“Rayven had a meeting. She had to stay in LA.”
“When did you get here?”
“A more important question is, what are you doing arguing for hours on end, at the top of your voice, when you have a show tomorrow night?” I stepped closer, taking her by the arm to walk her to the suite’s kitchen.
“Hey, Jodi.”
I rolled my eyes before turning to look over my shoulder. “Hey, Nate,” I greeted in a monotone voice.
“He makes me so fucking mad. I know he’s got hoes all over the place. And his ass keeps lying about it,” Lena huffed, clicking her tongue as she glared at him.
I opened my mouth to tell her to drop it, but there was Nate, quick to respond.
“See, there you go with that bullshit. You can’t let anything go. I don’t have any hoes,anywhere.”
“Lying ass motherfucker,” Lena shouted.
“Hey,” I screamed over top of their yells. “Listen, we’re not going to hash any of this out tonight. And Lena,” I pivoted, turning my focus on her. “You’re in New York to perform, and right now, you’re wasting your voice, yelling, and screaming. Here’s what’s going to happen,” I insisted, holding my hands up to quiet both of them when it looked like they wanted to start arguing again.
I turned to Nate. “Nate, I’ve booked a room for you on another floor. Don’t shake your head like that.” I pointed at him. “This is what’s needed right now, forourclient,” I emphasized that Lena was both a client of the public relations firm I worked at and a client he managed as well. We all had a vested interest in seeing that Lena’s voice would be on point for the following night’s performance.
“This is not a request. Your room’s already paid for.” I slipped his new room key with the number written from the pocket of my jeans and slammed it on the marble countertop.
Nate’s lips dipped into a frown. “This ain’t a suite.”
“Seriously?” I stared until his gaze fell away from mine.
I turned to Lena, knowing I was one of the only people she listened to from the PR firm. “I’m going to make you some chamomile tea with lemon and honey. You’re going to do some yoga or crystal meditation, or whatever that stuff is that you do to calm you down, and then you’re taking your ass to bed. Torest.”
I didn’t wait for Lena’s response as I spun on my heels and move around the kitchen, gathering the supplies to make the tea. As part of her contract, she always kept tea, lemon, and honey in her hotel rooms, so they were easy to find.
By the time I turned around, Nate was still stuck on stupid, standing there with his hands in his pockets.
“Lena, can we—”
“Not now,” I insisted.
His face balled as he looked at me with a narrowed glare. “You’re her public relations rep, not a damned therapist. And weallfucking know, you ain’t the one to talk about relationships or how to keep a man.”
My head bounced backward, and I lifted my eyebrows. “I know the hell—”
“Nate, that ain’t right,” Lena defended, before looking at me with sympathetic eyes.
“I’m not the only one with relationship issues.” I moved my eyes between the two of them. “Your room’s waiting,” I said, looking him directly in the eye with my chin lifted.
I didn’t know if it was that he was tired, or concern for Lena’s ability to perform the next night, or if he did realize he’d gone too far, that won out. Frankly, I didn’t give a fuck whichever it was, ‘cause seconds later, Nate swiped the keycard from the counter, gave Lena and I one final look, and then sauntered out the door.
Lena released a deep exhale once the door closed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about him.”
My heart constricted a little at how lost she sounded.
“We’ve been together for eight years. Since I was twenty years old, you know? He’s been my everything. Almost everything,” she mumbled.
I slid the piping hot tea across the counter and leaned down, staring at her. “You don’t have to decide or think about any of that right now. Drink your tea,” I encouraged. My voice much softer than when I’d interacted with the other women from earlier, and with Nate.
“Thanks, Jodi.” She gave me a weak smile.
“Just doing my job.”
