Page 78 of Sing For Me

Then a darker thought hits me. “Has he done this to anyone else?”

“No!” Nancy says quickly, reading my train of thought. “Not Reese, Eli. He wouldn’t dare. Anyway, he has a thing for Augusta. And he only pulls this shit when people who can make consequences for him aren’t around, so Reese doesn’t even know it’s going on.”

Nancy cracks her knuckles, and I can feel the anger radiating off of her. I suddenly feel for her and the tight spot she’s in. But I feel even more for Augusta right now.

“Neil!” I call, sharp enough that a few crew members breaking down a platform look up.

Neil looks up too, but ludicrously, just gives me a wave without even stopping talking. I don’t think he registered it was me. Augusta, meanwhile, looks visibly relieved.

“You fucker,” I say under my breath.

I’m pissed. Not just at Neil’s behavior, but that I didn’t know about this. That I thought he was a good guy. We all did. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m approaching the table, where Neil’s telling some story about hanging out with some A-list celebrity.

“Hello, Mr. Dunham,” Augusta says when she sees me.

Neil stands up straight as I arrive, and shoots out his hand. “Eli, good man.” I study him a moment. To think I thought he was harmless. To think I enjoyed his company. I look down at his hand, not taking it.

He has the decency to look slightly chagrinned.

“Got a bee in his bonnet, eh?” Neil says to Augusta.

She’s stony faced in response.

His charm bounces off both of us like something ugly.

“Come with me, Neil.”

“Maybe in a minute, I—”

“It’s not a request, Neil.”

For the first time, Neil seems to correctly gauge the situation. He blanches. “Sure, yes, right-o. Just uh, we need to get back to action in a moment.”

I barely manage to not grab him by the neck like I’m a bouncer.

We pass a woman crew member who looks a little too happy to see Neil getting pulled aside by his figurative ear.

“Neil, what the fuck is going on? Why are the women looking at you like they’re scared of you?”

“Scared!”

I’m bluffing. They don’t look scared so much as pissed. But it works.

And to my surprise, Neil looks genuinely upset. He claps a hand over his mouth, his other propped on his hip.

I relax just a little. Okay, so he’s not a predator. He’s just an idiot. I rub my temples with my index finger and thumb. “Neil, can you honestly tell me you didn’t see the way Augusta was looking at you?”

“No!”

“I know your whole thing is being charming, but none of this is endearing. I’m willing to bet the only reason she hasn’t stabbed you with that onion knife is because she still wants to win the show.”

“She will,” Neil says. His jaw wobbles slightly. He looks like he’s going to say something, but then his shoulders slump. “Eli man, I’m weak. That’s what the problem is. I’m a damned fool and Kelly’s going to leave me for it. I see the way she looks at you and…I don’t know why she’s even with me.”

I can’t even process that, because to my utter shock, Neil’s eyes have grown wet. The last of the anger drains from me.

“She’d take you back, you know. If you asked her. I know she would. You and Reese, you’re all she talks about.”

I open my mouth but don’t really know what to say. This has gone completely sideways.

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