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“Thanks,” I whispered. “Are the girls all set?”
“Yeah, we're going to talk about the rehearsal soon.”
“That should be good. We have to practice so it's perfect.”
“Do you think you can handle that?”
“I think I can handle a lot more than you give me credit for.”
She gave me a smirk and chimed, “Oh, feisty.”
“I think I need more coffee.”
“I can send Victoria on a coffee run. Would you like your usual?”
I pushed the tack through the curtain and into the wall, smiling at my handiwork. “Sure.”
“Alright, I'll be back in a few.”
“Take your time.”
I stepped down from the ladder and stood a few feet away to study the curtains. They looked even. I moved the ladder over to the next window and climbed it again with a new silk curtain. I held it up, placing it as level with the others as possible. Although having help was nice, I worked best alone.
Especially after that bomb Jen had dropped.
It's nothing personal. It was literally so nothing else got disturbed, I assured myself.Even though I'm disturbed and it sounds like Levon is, too. I don't hate him. I never hated him.
I frowned as I pushed the tack through the curtain.
I hope he never hated me. It wasn't. . .it was never entirely personal. It was his job. He was committed entirely to his job because he wanted his career to soar.I repeated my motions and kept moving the ladder, moving the curtains as well.And he succeeded. But it came with a heavy cost.
As I picked up a rhythm, I found myself moving around the room a lot faster than before. Twenty minutes had passed when Victoria came up with a fresh, piping hot cup of coffee. I descended the ladder and accepted the cup gratefully, holding it up.
“Thanks. I'm sorry about earlier. I just . . .”
She laughed nervously. “I get it. I have more exes in this town than I can count. I'm grateful Gabe isn't one of them.”
“Oh, right.”
“Can I get you anything else?”
“Nah, I'm good. Thanks, Vic.”
“Of course.”
She wandered off and I studied her, drawn to her calm and cool energy. That's all I needed right now. I needed to be calm and cool. It was business as usual and as long as I wore my professional demeanor, I would succeed. I just had to keep my head in the game, no matter what happened.
Even if that means I lose my mind a little bit, I joked.A little madness can go a long way. That's what Mama always told me.
I sighed and then sipped my coffee, thankful for the warmth coming from my cup. It soothed me enough to get me to walk over to the girls that were standing in a circle. And I felt like I was a part of them. I felt like I was part of the crew.
And that's what I needed.
CHAPTER11
Levon
I strolledup to Pete's Outhouse with my hands tucked into my pockets. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining down on the sidewalk, illuminating my path as I meandered toward the outside seating area. Laura waved me over to her table.