Page 30 of Perfect Assumption
“No, this is urgent. It can’t wait.”
“What did the press say this time?” I grin into his handsome face until I notice he’s not smiling. “Wait. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Everything. I don’t know. This might be huge.”
“How huge?”
“Makes the issue with Erzulie look like an amateur huge.”
“You need Carys, then.” I lift my phone to call her. But he places his hand on mine to force it down.
“No. No phones. Nothing in writing until…” He lowers his head until his mouth is right against my ear. He whispers something that has me jerking my head back in shock. What he said is so astonishing I can’t wrap my mind around it.
My hand comes out from under his and presses against his chest in support. “How are you still standing? How are you not shrieking this to the world yet?” My stomach churns, and bile rises in my throat at the very idea of the agony he must be putting himself through.
He grips my hand. “I’m trying to do the right thing. That’s why I came here first. My inclination is to go charging in like a raving lunatic and demand answers, but I can’t because of who I am. The reputation I’ve cultivated. I won’t do that until I know for sure. I could be wrong, Angie, and if I am, I could do so much damage. I need you to get Carys out of whatever she’s in today. I need your help.” Despair laces his voice.
“Oh, my God, Beckett. It can’t be true.”
He just nods. But it’s the flat determination in his eyes that has me jerking into motion.
“Give me a few minutes.” This time when I pick up the phone to make a call, he doesn’t try to stop me. “Hello, this is Angela, Carys Burke’s assistant. No, I’m sorry, she won’t be able to make the conference call today with Kristoffer from ten to noon. Does he have any other availability this afternoon? From two to four? I’ll shift her schedule around. Thank you.” My fingers fly as I immediately begin rearranging Carys’s schedule.
I start by moving her conference call with the head of Wildcard Records to later in the day. Next, I call Z’s people on the West Coast. “Oh, he’s fine with the changes, Angela. He’s signing everything. In fact, can we make it tomorrow? That works better since he planned on being in the studio today,” his manager, JT, tells me.
I let out a sigh. “That’s fantastic. Thanks, JT. I look forward to receiving the updated contract.”
Two down. One to go. Crossing my fingers, I call Erzulie’s agent at the Neo Agency, asking to speak to Walker Hutnik, only to be told that Walker is out with the “flu.”Likely recovering from the hangover from the ass ripping Carys gave him from the way he handled the media Friday, I think evilly. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Ms. Burke had an appointment with him in a few hours. Should we reschedule?” I give Becks a big smile that both relieves and deflates him.
“Does tomorrow at noon work?” comes the nasal voice on the other end.
“No, unfortunately, it does not.” Noon is blocked off every day for Carys and David to go visit Ben at daycare.
“Well, then I only have an 8:00 a.m., but I don’t think…”
I quickly interrupt. “We’ll take that. So kind of Mr. Hutnik to do that considering he’s ill.” I have little doubt the agent is likely recovering from a scouting trip the night before, but since I can’t say that aloud, I wait while his assistant furiously reschedules the appointment. Once I receive confirmation, I move the final appointment on Carys’s calendar.
I lock my computer and shove my chair back. “Now, let’s go talk to Carys.”
Becks just stands there for a moment before he walks up and wraps his strong arms around my shoulder. “Thanks, my friend. Even if this all goes nuclear and I can’t stop the media from finding out, thank you for doing what you could today.” His throat works convulsively.
I lean back against his arm and reach up and cup his face. My eyes follow the column of ink that covers his neck as he swallows. “You’ve had my back since the minute you figured out who I was. You’ve never judged me for beingthatgirl when we both know you’ve had more than your fair share of sexual assault cases thrown at you.”
“That’s because those were damned bogus. Stupid women who wanted to bang a rock star and then get their picture in the paper. What happened to you was a fucking atrocity,” Becks declares heatedly.
“That, right there, is why if Carys can’t find a way, you know I’ll always have your back. Because you never made a single assumption about me. You never asked what happened. You’ve always just been there. Now, it’s my turn to repay the favor.” And for the first time since I left college, I turn into a man’s arms and give him a hug. It’s appropriate it happens to be one of the people I count as a friend.
Pulling back, I turn away so Becks won’t catch me wiping the tears from my eyes. “Now, let’s go talk to the brains of this outfit.”
Maybe he didn’t hear me because he says curiously, “Ward?”
I lift my head and find Ward standing there, his jaw clenched. “What happened? I saw the schedule blow up and was just coming out to talk with you.”
“Actually, Becks needs to speak with Carys.” Before Ward can offer his normal token protests, I tell him, “This is urgent. We’re talking a 9-1-1 situation.”
“Ah, shit. What the hell did you do, Miller?” But Ward moves back from the entrance to the inner sanctum.
“It’s more like what I just found out. And if it’s true, it was a long time ago.” And with his hand at my lower back, Becks urges me forward.
