“Yep. I’m having lunch with country’s reigning country music queen.”
“Oh, you’ve elevated me from princess to queen? I had no idea.”
“After where you started, I’ll give you the title.”
And that’s when my stomach clutched. The sick twisted game Jake played was between us.
“We’ve been so busy I feel like I have no idea what’s going on in your life. Tell me what’s going on,” I pried. I had to stay on track with my idea. My life with Luke depended on this.
“The usual. I’ve been running my ass off booking you for the awards. We’re so close.”
“I don’t mean work.” I smiled shyly. “You. Tell me what you’re doing. Are you seeing anyone?”
He shifted uncomfortably. “What are you getting at, Lex?”
“Nothing.” I shrugged. “We used to be close. We used to tell each other everything. I miss that.”
“You do?”
“I think we would work better together again if we were friends, Jake. I don’t like the animosity. It’s wearing me down. It’s got to be getting to you too.”
He picked at the chicken salad. “Where is this going? I know you don’t care about my personal life.”
“Do you care about mine? Not because of work, but because you used to be my friend?”
He rubbed his smooth jaw. “I’m always going to care.”
It wasn’t the warm and fuzzies I was going for, but it was all I had. Jake would only let me push him so far.
“I need to tell you something as a friend. Not as my manager, but as my friend, Jake. The guy who knew me back when. The man who thought he could make me a star. The one who rented a car with me and drove me from gig to gig because I didn’t have any money to buy anything on my own. That’s the guy I want to talk to right now.”
“What is this?”
I put my hand over his. “I’m with Luke Canton. I’ve invited him to walk the red carpet at the CYAs with me and he said yes.”
I waited for the detonation to take its effect.
The icy glaze covered his eyes and he huffed. “Why, babe? Why would you do this?”
“Because I’m in love with him, Jake. I deserve to be happy and Luke makes me happy. I want you to be ok with this. I want you to see what I see. I want you to be happy for me.”
He laughed so loudly a nearby bird ruffled his wings and flew over the pool. “Happy for you? You are talking career suicide and you want me to be happy?”
I shook my head. “The CYAs are only two days away. I promise you it’s going to be great. Luke is going to look amazing and the press is going to love him. He’ll do as much or as little as you want.” I leaned toward him. “Give him a chance, Jake. I swear you’re going to see a different side of him and the fans are going to love this.”
He pushed back from the table. “I warned you, Lex. I told you if you continued down this path I would reveal the truth.”
I looked at him with utter disbelief. “You won’t do that. It would destroy your career too. Stop bluffing and let’s talk through this like professionals. Luke Canton is my boyfriend and as my manager you have to work him into my career.”
I stood facing him with a new confidence. I felt as if I were suddenly channeling some part of Luke. This is exactly what he would want me to say. I had to stand up for myself. For him. For us.
“Prepare yourself. I
am going to unleash all the secrets you have, babe,” he hissed at me.
“You wouldn’t. Stop with the idle threats.”
He pointed his finger at me. “It’s not idle. I have several top reporters on speed dial. There’s plenty of time between your big country house to my penthouse in the city to make those calls.”