Page 24 of A Way Out
“But what if you did?” Maria pressed.
“I take it you have an idea?” Oz asked.
“I do. What if I’m your sponsor?”
She had the money. Not an endless supply but enough to help them get on their feet, attempt to break out. As long as they were conscious of their spending, she could cover their costs through the summer, at least. She didn’t know much about rock ’n roll, but it seemed like bands toured more frequently in the summer.
If they didn’t succeed by Labor Day, they’d all have to go back to their day jobs—or find new ones, if what Oz said was true—and Maria would have to figure out how to support herself.
She wanted to try. They were fantastic. She was already a believer.
And the idea of doing something so very out of character, so very daring, was incredibly heady.
Maybe this really was her dream.
“Are you serious right now?” Lacey practically stumbled off the small stage as she hurried over to grasp Maria’s hands. She glanced over her shoulder at Travis, who was making his way out from behind his drum set. “Wait. Is that even a thing?”
Travis shrugged. “I suppose it’s not unlike a record label covering our costs up front so we can ultimately make money for them.”
“I believe you will make money,” Maria said immediately. “I believe you will be huge.”
Lacey squeezed her hands. “I love your faith.”
“It’s only because of your talent,” she insisted.
“What do you guys think?” Lacey asked, scanning the other members of the band.
Parker slung his arm around Lacey’s shoulders. “As long as we have a contract written up and you track every dime you spend on us so we can pay you back, I’m in.”
“I’m down,” Travis said. “I’m ready to start touring again. It’s been too long.”
“If I’d known I could have called it a sponsorship, I would have offered to do this a long time ago,” Cash said.
“Not the same, man,” Parker said with a shake of his head. “You’re in the band. It would be weird. Plus, we could convince ourselves not to pay you back since you’re part of the band. Maria is a third-party investor.”
Lacey released Maria’s hands so she could clap. “This is so exciting! Oz, you’re the final vote. What’s your decision?”
Apparently, the band was a democracy. Did that mean they would only commit to this if Oz agreed? Or could they overrule him if he didn’t?
Was Maria really worried that he would say no?
For long moments, Oz didn’t move, he didn’t speak, he hardly blinked. And then he carefully removed his guitar and gently placed it on a nearby stand.
And left the room.
Chapter Nine
Oz was unsurprised when Maria chased him down, even though he’d deliberately headed straight to his bedroom in hopes of deterring her. Surely, she would not want the reminder of her walking in on him buck naked.
He was wrong. Did that mean she wasn’t the least bit fazed by what happened? By staring at his junk while it inflated like she had been blowing on it?
He bit back a groan. He was giving his dick ideas. Swallowing down those very vivid images now in his head, he turned to face her as she stepped into his bedroom without knocking.
He almost wished he were naked again.
“Is that a yes or no?” she said without preamble. It was impressive the backbone she’d developed over the course of a day. Yesterday she’d been scared, a nervous wreck, unsure of seemingly anything in her life.
Now she was offering to sponsor a fledgling rock band with no history to prove that they could earn her money back. Talk about a risky investment.
