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“Quinn!” someone yells and I glance over toward the stage where Willa is pointing to the band as they unload their equipment.
“Thank fuck,” I whisper before squaring my shoulders and marching across the room as I drag Lucas along with me.
“Shit,” he mutters but I ignore him as I stop in front of the stage. Nick, the lead singer, turns to me and his eyes follow a leisurely path down my body that makes me feel all kinds of icky before he grins at me.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
Lucas steps up next to me. “Fucking watch it.”
“Let me ask you boys something… you are aware that you signed a contract, yes?”
“Yeah, and?” Nick asks, arching a defiant brow and I wish I could put him on my banned list a second time.
“And in that contract, it stated that you were to be here an hour early and yet here you are, setting up fifteen minutes before guests are set to arrive.”
“Then why the fuck are you standing here, bugging us?”
My jaw tightens and I swear I can feel my eye twitching. “Oh, I’ll be out of your way in a second. I just thought I should let y’all know why you’ll only be getting half your fee tonight.”
“What?” Nick bellows, jumping down off the stage and Lucas is in front of me in an instant, putting himself between Nick and me as he charges toward me. “You can’t do that, you little slut.”
Lucas shoves him back and he stumbles before righting himself.
“Actually, I can. It was in the contract you signed and your conduct is completely unprofessional.”
“Jackson. Rhett,” the drummer says, stepping forward and the other two guys set their instruments down. “Get Nick out of here for a second.”
They lead Nick out of the ballroom as the drummer approaches me. “Hello. I’m Dorian and I just want to apologize for Nick. I would say that he’s not normally like this but I would be lying.”
“Well, thank you for that, at least, and I hope you don’t mind me saying that I think you guys are very talented but your lead singer is holding you back.”
He nods, glancing over his shoulder. “I have to agree with you.”
“Can you get set up in five minutes?” I ask, glancing at the time on my phone and he sighs.
“We’ll give it our best shot.”
I point to the door that the other two members dragged Nick through. “One more outburst like that and I’ll have you all removed. I already have back-up entertainment in place in case this doesn’t go well.”
“I understand, Miss Dawson.”
He turns and walks out the same door the other three disappeared into and Lucas turns to me, rubbing his hands up and down my arms.
“You okay?”
I scoff. “Why don’t you ask me again at the end of this night?”
