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“Chase is over at Chi-Town Hits.”
Nikki licked her lips and nodded slowly. “Yeah. I heard from Cassandra.” It made sense. They had tried poaching her once upon a time.
But they didn’t have the kind of operation that she and Johnny had built from the ground up for years and years. They had some fancy funding and a nice address, but other than that, they may as well have been a radio station recording booth.
Not to disparage radio stations.
Behind the scenes, Nikki and Johnny usually referred to them as Chi-Town Shits.
Her phone lit up on her desk and she glanced at the screen.
It was Zara.
Her heart ached in a special place. The place she used when she made music and when she was on tour with Winking Pete.
Zara wasn’t the kind of artist that would wait for her.
And she shouldn’t.
She should get her art out into the world as soon as possible because the world needed it.
“When do I start?”
Nikki turned her head to look at Asa who was waiting with arched eyebrows.
She swallowed and tried to figure out what to say.
“I’ve thought about it and you’re right. You guys need me.” Asa pressed his palms onto the top of his thighs and stood. He approached Justin with a hand extended. “Asa, audio engineer wizard, at your service.”
Justin cracked a slight smile, his eyes bouncing back and forth between Nikki’s slightly dumbfounded expression and Asa. He took Asa’s hand and shook it. “Justin.”
“Wait.” Nikki shot to her feet. “Asa, are you sure about this?”
Asa nodded and his expressionseemedokay with it. He shook her shoulder with a hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t fuck it up.”
“I never—” She huffed. She hadn’t said that. Or even thought it.Shehad come tohim.What was happening?
“Show me around?” Asa asked Justin.
“Yup,” Justin replied with a pop.
He turned and Asa followed him out of Nikki’s office. But not before he pointed at Nikki and said, “We’re talking about André tonight. And if you don’t tell Al, I will. And whatever other secret you’re keeping.”
“Oh. Okay,” she said. Even though she wasn’t great at keeping secrets anyway. And the André thing wasn’t a secret. Not deliberately anyway.
Though from Asa’s perspective she could see why he had questions and concerns.
If only she knew what to say about all of it.
Speaking of André… Nikki went the opposite direction to where Justin and Asa had gone and returned to the lounge in progress like she was drawn there.
André had the music going again.
It was Rites of Spring’s “For Want Of.”
This playlist was fire. She was going to have to steal it from him.
She leaned against the doorframe and crossed one ankle over the other.
