Troy shakes his head. “Not intentionally. She and I were watching TV together one night, just her and me, when a news story came on TV that made her gasp in shock. It was a news story about a particular woman. So, I was like,Do you know her? And his ex said, no, she didn’t know the woman in the news story. But it was obvious she was lying.” He snorts. “So much for her being a talented actress, huh? So I told her, ‘Hey, I know you’re lying. And I know why you must be lying. But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.’ And I swear I was planning to keep my promise to her. But then, when she went straight to her ex to tell him we’d hooked up, and he went fucking crazy on me, I was like, ‘Well, fuck my promise.’ So, I told the label guy I’d sell her secret to the highest bidding tabloid, if he didn’t settle my lawsuit. And that was that. He settled with me the very next day.”
Holy shit. Doesn’t this idiot realize what he just described to me was textbook extortion? Reed didn’t settle Troy’slawsuit, he succumbed to a brazen blackmail scheme... and only to protect Isabel!
Oh, God. I’m reeling. I don’t want to swoon over Reed being Isabel’s white knight. I don’t want to hear that Reed would slay any dragon for that woman—because it only twists the knife already lodged in my heart. But I can’t help swooning, just a little bit, despite myself, to realize, yet again, Reed really is a ride or die kind of guy for the people he loves. Like he told me once, if you’re on his short list, he’ll doanythingfor you.Too bad I never made it onto his short list. I clear my throat. “Good for you, Troy. That label guy screwed you over, so you screwed him over, even harder. That’ssohot.”
Troy licks his lips. “You’reso hot.” With that, he leans forward, obviously intending to kiss me. Abruptly, I jerk back and take a long drink of my club soda, pretending not to realize I just stiff-armed him.
“So, come on. Give me a little hint about that secret.”
I jut out my breasts, and Troy’s gaze drifts directly to them, right on cue.
But, dammit, he shakes his head. “For all I know, you could sell the secret to the tabloids, or tell someone else who’d do that. One way or another, the information could get out, and then the psycho would know I’d talked, and he’d sue me for breaching the confidential settlement.”
Damn. I bet if I slept with Troy, I could get him to sing to me like a canary about this secret. But that’s never going to happen. Not in a million years. Even if I found Troy attractive, which Idon’t, it’s clear to me now my heart still belongs to Reed, whether I like it or not. And that means my body belongs to him, too—simply because that’s the way I’m wired. When I love, I do it with everything I am. My heart, mind, body, and soul.
Troy touches my arm, making me stiffen, and leans into me. “You have really pretty eyes, Georgia.”
I feel no need to correct him on my name. In fact, I’m glad he got it wrong. “Thank you, Troy. So do you.”
Troy leans forward,again,obviously intending to kiss me, so, I jerk back,again, and sip my water. But it’s obvious my little jerk-back-cluelessly maneuver isn’t going to work a third time. Next time, Troy is going to get up and find someone else to hit on. Someone who’ll give him the green light. Which means I need to pry this secret out of this bastard’s blackmailing mouth right now, before it’s too late.
I put my elbow onto the bar and bat my eyelashes. “I don’t normally tell people this, Troy, but I’m super close with someone who writes forRock ‘n’ Roll.You know, the music magazine?” Troy perks up like a Labrador whose owner is holding up a tennis ball. “I bet if I told this writer about you—and how talented and sexy you are, and how this Reed guy screwed you over—she’d be interested in interviewing you for a featured article.”
“Oh my God. That would behuge.”
“The only thing is,” I say coyly. “She’s not easy to impress. Honestly, she’s always saying she’s got a line around the block of musicians wanting her to write about them. So, I think I’d need to tell her you’re willing to divulge something more than what’s in the public record for the article—or at least, to drop a sizeable hint that will allowherto figure it out on her own—wink, wink—if you want to have any chance of her coming down here to meet you.”
Troy looks pained. “I really can’t say anything too specific about that secret.”
“Oh, yeah, I totally get it. But you figured it out, based on a news story on TV, right?”
He nods.
“Well... What was the news story? That’s got to be in the public record. Maybe thisRock ‘n’ Rollreporter could follow the same breadcrumbs you followed, without a word from you, and figure it out for herself. Maybe this writer forRock ‘n’ Rollwas researching an article about Reed Rivers, so she went to the courthouse to look at the lawsuits filed against him, and she noticedyourlawsuit, and she read it, and thenhappenedto see whatever news storyyousaw... And then,sheput two and two together,without a word from you.”
Troy is lit up.He gets it.“Yeah, I think that could work!”
“Of course, it’ll work.” I lean forward conspiratorially and put my fingertips on his forearm. “Who was the woman in the news story? I’ll tell this writer her name, and she’ll research it, and take it from there.”
Troy pauses, his wheels turning. But, finally, it’s obvious his ambition has won out over his fear of Reed. “Francesca Laramie.”
My heart is racing. “Francesca Laramie?”
He nods. “Tell your friend to look her up. It won’t be hard for her to put two and two together, from there.”
With that, he licks his lips and goes in for a kiss.
But I’m outta here. “Let’s not,” I say, popping up from my barstool. “It kills me to do this, Troy, since you’re so hot and talented, and I want nothing more than to go home with you right now and screw the living hell out of you. But if this label guy is as big a psycho as you say, then you have to be extra careful. There shouldn’t be any connection between you and me and this writer forRock ‘n’ Roll.” I jut my chin atthe bartender. “For all we know, he’s reporting back to the record label guy. We shouldn’t be seen leaving together.” I gather up my purse. “I’m going to tell this writer about youright now. Bye!”
“Wait! Georgia! Take my number, at least, so your writer friend can call me!”
“No, no, that’s way too risky. If this writer is interested in the story, she’ll come to Slingers on a night when you’re performing. That way, if Reed ever comes down here, after the article comes out—or God forbid, sues you for breaching the confidential settlement agreement—you’ll be able to swear truthfully, under oath, that’s how you first met her. She showed up at the bar.”
Troy looks vaguely convinced by that. “Yeah... Okay.”
I tap my temple and wink. “Bye now, hon. So awesome talking to you!”
And off I go, sprinting out the door, as fast as my devious little legs will carry me, and then laugh to myself like a madwoman as I sprint to my nearby car in the cool Los Angeles night.
