“Cheers to that,” I said.
Molly blushed and clinked her glass to ours.
We piled out of the limo outside of Trinity’s very modern-looking house and were greeted with loud applause as soon as we walked in. Something that sounded like Des Rocs was playing in the background, but the chatter was so loud I could barely make it out.
Trinity was at the head of the welcome party, dressed in a smart cocktail dress and shiny black heels. She greeted Kaz and I with more warmth than we’d ever experienced from her to date and didn’t waste a second before dragging us into the midst of the party.
I glanced over my shoulder, trying to find Molly. When my gaze caught on her, she waved me forward, and mouthed, “Go.”
After that, the night was a blur of handshakes, cocktails, and congratulations. Everyone suddenly seemed to know who we were. It was disorienting to say the least.
“Are you going to remember all of their names by tomorrow?” Kaz grumbled to me during a rare break in conversation. “I’ve already forgotten everyone, and my social meter is about to run out.”
This party was a lot, even for me. I scanned the room for Molly and saw her standing beside Trinity. “Let’s go see who else we need to talk to before we’re cleared to go home.”
We made our way to our manager. Trinity was locked in conversation with a tall guy in a crisp suit. She immediately paused the conversation when we approached. “Ah, there you are. This is Errol Watkins.”
The executive from WMI she’d mentioned to us before. I shook his hand and gave him a friendly smile. “Great to meet you.”
“Pleasure is mine.” His voice was incredibly deep. If he sang, he’d probably sound like Barry White. “I like your sound, boys. I was in the car on my way to the office this morning when I heard ‘Mahogany’, and I’m telling you, as soon as the song was done, I called Trinity to tell her you’re something special.”
“We appreciate that,” I said.
“You must be thrilled with how well it’s doing. I haven’t…”
I tuned him out for a second, my gaze settling back on Molly. She was dressed in a pretty blue dress that flattered her incredible figure and a pair of high heels. The fact that she was ours sent a bolt of pride to my chest. She was listening to the conversation attentively, and when she noticed me staring at her, she gave me a tiny shake of her head.
Right. This was the guy who was likely to sign us. I probably needed to pay attention.
“This isn’t going to be announced until Monday, but we just signed a deal with The Flea Biters,” Errol said. “We’re looking to further build out our heavy rock and metal roster, and I have to say, Last Rites would fit right in. We’ve got a lot of experience working with bands like yours and taking them to the next level. Our marketing and branding expertise in this genre is unparalleled.”
Wow, he was jumping right into the sales pitch. I could sense Trinity’s smug excitement at how everything was playing out, and I could hardly blame her. She’d gotten us here in a remarkably short amount of time. Now it was time for her to cash in.
“Some of our all-time favorite bands are signed to WMI,” I said.
“Some of those might be your collaborators one day in a not-too-distant future.” Errol took the last sip of his whiskey before turning to Trinity. “I need a refill. Want to join me?”
“Absolutely.” Trinity linked her arm through his, and they bid us goodbye.
“He’s practically salivating.” Kaz took a swig of his beer. “It’s a good sign.”
“I agree,” Molly said, digging in her bag for something. “Before you two came, they were already starting to discuss the terms. Anyway, Trinity told me I was off the hook. I think I’m going to call an Uber back to the house, if that’s all right with you.”
Kaz moved to her side. “We’ll go with you. I’m peopled out for the night.”
“You sure? Don’t you have more salivating execs to talk to?”
“We’ve worked the room enough,” I said.
“All right.” Molly looked up from her phone. “You’ll need to call your own car, remember?”
Ah, right.
We left the party in separate cars.
Kaz reclined against the back seat and threw his forearm over his eyes. “Feels weird leaving without her.”
“I know.” I watched the passing cars out the window and wondered when we’d be able to proudly show off Molly as ours. One day, we’d move past the need to hide. Sooner rather than later if I had a say in it.
