“You look sharp. Chic. Definitely sexy. Not like Rio’s usual skanks.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I meant it as one, luv,” he says, leaning in with a grin and lowering his voice so no one could hear.
“If you weren’t Rio’s ‘bird,’ I’d take you back to my room and shag you until you screamed my name.”
He’s teasing. I can hear it in his tone.
“Do you charm all women like this, or just me?” I quip.
He laughs. “Touché. Steven said you were a good sport.”
“So how’d you get into music?” I ask Keith, to keep the conversation going.
“Started banging on pots before I could walk. Some neighborhood bloke noticed I had rhythm. Bought me a real pair of sticks when I was eight.”
I turn to shoot Rio a smile and a wave. But he doesn't seem to see me.
Odd.
“Earth to Maddie," says Keith, snapping his fingers in my face.
"Sorry," I say. "It seems strange that Rio didn't come over to say hello."
Keith shrugs and laughs. "Don't mind him. He's just in one of his black moods."
"Why? What brought it on?"
Keith shrugs. "Could be anything. He's probably just jittery because of the concert. And the head guy at Midnight Records hearing us play."
"That must be it," I say. But deep down, I sense it's something more.
CHAPTER 25
RIO
I'm standing on this big-ass stage with my arms crossed tight over my chest while Prince Michael just keeps running his mouth.
Blah blah blah.
He's yakking about our performance tomorrow night. How Derek Ward of Midnight Records will be there. And how we need to sing like we’re locking in the deal.But I’m not even looking at him.
Maddie is sitting with Keith.
He’s chatting her up like I’ve seen him do with a million girls before. And she laughs—that bright, unguarded laugh that I thought belonged to me.
Only to me.
Her hand lightly taps his sleeve. It's nothing big, nothing dirty… but it twists something low in my gut.
Prince Michael keeps talking, but I’m barely hearing him.
Then my phone buzzes in my back pocket.
One vibration. Harmless.
I check it?—
