Page 51 of Get Even

I let out another deep breath, unbuckled my belt and leaned forward to rifle through my dashboard compartment for the emergency stash I usually kept in there.

My hand closed around the cold metallic tin and I grinned a little, finally feeling something inside of me settle. This wasn’t like the vodka. This was for me, for fun, for lightness – not because of someone or something else, but I still sat there for a second longer, making sure I felt secure in that before I lifted the joint to my lips.

I lit the zoot inside the cab with a lighter that I’d stashed in my pocket and then let my head fall back against the headrest of my seat. I sat and smoked and reminded myself to just breathe for the duration of the joint and then flicked the ends out of the window. The time on the dashboard now read three-thirty and I blinked at it slowly before glancing at the web page I’d used to find the studio’s location on my phone. Was it too early to leave Max a voicemail? Surely not, he was a working guy, he’d likely have his phone ondo not disturb. I had nothing to lose. Probably. Plus, I was getting bored, there was nothing good on the radio and munchies were starting to hit me until all I could think about was that little Chinese place around the corner that I’d used to love. I needed a distraction.

I pulled another pre-rolled joint out of the tin and then put the box back in the dash, hitting call on my phone before I could second guess myself. Or order Chinese food. I stuck the zoot in my mouth and inhaled as I lit it, sparking it up, and then almost choked when Max said a cautious, “Hello?”

Fuck, I hadn’t thought he’d be awake. What was I supposed to say? I settled on, “Hi,” and silence flooded the other end of the line.

I took another drag and thankfully didn’t cough as Max said, “Um, who is this?”

“Oh, sorry, it’s Jamie. From The Box?” I tapped my fingers on my thigh and waved at the security guard when I noticed him watching me out of his window.

“Are you… okay?” Max sounded confused and concerned and I smothered a laugh.

“Yeah, sorry for the late… early… call. I’m at the studio. I was going to leave you a message.”

“You’re at the studio now?” Max’s voice rose and I nodded, hastily following it up with a quick, “Yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in ten.”

“Oh no that’s okay, I can wait til morning. I was going to head across the street–“

“Stay where you are,” he said sternly and it was clear that he knew exactly which club was across the street. “I can’t sleep anyway so I’ll meet you there.” He hung up before I could say anything else and I winced at the sharp beeping noise as the call cut-off.

It didn’t feel like much time had passed at all before Max’s sedan pulled into the lot. I rolled down my window and airily tipped some ash.

“That was fast.”

He didn’t look like he’d just come out of bed, though he seemed a little tired. Max sniffed the air and shot me a look of sheer exasperation, “What are you doing here? You weren’t driving about stoned, were you?”

“I’ve come to sing!” I laughed and Max’s lips twitched. “And no, of course not. I didn’t think you were going to be awake so I thought I’d kill time.” I opened the door to my truck and hopped out, wincing as the fresh air hit me all at once and I momentarily felt everything spin.

“You look a little pale,” Max pointed out unhelpfully and I frowned at him. “What made you change your mind about the test recording?”

“I got suspended,” I said, like it was no big deal and Max stopped short of unlocking the doors to the studio.

“From Radclyffe? Why?” He sounded genuinely shocked and I grimaced. Better I told him now to save myself any disappointment if this was going to be a deal breaker.

“Because my best friend slept with my boyfriend, so I slept with his brother and best friend and sent him a photo and then he leaked that picture everywhere.”

Max’s jaw was slack and he fumbled his keys before he cleared his throat lightly and concentrated on the door. “Why would that get you kicked out?”

“My professor hates that I like girls and guys. And my ex-bestie complained that I’d harassed her after I kicked her out of my apartment.” I stubbed out the last of the joint and followed Max inside with a quick nod to the security guard who simply turned back to his tiny TV.

“That… got you suspended?” He said in disbelief and I shrugged. “Did you complain about the professor? I mean at worse that’s discrimination—“

I sighed, “I’m here to sing Max, so let’s get on with it if this isn’t a deal breaker.”

“It’s not,” he said decisively.

“Do you need to like, check with someone higher up? Or like, with your PR department?” I said as he led me up some stairs and to a room marked ‘1’.

He let out a quick laugh and I eyed him warily, “Figures.” He held out his hand for me to shake, “I’m Max, owner of AZ Records, parent company of what’s soon going to be our Sun City label.”

I shook his hand limply. So Max wasn’t just a record producer – he was theownerof the fucking label? And I’d told him I’d had a revenge threesome.AndI’d smoked a lot of weed, partially in front of him. Had I already blown this to hell? I didn’t know what to say so I settled on, “You’re expanding?” and he snorted as if my answer pleased him.

“Yes. So if we sign you there’ll only be a short commute time.” He’d saidifbut he hadn’t already shown me the door so that had to be a good sign. Right?

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