Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
I smile, the first genuine smile in days. "Are people talking about us?"
"There are rumors, but nothing has been confirmed yet." She smirks at me. "No one could hear anything at the concert, so no one knows what the heck was going on. We've been tossing out theories online to muddy the waters and keep the press off your doorstep for as long as possible." Her dimples pop out. "Everyone is currently split between whether the two of you have been secretly hooking up for a while or whether he saw you in the crowd and knew you were the one. We weren't really sure which you guys preferred, but we figured they were probably better than any version of the truth."
"Thank you," I whisper, gratitude welling in my chest. "Seriously, thank you. I don't think I have the mental capacity to deal with the media right now on top of everything else."
She winks at me. "It's what we do for our friends. And you and Priest—Grayson—are friends."
I sit back in my chair, exhaling a breath.
"I really want to meddle right now," she admits. "But I promised myself that I was just coming to check in on you after what happened. I figured you could use a friend more than anything."
"I appreciate it," I say, meaning it. "I don't imagine it's easy being caught in the middle."
"You clearly have not been around long," she says with a light laugh. "Around here, I always seem to end up in the middle. Perks of the job, I guess."
"Speaking of the job…" I lick my lips. "I need a favor."
"Name it."
"Can you convince Kasen Alexander to meet my daughter?" I rub my temples, staring at her with pleading eyes. "And before you agree, you should probably know that she asks inappropriate questions, has no filter, and will likely try to convince him to help her do all kinds of shady shit. But I told her about Grayson last night. It ended with me agreeing to try to get her a meeting with Kasen."
Riley covers her hand with her mouth, laughing. "You got swindled, huh?
"I got swindled so bad," I whisper.
"I'll make it happen," she promises, still laughing. "He owes me for putting up with him anyway." And then she sobers. "How did she take it otherwise?"
"Surprisingly well. I expected tears and screaming. Instead, she just…accepted it."
"Kids are sometimes more resilient than we are."
"Yeah," I say softly, glancing around at my dad's office. Even though he isn't here, the office is still steeped in his personality. His books still line the shelves. His sad, beige tones still cover the walls. Nothing here feels like me. "Do you really think I can run this company?"
"I think the real question is, do you want to run this company?"
"No," I whisper. "I really, really don't. My dad was…complicated." I grimace at the word, my conversation with Brinley floating to the surface of my mind. She was right. Things between us were complicated and he did make me sad. He made me sad long before I met Grayson. I just never realized how lonely I was fighting against his vision for my life until I had Grayson telling me that I could be anything I wanted. He gave me strength when mine was flagging. He gave me hope when mine started to dwindle. He changed my life in ways I don't think he even realizes. "He left me the company to force me back here. He loved trying to control my life. I don't want to spend the rest of it dancing on his strings."
"Then don't." Riley shrugs. "Find someone to dance in your place. Sell it off. Do what you want. This is Nashville, Mina. And you have a company full of the best entertainment lawyers in the country music industry. Believe me, if you dangle the hook, they'll come running to snap this place up."
"What about your artists? Whoever buys me out could gut this place."
"My people will be fine. I've been terrorizing this town since I was a little girl." She shoots me a sly smile. "And I married a freaking billionaire. Regardless of who buys you out, I'll have mine taken care of," she says. "I was hoping you'd keep the company for purely selfish reasons. I'm tired of being one of the only young, fashionable female CEOs around here. This is still a Boy's Club. I just elbowed my way in and refused to leave."
Once upon a time, I wanted to be just like her. When I married Grayson, I had big plans for my life. I was going to conquer every single one of my dreams with him at my side. He made me believe I could do it. Even in our tiny apartment, I felt like the world was at our feet. He made me feel that way.