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I handed two ten-dollar bills to the driver and dumped all my electronics into my sling bag as I exited the car and rushed inside the club.

“You must be Katy Evans,” a feminine voice said to me, and I looked up from my bag, whose zipper I had been struggling to close for the past two minutes as I waited at the bar.

A tall lady with a sleek black bob and a skintight dress smiled at me.

“Yes.” I reached forward, holding out a hand. “And you must be Umi. So nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she replied, waving a hand. “Take a seat. Would you like a drink?”

“Ah, no.” I shook my head, plopping myself on the tall bar seat. “I’m only nineteen.”

She arched her sleek brow. “That never seemed to be a problem in this city, but you’re young to be a band manager.”

“I grew up with the boys,” I said with a smile. “And Lan’s my boyfriend.”

“I wouldn’t recommend,” she quipped as she ordered the bartender to bring her an extra dry margarita and a glass of ice-cold water for me.

“Wouldn’t recommend what?” I asked when her eyes slid back to me.

“Mixing business with pleasure.” She paused, tilting her head. “It never ends well.”

I wouldn’t really take unsolicited advice from a stranger, but what she said rang true. She seemed wise beyond her years. I mean, she should be. After all, she was a self-made businesswoman who owned five of the most popular clubs in LA.

“I know,” I admitted after a beat. “I never really wanted this. Let’s just say I was desperate for some validation. But I think it’s time for me to leave it to someone else.”

“The road to seek validation is never ending, trust me.” Her sharp red nail trailed over the rim of her cocktail glass, which the bartender just slid toward us. “It doesn’t matter how much you do. It’s never enough.”

I nodded, taking a sip of my water. Was this what they meant when they said pouring your heart out to a stranger in a bar? Or maybe I was doing it because I was in desperate need of girl talk. I hadn’t had one in a long while.

My chest tightened at the thought of Evy’s betrayal. But I loved her still, and maybe that was why it hurt too much knowing she broke Emmie’s heart and left as if we didn’t mean anything to her. I still had Lily, but she still lived back in Bellevue, and my life was in LA, where my boy was. And he was my number one best friend, so that soothed the ache a bit.

But I couldn’t really moan and bitch to him about everything like what nail color to wear for the summer or about the spicy book scenes we recently read or how much you craved extra chocolate during your periods or how you wan… I stilled, feeling my face being robbed of color.

When was the last fucking time I had a period?

Was it two or three months ago?

It didn’t matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t remember.

I couldn’t be… I couldn’t be… I mean, Lan and I were always intimate like that, but I had on birth control patches.

“Katy.” A concerned voice reached my ears.

I looked up to see Umi watching me with a frown.

“I think I might be pregnant,” I blurted without thinking. I could hear my heart thundering in my rib cage.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. “I thought something was terribly wrong. I mean, that’s good news, right or not… Not everyone wants a child at your age.”

“I mean, I still don’t know for sure,” I said frantically. “I just don’t remember when I had my last period.”

“Ah okay, don’t worry about it.” She smiled, leaping to her feet as she gently urged me up. “Let’s go find out.”

“Now?” I blurted, following her. “But… but what about the meeting?”

She waved a hand. “Not important. I’ll send the contract to the label and they can deal with it.”

I trailed Umi’s step as she led me through a few corridors down the back till we ended up right outside two huge double doors.