Someone to Watch Over Me (16 page)

“Ma’am?”

“
I’m fine,
Taylor, thanks.” God, the guy was really serious. I bet he would’ve
broken Billy’s fingers if I’d asked him to.

Satisfied,
Taylor nodded and
closed the door again.

Eyeing me, Billy blew out a deep breath.
“Have a seat, Coop. Please.”

“
I’ll
stand. Thanks.” I tried to rein in the angry
tears that rimmed my eyes. I didn’t want him to see me cry. The
hell if I would walk out sniveling.

Rising from
his chair
, he pulled an envelope from
beneath the blotter and crossed around his desk, perching on the
corner with one foot on the ground. “You’ve outgrown us, Coop. We
all knew you were destined for better things. It was only a matter
of time until you caught your big break. And this is it,
sweetheart. Everyone knows it.”

“
There’s no
guarantee. Until then, I
need
this job.”

“
Until
then,” Billy amended. “Maybe this will help.” He proffered the
envelope.

Barely able
to restrain from snatching it out of his hand, I tore it open and
extracted the check. No amount of severance was going to make up
for the tips I was losing. Thus, I was flabbergasted when I took in
the
number of zeroes staring back at me.
I could feel my face drain of color. All the things I said to him…I
called him an asshole for shit’s sake. Oh, lord.

“I can’t take this. It’s too much.”

“It’s yours. I’ve just been holding onto it
until the right time.”

“
Ten
thousand
dollars?”

“
It’s the
proceeds from the
tip jar for your
performances. ‘The starving artist fund,’ the girls called it.
They’ve been collecting it for almost a year, wanted it to be a
surprise.”

Overwhelmed,
I had to sit down. I dropped onto the leather couch, my eyes
filling with tears. “I’m so sorry for what I said. I mean, the
uniforms really do suck and
I hate some
of the songs you chose, but the other part…”

“
I’ve been
called much worse over much less,” Billy dismissed. “Just remember
us when you hit it big. Give us a shout out.
Send us some new patronage.”

“
What if I
don’t make it?”
The pressure to succeed
increased twofold. I’d feel like an ass if I failed now. I had
expectations to fill.

Surprising
me, Billy
reached forward and squeezed my
hand. “You live life to its fullest, Cooper, don’t let life pass
you by, and you’ll already have won.”

I shivered. Em had said almost the same
exact thing.

Abruptly, he
stood and left the room, leaving me alone in his office. In the one
year I had worked for him, I’d never seen him choked up, but I
swear
I saw some deep-seated emotion in
his eyes.

Stunned
silent, I sat staring at the check in my hand. It would definitely
help. I had an emergency fund, but this dwarfed it in
comparison.
Ten thousand dollars. I
couldn’t quit my day job, but it would leave me open on weekends to
spend more time with Levy, and to spend more time back stage,
scouting out possibilities. I could talk to other bands. Maybe even
build my own. The possibilities were endless. I felt like I’d just
gained a new lease on life.

Now if Grant
would only allow me to live it
in
peace.

A light
knock on the door captured my attention. I looked up to find Tate
standing in the doorway. “I’d ask if everything was alright, but
it’s obviously not. Tell me what happened.”

“
You’ve
officially hijacked my life.” Dropping my head, I pinched the
bridge of my nose. I needed more Advil. A whole bottle full.
“I’ve been ‘cut loose.’”

“
They fired
you? Because of me?”

“
They think
you’re my ticket to fortune and fame.”

Sitting
beside me on the couch, Tate took my hand. “
I’m sorry, Coop. My offer still stands if you need help.” I
flashed him the check, watched his brows rise to the center of his
forehead. “Damn, that’s a nice severance for waiting
tables.”

“It’s all my tips from being on stage.”

“Ah. The tip jar.”

“Yeah, the tip jar.”

“Did he give it to you before or after you
called him an asshole?”

“After.”

“
Good. I
feel vindicated for you over the uniform.” Lifting my hand to his
mouth, he kissed it. “So what do you plan to do?”

“
Sing. I
might as well take advantage of the stage time.”
Staring at all those yawning zeroes, I couldn’t squander
the opportunity. “I earned this myself, but I can’t help feeling
obligated to everyone here for believing in me. I don’t want to let
them down.”

“
You won’t.
It’s just a matter of time until you find the right
label.”

I thought he
might ask me to sign under Hautboy Records, but I
was relieved he didn’t. Mixing work and pleasure
was a big no no. If things didn’t work out between us, it could get
messy, something neither of us needed. At least in that, we were in
full agreement.

“You gonna be alright?”

“I think so. Things are just happening so
fast.”

“
Just
remember to breathe, and don’
t sweat it.
You can handle this.” Standing, Tate offered his hand. “Come on.
Your friend’s a little upset with himself. You need to go find him
before he dismembers someone. He’s seriously fuckin’ huge. I
thought he was going to pop my head off like a dandelion. If Evan
wasn’t there to step in, I might’ve pissed my pants.”

Temporarily
distracted, I laughed. “I can’t believe you just admitted
that.”

“Hey, I know my limits. He would’ve trounced
me.”

“
He needs to
apologize to you, not me.”

“
Oh, he did.
Sort of.”

“He did or he didn’t, there’s no in
between.”

“
He
apologized for jumping to conclusions, but made it clear he’d use
my face to mop the floors if I ever laid a hand on you.”

“
I’m
so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you out there
with him like that.”

“
You don’t
have to apologize. I respect him for it. I think Evan’s considering
hiring him on. We need another man since we lost Taylor’s brother a
few weeks ago.”

“
Lost?
I hope you mean no longer
employed.”

Tate
grinned. “
We didn’t lose him in the line
of duty if that’s what you’re thinking. The chicks get crazy enough
to bare their nails or pull out your hair, but they’re not going to
shank anyone. He and his wife had a baby. He decided to stay closer
to home.”

“
Oh, wow,
now I feel dumb.”

With his
hand at the nape of my neck, Tate ushered me through the door,
where Taylor and Evan stood waiting. They had their heads bent over
Evan’s phone, but when they saw us come out of Billy’s office, Evan
quickly closed the screen and slid it into his back
pocket.

“Where to?”

Everyone
turned to me expectantly. I lifted my shoulders.
“Well, damn, why’re you all looking at me?” Tate was the
boss.

“
You’re no
longer employed here, Coop,” said Tate, squeezing my shoulder.
“You’re free to do whatever you want.”

“
In that
case, I think I’d like to sit at the bar. After today, I really
need a drink.”

Chapter
8

“
P
lease stop apologizing,” I said
for the umpteenth time. No matter how many times I said it,
Marshall wouldn’t give it a rest. I never thought such a large man
could look so repentant.

“You should listen to her,” Carter warned.
“If you apologize again, she might kick you in the nuts.” Shifting
in his seat, he cupped himself protectively.

My face
turned profusely red. “I’m sorry! Ok? I’m sorry! How many times do
I have to say it?”

Carter
scowled, his brows furrowed until a deep
‘V’ appeared between them. “I was trying to apologize to
you, and you kicked me in the goddamn nuts!”

“
Just kick
him in the nuts again,” Jake pleaded, winning a venomous scowl and
a flip-off from Carter. “I can’t take his whining anymore, the
little bitch. Ooooohhhhh she kicked me in the nuts! Someone get me
some ice! I need ice for my nuts! Fucking pussy. Man
up.”

“Fuck you, Jake off.”

“
Ooh,
original. I think my sister used that when she was
fifteen.”

Shaking his
head, Tate leaned in close to my ear. “I didn’t invite them.
Swear.” We found them at the bar, already half-loaded. Carter
insisted we join them, having skipped out early from the picnic
this afternoon. Really, he just wanted the opportunity to pester
me.

“
They’re
like
the big brothers I never wanted,” I
said, watching the two proceed to toss peanut shells at one
another. Carter was throwing shells. Jake was throwing ice from my
glass of water, that I was finished with, consequently.

“
As soon as
you
finish your routine, we can
go.”

Though I
tried to repress a grimace, it must’ve shown, because Tate
frowned
, too. “I like them, really,” I
assured. “It’s the routine, I’d rather not do.” If Carter harassed
me this badly over my assault, he’d tease me mercilessly over the
songs Billy chose for me tonight.

“
Because of
the ‘twit’ songs?”

My mouth
popped open.
“Were you
eavesdropping?”

“
No, you
were just loud.”

“How much did you hear?”

“
Only the
part where you told off your boss, but everyone in the hall heard
that.” Taking a swig of his beer, he fought a grin. “Explain twit
music. I’m pretty sure that’s not a genre.”

Mildly
satisfied, I let the subject drop.
“Karaoke music. Prerecorded. But it’s not just that.
They’re always just short of smutty. I’ve sang Shania, Peggy Lee,
Nancy Sinatra, even
Lady
Marmalade
by Labelle. Don’t get me wrong,
they’re all good songs, but they come with a stereotype. People
expect a pole dance to go with them.”

“What about the songs you did last night?
You think they weren’t smutty?”

“
I had to
alter them or Billy wouldn’t have let me use them. Slow down the
rhythm, draw out the chords and they would’ve been seductive
instead of smutty. I wouldn’t have needed to use my body to draw in
the crowd. I could’ve had them with my voice alone.”

“
Prove it.”
Carter leaned forward in the booth,
buoying his dare. “Your boss can’t pick your songs anymore.
He’s already fired you. You have nothing to lose.”

“
Shut up,
Carter
,” Jake scoffed. “Why are you
always picking on her? It’s no wonder she kicked you in the
balls.”

“
Ignore
him,” Tate added. “We all do.”

“
It’s fine.
I can hold my own.”
Leaning forward in
the seat, I looked Carter in the eyes. “If I sing a cappella with
an ovation, what do I get?”

“
No hip
shakes or boob thrusting.”

“
Boob
thrusting?”

W
ith a sexy pout and hooded eyes,
Carter planted his hands on his hips and arched his back
repeatedly, thrusting his chest forward. “Boob
thrusting.”

“
I’m pretty
sure I’ve never done that on stage.” It was good for a laugh,
though. I almost spewed beer through my nose, watching Carter
embrace his feminine side. “So what do I get?”

“
I’ll hand
pick your band for you.” Carter Strickland was going to assemble a
band for me? He was lit. He didn’t know what he was
offering.

“Are you serious?”

“Does vanilla ice cream go with apple
pie?”

“
If she
loses?” Tate interjected, when I opened my mou
th to accept. My smiled soured. Wow. Just wow. Did he
really just diss me?

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“
I know you
can do it. I just want to make a point that Carter isn’t completely
selfless. He always has an ulterior motive.”

“
It’s
nothing unreasonable. I get to pick her next song.”

“
What song?”
I asked. Tate was right. This could be bad. He could pick something
like ‘My Neck, My back’ or something equally vulgar. Gah! What
would I do then?

“You said you’ve done Nancy Sinatra.”

“
These Boots
Are Made for Walking.”
It had to be the
most requested song. I could kill Billy for arranging a men’s
choice night. Still, it could’ve been much worse.

“
Bingo.”
Smiling
errantly, Carter tossed a peanut
in his mouth. “When you sing that, you can hip shake and boob
thrust all you want. In fact, I encourage it
wholeheartedly.”

“
Come
on, Coop,” Marshall spoke up. Offering his hand,
he helped me from the booth. “You’re on in five.”