“I think I smell burnt bacon,” she whispered into my ear.
Damn it.
We got dressed, and Molly tried to salvage what she could from the oven, while I got back to the eggs.
“I forgot to ask you yesterday,” she said while placing the bacon on a tray, “but would you be willing to participate in a short interview about dyslexia? Hyperion is doing a video for Dyslexia Awareness Week. They had an artist drop out, and they’re looking for a replacement.”
My hand, the one holding the whisk, stopped moving. “An interview? You mean they’d ask me questions about being dyslexic?”
“Yeah. They want to build awareness around the condition and how many musicians have it.”
I looked down at the ground. Was I ready to go public with my learning disability? If I’d asked myself that question a month ago, the answer would be a hard no, but I would have also said no to telling Molly, and I’d somehow survived that.
Still, I wasn’t sure I was ready to expose myself to the entire world. A familiar fear crept over me. We were just about to get our deal. What if people looked at me differently?
“I think I’ll pass,” I heard myself say. “Maybe next time.”
Molly came up to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. “Okay, no pressure. But Mase, I won’t ever stop telling you you’re perfect just the way you are.”
I kissed because how could I not after she said a thing like that.
If she really thought that about me, maybe one day I’d believe it myself.
* * *
Days passed, during which the three of us spent many hours together in bed, and even more hours huddled over a laptop, preparing for the launch of ‘Mahogany’. Trinity was paying us a visit at the house on Friday, so we spent the entire morning making sure Molly’s things were hidden out of sight.
I hated hiding us. I finally understood why heroes in romantic movies wanted to scream their love from rooftops. Happiness this potent felt like something that needed to be shared. Kaz’s surly expression during the cleanup hinted he felt the same.
When Trinity arrived, we settled around the dining table. “Do you have a guess at who’ll be giving us the best offer?” Kaz asked.
Trinity took a sip of a coffee Molly had gotten for her a few minutes earlier. “If I had to guess, I’d say WMI. You’re perfect for their portfolio, and I’ve known Errol Watkins for about a decade. He’s interested. He’ll be even more interested after he sees the numbers tomorrow. Make sure you talk to him, but if he starts talking business, keep it vague. Tell him to talk to me.”
I sat up straighter. WMI had some of my favorite bands signed to it, and the thought of joining their ranks was exciting.
We discussed the content plan Molly had put together for the next week, and were almost wrapping up the meeting when Trinity came back to the deal. “Just so you have it on your radar, you’ll probably need to get on the road sooner than later. I assume you don’t have any issues with that.”
I shook my head. It had been many years since I’d performed live with Through Azure Skies, and as Last Rites, we’d never played live at all. I was ready to be back on stage. “No issues.”
“We’re excited,” Kaz added, “and our fans will be too.”
I grinned at Molly. It was going to be a lot of fun having her backstage. She met my gaze, but her smile seemed off somehow. It was probably because of Trinity. She was always antsy around her boss.
* * *
“Mahogany” became available on all streaming platforms at eight am the following day, and by the time we left the house for the party Trinity was hosting, we’d racked up over a million plays.
“I still can’t believe it,” Molly said, refreshing the data table for the hundredth time that day.
“Neither can I, but it’s time for you to put that thing away,” Kaz said, plucking the phone out of her hands. “We’re in a stretch limo with a bottle of fancy champagne waiting to be opened.”
“Fine, no more refreshing for today.” She grabbed her phone back and slipped it into her purse. “I’m sure there will be plenty of other people keeping us updated at the party.”
I popped open the bottle, spraying the liquid out of the window before filling three glasses Kaz handed to me.
“To Last Rites,” Molly exclaimed, raising her glass.
“To this badass fucking team,” Kaz corrected her. “We wouldn’t have made it here without you.”
