“Okay,” I continued. “Iguess you know that my last album leaked a full week ahead of release. I don’t…I mean, it doesn’t matter tome, exactly, but the record company is breathing downmy neck about it. It can’t happen again. They’ll shred my contract if itdoes.”
That was good so far. I hadn’t managed tomake thingsworse.
No guarantees I wouldn’t yet, but myhopes were starting to lift.
“So you’d like to know wherethe leak came from?” Fox asked.
“I don’tknow.” I sighed. “Nooffense, but I’m not sure why you’re being hired at all. I’m just… cooperating.Not that you don’t seem nice, but I don’t get what the point is.”
“Right,” Fox said, sharperthan before.
“I’m sure you’re very good,”I said. “I’m just…”
I’m not very good.
I couldn’t say that,could I?
“I’m sorry,” I said for whatfelt like the tenth time during this conversation. “I don’t know what I’msupposed to do and I’m kind of overwhelmed. Which isn’t your problem. Sorry.”
A soft sigh traveled downthe line. “Youdon’t need to apologize to me, Quinn,” Fox said, his voice all kindness andwarmth. “I’ll do my best not to make things any worse. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said after aslightly-too-long pause. A breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding flowed outof me, my whole body relaxing.
For the first time since I’d beenthreatened with losing my contract if I didn’t keep this album from gettingout, I felt like maybe thingsweregoing to be okay.
Fox was soothing.
“So I guess that leaves uswith getting you to LA. I can… did the company offer to send a car? Because Icould, or…”
“If it’s all the same,” Foxinterrupted. “I’ll get myself down. Could use the trip for thinking time.”
“Oh. Umm. Of course. Sor-” Icut myself off at the last second before getting the rest of thesorryout. I’d beenapologizing a lot over the course of this conversation.
“Good lad,” Fox murmured.
My cock twitched again. Asmuch as I wanted to listen to Fox talk all night, I needed to get out of thisphone call and jerk off.
“I’ll text you an address?”I offered. “Recording starts again the day after tomorrow. I was sick lastweek. So anytime between now and then would be great. Oh and, uh. You won’tneed a hotel, there’s… well,Ithink the guest room is nice, anyway.”
Fox chuckled.
The sound made me feel likemy spine had turned to jello, but I didn’t want it to stop.
“Sounds lovely,” Fox said. “Tomorrowafternoon, then? So I can leave after the morning rush.”
“Sure. Great. Tomorrowafternoon.”
“And Quinn?”
“Yeah?”
“Everything’s going to beall right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I stared at the phone in myhand for long moments after I hung up.
Everything’s going to beall right.
I’d needed someone to saythat to me for a long,longtime. The fact that it was coming from a manwith a voice like black silk who could maybedosomething about it mademy stomach flutter.
