Page 43 of Movers and Shakers

The album was coming along slowly, but I still hadn’t changed the lyrics. At first, Mia was angry, but Blaze had offered to change his looks to match what was in my album, which curbed my agent’s rage. I’d seen paparazzi photos of his new muscular build.

Unfortunately, those pictures did nothing for me.

I hadn’t gone back to LA once, yet no one had gotten wind of me being in Nashville either. Blaze talked like I was with him every second of the day. I knew I should have felt bad for sticking in Nashville so long, but instead, I felt like I could breathe here. I didn’t realize how much Mia and Blaze stressed me out. Talking with them on the phone was far easier than being in person.

Still, I wasn’t blind to the fact that Juno was stuck with me. She didn’t talk about her personal life much, but being away from her home for this long had to be weighing down on her.

“If you need to go home and see some family,” I told her one morning over breakfast, “I won’t stop you.”

“I’m only going back to LA if you’re returning.”

“I can just hang out here as Rose.”

“And miss time with Barry where you’re working on the album? No thanks. And besides, my family isn’t the biggest fan of me.” She looked at her coffee cup like it had offended her.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I know I’m not supposed to make anything about me when I’m guarding you—‍”

“Who said that?”

“Mia.”

I sighed. Mia had a habit of talking to anyone who worked for me before I did. “It’s fine. I don’t mind if you tell me things. We’re spending all of this time together anyway.”

“I work for you.”

“So? I’m a chill boss. Except when I sneak out as my other identity.”

“I’m still mad about that,” she said, leveling me with a sharp stare. “But thanks. I don’t have much to report since I don’t talk to my family, but it’s nice to know I don’t have to be a wall of protection at all times.”

“Or a stick-in-the-mud.”

She laughed. “You know, when I took this job, Mia made it sound like you were the most selfish person on the planet. It’ssonot true.”

“She made me seem selfish?”

“She’s done it with everyone. It’s like she has a vendetta against you.”

I frowned. Had I done something to her without realizing it?

“Or maybe she’s just like that.” Juno shrugged. “She never seems content with anything.”

“That’s true,” I said. “Even when I break records, she asks when I’m going to break the next one.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know she’s your agent or manager or whatever—‍”

“She’s kind of all of them.”

“But she could stand to be nicer.”

I nodded. “It’s nice being here where she can only call me. It’s probably why I’ve been working so much.”

“Speaking of working so much, would it be rude of me to say your voice is sounding a little rougher than usual?”

“No.” I rubbed my throat. “It happens when I sing too much.”

“Do you need more tea?”

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