Chapter 13
Helena
Cassandra had good instincts. Or—I wondered if I should have been calling her Julie.
Her maiden name made sense, but I wondered if Julie was an alias, a middle name, or if she just wanted out of being Cassandra Evans-Pierre so badly that she wanted to drop the whole name and move on.
I was desperately curious what the husband was like, and I’d almost looked them up at one point, but I think I was worried about what I’d find.
Instead, I got to see who she was firsthand, and she was clever with people.
It quickly became clear working with Stephen Shale in a different studio wasn’t just about getting a record done for him, but was another form of networking opportunity—she laid on the charm with the producer who squeezed into the booth with the two of us to work with Stephen, and we chatted while Stephen was doing take after take in the room.
Talked extensively about this event we were working on, and she deferred to me to let me handle asking him about his work, the studio, about the industry though his eyes, a push-and-pull that had him feeling like an old friend by the time we finished the record, Stephen Shale shooting us a thumbs-up from inside.
“Didn’t want to close him?” I said, once Cassandra and I were back out in the lobby, Cassandra knocking back half a bottle of water in one go and wiping her mouth.
“People get buyer’s regret when you close them on the first go,” she said. “I like to aim for three rounds unless they volunteer first.”
I folded my arms. “Where’d you learn that?”
“Ah… Kingmaker taught me.”
“The man, the myth, the legend. When do I meet him?”
She snorted. “Never, if I want to keep my dignity intact. Even though I’m indebted to his network and stuff, I’m embarrassed to know him. White guy with braids and a durag. Never seen him wearing anything other than a tacky gold tracksuit.”
“Wow.”
“You’re good, you know?” she said, leaning back against the wall.
She looked so tired… I wondered if she was taking care of herself.
She’d looked like she was about to crumple to the floor when I’d asked her if she was okay.
But even so, she smiled at me, like everything was better when I was here, and I was feeling a little spoiled by it.
“You picked up on everything right away and filled in the gaps.”
I laughed. “Not regretting Krysten sending me along with you, then?”
“Ah.” She scratched her head, blushing. “You know it wasn’t that I doubt your abilities. I mean, you do know that, right?”
“What was it, then?”
“Ugh. What do you think, Helena?” She blushed harder now, scratching her neck, her arm, bouncing on the balls of her feet. I couldn’t help smiling. If it was just that she liked me too much to focus on the work when I was around… or that she didn’t trust herself around me…
Jesus, it was like I never learned my lesson.
I couldn’t do anything with a married woman, not even if she and her husband were going through…
whatever they were going through. Even if I was fast getting addicted to the way this confident, headstrong woman was smooth and suave until the moment I said the right thing to turn her into putty in my hands.
That line of thinking didn’t make it sound like I was learning my lesson.
“If I’m too distracting…” I started, and she let out a whoosh of air.
“Look, I’m pretty sure anyone would get distracted by you. But I’m fine. I’m a professional.”
God, I couldn’t help the curiosity. I sidled in a little closer. “Not used to being distracted by a woman?”
“I have had full-fledged relationships with women before. On multiple occasions. But there’s a difference between women as a general concept and, uh, you.”
Well, well. Wasn’t Houdini full of surprises? I bit my lip, smiling. “That’s one way to learn I’m not a woman,” I said. “What am I, then?”
“Ha. Not exactly what I meant. But I think I already said you’re a muse.”
“Helen of Troy. A bit destructive.”
“Maybe, but… sometimes it’s… worth it,” she said, getting quieter, like she was barely even hearing herself, looking up at me with that expression like she’d never seen anything so breathtaking, and thank goodness the gods were looking out for me despite my cursed fate, because I was saved from doing anything about that feeling building in my chest by a door opening and Stephen Shale coming into the lobby.
“Hey, Miss Branch—oh, uh, hi. Sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
“No—” Cassandra went bright red. I decided to spare her the agony, leaning against the wall next to her and casting a dry smile towards Stephen.
“I’ll ask you,” I said. “Which Greek god would I be?”
He blanked. “Um… Zeus?”
“I’m Zeus?” I made a face, and Cassandra snorted, covering her mouth as she laughed.
“All done in there, Stephen Shale?” she said. He stood up straighter, adjusting his shoulder bag like he wasn’t used to wearing one.
“Yep, all good, ma’am. Man, I am feeling electric. Got my first record set and everything.”
Cassandra clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s just a demo track, man. Don’t get too excited. Best is still to come.”
“Phew, yeah. Tell me about it. Man, I got all this energy, like it just wants to burst outta me.”
“Ah, go for a run or something,” she said. “You play any sports, dude?”
“My momma and I play croquet with her friends.”
“Croquet?” Cassandra put a hand to her forehead. “Dude, how uncool can you be?”
“Oh, uh, sorry, ma’am.”
She laughed. “All right, man, go play your croquet. Honestly… catch you in the OG tomorrow?”
“Yeah, s’all on the app. I gotcha. Man, I have gotta tell my momma about this,” he said, and he looked nervously up at me on his way to the door. “Um… it was real nice meeting you today, Ms. Helena.”
“Keep it real, Stephen Shale,” I said. “I’ll probably be seeing you soon.”
“Gee,” he said under his breath, and he left the room. Cassandra had recovered from her blushing, standing up taller as she met my gaze.
“Next up,” she said, “we check in with that Marion person our new producer friend mentioned. Take this record and ask her what she thinks, how do we help bring this guy to the next level.”
“We’re asking her for a favor?”
“People in this city are skeptical. They know you’re approaching them to get something.
If you give them a small ask, they think that’s all you’re after them for, and they’re more likely to agree.
And then once they’ve helped you, they keep internally justifying their decision to have helped you, and they’re more likely to help out again.
That’s how a king thinks.” She made a face like she’d just eaten something bad.
“Oh, god. He’s getting into my brain. If I say anything like that again, slap me, please. ”
“Wouldn’t you be a queen?”
“That’s exactly what I said! But no. Apparently the queen is all about grace and holding court, and the king is about conquest and ambition.”
“Uh-huh…”
“It’s all gender-neutral. And yet strangely chauvinistic.”
“And you trust this man?”
“Not in the slightest. But here we are.” She shook her head. “You wanna come with?”
I’d go with for two reasons. One was because I was more and more fascinated the more time I spent around her, and by now I couldn’t get my mind off her. The second reason was because she looked like she’d fall over if she kept going like this for much longer, and I was getting a bit worried.
“Lead the way, Miss Boss.”
“Oh, god.”
But she led the way, and I followed her.
∞∞∞
Cassandra ran longer than I could. I had to get back to my regular life once we’d finished sweet-talking the producer Marion—she wasn’t impressed and didn’t buy in, but Cassandra didn’t seem bothered, saying she’d just needed to make contact—and we saw each other off at the subway station entrance, sticking close to speak over the growl of traffic and a street performer playing trumpet at the corner.
“So, we’re on for tomorrow?” I said, and she threw me a playful salute.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ll have some more updates on the Jewel event to share with you. And if the muse plays along, I’ll be working on that song I’ve promised you.”
I smiled, leaning against the railing at the top of the stairs. “It’s been stumping you, huh?”
“Just that I won’t accept anything but the best. Promised you a real work of art, and you’re going to get it.” She nodded towards the stairs. “But that’ll have to wait to tomorrow. See you then?”
“I’ll see you then,” I said, my voice coming out more fond and playful than it should have. “Good luck out there, Houdini.”
“Right back at you.” She raised a hand over her shoulder in a wave as she turned and started down the stairs, and I watched her go, starting to wonder if maybe I was in over my head—that maybe Cassandra was dangerous and I didn’t need to pick up anything I couldn’t handle—when she stumbled and nearly fell down the stairs, falling forwards a few steps to the landing and catching herself, clutching the railing.
“Cassandra?” I called after her, and she winced.
“I was kind of hoping you hadn’t seen that.”
“Uh-huh. Let’s say I blinked and missed it and I’m just coincidentally right now asking if you’re okay.”
She shot me an awkward look, a grimacing smile, and threw me a thumbs-up. “I am so good. Never better. Having the time of my life. See you tomorrow.”
Well, maybe I wasn’t the only one in over her head.
Mortifyingly, Houdini’s magic tricks were the answer to my problem: I was right back to my best performance again once I’d said goodbye and gotten back to my regular evening work, and I moved smoothly through a networking event where I felt like I was glowing, the whole room with eyes just for me.
Estelle caught me on the tail end of the event, coming in off one of her own shoots and dropping in to say hello, and she found me at one end of the event center, pulling me into a hug.
“You look better,” she said.
“I’ve been good.”
“Okay, sure. Is this the lying competition? Going for gold?”