Paige lowers her tone by exactly half a decibel. “Hot.”
Nancy looks back at me. “You’re going to need at leastsomecharm, or it won’t read as authentic.”
Paige perks up immediately. “Okay, great point. How much charm is safe?”
“Minimal,” I say.
Paige gapes. “Minimal?”
“Yes,” I say. “Smile. Eye contact. Light banter. I ask the questions. I stay curious, not personal.”
Paige blinks. “Wait,youask the questions?”
“I think that’s how the game works,” I say. “They’re behind a wall. I’m not paraded around like a prize. I interview them.”
Nancy nods approvingly. “Okay, that part I like.”
Paige leans forward anyway. “Still. You can’t ban improvisation. That’s where the good stuff happens.”
“I can limit it,” I say. “I’m not there to freestyle my emotions.”
Nancy considers. “So you’re composed. Curious. In control.”
“Exactly.”
Paige squints. “You’re describing a job interview.”
“Iexcelat job interviews,” I say.
Paige props her chin on her hand. “But what if one of them surprises you?”
“After the public date, I thank him politely,” I say. “And move on.”
Nancy studies me for a beat. “And if you surprise yourself?”
I don’t hesitate. I keep my tone light, professional, airtight. “It’s about my artist.”
“Mm-hmm,” Nancy says.
“It’s about getting bodies into a club,” I say. “It’s about attention. It’s about a spike in streams. It’s about proving that the debut album deserves more than polite applause from people’s moms.”
Paige’s expression softens. “Okay. That’s too real.”
I shrug. “It’s work.”
Nancy studies me for a long second. “And you’re sure you can keep it work?”
“Yes,” I say.
Paige gives me a look. “You’re saying yes the way you say it when you’re buying something you can’t afford.”
“I can afford this,” I say.
Nancy’s mouth curves. “Then commit. What’s the version of you that walks on that stage?”
I picture it like I’m casting myself.
Not the girl who once trusted the wrong kind of charming athlete.
