Page 13 of Mr. Not Nice Guy

Before I can say anything, Scarlett stops playing and sucks in another excited gasp.

“Are y’all Marines?”

Luke offers her a sloppy salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oooh!” she squeals as she trills the keys and begins plunking out a jazzy piano version of the Marine Corps hymn, complete with sexed-up lyrics.

Brennan grins widely, and Jimmy chuckles, totally charmed, while Luke jumps out of his chair, throwing his fists in the air and hollering another, “Ooh rah!”

After Scarlett wiggles and croons her way to the end of the song, the three of them applaud heartily, and she steps up from the bench to offer a sexy, Marilyn Monroe-esque curtsy.

She stands up straight again, then throws her hip to one side as she lifts her hand to her brow. “I salute you, gentlemen.”

With that, she spins on the ball of one foot to turn her backside to us and gives her perfectly round ass a small bump as a secondary salute of sorts.

At that, I can’t help myself and pull the mic toward my mouth. “Really, Scarlett?”

Shetsksand flips her hand at me before sitting back down. “Maybe I need to takeyoudown to Sweet Lorraine’s to loosen you up.”

That causes the other three men in the sound booth with me to heave another round of hearty laughter, but it’s way too blatant a reference tothat night, and I am so fucking over this.

“Listen, Scarlett,” I add, ignoring the laughter and trying to talk over it, “this isn’t one of your cutesy little shows at Chickie’s. If we’re supposed to launch a legitimate music career for you, you’re going to have to polish your act. If you want anyone to take you seriously, you’re going to have to take yourself—”

“Oh comeon, Hawkins,” Brennan cuts in with a groan. “There’s nothing wrong with any of that. She’s clearly got an established, unique style, one that people will honestlylove, and maybe…” He pauses, biting his lip as he stifles a chuckle. “Maybe youdoneed a trip to Sweet Lorraine’s.”

Luke laughs loudly, slapping his thigh again. “Yeah…yeah, Hawkins, you’ve been here forhow many months?” He hauls back his fist to throw a punch into Brennan’s shoulder. “Maybe we should take him to the Carousel, bruh.”

I’m familiar with the Carousel bar. That’s where they all used to go to pick up women before they were all tied down, and I take back what I said earlier. The very first thing I learned upon taking my job wasn’tjustthe fact that these people gossip. It’s the fact that basicprofessionalismis reallylackingin the Big Easy apparently.

I refuse to even acknowledge them and stand up to speak into the mic again. “Come on out, Scarlett. I want to speak to you privately.”

“All right, all right, all right,” Jimmy pipes back up, also chuckling. “We probably have done enough for one day, and I promised to go meet Oscar and Sylvia at the airport.” He slaps Luke’s shoulder. “Wanna come?”

“Yep.” Luke pushes himself out of his chair and waves at Scarlett. “That was badass, Scarlett. Don’t let Hawkins rain on your parade.”

She flits her fingers at him. “Thaa-aanks!”

Luke and Jimmy file out, and Brennan leans toward the mic. “A pleasure as always, Scarlett. I’ll see you around.”

She waves at him. “Bye! Tell Liza happy wedding dress hunting.”

He smiles and nods. “Will do.” He flips the switch to kill the mic and turns to me. “She’s fine, Hawkins. All of that is very authentic, and it’s exactly the kind of thing Jimmy’s built his whole brand around. I know you’re all about propriety, and that’s fine. Just keep in mind, propriety looks a little different around here.”

He claps my shoulder and turns to leave. Scarlett’s still futzing at the piano, so I don’t wait for her to come to me and march into the studio.

“Okay, Betty Boop,” I snap, shoving the door shut behind me and then striding toward her. She angles her chin up at me and bats her long lashes as I lean down toward her face, brows high on my forehead. “You want to be known as a ditzy little sex-pot? Thenthatis what I will turn you into.”

“Aww gee.” She daintily places her fingertips on her cheeks and puckers her lips. “PoorwiddleAugust. I guess I jogged your memory of the night we met and made you nervous in front of all yourwiddlecoworkers.” Her gaze flicks from my face to my slacks, where I know my hard-on hasn’t completely relaxed. She looks back up at me and winks. “Or is it just theblue balls blues?”

On pure, irritated reflex, I thrust my hand through the air and grab a fistful of her hair, tugging her face close to mine. “Knock this shit off, or Iwillterminate the contract.”

Her full, ruby lips stretch into a sly smile. “You can’t. Jimmy’s the founder. Liza’s the VP. Luke’s the head of sales. Brennan runs the finances. Andtheyalllove me.” She stands up slowly, arching her back and pushing her full breasts toward me, but not making contact. “And if you would pull the stick out of your ass,youwouldtoo.”

I release her hair. “Wrong. You’re just an asset to this label’s bottom line.Ioversee our artist line-up, so it’s up tometo decide if you remain a potential good return on investment. I have ninety days to terminate the contract, and then you will be on the hook for returning the advance we gave you. And as far asI’mconcerned, you’re still a fucking liability.” I step away from her. “So I hope you haven’t spent a single red cent of that money yet. Because it’s entirely possible that you’ll have to give it all back ifyou don’t get your shit together.”

At that, her devil-may-care smirk falters, andyep. She needs that fucking money. And that’s what will keep her in check. I just have to keep reminding her of that.

After all, my reputation depends on it.

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