Page 7 of Sneaky Santa

“Come on, Lily,” Brant called.

She blushed, but she nodded. She handed me her purse. “Mind holding this for me?”

I choked out, “No problem.”

I hadn’t expected that. She trusted some random person she’d met at a party with her stolen song? I should take it and run. This was my opportunity while everyone was distracted, but I couldn’t control my curiosity. I needed to know if she’d really stolen it.

Lily made her way to the stage. Justine helped her up and they gave her a stool. She adjusted the mic and the guitar and looked out over the sea of people. Her hands shook a bit but she smiled and said, “This is my new piece in honor of the holiday. I hope you all enjoy it.”

She closed her eyes and started to play and then to sing. Charlie had been right, Lily’s voice was lovely. The song was a Christmas song entitled “Claus” but that’s where its similarity to traditional songs ended. It was a pop song, totally Dick’s style, but better. The entire family watched, enraptured, and no one was surprised. They all knew about her talent.

This was nothing like the song I’d heard her sing in the bathroom. This was bolder, stronger, because it was hers.

Dick had lied to me.

And I hated being lied to. A fury rose up in me that I could barely control, and I squeezed my fingers into fists. If he’d been in front of me, I might have socked him one right then. I didn’t like to lose, especially in business, and this could get me fired, but it was worse to me, being deceived. It dragged me right back to childhood and discovering my dad having sex with someone who wasn’t my mom. He’d sworn me to silence, and every time I had to lie, I’d felt the twisting in my gut. No one had known, not even my brother, but they all knew that I’d be furious with anyone who misled me now. I couldn’t control what happened then, but I damn well could now. I sighed. I hadn’t thought of that incident in years.

I trusted my artists to perform their art and they trusted me to keep the money rolling in. Still, they knew as well as I did that I was beholden to shareholders and the board. I didn’t have generations of family money, like the Sparks, to keep me afloat. And the artist I had counted on to keep my new label afloat, Dick James, was the con artist of the century.

I wanted to stomp outside and confront him immediately, but I also wanted to stay and listen to the rest of this amazing song. I gazed at the woman on the stage, her red hair bright in the spotlight but her eyes closed. She was a real talent but I was also starting to see that she was an amazing person, too. I really wanted to get to know Lily better and explore this attraction I was feeling toward her. I’d never met a woman who lit me up like this so fast, and I was starting to think she might just be the one. I might never find something like this again.

I stayed as long as I could, listening to her incredible music, then I handed her purse to Charlie and crept toward the door.

Lily

WhenIfinishedmysong, everyone gave me a round of applause. I grinned like a fool. I’d gotten so used to Dick taking all the credit for my music, I’d forgotten what it was like to be acknowledged. I wasn’t a spotlight person, but here, among friends, I couldn’t help but enjoy it.

Raising my hand above my eyes, I looked for Santa, but I didn’t see him in the crowd. I hoped he hadn’t left. I had some things I’d like to explore with him later on tonight.

“This is going to be your biggest hit yet,” Justine said, squeezing my hands. The band had moved off to the side while I sang, and now they stepped down into the crowd, taking a break. “Let’s get a drink.”

I shook my head. “Yes to the drink, but no to the hit. I’ve no one to sing it. You know Dick and I broke up.”

“About damn time you kicked that jerk to the curb,” Justine said as we made our way through the crowd. I followed her gold dress and big curls to the bar as I had so many times before. It had always been nice to know someone at the company events I’d gone to with Dick, and Justine had become a good friend.

When we stopped, she continued. “He was never good enough for you.”

I agreed and gestured to the stage. “Does this mean you’re switching teams? Going over to Sparks Entertainment?”

“Naw, I love the fam and all, but Noah always treats us right. We’re just mid-listers and he gives us every opportunity he can find to break out.”

“I heard he’s kind of a jerk.” We stopped at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks.

“Who’d you hear that from? Brant?” Justine laughed. “He’s just a sore loser, because Noah beat him out on a couple of high ticket contracts. Noah’s competitive, but he’s honest.”

“Are you all talking about my brother?” Liam drawled, leaning on the bar next to us. Somehow even his cowboy hat didn’t look out of place here. “He’s not hiding out here somewhere, is he?”

I grinned. “No way he’d show his face here. Too many people hate his guts.”

Liam nodded. “Yeah, but he’s not a bad guy.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling her. He’s never steered me wrong,” Justine continued.

“But didn’t he expose all those naked photos of Brant’s singer to the press? He ruined her.”

“But it was the truth.” Liam sighed. “Noah is kind of obsessed with honesty. I think he got hit too many times on the head as a kid.”

“Like you love a good lie?” Abigail asked jokingly, leaning into her husband.

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