Page 8 of What Happened Last Night

“My father will argue with you,” I said. “He’s used to getting his way, and he’s very disappointed in me. I apologize in advance. My mother is more polite. There’s also my ex-girlfriend, Lizbeth.”

Luna cleared her throat. “She calls, too?”

“Sometimes. If Lizbeth calls, tell her I’ll call her back,” I said. “Don’t take a message. Just tell her I’ll call her back. Then let me know that she called. I’ll call her as soon as I can.”

She tilted her head. “You’ll call her back every time?”

“Unless I’m on an airplane or somehow unconscious, yes. Every time.”

“You’re very nice to your ex-girlfriends.”

“I only have one ex-girlfriend, so there’s no one to compare to.”

“She’s marrying someone else,” Luna said, and then she put her hands to her cheeks, her eyes wide with shock at her words. “Oh, lord, that was out of line. Sorry. It’s just that it’s a big society wedding in New York and it’s on the internet. The fact that she calls you is none of my business.”

I frowned. I should have been annoyed at the overstep, but I wasn’t. Instead, I felt… What did I feel?

It was a small bloom of warmth somewhere deep in my chest. Pleasure, and yet not quite.

“Lizbeth and I have a long history,” I explained gently.

Luna’s hands were still on her cheeks. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry. Please forget I said anything.”

“She’s very upset with me,” I said. “I owe her my attention. That’s all I’ll say.”

My assistant dropped her hands and took a breath. “I understand.”

“I’m not angry.”

“Right.”

“Let’s just move on.”

“Got it.”

I held her gaze for a second, trying to read what she was thinking. I didn’t know her well enough to figure it out. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted her honesty or not. The topic of Lizbeth was so complicated, I had barely sorted it out in my own head.

“I haven’t fully explained my work for the Road Kings,” I said, changing the subject. I took a sip of coffee. “They make music, and that’s their only job. I do everything else. I oversee the tours, the venues, the promotion, the marketing. I work closely with their agent—her name is Angie, you’ll meet her eventually—to field offers that come their way and vet them. I spent a week in L.A. meeting with execs from Spotify and Apple Music about streaming deals. No magazine or photographer gets to the band without first going through Angie and me. I supervise the contracts for every artist who comes through Road Kings Studios. The band didn’t have a website or any social media until six months ago, when I hired a designer. You’ve seen some of this from my schedule and my emails, but if you have any questions, please ask.”

“It sounds like a lot,” Luna said, taking a bite of her breakfast.

I had the urge to impress her, but I couldn’t lie. “The schedule is complicated, but the work is easy. The easiest I’ve ever done. Have you listened to the band?”

She nodded. “I have. I knew who they were before, but when you hired me, I started listening to everything. They’re really good. Like a Led Zeppelin sound, sort of, but somehow modern. I can’t explain it. When it comes to music, I’m more a Taylor Swift girl.”

I nodded. “I liked Midnights a lot.”

Her eyes went wide. “Excuse me? A straight man who listens to Taylor? You don’t exist.”

“I listen to everything. I prefer a harder sound, though, personally. The Road Kings are incredible. When you see them live, you’ll truly understand. There’s some kind of magic they do onstage that I’ve never seen with any other band. Seeing the Road Kings live is an experience.”

Luna blinked. “When I see them live?”

“They’ll go back on the road in September,” I said. “When they do, I’ll go to some of the shows. And you’ll come with me.” I realized that had sounded like an order. “If you can get away for a business trip, I mean. We’ll talk about it when we get closer to the date.”

Luna sat back in her chair. “Will, I’m starting to think that I would do this job for free.”

I gave her a stern look. “Luna. You shouldn’t admit that to your boss.”

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