Page 45 of Final Serenade

“Copy that.” A chin jerk.

I wondered how many times he’d done this, performed the duties of a messenger when his employer crashed a new flame’s workplace. I wondered about many things and couldn’t help but compare myself to the women Frankie Blade had been rumored to date.

“Cassy! Very nice to see you again,” Frankie said on his way out. Roman hurried to make room.

“Nice to see you too.” I waved my mic at him.

He shot me a heated glance before leaving, and my legs went numb.

Frankie Blade was going to be my downfall.

The man was demolishing me slowly but surely.

My prediction was incorrect. Levi and I didn’t stop filming until midnight. The last band took forever. They were tired and drunk and asked me to repeat almost every question. Interviewing artists after their set was like pulling teeth, with me being the dentist.

An email from Frank had come in around eleven, but I didn’t see it until we were packed up.

I’ll be outside,it said.Lose your partner.

I wasn’t sure if he was going to wait in the loading zone or in the front. I wasn’t even sure what vehicle to look for. Maybe a Lamborghini? My racing mind scrambled for plausible ways to get rid of Levi as we left the dressing room. The organizers had given us press passes and our cars were next to each other at the rear of the building. I didn’t want to be a weirdo who sat behind the wheel, waiting. Especially when Levi had way more gear. Besides, my partner was too smart. An intricate plan was in order.

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked as we rounded the corner on the way out. My bag dangled against my hip. “I’ve been feeling a little funny last couple of hours. I think maybe the tacos were bad.”

If you’re in a pickle, always blame everything on Mexican food. It’s too spicy to take offense.Sound advice someone had once given me.

“I’m fine.” Levi slowed his pace to match mine. “Do you need to throw up?”

I stopped. My heart pounded so hard, I felt the vibrations in my entire body. I hated lying. “I definitely need to use the restroom.” I decided to be vague about my “problem.”

“Sure.”

“Don’t wait up. It’s okay.” I shook my head and attempted a pained smile.

Apparently, it worked.

“All right.” Levi scratched the back of his neck and scanned the hallway. He always checked our surroundings for creeps when we ended up leaving separately. Although I doubted there were any creeps here at the moment. “But call me if you’re really sick or need anything.”

“I will. Thank you. Have a good night.”

“Good night, Cass. You killed it today.”

I didn’t know if I’d killed it. The last three interviews didn’t flow, but I trusted Levi’s instincts. I trusted his skills even more. He knew how to cut footage down to just a couple of minutes and still keep all the important info. It was a gift. And his was a perfect addition to mine.

We made a great team and we were going to do great things together.

I locked myself in the nearest bathroom and checked my inbox again. No more messages had come in.Maybe he got tired and left?There were still people working inside, but the chaos had subsided. The madness had gone away, along with the bands and the crowds.

The venue was calm and in spite of the sticky floors, the trash everywhere, and the lingering scent of sweat in the air, being here without the crowd felt perversely sublime.

I waited a good ten minutes before responding to Frank’s email.

Just finished.

Then I waited some more.

Come out,he replied.

My stomach flipped.

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