“So Vivienne, Landon owns Club TEN29 in Tribeca. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.” Owen picked up his pen and tapped it against the desk.
She nodded. “You just had the live reunion concert for Tangled Royal.” She’d read it in the trade blogs and sites online.
“That’s right. We saw your viral video and we’d like to offer you a summer residency.”
She blinked, certain she had to be hearing him wrong. “Residency?”
“Yes. Your agent has the contract.” He tipped his head toward Owen, who had dollar signs in his eyes and was practically drooling on his desk.
Her heart squeezed in excitement; however, she heard her lawyer mother’s voice inside her head. Never show your hand, Vivi. Always say you’ll think about it, then take the time to go over the contract. Show it to me. Don’t rush in your excitement to grab a deal. Her mother, Anne Marie Zane, who’d always believed in her.
“I appreciate the offer, Mr. … I mean Landon,” she said, doing her best to remain calm when all she wanted to do was scream, I’ll take it!
“As I told you before Vivienne arrived, we have certain requirements,” Owen said.
They did?
“Vivienne requires an upscale place to stay, food and beverage comped, and a rider with her list of particular items she will need on hand.”
Ellie gasped, then covered it with a cough.
“Owen, these are all things we need to discuss first.” She had an apartment in Manhattan. True, it was a month-to-month shithole, and she lived on tap water and whatever was on sale at the local grocery or bodega. She couldn’t believe Owen was discussing her contract as if she were somebody.
Of course, that was what she paid him for, but she didn’t want Landon to think she was a spoiled celebrity out to milk him for all he was worth. The things she wanted from this contract weren’t frivolous or meant to make her look like a diva. They would help establish her future and pay off any debt she had now. But she’d get into her needs when it came to dealing with her agent. Negotiating with the man was Owen’s job. She just didn’t want him to make her look like a diva.
Landon’s approving gaze flickered to her before he said, “Mark up the contract and forward it to my lawyer. Everything is up for negotiation and discussion. We want Ms. Zane to be happy.” He turned his attention to her, definite interest in his gaze.
Her stomach warmed at the obvious attraction between them, which was definitely reciprocated. She didn’t think it was a good idea to want the man who would be in charge of her employment, but she couldn’t deny the desire she felt just looking at this powerful man with the handsome face and bedroom eyes.
“I wanted to present the offer in person because the summer residency idea is that important to me and my partners.” He rose to his feet. “But please go over everything in detail and get back to me as soon as possible.”
He walked over to her and extended his hand. She slid her palm against his roughened one, and he pulled her to her feet. “It was nice to meet you and I look forward to you answer, Vivi. We could have an incredible summer together.”
She swallowed hard, lost in the husky sound of his voice and the inherent promise in his words. “I’ll go over the contract in detail and get back to you.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He glanced at Owen. “Thank you for your time.” With another long glance at Vivi that had her heart pounding inside her chest, he strode out of the office. And she had to say, his backside was as spectacular as the front.
“Vivienne! You could have shown a little more excitement! This offer is exactly what you wanted.”
Her heart pounded inside her chest and she turned to Ellie. “Oh my God! A residency! Can you believe this?” She flung herself at her friend and they hugged in excitement. Then she spun to face Owen. “I don’t care about a place to live or specific food. I want them to pay me enough money for a recording studio during the day. I want to be able to move out of my shitty apartment, yes, but I’m more concerned about looking forward with my career.”
“What if I could get you both?” He raised his eyebrows, certain in his abilities.
“Send me the contract, Owen. I’ll go over it and send to my lawyer.”
He narrowed his gaze. “I assure you I’m capable of handling the legal end as well. I’m an attorney, as you know.”
She smiled, doing her best not to patronize him when all she was doing was looking out for herself. “It’s good business to have a second look.”
She tipped her head toward the door, and together, she and Ellie headed out.
“Oh my God. Did that really happen?” she asked her best friend.
Ellie grinned. “It did. If the contract is good, you’ve hit the jackpot. And what was that chemistry I noticed between you and Landon Bennett?” She waved her hand in front of her face.
“He’s so sexy. I thought I was hit by a freight train when I looked into his eyes.” She squeezed her thighs together and felt the rush of desire flood through her. The man had had a potent effect on her.
Ellie grinned. “Looks like it is going to be a long, hot summer.”
Vivi certainly hoped so.
Chapter Two
Back in her apartment, Vivi propped her feet on the chipped wooden table in front of her couch and opened her secondhand laptop. Although it’d been a couple of hours since she’d met with Landon Bennett, her heart was still racing.
Now, showered and fed so she wasn’t hangry, she had time to look into Club TEN29. The name sounded familiar, and she’d originally assumed it was because of their concert with Tangled Royal, but something else was niggling at the back of her brain.
She plugged in the club’s website and read through the information, impressed with everything she saw, from the classy look of the club to the detail and money put into the site itself. She moved on to the About page. There were three owners, Jason Dare, Tanner Grayson, and the man she’d met, Landon Bennett. Her stomach flipped at the thought of him.
She scanned the words, scrolling past the full-color pictures of each man, though she’d be lying if she said she didn’t stop and stare at Landon, until she and came to a dedication at the end.
Club TEN29 is named in memory of Levi Bennett, who died in a tragic accident on October 29, 2009. And beneath that was the photograph of a guy who appeared almost identical to a younger Landon.
And suddenly she knew why Club TEN29 sounded familiar, and it had nothing to do with their hosting of Tangled Royal. Her pulse pounded hard and nausea threatened, but before she panicked completely, she Googled her brother’s name—Victor Clark, Club TEN29, and bomb threat – and prayed she was wrong with the connection she’d made. Unfortunately, the articles came up, backing her hunch.
She picked up her cell and called Ellie, who lived in an apartment upstairs. “Come down,” she said when her friend answered.
She knew Ellie would hear the urgency in her voice, and sure enough, Ellie was banging on her door soon after. “What’s wrong?” she asked the second after Vivi let her inside.
Like Vivi, Ellie had showered and was now wearing a sundress but her hair was still damp.
“Remember on the way home from Owen’s, I said the club name sounded familiar?” Vivi asked.