When I turned to look athim, his eyes screamed that he wasworried.
“I… honestly don’t know,” Isaid. “People don’t actually wear t-shirts with my face on them. I’m not… I’mnot famous. That’s why you’ve never heard of me. I don’t think those threatswere hollow.”
Maybe Foxhadmade itworse. But if he had, he’d made it worse forhimself.
He’d taken the heat off me.Claimed responsibility for the leak, even though I was pretty sure it wasn’t onhim. Distracted John from the whole point of his visit so that he couldn’t yellat me anymore.
“But I’m grateful,” I added.“Little shaken.”
“Don’t let a self-importantlittle twerp like that get to you. Heshouldbe going throughyour uncle. Not shouting at you in public. I’d be filing a complaint.”
“You know, you don’t strikeme as theIwant to speak to a managertype.”
Fox snorted. “I’m not. Not forretail workers and people making sandwiches. They’ve got enough problems. Butsomething I learned early is that you can’t let someone who thinks they’ve gotsome kind of authority over you get away withanything. Because themore you let them get away with, the more authority theywillhave. Ifyou just roll over and take it, then everyone’ll take advantage.”
Yeah. That hit close tohome.
Ididjust roll overand take it. Always had.
Foxcould stand upfor me, but how the hell was I supposed to stand up for myself? And what ifJohn reallydidturn around and tear up my contract? Could he do that?
The air in the elevator wassuddenly too close, and I almost tripped rushing out of it once the doorsopened again.
“Quinn?” Fox asked, his handon my elbow. Steadying me.
Could I lean on him? He madeeverything better.
“What if they take mycontract away?”
Fox said John was morereplaceable than I was, butlotsof people had an okay singing voice andwould bend over backward to have the chance I had. If I lost this, how would Iface Uncle Vincent? How would I face myparents?
“They won’t,” Fox said, hisface falling. “Theywon’t. Not over this. I won’t let them.”
Fox couldn’t make thatpromise. He had no more control over Harmony Records’ inner workings than Idid. Not even if he scared off every legal representative they sent.
He couldn’t make thepromise, but I wanted to let him. I wanted to believe he could protect me fromeverything and that he was willing to.
“I won’t,” Fox repeated whenI didn’t respond.
His hand was still on myelbow, and he was socloseI could smell his aftershave. Impossibleemerald eyes bored into mine, holding me in place.
I wanted to kiss him again.
I wanted to kiss him, and Iwanted him to hold me and then take me back to his bike and take me far, faraway from here. Where I didn’t have to care about record companies or legaldepartments or the fact that I had to work when I was half-afraid that if Iopened my mouth again, it’d be to throw up.
“We’re all set up,” Lucycalled from the other end of the hallway, sticking her head out of therecording studio we’d been using yesterday. “Ready when you are.”
Relief and disappointmentboth settled in the pit of my stomach.
Instead of replying to Fox,I extracted myself and turned to head down the hallway, terrified that I wasabout to lose everything.
***
My head hurt. My stomach hurt.My throat hurt.
I wanted to lie down for afew hours in a dark room and not have to face anyone.
But I couldn’t. I only haduntil Friday to finish this, and I knew I’d be cutting it close as thingsstood.
