Page 16 of Serving the Maestro

The appreciation in Trent’s eyes brought a flush to my cheeks. Good thing I’d made the extra effort.

“You look lovely.” He offered his arm.

My heart did a crazy tap-dance as I accepted and let him lead me to the waiting sedan outside.

My phone vibrated in my hand as he opened the car door for me. Once I was seated, I checked the message. Unsurprised to see Royce’s name, I huffed out a sigh.

There were a lot of great people in the gaming industry. But the guy who ran the gaming podcast behind my now-canceled interview? He wasn’t one of them.

Honey, look, if you’re willing to wait until tonight, I might be able to fit you in.

Snorting, I muttered, “It figures.”

I fired back a quick response as Trent circled the car to the other side.

I’ve already made other plans for the day, Royce. If you want to reschedule, you can contact my PA on Monday.

“What’s with that shark’s smile?”

Startled, I looked up to see Trent eying me with a great deal of interest—and heat.

“Ah, my interview.” I flushed and shrugged as I slid the phone away. “The guy behind it texted to let me know that he could try to work me in tonight if I’d be willing to wait a while.”

Trent made a derisive tone. “Tell me you told him to take a hike.”

“No.” Crossing my legs, I smoothed my skirt down and folded my hands on my knee. “I told him I’d already made plans, and he could contact my PA on Monday if he wanted to try to reschedule our interview.”

“And is your PA going to be able to find an opening for him?”

Pursing my lips, I considered the question. “I haven’t really decided yet.”

Trent chuckled. “Bust his balls, Jazz.”

“Oh, I’m going to. Happily. A company run by two women doesn’t make it to the top in the gaming industry by being meek and mild.” I picked a tiny piece of lint from my skirt and slanted a look at him. “You have to be willing to bust a guy in the balls when needed.”

* * *

“So you flew out here for the next couple of months to...what, watch dress rehearsals?” I asked Trent after we arrived at the theater.

He had made a few comments that gave me a vague idea of why he was here, but he hadn’t confirmed or denied anything. All I really knew was that he lived in California but was staying in New York City for the next two months as he finished a project. Since he wrote musical scores, I could only assume it involved music tied into the Broadway production.

“It’s a living,” he said. “Can I be honest here and say that I think Leo’s understudy does a better job in this part than the regular actor?”

“Hmmm.” Nodding, I voiced agreement. “He has more heart for it, that’s for certain. Especially in this scene.”

The scene was an intimate one. Just sitting there with my eyes on the two actors, standing in a pool of light and the rest of the stage dark, added to the sexual tension.

Trent leaned closer, his body heat warming me. “Watch...see how they barely touch, but they manage to convey all their need, all their yearning...”

The words need, and yearning sounded more erotic when spoken in that warm, sexy timbre of his. “Yes. I noticed last night, too. The music...it changes everything, especially in this scene.”

He curved a hand around my nape. “Yes. I’m glad you can appreciate that. Not everybody realizes how important the musical score is to a production—be it on a stage, in a TV show, or a movie. Or maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. A number of games have excellent musical scores.”

“Yes.” I was having a hard time breathing. And when in the hell had it gotten so hot in here? “It’s hard to see how anybody could discount the value of music, especially when it’s as evocative as this.”

Wow.

Was that thready rasp my voice?

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