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He opened the door and they walked into the surprisingly spacious backstage area. They had been here briefly last night, but Linc really took the time to make observations this go-around. He noted the high ceilings, cobwebby dark corners, closets, and a supply room door with a padlock on it. That struck him as a little odd. What supplies could Miami Blues be hoarding in there that required a padlock?
Seth seemed to be on the same page as he leaned in to murmur, “What d’you think they’ve got in there? Gold-plated napkin rings? A really cutting-edge vacuum cleaner?”
Linc chuckled, though the humor barely reached his eyes. “Good question.”
But before they could say anything else about it, they were both distracted by the appearance of Gentry. She came out of the stage wings, looking elated but a little worn out after her powerful performance. And she wasn’t alone.
Ricky was with her. In fact, he had his arm around her and was steering her along. He was piling on one cliched pep-talk compliment after another, talking to her more like a prized cow than a grown woman with agency. If his shady activity during the performance hadn’t been enough to set off alarm bells in Linc’s head, this certainly was. Ricky wasn’t doing anything wrong, per se, but there was something about his vibes that Linc didn’t trust.
When Ricky caught sight of them and his face melted into an expression of unease, then he started trying to subtly steer her in the opposite direction, that made the bells ring louder. But they weren’t going to let them slip away so easily.
Linc and Seth strode confidently up to Ricky and Gentry.
“Congratulations on the show. You blew us all away,” Seth told her.
“Truly. It was an experience unlike any other,” Linc agreed.
Gentry blushed and smiled so wide, her dimples showed. Linc was hooked.
“Thank you. I can’t believe you guys really came!” she gushed.
“Yes, what a surprise,” Ricky said with a terse smile. “You boys must’ve really wanted an encore after that awful scene here last night.”
“Couldn’t keep us away,” Seth remarked.
“I see that,” Ricky said. “Aren’t you guys a little lost, though? Cops usually hang out in the bar, not the blues lounge. And certainly not backstage.”
“The jukebox in that bar can’t hold a flame to the real thing,” Linc said, with a meaningful gaze at Gentry.
“You’re sweet,” Gentry said softly.
“You must be a busy man, though,” Seth interrupted, changing the focus back to Ricky. “You’re all over the place, aren’t you?”
Ricky looked like he’d just tasted something sour, but he quickly recovered. He gave Gentry a pat on the back and answered, “Well, there’s a lot of work behind the scenes when it comes to managing a star like Gentry here.”
Behind the scenes? More like behind her back.
At least, that’s what Linc wanted to say. But instead, he put on a diplomatic smile and said, “In that case, congratulations on a full house.”
Ricky went pale for a moment, then recovered. “Thank you. We’ve been hitting maximum capacity in the lounge lately. But all the success is due to Gentry’s talent, of course.”
“Of course,” Seth and Linc said at the same time.
“Thanks, guys,” Gentry said, looking around at them all.
“Anyway, the show is over now, unfortunately. Time to pack up, boys. We’ll have another band on the stage any minute now, and we can’t have the heat breathing down their necks back here,” Ricky joked pointedly. “You boys might enjoy the bar a little more.”
Linc knew he was trying to get rid of them, quick. And for now, he would let him have it.
“Sounds like a fine idea,” Linc said, offering an arm to Gentry. “Now that she’s done for the night, we’d like to buy your star a drink.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll take real good care of her,” Seth added with a wink.
He took Gentry’s other side and the two of them led her away. She was glancing back and forth at them in astonishment, like she couldn’t quite believe they were real.
But Linc was ready to prove to her just how real he was.
10
