Page 184 of Movers and Shakers

Tom shook his head. “No, you can’t.”

“I cantry.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Barry trusts you, so I’m going to try to as well.”

“Good. I’ve had my run-ins with the media because of Knox. I completely understand why you did it.”

“Does Knox still have that problem?” I asked.

“Not as much anymore,” she explained. “He’s boring now that he’s been with me for months. But we’ll be careful. I won’t tell him the secret, but I can steer him away from being seen with you.”

“I can also have my agent handle some of it. She’s been burying leads ever since she found out.”

“So,” Ruth started, putting down her chip, “is your mom why you do this?”

“I’m sure you caught onto some tension. I’m sorry you had to see it.”

“It’s no problem,” she replied. “We’re very used to family drama, but usually it’sourfamily drama. And it’s more explosive.”

“Mom’s just stressed about everything. My dad is handling it.”

“That’s good,” Tom said. “You have a big day coming up.”

I blew out a long breath. “Yeah. I do. It’s not my first rodeo. I know the show inside and out.Mostlyeverything is figured out.”

Other than the guitarist.

“Then we shouldn’t think too hard about it,” Ruth said. “Tonight is forfun.”

“No alcohol, though,” I said. “I don’t drink before shows.”

“I don’t drink at all,” Tom said. “I’ve been sober just under a year. So, we’d be avoiding it anyway.”

“What should we do?” Ruth asked.

“Don’t look at me,” Tom said.

“Yeah, really don’t,” Barry piped in. “You know what I’ve always wanted to try? Topgolf.”

I stepped away from dinner to make a reservation at the local Topgolf range. When I returned, Ruth was telling Barry and Tom about something nearly catching fire in the kitchen.

“Carmen was in shock,” Ruth was saying. “She said she’d never seen something do that in the oven and now it had happenedtwice.”

“Who’s Carmen?” I asked.

“Selena’s mom,” Tom interjected.

“She’s been helping my mother-in-law learn to cook,” Ruth said. “And it’s going hilariously.”

“I don’t know if you can call Lynn your mother-in-law if you’re not married,” Barry teased.

Ruth glared. “I absolutely can. Knox and I are basically there anyway.”

“WhereisKnox?” I asked. “Didn’t I give you all enough tickets to bring your significant others?”

“He had some work to do,” Ruth said. “But I was thinking about dragging him to Topgolf. If you were okay with that, of course. He can enter separately and with a disguise. But I don’t really think people care about him when the concert of the year is in two days.”

“It’ll be fine. You all can invite whoever you want. I, um, might have reserved the entire floor.”

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