Page 24 of Among the Stars
“Fine.”
The line went dead, and Cam rose from his chair, looking around as if he should tidy the place before her arrival. An absurd notion since, as always, there was nothing to tidy. Why was she here? She’d said kind of important. Cam had never liked that phrasing. There was important and not important. No in-between.
Unable to sit, he circled the desk and waited. In less than a minute, the office door opened.
“Here you go, boss.”
“Thank you, Dwayne.”
“Yeah, thanks, Dwayne.” Veronica watched the large man leave. “Where did you find him? Central casting?”
She seemed annoyed. Cam supposed that was fair after how he’d left things.
“Why are you here? Are you okay?”
“Not really, no.” She remained near the door, her hands in the pockets of her black bomber jacket. The pinched expression said she longed to be anywhere else. “I realize my tab with you is already quite long, but I need another favor.”
“What favor?”
“Promise you’ll hear me out before you answer.”
An odd request. “I get the impression I’m not going to like this favor.”
“I have no idea, to be honest. I’ve given up trying to predict what you’ll do next.”
He deserved that one. Cam returned to his place behind the desk. “Have a seat.”
Veronica strolled to sit in one of the guest chairs across from him, and once she was seated, he did the same. Perched on the edge of her chair, she said, “Do you ever rent this place out for weddings?”
“No.”
“Would you be willing to? The third floor only.”
Intrigued, Cam asked, “Are you getting married?”
“No,” she said, her lips tight. “My ex-husband is, remember? They want to get married on New Year’s Eve, but no place is available.”
Of course, no place was available. New Year’s Eve was the biggest drinking night of the year. No one would give up that kind of revenue for a wedding.
“I don’t think so.”
“You said you’d hear me out.”
“There’s more?”
She grew agitated, one knee bouncing up and down. “Ash is one of the most successful songwriters in this town. He knows everyone. Jesse Gold is his fiancée, and she’s about to be the next breakout star in country music. They can afford to pay whatever you demand, within reason,” she qualified. “And I have no doubt this wedding will get plenty of media coverage. That’s free publicity for your bar.”
It wasn’t that simple. “You’re talking about a three-ring circus at my door. Not worth the trade-off.”
“No one will know the wedding was here until after it’s over. The guests will come through the back and up the elevator. I’ll make sure plenty of pictures hit social media, and by June, fans will be scrambling to visit the bar where Jesse Gold got married.”
Veronica Shepherd was a shrewd negotiator, and she made an excellent point. The competition on Lower Broad was fierce. Between the historic venues like Tootsie’s and Legends, and the new clubs opening with superstar names like Shelton, Bryan, and Jackson on the marquee, the challenge of not only pulling customers in the door but keeping them was astronomical. Any edge could make a difference.
“You can deliver on that?”
Her chin went up. “I can.”
Who knew the free spirit was hiding such tenacity? Cam had one question. “Why are you doing this?”