Page 3 of Lucky Break
“Nope.” He shakes his head. “Not until they leave.”
“They?”
He hunches forward, his eyes giving away his excitement. “We have a music label arriving in fifteen minutes.”
“What?” I practically shout, then glance over my shoulder to see if Callum’s on his way back inside yet. I need to tell him. Or maybe I shouldn’t. Fuck. This could be his big break. I don’t want to get in his head tonight any more than Celeste already has.
“You’re the only one I trust to do a good job without acting like a fool,” he says in just about a whisper, the sweat on his forehead magnifying and making a lot more sense. “A security team called earlier and now they’re here doing a sweep of the place. They asked for discrete. No press. No cameras. This is real big-time Hollywood shit.”
I nod, excitement building in my chest.
“Go, go! They’ll be here any second!” He waves me toward the door.
“Oh!” I spin around. “Parker needs more gin too!”
“On it! I’m right behind you,” Lars mumbles to himself and heads for the locked closet that contains our liquor.
I don’t waste another second, and as I push out into the busy bar, my entire body radiates with a feeling I haven’t experienced in so long it’s unfamiliar. Hope.
3
CALLUM
I shouldn’t have pickedup.
The chill of the night kisses my forearms and I consider taking another long inhale off my vape pen. The buzz I had before is totally ruined. I’ve been listening to Celeste cry and rant and complain for almost ten minutes now. We’re talking in circles and I’m trying to stay present, but I really need to work.
“You don’t understand how lonely it is. I can’t see our future anymore. You know I love you, but I’m not spending the rest of my life waiting around while you chase your dreams.”
“It doesn’t have to be like that. I can write and play music and give you the life you want.”
“But can you?” She inhales so sharply, her breath rushes through the line. “Because from my point of view, it feels like more empty words and promises.”
I scrub a hand across the scruff of my jaw. “We’ll talk when I get home.”
The door to the back patio swings open with a groan. Lars stands there with wide eyes. “Good god, Callum! What the hell are you doing back here? I need you on stage!”
I can’t afford to lose this gig. It’s one of my steady, better paying ones. “Coming, sorry,” I whisper away from my cell.
But Celeste hears. “Seriously?”
“I’ve got to go,” I say as gently as possible, my footsteps following Lars inside. His pace is rushed and hurried through the back storage room and I practically jog to catch up.
“You better not hang up on me!” Celeste practically seethes in my ear.
It’s a coward’s move, but I pretend not to hear her and end the call. Then I power off my phone, because I know her too well. She won’t just leave it until I get home. She’ll blow up my cell until I give in. And I always give in when it comes to her. Maybe that’s the problem. A relationship should be a partnership. A give and take. I shouldn’t feel such deep dread when she calls. She should be supportive that I’m out here hustling and bringing in money to make rent.
Pushing out into the bar area, I’m so in my own head that I almost bump into Tess. “Sorry.”
“Hey.” She steadies the tray of drinks in one hand and reaches out with her other, touching my shoulder. “You good?”
“Yeah. Sure.” Internally I try to shake off the conversation with Celeste.
Tess meets my eyes, her stare intense. “Take it all and leave it on stage. Got it?”
How does she always just know? “Yeah.”
“You’re gonna be great,” she says, almost as if she’s trying to hype me up. It’s a little weird, because this is Twisted Goat. The crowd knows my stuff and I mix in enough covers to make any newbies happy.
