Page 341 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

slipping through the crowd.

“So Raymond’s your stepfather,” Andrew says, the words sounding physically exhausting to him. “Outta all the insane shit you’ve told me…”

A puff of air leaves through his nose.

“Yeah, that’s a crazy thing to leave out.”

Not when it’s best to leave in.

And I had my reasons. All of them:

didn’t want Andrew lowering his guard around him. Didn’t want Andrew trying to impress him, seek approval, shake his hand, call him sir, or get manipulated by him. Didn’t want Andrew asking questions, connecting trauma, or finding out that the man who made me like this is my stepfather, too, and not just the CEO of my life.

I shrug. “Didn’t seem important.”

He laughs dry. “Right.”

Raymond’s gaze sweeps the counter when he arrives. “You really shouldn’t be behind a bar, sweetheart,” he says with disgust behind his teeth. I ignore him, dropping an ice ball into the glass with a clink. “You’re just askin’ to lose their respect.”

My hand freezes.

I lift my gaze.

See Simon from Finance.

I reach across the bar. “Hey, Simon.”

His eyes dart to Raymond.

Then back to me.

I smile sweet.

“Lemme ask you, seeing me, standing here, respect points—they go up or down?”

Simon’s afraid to answer. “Up?”

“Thank you,” I say, eyes crawling to Raymond as I slide back in place.

Raymond flashes a smile, but it’s a bothered thing. He kills it by draining his drink and dropping it on the bar. “No man with self-respect would stand there and watch you do that.” He flicks his hand. “Let’s go.”

Andrew locks up for a fraction of a second, a flex in both his jaw and neck.

I expect him to clap back, protective.

But he doesn’t.

He’s wiping down the counter, carrying on as if he doesn't want to disrespect my stepfather.

“Fun’s over,” Raymond says.

“People are expecting you.”

I push hair off my forehead. “For?”

“The duet.

“You’ve kept ‘em waiting long enough.”