Page 89 of Honest With You

“You need to understand the gravity of what you tried to pull in here. You signed an exclusive contract with me. You sat with me as we explained the terms. I gave you the very best team I could to start your career. Chuck may be harsh on the outside but he knows his stuff. He’s the reason you have a number one hit in the first place. Do you not understand that?”

She nods, swiping at her tears with her sleeves. “I understand, Miss Torres. This will never ever happen again.”

I keep going because if I don’t scare her now, she willneverlearn.

“Do you also understand how easy it is for me to let you go? You’ve violated almost every condition in your contract today.”

Her lips quiver, her eyes wide with fear as she stares at me, her hands clutching the desk. From the corner of my eye, I see Jesse start to open his mouth before thinking better of it.

Thank God.I’m not above putting my ex in place, but he should know better than to attempt to correct me in front of a client.

“There will be no contract signing today, and studio time will be canceled until further notice.”

“Ava–” She abruptly stands, clutching her hands in front of her. “Please give me another chance.”

I tilt my head, repeating my mantra over and over in my head. I need to be stronger than my emotions. Compassion has no room in business. Or my life.

“We will revisit this conversation when Chuck arrives.” I hold a finger up. “IfChuck agrees to take you back as a client. Regardless of how passionate you are or how moved I was by our first meeting, if he decides to drop you, then that’s it. I will be sending you home.” I raise an eyebrow. “In coach,” I add, remembering how she once told me how that was her favorite perk of the business. First class.

I grab the folder that holds her new contract and hand it to her “I will assign security to you until then. Take this and read over it carefully. Memorize every single thing on here. I need you to understand what is at stake should he decide to give you another chance. Are we clear?”

Mickayla nods her head.

I ping Mina on my phone and she walks in a minute later.

“Will you take Miss Salvador back to her hotel and make sure she’s got everything she needs? I need detail on her 24/7.”

Mina holds her hand out for Mickayla to follow her out but before Mickayla does, she looks over her shoulder at me and mouths a thank you.

I heave a deep sigh when they exit the room, then realize the temperature in the room just spiked several degrees. I half expected him to leave with everyone else, but I should have known he would stay back.

Ishould have exited the room as soon as the talent did. The amount of deadlines I currently have piled up is almost comical. Not to mention the delay with this single is going to take time away from my other work. I really needed to get back to my studio.

But having just bore-witness to the prodigy Ava Torres has become, it’s no wonder she’s had everyone in the office buzzing for the last two years. I’m speechless. She really has grown into her own and though she doesn't seem to be the same girl I once knew and loved, somehow the ghost of the Ava I once knew is showing in the crumbling of the mask in the seconds that have passed since everyone left the room.

Her eyes meet mine and I struggle against the need to cross the few feet separating us, to hold her in my arms. She looks tired and stressed. Now I’m wondering if she’s taking care of herself or if all she does is work.

Her phone pings in her hand and she turns away to check it. Her harsh sigh, the second one she’s released in a span of minutes, has me getting to my feet and leaning on the desk, much like she did moments ago.

“That was impressive, Ava.” I muster up a grin through the heavy pounding my heart subjects my chest to. “Dare I say, you’re a lot scarier than your dad is.”

A smile tips up her lips before she quickly drops it, and she shoves her phone in her jacket pocket before turning back to me.

“We’re going to have to move some stuff around with your schedule. I haven’t had a chance to look at what’s slotted in production and post right now but I can only imagine what this delay is going to do to your workload.”

She said all that with a straight face, not even bothering to breathe in between words.

I let out a low whistle, my hand immediately going to the back of my neck. Because as much as her professionalism irks me, it fucking turns me on too.

After all these years, Ava Torres still has a viselike grip on me.

I lift my head, purposely avoiding her vacant stare.

“I missed you, Ava,” I whisper, the words coming out of me before I can stop them.

In the silence that follows, her sharp intake of breath is deafening. Her breath shallows and she moves to grab her tablet that’s right behind me.

I catch her hand, pulling her closer to me and without another word, I hug her. Her spine stiffens in my arms before she softens in my hold. The hug lasts one or two seconds tops, but just enough for her scent to linger even as she steps away, her gaze locked on the ground.

---