Spotlight by Eden Finley Page 0,6

at different clubs, auditioning, and trying to get my name out there.

Either my degree from Montebello isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on or mine’s defective or something.

Then again, no piece of paper can count for auditioning well, and I suck at that. I get too in my head and come across as fake and arrogant. When I try to be humble, I sound like I’m not confident. I need to learn to sell myself as myself. Hold the side of douche.

“Layer the bedding,” Ryder mumbles. “It’s so simple and logical. Why didn’t I think of it?”

“Sleep deprivation is a real form of torture.”

“My child has tortured me for over four years. She’s sadistic.”

I can’t help laughing.

His head swivels fast, looking around the space. “I didn’t mean that.”

“I know.” I have the urge to reach for his hand to comfort him. Which is crazy.

People don’t meet like this. This isn’t how you make friends in this day and age. But it’s easy with Ryder.

In the short time we’ve been sitting here, it already doesn’t feel like I’m talking to the Ryder Kennedy from Eleven.

I’m sitting with an exhausted parent.

He still looks guilty over what he said.

“You’ve gotta cut yourself some slack. Parenting is hard. I’m only Chase’s uncle and it’s hard some days I have him.”

He relents. “You’re right.”

“For future reference, I’m always right. So, I get the job, then?”

Ryder scoffs. “There is no job, but if there was, you’d be the first one I call.”

“That doesn’t really help me out with my current situation.”

Ryder flattens his lips and looks confused. “If you want a connection at a label, you can just ask for it. You don’t need to pretend to be interested in being my kid’s nanny.”

Wow. Okay. Guess this isn’t going the way I thought it was. “You think this is a ruse to get industry connections?” I can’t say I blame him, but it kinda hurts. Though it’s not like he knows me. Clearly.

“It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s tried to strike up a conversation only to show their true colors.” Ryder shrugs. “I’m trying to cut out the middle part and get to the point.”

I’ve never tasted fame. Have never been anywhere near close to it. But the dejection in Ryder’s eyes is utterly heartbreaking.

What would it be like to live like that? Not knowing who’s in your life for you and who’s in it because they want something.

“You can keep your connections. I want to make it in this business on my own. I want my music career to be earned on merit, not who I know.”

“That’s admirable—really, it is—but it’s also a little naïve. The industry doesn’t work like that.”

“If I keep pushing and pay my dues, I’ll make it one day.”

I can tell Ryder wants to say more, but he doesn’t.

Instead, he glances out to the maze of tunnels and slides this place has. “Do you think they’re okay up there?”

He says his daughter drives him nuts, but it doesn’t take long for those fatherly instincts to kick in.

“Chase is a good kid. He’ll look out for her. Besides, I think Kaylee has proven she’ll scream if something’s wrong.”

Ryder smiles proudly. “Yeah, she will.”

Movement outside on the street catches my eye, and fuck …

“It wasn’t me. You’ve been with me the whole time, and the only time I touched my phone was to email you.”

Poor guy thinks I’m using him for a label contact, and now paparazzi are outside waiting for him.

Ryder looks confused until he turns. His skin turns ashen when he sees the cameras and two nosey paparazzi trying to see in here.

“One of the staff or someone else must’ve recognized you and tweeted about it or something.”

I feel guilty even though I didn’t do this. I did promise him no one else would find out, though. Not that I can control other people.

He’s out of his seat immediately. “Where’s Kaylee?”

“Let’s go find her.”

We both rush toward the steps to go back up into the tunnels when a loud laugh I know to be Chase’s comes from the slides. He pops out at the bottom, landing in a giant ball pit, and then a few seconds later, Kaylee shoots out the bottom of the second one.

“Over here,” I tell Ryder.

“Kaylee, sweetie, we have to go.” Ryder tries to hide his panicked tone but doesn’t completely pull it off.

I’ve craved fame ever since I could sing. I would kill to have those cameras out there looking for me. Maybe it’s because