rid of her,” he said. “She's a time bomb.”
Kevin shook his head. “I can't.
This is good for the tour. It's good for Cash and it's good for Mattie.”
“Assuming Mattie doesn't fight her
way through Europe.”
“She's a little passionate,” Kevin
admitted. “But she's a professional, just like Cash, she knows how to behave
when it counts.”
“Oh, so picking a fight with me was
professional, was it? And hitting on Cash? What if they decide to get together?
Do you really want your star being led astray?”
Kevin feigned a thoughtful
expression. “I don't think Cash swings that way, but the media typically takes
an interest in that sort of rumor.” He smiled his 'up to something' smile, an
expression Miles knew all too well.
“Kevin, you little snake, this
isn't about music. This is about sensation. This is about publicity. You're
trying to start rumors about Cash and Mattie...”
“I'm doing nothing of the kind,”
Kevin said. “If the press leap to certain conclusions, I can hardly...” he
trailed off under a very hard look from Miles. “Hey,” he shrugged. “It's
business.”
“It's cheap and it's tawdry and
Cash deserves better.”
“Ease up,” Kevin said. “I'm not
going to orchestrate anything. It's perfectly normal to have lesser known
artists open for bigger acts, and both Cash and Mattie are talented.”
“Fine.” Miles ground the word out.
“But you need to keep that kid under control.”
“I will. I promise.” Kevin smirked.
“I might even enjoy it.”
Miles didn't quite believe Kevin,
but there was no point in arguing further. At the end of the day, business was
business and Mattie was just a variable he'd have to account for when he was
working. But as he watched Mattie and Cash smiling and laughing together over a
fruit smoothie, he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that nothing good would
come from taking Miss Stabby Longstockings on tour.
*
* * * *
Mattie was a problem, but she was
not the only problem. A two-month long tour throughout Europe was no small
matter to arrange and though most of the bookings and dates had been set in
advance, the security issues were yet to be entirely settled. Over the next few
days, Miles found himself buried in work. Cash was likewise busy. Her schedule
was beyond frantic, she worked almost every minute that god sent and she barely
slept. More than once he observed her pacing in the middle of the night,
occasionally working on a few dance steps or humming a few bars of a song.
“Miles?” He looked up late one
night to find her standing at his elbow. She was smiling as usual, but she
looked tired. Overtired, even.
“Yes, Miss Raine?”
“Will you come for a walk with me?”
He glanced at his watch. It was
just past midnight. It would have been easier to say no, but there was nothing
to be gained from restricting her activities. She'd only end up sneaking out
without him and that would be far more problematic than a late night stroll
with a beautiful young woman. “Certainly, Miss Raine.”
They left the suite and took the
private elevator down to the ground floor. From there they went to the beach
where Cash took the lead, wandering through what was left of the dunes,
occasionally kicking up sand. She seemed preoccupied as she stopped at the edge
of the ocean, looking up into the moonlit sky. The stars were out in force that
night, sprinkled in the millions throughout the dark heavens. “Can I talk to
you, Miles? You know, as a person?”
“Sure,” he said, casting a curious
look in her direction.
“Why are you here?”
The question caught him off guard.
“Here, as in...”
“As in why are you working for me?”
She turned to him, looking into his face quizzically, as if there was a puzzle
she was trying to solve. “Kevin said you were a big shot in the military. You
could be doing anything now.”
“Well,” Miles said. “I wanted a
change. I needed a change. This is a change.”
“Some would call it a
Kevin shook his head. “I can't.
This is good for the tour. It's good for Cash and it's good for Mattie.”
“Assuming Mattie doesn't fight her
way through Europe.”
“She's a little passionate,” Kevin
admitted. “But she's a professional, just like Cash, she knows how to behave
when it counts.”
“Oh, so picking a fight with me was
professional, was it? And hitting on Cash? What if they decide to get together?
Do you really want your star being led astray?”
Kevin feigned a thoughtful
expression. “I don't think Cash swings that way, but the media typically takes
an interest in that sort of rumor.” He smiled his 'up to something' smile, an
expression Miles knew all too well.
“Kevin, you little snake, this
isn't about music. This is about sensation. This is about publicity. You're
trying to start rumors about Cash and Mattie...”
“I'm doing nothing of the kind,”
Kevin said. “If the press leap to certain conclusions, I can hardly...” he
trailed off under a very hard look from Miles. “Hey,” he shrugged. “It's
business.”
“It's cheap and it's tawdry and
Cash deserves better.”
“Ease up,” Kevin said. “I'm not
going to orchestrate anything. It's perfectly normal to have lesser known
artists open for bigger acts, and both Cash and Mattie are talented.”
“Fine.” Miles ground the word out.
“But you need to keep that kid under control.”
“I will. I promise.” Kevin smirked.
“I might even enjoy it.”
Miles didn't quite believe Kevin,
but there was no point in arguing further. At the end of the day, business was
business and Mattie was just a variable he'd have to account for when he was
working. But as he watched Mattie and Cash smiling and laughing together over a
fruit smoothie, he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that nothing good would
come from taking Miss Stabby Longstockings on tour.
*
* * * *
Mattie was a problem, but she was
not the only problem. A two-month long tour throughout Europe was no small
matter to arrange and though most of the bookings and dates had been set in
advance, the security issues were yet to be entirely settled. Over the next few
days, Miles found himself buried in work. Cash was likewise busy. Her schedule
was beyond frantic, she worked almost every minute that god sent and she barely
slept. More than once he observed her pacing in the middle of the night,
occasionally working on a few dance steps or humming a few bars of a song.
“Miles?” He looked up late one
night to find her standing at his elbow. She was smiling as usual, but she
looked tired. Overtired, even.
“Yes, Miss Raine?”
“Will you come for a walk with me?”
He glanced at his watch. It was
just past midnight. It would have been easier to say no, but there was nothing
to be gained from restricting her activities. She'd only end up sneaking out
without him and that would be far more problematic than a late night stroll
with a beautiful young woman. “Certainly, Miss Raine.”
They left the suite and took the
private elevator down to the ground floor. From there they went to the beach
where Cash took the lead, wandering through what was left of the dunes,
occasionally kicking up sand. She seemed preoccupied as she stopped at the edge
of the ocean, looking up into the moonlit sky. The stars were out in force that
night, sprinkled in the millions throughout the dark heavens. “Can I talk to
you, Miles? You know, as a person?”
“Sure,” he said, casting a curious
look in her direction.
“Why are you here?”
The question caught him off guard.
“Here, as in...”
“As in why are you working for me?”
She turned to him, looking into his face quizzically, as if there was a puzzle
she was trying to solve. “Kevin said you were a big shot in the military. You
could be doing anything now.”
“Well,” Miles said. “I wanted a
change. I needed a change. This is a change.”
“Some would call it a
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