Page 10 of The Roadie
“I Googled you last night after I left the studio,” Brett said, pushing around his roasted potatoes.
“You did?” She raised her brow, intrigued. “What did you find out?”
“That your sister is married to Immortal Angel’s drummer, and the two of you are always together. You were both voted Top 25 Under 25 To Watch by Fortune 500, four years ago. That you’re really close with your father. And that you spend a lot of time with Immortal Angel.”
“That sums up my life. Audra and I are inseparable. I worship my father. And I work my butt off.” She rested her chin in her hand. “Now, let’s talk about you. What’s your last name?”
“Navarro.”
She picked up her phone and tapped his name into the browser. “I can play your game too, Brett Navarro.” Nothing came up relevant to him, and she dropped the phone onto the table, disappointed.
“I could have saved you the trouble. No one knows who I am.”
“I guess I’ll have to give you the third degree myself. How did you get involved with Bulletproof?”
“I’ve known those dudes since the ninth grade.”
She glanced down at his arms. “Did you always have such big muscles?”Oh God. What’s wrong with me?“I’m sorry.”
He laughed. “Don’t be. And yes. I was on the wrestling team in high school.”
“I take it WWE didn’t work out?”
He chuckled. “You’re really cute. I caught Bulletproof playing a gig one night when we were in high school and helped them pack up their shit. Been with ‘em ever since. Not every tour. Because they’re on the road so much and for such a long time. But I work with them when I can. I’m independent. I don’t work for the label. I pick up work with other bands too, who have shorter tours when I can’t make one of Bulletproof’s year-long stints.”
“Smart move. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“One brother. He’s younger. I kinda take care of him, even though he’s 19. He’s doing all right, but he hangs out with the wrong crowd. I’m not home a lot of the time, so I worry about him.” Brett was quiet for a moment. “Our parents were killed in a car accident a few years ago, so it’s just me and him.”
Her heart shattered at the loss and she put down her fork. “I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand and held it. “My mother passed when I was seven.” They stared at one another, sharing the pain of their mutual loss but not wanting to talk about it. “Do you have other family?”
“I have an aunt and uncle in San Francisco. They tried to take Grant—that’s my brother—when my parents died, but I fought them. He’smybrother.Myfamily. I won legal guardianship.”
She had so much respect for this valiant man, who fought to take responsibility for a teenager. “You have tremendous values.”
He shrugged, modestly. “It was the right thing to do.” He exhaled and shook the sadness from his face and forced a small smile. “Let’s talk about happier things. Tell me what an A&R executive does.”
“Everything, it seems. I scout talent and negotiate record contracts. I work one on one with recording artists. I oversee the recording process, like yesterday. I work closely with the music producer and give input on what works and what doesn’t. I even get to pick which tracks get released as singles.”
Brett’s eyebrows were raised high on his forehead. “I’m impressed. It sounds like you have a lot of responsibility.”
“I do.” Sometimes too much responsibility. She worked hard and never had time for fun anymore. She was overworked, overtired and spread thin, but she loved her job. Both she and Audra were an integral part of Falcon Records and, one day, they’d be running the company.
Realizing that the morning was slipping away, she picked up her phone and checked the time. “I have to be at the airport in an hour and a half.” She didn’t try to hide her disappointment, and let the smile disappear without disguising her remorse.
“Change it. Take a later flight.”
“I can’t do that. It’s irresponsible.”
He took her hand and rubbed it between his palms. “I’m not ready to leave you yet. I don’t want to say goodbye. My bus doesn’t head out until five. We could spend the rest of the day together. Will it really make a difference if you leave this afternoon instead of this morning?”
It was crazy and impulsive and totally unlike her to be so frivolous and spontaneous, but this daring man brought out her wild side. She pulled her iPad from her handbag and quickly changed her departure. “I’m on a four o’clock flight.” She let out a happy laugh and threw her arms around his neck.
“You’re a rebel. And I like it. What do you want to do first? Have you been to the Skydeck at the Willis Tower?”
She’d been to Chicago dozens of times but always for business. She never had the luxury of sightseeing.
He winked and brought his lips to her ear. “Or we can go back to your room.”
