Page 94 of Everlasting Love

Peta peers down at her phone and I swear she’d be lost without that thing. She has her entire personal and business life on it. “So when are we thinking for your next tour?” She looks up at Toby when he doesn’t respond, which he can’t while his mouth is stuffed with kebab.

He chews and swallows. “Uh … so … Cassia’s preg?—”

“Again?” Peta slaps her hand on the table.

“Yeah,” Toby answers, looking at Peta like she shouldn’t be surprised.

I rub my hand over my mouth to hide my grin but she catches me and her head snaps across to me. “You knew?” she asks with raised eyebrows.

I simply nod. I have nothing to contribute to these meetings. I’m just the hired muscle but I do find Peta entertaining on occasion. Most times I just find her abrasive but she’s damn good at her job and more often than not she has Toby’s best interest at heart.

“When is she due?”

“Second week in May.”

“Fuck. It’s October. How am I supposed to set tour dates? I know you’re not gonna travel with a damn newborn.”

He takes another bite of his kebab like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He chews and swallows. “You’d be right about that. I was thinking I could do ten days up the West Coast … San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle. Allow a day to drive between LA and San Jose and again from Sacramento to Portland, one show in each city. It’s not like I have a complicated stage setup because I’m going to do a solo acoustic tour this time.” He grabs a fry and pops it in his mouth while Peta madly types the details on her phone. “Let’s look at doing it in February.”

Peta’s head snaps up, her eyes ablaze. “February? Are you serious?”

“Yeah, why?”

She inhales a deep breath and I watch her shoulders drop. “I know you think I’m amazing at my job, and I appreciate your faith in me but I’m not a miracle worker. I’m not sure I can find venues available within such a short time frame.”

“You know I’m just as happy to play at small venues, even pubs. I want this tour to be intimate. If you can’t find a suitable venue in one of the cities, then we skip it this time. Don’t stress. It’ll all fall into place.”

She huffs. “One of these days, I’ll manage my response better when you drop a bombshell on me.”

Toby chuckles and flicks his wrist in the air. “Nah, this is far more entertaining.”

Peta half-stands from her seat opposite Toby and slaps him playfully with the back of her hand while wearing a grin. “You want to know what’s going to be entertaining?”

He tries to dodge her attack but fails miserably. She waits for him to respond with her eyebrows raised. “Even if I didn’t, I’m sure you’ll tell me.” He playfully rubs the spot she struck.

“Watching you deal with not one but two and possibly three teenage girls.” She breaks out into hysterical laughter.

Toby’s eyes grow wide like he hasn’t thought that far ahead. He glances at me and then back at Peta. “That’s not even a little bit funny.”

My smile grows and I snicker. “It actually is, man.”

His head snaps toward me. “You’ll have a teenage daughter, too. Don’t get too cocky.”

That statement sobers me and my grin slides from my lips. “Damn.”

He raises a single brow, nodding at me. “Yeah.”

“So, I’m assuming since you’ll be ready to tour in February, you’re writing is coming along?”

He nods. “Yeah, it is. I tested my new material last month atBrady’s. The response was really positive wasn’t it, Shane?”

“The crowd there always loves you, but you’re right, they were going crazy for your new songs.” My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I tilt my hips to grab it, finding my landlord’s name on the screen. I look up at Toby and Peta. “I need to take this.” I stand from the booth, press the green button, and turn my back to Toby and Peta so I’m still blocking him from public view. “Hi, Roger.”

“Shane. I have some disappointing news.”

I tense. “What is it?”

“The contractors are running behind schedule, and your apartment won’t be ready for another two weeks.”

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