My heart flips over.
God, I love that family.
“Hey, you,” a voice says.
It’s Reed, holding two drinks, smelling vaguely of cologne, and looking at me like he wants to fuck the living hell out of me.
“Hi, Reed.”
“Mai tai?”
“Thanks. Great hula dancing earlier.”
“Gee, thanks.” He hands me one of the glasses. “You enjoying the show?”
“I’mlovingit. 22 Goats is phenomenal—way, way better than I expected, and I had high expectations.”
Reed nods and takes a sip of his drink.
“And you?” I ask. “You like what you see?’
Reed’s eyes darken with heat. “Definitely.”
Crap.I hadn’t intended my comment as some sort of come-on. “I meant the band. You like the band?”
Reed grins. “I knew what you meant.”
I swallow hard. “So do you think you’re gonna sign them?”
Reed flashes me a sexy smirk. “What do you think I should do, T-Rod? Tell me your honest opinion.”
“That’s easy: I think you should sign them,” I say, and it’s the God’s truth. “And not just Dax—the entire band. In fact, if you truly want my honest opinion...?”
“I do.”
“I think if you don’t sign the entire band, then you’re a fucking idiot and completely devoid of a soul.”
Reed bursts out laughing. “Aw, come on, T-Rod, tell me what youreallythink.” He takes a sip of his drink as his eyes blaze a path from my face to my low-cut neckline and back up again. “You know what I’m gonna do, T-Rod? Just because you’re so damned passionate about this? I’m gonna leave the decision up to Dax. I’ll make him two offers: option one, a solo offer for X dollars, and, option two, an offer to the band for the same X dollars. I’ll let the kid decide if he wants the whole pot to himself or if he wants to split the same amount of money three ways.”
I jut my chin at Reed defiantly. “Suit yourself,” I say, and then I shock myself by adding, “but there’s no doubt in my mind Dax is gonna take the offer for the band.”
“Oh, you know Dax pretty well?”
“No, I just met him yesterday. But he’s aMorgan—and I know for a fact Morgans don’t screw their friends.”
A wide smile spreads across Reed’s face—a smile that tells me he thinks I’m naïve.
My heart rate spikes. “Reed, listen to me,” I sputter, all my bravado from a moment ago fading. “You gotta offer only one deal—the deal to the band.”
“Why? If that’s what Dax wants, then that’s the deal he’ll take.” He looks at me sideways. “You afraid our boy’s gonna take the money for himself and make you lose all faith in humanity?”
“No. My recommendation isn’t for me—it’s for you. If you play it the way you’re saying, you run the risk our boy’s gonna think you’re a total prick for putting him in that horrible position—maybe even a prick with whom he has no desire to do business at all. And that wouldn’t be in his interest or yours.”
Reed looks thoughtful for a moment. “Have I ever mentioned you’re a badass, T-Rod?”
“No.”
“Well, let me fix that oversight now: T-Rod, you’re a badass.”
