actually worked with Cary. But since he was barely even speaking to me, I figured that was never happening.
“Anyway, my career isn’t the problem,” I told Ash. “As you just heard.”
“I didn’t know.” He glanced at Danica.
“Well, I couldn’t really tell you,” she said. “It’s Taylor’s story to tell. And it’s kind of… private.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “But only because it’s so private for him. I guess it doesn’t matter anymore anyway.”
Ash cocked an eyebrow. “Him?”
“Cary,” I said.
“You’re shitting me.”
I just took a sip of my drink.
“You were involved with Cary?”
“Yup.”
“Like, while you two were working in his studio all that time… You were screwing?”
“Ash.” Danica gave him a look.
“Yup,” I said. “Constantly.”
“Damn. I thought he just fired you.” He studied me thoughtfully. “So, he broke your heart, too?”
“Yeah. Well, he won’t talk to me anymore. That hermit thing? It’s real.”
“No doubt.”
“It didn’t even bother me so much, when I was on the inside. But then… he kicked me out.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. It hurt. Like… really bad.”
Danica gave me another sad face.
“Hey. Come here.” Ash waved an arm at me and I went over so he could pull me into a hug. “You’re prime cut though, babe. You’ll find someone else.” He kissed me on the head.
“Ashley! That’s all you have to say to her?”
“What?” He released me. “I’m just saying. She’s not gonna die alone. Look at her.”
Danica rolled her eyes a little. “I’m sure what my husband meant to say is… You deserve to be happy, Taylor. And we’re here for you.”
“Thanks. I know.”
My phone chimed and I went to grab it from the couch. While I did, I heard Danica gently giving her husband crap. “When your friend is hurt, you don’t tell her she’s hot meat and she’ll find someone else,” she told him. “You tell her you love her. Etcetera.”
“No, that’s what you say,” he replied. “You tell her she deserves good things and you’re here for her. Your husband tells her she’s hot. That’s the way it works.”
“Really,” I told them, “you both said the exactly right thing.”
While they continued to debate the issue, while drinking, flirting, and chopping veggies, I checked my messages. A text had come in from Talia. At the top it said: Dear Cary.
My heart almost stopped.
I stared at his name for a long moment. Below it was a cut and paste of a bunch of info for the Players’ album release party. The date for the party had been set in stone for a while now. It was happening in a matter of weeks. But now they also had the location confirmed and all the details.
“Hey,” I asked Ash, “did you get a message about the album release party?”
“Nope,” he said. But then he pulled out his phone, and when he looked at it, he amended, “Yup. Forwarded from my assistant.”
“Mine has Cary’s name on it.” I looked at Danica, who gave me an eek face. “I must still be on a contact list somewhere as his assistant.”
“Well, Talia’s still learning the lay of the land, right?” she offered.
“Yeah. No biggie.” I was already writing out a text to Talia, asking her to remove me as Cary’s contact from wherever she’d found it.
Talia replied to me with lightning speed.
Talia: Sorry!! That was a mistake. I meant to send it to you. But it shouldn’t say Cary on it. Oops!
Me: No worries.
I sent that to her, then hesitated.
Me: I’ll forward it to Cary.
Talia: Thank you! And I hope you can come.
Me: Yes. I’ll be there.
I looked over at Danica and Ash, who were now kissing. I turned away and took a closer look at the party information. It was at the Crystal hotel ballroom, and I was sure the event would be filled with VIPs. They could only fit so many people into that venue, and surely Brody and the band knew a lot of VIPs. The fact that I was invited, as part of Brody’s team, was flattering.
I wondered, as I had so many times these last three-and-a-half months, if Cary would be there.
Since I’d been fired, we hadn’t spoken about the release party. We really hadn’t spoken about much.
I copied the party info and forwarded it to him, like I said I would. I hadn’t had an excuse to message him in a long while.
When I looked over, Danica was watching me. She was still cutting veggies and Ash’s arm was slung around her shoulders. “You okay?” she asked me gently.
“Yeah. I’m just gonna go outside for a bit, get some