AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gregor had only been with her a year after her former assistant burned out. Not that Zara could blame her; her life was hectic. Cas had brought up Gregor as an option and Zara trusted Cas’s judgment. He knew Gregor through work, they’d both served as security for an ambassador many years ago. Gregor was a former army medic with combat experience. Transitioning to civilian life had been hard because he didn’t exactly qualify for the jobs he was most proficient in. Private security was one of the only jobs he could get.
Zara had worried that being a popstar’s assistant wouldn’t be an interesting enough job to make him want to stick around. Gregor had not only excelled but thrived in the position.
Logan had pitched a fit. He didn’t like the idea of a smart, attractive, muscly army vet being at her beck and call. It didn’t matter that Gregor was gay or that Zara never cheated or even considered cheating.
It hadn’t taken very long for Zara to decide Gregor was the world’s greatest assistant and she didn’t give a shit what Logan thought.
“All right. A week then,” Zara said.
Gregor nodded, adding to his notes. “Anything else before I go?
“No, thanks, G. I’m good.” She planned on a chill night in with some white wine, a bath in her hammock bathtub, and lots of quiet contemplation.
Gregor nodded and left.
See? She had good people on her team.
The best.
Zara got up and moved to the wine fridge in her kitchen, continuing her plans for the evening. She opened a new bottle of Riesling and poured the appropriate amount into a glass she’d gotten in a set as a gift from Paige and Nash.
She capped the bottle and put it back.
Taking her glass, she went down the hall to the wet room. She didn’t use the bath often, because some things still seemed like an indulgence. And a hammock shaped carbon fiber tub that looked like it was floating in the middle of the room was definitely an indulgence.
She added bubbles to the water as it filled the tub and gazed out at the bright city lighting up the night.
The wall that faced the city was made up entirely of mirrored glass so no one could see inside.
She loved New York. Ever since she was little and her dad had taken her into the city to see a Broadway show for her birthday, she’d wanted to live here.
She smiled to herself. The world had seemed so big and exciting back then.
It still was. She was just too damn busy to enjoy it.
Maybe she should shelve the album.
Yeah, it would make her sad and break her heart a little. But she’d rather that, than give Logan anything else that was hers.
But that would mean pissing off her label and probably fans too. They expected a new album soon. She’d have to make something entirely new and that took time.
It was a lot to think about.
CHAPTER SEVEN
STOP MAKING THIS HURT
ZARA
Two days later she sat down at a small table in a coffee house in SoHo across from Nash Ellis. Devan and Gregor sat at the table closest to them, Cas at another table nearby.
She’d asked Nash for a meeting, because she still hadn’t decided what to do.
Nash Ellis was a rock star.
That was an oversimplification but it painted an accurate picture. He was only a couple years older than Zara and had been in the industry about the same amount of time. His experience had been vastly different from hers. They’d met through mutual friends a couple years ago and since then had struck up an easy friendship. She got along well with his girlfriend Paige and would often run her ideas by Nash if something felt weird. He had the survival instincts of a snow leopard and she trusted his intuition.
She’d woken up that morning, after another terrible night of sleep, with one resounding thought pounding against her temples: she was done playing the game.
