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He needed more of that type of energy in his life.
* * *
NIKKI
“What’s going on with André?” Asa asked, slouching on the amp in front of her desk. The same one André had used for lunch.
Because they’d had lunch together.
And it had been really nice.
Nikki didn’t have any answers. She was just happy André had been wearing a shirt when she’d gone in there a minute ago, so Asa didn’t have to see her forget how to act like a respectable human being.
She blew raspberries and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so much we need to go over. He’s doing some renovations in the studio. He was also on my date with Ryan last night—”
“What?” Asa sputtered.
“Yeah.” Nikki bugged her eyes out. “And he brought me lunch today and he’s been super chill and then I did what I always do and blurted out exactly what I was thinking and—”
She side-eyed her closed office door. Closed because she’d hurled her body at the side of the couch repeatedly until Justin took pity on her and moved it out of the way. Actually, Justin and André had carried it out to the dumpster. She’d pretended not to notice all the heavy lifting.
Pretended, being the operative word there. She’d definitely noticed.
Oh no.
Had André’s sweaty hardworking body unlocked a physical labor kink?
She’d have to think about that later.
“I don’t want to talk about it here,” she finished what she’d been saying.
Asa narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Is he stalking you?”
Nikki barked a surprised laugh. “No. I mean, I don’t think so…” Asa arched an eyebrow. She blinked rapidly and shook her head. “No. Absolutely not. No.” She took a deep breath and sighed. She needed to start over.
“The reason I asked you here is because I—we—have a job opportunity for you.”
Asa snorted. “As what? A runner? That’s all I’m qualified to do.”
His response was expected. He’d been avoiding getting back into a studio for years. She’d probably enabled his avoidance a little more than necessary. Mostly because she understood.
When the band broke up, it had hurt in a way that none of them saw coming. Especially Asa.
Nikki had always known the studio was her endgame. The band had been a short-term project to do with her friends for fun. For Asa, the band had been his dream.
But when André had mentioned Asa as a replacement for Chase, it had made so much sense. Asa was better than Chase in all the ways that counted. All she had to do was convince him of that.
“Asa,” Nikki said patiently. “You are a talented and gifted musician and engineer.”
Asa’s eyes narrowed even further. “Why do you sound like Al right now?”
“I do not!” Nikki argued with a laugh. “Now stop it. I’m trying to be serious right now.”
“Okay.” Asa’s smile softened, and she was reminded of how much they’d been through together.
“Okay,” she decided to try again. “Chase, one of the audio engineers, quit. Well—” She made a face. “He won’t return our calls and he hasn’t come in—”
“What if he died?” Asa asked.
