Love Like Crazy. Crystal B. Bright

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СКАЧАТЬ continued hearing music and singing. He looked at his phone’s screen to make sure he had properly disconnected the call. When he found it blank, he pressed the phone against his ear again.

      When he heard an echo, he realized that the beautiful music came from inside the bathroom, but it didn’t sound like it had been pumped through a sound system. No, someone with an amazing voice sang, and damn if it didn’t sound like Destiny Starr.

      He stepped closer to the corner to get a better listen. The person, who he hoped had been female, sang an old-school Gladys Knight song like she had written it herself. He crept closer to the sound but made sure to keep his identity hidden.

      As he listened to how she caressed and massaged each lyric, each note, Laz got swept away. The singer managed to make each note an actual being with limbs, eyes, a soul. He felt surrounded, but he enjoyed the sensation. He liked being captured this way.

      The magnetism he felt from listening to Destiny Starr sing came through like a lover in person. At one point, he even closed his eyes and leaned his head back to take in the melodic sounds.

      Talent like this, a voice like hers, needed to be heard by more than just him in a men’s room. Wait. What would a woman be doing in the men’s bathroom?

      When that thought hit him, Laz needed to find out the reason. Even if the voice belonged to a man, it still sounded wonderful.

      As he rounded the corner, he got face-to-face with a woman. Even in her gray, oversized coveralls, she looked amazing…and familiar. Her almond-shaped brown eyes sucked him in, and her plump bottom lip had him imagining things he shouldn’t have with a stranger.

      It hit him right away why she seemed familiar. He stared into those same eyes last night when he went into that karaoke dive bar. Laz spotted this beauty across the room. As soon as their gazes connected, he couldn’t stop staring. He had that same feeling now.

      After a beat, she screamed, which snapped him out of his fantasy.

      Laz held up his hand to calm her down. He didn’t need someone else claiming he did something inappropriate. “Easy. I was just using the bathroom.”

      “The guards said no one was in here.” She clutched the handle of the mop she carried in both hands like she would use it as a weapon if needed.

      “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He took a step forward, which made her take three steps back. “Was that you singing just a second ago?”

      She dropped her gaze to the floor and shook her head. “Nope. I was playing music on my phone.” She pulled a phone from her pocket to show him. “Sorry for the noise.”

      “I don’t believe that. There were changes to the song that really showed some great artistry. That definitely wasn’t a song recording. That was you.” He pointed to her. “Are you Destiny Starr?”

      When he asked the question, her eyes widened and she made a hasty retreat. “I’ll come back here later.”

      No way could Laz let this woman go. “Wait.” He went after her, but made sure not to touch her. “You are her, right? You sent a demo to Universe.”

      “I don’t know what you’re talking—”

      Laz managed to block her from leaving. “I heard it. I’ve been listening to it every day since I was able to get my hands on it. You have an incredible voice.”

      “Please step aside.” She wrung her hands around the handle.

      Laz placed his hand to his chest. “My name is Laz. Laz Kyson.” He extended his hand to her. When she didn’t move but kept her stare on his eyes, he lowered it and continued. “I’m in the music business, and I’m looking for artists to represent. I would love to talk to you about representing you and where you see yourself in the music industry.” He patted his pocket. “I have a business card.”

      The woman laughed. “I’ve heard that line before. Usually, though, the guy wants to take me back to his place to talk.” She shook her head. “No thank you. Now if you’ll move out of—”

      “I’m not like those guys. I’m only interested in representing artists who—”

      “I’m at work.” She held her hand up. “I clean toilets and scrub floors.”

      Laz peered down to the floor but stopped when he noticed an open textbook on the counter. Between the multiple lines of text, he noticed the graphs and mathematical equations. He hadn’t been so far removed from his college experience to forget about this course.

      “And you’re in college.” He plucked his finger against the pages. “Statistics, right?”

      She said nothing.

      “I did really well in that class.” He nodded. “If you want, I can—”

      “I don’t need to—”

      This time he stopped her. “Dream? You don’t think you deserve to dream?”

      That same bottom lip he admired before now trembled like she wanted to say something, maybe agree with him.

      “What’s your name?” He wanted to know so much about this mysterious woman. “Please tell me it’s not really Destiny Starr.”

      What did she look like under that bulky garment?

      Damn, he couldn’t think about things like that. For one, it would show on his face. He didn’t want this woman thinking he wanted her for something lascivious. Laz had to show her he could be a professional, even in the middle of the men’s room.

      “Avery, are you done in there already?” The men’s bathroom door swung open and an older African-American man stepped inside.

      He did a stutter step when he spotted Laz with the woman he now knew to be Avery. Good name. Better than Destiny.

      The man glared at Laz before looking at Avery and standing in front of her like a protective bulldog. “Who are you?”

      “I was in a stall down there when I heard the most beautiful—”

      “I forgot to make sure no one was in here first before I started.” Avery took the man’s hand and dragged him to the door. “We’ll get out of your way.”

      “And I’ll take care of cleaning this room.” The older gentleman shrugged out of Avery’s grasp and kept his glare on Laz before turning to Avery. “You can go down to the offices on the other end of the floor. I’ll get up with you later.”

      “Yes, sir.” Avery didn’t even look at Laz as she started to leave the bathroom.

      “Wait.” Laz closed her hefty book and picked it up. “You forgot this.” He held it up to her, but the man standing in between the two of them snatched it from Laz’s hand.

      Instead of handing Avery the book, he clasped it close to his barrel-size chest. “I’ll make sure she gets this.”

      Avery scurried out of the bathroom.

      The man, who had stood protectively СКАЧАТЬ