Little Secret, Red Hot Scandal (Las Vegas Nights 4)

“For me to run some errands.”

“Your talents are wasted on your sister.”

“It’s more complicated than that.” But she didn’t defend her situation as adamantly as she’d done in the past. “She really does need me.”

Not wishing to spoil their limited time together with an argument, Nate held out his hand and gestured Mia toward him. There would be plenty of time in the next month for them to discuss her future and for him to convince her to leave her sister and stay with him.

“Come play more of what you?

?ve been working on.”

* * *

A week after Nate’s surgery, Mia found herself in the lobby of Ugly Trout Records with her sister and father. The spare, utilitarian space was like Nate. Unpretentious and purposeful. There was a beige leather sectional beneath the company logo rendered in copper on the wall. On the opposite wall six guitars hung in a neat line. It wasn’t designed to impress executives or big name stars. Musicians came to Las Vegas to record and work with Nate. His stellar reputation was all the promotion the label required.

Mia followed Ivy and their father through the glass door that led from the lobby into the empty conference room. They were late and Mia grimaced, wondering how upset Nate was at the moment.

“I’m surprised he isn’t here to greet us,” Ivy said, pulling a small mirror out of her purse to check her appearance yet again.

“Me, too, especially since we’re fifteen minutes late.”

Ivy shot her a dirty look. “What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

Mia bit the inside of her cheek and reminded herself that this session would not go well if Ivy was upset. “It’s just that I promised Nate we would be here right at ten.” The second she used “we” Mia knew she’d screwed up.

“He’s expecting me.”

“Of course.” Mia used her most soothing tone. “But you need me to translate what he’s saying.”

Ivy went back to checking her appearance. “If you think this makes you special, it doesn’t. Remember that it’s me he asked to work with.”

Because he wants to spend time with me. But Mia didn’t dare speak the truth out loud. Ivy wouldn’t believe her. She barely believed it herself. Why was someone as talented and successful as Nate Tucker interested in a nobody like her?

A couple minutes later Nate, Melody and two men entered the room. The very air seemed to change with Nate’s presence and Mia’s eyes were glued to him as he came around the conference table to shake hands with Ivy. The rest of his team followed suit. When all the introductions had been made, Nate’s gaze sought Mia.

He raised an eyebrow before signing. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

Mia translated, and for a while the only sound in the room was her voice as she followed Nate’s hands. He spoke about Ivy’s previous two albums with West Coast Records and how the songs had been great, but the production had been rushed on both.

When Ivy had originally been signed by the label, the company had been run by Siggy Caldwell, Trent and Melody’s father. In the past month, Nate and Trent had purchased the failing record company and planned to restore it to its former glory.

“We’re going to develop a better marketing strategy for releasing her music this time,” Nate signed.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Javier Navarro said. “The delays in releasing her last album really hurt the sales.”

“Trent and I agree.”

“I’ve been dying to work with you and Melody,” Ivy said. “When can I get into the studio?”

Nate glanced toward Melody. “Studio C is open right now. Why don’t you two run through a few songs. I want to give Mia a tour and introduce her to some people she’ll be working with this next month.”

Ivy’s eyes narrowed. “I thought she was going to translate for you.”

“She is.”

“Then why does she need a tour?”

“Your sister showed an interest in sound production and she’s going to need to learn what I’m talking about in order to make people understand what I’m asking for.”