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"Thank you," I whisper.
The panther's dark eyes, like endless chasms, finally meet mine. I swear I see a flicker of light deep within them, but I shake off the thought as my heart hammers in my chest.
"You're welcome. I'll see to it that he's not a problem for you."
I nod. I hear footsteps behind me, and then, as luck would have it, the figure of my manager appears.
"Mr. McAllister, it's a pleasure to see you. Thank you for escorting Andrea here, but I can take over now."
Damien McAllister...
His name sounds somehow sensual against my tongue when I whisper it.
Damien nods without saying a word. His gaze never leaves mine, making my insides stir.
"Come on, Andrea. It's showtime."
Brandon, my manager, guides me to the stage. He’s a somewhat handsome man for his age, around thirty-five. However, to my eyes, he looks much older than that due to fatigue and constant stress. His hair is dark brown, and his eyes are small and serious.
The suit he wears is, as always, formal, and accompanied by the vinegary worried expression that characterizes him. When I look at him, I can't help but think of the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.
Interestingly, one of his favorite phrases is also ‘We're running late’, which he uses for everything.
Brandon places a hand kindly on my back and guides me forward until we are only a few steps away from the stage.
"It's your moment. Show off, and we'll have them lining up to book you again," he says.
Giving him a nervous smile, I nod and push my hair out of my face.
Immediately, Brandon tucks my tresses back across my forehead and against my cheeks. He can't bear for me to ruin a single detail of this perfected superstar look.
Sighing, I turn around. I’m holding back the urge to ask the agent to move away from me when I notice something new.
The panther is still at my back. His beefy arms are crossed over his chest, and a stern expression rests on his face. His square jaw is tightly clenched, and his dark gaze is fixed on me.
My heart races helplessly, and Brandon, who can sense my trepidation, turns to look at Mr. McAllister just after I do.
"Oh... no. Definitely not him, Andrea."
"Why not?" I inquire with a frown.
It's not as if I would actually pursue something more with Damien. We're like day and night, from different worlds.
Brandon shakes his head “Damien McAllister has a reputation, and it’s not a good one. He’s the last person I’d want to see you with.”
Oddly, it occurs to me that he’s the first person I’d want to see myself with, but I immediately push that thought out of my head.
Brandon can tell I haven't been paying attention to him, so he gives me a slight nudge towards the stage. "We'll talk about it, honey. For now, focus on your fans and the show."
I nod, knowing that my performance is all I have to think about now.
The stage light focuses on me and the voices in the audience rise in volume until I’m completely deafened.
But I don't care. I just smile, giving myself completely to the music.
The floodlights bathe me in their glow, and I step forward.
I'm the centerpiece in Club Allure's opulent embrace, the headliner for a night that's all about the music—and yet, so much more.
