CHAPTER NINE #2
She was here, sitting amongst a small group of men and women gathered at a corner table with a drink in her hand and laughter spilling out like she had no worries in the world. Someone was on stage absolutely butchering a pop song, their voice so off-key I couldn’t help but wince.
But it wasn’t the singing or the noise that held my attention.
It was Elise.
She was laughing at something one of her coworkers said, her head tilted back, cheeks flushed.
Her normally poised demeanor at work was nowhere to be found.
Instead, she was carefree. Radiant. She didn’t look like the woman who handled my schedule with precision or dealt with entitled artists with unwavering patience.
She looked free.
I lingered for a moment, unwilling to interrupt.
It wasn’t often I got to see this side of her, and I wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.
I took a step, striving forward to where I saw Elise sitting, but the moment I was spotted, the mood in the room shifted like a record scratch.
The laughter died down and all eyes turned towards me, wide with surprise and alarm.
“Mr. Edge?” Elise was the first one to speak up. “What are you doing here?”
“You invited me,” I reminded her. “Or was that just to be nice?”
Elise blushed slightly under my gaze. “N-no. Of course not. I just didn’t think you’d actually show up.”
I smirked before turning my gaze to the rest of my employees. “You can all relax. I’m not here to ruin your night. In fact,” I motioned towards a passing waitress. “Drinks are on me for the rest of the night.”
The announcement earned me a room full of applause and cheers, but most importantly, a smile from Elise.
“Look at you, Mr. Edge, slumming it with the rest of us,” she teased, standing up with her drink in hand.
It was something dark and fruity. “I’m honestly shocked you didn’t turn right back around when you saw the flickering Coors Light sign out front.
Do I need to explain karaoke to you or do you know how it works? ”
“Of course I do,” I retorted. “It’s where people humiliate themselves on purpose, fueled by dollar shots and poor judgment. Case in point,” I added, nodding toward the stage where a guy in a sweat-stained polo was butchering a powerful ballad like it owed him money.
Elise laughed, and I felt something warm settle in my chest at the sound.
She leaned closer, her eyes narrowing playfully.
“You’ve got something on your neck, by the way,” she said, her eyes narrowing at something.
I wiped my neck with my hand and it came away with the faint smear of peach lipstick I hadn’t remembered to wipe off.
“Let me guess, Sadie Stevens?” She arched a brow, her tone clipped.
The way Elise said her name made me think Elise wasn’t as big of a fan as she led me to believe.
“Why did you say her name like that?”
“I didn’t say her name like anything,” Elise shook her head. “I mean, if you want to hook up with a woman like her, that’s your prerogative.”
“And what kind of woman is she?” I pressed.
“You know, the one of the gold-digging variety.” Elise answered before taking a sip of her drink. “You could do so much better than her, by the way.”
“Oh yeah? And what exactly should I be looking for in a woman, Elise? Since you seem to think you know better than I do?”
“Someone who likes you for you,” Elise answered simply. “And I know that sounds completely cheesy, but it’s true. You need someone who doesn’t care about your last name and all the things it comes with. You need a woman who is fun, sweet—”
“Not too sweet.” I interrupted.
“And someone who gets you.” Elise finished.
“Sounds like you have someone in mind.”
“Maybe I do.” Elise didn’t break eye contact.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could reply, static echoed throughout the room and Marissa stumbled onto the stage, a flirty grin plastered on her face.
“Mr. Edge!” she slurred, raising her glass like she was making a toast. “This one’s for you!
” she gestured toward the mic-stand, her words nearly incoherent, and I groaned internally as the words to a love song popped up on the screen.
Elise bit her lip, clearly fighting back laughter. “Wow,” she said, shaking her head. “You’ve really made an impression. Should we be expecting a performance from you next?”
“Not a chance,” I replied, glancing away from Marissa crooning off-key. “So what about you?” I asked, steering the conversation back to its origin. “What do you look for in a man?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t had enough sangria to answer that question.” She blushed.
“Tell me. Though I’m fairly confident I already know.”
“Oh really?” Elise arched a brow at me. “What exactly is my type then, Mr. Edge?”
“You say you want a man who makes you feel safe and special.”
“Is that bad?” she asked, her voice quieter now, almost uncertain.
“No, not bad at all,” I said, my tone casual, though I could feel the heat building between us. “Except you forget to mention one thing,”
She looked at me then, brow arched in a challenge. “And what’s that?”
I allowed a smirk to tug at my lips, savoring the tension that had thickened in the air. “You want someone who’ll make you lose control,” I said, letting the words settle. “Someone who knows exactly what you need even when you don’t.”
I could see the shiver run through her, the way her pulse quickened, the surprise flickering in her eyes. The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy, charged with something unspoken. I could almost feel her heart racing as she struggled to make sense of what I’d just said.
Before either of us could say another word, a voice cut through the moment, raspy yet annoyingly cheerful.
“Elise, hey.”
A familiar face with tousled brown hair appeared behind her, his easy smile directed solely at her.
Elise snapped out of our charged moment like it had never happened, quickly smoothing her expression into a polite smile before turning her head.
“Hey, Warren.” She gestured toward me as if she’d suddenly remembered I was there.
“Mr. Edge, I’m sure you know Warren. He’s one of the sound engineers at Edge Records. ”
I gave a curt nod, my gaze steady on him. “Of course.”
Warren nodded politely before turning his full attention back to Elise, his tone casual but laced with intention. “I’m up next after Marissa, and I was wondering if you’d be up for a duet with me. I’ve got a killer song I think we could absolutely crush together.”
He smiled at her like he had already won her over, and I couldn’t stop my jaw from tightening.
She laughed lightly, and the sound only fueled my irritation and made me want to fire him on the spot. “That sounds fun.”
“Shouldn’t you be finishing the lead vocals on the Carter project?” I asked, my tone cold and measured. “Or is embarrassing yourself singing off-key the new way to multitask around here?”
The grin vanished, replaced by a flush of embarrassment. “I was just—”
“Just wasting time,” I snapped, cutting him off. “I want the finished product on my desk by Monday morning.”
Warren glanced at Elise like he wanted her to save him, but she just looked as stunned as he did. Finally, he mumbled, “Of course, Mr. Edge,” and slunk out of the room.
For a second, the only sounds in the room were the off-key wails of a drunk Marissa and the occasional clink of glasses at the bar. Suddenly Elise stood, and I knew I’d crossed a line.
“Was that really necessary?” she asked, her voice cutting through the tension.
I met her gaze without flinching. “He was wasting time,” I said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Elise folded her arms. “It’s almost eleven on a Friday night, Mr. Edge. And you’re mad that someone dared to have fun for five minutes?”
“I’m mad that someone on payroll thinks this is a hobby,” I snapped. “Deadlines don’t care if it’s the weekend. The Carter album drops in ten days.”
“And you think humiliating him in front of half the staff was the best way to motivate him?”
I tilted my head. “I think reminding him who signs his checks was.”
Her lips parted in disbelief. “You’re unbelievable.”
I shrugged. “That’s why Edge Records runs like it does.”
“This is why people are afraid of you.”
“Good,” I said flatly. “Fear is efficient.”
Her eyes narrowed, but when she spoke, there was something else there too. Not anger. Something closer to pity.
“You didn’t have to tear him down to prove a point. You’re his boss, not a tyrant.”
“I don’t need advice on how to run my company.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Her eyes widened, the hurt rippling across her face like a crack through glass. She bit her lip and nodded, the fire in her gaze dimming as she tightened her hold on her drink, preparing to leave.
I opened my mouth to apologize, but the words stuck. She’d already stood up, turned back and started walking towards the group, deliberately ignoring me.
I ran a hand through my hair, the weight of what I’d just done settling in.
Damn it.
I’d been making progress with her, or at least I thought I had. And now, in a matter of seconds, I’d taken a giant step back.