Page 37 of Tell Me When It's Over

My lips flatten. Mia could have at least tried harder to get her girlfriends. “Great,” I mumble dryly.

Gordy chuckles. “Like I said, the kid isn’t bad. Not in the industry. Frankly, I think Mia is onto something.”

Eyes narrowing at my friend, I ask, “And what, pray tell, do you think she’s onto?”

His brows lift. “It seems pretty obvious that she’s trying to set them up. I had more than a handful of conversations with Chase, but he does kind of remind me of Lenny. They’d make good friends or more if that’s what they wanted.”

I curse. That makes more sense than the bullshit story about friendship that my sister spun me. Probably should have guessed it from the start, but she made this Chase kid sound younger than he was. Too young for Leighton. Safer.

“Could be worse,” Gordy tells me, a hint of smile on his face. “He could be like us.”

The fucker has a point.

“Hey, if you’re going to see Len, tell her I’ll get back to her about the PR gig,” he throws out when I’m halfway out the door.

I shift. “What PR gig?”

He frowns at me. “She didn’t tell you?” My eyes say would I be asking if she did? Clearing his throat, he scratches his cheek. “She asked if I could put some feelers out for any type of internship to get some experience. Figured she’d need to do something for school eventually. I have a few ideas.”

Huh. It does make sense, but why wouldn’t she just tell me that? “I’ll let her know, man. Tell the label—”

“Yeah, yeah. Where to shove it.”

I grin.

I don’t bother knocking when I arrive at my sister’s place. The code to the keypad for the front door is memorized so I show myself in. Instantly, I hear Leighton’s laughter coming from the den off the main room and head toward the sound.

When I walk in, I see the kid first. I’ve probably seen him before and didn’t pay enough attention because he does look familiar. They’re both on the couch sitting side by side as I approach them. He’s holding a phone that’s playing some dog video with a safe amount of space between them, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

Doesn’t mean I miss the tightness in my chest knowing why he’s even here with her.

“Chase, I presume?” Stopping behind the black sectional, I cross my arms over my chest.

They both turn. A warm smile graces Lenny’s face, so I give her a peck on the cheek like I usually do in greeting before eying him and await a reply.

He nods once. “The one and only. And you’re Kyler Bishop. Garrick said he’d give me a hundred bucks to do something that pisses you off, but I’m thinking it’s not worth it.”

I snort over his honesty. “Probably a good idea. What are you two up to and where is my sister?”

Leighton rolls her eyes at my blunt inquiries. “We got lost down the YouTube rabbit hole while we wait for Mia and Garrick to finish. Two guys showed up an hour ago and haven’t come down.”

“Suits,” Chase adds.

Ah. “Daniel?” I guess.

Garrick’s little brother nods again. “And Ralphie, I think. Didn’t get a good look at him.”

Daniel and Ralphie are the lawyers who work at the label both Mia and Garrick are signed with. Since Mia has put more focus on her TV show, Danny hasn’t been too involved in her contracts. I hear he reps some new kid who was discovered online or some shit that keeps him busy now.

Speaking of Mia’s show, I turn to Lenny and plant my hands on the back of the cushion behind her. “Gordy says the episode of The Casanova’s we’re in is going to air Sunday night. Not too much to see, I guess, but enough where people will probably recognize you and start talking more.”

We both chose not to speak to anyone longer than necessary the night of Mia’s announcement party. The cameras agreed to give us some space, but there’s no escaping the inevitable.

Her lips twitch, but otherwise she gives nothing away about how she feels. “Okay.”

Chase’s brows pinch. “You not into that sort of thing? Figured all girls liked reality TV.”

I roll my eyes. “Good luck with that,” I warn him, pushing off the couch. Leighton hates a lot of things, and reality TV is in the top five. I leave them to that discussion while I search for my sister in the meeting room I know everyone will be in.

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