Love Like Crazy. Crystal B. Bright

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СКАЧАТЬ her obligations to this contract and then move on to another company or, worse yet, pull a Shauna and put out music on her own.”

      Laz shook his head. “Paying her for a lie meant that my reputation would have been tarnished, and I would have been out of a job. She wanted me fired.”

      Zinner didn’t blink, didn’t react.

      Laz was not special.

      “I could have talked her out of seeing you let go. I would have made sure to keep her away from you, which, by the way, why did you even approach her? You’re A&R. I just need for you to acquire talent. We have people on staff to talk about contract obligations. Those people are managers and attorneys, not you.” When Zinner pointed at Laz, it looked like he wanted his finger to be a gun and he yearned blowing Laz’s head clean off his shoulders.

      “I told you I wanted to do more here. I’ve been here long enough to go into management. I’ve heard music from unsigned artists who would be perfect for Universe, like this one named Destiny Starr. I don’t know who she is, but if I find her, I would love to sign her and represent her.” Laz sat up taller. “I can be used more.”

      “You could have.” Zinner stood. “Not anymore. Pack your shit and go.” He pointed to the door.

      Laz stood with him. He hoped his towering height would give him a little bit of an intimidation factor. “What the hell? You saw with your own eyes that Kat lied. I never dragged her into a room and asked her for oral sex. She jumped on me. Why am I getting let go if she was the one in the wrong?”

      The automatic blinds in the room started to lower on their own, casting a shadow on the scene.

      “You’re poison to us now. The threat that you may release that video will keep Kat from saying anything publicly, but privately, with other up-and-coming talent, our business will be mud, including this unknown talent you have a hard-on for.”

      Instinctively, Laz clasped his hands in front of his body to cover his genital region. If Zinner heard this woman’s voice, he would want her, too.

      “They’ll associate Universe with perverts and creeps, whether it’s true or not.” Zinner strolled toward the door.

      “Then I’ll sue her. I’ve worked too hard to be—”

      Zinner put his hand on Laz’s shoulder. “It’s over.” Then he blinked. “Unless…”

      Laz peered down at Zinner’s hand before redirecting his attention back to him. “Unless what?”

      “I can have you doing another position. You remember Mable?”

      This time Laz blinked. “The older lady in H.R.?”

      Zinner nodded. “She’s retiring. Or she died recently. I can’t remember. Anyway, she used to be over the interns. You could do that. You could wrangle the intern pool here, which will keep you away from the talent.”

      Laz took a few steps back, which broke the hold Zinner had on him. “With my education, experience, and years of service here, you want to bump me down to a babysitter?”

      Zinner exhaled like he needed to, not out of exasperation. “You’ll still work for the company.”

      Laz shook his head. He didn’t do this business to have his name associated with a company. He had something to say, something to prove.

      “I’ll be gone in five minutes.” He stormed to the door.

      “Not until you sign that gag order preventing you from talking about the whole thing with Kat. One word about it to anyone and you’ll be sued for every dime you have and every dime you’ll ever earn.”

      “Believe me. I don’t want to talk about this bullshit situation.” He continued to the door.

      “You won’t make it out there,” Zinner called after Laz, but Laz kept moving.

      From this point on, he would have to do what he could to make his own way.

      * * * *

      Avery Shields leaned on the mop handle she’d just used on the women’s bathroom floor as she peered down to read her statistics book. She needed more hours in the day to get it all done.

      “Avery, you done in the bathroom?”

      She heard her father’s voice, but she had a few more pages to review first. She glanced at her watch and cursed. In a few more hours, she would have her first of many exams. Life wouldn’t be life if it didn’t include tests.

      The door to the women’s bathroom creaked open.

      “Did you hear me, gal?” Her father came up behind her and tapped her shoulder.

      “Yeah.” Avery didn’t have to look at Clinton Shields to know he disapproved of how she responded. “I mean, yes, sir.” She broke away from her book to give him her full attention. “The toilets are cleaned. The mirrors are all shiny. I just mopped. I’m good in here.”

      As though not believing her, Clinton scanned the room that had a row of about seven stalls and then about five more stalls around the corner. He dropped his gaze to the floor first before proceeding to inspect the rest of the place.

      In the meantime, in the quiet, Avery continued reading until she heard that disappointed groan she had heard from her parents before. Each time, it gave her an uncomfortable tickle up her spine to the back of her head.

      She heard the sounds of plastic crinkling before she saw her father coming around the corner with a full bag of garbage in his hand.

      “All of the garbage receptacles. You have to empty them all.” He shook his head as he walked by her. “I swear sometimes you don’t think.”

      “I was going to get it.” She winced at the lie with good reason.

      Clinton didn’t make it out of the door. He returned to her and cocked his head. “So you thought it would make more sense to mop the floor before emptying out the trash cans?”

      “When you put it that way, I guess it doesn’t hold any logic.” She shrugged.

      “My name is on this cleaning business.”

      When Clinton started on his rant, it could wear on a person’s nerves. Avery wouldn’t dare roll her eyes or cut him off from speaking his mind.

      “I know, Dad.” She understood the sacrifices her parents had made for the family.

      Clinton had driven taxis, cleaned office buildings, and even had his own pressure-washing business at one time. Avery’s mother usually worked alongside him until she started taking classes to become a nurse.

      Avery really had no reason to complain. She had a job, too many jobs, actually. Her father didn’t have to hire her, but he did. That didn’t mean she didn’t see more for herself like her mother. Her dream, though, didn’t involve another high-level profession like nursing.

      Clinton’s gaze dropped down to her opened book. “The sooner we get this place cleaned, the faster you can get home to finish СКАЧАТЬ