“I know. I promised you and your sister I’d get on top of it. And I am.”
“No, Dad, we need you to get off of it. Not on top of it.” I rub my hand down my face in frustration.
“Mason, I’m doing my best. I haven’t been drinking. Last week was just hard, with your mother’s anniversary?—”
“Just stop,” I cut him off, refusing to allow the words to settle in me. I don’t want to be reminded of the day my mother left me.
“Your sister, she’s cooking a meal for us tomorrow. She invited the Montgomerys and Charles. Did you want to ask anyone else?”
“No.”
“Okay, please don’t be late, Mason. Scarlet just wants some normalcy. We haven’t had you here for more than five minutes in years.”
I snicker into the phone. He has no idea.
“I’m trying, Mase. It’s all I can do right now.” I can hear him getting choked up, and it’s the last thing I need.
“I’ll be there. Tell Scar to send me the details.”
“I love you, son.” I hear him say just as the phone hits the cradle.
Nina
“Girls!” I yell at Vienna and Sophie, who seem to be more absorbed in what’s on the phone in Vienna’s hand than the routine we’re working on.
“Ladies, if you want to leave, then go. I’m out to win, and you may be important to that goal, but I will replace you in a millisecond if you don’t get off that damn phone and nail this section.” I give them a nod and leave it at that, not wanting to seem like a complete hag.
For the most part, the girls all love me. We have a tight bond that I’ve spent the last year working for, and I make sure we have fun, but to keep it professional I have to enforce the rules. They know this.
“Sorry,” Sophie says, moving to the back of the group. “Henry is in today, and Vee couldn’t help but insta stalk him.”
“Shameless! The lot of you,” I tease, shaking my head. “Last time from the dip to cross over, and we’re taking a break.”
The girls smash it as always, making me more excited about the showcase. We seriously have a chance, I know it. As newcomers, I want to make waves, and these girls are my tsunami.
Skipping down the steps, I grin wide when I see Henry at the desk. The girls aren’t wrong. Henry is gorgeous—too young for me, but still, I can’t help but enjoy the eye candy down here.
His girlfriend Gemma is on the treadmill, and his eyes are glued to her.
“You look pervy,” I say, elbowing him, then waving to Gemma when she spots me.
“Nina,” he mutters in greeting, making a show of not looking away.
“You need to tone it down; you’ve got my girls all flustered.”
“Just your girls?” He eyes me, popping a brow.
“In your dreams, baby boy.” I laugh, disappearing into the staff room to get my lunch.
It’s a decent sized space considering we barely use it. I prefer to eat up in the studio and the boys normally inhale their food before they make it to the rickety old table that’s pushed up against the wall. It’s more of a storeroom for everything we don’t want people to see.
Henry comes in just as I’m manoeuvring my soup out of the microwave. “There’s a letter from the music license company and one from the bank. This one is addressed to a Miss C Langer though.”
He nods his head to the three envelopes, grabbing my bowl and moving it closer when he sees I’m burning my fingers on the tub.
“Thanks, probably a wrong address. I’ll return to sender.”
“Logan found this on Friday too, said you were looking for it.” A key dangles from a chain in his hand.
