A knock at Shelley’s office door interrupts us. Her secretary, Lacey, peeks her head in, her expression apologetic but urgent. “Sorry to break in, but that phone call you were waiting for is on the line.”
Shelley sighs and shuts her laptop. “Great, send them through,” she says before turning her attention back to me. “Do you need anything else, Ash?”
“No,” I reply as I stand, shifting my weight to the other foot. “See you at four.”
Shelley leans back in her chair, already reaching for her desk phone, but then she pauses, her eyes locking on mine. “Oh, no. You’ll be running it tonight. I have to be on set withOmega in Paradise.”
I freeze for half a second. “Me? Running it?”
“Of course,” she says with a wave of her hand, as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You came up with the idea, Ash. You’re the perfect person to oversee it. Besides, the models respond well to you, and the guys...” She hesitates, but her gaze flickers knowingly. “They’ll behave.”
I force a smile, though my stomach twists into a knot. I wanted more responsibility. I had been asking for it for months. But this isn’t how I expected to get it. “Right. Got it.”
“Good,” she says, already turning her attention to the phone as it rings. “Go knock it out of the park.”
I step out of her office, the pressure of the task settling on my shoulders. The hallway feels quieter than it should, my thoughts too loud in my head.
Running the rehearsal tonight. With the guys.
The air feels heavier as I head toward my car, a mix of anticipation and dread tightening my chest.
The driveto Forest Hills Stadium is uneventful, the city blurring past me as I try to focus on the checklist Shelley emailed over. But the words feel like static compared to the thoughts swirlingin my head. By the time I pull into the staff parking lot and step out of my car, I’ve run through every possible scenario of tonight a dozen times.
The stadium is alive with activity, crew members weaving through the maze of equipment and cables as they prepare for the rehearsal. The faint hum of guitars tuning carries from the stage, and my pulse quickens.
As I step inside, tablet in hand, I spot the guys near the stage. They’re scattered in their usual way—Jake and Xayden chatting animatedly, West off to the side with his guitar, and Todd leaning against one of the amps.
Todd sees me first. His expression softens, and to my surprise, he pushes off the amp and strides toward me.
“Hey, Ash,” he greets me, his tone light and easy.Different.
I blink, caught off guard by his unusually warm demeanor. “Hey, Todd. Everything running smoothly?”
“Yeah, no hiccups so far,” he says with a small smile. “Crew’s got everything under control.”
His response is so… polite. Friendly, even. It throws me.
“Good to hear,” I reply cautiously, glancing down at my tablet.
“Need any help?” he asks, and his offer is so casual, so uncharacteristic of the guarded attitude he’s had since we reconnected, that I can’t help but look up at him again.
“I think I’ve got it covered,” I say slowly.
“Still, let me know if you need anything,” he adds, and for a moment, his gaze lingers, almost like he’s trying to convey something unsaid.
Before I can dwell on it, Xayden’s voice breaks the moment. “Ashlyn! Don’t tell me you’re here to make us look bad again.”
I turn to see him grinning. His shirt hangs open to reveal his toned chest. I’m starting to think it’s his signature look, and he looksgood.
“Not my fault you set the bar so low,” I shoot back, the quip earning a laugh from him.
Jake joins in, flashing a smile as he slings an arm around Xayden’s shoulders. “Careful, Ash, Xayden’s ego is fragile. You wouldn’t want to shatter it.”
Xayden rolls his eyes. “Please, my ego is unbreakable.”
“Right,” Jake drawls, his gaze sliding to me. “But seriously, Ash, you sticking around for soundcheck?”
“I’ll be here,” I reply, keeping my tone professional even as his eyes linger a little too long.
