Page 24 of Hidden Truths

“It gets loud in here, and I need to be able to hear the music in order to adjust. Not really a great place to have a whiny baby,” Geoff says to me.

I smile sweetly. “That’s very true. I hope you can’t hear yourself whine through those headphones,” I say, pointing to the ones around his neck. He scoffs as his face turns an angry shade of red.

“I will not have this in my studio!” Geoff bellows, standing from his chair. Jon steps forward, like he’s going to physically restrain the man.

“Not your studio,” Jo says calmly, not even looking up from her phone.

“Excuse me?” Geoff bellows, again. Does the man have a normal tone of voice?

“Not. Your. Studio.” Jo repeats, still not sparing him a glance.

“I’ll have you know —” There he goes, bellowing some more.

“No. I’ll have you know,” Jo says, putting her phone down and standing slowly. Geoff’s mouth is open, and he’s so red he’s almost purple. “This studio space is being rented by Nep-Tunes. You work for Nep-Tunes. An outside company owns this studio.”

“While I’m here, it’s my studio, and I do not want you or the bitch with the baby here!” Geoff is practically screaming now. I have my hands over Cora’s ears. The window is one way, and I’m guessing no one can hear us because they’re all in there, just tuning their instruments and talking.

Jo laughs. I know that laugh. This man is in trouble. “Do you know who owns Nep-Tunes?”

“Logan West,” Geoff scoffs at her, like she’s some stupid little girl.

Jo smiles wickedly. “Very good. Now do you know the name of the lead singer of Shattered Halo?”

“Is this a fucking joke?” Geoff says, face still purple, but at least his tone has calmed down.

“I’ve never been accused of being funny.” Jo crosses her arms and waits.

“Callahan Griffin,” Geoff bites out like it’s painful.

“Good boy. Now, as I’m quite sure you do not know, Callahan Griffin is cousins with Amelia West. They grew up together. Very close.”

“West?” Geoff pales now, and I can’t help but find it interesting how quickly his face changes colors.

“Yes. Amelia West. Beloved wife of Logan West. Cousin to Callahan and Bellamy Griffin,” Jo says, making a show of checking her nails and not bothering to look at Geoff any longer.

“I — I —” Geoff stutters. “Does the baby really need to be here?” he asks eventually, still kind of yelling, but now I’m wondering if that’s how he always sounds.

“The baby? Yes. You? No,” Jo says, flicking her hand in dismissal.

“You can’t —”

“I very much can. And if anyone in that room finds out how you just spoke to an eight-month-old, you’d lose more than just your job.”

Geoff’s doing his best interpretation of a fish as he looks between Jo and Jon.

“You should probably leave,” Jon says with a shrug.

Geoff storms out, slamming the door. Cora starts crying at the loud sound. She stayed quiet the entire time Geoff was yelling, but I think she just found his antics amusing. The door slamming was too much, though.

“It’s okay, pretty girl. Let’s watch your daddy sing,” I tell her, swaying back and forth to calm her. Once she’s settled, Jon gets on the mic, pressing a button that allows him to speak to the band.

“Geoff had to step out. Let’s work on the third track and take it from there.”

“You got it,” Cal says, taking his place behind his mic stand.

“I’ll turn the volume down, so it isn’t blaring in here,” Jon says, smiling at Cora when she blows raspberries at him.

“No need. Willa grabbed these when Cal told her Cora would be here,” Jo says, handing over a small pair of headphones. I raise an eyebrow in question and Jo just shrugs. “Apparently, Cal was being so difficult about hiring a nanny that everyone just assumed Cora would be at the studio every day with them.”

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