Chapter 6 #3
‘Cai asked me to find ways of getting closer to his fans.’ I stop at the bottom and place my notepad on the shining table.
It takes a minute to screen share my phone to the widescreen TV, and I get The Record Store’s latest post up.
‘They had a cancellation for a signing tomorrow. Apparently, all of Y Cantorion have the flu. I dropped the store a DM and they were keen to get Cai in. They have a proven track record, and I—’
‘Tomorrow? What time?’ Rhys interrupts my slideshow of previous events.
‘In the morning. Starting at eleven.’
‘And I’m supposed to pull a full crew out of my arse by breakfast, am I?’
‘No. The store has their own team of bouncers. I did give them your contact details, and they promised they’d be in touch first thing to make sure you’re happy with their plans. But you’ll be there. I’m sure we’ll be fine.’ Complimenting him is a sure fire to finally win him over.
Nope. His mouth gapes open, like a goldfish, but before he can argue, Gethin cuts in. ‘Brilliant idea, Lucy. The Record Shop has supported Cai for years, and it’s local so we won’t need any travel plans. Which is great because Imran had an early finish today.’
‘Thank you.’ I lift my chin. Not even Rhys can ruin my win. It’s day one, and I’ve already got Cai and Gethin on side. This job’s going to be a breeze.
‘Just let me know if I can help in any way, Lucy.’ Gethin jots a note in his leather-bound diary with his posh fountain pen.
‘It’s all sorted. Amazing what you can achieve during a few hours of rehearsals.
’ And I managed to get Cai water when he needed it, gave advice when he asked, and made teas and coffees for anyone who needed one.
‘I’ll announce the signing across the socials once we’re done here.
I’m positive we’ll sell out of tickets with minimal advertising.
The fans are desperate to spend time with him. ’
‘Well, if you have nothing else…’
‘Actually,’ I rush to say, ‘I could do with access to the mobile management tool.’
‘Why?’ Rhys grunts. He sits up, his gaze drilling into me. I meet it, still standing at the head of the table. ‘It’s my job to manage that.’
‘With it, I can add updates to your diaries without bothering you. I’ll make sure I inform you of any changes during our morning brief, but this way, I won’t have to disturb you from the important things, like keeping Cai safe.’
He narrows his eyes. ‘But then you’ll be able to see everything on everyone’s phones. All my – our photos and messages. You don’t need that level of access.’
‘Is there not a way of allowing me into the diaries and nothing else? I promise your personal life – lives – don’t interest me.’
‘Oh, but I bet Rhys has a ton of juicy content hidden in his phone.’ Cai smirks down the table at his bodyguard.
‘Imagine the stories you could sell. He’s snapped me in a lot of interesting situations over the years.
And then there’s the messages we send each other, the gossiping and…
’ He trails off as Rhys’ stare turns to fire.
Red spreads from the collar of Rhys’ leather jacket, up his neck and into his cheeks until his skin matches the colour of his hair.
‘I-I mean, if you don’t feel comfortable—’ I backpedal before Cai can dig our hole any deeper. ‘B-but it’s industry standard. And I just… I didn’t mean to invade and I… I only need enough access to do my job. Nothing more. I don’t care who you’re texting or what p-pictures you’re taking.’
Sweat trickles between my boobs as he continues to glare at me.
‘Whatever. Do what you want.’ He flops into his slouch, pulling his phone out. ‘I’ll sort it when we’re done here. If you ever finish with this meeting.’
Oh.
I got what I want, but it’s not a win. It sits heavily on my chest. Rhys is now further away from me, more annoyed with me.
I straighten my shoulders anyway, disconnect my phone and pick my notebook from the table and paste the smile back on my face. You don’t get to sulk when you’re lucky enough to work in a job like this.
‘That’s all I need for today, thank you,’ I say to the whole room, even though Rhys won’t be listening. ‘The rest can wait until the morning.’
‘Are you sure?’ Gethin asks.
‘Positive.’ The brightness returns to my voice. ‘I’m going to order a taxi and head home, unless you need anything more from me?’
Cai jumps to his feet. ‘You can’t go home yet. Rhys promised to cook me spaghetti bolognaise. You should stay and eat with us. Get to know us better. I’ll dig out one of the good bottles of wine from the cellar.’
I’d rather just go home. First days on the job are always hard, and I need a debrief with Felicity, a large glass of wine and an hour or two with my favourite dark and broody fictional men.
But Cai’s eyes are wide, almost pleading, and I know I can’t say no.
Even if it’s going to annoy Rhys to have to spend more time with me and cook for me.
‘Uhm, yeah, sure,’ I reply. ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’
‘Let me show you the wine cellar.’ Cai folds me under his arm, and I abandon my belongings so he can shepherd me out of the boardroom. I don’t miss the roll of Rhys’ eyes as we pass him.
I take a deep breath. Tomorrow will be better. I’m going to make sure of it.