Page 39 of Mic Drop

He’s only been gone for a few hours, and I miss him like crazy.

His fans at the concert are lucky. They get to see my man in living color.

I rub my bare left hand. Yeah, but I’m the only one who can call him mine. I click to open my text app.

Chapter 11

Bennett

Ismile at Jenna’s text. Yes, Sweetheart, I miss you more. Not wanting to engage in a text discussion, I FaceTime her. She answers from behind the steering wheel. “Are you driving?”

“I’m going to Ma’s.”

“I need you safe. Call me from her driveway.” I disconnect the call. I better set up some ground rules for future conversations. Number one will be no texting—or FaceTiming—or any calls or texts with whomever—while driving. She has to stay safe.

The plane lands and Ashley passes me my bag. “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again real soon.” I knock on the cockpit door and give my appreciation to the pilot and co-pilot as well.

A black SUV waits near the flight of steps attached to the jet. With a quick wave to the crew, I hop into the vehicle, surprised to see our head of security himself driving. “Hey, Elias. Looks like I scored the top dog today.”

He adjusts his sunglasses. “Good trip?”

I think back on everything that happened on this short jaunt. Faith’s medical condition got sorted, although not in the way we’d hoped. She did give me her blessing to ask herdaughter to marry me, which promptly led to us getting engaged. “Yeah. I would say so.” Curtiss’s call was an unexpected bonus.

“That’s good. I’m taking you straight to sound check.”

“Thanks.” As I watch the scenery pass, the sky seems bluer than normal. The trees greener. Even the architecture is more vivid. In my hand, my cell chimes with an incoming FaceTime call. I hold it up. “Gotta take this.”

Jenna’s sitting in her car, clearly parked. I spot some familiar landscaping. “Good. You’re at your mother’s.”

“Had to practice the ‘obey’ part of our upcoming vows.” She ruins her statement by giggling like a schoolgirl.

“I didn’t even imagine the word would be in our vows. But now that you mention it, I do like the sound of it.”

“Forget it, Rock Star.”

“A guy can dream. I’ll loosen you up.” I blow her a kiss.

She shakes her head. “Anyway, what was so important that you had to call me before you even landed? And how could you do that? Calls can’t be made on airplanes.”

I love her naïveté. “That lawdoesn’t apply to private jets. They let us do whatever we want on there.” I stick out my tongue and move it up and down. “If you get my drift.”

She pretends to be scandalized. I know better. “Settle down, over there. Talk to me.”

I do. I tell her about the shocking call with Curtiss and how I can get out from under the vile shit Lissa’s spewing. She fills me in about her interview with theRecord News. “And,” she finishes, “I did it. Court and I talked with Hayden.”

I do a quick mental rolodex and can’t place a Hayden in it. I hope context will help. “Was she helpful?”

“She really was. She had a great idea for how we can do even more with the spider thing. I didn’t tell her about Michelle, though. I think if her idea works—and with some tweaks both Court and I think it will—it’ll be even better than calling her out by name.”

Got it. Hayden’s on the UC PR team. I file her name for future use. “I’m glad you got some outside help. Care to share this idea?”

She wiggles in her seat. “No.”

I love when she plays the coquette. Hell, I simply love her. I don my best puppy dog eyes. “Not even one little hint?”

“Fine,” she fake huffs. “We’re going to use the attributes of a spider to our advantage.”

All right. I didn’t see this coming, and I can’t even imagine what would be considered a positive about a spider. “Not sure what on earth that would be, but I trust you. Can’t wait to see the campaign.”

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