Page 14 of Rocked By the Alpha
“You know you’ll look like an asshole if you say no.”
“I thought I’d already confirmed my spot as chief asshole.”
Kim nudges him with her elbow, before taking a chug of her drink. “It’s all good publicity, especially with the new album coming out. Might even bump our chances of winning an award ourselves.”
“You saying the thing is rigged?”
“This is the music industry, sweetheart. You already know it’s all smoke and mirrors.”
“Amen to that.” he raises his drink and clinks it against Kim’s.
“Alright, I’ll do it. But I’m banking it — you and Ash both owe me.”
Kim shrugs again. “Trust me, you guys are seriously overdrawn when it comes to the Kim favors bank.”
Chapter 6
“What do you think then?” Natasha asks, lowering the index cards to her lap and gazing up at Ruby and Tanya. Behind her, Misty, the hair stylist, tugs out a hair roller and Natasha’s head jerks backward.
Ruby squirms on her seat as a makeup artist hired for tonight, brushes shimmer across her collarbone. She’s already forgotten the girl’s name. The room is fit to bursting with the team sent to get them ready.
“I know I’m superstitious, but preparing a speech when we don’t even know if we’ll win, I feel like it’s tempting fate.”
Natasha rolls her eyes. “It’s better to be prepared, Ruby. I don’t want us to get up on stage and fuck things up — end up as some meme or blooper that circulates the internet for the next decade.”
Ruby swallows. Usually she doesn’t feel nervous before an event. She’s been performing since she was five years old. It doesn’t faze her any more. But this is different. Something has her rattled. Well, not something, someone.
When Alison called them into her office with a waiting bottle of champagne on ice to announce the news they’d been hoping for — a nomination for best single at the American Music Awards — they’d been ecstatic, each knocking back two glasses of bubbly before Alison had delivered the unwelcome news.
“There’s one thing, ladies, I know you aren’t going to be so happy about.”
They’d all looked at their manager with curiosity. Ruby couldn’t believe there’d be anything that could dampen this news. A nomination! This was finally recognition from the industry. Plus the ceremony was televised and if they won their faces would be everywhere.
“What?” Nat asked.
“The Packwill be announcing the winners for that category.”
Ruby’s heart froze in the way it always did when the name of that band was mentioned, a cold slither running down her spine. Did someone somewhere know something they shouldn’t?
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Tanya said, but it had been Nat they’d all turned to look at.
“No way. Tell them to change it,” Nat said.
Alison, sitting behind her wide glass desk, crossed her legs and laced her fingers together. “You know it doesn’t work that way. I have no control whatsoever about who they choose to give out the awards.”
“They’re doing it deliberately,” Ruby muttered, “trying to cause trouble.”
“Probably.” Alison nodded. “They like their publicity. That doesn’t mean we have to give it to them. You ladies can play nice.”
“Tell them if they want us to turn up, they have to change it,” Nat repeated, her tone now tight, her eyes flashing with anger.
Alison smiled sympathetically. “It doesn’t work like that either. You don’t want to turn up, no big deal to them.”
“Can you at least try?” Ruby asked, and Alison nodded.
She’s stayed away from the Alpha since their last encounter at the festival — keeping her promise to herself to be more careful. Even though there’s been nights where her thumb has hovered over his name on her phone. Even though she’s read every single one of his messages. Even though her body seems to long for his touch.
Despite all that, she’s kept away from him.
