“How’d you find Red Card Riot?”
“Someone I trusted told me about them.”
“22 Goats?”
“Someone I trusted.”
“Laila Fitzgerald?”
“One of my scouts found her and presented her to me. Same with 2Real. A scout stumbled across him on YouTube. And with Aloha, her former bodyguard had started working for me, and told me she was looking to switch labels. See? Not an unsolicited demo in the bunch.”
“And yet, you agreed to listen to Bryce’s sister’s music.”
“On her public Instagram page, you might recall.”
“Isn’t that the same thing, in the end?”
“No. An Instagram account is out there for anyone to see. It hasn’t been curated specifically for me. Usually, the stuff there is pretty raw and not overly produced. Also, when I’m not physically taking something handed to me, it sets up lower expectations. It’s less of a ‘promise’ by me to listen or follow up, and more of a casual, ‘I’ll take a look.’”
“Why were you willing to check out Bryce’s sister’s music at all, though, but not that blonde girl’s? Was it yet another perk of Bryce being a football star?”
We’re walking hand-in-hand up the darkened sidewalk at a good clip now, both of us like horses sensing the barn is close. I’m bursting to touch Georgina. To run my hands and mouth all over her. I grip her hand more tightly in mine at the thought. “It was partly about Bryce being a football star,” I admit. “But not in the way you think. Mostly, I wanted to neutralize Bryce when it came to you, as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“‘Neutralize’ him?”
I smile at Georgina—at her inquisitive, gorgeous face. “When Bryce first walked up, I didn’t know what the situation was between you. For all I knew, you two were fucking, or maybe even in love.”
She scoffs. “Uh, no. If I’d been in love with Bryce, or anyone else, I would never have so much as flirted with you.”
I shrug. “Either way, I felt the need to neutralize him—to unequivocallyget him out of my way. And what better way to do that than to show you, right out of the box, he can be bought—that he’d kick you to the curb in a heartbeat for the merechanceof getting his sister signed to my label?”
“You thought Bryce would choose his sister’s music career overme, the great love of his life?”
“I had no idea. But I sure as hell hoped so. Which is why I said I’d check out his sister’s Instagram. And, lo and behold, I found the guy’s price on the first try. That’s actually one of my favorite games. Figuring out someone’s price and bribing them with it: watching with glee as they pick my offered bribe over something else they’d normally choose. Something theyshouldchoose, but don’t because what I’ve offered is just too tempting. It never ceases to amuse me how easily people can be bought.”
She shoots me a look of disdain. “One of your favorite games is playing the devil on someone’s shoulder?”
“That’s a great way of describing it. Yeah, most definitely.”
“But you have other favorite games, too?”
I chuckle, but say nothing. Oh, little Georgina. You’ll learn soon enough about my other favorite games.
For a long moment, we walk in near silence, the only sounds coming from the occasional car driving by and our brisk footfalls on the cement sidewalk.
Finally, Georgina says, “You said Bryce’s status as a football star also figured in, although not like I think? What did you mean by that?”
I chuckle. “Man, you really picked the right major, didn’t you?”
She makes an adorable face. “Sorry. When something fascinates me, I can’t help asking a million questions.”
She looks earnest and adorable right now. Beyond beautiful. Which makes me feel bad I suspected she was lying to me earlier about not wanting to be a pop star. Maybe Josh was right. Maybe Georgina is nothing but fascinated by me. Maybe she wants nothing but a hot night of sex with a baller. And who could blame her for that?
“Don’t apologize,” I say, just as we reach the parking structure. “I meant that as a compliment.” We come to a stop in front of the elevator. I press the call button. “To answer your question about how Bryce’s football-star status played into my thinking, I’d rather show you than tellyou.” The elevator doors open, and I lead her inside the box. “Do me a favor and call up Bryce’s sister’s Instagram, baby. I’m gonna teach you how to be a music scout for me.”
14
GEORGINA
