Page 87 of Marcus in Retrograde
“That I didn’t rape him.”
“Oh, yeah. Of course, I believe you. You didn’t even have to ask. That guy has given me the hee-bee gee-bees since he walked into the conference room. The fact that he was always trying to get you alone was another one. Oh, also a big clue? Restraining order written into the rider on the contract.”
She slid a few of the controls around. “He’s a bully, isn’t he?”
“Bully would be kind,” I said. “He’s one of the most awful people you ever wanted to meet. He’s a good sound producer, but not great and if it wasn’t for his family, he would have been working backstage at some rinky dink community theater in Omaha.”
“And away from you and your magnificent vocals.”
I turned my head slowly and looked at her. “What?”
She glanced up at the ceiling. “What did he call it? Oh, yeah, yourfuck mebedroom voice.”
My jaw dropped open. “You…talked to Chase.”
“He was here this morning to talk to all of us with those two delicious and very gay lawyers he hired for you.” She pressed a few buttons and hit a key on the computer. “They’re hot for each other.”
“Uh, Kyle and Vincent?” I asked. “No, not really. Kyle just railroads over Vin and they end up arguing. A lot. Like more than normal and—wait.” I considered what I had just said, and shook my head, then smirked. “You’re right. They are hot for each other.”
Sorcha laughed. “I like them though. They’re good lawyers. And I suspect…” Her eyes darted to me and back. “I suspect they work like their own detective team and the two of them are going to make sure you’re not just freed, but completely cleared, and possibly turning this back on What’s His Face.”
“What’s His Face that destroyed my life.”
Sorcha put a hand on my arm. “He didn’t. You know he didn’t. He changed it. Not destroyed it. Don’t give him the mental space, that power over you. You have Chase in your life now, and all those wacky nuts he calls friends. You have a dog that loves you, and you saved kittens from a wall. I promise, you are not destroyed.”
I stared at the knobs on the board, and nodded. “I’m not destroyed. I am rebuilt. I’m reinforced.”
“Also, there are enough holes in Roberts’ story to drive an earthmover through. The ones they use in mining? With the massive wheels and you have to climb a ladder to get into? Yeah. Those.”
I cracked up laughing. “I just hope everyone can see that.”
“They will.”
The phone on the table next to her rang and she hit the speaker. “Sorcha.”
“Hey, it’s Jerry. Come up to the conference room. They want to talk about the tracks on the show.”
She shot a look at me. “Is he going to be there?”
“No,” Jerry said.
“We’ll be up in a minute,” I answered.
Sorcha disconnected and saved the work on the clip. We headed up to the conference room, where Jerry was sitting with Raph.
“Good. I have no idea why they pulled this impromptu meeting, but I’m not happy,” Jerry said. “We have a lot of work we need to get done, and this is a waste of time.”
“Totally agreed,” Sorcha said, taking the seat next to Raph.
I walked around and stood on Jerry’s other side. “Hate me?”
“Fuck you, Romano. Sit your ass down. I do not hate you. No one does. I know you rescue kittens from walls.”
“I do,” I said with a sigh, sinking into the chair. I scratched at the monitor again. “Never thought I’d have to wear one of these things.”
Jerry shrugged. “Make sure you not only wipe under it, but get some moisturizer in the skin. It’ll chafe otherwise.”
Me, Raph, and Sorcha were all staring at him. He darted his eyes to each of us. “What? Those stupid things chafe.”
