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21
Maddox
With my headphones on, I hit my drumsticks against the cymbals, recording a new track for one of the songs we’re working on. We’ve been in the studio for a couple of hours today, but my mind’s looking forward to tomorrow.
After Cece’s brother’s birthday party, we made plans to go out to dinner and tomorrow’s the night. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to, especially since the interaction with her father at her brother’s party.
She had every opportunity to take the easy path and go out with the guy her father set her up with, but she didn’t. She wants to go out with me. And it doesn’t feel like it has in the past, where I knew it was because of who I portrayed. Now, I’m with a girl, and she doesn’t want that guy, but the real me. I never thought I’d want that, but then again, I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone like Cece.
“Hey!” Derrik shouts through a microphone. “What are you doing?”
“Huh?” I look up from my drum kit. He, along with Jade and EJ, are all staring at me from the adjacent studio.
“You’re not even playing the song. What are you doing?” he repeats, enunciating each word.
“I’ll tell you what he’s doing,” EJ says, snickering. “He’s daydreaming.”
“Oh my God,” Jade adds, her jaw dropping. “I think you’re right.”
“In that case, you want to jot down any more love lyrics you got bouncing around in that brain of yours?” Derrik says, making them all laugh.
“Very funny,” I yell back, then flip them off.
Walking out of the booth, I head into the studio with them. They’re still laughing, and though I’m annoyed with the teasing, I can’t say I don’t deserve it. I’ve teased EJ mercilessly ever since high school, ragged on Jade’s ex-boyfriend—even though he deserved it—and I made fun of Derrik for writing so many cheesy lyrics about being in love when he had Zoey on the brain. I guess what comes around goes around.
My phone starts ringing, but before I can see who’s calling me, Jade begins the teasing again. “Oooh, she’s already got him trained to answer on one ring.”
Her comment makes the guys erupt in more laughter. “You’re so funny, Jade,” I retort, rolling my eyes. Looking at my phone, I see it’s Leslie, one of the managers who work for Cece. “Hey, Leslie, what’s up?”
“Hi, Maddox. I was asked to call you in for a meeting. Can you make it down to the club in the next hour?”
“Really?” I squint, unsure what this is all about. We’re supposed to have another one of those meetings Cece holds, going over all the reports and business stuff with her father, but that’s not until next week. “Yeah, sure, I guess so.”
“Great. Just so you know, it’s with Mr. Mavin.”
“Oh.” That’s odd. “Wait, no one else? Just him?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Um, okay. Yeah, no problem.”
“Okay, great. I’ll let him know you’re on your way.”
She hangs up, and I stare at the screen of my phone. I have no reason to feel uneasy about meeting with him, but it’s weird. From every interaction I’ve had with the man, he seems like he can’t stand to be around me. There’s no way this is any kind of business meeting. It has to be about Cece.
“Hey, I gotta go. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
“Oh, she must’ve rung the bell!” EJ shouts, and the laughter continues.
As I drive, the phone call and situation I’m walking into sways through my mind. I pull my SUV up to the front of the building, and the valet takes my car away. Heading inside, I don’t know what I should be expecting, and part of me wants to call Cece. This has to be about her, so maybe she’d know why her father wants to have a one-on-one with me.
Then again, maybe she has no idea. If she doesn’t, I don’t want to call her and give her any reason for concern. Chester Mavin is a billionaire that people around the world look at as an elite hotel mogul, but he’s also her dad. I know she loves him, and if I tell her that he’s calling me in for some sort of talking-to, I don’t want to cause any kind of rift in her family.
As I approach the elevator, a guy in a suit that looks like he works for the building waves me down. “Mr. Barkley?”
“Yeah?”
“Right this way, sir. Mr. Mavin is in an office down here.”
