he’ll want to offer to be your agent and woo you with an all-expenses-paid trip to California to record a demo, which he’ll use to sign you with a record label.”
His large hand swallows my card. “I’ll tell the manager. Thanks.”
I nod. If I have it right, the serious brother will research me, Link, and the agency, and when he discovers Link’s not only legit but highly sought after, they’ll be interested. I say, “Call me.”
Adrian smiles down at me as though I’m amusing, and I let him, because I want Second Sound as much as they’re going to want us.
Once I’ve left the bar and am in my rental waiting for the heat to kick in, I check my phone. I was hoping for a call or text from Link but don’t find one. I frown at the bright light of my cell glaring up at me as I blow out frosty air. Link and I used to speak every day, no matter how busy he was. But the new band he’s representing is crumbling under the pressure of fame, and he tells me they need his constant attention. My car clunks into gear as I pull out of my spot and head toward the local motel where I’m staying. I’d shake off my worry, but a recent article in the tabloids with incriminating pictures of Link and Sheila, the lead singer of the girl band, is making it hard to believe he isn’t cheating on me. But I refuse to make myself crazy until I learn the truth, so I turn my thoughts to Second Sound and fantasize about all the ways we’re going to make each other famous.
The next morning I wake up feeling refreshed but uneasy. I still
Our brief contact sends a pulse of heat through me, and I swear his fingers are hotter than humanly possible. He must have felt something weird too because he freezes to stare at me. I smile as the heat of a flush creeps up my neck. But the guy blinks, hands me the tray, and turns away before I can say anything. It’s as if the warmth of the sun is suddenly blocked by a cloud, because I’m let down. I realize he has no idea who I am and probably thinks I work here. It makes me chuckle to myself as I walk away. The mystery brother is about to find out I’m going to change his life, and if I get my way, he and his band are going to make me rich.
2
A s much as I want to approach the serious brother about the band, I think it’s best to talk to the lead singer, Adrian, instead. Once the band finishes their last song I wait patiently for the crowd to clear. It’s not hard, because the display of muscle as the Lindquist brothers break down their equipment isn’t a bad encore. I blink when the lights flip on, and slide off my stool to approach the stage. The brother I’m attracted to is lifting an amp, and I tear my eyes away from the sight as I focus my attention on the lead singer. “Adrian Lindquist?”
He glances up. “Yes?”
I hold out my business card as my heels tap up the wood steps to the stage. “Noel Keating, Link Murphy’s assistant.”
Adrian frowns and takes the card from me to read it. He glances up at me to ask, “You’re a talent scout?”
“I am. And I have to tell you, you guys are even better in person than you are on video. My boss would like to meet with you.”
I have to hand it to this guy, because he’s not impressed, and that makes me think he’s smart. He squints at me with what I guess is skepticism. He asks, “Really? Why?”
I decide to go with candor, so I say, “Earlier I sent him a video of your performance tonight, and he’s impressed. Most likely he’ll want to offer to be your agent and woo you with an all-expenses-paid trip to California to record a demo, which he’ll use to sign you with a record label.”
His large hand swallows my card. “I’ll tell the manager. Thanks.”
I nod. If I have it right, the serious brother will research me, Link, and the agency, and when he discovers Link’s not only legit but highly sought after, they’ll be interested. I say, “Call me.”
Adrian smiles down at me as though I’m amusing, and I let him, because I want Second Sound as much as they’re going to want us.
Once I’ve left the bar and am in my rental waiting for the heat to kick in, I check my phone. I was hoping for a call or text from Link but don’t find one. I frown at the bright light of my cell glaring up at me as I blow out frosty air. Link and I used to speak every day, no matter how busy he was. But the new band he’s representing is crumbling under the pressure of fame, and he tells me they need his constant attention. My car clunks into gear as I pull out of my spot and head toward the local motel where I’m staying. I’d shake off my worry, but a recent article in the tabloids with incriminating pictures of Link and Sheila, the lead singer of the girl band, is making it hard to believe he isn’t cheating on me. But I refuse to make myself crazy until I learn the truth, so I turn my thoughts to Second Sound and fantasize about all the ways we’re going to make each other famous.
The next morning I wake up feeling refreshed but uneasy. I still
Similar Books
