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“At the Yankees stadium, to inspect the venue for a Sweets Tyler concert,” I say.
“And Ms. Rockwell!” Eric corrects me.
“Yeah, and her,” I go to ruffle his hair, but stop myself midway.
“And all this time, Sweets Tyler’s opening act was teaching our son!” Ana says. “Did you know she’s pregnant?”
I frown. Sandra blabbed her mouth around, and I can’t say anything because I eavesdropped on them.
“No. I had no idea.” I lie, not even trying to disguise my instant bad mood. “Who’s the father?”
“Sandra didn’t say,” she shrugs, not realizing she just tattled on her friend.
“Alright, let’s go,” I say, picking up my pace and urging them to follow me. “The earlier I get there, the earlier I’m out.”
They both look at me with a frown, but I waste no effort in trying to explain myself – if I was impatient or rude, so be it.
I drop them off at Ana’s home, then go to my house to get dressed. I skip the black suit and sunglasses combo in favor of a gray suit and green tie. Since I’ll be talking with the producers, this seems more appropriate.
The stadium already has a line going around it, a day before the show. I identify myself at the entrance, and immediately start walking around, meticulously assessing every aspect of the premises for potential vulnerabilities.
When I reach the stage, I see Sweets Tyler rehearsing with her band. She’s quite different from Lily: her music is a languid pop with overtly sexualized choreography, that somehow still passes as light entertainment for teens.
Still, I’m entranced by her moves. She’s a pretty girl, so I can see how other girls can aim to be like her, and boys aim to be with her.
Sandra comes up behind me and pokes me in the arm. “Producers are waiting,” she says, pointing me the way backstage.
I nod and follow her, ending up in a small office behind the stage where an obese man and an entourage of thirty-somethings wait for us.
“Brody Garrison, Jonathan Gray, Johnathan Gray, Brody Garrison, my brother,” Sandra introduces me to the large man.
He springs to his feet, surprisingly agile, and shakes my hand with a jovial vigor I rarely see.
“Our security man!” He says with a deep voice that reminds me of Santa Claus. “Did you take a look at the premises?”
“I did,” I say. Jonathan sits back, then points me to a chair, which I take with gusto. “Four gates, how many will be for enter and exit?”
“All of them,” Jonathan says with a mouthful of air. “Gates 2, 4, 6 and 8 will all have ticket booths. Will you want metal detectors?”
I nod, “And pat downs. Two officers at each gate, plus the metal detector. We’ll also need officers in the bleachers and watching over the field.”
“That sounds expensive,” he says, caressing his chin.
“We can take care of Lily’s portion,” Sandra says, standing up by my side.
I nod, “It all depends on how much you care about Sweets.”
The man looked shocked and a bit offended. “Sweets is our biggest talent. The money this girl makes us…” He slams his desk. “I say she’s worth every penny! Bring it!”
I smile widely, standing again to seal the deal with Jonathan with a handshake.
“I’ll forward you and Sandra the contracts tonight,” I say, standing up and already backing off. “Now if you excuse me, I have some calls to make and…”
I look over my shoulder, and there I see Lily, all prettied up in loose fitting clothes, ideal for comfort on a long night of rehearsals. She sees me too, a gorgeous smile on her face.
“You came to see my rehearsal, strongman?” she asks, approaching me in skips.
“He’s leaving, Lily,” Sandra soothes the girl with a hand on her shoulder.
