Page 104 of Hard Rock Tease

“Thanks for the insight.” He strolled toward me. The hallway was wide but he made sure to brush by close enough for our chests to nearly touch. I shivered, a wave of warmth rushing through me. “I’ll be sure to tell the guys we’ve got the approval of our fans.”

He pushed open the next set of doors and was gone. I collapsed against the wall, letting out the breath I’d been holding.

I’d told Jayce Evans of Feral Silence that I found him seductive.

No, I reminded myself. I told him I found his music seductive.

Same thing, a small voice inside me piped up.

I took slow breaths in and out. When I came back from my Jayce-induced stupor, I saw a flurry of text messages on my phone from Deena Malik. I texted back furiously, letting her know I was here and just trying to find my way around. I didn’t want my new boss to think I was late.

My head was still down, focused on my phone, when a voice spoke up from behind me.

“What are you doing here?”

I jumped and whirled around. Another person with a clipboard and headset frowned at me.

“I’m sorry. I’m supposed to be here. I just don’t know where to go.”

“Name?” She spoke in a clipped, harried tone.

I hoped I wasn’t still flushed from my encounter with Jayce. I pushed all thoughts of my rock star crush out of my mind. I was here to do a job.

“I’m Ailey. I’m probably on your list as Aimee Lee.”

She nodded, not consulting her clipboard as she motioned for me to follow, leading me away from the stage and through a side door. We walked without speaking, taking me through corridors that I assumed led backstage. I began to worry. Was the stage off limits during rehearsal?

The woman was on the short side, even with her black heeled pumps, dark hair pinned up in a messy bun, as if she hadn’t had the time to do more with it that morning. Her grey pantsuit looked a bit rumpled, but still professional. I’d tried to dress the same—professional but chic—in a black pencil skirt and white silk blouse. I wondered if I should have dressed up a bit more, maybe paired my shirt with a blazer.

“I’m sorry if I wasn’t supposed to see the band practicing. I’m looking for Deena Malik.”

“That’s me.”

I cringed, shoulders hunching over my ears. I’d already made a mistake at my new job in front of the band’s manager, who was also my boss. I’d screwed up on my first day. Anxiety pushed away the excitement Jayce’s gaze stirred up inside me.

She turned and gave me a smile. I relaxed, relieved I wasn’t in trouble.

“So you’re my social media intern.”

I straightened and held out my hand, determined to make a better impression. “Thank you so much for this opportunity, Ms. Malik. I look forward to working with you.”

“Just Deena is fine,” she said, returning the shake. “I’ll admit, I was surprised when I saw your application. An internship seems a bit below someone with your online following.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised she’d checked me out. It made sense. Deena would want to know whether I could do what I said I could. “Lots of online followers doesn’t always translate to employable skills.”

“It does in this industry. As a new music label, we need someone like you. Traditional PR isn’t enough these days. We need to be social. It’s your job to be our online hype girl. Give people a taste of our inner workings, help our musicians interact with fans, tease at our upcoming events and releases. That sort of thing.”

Deena led me to a private office, maneuvering through the dozens of people milling about, most with headsets, all with staff badges around their necks. I glanced around, trying to be discreet, but I didn’t recognize any other rock stars or musicians.

When we were alone, she shut the door and handed me a stack of papers.

“Standard non-disclosure agreement. You agree not to blab about things you’re not supposed to, et cetera, et cetera.”

“What things am I not supposed to talk about?”

Deena tapped the papers and handed me a pen. “Sign and you’ll find out.”

I quickly signed, not bothering to read it. I didn’t care if I was selling my soul. It would be well worth it. She filed them away in a folder.