they just haven’t said anything. And when people see you doing things you shouldn’t, you better believe they are going to come to you for a favor in exchange for their silence. You may not be able to grant that favor. People don’t keep secrets in this town for no reason. Don’t let this movie be your last one.”
“Right.” Jason put his head down and walked away.
Chris thought maybe he’d drop by the bakery Kate liked and get some cupcakes. Hopefully that would ease some of the conflict she was bound to feel.
* * *
Kingston Shane turned his bet with Kate into a media frenzy. By the time she made it into the office, most of the staff was in one of the conference rooms watching the footage. Kingston declared, seemingly in a scotch-induced stupor, that it was about time to step back into the music scene and teach the posers how music is really made.
Sabrina saw her enter first and began clapping. “Bravo!”
Everyone began clapping and whistling at her. Kate did an exaggerated bow and blew kisses at everyone.
“I can’t wait to hear this.” John linked his arm with hers and walked her down the corridor.
“I was at a party at Marvin’s house last night and a weird conversation got even weirder. End result, Shane challenged me to play drums at the Eighties Rocks benefit.”
John frowned. “You usually take me to Marvin’s industry parties.”
“Chris left the set on time to accompany me.” She reached up and kissed his cheek.
“I keep forgetting you’re living with yet another man.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I think you’re implying I’m a tramp.”
“Not at all. If you average out the two men you’ve recently dated over a lifetime, you still qualify as a virgin.”
“Ass.” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“I stopped by to have a little chat with Chris while you were in New York to lay a little Jersey gangster on him. He’s a good guy.”
“He didn’t mention you stopped by. What Jersey gangster did you bring with you? Or did you have to call Andre?”
“Ha ha.”
“I’m going to put in for some downtime. I need to practice. The benefit is in three weeks.”
“You don’t need practice.”
“Never hurts to perfect your craft.”
“I’ve always envied your natural affinity for instruments. And singing. And your kind heart. And your eerily accurate intuition. With the exception of Jack, you are hardly ever wrong about things.”
“Some things we are just meant to experience, John. It helps us grow as human beings. I knew Jack was a spiraling plane—I just didn’t bother to put on a parachute.”
“If I have to be bumped as your escort on call for Marvin’s parties to make room for Chris, I’m not entirely mad about it.”
“He must have made a hell of an impression on you.”
“No, he must have made a hell of an impression on you. Real love agrees with you. If you’re happy, I’m happy.” John winked and went into his office.
* * *
Kate made her way home thinking about what John had said. Was she in love? She certainly was happier these days. Life was beginning to feel normal again, even though everything in it was not. She underestimated how tremendously helpful it would be to have Chris around. Half the time it didn’t seem as if they were pretending to be a couple. They both had jobs, and after long, hard days they would come home and swap stories. They would eat at home or eat at some chic restaurant. They would visit Marvin and Clara. They didn’t hit industry parties every other night and hobnob with other celebrities. Here, at her beach house, there was a bubble of some sort, and she liked it.
She’d loved only a few men in life, though she still didn’t feel as though she’d experienced adult love. All the men in her life were always trying to push some would-be suitor away. When a guy was interested in her when she was younger, they’d have to do covert maneuvers to woo her. A gun-toting former military father, law
“Right.” Jason put his head down and walked away.
Chris thought maybe he’d drop by the bakery Kate liked and get some cupcakes. Hopefully that would ease some of the conflict she was bound to feel.
* * *
Kingston Shane turned his bet with Kate into a media frenzy. By the time she made it into the office, most of the staff was in one of the conference rooms watching the footage. Kingston declared, seemingly in a scotch-induced stupor, that it was about time to step back into the music scene and teach the posers how music is really made.
Sabrina saw her enter first and began clapping. “Bravo!”
Everyone began clapping and whistling at her. Kate did an exaggerated bow and blew kisses at everyone.
“I can’t wait to hear this.” John linked his arm with hers and walked her down the corridor.
“I was at a party at Marvin’s house last night and a weird conversation got even weirder. End result, Shane challenged me to play drums at the Eighties Rocks benefit.”
John frowned. “You usually take me to Marvin’s industry parties.”
“Chris left the set on time to accompany me.” She reached up and kissed his cheek.
“I keep forgetting you’re living with yet another man.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I think you’re implying I’m a tramp.”
“Not at all. If you average out the two men you’ve recently dated over a lifetime, you still qualify as a virgin.”
“Ass.” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“I stopped by to have a little chat with Chris while you were in New York to lay a little Jersey gangster on him. He’s a good guy.”
“He didn’t mention you stopped by. What Jersey gangster did you bring with you? Or did you have to call Andre?”
“Ha ha.”
“I’m going to put in for some downtime. I need to practice. The benefit is in three weeks.”
“You don’t need practice.”
“Never hurts to perfect your craft.”
“I’ve always envied your natural affinity for instruments. And singing. And your kind heart. And your eerily accurate intuition. With the exception of Jack, you are hardly ever wrong about things.”
“Some things we are just meant to experience, John. It helps us grow as human beings. I knew Jack was a spiraling plane—I just didn’t bother to put on a parachute.”
“If I have to be bumped as your escort on call for Marvin’s parties to make room for Chris, I’m not entirely mad about it.”
“He must have made a hell of an impression on you.”
“No, he must have made a hell of an impression on you. Real love agrees with you. If you’re happy, I’m happy.” John winked and went into his office.
* * *
Kate made her way home thinking about what John had said. Was she in love? She certainly was happier these days. Life was beginning to feel normal again, even though everything in it was not. She underestimated how tremendously helpful it would be to have Chris around. Half the time it didn’t seem as if they were pretending to be a couple. They both had jobs, and after long, hard days they would come home and swap stories. They would eat at home or eat at some chic restaurant. They would visit Marvin and Clara. They didn’t hit industry parties every other night and hobnob with other celebrities. Here, at her beach house, there was a bubble of some sort, and she liked it.
She’d loved only a few men in life, though she still didn’t feel as though she’d experienced adult love. All the men in her life were always trying to push some would-be suitor away. When a guy was interested in her when she was younger, they’d have to do covert maneuvers to woo her. A gun-toting former military father, law
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