Grip Trilogy Box Set

I check my playlist one last time. Typically when celebrities deejay, there’s little pressure to be any good. They don’t have to actually know what they’re doing. All they have to do is pick great songs and press play. But I used to live by the spin. Deejaying in between the songs I would write for other artists kept a roof over my head and ramen noodles in the pantry.

“We ready?” Hector asks from the floor.

I save the playlist I have loaded on the laptop set up for tonight before hopping down off the stage to join him.

“Yep, let’s get it.”

“You laced tonight, bruh.” Hector points to my feet. “I heard your shoe game was beast. Which ones are those?”

“The Space Jam Blackouts.” I grin and bow at the waist. “I broke out the classics for your grand opening.”

“I feel honored.” He laughs and looks around the stage. “Where’s Qwest? She here?”

“Yeah, she’s already in our dressing room and we’ve sound checked.”

I look around the mostly empty club for anyone from my team. Sarah is at a tabl

e, her curious eyes glued to the scantily clad strippers onstage rehearsing their routines.

“Hey, let me introduce you to Sarah from the label.” I start across the room with Hector falling into step beside me. “If you need anything tonight, she’ll be your contact.”

“Not Bristol?” Mischief sparks in Hector’s eyes. “Does Qwest know you’re sprung for your manager?”

“Shut up, man.” I shoot him an annoyed glance that just makes him chuckle.

I’m more annoyed that he brought up my dilemma with Qwest than I am that he peeped my feelings for Bristol. I’m getting through this performance, and then I’m ending things with Qwest tonight. I have to. The flight home was a disaster. I didn't want to have sex with her, so I didn’t, which definitely raised her suspicions. We shared a room in Dubai, but nothing happened. I told her I was tired and that my body was off because of the trip. Lame excuses. My dick would be ready in an outer space time zone if the need arose. It’s not that she isn’t beautiful. She’s fine as hell.

It’s that she isn’t Bristol.

And as much as I wanted to try with someone hoping to get over Bristol, it isn’t working. And it isn’t fair. Not to Qwest. Hell, not to me. This isn’t about convincing Bristol to be with me. I’m done with that shit, too. If she wants me, wants to dump Parker, she knows where to find me. That doesn’t mean my feelings have changed for her. Bringing Qwest into this only made a bigger mess. One I have to clean up tonight.

“Sarah, hey,” I say when we reach her table.

“Hey.” She hugs me and smiles politely at Hector. “Is this Mr. Abrentes?”

I already gave her a heads-up that she would be the contact for anything Hector needs. I’ll let Rhyson and Bristol determine when she finds out she’ll be handling a lot of things for me until I find a new manager.

I give her and Hector a moment to talk through a few details before asking her the question that’s been on my mind since I arrived.

“Sarah, have you heard from Bristol?” I ask. “Seen her?”

She’s always at venues well ahead of her artists, and I’ve been here for more than an hour with no sign of her.

“She told me she’d be here by the time the show starts,” Sarah says.

“Why so late?” The frown feels heavy on my face, so I can only imagine what it looks like. “She’s usually here hours ahead.”

“Oh.” Sarah bites her lip and blinks a few times too many, betraying her nerves. “She said this would be a good training opportunity for me. Is that not okay?”

“No, no, it’s fine.” I squeeze her hand and reassure her with an easy smile. “I was just curious.”

I ignore Hector’s knowing grin. He’s got my number now. But that’s okay. Hector may be a dog, but he knows not to shit where his friends eat, to be crass about it. And even though Bristol and I aren’t together, in his mind, that’s where I eat. Nasty code, but it works.

I notice Sarah keeps looking back to all the nipples and ass onstage. I’m betting this is her first time in a strip club.

“Don’t get any ideas, Sarah,” I tease her. “Prodigy pays you well.

Don’t be working that pole tonight.”