Page 68 of Movers and Shakers

I didn’t have time to waste.

“I should probably go now. God, but I don’t want to. How could this get any worse?” My phone buzzed and I saw Juno saying that paparazzi had begun showing up in Nashville lookingfor Mia’s car. “Oh, that’s how. The paparazzi found me. I need to go before they find the bar.”

“I don’t care if people know you’re here. Me and my security team—‍”

“I wouldn’t put this on anyone. Thank you for everything you did tonight, Barry. I’ll see you once all the buzz dies down.”

Barry

The bar closed at its usual time of four a.m., and I foolishly thought I was free from questions when Audrey and Liam seemed more focused on straightening up rather than talking to me.

But the minute the floor was mopped and everything was clean, Audrey found me.

“What was that?” she asked. “Why was Lila Wilde’s agent here yelling at you?”

Liam raised his eyebrows. “Was that who it was? I knew it was something big when you went to get Barry.”

“Uh, yeah,” Audrey said. “She said she wanted her star back. She had to be talking about Lila, right?”

“She works with other artists,” I muttered.

“Was it another one, then?”

I didn’t know how to answer.

“Isthatwho you’re working with?” Audrey asked.

“I can’t say.”

“That’s not a no.”

“Guys, I really can’t say. I signed an NDA.”

Audrey’s eyebrows shot up.

“So, we can safely assume that Audrey’s right,” Liam responded. “But you just can’t confirm that.”

He was exactly right.

“Holy shit!” Audrey exclaimed. “You’re, like, her biggest fan.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“You cover her songs all the time. Trust me, it’s obvious.”

“How did this even happen?” Liam asked, shaking his head. “TheLila Wilde was here and we didn’t even know?”

I didn’t answer, no matter how much I wanted to.

“God, I’m dying to know the details.”

“You can’t tell anyone. Both of you know that, right?”

“Of course.” Liam rolled his eyes. “We kept that one big rock star who did a secret show here on the down-low. We aren’t gonna tell a soul.”

“But Iambuying that new album,” Audrey said. “I can’t believe you worked on it.”

“I didn’t,” I lied.

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