“Listen, love. Please don’t ever go underground again. I need my concert tickets.”
“I promise.” Leona hung up.
Her hairdresser started to work. “Let me get started on your twists.”
“Change of plan, Kim. Geisha bun. Sleek and sexy.”
Kim stilled with wide-toothed comb in hand. “You haven’t had that style in a while. Does this mean you’re back?”
Kim’s excitement surprised her. “No.” Leona’s raised voice carried above the music.
“Okay, okay. Just asking.” Kim’s grin reflected in the mirror.
Leona surveyed the room and tapped her left earlobe. “The last thing I need is that rumor getting out.”
Kim readied her tools—complete with blow-dryer and brush—for Leona’s hair. “Maybe after tonight it won’t be a rumor.”
For the past year, Leona had stayed out of the spotlight. Lately, she had to admit that the administrative role Abe allowed her to perform was a snore fest, and she’d thought about waging a comeback and once again doing the work she loved. Though she was an experienced personal manager, with production and tour experience, the entertainment industry was fickle and would make her pay for her absence. More importantly, a nagging question remained.
Am I ready?
Leona checked her messages and returned a call to Tracy Ruiz, one of the resident lawyers at Wallace Entertainment. “Hey, Tracy. Got anything on Mr. Wonderful?”
“He doesn’t have any priors, but there have been some disturbances of the peace. Mr. Anderson has had a string of episodes involving angry outbursts, but no one was hurt. Only a couple of scuffles here and there.”
“This just gets more interesting by the hour. Okay, Tracy. Thanks.”
What the hell did Abe get me into? A client with a shady business past and anger management issues… Seriously? A shiver scuttled up her back and her shoulders shimmied in release. Just get him in the door, Leo, and you’ll be done.
Kim took a brief break from pulling at Leona’s kinky curls. “You cold, girl?”
“Oh, no, I’m good. Just some old ghosts trying to bully me.”
Kim patted her shoulders.
Leona was tempted to contact Luke’s family members for more information, but her experience with her ex-boyfriend gave her pause. The media craziness had adversely affected the Sable family. And though she only sought information—it was a line she was unwilling to cross.
With her hair completed, Leona thanked Kim and headed home. In her walk-in closet, Leona chose her outfit while she listened to one of Luke’s interviews. He mentioned a fondness for animal crackers and she chuckled. “And not just any kind either.” She loved researching potential clients. Sometimes their quirks and preferences were predictable, other times quite unexpected.
Her phone rang. She picked up when she saw it was Abe.
“Leo? I’m on my way to the hotel. What’d you find out, darlin’？” he asked. Though from Scottish and Spanish stock, Abe had been born and raised in North Carolina. He used the touch of Southern twang in his voice to sweet-talk anyone into doing his bidding.
“He’s very into his fans. In fact, that’s why this guy is all over the place and not just in the States.” She put Abe on speaker and scrolled through some notes on her phone. “Yeah, Brazil, Australia, United Arab Emirates… Yikes. The list of worldwide appearances goes on for pages. What a treacherous schedule.”
“Hard worker. What else?”
“He’s passionate about his music and active on all social media outlets. We like passion.”
“We?”
“Wallace Entertainment,” Leona clarified. “People have nice things to say about him. But, Abe? There’s a bit of controversy around his last management. His ex-manager stole some astronomical amount of money from him and—”
“That’s an unfounded rumor. We need him, Leo.”
There’s that desperation again. “I get that you want him, but…”
“No, Leo. The company needs him.”
“The company? Okay, Abe. What’s really going on here?”
Abe was silent. “I’m in a cab, coming up on 14th Street. We’ll talk later. See you in a bit.”
“Abe…” she called to a dead line. Damn it. What the hell? She breathed deep.
She dressed in snug off-white leather bootleg pants and a fitted black shirt with capped sleeves. Sexy black lace accented the top of the shirt—from above her bust to her neck—and covered her back. It was the perfect day-to-night outfit, yet still professional. Too much time had passed since her life required such attire. The outfit felt foreign at first, until the old familiar part of her began to stir.