shoulders lifted on a deep breath. “All I want is for him to be happy, and you’ve made his dream come true. Happier than anyone else. So . . . I can tell you I’ll try. I can try to be okay with this. All right?”
I was too floored to say anything. I simply blinked in shock.
She nodded like I’d agreed with her. “Good.” She’d said her piece, and her emotions turned on a dime. Excitement lurked in her eyes. “Let’s go, Bill. I want to get back to our seats before Stella’s show starts.”
I found Troy sitting in the alcove of Stella’s suite, deep in conversation with Ardy, but when I appeared, both men fell silent. It was odd, like they’d been talking about me. I took a seat on the bench beside Troy and gave them both a suspicious look.
Troy was oblivious. “Everything go okay with my folks?”
I nodded. “It went great. Like, really great.” I couldn’t wait to explain it to him later. “They’re so proud of you.”
There’d been tension in his shoulders, and it eased somewhat, but it didn’t disappear altogether.
I tilted my head. “What are you two scheming about over here?”
Ardy chuckled. “No schemes. We were talking about his take on ‘Reckless.’ I wasn’t sure about it, but the kid made a believer out of me.”
My mouth went dry as I stared at Troy. I was terrified to ask it, because a big part of me didn’t want to know the answer. “You wanted to sing ‘Reckless’ over ‘Power?’”
But Ardy answered before Troy could, and his tone was dismissive. “‘Power’ wasn’t the right choice for his set.”
“What?” Heat flared inside me. Was this yet another decision that had been made on Troy’s behalf without consulting him? Had he sung ‘Reckless’ because his new manager had ordered him to?
“Did you like the arrangement?” Ardy asked. “From what I heard, these two,” he pointed to Stella, still in her makeup chair, and then Troy, “stayed up all night working on it. They wanted it to be a surprise for you.”
I was grateful to be sitting down, because when the meaning of his statement hit me, I nearly fell over. This was what Troy had been doing over at Stella’s place. He’d told me they’d hung out in her studio, playing music.
They’d been working on his rendition of ‘Reckless.’
Was this why he’d lied? He’d wanted to keep it a surprise? It was a lot to process. When I peered at Troy, his eyes were cryptic. What was he thinking about?
“Yeah,” I said between hurried breaths, “I loved it.”
“Good.” Ardy was pleased to have that settled. “He recorded it. I’m not his manager anymore, but I’d suggest putting it on his debut.”
My head spun, making me dizzy. “Wait, what? You’re quitting?”
“No,” Troy said. “I, um . . .”
Ardy let out an actual giggle, finding it that hilarious. “He fired me.”
I’d been upset with my boss, but it swung wildly toward my boyfriend. “What are you doing?”
“Apparently,” Ardy said, stroking a hand over his beard, “the kid doesn’t want me as a manager, he wants you. I’m inclined to give my artists what they want, because otherwise they get sad, and sad artists don’t make as much money—which then makes me very sad.”
My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out the rest of the room.
I had my hand closest to Troy resting on the bench, and he set his beside mine, our pinkie fingers touching. This simple gesture was somehow more powerful than anything else. He wanted to connect with me, but he also wanted to keep it professional.
Although I was beginning to doubt anyone would care. Romantic relationships between managers and artists weren’t unheard of. If Ardy had no issue with us dating and working together, others would follow his lead.
Troy’s eyes scoured my face, searching for my reaction, but I was too shocked to have one.
Ardy sensed the enormity of the conversation brewing and rose from his seat. “Excuse me, I’m going to check on Stella.”
When he moved out of earshot, Troy’s voice turned quiet, but it was still strong and powerful. “You said you’re all in, so let’s be all in together. I’m not doing it without you.”
This handsome, talented man was willing to give up everything, once again, just for a chance with me.
“I want this,” he continued. “Don’t act like you don’t too.” His expression was so focused and determined, it made my pulse race. He leaned closer. “Yeah, it might not be easy, but