Chapter 5 #2
Abe appeared at the table, his presence immediately shifting the dynamic. "Excuse me," he said. "Mr. Thornton, isn't it?"
Jason looked up with a feigned surprise. "Detective Stewart. Fancy meeting you here."
"I could say the same thing." Abe's gaze was steady. "I thought you might want to know that there's been some concern about harassment issues in the local music scene. We're advising venue owners to be vigilant about any unwanted behavior toward performers."
The message was clear, and Jason's smile faltered slightly. But he recovered quickly, then stood and straightened his jacket.
"Well, I should be going anyway," he said. "Stephen, it was a pleasure meeting you. Genevieve, always lovely to see you. I hope everything works out."
He walked away, as if nothing inappropriate had happened. But the damage was done. Genevieve could see the uncertainty in Stephen Canton's eyes. The seed of doubt that Jason had planted was taking root.
"Stephen, I can explain," she began, but the executive was already standing.
"Genevieve, you're incredibly talented, and I meant what I said about your performance tonight," Stephen said. "But Pickford Recording needs to work with artists who are stable. Perhaps we should revisit this conversation in a few months when things have settled down."
He walked away, leaving Genevieve standing beside the table, watching a career opportunity slip through her fingers.
Abe placed a gentle hand on her back. "I'm sorry. I got here as fast as I could."
"It doesn't matter." Genevieve's voice was flat with disappointment. "The damage is done. Jason just destroyed my chance with Pickford Recording, and he did it without breaking any laws or even raising his voice."
"He's not going to get away with this."
"How can you stop him? He didn't threaten me or do anything illegal. He just had a conversation with an important executive." Genevieve felt tears threatening and fought them back. "This is exactly what he wanted. He intended to hurt my career without giving you anything you can arrest him for."
The stage manager appeared beside them. "Genevieve? You're on in five minutes."
She nodded, trying to compose herself. The show had to go on, regardless of what had just happened. She had a professional obligation to the audience and to the club.
"I have to perform the second set," she said to Abe. "Can we talk about this afterward?"
"Of course. I'll be right here watching."
*****
The second set was more difficult than the first. Genevieve's heart wasn't fully in it, and she struggled to connect with the music the way she had earlier.
But she was a professional, and the audience didn't seem to notice her internal turmoil.
She delivered a solid performance, even if it lacked the emotional depth of her earlier songs.
As she took her final bow, she caught sight of Jason near the back of the room. He was standing by the exit, watching her with a satisfied expression that made her feel sick. He raised his hand in a small wave, then disappeared through the door.
Genevieve quickly gathered her things from the dressing room. She wanted to leave the club as soon as possible, and to get away from the scene of Jason's latest victory.
Abe was waiting for her backstage with two of the plainclothes officers. "Everything secure?" he asked them.
"Perimeter is clear," one of the officers replied. "No sign of the subject since he left during the second set."
"Good. We'll escort Ms. Dumas to her vehicle."
As they walked through the club's back exit, Genevieve trembled with anger. Jason had found a new way to torment her, one that was perhaps more devastating than physical threats. He was attacking her livelihood, her dreams, and her future.
"He's not going to stop," she said to Abe as they reached his car. "This isn't just intimidation. He's systematically trying to destroy everything I've worked for."
Abe opened the passenger door for her. "Then we need to change our approach. Defensive measures aren't enough anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"We need to find out everything we can about Jason's business dealings, his connections, and his vulnerabilities." Abe's expression was determined. "If he wants to play dirty, we'll give him a fight he didn't expect."
As they drove through the quiet streets of New Orleans, Genevieve stared out the window at the familiar cityscape. She'd normally found comfort in the city's character, its resilience in the face of storms and challenges. Tonight, she needed to find that same resilience within herself.
"I won't let him win," she said.
Abe reached over and took her hand. "Neither will I."
*****
Back at Abe's house, they sat on his sofa with cups of tea, processing the events of the evening. Genevieve had changed into comfortable clothes and brushed her hair, but she still felt the residual tension from the confrontation.
"Tell me more about Stephen Canton," Abe said. "How important is he to your career prospects?"
"Very important. Pickford Recording is one of the most respected music companies in the South. A contract with them could change everything for me." She sighed. "Jason knew exactly who to target and exactly what to say to make Stephen doubt my professionalism."
"Has Jason ever worked with Pickford?"
"Not that I know of, but the music industry here is small. People know each other, even if they haven't worked together directly." Genevieve put her teacup down. "Jason positioned himself as someone looking out for the label's interests, warning them about a potentially problematic artist."
Abe was quiet for a moment, then said, "What if we could prove that Jason's claims about your reliability were false? We could provide documented evidence of your professionalism, even testimonials from people you've worked with."
"It might help, but the seed of doubt was already planted. Music executives are risk averse. They'll choose someone without any question marks over someone they have to defend."
"Then we need to create question marks about Jason instead."
Genevieve looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean we investigate his business practices, his treatment of other artists, plus his methods for securing deals. If Jason has been using unethical tactics in his career, there might be other victims willing to come forward."
The idea had merit, but Genevieve worried about the resources and time it would require. "How long would that take? My career can't wait for a lengthy investigation."
"That's why I want to bring in Gabriel's team. With their help, we can move much faster than if I tried to handle this through official channels alone."
Genevieve felt a spark of hope. She leaned into Abe, and he put his arm around her. The comfort was welcome, and his touch even more. She could no longer deny feeling more for him than professionalism.
She trusted Abe. He was a friend. And she realized that Cadie had been right—the relationship could be so much more. But until the threats were handled and her life was her own again, she couldn't trust herself. She'd believed too many times and been crushed just as often.
She steeled herself to keep her distance, until she looked into Abe's eyes. There was more emotion there than concern or support. His expression was filled with desire matching hers.
He kissed the top of her head, then put his fingers under her chin, and her gaze met his. She couldn't resist, despite what her rational mind told her. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. And she kissed back.
Her voice was a whisper. "Abe…"
"You're safe, honey," he said, then kissed her again.
Genevieve's body warmed, all the way to her toes. Abe lifted her onto his lap and she put her arms around his neck then kissed him with abandon.