Page 41 of My Grape Crush
And these days, the only way bands make serious money is by touring.
“I know,” Sawyer says, irritation creeping into his voice because he’s busted. “Nothing is set in stone. Just floating ideas around at this stage. And don’t screw it up by saying anything, okay?”
“You’d throw your own brother under the bus for a deal? Have you even asked him?” My voice rises, enough to catch Dani’s attention. She looks over and signals that her call will wrap up soon.
Sawyer angles closer, his voice tight and low. “We sign her, and it could mean millions. While you’re off in Grecian La La Land, the company’s taken a hit. Covid. SAG strikes. Any scrap on the table and there’s a bloodbath to secure it. This is what I do. And who do you think it was who negotiated your million? I stepped in to hammer Evelyn. Bettina was willing to walk away at seven hundred thousand.”
My brow furrows. “She never told me that.”
“Of course she didn’t. I always look out for you. Family first. Something you might want to consider.”
I take the hit, ignoring the twinge in my stomach. “Family first, huh? You know better than to get JC mixed up in this shit. Unemployed guitarists make up half of LA’s population. Tap into that.”
Dani returns, her smile ticking down a notch as our ugly energy smacks into her.But for all she knows, Sawyer’s sour expression is more a default mode than a reflection of his actual mood. Me? I’ve been moonlighting at the school of make-believe and acing every class. I can pretend with the best of them.
“Sorry about that,” she says. “Let’s walk down to the point. The view only gets better.”
Sawyer and I fall on either side of her again, and this time, I jump in. “Like I said, if you need help with entertainment, give me a holler. I have all the top guys on speed dial.”
“Calvin Harris?” She drops one of the biggest names in what feels like a test.
“Just partied with him last month.”
My gaze lands on Sawyer, hard and unforgiving. Fine if he wants to muck around in my deals. But I will cut off an arm before I witness JC sink back into the bleakness he almost suffocated in.
Chapter Thirteen
DANI
Four hours later,Sawyer and I are seated at an outdoor table overlooking Lake Osoyoos. The evening blazes August-hot. I take a sip of water, scoping out the trendy steakhouse. Furnished in dark wood and posturing, it’s as sleek and polished as Sawyer. His lustrous dress shirt reeks expensive, diamonds twinkling on the pristine white cuffs. Slacks pressed just so.
With his probing questions on the ride over, I’m picking up on a date vibe.
A tall, fresh-faced waitress hustles over, smiling brightly through her frazzle. The restaurant is packed and buzzing like game seven in the Stanley Cup Finals is about to unfold.
“Good evening,” she says. “My name is Elaine. I'll be your server tonight. Wine to start, by the looks of it?”
Deeply engrossed in a wine menu thicker than a September issue ofVogue,Sawyer slides his eyes to meet mine. “Do you prefer white or red?”
“I’m a red girl, but I’m happy with any color.”
Sawyer snaps the wine list shut. “A bottle of the Oculus, please.”
Elaine hesitates and glances at me for some unknown reason. “That one is five hundred dollars a bottle.”
Sawyer pins her with a look. “If I order something,” he says, “it means I can pay for it.”
Sawyer flaunted his extensive wine knowledge all afternoon, dropping the big names out of Napa and France. But our well-meaning server does not deserve a dress down in a tone reserved for bitches of the highest order.
Elaine smiles charitably, as you do with a fussy a-hole guest. “Of course. I double-check to be on the safe side, what with the prices being unlisted.”She reaches for the wine menu and comically battles with Sawyer over who retains possession of it.
Sawyer wins, yanking it out of her grip. “I’ll hold on to this for later.”
I dig deep inside myself not to panic. Later? How long does he plan to be here? We knocked back wine with Evelyn in the tasting room for two hours with most of the selling points discussed. She seemed quite taken with Sawyer and his grand schemes. The idea of replacing Shania with Pop My Cherry tickled her pink.
While we quaffed every Nero Vino varietal, Rhys dropped several hints about joining us for dinner that Sawyer flatly ignored. My guess? It tied back to the weird tension that flared between them on our walk earlier.
But I hold on to the small spark of hope that Rhys will appear.
