Why am I so nervous?
“Nice to meet you both.” I smile politely.
Linc pulls out a chair for me then once we are sitting, scoots in closer, draping an arm across the back of my chair.
The waitress takes our drink order and leaves us to look over the menu. Kacey hasn’t uttered a word since we arrived, only lifting her eyes from her phone long enough to shoot me a reassuring smile.
Bill brings his tumbler of amber liquid to his lips, draining the glass before he speaks. He’s an older man, about mid-fifties with an easy smile and kind blue eyes. “Linc, how’s your mother?”
“She’s recovering. It’s a slow process. Doc needs to run some more tests to be sure they got it all, but she should be all clear and in remission soon.”
“That’s good. Glad to hear that.”
“Gwynn Matthews ain’t gonna let a little cancer take her down. She’s strong. Like someone else I know.” Linc tosses me a knowing smile before dropping a kiss to the side of my head.
He lifts his beer for a sip but stops halfway to his mouth when Jack says, “Good, then you’ll be all set to head out on the road in two months.”
Linc tenses next to me, clenching his jaw in irritation, then calmly sets his beer back on the table. He keeps his eyes focused on Jack, bringing the arm behind me to join the one on the table. “I told you, I’m not going back on the road right now.”
“Well, if your mother is doing better, then there’s no reason not to.”
Linc ignores Jack and looks at Bill. “I’m sorry, Linc. I know we said we would give you more time but sales are through the roof with this release. Better than we ever expected and you’ve just hit number one in the country. The demand is there and we need to jump on this opportunity.”
“We agreed,” Linc urges.
“I know, and again, I’m sorry. But this is business. Nothing personal.”
“And if I say no?”
“You’ll be in violation of your contract,” Jack speaks up.
I look to Kacey for confirmation and she gives me a weak smile. I knew he’d go back on tour eventually, but I was hopeful it wouldn’t be this soon.
“Now we need to discuss the next album and what direction we’re going to go,” Jack says.
“I already told you, I’m taking a break after this. A long break.”
Jack smooths down his tie, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table. “Linc, how many times do I have to tell you. Slowing down will ruin you before you even have a chance to make a name for yourself. Artists burn out quick in this town.” He snaps his fingers. “You might be here today, but tomorrow, you could be a puff of smoke. A vapor.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to be relevant enough not to be forgotten. I have a huge fan base. They’ll be there when I get back.”
Jack scoffs. “Don’t be so sure about that.”
Kacey clears her throat. “He has over twenty million Facebook fans and thirty million Twitter followers. He’s played the Opry twice already and continues to sell songs to other artists. I think he’s pretty relevant.”
Jack glances at Kacey with disdain while Linc smiles at her appreciatively. “So you’re going to throw away your entire career for her?”
“Careful, Jack,” Linc warns, and Bill pats him on the back. That seems to be enough to shut him up.
They avoid the subject for the remainder of the meal, except to say that they will announce tour dates and cities next week and that Linc will leave in approximately two months. He is not happy when we leave the restaurant.
He’s quiet on the ride home, and I willingly give him his space. But once we make it back to the house, I can’t hold it in any longer.
“Why are you so upset?”
“Because Jack’s an asshole, that’s why. The only reason he’s pushing this is because he’s a money hungry fucker who wants to exploit me as much as he can.”
That thought doesn’t sit well with me at all. I can’t stand the thought of someone taking advantage of him like that. “Why don’t you get rid of him?”
