by J. M. Nevins
He nodded. “Excellent. We’re having a wet bar put in here for you next week. Your office is going to be a mirror image of Dad’s… er… Mine… Except on a bit smaller scale. It will be fully stocked with everything you need to keep your artists happy.” He met her eyes. “Everything.”
Kit nodded, understanding him perfectly well. It was all about the creativity and if a little indiscreet pick me up could get them there, they were happy to oblige. It was a practice Kit wasn’t entirely invested in as a good idea but honored as part of corporate culture. “Got it. Hey, Jon.”
He looked at her as he continued to pack a box. “Yes?”
“Is there any way I can bring Giselle with me in this transition? She’s been such a great assistant. I’d hate to lose her to Daniel.”
He nodded. “Won’t be a problem. I’ll have her moved out here next to Mindy by next week. It’s a promotion for her, so I’m sure that will make her happy. Do you want to have her available to you at your home office as well?”
Kit grinned. She didn’t even know that was an option, but was happy Jonathan presented it. “Yes, please. I would love to have that girl on 24/7 if she’s game.”
Jonathan nodded. “I’ll talk to her, don’t worry about it. We’ll make it happen some way and if she doesn’t want to do it, we could always have two assistants for you. Lew does.”
Kit frowned. “He has two? I’ve only ever dealt with Mindy.”
He nodded. “Mindy works for him daily from six a.m. to six p.m. After six, he has an assistant on call, Emily. She works remotely or at my parents’ house.”
Kit glanced at her wristwatch. Four hours had passed quickly. She looked at Jonathan. “Are we done here? I need to go.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll call you later with updates.”
“Thanks, Jonathan.” She hurried out and down to her car. As she got in, the reality of what transpired in the meetings fully set in. She couldn’t wait to share her news with Sully.
CHAPTER 6
Twenty minutes later Kit was home and quick to shed her professional duds in favor of a relaxed outfit consisting of cut-off jean short-shorts and a black halter-top. She drifted into the kitchen pleasantly surprised to find Maxine eating an apple.
She squealed loudly and pounced on Maxine. “You’re home!”
Maxine laughed and hugged her tightly. She pulled back seconds later and smiled. “It has been ages… Well for us. I haven’t been here in over a month. It’s good to be back. New York was amazing. Splitting my time between two awesome couples was fun, but got to say that third wheel feeling was kicking in. Nashville was the bomb.”
She smiled. “Ok, so give me the deets.” She started opening cabinet doors, searching.
Maxine frowned. “What the hell are you looking for? Maybe if I can help you find it, we can head out to the terrace and catch up? Juliana will be here soon.”
She giggled. “Sorry. I’m looking for the alcohol. I have no idea where anything is in here.” She frowned. “Who the hell is Juliana?”
Maxine laughed loudly. “That’s because you’re never in here. The kitchen to you is a foreign land. And the liquor is not in here, Sully keeps the bar well stocked in the entertainment room. Juliana Melton. Duh, remember? Lex’s chief editor. She’s out here this week, and we’re going to talk some stories. Shall we?”
She grinned and linked her arm in Maxine’s. “Wow! Ok, clearly I had a major brain fart there. Sorry. Juliana is great. Glad she can join us. Show me the way to the alcohol. Obviously you’ve got more of a handle on this than I ever will.”
Maxine winked. “I still live here too, y’know.”
Once in the entertainment room, she found a new bottle of Patrón tequila behind the bar. She and Sully had taken a fondness to the fairly new premium brand of tequila. Fred, their main sound engineer, mixer and a lover of fine tequila, had introduced them to it one night when he was over for a visit. She set the bottle down when she heard the doorbell ring.
Maxine grinned. “I’m sure that’s Jules. C’mon, we’ll grab the Patrón in a sec.” She made her way to the front door and threw it open, embracing Juliana enthusiastically. “Hey, girl!”
She smiled wide and joked. “Max! It’s been a whole twenty-four hours. Feels like it’s been ages!”
They both erupted into giggles as Maxine led her along. She motioned to Kit. “Jules, you remember Kit McKenna, right?” She frowned and looked at Kit. “Or is it Kit O’Sullivan? Or Kit McKenna-O’Sullivan?”
Kit laughed and shook her head. “Not sure yet. Let’s say all of the above. She reached out and hugged Juliana. “Great to see you again, Jules. C’mon in. You’re just in time. We’re going to do some margs on the terrace.”
Juliana giggled. “Sounds like fun. Looking forward to catching up with both of you.”
Moments later, they were headed out to the terrace with a bottle of Pátron in hand and all the other fixings to make Cadillac margaritas. Kit brought additional shot glasses just in case. She handed one to Juliana first who was now sitting across the table from her. She put her sunglasses back on, poured herself a generous shot and kicked it back. She did another one in quick succession and then sat back.
She let out a sigh of contentment. “That’s a nice cure for jet lag. I suddenly feel much better. Now I’d like a drink. Will you please make one for me?”
Kit giggled and looked at Maxine. “While you were doing your shots, Maxine already did. Remember, she’s skilled. She was a bartender at the Rainbow once upon a time.” She pointed to the drink.
Juliana giggled. “Oh, there it is! I’m sure it’s delicious, Max. So delicious I may finish it in one fell swoop!”
Maxine smiled. “Go for it. It’s five o’clock somewhere in the world, right?”
Kit grinned and nodded at Juliana. “Have you met my husband?”
She shook her head. “Officially, no. Maybe in passing at an industry party, but I can’t recall it.” She giggled. “I know who his is and he’s pretty amazing.”
Maxine chuckled. “Everyone knows who Sully is. Especially women.”
Kit nodded and pointed at Juliana. “Ooh, he is gonna love you.”
She frowned and exchanged looks with Maxine and Kit. “Why?”
Maxine looked at Kit and giggled, picking up on the subtle cue. Juliana was an attractive redheaded girl with big brown eyes. Her long red hair was styled similarly to Kit’s. She stood several inches shorter and was petite. They both knew Sully would instantly be attracted to her hair color like a moth to a flame.
Kit smiled at her. “You’re a gorgeous redhead and that’s a major weakness for him.”
Juliana burst out laughing. “Oh wow!” She shook her head. “I’m not naturally a redhead. My natural hair color is putrid dishwater blond. The red is new. Just changed it from platinum blond a few months ago. I like it.”
Kit nodded. “He’s not gonna know it’s dyed.” She chuckled. “He’s not gonna care. Trust me.” She looked at both of them. “Excuse me for a sec. We’re missing music. I’ll be back.” Moments later, Lenny Kravitz came blaring out through the speakers that faced the backyard.
She ran back out and was about to take a seat, noticing Juliana and Maxine chatting animatedly and laughing about a recent actor that Maxine had done a photo shoot for. Kit was about to jump into the conversation when she looked beyond the terrace out toward the pool and noticed Sully. He had stopped swimming and was resting his arms on the edge watching the three of them.
He quickly resumed his routine of swimming laps back and forth. Kit watched him and thought it was cute. He was so serious about getting back into shape that he was pulling out all the stops, dedicating hours of his day to a variety of workouts. On the other hand, she had the best of intentions with her fitness routine but was clearly getting smoked by him. She had fallen behind and was not pleased with her follow through as of late. She made a mental note to change that. She glanced over at Juliana, who was still trying to catch her breath after a bou
t of intense laughter.
Kit grinned. “Need another drink after that?”
Juliana nodded. “Max has already taken care of me. She’s makes a mean marg, my friend.”
Maxine smiled and raised her eyebrows. “Thank you, but let me share a little-know fact. Kit, here, taught me how to make that mean marg. She used to be a bartender back in Philly when she was in college.”
Juliana raised her eyebrows. “Oh, really? I can see it, definitely.”
She grinned politely, not wanting to revisit her life in Philadelphia by any means, but knew Maxine’s alcohol intake had blown the top off of that. She decided to honor it rather than shut down the conversation. She was about to open her mouth when Juliana’s next comment saved her.
“By the way, nice choice in music, Kit. I love the mix.
She smiled. “Thanks. I try to keep it over all genres, so I don’t get pigeonholed in rock. Diamond counts on me to know my shit.”
Maxine looked at her. “So, is KMK back on now officially, with Spence at the helm?”
She nodded her head and took a sip of her drink. “Yep. At least I can trust him.”
Maxine grinned. “No doubt. Spence is smart too. What’s going on with that sleazebag Dante anyway? And what about Blake? What an asshole.”
She sighed and noticed Juliana sitting on the edge of her seat now, ready to pounce. Kit prayed this wouldn’t end up plastered on the pages of Platinum anytime soon and made a mental note to make sure that wouldn’t happen. “I have to meet with some Federal agents next week about Dante’s case. Looks like that guy is going to end up in the slammer doing time for a while. I probably won’t see a dime of my money, but if he’s locked up that’s cool. We’ll just rebuild bigger and better. And as far as Templeton goes, he’s got his coming. I’m working on a plan.”
Juliana exchanged a look with Maxine, giggled and licked the salt off the rim of her glass. “Ooh, you’re just like Lex. No wonder you two are best friends. Ruthless. I would not want to be on your bad side, Kit McKenna.” She winked.
Kit donned a half grin and shook her head. “This is all off the record, Jules, got it?”
She nodded. “Oh yeah, sister. I gotcha.”
Feeling a good buzz now, Juliana glanced over and noticed Sully getting out of the pool, toweling off and did a double take as he started heading their way. She kept her eyes trained on him and giggled evilly. “Kit, how in the hell do you get anything done with that around?”
Kit followed Juliana’s gaze and turned to notice Sully, whose sultry appeal naturally oozed as he sauntered across the freshly cut green grass below the terrace. His tan, chiseled chest practically glowed in the sun, reflecting a few errant beads of water missed by the towel that was now loosely hanging on his hips, with the subtle threat of falling off. He grinned at Kit, his steel blue eyes looking intense, yet dancing with contentment. His wet hair was slicked back, a few water droplets rolling down his chest.
She sighed and grinned. There were times like these where she saw it—the intense, raw sex appeal that her husband possessed. She got lost in admiring him and couldn’t remember what Juliana had asked. She kept her eyes trained on Sully and responded with a faint, “Huh?”
Juliana kept her focus on Sully too as he approached them and quickly squeaked out, “Exactly.”
Maxine folded her arms and frowned. “Sorry, I mean he’s cute and all, but I don’t feel that sexual attraction you do. I guess it’s that brother from another mother thing. He’s too much like a real sibling for me to feel that attraction. Now Jimmy, on the other hand…”
Kit’s attention whipped back to Maxine. “You have a thing for Jimmy?”
She giggled. “I’ll never tell.” She sipped her drink and raised her eyebrows.
Sully smiled at all of them as he approached. “Hello, ladies. What are we drinking?”
Kit smiled up at him thinking how fun it would be to do body shots with him all night long in celebration of her victory at Diamond Records earlier that day. She decided she might have to try that later. She was instantly reminded, though, that she had friends sitting across from her and decided to keep things G-rated. She nodded. “Margs, baby. Want Max to make you one?”
He pulled up a chair and sat at the head of the table. He extended his legs and got comfortable. “Sure. I’d love one.”
Juliana stared at him as he reclined in the chair with his eyes closed, soaking up the sun. She looked at Kit and mouthed “Oh my God, so hot!” And pointed to Sully.
Kit burst out laughing and nudged Maxine so hard she almost spilled the tequila while making Sully’s drink. Kit grinned and mouthed back “I know,” while Maxine shook her head in annoyance. Kit took the drink from Maxine and pushed it toward Sully. “Babe, here’s your drink.”
He opened his eyes and grinned. He leaned forward and grabbed the drink. He took Kit’s hand in his and kissed it. “Thanks, babe.” He winked at Maxine. “Thanks for the drink, girl.” He shifted his attention at Juliana and extended his hand. “Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met. And you are?”
She wanted to giggle but refrained as a grin remained permanently affixed on her face. She gently shook his hand. “I’m Juliana. I work for Platinum magazine.”
Kit pointed. “She doesn’t just work for Platinum, Sull. She’s Lex’s editor in chief.”
He nodded, keeping his attention trained on her and making her weak in the knees. “Ah-ha, a journalist in our midst. I guess I better watch what I say. I wouldn’t want you to misquote me.” He grinned seductively and winked at her.
Juliana smiled. She couldn’t deny she was completely enchanted with Sully and his charms, but made sure not to cross any lines. Kit was becoming an ally that she needed in her corner, plus she was best friends with her very own boss, Alexa. The last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize any of that. She sat back in her chair and folded her hands in front of her. “Don’t worry. I won’t.” She chuckled and shot Kit a glance. “’Cuz if I did, your wife would sue my pants off for libel and slander.”
Kit giggled. “I would not. I’d just get Lex to print a retraction.”
Maxine looked at him. “How’s writing these days?”
He shrugged his shoulders and yawned. “It’s going. Honestly, it’s hard to get back into the groove.” He took Kit’s hand again. “I’ve been enjoying spending time with my wife. We were on the road for so long. We came off of it a little burnt out and crispy. Trying to get back into the swing of things. We go back to the studio in a few weeks.”
“That’s cool. Need a backup singer? I know a few gals looking for work.” Maxine shot him a hopeful look.
He glanced at Kit and grinned proudly. “I dunno. You’ll have to ask our producer.”
Maxine stared at her. “You’re producing? Really?”
Kit nodded and grinned, still feeling a bit unsure about the new venture. “I am. And to answer your question, yes, we will need a girl or two for backup vocals.”
Maxine let out a squeal of delight and clapped her hands. “This is so exciting! I’m so happy for you, Kit-Kat.”
She chuckled. “Thank you, but hold your applause until we’re certified triple platinum next year.”
Sully chuckled and patted her hand to reassure her. “We will be.” He slung back the last of his drink and set his glass down. “Well, ladies, it’s been a pleasure. I’m going to head inside now. Have fun.” He got up, winked at Juliana and then gave Kit a quick kiss as he headed toward the house.
Kit exchanged looks with Juliana and Maxine and started giggling once he was safely in the house and out of ear range. Juliana shook her head. “Like I said, how in the hell do you get anything done with someone like him around the house every day? If I were you, I’d want to be doing things with that man that are illegal in forty-eight states all hours of the day or night.”
Kit laughed loudly. “Believe me, there are times when that has crossed my mind. My hubby does have it going on. This has been clear to me from day one. I’m a ver
y lucky lady.”
Maxine looked repulsed. “Ew. Seriously, ew. I didn’t need that visual of you two. You’re like family. Ok, I’ve had enough. I’m out of here.” She got up and went into the house.
Juliana laughed loudly. “I knew it, Kit! You can tell. He is one hot piece of ass. He just drips sex. Damn, I’m going to go home and have fantasies about your husband. I’m all hot and bothered now. How twisted is that? Totally not fair.”
Kit giggled. “You and millions of other women. Chicks dig him for sure.”
“Can you blame them? Jeez, God broke the mold when he made Sully. He’s delicious. Thanks for my fix of eye candy for the day. It was quite enjoyable and put me in better spirits. Very yummy.” She fanned herself with her hand.
Kit leaned back in her chair. “You’re welcome. We try to make all our guests happy here.” They both erupted into a fit of giggles again.
“So, what did you find out?” Kit was eager for a response and clung tightly to the receiver of the phone.
“We’re good, Kit. We can acquire them. I discussed it with our new CFO, my dad and the rest of the board. Everyone gave it a green light. Daniel is going to start the process tomorrow.”
Kit grinned. “Excellent! How long do you think this will take?”
“I don’t know. It depends on how they react. They may roll over and be ok with it, or they may fight us. Blake is a real prick, so we’re anticipating some push back. Once we close Templeton, you’ll have your imprint and can move GT. As far as developing artists, you have the green light. If you see anything hot out there call me, and we’ll talk budget.”
She nodded. “Got it. Remember, I go into the studio in a few weeks with GT.”
“Yeah, I’ve got it in my notes. And I talked to Giselle. She’s in and can work whatever hours you need her. She’ll be calling you tomorrow to discuss everything.”
“Thanks for taking care of that.”
“You’re welcome, Kit.”
“Oh, and Jonathan?”
“Yeah?”