Page 7 of Hero on the Road
Dammit.
“Olivia,” one of the execs said suddenly, his voice loud and booming and overly confident, “is here because we’d like to discuss something with the two of you.”
I turned my eyes to the exec in question, already hating the conversation we were about to have, and then looked at Danny. Had he known about this? Had he walked me right into a trap without telling me?
I didn’t mind the trap. I deeply minded him not telling me about it first.
He looked just as gobsmacked as I felt though, and something eased inside me. I hadn’t had much luck in Nashville since I moved back but I had Danny, and I’d thought he had my back. It would have killed me to know he didn’t.
“What’s this about?” I asked the exec who’d spoken. “What do you think we’re going to discuss?”
The exec made a face, definitely displeased that I was speaking to him like that, but then cut right to the chase. “We’re going to discuss the way the two of you played up on that stage together at Christmas, Connor. We’re going to discuss the way you sang together. The way you looked at each other while you did it. And we’re going to figure out whether we should keep you together when we hand you your contracts.”
My mind snagged on the memory of Olivia and me on the stage together, because it had been awfully good, but then zoomed right through to the conclusion.
Together. Atomic had first seen us together and that was what had attracted them. Now they were talking about giving us contracts as a duo.
I’d come in here to get my contract, and Olivia Johns was holding it hostage simply by existing.
“No,” I said simply. “I won’t sing with her.”
For so many reasons.
Because she’d ignored me for years and then walked out on me after I let her in.
Because I’d let her in.
Because I was still more than half in love with her, and I didn’t want to walk down that road again.
“Connor, let’s at least consider what they’re offering,” Danny said, giving me a look that said I was being an idiot. “You’ve been waiting for this contract for a long time, and you don’t even know what they’re offering yet.”
I bit my lip. He was right, of course. I didn’t want to listen, didn’t even want to consider it, but this was my contract. This wasmycontract. I didn’t want to let my messed-up history with Olivia take it away from me.
“I’ll listen,” I said, sitting down and looking at the execs in front of me. “But I’m not going to promise anything.”
I knew it was stupid to talk to them like that. These men literally held my future in their hands and I should be kissing ass, not mouthing off. But my mom had always said I was too stubborn for my own good.
Once they started talking, though, I started seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. This wasn’t necessarily a contract that included both of us. They weren’t going to team us up forever. It was a one-month experiment. A small tour in the Midwest that would include the two of us and no one else. Something intimate and small. A chance to play some new venues and show what I could do.
With Olivia along for the ride.
A month, though, and I’d be rid of her. And I’d always wanted to go on a real tour. Could I stand her for a month? Protect my heart and manage to perform with her and her stupid gorgeous eyes and curvy hips? Keep myself from falling for her again? Did I want my entire career depending on her ability to show up for this?
I turned my eyes toward her and saw that she was staring back at me, looking just as miserable as I felt. She didn’t want this either. She knew our history and knew how hard this was going to be. Hell, I didn’t know if we’d even be able to talk to each other without something important depending on us working together.
Though when it came right down to it, we were both depending on this working, weren’t we? I knew I was, and I could see by the fear in her face that she was depending on it, too. She wanted a contract almost as bad as I did—worse, maybe, as she’d had one once and had it stolen out from under her. She looked hopeful and small and very young right now, like things were out of her control and she hated it. She didn’t like to think she needed favors from other people, spoiled little thing that she was, but right now?
Right now, she couldn’t control the situation. She needed someone else to come to her rescue.
“I’ll do it,” I said softly, staring into her eyes as I spoke.
Her face went absolutely still with shock... and then she grinned so big I thought her face might break. Her eyes lit up with surprise and gratefulness, and for just a moment, I saw the girl I’d spent so much time with at Christmas. The one who let down her walls and showed me who she really was.
There you are,I thought.
“Terrific,” one of the execs said, tapping papers together like everything was all settled with that one little word. “We’ll secure a recording studio for the two of you to use for the next couple of weeks. Let’s get some of your new music recorded. We’ll need to be able to release it in support of the tour, and you need the practice. Whatever you have that’s new, that’s what you’ll be playing. Maybe you can even write some of those catchy songs you write together. You’ll do a month on the road starting in Billings, Montana, and the label will do the publicity to make sure you have crowds.”
I was still looking at Olivia so I saw her mouth drop open in surprise at his words, and I could relate. This was an awful lot to take in moments after having said yes. Recording music. A tour. Singles.
