My jaw slackened. Lincoln was still a big deal despite retiring. Even celebrities fawned over him. “Yeah… sure.”
“Cool.”
Angus, seemingly satisfied, excused himself, leaving us alone.
“So, is this your listening party?” I asked.
“No. But I’m with the same label.”
“I see.” How on earth did I even ease into interrogating the poor girl without coming off like a lunatic?
“You’re not really a fan, are you?” Phoenix asked. “No offense, but you look older than my typical fan base.”
My lips twisted into a smile. “No offense taken. No, I’m not a fan. Actually…” I reached for a lie out of thin air. “My niece is a huge fan. She’s… fifteen. I was hoping to get a picture with you. She’ll never believe I met you.”
“Oh, cool. In that case, call me Nyla.”
I blinked, surprised. “Okay… Nyla.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Sometimes it’s nice to chat with someone who isn’t like a screaming teenage fan, you know?”
I nodded. “I imagine.”
I studied her, noticing that the wary look in her eyes was back. How could I get her away from the noise in the living room? “About that autograph. Do you have something for Lincoln to sign?”
She grimaced. “Nope, but I have an idea. Follow me.”
I mentally fist-pumped the air as she took off away from the crowd. I glanced back to give Lincoln awe’ve-got-this-in-the-baglook. He gave a single nod and went back to his conversation.
Nyla led me down a hallway lined with framed gold records and neon wall lights that shifted colors with every step. The deeper we went, the quieter it got. We ended up in what looked like an office.
Nyla glanced back at me before rummaging through the desk. “I’m not snooping through Angus’s things. He won’t mind my being here. He’s nice. He’s one of the only people who’s decent to me.”
My ears perked up like a cat’s. “How so?”
“Well, he doesn’t force…” Her shoulders stiffened when she paused. In an instant, her posture relaxed, and she continued talking as if she hadn’t almost spilled some tea.Damn.I wanted to hear what she almost let slip so badly it hurt.
She held up a notepad with thick cream-colored paper. She tore one off the top and smiled. It had an embossed gold border. “This will work. I’ve only been here twice, but I knew Angus would have this. He always has fancy notepads for some reason. I tease him about it.”
“You like him? Do you spend a lot of time with him?”
“Not much. But like I said, he’s decent. He seems easy to talk to, but my manager never lets me talk to him much.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
Nyla shrugged. “I don’t get to talk to many people. I’m too busy.”
My eyes narrowed. That was interesting, considering she had time to chat with guys in parking lots and stadiums. Although, I hadn’t confirmed if it was really her…
“Hey, Nyla, I’m looking for a new gym. Know any good ones?”
She smiled and mentioned the name of the same one I’d spotted her at. “Lots of athletes go there,” she added.
I nibbled my lower lip. That was sort of a confirmation.
She went back to the business of the autograph. “Your boyfriend won’t mind the autograph, right? I’d feel weird just walking up to him and asking. My brother is gonna lose his shit.”
I chuckled and watched for a moment as the mention of her brother brought life back into her eyes. But then the flicker died, leaving a weary dullness. As she walked toward me, I asked, “Are you okay, Nyla?”
