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That’s the part that sucks the most: Pride is legitimately good, and if I just blew their chance at getting signed, I don’t know how I can forgive myself.
Ansell leans forward, interlacing his fingers, and Emma’s looking like she wants to cry from humiliation. I’m about to get ripped to shreds and I’m going to race out of here like Egon, except twice as bad, because the pain of my fiancé betraying me will only compound the hurt of whatever’s about to come out of Ansell Drake’s mouth next.
He speaks, a low and melodious, deep and resonant tone. “When is their next show?”
Emma looks at him, surprised. I barely manage to keep my jaw from hitting the table. I mumble something about not knowing and pull their schedule up on my phone. “This Saturday they’re playing a small show in town.”
“Get tickets for Baptist and me. You will come as well.”
“Oh, I suppose I didn’t have plans this weekend,” Baptist says, grinning.
I stare at Ansell and he stares back. His gaze is heady and intense and I feel some of my shame and self-hatred burn away beneath those eyes. I wonder what it would be like for him to pin my hands above my head the way William pinned that strange girl’s hands up—and god, what’s wrong with me?
“Right, tickets. Okay, sure, no problem.”
“Good work, Ms. Pearce.” Ansell leans back. There’s a ghost of a smile on his lips. Did I seriously make the Ice King smile? “See you Saturday.”
I look around, panicked. My heart’s racing and I don’t know what to do. Ansell Drake wants to seemethis Saturday at Pride’s show. I mean, it’s a work event, but still. He’s looking at me like he’s curious about more than the music.
Emma seems totally blown away, but she mouths,go now, good job.I grab my stuff and scurry out of there, head dizzy, and barely manage to reach the hallway around the corner where Blair’s waiting to ambush me.
“Well, how did it go?” She’s whispering furiously as the next sacrificial victim heads into the conference room.
“He wants to see their next show.” I barely form the words, they sound so absurd.
Her eyes go wide. “Holy shit. Really?”
“It’s on Saturday.”
“Marie. Marie! That’s huge!”
“Is it?” I glance at my phone, buzzing with anxiety. “That’s good.”
“Marie.Ansell only goes to see bands he’s genuinely interested in. You’re one step away from making it! If he signs Pride, you’re going to be on the fast track to a promotion and a big fat raise. Plus commission! Are you getting this?”
“Right, commission.” I force myself to smile. “I’ve got to go, okay?”
“Marie!”
I walk past her and wave, practically running back to my cubicle. Ansell Drake wants to see a Pride show with me on Saturday. This is crazy, totally crazy, and I can’t process it without thinking about William cheating on me. I dump all my stuff except for my phone on my desk then disappear into the bathroom. I head into a stall, lock the door, and sit down on a closed toilet seat, on the edge of hyperventilating.
The memory of Ansell Drake’s stare makes my legs cross.
Except I can’t enjoy it.
William is cheating on me.
Oh my god, William ischeating on me in public.
Rage and humiliation burn through me, banishing any positive feelings I might have thanks to my psycho Ice King boss’s momentary smile.
I’m not in love with William Crawford, but this breaks my heart all the same.
We were never romantic. Our relationship is much more complicated than that, but some part of me hoped that maybe, one day, we could get there. He’s tall and charming and handsome, the former captain of the University of Pennsylvania rowing team and a graduate of the Wharton Business School. He’s on the fast-track to a comfortable position at a dozen different Wall Street banks and hedge funds, and his family is deeply wealthy, deeply powerful, and stupidly connected. I’ve known him since we were little, and he proposed to me two months ago in my father’s back yard at our house in Mt. Airy.
Marrying William isn’t my dream, but our parents wanted it, and he seemed willing, and I thought, why not?
I’ve been so unlucky in love for so long.
