Page 31 of Movers and Shakers

“Good. But we still need to be careful.”

“I know, but Ineededto leave this hotel room. It’s so stifling being Lila.”

“And it doesn’t help that someone is following you everywhere.”

“Yeah. Not that I don’t like you, it’s just nice to be alone sometimes.”

“I’m not a complete stick-in-the-mud. I know how hard this life is for anyone, especially someone as kindhearted as you. Every day, I wonder how you weren’t eaten alive by the music industry. You’re sonice.”

She wasn’t wrong. Being nice was the one thing I was good at, though sometimes, it felt like the one thing that caused the most pain.

“I try.”

“Your manager, however, is very much the opposite.”

“Mia?”

“Yeah. She called me today to check in.”

“She calledyou?”

“She wants answers from everywhere. I’ve gotten used to it, but she’s the most intense woman I’ve ever met.”

“It’s mainly because I’m behind schedule. That reminds me, I should go to the studio and record now that we know my secret isn’t blown out of the water. I have some new lyrics.”

“You could relax for a bit,” she suggested.

“Now, what would Mia say about that?” I shook my head. “It’s fine. I know what I’m here for.”

I walked to the bathroom and put on my full Lila getup. Even with my years of practice, it was a long process. I had to prep myskin for makeup, put on lashes and a wig cap, and layer the wig over everything else.

“You know,” Juno started, “I’ve heard some of the stuff you’re working on. It’s got to be about Blaze, right?”

“Yep.”

“Blaze would look terrible with long hair.”

I smiled. “With how fried it is, I doubt he could even get it long.”

“Only certain people can pull it off.”

“Barry can,” I said.

“Yeah. He’s not my type, but heisa fine specimen. What do you think he benches?”

“I have no idea,” I said. “Why? Do you think you can out-bench him?”

“I’d like to try.”

Days later, I was still writing. Everything was inspiring, whether it was something beautiful for a love song or another thing I hated about Blaze.

He’d done an interview, talking me up as he usually did. But something about how he described it made me feel like he was subtly complimentinghimself.

When I heard it, I immediately had the perfect melody for this anti-Blaze song, and I needed to get to a guitar to play it.

Technically, I had a guitar here, but what I really wanted was to play it on Barry’s.

Lila: Are you awake?

---