Wicked Innocence (Wicked Innocence 1)

“A coffee would be great. White, no sugar.”

“And one for Saxon too, ple

ase. The same as mine.” He rubbed his hands together. “Okay, let’s get down to business, shall we? Am I right that considering you are here, that you’re interested in what we discussed the other day?”

“I’m interested in learning more about your proposal,” I responded carefully.

“Good. That’s a start. As I said, I don’t expect you to go rushing into this. Now, what I have in mind is a few small shows to get you comfortable with performing in front of a crowd again. I’d like to release a track. Have you been working on anything during your absence?” he asked. “The song you performed at the festival, was that one of your own?”

I nodded. “I have probably a dozen songs I’d consider strong enough to stand alone as a single.”

“Good, that’s what I was hoping you would say. Have you thought about how this is going to affect the band? Obviously it wouldn’t be possible for you to continue as their manager, though I can suggest some reputable people in the industry who might be interested in that role.”

“Yes, I understand that.” I hesitated. “My girlfriend is the lead singer of Resurrection, and my cousin is the lead guitarist. I’m hoping I’ll be able to use some of my own exposure to help them out.”

A knock on the door interrupted us. I smiled as his assistant walked in carrying two cups. She set one in front of me, and the other in front of him. He thanked her and she left.

Turning his attention back to me, he nodded.

“That’s fine, but you need to understand it might take time to get you to that point. Also, my main concern is you. I like that you want to help your cousin and girlfriend, but your focus needs to be yourself. There will be times when you’ll be in one part of the country and they will be in another. Are you going to be able to handle that?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay, good. So now you need to decide. Is this what you really want? I’m willing to invest a lot of time and effort into you, but I need to know that you are committed to this. I need a hundred and ten percent from you, Saxon. That might mean putting other things first so we can get you to the top. But I promise you, if you do this, I’ll get you there.”

I swallowed hard, my heart racing.

Was I ready for this? Was this what I wanted?

Micah’s words echoed in my head.

Sing because you love what your music does to people. Do this because you can’t imagine doing anything else. Do it because you know you can.

“I want this,” I said, placing my hand on the edge of his desk.

He nodded, satisfied. “Okay. Let’s get the ball rolling. I’ll have contracts drawn up and sent to you in the next few days. In the meantime, I’ll have the marketing department arrange a meeting with you.” He stood up and extended his arm. I took his hand and shook it.

“Welcome back, Saxon.”

I smiled, a thrill racing through me.

Watch out, world: Saxon Waite is back.

That Girl, by HJ Bellus

Releasing 12th August on all major online retailors. See www.hjbellus.com for more information.

Excerpt

Chapter One

"I'm pregnant."

"You’re what?" I shout in shock.

"I'm pregnant. I'm so sorry."

Pacing the tiny, musty room, I continue to shake my head, trying to believe my best friend, Jazzy, can’t be knocked up.