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“Well, that sucks!”

I said after Anton explained there’d been a mole in the committee.

“It appears he was placed there to reject all the musicals,”

Anton had said.

Apparently, the person had been hired by Enzo’s sister, who was convinced that if they could get all the musicals rejected, she’d get the money he’d set aside.

“So, what happens now?”

“The committee will review all the musicals we’ve put before them and decide if one is appropriate, now that the mole who has been poisoning the pot is gone.

Meanwhile, know this will take a long time, maybe even years.

Linc, the committee doesn’t move fast.”

I chuckled despite my disappointment.

Reminding myself it had been a long shot from the start, I decided in that instant to focus on what was possible—Anton and me.

“Babe, it’s all good.

Why don’t you come to Nashville? I promise to show you a good time.”

“Yes, as soon as I can get away, but I did want to ask you one more thing.

Lewis Dunnage, the Australian singer, has asked to sing the song the character sings about the King and Queen.

It’s far from assured that the committee will choose any of the musicals we’ve presented.

This might be cheating, but I know more than a few of them have a crush on Lewis. It couldn’t hurt for him to record that song.”

“Wow, you’re conniving. Remind me not to get on your bad side,”

I said, chuckling.

“Oh, that’s my Italian blood. So what do you think?”

“Send it to Keith, let him negotiate, and if he says yes, I’m all in.”

“See, this is why you’re my favorite.”

“Favorite, huh? Favorite what? Side piece, piece of ass? Boytoy?”

“Mmm,”

Anton moaned. “All those and so much more. Okay, I’ve got to run, got another phone call, but I’ll let you know about Nashville. If not, maybe you can come here.”

“We’ll see,”

I said, letting him off the hook.

I really wanted to get him here now we’d gotten so close.

We’d talked almost every night since I left New York, and our conversations got better and richer with time.

However, things had gotten heavy right after I left, and they found out about the mole.

I knew it was too early, but I hoped it worked out.

I wasn’t in the least bit surprised that Lewis Dunnage wanted the song.

With Rodrick’s help, we’d turned it into a lament.

It was beautiful and haunting.

Nothing I’d ever written described my life as a kid growing up with my grandparents as well as that song.

Whether or not the musical ever got to the stage, I loved the idea of the song being out in the world.

Of course, that meant I needed to let Keith know.

Even though he hated the musical and told me I needed to abandon it as often as he could, I think the commission from that song might help mitigate some of the upset he was feeling—at least, maybe.