Kassidy's Crescendo by Marianne Evans Page A

deal with that fact yet.” He lifted a shoulder. “I love the idea of bringing performances to life for an audience. Can’t say why or how that came to be, really. Nothing exceptional drew me to the entertainment field. I graduated college with a degree in performance arts and a minor in business.” He chuckled. “I figured I’d hedge my bets by having a dream plan and a practical plan.”
    “Smart man.”
    “Not so smart when I break the rules.”
    Kassidy’s shoulder pressed against his; her muscles tensed, but when her eyes tagged his, they were steady and strong.
    “You asked about Roxanne Mitchell.” Kassidy nodded. “I met Roxanne when Liam brought her to New York City, ready to send her on tour. I liked her, sure. She understood me and my professional life. Theoretically, we were a good match.”
    “What’s the rest of the story?”
    “I broke the cardinal rule about dating a person you work with.”
    Kassidy braced all over again.
    “Roxy was convenient and easy to be with. She was fun, pretty, and kind—but that’s where it ended. We were colleagues more than anything else. I didn’t feel anything passionate or overwhelming, but we were similar. Our lives ran in parallel paths.”
    “And then?”
    “In the end, I backed away. Roxanne didn’t take it well. I had no idea she’d be hurt and explode. I never saw that level of anger coming. We weren’t committed; I didn’t make love with her. I never compromised our professional relationship outside of a few private dinners and casual dates. Next thing I knew, I was summoned to Cam Franklin’s office at Ganneton and given the news that I had been removed from her tour. She wanted distance. By that point, so did I, but still I was stunned.”
    “Did she accuse you of anything?”
    “No, she simply requested a change. Or should I say, she politely demanded a change. She only said it was personal, with no hard feelings. Since she had a hit single climbing the charts and an album on the Billboard rise, corporate didn’t ask for much in the way of an explanation. Thing is, mystery fueled speculation. Gossip spread far and fast, and there was nothing I could say or do to stop it. Any response on my part would lead to a nasty session of he said/she said with no substantiation. I was trapped, KC, forced to keep quiet while industry rumors pegged the move as a response to some kind of tawdry sexual blow up.” Drew issued a mirthless laugh. “Nothing could’ve been further from the truth. I wouldn’t disrespect a person that way. I wasn’t inappropriate, but in the entertainment field, innuendo is more than enough to make clean water toxic.”
    “I’m so sorry you’ve had to endure—”
    “I’m grateful Liam threw me a shot at redemption.” Drew cut in, eager to change emphasis, strangely ashamed of something he had never done—never even contemplated. Where was the justice? To this day, he struggled to grasp the answers—the reasons why.
    “Liam knows talent.”
    The words reached him in succinct terms he appreciated. “Liam is an incredible friend. When he met with me, saying he had discovered the next big thing, I couldn’t wait to jump on board. But I didn’t think my bosses were going to go for it since it included four women. In the end, I guess they figured it’d either be redemption or the ruination of my career.”
    Kassidy didn’t react to his deliberately melodramatic tone. Instead, she seemed to gather her thoughts and give Drew’s admission heartfelt consideration. “Well, you’ve landed on redemption, so don’t let Roxy-gate define you. Move away from it and move forward into something better. Something more worthy of the man I see before me. You know the truth. God knows the truth. Nothing else matters.”
    “You matter. You matter very much. But I work with you. Closely.”
    “But I’m not Roxanne. Furthermore, I believe in you. This is different, Drew.”
    That gave him courage. Weights lifted away, leaving him