another artist this year who deserves it more than Shelby. And I’m not saying that because I’m her manager.” He laces his fingers behind his head. “This isn’t the ideal time for her fling with a biker to be splashed all over the place.”
Can’t say I care for Greg referring to me as a fling. Like I’m a fleeting moment in Shelby’s life instead of a permanent fucking fixture.
“Not to mention,” he continues, “I now have her mother harassing me constantly.”
Shock takes me back a step. “About what?”
“You. She expects me to somehow ban you from the tour.”
Damn, Lynn. You’re starting to piss me off. “You can try.”
“I guess what I want to know is…” He drops his arms and spears me with a more probing look. “How serious is this between you two?”
For a second there, I thought he was going to try paying me to go away.
“Well, I’ve never dropped everything to follow anyone around the country before, so there’s that.” I cross my arms over my chest and cock my head. “Why don’t you ask Shelby?”
“Because she gets prickly when I pry into her personal stuff,” he answers in a tight, irritated tone.
I burst out laughing. “I think I’m offended that you’re more scared of Shelby than me.”
“She could fire me.”
“Yeah, but I could end you.” I keep my mouth in a straight line, with no hint of a smile to suggest I’m joking.
He screws his face into the scowl of someone who stepped in elephant shit. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this after you just threatened me, but I think it’s good for her to have you around.”
Now he has my attention. “How’s that?”
He shrugs. “Maybe it’s a fluke. The nights you’ve been here, she seems less anxious. More confident onstage. Subtle differences. No one else probably notices. All her performances are excellent,” he hurries to add, like he’s worried I’ll think he’s insulting her. “Don’t get me wrong.”
Damn. Not that I particularly care what Greg thinks of me or our relationship, but pride still prickles through my chest. I like helping Shelby any and every way I can, and knowing I make things better for her is worth putting up with annoying shit—like this conversation with Greg.
“I’m not here to cause trouble. I see how stressful all of this can be,” I say. “I want to help take the pressure off her where I can while spending time with her.”
He stares at me, like he’s weighing my words. “I’m also asking because I’m worried if you two break up it’s going to be hard on her.”
“And ruin your tour.”
“Her tour.”
He’s basically asking me not to break her heart. Same as Shelby asked me in the beginning.
“Talent isn’t enough in this business. She’s a strong girl who has fought damn hard to get here,” he says. “I don’t want to see anything change her trajectory.”
The guy isn’t entitled to how I feel about Shelby. I don’t owe him shit. But he’s trying to look out for Shelby in his own weird way. When you get right down to it, we have the same goal.
“Neither do I.”
He keeps staring at me.
“What do you want me to say? I care about her. I’m here for her. Unless she tells me to take a hike, I’m not going anywhere.”
His eyes close and he blows out a long breath. “Then I’ll do what I can to manage the press and spin your relationship in a positive way.”
Well, fuck. I didn’t expect that.
He grits his teeth. “And I’ll keep dealing with Lynn. She means well. Even if she’s a pain in my ass.”
“You’re not gonna get your boxers twisted if I have one of my brothers travel with us and help look out for Shelby, right?”
“The scary one, or the friendly one who’s probably even scarier?”
I rumble with laughter at his descriptions of Jigsaw and Dex. “Jigsaw. He’s down here in Virginia with me. He went to the radio show with us this morning, actually.”
“How was the show?”
“Fucking awful. What did you expect?”
“I listened to the whole interview.” He frowns. “It sounded good.”
“Uh, it was crass as fuck. Not exactly great for her ‘image’ you’re supposedly so worried about. The guy put down her work with Dream Makers, for fuck’s sake.”
“Yeah, that was a little tactless.”
“The worst was him trying to cop a feel while they were taking pictures after the interview.”
He drops his gaze and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Please tell me you didn’t—”