Page 38 of On the Power Play

Jack chuckled. He'd wondered more than once if Kels was more to Tony than just his assistant. "Makes perfect sense."

Kels stopped on the platform. The digital sign announced the next train would arrive in four minutes. "I was working a soul-sucking sales job. Tony's sister Linda was a bit of a mess, and I helped get her organized. When Tony came over and saw that I'd labelled plastic bins in her pantry, he asked if I was open to a career change."

"Are you still with Linda?"

Kels shook his head. "No, she's living over in Ireland or something now. Met an artist after we broke up. I’ve been married for a year and a half now.”

"And you like working with him?"

Kels nodded. "Best job I ever had. It's a lot of hours, but all I do is take chaos and turn it into order."

"Does Tony only work for Delia?"

Kels shook his head. "He represents everyone signed to IndieLake between 2022 and 2024. They just signed a new band out of Portage la Prairie this weekend."

"Wasn't that where a guy ate someone on a bus?"

Kels grimaced. "They're hoping to change their town's one claim to fame."

The train arrived and they travelled in silence to the car waiting for them in the parking garage. Kels sat in the back seat of the luxury sedan with Jack and pulled out a tablet as one of the secret agents backed out.

"Alright, schedule for tomorrow. Do you have a Google calendar?"

"Uh, no." Jack grabbed his phone.

"But you have a Gmail account?" Kels asked with more than a tinge of judgment. Jack nodded. "Perfect, then let's get you set up. It'll be easier for me to send you invitations that way than having to copy everything over to a different app."

Kels walked him through accepting his invitations in the app. By the time they pulled up in front of the Radisson, Jack had three appointments set for the following day.

"So, meet Delia for breakfast at the bakery in the morning."

Kels nodded. "Then you two can decide what you want to do the rest of the day. She has a recording session, but that's optional. Nobody will be there, though she has been getting papped out front lately."

"Sounds like a gynecology appointment, but got it."

Kels closed the cover on his tablet. "Madden will escort you in."

The Tommy Lee Jones of the partnership unclicked his seatbelt and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Jack pushed the door open. "Is he staying in my room?"

"Only if you ask nicely," Kels said without any hint of a smile.

_____

Delia stood at the hostess stand trying not to tap her foot. She'd tossed and turned until three, then had a middle of the night anxiety-ridden text conversation with Mary before finally falling asleep until her alarm woke her at eight-thirty. The closer she got to seeing Jack again, the heavier her questions landed in her head. Why had he left the restaurant? Why had he suddenly changed his mind about the contract?

It didn't matter. Mary had reiterated that point at least five times during the night. She was right. This was an agreement, nothing more. It didn't matter why he'd changed his mind, only that after today, her numbers would hopefully skyrocket again like they had last Saturday.

Delia couldn't help but get her hopes up. Her last single had jumped thirty spots on the charts after being spotted one time with him, and her imagination ran wild with where another public appearance could take her numbers. For the first time, that earn-out hovered so close she could taste it.

Tony had texted her that morning with homework: she and Jack needed to come up with a narrative about their relationship. According to him, intrigue was good to a point, but then people needed something to sink their teeth into. She was glad to have a purpose for their meeting. Especially since she was already thinking about that praying mantis on Jack’s bicep.

"Right this way, Ms. Melise." The hostess took her past the other diners, who were trying to look at her without blatantly staring, and sat her in a booth in the far corner of the restaurant. The tables in the immediate vicinity were notably empty. Thank you, Kels. "If you need anything, please let me know."

The hostess turned, then paused as the bell above the door jingled. Delia's breath caught in her throat. Jack stood in the entry in jeans and a long-sleeved cotton T-shirt with his down puffer coat slung over his arm.

"Is that—?" The hostess swallowed hard, then flushed crimson when she realized she’d spoken out loud. Jack scanned the restaurant and stilled when his eyes landed on her. Delia reached up and swept her hair behind her ear like a loser.

“He’s walking this way,” the hostess whispered, then turned to face Delia. Her eyes widened as if just putting two and two together. “Oh! Right. I—I’m sorry, I didn’t—” She snapped her mouth shut and stepped back from the table, running directly into Jack. The hostess spun, then squeaked an apology before scurrying back to her post.

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