Chapter Fifteen
TRISSA
T he familiar hum of phones and muffled conversations filled the air as I walked down the hall to one of the meeting rooms at VS Music Production. But today, it felt different.
Today, I had a meeting with Peter and Wendy.
As I approached the conference room, I spied them through the glass walls. Peter leaned toward her, a little too close for my liking, while Wendy sat primly in her chair, a polite smile on her face.
My heart sank at his blatant attempt to get her to notice him.
“Sorry I’m late,” I said, pushing open the door. Peter’s head snapped up, his eyes widening as they fell on me. I’d made an effort today—a new blouse with a few buttons undone, a tight skirt with a flirty ruffle at the hem, and my hair falling in soft waves around my shoulders. I also had Ana help me figure out makeup. I loved that we were becoming friends.
“Hey, Tris … ah, you look different.” Peter continued to eye me with a quizzical look.
I chuckled nervously at his reaction and attempted to toss my hair over my shoulder like I read about in books. I just hoped it didn’t look like I was having a weird spasm. “Good different, I hope.” I even added a few bats of my eyelashes. I’d tried the magnetic lashes, too, and I was pretty damn proud of myself at how well they turned out.
“Of course.” He stood and pulled out a seat for me to join them. I loved how he was being such a gentleman. But I hated that he still took the seat next to Wendy, leaving me by myself across the table.
This wouldn’t do.
How was I supposed to get in the flirty touches and looks?
As we settled into our seats, I couldn’t help but notice how Peter’s eyes kept darting to Wendy. She was beautiful—sleek and confident. But this time at least, I felt like I could hold my own around her.
The more I studied her, the more it became apparent there was some kind of attraction on her end, too. Not just Peter’s. She shifted when he spoke, and a slight flush to her cheeks betrayed her. She wasn’t as immune to his charms as she pretended she was.
“So, I wanted to meet with you both?—”
I cut Wendy off. “Oh no, there’s something sticky on this chair,” I said, opening my eyes wide. “I just need a second to get a new seat.” I moved around the small table and sat in the chair on the other side of Peter.
He grinned at me and then turned his attention back to Wendy.
Fail.
“So, Peter,” I said, and laid my fingertips on his arm, lightly running them over his exposed skin, and letting go when he quickly turned to me. “How’s the new song coming along?” It wasn’t uncommon for Peter to sing his newest creations to me, but Wendy didn’t need to know that.
Peter blinked, clearly thrown off by my sudden flirtation. “It’s, uh, coming along great.”
My smile grew wider. “When do I get to hear it?” It didn’t matter I’d heard pieces of it already and would be in the studio with the band later in the week when it was recorded. Right now, I was angling for more private time between us.
Peter tapped the tip of my nose and angled his body closer to mine. “Maybe we can grab a drink later, and I can play it for you.”
I preened under these tiny bits of affection, my mind whirling in excitement. It really felt like this was all working and coming together. Maybe today was the day he finally saw me. I held in the little squeal of excitement that wanted to burst free, especially when his gaze slid down and I think he might have checked out my cleavage.
I saw Wendy stiffen out of the corner of my eye. A pang of guilt hit me, but I quickly pushed it away.
I deserved Peter.
“I’d love that,” I purred before turning my attention to Wendy. “Now, what were you saying?”
Wendy pressed her lips into a thin line and shuffled the papers in front of her before answering. “We need to discuss Peter’s public image. The partying, the fights, the drinking—it’s a liability for the label.” And she didn’t have to say it, but if Peter couldn’t get his act together I’d be out of a job too.
Peter was now the one stiffening in his seat.
I laid a comforting hand on his arm and loved it when he tossed me a tender smile. Who knew all I had to do was turn on the charm to get Peter to notice me?
“Alright, let’s hear how you want to make me a model citizen,” Peter sat back in his chair, a cocky grin firmly in place.
Wendy ignored him and retrieved her tablet from the bag at her feet. “Let’s start by addressing your drinking, Peter. I’m proposing a partnership with an up-and-coming non-alcoholic beverage company. You’ll be seen sipping their drinks at events and even star in their commercials.”
Peter scoffed, “I’m not pushing mocktails.”
Wendy leveled a severe gaze at Peter. “It’s either that or rehab. And don’t think I only mean you lay off drinking at parties. This needs to be in every aspect of your life. But it’s your choice. I don't have to tell you what not choosing to do this will mean for you. And for Trissa here, by association.”
A cloud of fear dusted his expression, but it was gone in an instant. Not one to back down on anything, Peter’s features remained mutinous.
“Next,” Wendy continued, “we must restore your image. I’ve lined up various charity events that you can pick from—reading to kids at a children’s hospital and a benefit concert for music education in schools. We’ll get great photo ops, and hopefully, these efforts will replace the most recent scandalous coverage.”
“What if I don’t like any of these?” Peter crossed his arms over his chest.
I sighed. The old Peter would’ve done both of the charity events she suggested, but this one was going to fight the adjustment of his image every step of the way.
It was like he didn’t care anymore.
“Do you have anything else?” I asked, hoping maybe something might catch Peter’s attention.
“It all sounds boring and not me. I’m fine, just as I am. People expect me to be an off-the-wall rockstar. It’s part of my brand,” Peter growled. He started tapping out an unfamiliar rhythm on the table.
I watched his fingers, recognizing the subtle signs he was about to blow. The tightening of his muscles like a cheetah ready to attack, the clenching of his jaw, and even how he moved his feet beneath the table, like he wanted to run from here.
Peter, I thought to myself, what is going on with you? And why wouldn’t he open up to me? I was his oldest friend. Putting the flirting aside this time, when I took Peter’s hand in mine, I needed him to know he still had me in his corner.
He shot me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. My heart squeezed hard at the faint underlying sorrow I sensed in him.
Wendy flipped through her folder, agitation in every stiff line of her body. She slapped article after article on the table and flipped through photos of Peter online. Everyone talked about Peter’s decline and how it affected his sales and that his concerts, while well attended, had hit a rough patch recently.
“You call this fine?” Wendy shot back.
Peter winked at her, his mask slipping back into place. “If you just wanted more time alone with me we don’t need these charity events as an excuse.”
“Mr. Young—” Wendy shot him a look of disbelief.
Part of me wanted to laugh at him, and the other wanted to shake him. Even underneath all this, I could see his attraction towards Wendy. That wasn’t fake, even if he was being a jerk right now.
“Peter. Call me Peter,” he said, smoothly suddenly taking over this conversation.
He turned towards Wendy, close, but not too close to make her feel uncomfortable. His hand shifted towards her, my breath caught in my throat when it looked like he might caress her arm. Instead he swiped along her tablet’s screen, shutting off the pictures she’d been showing us.
I noticed two things: Wendy grew tense, and as her gaze followed Peter’s hand, she quickly moved to hide her disappointment.
She pushed his hand away from her tablet, jolting at the touch, her eyes seeking him instinctively. The two stared at each other briefly, their gazes charged with something I was too chicken to name.
I cleared my throat, annoyed by all of this and how it was affecting my ‘win Peter’ campaign.
Wendy blinked a few times and then continued on as though nothing had happened. “I have a whole social media strategy, carefully orchestrated paparazzi shots to show off these changes in you. Maybe even a potential reality show at one point.”
Peter turned to me, lines bracketing his eyes, his anger dulled. “What do you think, Tris?” He put his hand over mine where it still lay on his arm. His thumb traced circles against the back of my hand, causing me to shiver.
I forced myself to stay calm, even as my heart raced. “I think you need to consider it.”
Peter slid a glance Wendy’s way before focusing fully on me. “I couldn’t do it without you. Maybe you can help me practice by being my good influence. We could run scenario’s back at my place where we’d have privacy to explore all the ways I could … ”
Wendy’s knuckles whitened around her tablet. And suddenly, it clicked for me. Was he trying to make Wendy jealous? Using me and my affection as his weapon? Peter wasn’t used to women not falling at his feet. And while this wasn’t the outrageous flirting he usually engaged in, there were subtle clues he was baiting Wendy.
My heart thudded to the floor. He should just stomp on it and get it over with. If he was using me as a pawn in his game, then?—
Did he even want to try and change, or was it all lip service with no follow-through? And why was I going to all the trouble to make him see me?
When the meeting wrapped up, I made my excuses and left quickly. There was so much to think about and I needed more time to plan.
Peter Young might be the boy who never grew up, but I was done playing his games.