When the concert ended, the audience cheered, but they still called for Rodney. His brother was probably laid up in bed, coughing. Jack almost shit himself when he saw him walk onstage, arms raised high. He didn’t wear his signature hat, and his face was pale.
No one seemed to notice. The roar of the crowd was loud enough to split Jack’s eardrums. It knocked him off his high. Once again, he was good, but Rodney was better. Always better.
His brother raised his arm in a wave and grabbed the mic from Jack. “I’m sorry, y’all. Not feeling great.”
His voice failed several times, but it only made them cheer more. “I was in Wheeling, helping to rescue people in the flood. Almost drowned, myself.”
Jack crossed his fingers behind his back. Please don’t mention your black girlfriend.
Thankfully, he didn’t. After the show, Jack planned to jump on Twitter and spin today’s media disaster to their advantage. Then, everyone would assume Rodney had rescued some poor African-American woman. She was so excited to survive, she’d ripped off her shirt and sworn her love for him. A crazed fan, nothing more.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Rodney said. “So, I’m happy to say, we’re going to donate half the take from this show to Wheeling’s flood victims.”
He what? How dare he make that kind of decision without him? The band was a business, not a charity, for chrissake.
The crowd exploded into a frenzy of applause, whistles, and cheers.
“It’s time we gave back, don’t you think?” Rodney asked. With his pale face and crazy half-voice, he resembled a spirit returned from the dead. His long, gold locks probably made him look like an angel to the women.
Well, how do you like that? Sick as a dog and a public disgrace, Big Brother had still managed to upstage him. Jack resisted the urge to clock him over the head with his guitar as he stomped offstage.
* * *
A couple of days later, Dee started on her next cup of coffee. She had so many files stacked on her desk, she could barely see daylight. Not that her cramped office had a window. Coffee couldn’t work miracles, though, on her deep exhaustion.
She’d already pulled an all-nighter and might have to do another. At least it helped her catch up and got her mind off Rodney. The band’s tweets made her out to be some nutcase fan rescued from the flood. She didn’t know who’d sent them, but he must have at least approved of them.
Luckily, she’d managed to drive her car down the other side of the mountain, and it had stayed dry inside. Her parents were still staying in a motel, which she was paying for. The water had finally receded, but it had risen halfway up the first floor of their home. Thinking of being snug in her bed with Rodney while the water rose gave her chills. The house would need major repairs to be livable again.
Barry came in to collaborate before the client meeting for one of her current cases. A meaty one about racial discrimination in a local chain store. The kind of case that could make or break her shot at junior partner. The office had been such a busy mess, he hadn’t said much to her since she’d been back. When he sat on the edge of her desk and crossed his arms, though, she had a feeling that was about to change.
“We have a little time before the meeting to talk,” he said, dropping his suit jacket onto her guest chair. “Anything you want to tell me?”
She set her pen down. “What’s on your mind, Barry?”
“I watch the news on TV.”
“Being in floodwater was terrifying,” she explained.
“I can imagine.” He sipped some coffee from his mug. “It’s not the first time you’ve been seen with that guy, though. You took the time off to be with him, didn’t you?”
She nodded. “I’m sorry, but I do have a right to a personal life. His schedule is tough.”
“Aside from not leaving us shorthanded, you have an obligation to uphold the image of Willis and Greene. Running around half naked with a rock star doesn’t fit.”
If she were a guy, would he be giving her such a hard time? Or would he be slapping her on the back, admiring her virility?
“I’m sorry. It will never happen again.”
“Good. Then you’ll stop seeing him.”
Anger flared to the ends of her fingertips. “I didn’t say that. I’m very dedicated to my job, but it can’t dictate my entire life.”
“He’s a celebrity. You never know when you’ll be photographed.”
Ain’t it the truth? “I’m dating him so I can understand bigotry better. It’ll make me better at my job. Just trust me, okay?”
He stood and put on his jacket. “All right, young lady. You’ve got one more shot. Don’t blow it.”
Young lady? Why did he keep calling her that? She wasn’t his daughter or a college student. She was a professional with several years of experience. Now wasn’t the time to argue about it, however.
The meeting didn’t go much better. Their client kept changing his mind, holding back key facts until it was too late. She definitely had another all-nighter in store. She went to the kitchen to dump her cold coffee and replace it with hot.
“Oh, Dee, there you are,” the receptionist said. “There’s a limousine outside waiting for you.”
“A limo?”
Warmth filled her chest. Rodney must be in town. Had he come here specially to see her? Maybe even apologize for the cold way he’d acted when they’d parted in Wheeling?
He’d been sick, so they’d merely exchanged a few brief texts like How are you feeling today? and A little better. She stared at her coffee mug and bit her bottom lip. She’d just been reprimanded by the boss for seeing the guy. Skipping out in his limousine wouldn’t exactly earn her any brownie points.
But she had to see him. She’d just say hello
