Page 17 of Rock & Roll Nights: The Lila and Rivers Edit
The guy was so gorgeous it made my heart hurt, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking that there was way more to him than that. He was like a lost boy that needed saving. An orphan in a hot, tattooed, very powerful body.
And he’d somehow wound his way around my heart and grabbed it while I wasn’t looking.
I finished up the song and let the last chord die out, wondering if I’d actually just sang the whole song straight at him, and when I yanked my gaze away from him and looked out at the rest of the crowd, I found them grinning and clapping wildly, turning to say things to each other. Hell, even Anna was smiling and clapping. They looked excited. Pleased in a way I hadn’t been expecting.
God, maybe they’d been in the mood for a song after all.
* * *
I’d barely gotten off stage when people started trying to talk to me. One diner after another came up and shook my hand or asked whether I had a contract, and I was getting so overwhelmed that by the time a girl with hair nearly as red as mine appeared in front of me, I almost pushed her away.
“Lila Potter?” she asked.
“Yes?” I asked, trying to figure out how short I could make this conversation.
She stuck her hand out and gave me a smile that made me very nervous. “Taylor James, agent,” she said.
Oh.
Thank God, I hadn’t pushed her away.
I took her hand, my heart climbing up into my throat. “Taylor James. Of course. Agent to Olivia Johns and Connor Wheating.”
Her smile turned more genuine. “Correct. And to the Global Authors, who are currently on tour with them. In fact, it’s those Global Authors I want to talk to you about. More specifically, their lead singer.”
What?
I froze, trying to understand where this might be leading. I’d been incredibly excited about her being an agent, but why was she talking to me about a band that already had a full lineup?
Did she know about me and Rivers? Was I about to get in trouble—or be warned about his reputation?
“What about them?” I asked haltingly.
She leaned in and took my arm. “Come get coffee with me. We have some things to discuss.”
I followed her, casting a quick glance at Anna for help, but my friend was stuck in her seat with her mouth hanging open, so I was on my own.
Luckily, it didn’t take Taylor long to tell me what she wanted.
She was having trouble with Rivers and needed him to clean up his act. She wanted him to have a steadier reputation, maybe look like he was settling down so he’d fit better on the Olivia and Connor tour. Look like he might actually become more than the industry’s designated bad boy and Casanova.
“Okay,” I said, confused. It made sense on the surface, especially given his Casanova behavior last night, but I didn’t see what this had to do with me.
She turned away and started fixing the coffee she’d poured for herself. “The thing is, Lila, I saw the way you two werelooking at each other when you were singing. I don’t know whether you know him or not, but I know a connection when I see it. I know when two people are attracted to each other. And that’s exactly what I need.”
I turned to stare at her. “Whatyouneed?”
She glanced up, that smile back on her face. “Yes. I need Rivers to clean up his act. And to do that, I need him to have a girl at his side I can trust. I need someone keeping him in line and making sure he plays the good boy, while convincing the press and the fans that she loves him enough to actually be his girlfriend. I want you. Just for long enough to get him on the right road. Stick next to him. Keep him out of trouble. Convince people that you’re together. It won’t be that hard. Just keep looking at him the way you were looking at him when you were onstage.”
I opened my mouth, waiting for the words to come out, but closed it again a moment later. When I tried again, my voice came out hoarse and strangled. “You want me to pretend to be Rivers Shine’s girlfriend, to help clean up his reputation?”
“Exactly.”
“What’s in that deal for me?”
She straightened up and faced me. “I’m sure you’ve heard we’re doing a contest for a contract on this tour, right? Do this and do a good job, and I’ll make sure you get first shot at it. I have some pull with Olivia and the record label. I can virtually guarantee you that contract. If you do your job.”
A contract. As long as I pretended to be Rivers Shine’s girlfriend for the tour.
