Page 41 of Dr. Baby Daddy

IZZY

The crowd is still clapping, their applause filling The Gilded Raven, as I step off the stage and head to the locker room for my break between shifts. I go straight for the bottle of water in my locker, taking a long sip while I lean against the wall.

As I’m putting the bottle away, the door swings open and Kate rushes into the room. Her eyes are wide, and the color is drained from her face. She closes the door behind her and slumps forward, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.

I raise my eyebrows as she leans against the door. “What’s going on? You look like the hounds of hell are on your heels.”

“They may as well be. Dex is on a rampage. The bass player that was supposed to perform with you tonight is a no-show. Dex has been trying to get in contact with him, but he keeps sending Dex straight to voicemail.”

I sigh and run my hand through my hair. We were supposed to be trying out a new set later tonight. It took nearly a week ofpushing and practicing the setlist to convince Dex that it would be a good show.

Of course, I finally manage to convince him and then the bass player goes rogue.

“All right.” I reach back into my locker and pull out a clip to pin the top half of my hair back. “Well, we’re going to go out there and give them the best show that we can tonight. I just finished the lunchtime show. I have time to rearrange the evening one.”

Kate shakes her head. “Dex is determined to find another bass player. He knows a couple and thinks that they might be able to stand in. He called me to see if I could find someone too. The new setlist is the one that he’s been promoting all week, and he doesn’t want to give up on it quite yet.”

“There isn’t going to be anybody who can step into the show right now. I’ve been practicing with Oliver, but there’s no way that he would get up there with me. He hates performing for people.”

Kate’s face lights up. “No, that’s perfect. He’s out there in the crowd. You have to go out there and ask him. I’m sure he’d be willing to do it for you.”

“I doubt that. He doesn’t like to perform for people, and I’m not going to force him to do it. I’ll just go talk to Dex and tell him we’re doing the other setlist.”

“He’s not going to go for that. What if you go out there and talk to Oliver? You could move the new material to the end of the show. That gives him nearly eight hours to think about getting on stage with you.”

I bite my bottom lip, my stomach twisting into knots. The last thing I want to do is ask Oliver to perform, but there is time to kill. He can spend a few hours thinking it over, and then if we have to change the setlist, we have to change the setlist.

Kate nods and rushes off to tell Dex the plan while I change and head out into the club. Oliver is sitting at a table in the front, looking down at something on his phone. He stands when I get close, his eyebrows pinching together as he looks at me.

“What’s wrong, Iz?”

“I’ve got a problem with the show tonight. The lunch show went over fine, but tonight I’m supposed to be performing the new setlist with a bass player who’s a no-show, and I was wondering if you would be willing to step in.”

Oliver’s mouth drops open. “I don’t know if I can do that, Izzy. I know we’ve been practicing your setlist together, but that’s in your apartment when it’s just the two of us. Getting on stage with a bunch of people staring at me is different.”

“I know. You can say no, if you want to. I don’t expect you to do it if you think it’s going to make you wildly uncomfortable. We have other bass players that we can call.”

“Do you think they’re going to be able to pick up all the songs in time for the show?”

I shrug. “Don’t worry about that. If you want to do this, then do it because you want to. Anyway, Kate is waiting for me, but even if you decide not to play, I’ll see you at the show tonight.”

I lean down and kiss him quickly before taking off to join Kate by the door. She smiles as she leads the way outside and down the street to one of her favorite stores.

When we get inside the store, racks of lingerie stretch as far as the eye can see.

Kate smirks and pulls me over to a rack filled with lace, fake leather, and jewel tones. “I think one of these is going to be perfect for you.”

“Since when did I agree to lingerie shopping?” I laugh as I sort through the rack, searching for anything that I might like.

Kate shrugs. “Originally, it was going to be grocery shopping, but I thought that with the stress of what’s going on at the club, we could use a little relaxation.”

I hold up an emerald piece that will barely cover anything. “What do you think about this one?”

“I think that Oliver would love it as a thank-you for helping you out tonight.”

After a glance at the price tag, I drape the bodysuit over my arm. “Even if he doesn’t help out tonight, dressing up could be fun.”

“His jaw is going to hit the floor when he sees you in that. Hell, he may not even be able to function.”

---