“I totally can.” Kim sat up straight, seeming more presentable. “I’ve been tour managing for, like, forever.”
Sebastien glared at Tyler. “A girl?” He snickered as his nostrils flared. “Tour managing Cary Kingston?” He turned the bill of his baseball cap in Kim’s direction. “It’s bad enough Bob Shaw hired you without my permission.”
Everyone called SDM’s chief operating officer by his full name. It sounded like one word, Bobshaw, when people said it. Next to Kim, Bob was Tyler’s favorite person in the office.
Instead of trying to change his mind, Tyler played him. “It’s just for tonight. You won’t find anyone on this short notice. I’ll find someone—a man—to pick up the tour. Deal?”
“Fine,” Sebastien huffed, slamming the door as he left.
Kim stuck out her tongue, flipping him off behind his back.
“Vegas will help you with everything,” Tyler promised while texting him.
“Are you really going to find another TM?”
Tyler blinked up from her phone. “What do you think?”
For the next hour Tyler and Kim scrutinized the guest list. Three hundred people were on it, and they needed to whittle it by half.
Everyone thought they were important but they weren’t, so Tyler highlighted the names of ten VIPs and gave the rest “after-show” passes.
When they finished the list, Tyler opened the door to her office to find Lara chatting with someone at the reception desk, loud as all get-out.
Detective Rory went to investigate while his mom and Kim followed him.
“Rory!” Cary picked up the dog. “Who’s a good boy?”
Rory answered by wagging his tail and kissing the rock star.
If only I were a dog.
“Hi, Tyler,” Cary said with a smile.
The receptionist interjected, “I forgot to tell you my name. I’m Lara.”
“Cary,” he said, keeping his gaze on Tyler.
“I know who you are,” Lara gushed.
“Cary!” Bob greeted him from down the hall. He’d recently lost a lot of weight and his suit hung from his body.
The music industry nearly ruined Bob Shaw with its free drugs and open bars. He used to be the life of the party, but after taking twelve steps he lost his music industry friends to sobriety. He was an accountant by trade and a certified financial planner, so nowadays he kept to himself and his numbers. He cracked up whenever he said, “ThoseI can count on.”
Sebastien poked his big stupid head out of his office. “Cary! I didn’t know you were coming by.” Nothing irked him more than being surprised. “C’mon, take a load off.”
“I was hoping to sit down with Kim.” Cary scanned the office. “Vegas said she’d be around?”
“Over here.” Kim raised her hand.
“I’ve heard great things,” Cary said.
Kim nodded. “Likewise.”
“Got a minute to talk about tonight?”
“Sure, we can use the conference room.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Tyler asked, resting her hands on her hips. “My dog?”
