Page 34 of Ignacio

“Not as much as before, but I can make sure you get some.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she said dismissively, almost as if she were embarrassed.

“Maybe I want to.” The words slipped from his lips before he realized they were leaving. He froze.

Delta blinked, surprise evident on her face.

“Oh. Well, if you want to.” She lifted a shoulder in an adorable one-shoulder shrug.

“I’ll put in a good word for you with my mother. I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“Thank you.”

An almost bashful smile touched her lips, and his heart constricted as he was reminded of that same bashful smile when they met at thirteen in the performing arts club and had to practice their lines together. Even back then, he had been smitten by her beauty—her lovely dark chestnut skin, thosebeautiful brown eyes with curled lashes, and her hair braided into thin ropes that framed her face. They may have started out as friends, but he had known right away that she was special.

Going down memory lane was dangerous, but Ignacio sensed a shift in their relationship ever since move-in day. They were more relaxed with each other and willing to joke around, and since they both had their own schedules keeping them busy, living in the same house wasn’t as terrible as he had thought it would be. He had dreaded seeing her every day and dealing with the constant tension coursing through his body whenever she was near.

Instead, a tentative truce had been established between them. He certainly didn’t mind when he heard her humming in the halls or her voice carrying from downstairs to the second floor as she worked with her vocal coach. The sound of her voice was… soothing. He understood why King’s mother was a fan.

He went to the stainless-steel refrigerator and removed a small bottle of orange juice. “I need to talk to you about something. I had my meeting with King Brockwell at Brockwell Media today.”

“How did it go?” Delta took a bite of her sandwich.

“He wants to do the movie.”

Her eyes widened. “For sure? So it’s a done deal?”

“Yes. He’s financing the whole project.”

Her mouth fell open. “That’s great! Congratulations!”

He laughed at her genuine enthusiasm. Back in the day, she would have flung her arms around his neck, but this reaction would have to suffice. “Hold on, the details have to be worked out and contracts have to be signed,” he said, not only to temper her excitement but his own as well.

“So you’ve decided not to get too happy?” she asked in a teasing voice.

“You know how I am. But also, he asked me for a favor.” Ignacio went into detail about King’s request and finished with, “He said he’s willing to pay whatever price you want.”

Delta frowned. Not the expression he had expected to see on her face.

“It’s not about the money,” she quickly explained.

“If it’s not about the money, why don’t you do private parties?” Ignacio asked.

She sighed. “Dad thinks they cheapen my brand.”

“Do you agree?” Ignacio sipped from his bottle of orange juice, keeping his eyes on her.

“To a certain extent, but I mean, thereareplenty of artists who do them and charge a hefty fee.”

Ignacio watched her pick at the bread. “Is that the only reason?”

“There was a… security issue once, a long time ago when I used to do them. Ever since then, we’ve avoided small parties.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about a security issue with the Brockwells, and I’ll be there. We can make sure Ava is there.”

“I don’t think all that is necessary. Besides, I like the idea of celebrating King’s mother’s birthday because she overcame cancer. If I did perform at her party, I wouldn’t charge. I’ll just need to run it by my father. When is the party?”

“This Saturday.”

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