Page 67 of Wild

"You didn't answer me. What are you going to do?"

Erin's expression shifts all at once.

"I want to call my sister and tell her I'm not going to pull any strings for her to meet you. After that I'll head down to the gym for a while. I need to burn off some energy and move my—"

"Erin."

"What?"

"Are you going to be okay? I can tell Noah we're canceling and stay with you. That call's going to be rough and you shouldn't have to—"

This time the doctor is the one who cuts her off.

"I'll be fine," she says. "And this is something I need to do on my own."

"Okay."

When they walk out, Erin feels every set of eyes in the room land on them. Jude's, with a look of irritation. Violette's, with curiosity. Nell's and Noah's, with barely contained amusement.

"All right, now that we're all here, let's finish locking in the next few days," the agent begins as Mia sits down next to Noah and Erin stays standing beside Nell. "Today, free day until six—everyone needs to be on the bus by then. We'll arrive in Washington, D.C. tonight, and tomorrow—" he pauses and points to Noah, "—I've booked an interview for a music podcast with a lifestyle influencer. Mia doesn't have to travel anywhere; the influencer will set up whatever she needs in a room at the hotel. I'll send the contact to your email and you can work out the details with her directly."

"Got it," Noah says.

"In the afternoon, rehearsal—" he points to Mia now. "We'll do it early and it'll only be an hour, so you're rested for the gala."

Mia crosses her arms and Erin shifts her gaze to the agent.

"What gala?"

"An awards ceremony. Mia's nominated in two categories. It's not a huge event and I hadn't planned for us to attend, but Abigail Stone confirmed a couple of days ago that two of her clients would be there, and after her, others started signing on, so we can't exactly sit this one out."

Erin and Violette exchange a glance at the mention of the manager's name.

"Is there anyone in particular you'd like to have with you?" Jude asks, looking at Mia.

Mia has only one name in her head, but she knows she can't say it out loud—she can't ask Erin something like that.

"No, Noah can sit with me," Mia smiles, nudging her friend, who still looks half asleep.

"Great—if you don't have anyone, Dr. Dooley will be the one sitting next to you."

"Me?" Erin asks, caught off guard, as Mia's heart does a flip.

"Yes, of course. You're her doctor, and awards shows always stir up a lot of anxiety. Better to have you close by, don't youthink?" he asks, glancing between Nell and Violette as if looking for confirmation that they at least agree with him on this one.

"It's the right call," Nell confirms.

"Does that work for you, Dooley? You won't have to walk in with her in front of all the cameras—you'll come in with the rest of us through the back. That part's taken care of."

Erin looks toward the couch before she answers. The singer's eyes are wide, watching her, waiting.

"Fine."

Mia bites her lip and drops her gaze to her hands so she doesn't show the smile trying to break across her face.

"Perfect," Jude continues. "The day after that, Mia gets the morning off after the gala—not the rest of us. In the afternoon: wardrobe fitting at four, sound check at six-thirty, and the show at eight. Everyone good with that?"

"That's too much for Mia—too many events back to back," Erin cuts in. "She won't be able to rest the way she needs to."