Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
But that didn’t take away from the fact that he was letting Crystal down.
“I’m really so sorry I won’t be here to wake up with you on your birthday, but we’ll go to bed together at the end of the day—if you want to, that is.” He was so desperate to tell her that he’d be at the party with literal glitter and bells on, but obviously he couldn’t. He’d never realized that keeping a secret from Crystal, even a fun one, would be so hard.
She smiled, a twinkle in her dark eyes. “Oh, I definitely want you there at the end of the night. Are you going to sing me to sleep?”
And he laughed. “Something like that.”
He had already bought Crystal a special birthday gift and as soon as she was asleep, he hid it in her house. He would text her first thing Wednesday morning and send her clues as to where to find it. He knew she’d enjoy the game, and at least that way it would feel like he was right there with her.
* * *
Early the next morning, when Erin and Mila came to his place for coffee and some last-minute party planning, they weren’t nearly as happy as Crystal and Opal had been about the trip to LA.
Mila laid right into him. “Dude, you promised. You said you’d be here for the party. You said you’d sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in front of everybody.” She rapped her knuckles lightly against his temple. “Do you remember any of that? Did it sink in?”
Erin was much more restrained, but that worried look had come into her eyes again. “Damien, you said you loved her. You promised you wouldn’t let her down. This is important. It’s her big three-oh and if you don’t show up, it will be spoiled for her.”
Now he was getting irritated with both of them. As if he wouldn’t show for the big event. “Do you think I don’t know that? Of course it’s important. I’m hosting the party and I’ve told you both I’ll be here. But you don’t know how the music industry works. To get a meeting like this for an unknown musician is massive. Like literally once in a decade this kind of thing might happen. If I turn it down, I don’t know when Opal will get another chance.” He took a calming breath. “I can’t do that to her. I can’t take away this opportunity when I brought her all the way out here specifically to try to make this happen. You must be able to understand that.”
He probably argued harder because deep down he felt guilty. He’d so wanted to be there for Crystal’s thirtieth from start to finish.
Mila clearly didn’t, but Erin nodded. Still, the crease between her brows didn’t go away.
Chapter Thirty-One
Damien had the fun of seeing Opal enjoy her first ride in a private jet, courtesy of Crimson Palm Records. No security lines, no cramped seats, just polished leather, soft lighting, and their own flight attendant offering everything from champagne to a full breakfast. They both declined, but Opal accepted a cappuccino and he sipped a green tea while the low hum of the engines pushed her toward a new chapter. He had a feeling that she’d have her own PJ before long, but for now it was kind of fun to show her what it was like to travel in style. She sat quietly by the window, eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and wonder as they soared above the clouds. She kept her guitar case close, resting it beside her like a trusted friend.
All through the short flight to LA and the longer drive through gnarly traffic, Damien focused on keeping Opal calm. She knew what was waiting for her—all-or-nothing meetings with record executives, people she’d only read about in interviews or seen in liner notes. The kind of people who could change everything. She was already brimming with a wild, quiet hope.
So, he avoided talking about his own big hopes for her future or all the things he thought she could do, and instead asked her questions about her past. About her boyfriend and her family. He relied on those things to keep himself grounded, and he suspected the young musician was like that, too. It worked. He could see her relaxing as she talked about home. She even pulled up some pictures of her and her boyfriend, and her folks with the family dog.
Nate was a busy man. He met Opal, told her he liked her stuff, and whisked them off to a dinner with a bunch of global execs. She was nervous enough that Damien was glad to be there—even if it was the kind of event he hated—and able to tell the people around the table how hard she worked and how talented she was.