Page 128 of Worst Nanny Ever
He pauses. “This person created a fake Gmail account to connect to the fan sites, but Gmail requires you to provide a first and last name and a birthday. I was able to figure out the information used to create the account. Either someone set this person up, which feels like a stretch, or he did it himself and was incredibly sloppy.”
That means a man was behind this. My first thought is that it must have been Jonah after all, trying to get even with Rob by destroying his band.
But that still doesn’t totally feel right.
“All right,” I say tightly. “Enough foreplay. Who did this? Was it Jonah?”
He purses his lips and shakes his head. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“Too late.”
“You’re right. But I’m a little familiar with your friend’s band, so I know this is a big deal. That’s why I wanted to tell you in person. I wanted to explain that it could still be someone else using this person’s name.”
My mind darts to Rob, finds it impossible, and then settles on…
“The name on the account is Chance Bixby. I can show you, if you’d like.”
I don’t want to see the evidence of his betrayal, but I’m the kind of person who believes in bringing receipts, and Travis needs to know this immediately. Like, yesterday.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
TRAVIS
“The answer’s no,” Rob says firmly. He, Bixby, Drake, and I are sitting in a circle of chairs in The Missing Beat, discussing theShips Ahoycrap. It feels like we’re a bunch of toddlers having circle time, and given the energy flying around, I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended in a brawl.
I nearly got into one yesterday, although I haven’t told anyone. When Ollie was at school, I swung by Jonah’s office to ask him if he was behind theShips AhoyBS. He was outside, smoking a cigarette of all things—a new habit—so I got to sneak up on him and catch him off guard.
He’d stood up to the interrogation about as well as a rain-soaked cardboard box.
“It wasn’t me,” he said. “What makes you think I care about you or your stupid band? Every woman in town thinks I have herpes, and I’m working for my father. I’ve got enough fucking problems.”
“No, not enough,” I sneered. “You deserve for your dick to fall off for what you did to Hannah and her friends, you spineless piece of shit.”
I had plenty more to say, but it wouldn’t help anyone if Istood around taunting him, so I left him there to dwell on his poor decisions.
Bixby makes an incredulous sound, and I return my focus to arguing with my bandmates. “Why does it matter how we get attention, as long as we do? If they want us to wear sailor suits and sing about maritime law, I say we do it, and once people know about us, we can do whatever we want.”
“I’ve got no problem with that,” Drake says, shrugging. “My rent bill that doesn’t give a shit about personal integrity.” He and Bixby bump fists.
Guilt takes root in my gut, because money’s not a problem for me. Hasn’t been for most of my life.
It doesn’t matter, though. Even if I wanted to give them what they want, I can’t.
“It’s not happening,” I say. “If my ex finds out about this, she’ll fight me for custody of Ollie and use him as a bargaining chip.”
“Which is why this discussion is at an end,” Rob says curtly. “Now, this Frank guy was interested in us before all of this crap, and he’ll still be interested if we play well at our next concert. We don’t need some gimmick. We’re good enough without it.”
“But does it really matter if Lilah gets custody?” Bixby asks, giving me a hard stare.
“Yes, it fucking matters.”
“You didn’t even know this kid existed a couple of months ago, Trav, and you were better off not knowing. How are you supposed to go on the road anyway, if you have a kid at home? You’ve already stopped staying late at the shows, and the fans expect us to interact with them.”
He might as well have punched me in the gut, because it’s nothing I haven’t thought of myself.
“I think you do plenty of interacting for all of us,” I grumble.
He laughs as if it was a compliment—itdefinitely wasn’t—and nudges Drake’s shoulder. “Travis is dating that redhead now, and Rob’s got Sophie, so you and I will get all the women.”
