Page 88 of One Last Verse

“Frankie Blade and His Girlfriend Spotted in West Hollywood: The Singer Treats the Entire Theater to Popcorn”

“Was the movie any good?” Levi asked as I returned the phone.

“It was decent.”

Smiling, he shook his head and checked the time. We were both quiet for a bit. My mind drifted back to Frank. I wanted us to spend as much time together as possible before he left for rehab. I knew I was playing with fire and breaking my own rules, but I hated my life without him. I hated waking up and going to sleep alone.

“You sure you don’t want to come with?” Levi probed. The album release party that Dante organized was tonight.

“I’m sure.”

“All right. Suit yourself.” He paused for a few seconds, then continued, “Gonna be a lot of interesting people there. You could recruit a few more sponsors while we’re knocking out the interviews.”

“I’m fine.”

“Don’t want your boyfriend to get butthurt?” Levi lowered his voice. “Is he scared of being in the same building with Marshall Burns?”

“Considering how he and the band parted ways, I don’t think he owes them anything. He’s not going. I’m not going either. End of story.”

“He wrote the damn album. You’re taking his side on this because you two are together, but if you look at it from my perspective, he’s a train wreck. He deserted the project he, himself, initiated and he’s playing the victim. In reality, he simply isn’t fit for touring. Everyone knows it. Instead of scheduling a bunch of dates across the globe, he should have started with one-off shows to see if he was able to keep up with the routine. Now half the planet hates him. It’s like seeing a fucking pie you like and buying the whole thing, eating it and then getting food poisoning.”

“What is it with men and food metaphors?” I rolled my eyes.

“I sorta hate his ass for stealing you from me,” Levi confessed, dropping his gaze to his phone. “You were my girl. I found you first.”

“Awe. You’re so sweet.” I laughed quietly.

“Me and you, Cass… We were the shit. Dream fucking team. I want you by my side when we get our office space.”

“I thought you and Shayne were hitting it off.”

Levi slipped his phone back into his pocket and moved closer. “She’s great in front of the camera. We’re rocking it when we’re on location, but she’s so fucking unorganized… You have no idea. I texted her last night to make sure she remembered to meet me at my place at three and she hasn’t even read the message yet.”

“She’s probably sleeping.”

“You should think about getting back to it.”

“Iamthinking about it. I’m already on for Bennett’s interview. Just give me some time to rest my brain and figure things out.”

In my peripheral, I noted Margerie. She emerged from behind the door with theEmployees Only sign and shot us a wide smile. Her fierce gaze matched her no less fierce red hair. My excitement grew as she approached.

“Cassy and Levi, nice to finally meet you.”

We shook hands.

Margerie sat on the couch across from us. Her cunning eyes studied me with direct curiosity, and I wondered if she read the tabloids and knew Frank and I were an item. Ever since we’d gone public, I asked myself this exact question every time I spoke with someone.

Levi began. I followed suit. We were so used to working as a pair, our words flowed together as one. He’d been right, after all. Once, we’d been the shit. Best duo on the scene. Industry people loved us. And I was starting to miss those crazy work-filled days.

The release date was still undecided. We were debating between two weekends, and wanted to see what worked best for Margerie.

“I’m sure we can always make room for an event that’s aimed to empower creatives. I’d be nowhere without artists.” She raised her hands and motioned at the surroundings.

“Isabella is one of a kind. I can’t wait for you to meet her,” I said proudly. Part of me regretted that Maria hadn’t been able to make her daughter's schedule work. Having Isabella here with us today would’ve been beneficial, but Margerie didn’t seem to need more convincing.

“Her voice has one of the widest ranges you’ll ever hear.” Levi grinned. “Five octaves. Think Mariah Carey, Mercury, Rose. I get goosebumps every time she sings.”

The meeting went great. We discussed the details of the event, then chatted about music and movies. Lastly, Margerie said she needed a day or two to run it by her father. Levi and I walked out of the theater wearing big smiles.

---