Driving Tempo

by Thomas, Raine

  So Sage knew his relationship with Kaila made his father happy. What he hadn’t considered until one of his conversations with Rosemary was that he might be clinging so hard to the idea of a relationship with Kaila because it might finally win him his father’s approval.

  “Yeah,” he told his father now. “Kaila and I have been seeing each other on again and off again since high school. Now that I’m entering my mid-twenties, I decided I wanted something more serious. I told Kaila I wanted her to commit to me and I gave her until the end of the tour to do so.”

  His father tilted his head in consideration. “Wait a minute. You’re the one who was asking Kaila to commit to you?”

  “Yes.”

  “So she wasn’t committed to you before then?”

  “No.”

  “But you were committed to her?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s bullsh—”

  “Until Rosemary.”

  Now his father’s gaze grew sharp. “Who’s Rosemary?”

  Sage told him everything. His father listened.

  It was unlike any conversation they’d ever had. Sage felt no need to edit what he said, somehow knowing the time for judgment from his father had passed. Now that his father had realized how wrong he’d been before, it would probably take an act of God to get him to make such a mistake again.

  “Look, son,” he said when Sage finished, “I don’t want you to feel pressured to stay with Kaila for the rest of your life because she’s Rich’s daughter. Did we think it would be fantastic for you two to end up together? Sure. But, hell...I thought it would be great to have you on my team as a talent scout and we both know how wrong I was there. I’m just saying that whatever you decide, it shouldn’t be influenced by what you think I might want. Think of this like your music. Once you decided to become a DJ, you stuck with it despite how much it pissed me off.

  “Ask yourself who you feel that passionate about. That’s your answer.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Two days after their meeting with Shelley and J.D., Archer and Lily were once again sitting in the law firm’s conference room. This time they were joined by Johnathan Wingerson and his legal team, three dour-faced male attorneys in dark suits who somehow all looked alike. The only difference Archer noted between them was one of them had a goatee, one had a full beard, and one had a clean-shaven baby face.

  Archer, Lily, Shelley, and J.D. sat on one side of the long table. Wingerson and his team sat on the other. The first few minutes of the meeting involved everyone taking their seats and Wingerson’s attorneys making a great show of pulling out files and slapping them dramatically on the table, something Shelley told Lily and Archer to expect.

  Archer kept his gaze on Wingerson. The other male had yet to look at him. He’d done plenty of staring at Lily, however.

  Per Shelley’s instructions, Lily had worn a conservative outfit to the meeting. Her deep green top had a modest round neckline and flowing short sleeves. She had paired that with some white pants and ballet flats. Her strawberry-blonde hair was caught in a sleek ponytail. The only jewelry she wore was her bow and arrow necklace, a pair of small pearl stud earrings, and her engagement ring. Her makeup was simple and understated.

  Wingerson looked at her like she was a delectable meal.

  Shelley had also cautioned Archer about this. There were many different tactics the opposing attorneys might use to secure an advantage and win their case. Rather than jump down Wingerson’s throat for leering at Lily, who deliberately kept her attention on her phone, Archer leaned over, placed his arm over her shoulders, and kissed her on the cheek.

  Wingerson’s gaze immediately narrowed. As though noticing the shift in their client’s mood, the opposing council finally spoke.

  “We’re here to discuss the matter of a settlement in the cases of Wingerson v. Montgomery and Wingerson v. Archer,” began Goatee.

  “I’m afraid to say that’s not at all why we called you here,” Shelley replied. “We’re here to discuss the matter of a settlement in the case of Montgomery v. Wingerson.”

  After a noticeable pause in which Wingerson exchanged puzzled looks with his attorneys, Goatee asked, “To which case are you referring?”

  It had been Shelley’s idea to withhold the formal filing of charges against Wingerson until after this meeting. Archer had agreed that the ploy was smart.

  “I’m referring to the attempted rape charge that we intend to press against Mr. Wingerson in criminal court should this harassment against my clients continue,” Shelley answered.

  Without any cue from Shelley, J.D. hit a button on the remote he held. The television on the left wall of the room came to life. On the screen appeared the hotel room where Wingerson had assaulted Lily. Lily stood frozen on the screen wearing just her hotel-issued white robe. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked particularly vulnerable, something intended to evoke emotion from the viewer.

  Well aware of the screen’s content, Archer kept his eyes on Wingerson. At long last, Wingerson looked at him. Whatever he saw in Archer’s gaze had him turning to his attorneys and conferring with them in a whisper.

  “No,” Full Beard barked at last, pushing out of the consultation with Wingerson. “We have to see the video. Play it.”

  J.D. hit the play button.

  Archer turned to Lily, brushing his lips against hers as the scene played out. He lifted a hand to cradle her face, running his thumb along her delicate cheekbone as the sounds of Wingerson declaring his love and pleading with her to stay with him filled the room. Neither of them watched as Wingerson grabbed her, kissing her with such force that it left her with swollen and bleeding lips and bruised arms. They didn’t see Lily struggle to free herself or the stark terror on her face as she backed away from him with one trembling hand extended.

  Archer fought back the memory of how that event had led him to believe Lily didn’t want to be with him like he wanted to be with her. It had all been a colossal misunderstanding on his part resulting from this assault. That alone was enough to make him want to plow his fist into Wingerson’s face. Shelley and Lily had both convinced him that wasn’t the way to go, but it was hard to be reasonable about any of this.

  The video ended with the sound of Lily sobbing off-screen. J.D. hit the stop button. Silence fell heavily on the room.

  “We need a few minutes to confer with our client,” Baby Face said.

  “Of course,” Shelley agreed.

  Archer and Lily rose alongside Shelley and J.D. They all exited the room, closing the glass door behind them.

  It pleased Archer immensely to witness the intensity of the conversation between Wingerson and his legal team. After the weeks of stress and anxiety Wingerson had caused Lily, he deserved to sweat. He was lucky Archer hadn’t decided to follow through on his threat and just bury him where no one would ever find the pieces of his shredded carcass.

  “We got him,” Shelley said confidently when Full Beard flagged them through the door a couple minutes later. “Took less time than I thought.”

  She held up a finger to let Wingerson’s lawyers know they’d be right there. She then took a couple more minutes conversing with Archer and Lily before they once again entered the conference room.

  They had no sooner taken their seats than Goatee said, “We’re prepared to discuss a settlement.”

  “I’m listening,” Shelley replied.

  “Regarding the matters of Wingerson v. Montgomery and Wingerson v. Archer, the claimant is prepared to dismiss all charges pending the dismissal of any countersuit by either party pursuant to any events occurring on or before this date.”

  “I should think so,” Shelley said, holding out a hand to J.D. as though reaching for documents already prepared to reflect this exact settlement.

  “In addition,” Goatee continued in prim tones, “Ms. Montgomery and Mr. Archer will consent to participate in an exclusive interview with Mr. Wingerson.”

  Shelley frowned. “When is sa
id interview supposed to take place?”

  “Right now.”

  The statement had been issued by Wingerson. He was staring at Lily. Archer looked at him until he finally shifted his attention from Lily and pretended to be absorbed in the inane artwork on the walls.

  “Give us a minute,” Archer said.

  He guided Lily by her elbow from the conference room. Trey and Ryan both stood outside, observing as Archer and Lily deliberately paused near the glass conference room door. Archer was well aware that eyes were on them from both inside and outside the room. J.D. snuck out right behind them, hurrying down a nearby hallway.

  “I assume you want to settle?” Archer said to Lily, using jerky mannerisms that contradicted his level tone.

  “Of course I do.” Her gestures and expression were equally incongruent with her tone, conveying irritation and impatience to their audience on the other side of the door. “We’ve wasted enough of our time dealing with this idiocy.”

  “You’ll remember what Shelley said?”

  “You know I will.”

  “I have to kiss you before we go back in there.”

  “I should think so,” she said, repeating what Shelley had told Wingerson’s lawyers in an equally haughty voice.

  Fighting a delighted grin, he leaned down and kissed her. He held nothing back, parting his lips and encouraging Lily to do the same. By the time he was done kissing her, she was sagging against him.

  He heard more than one feminine sigh of appreciation from around them when they finally parted. Lily’s eyes were so deeply purple with arousal that it nearly made him tug her away to somewhere private for a few minutes. He kept himself under control, taking consolation in the knowledge that Wingerson had been observing them this entire time. That, and Archer had the unsurpassable pleasure of going home with Lily every night for the rest of his life.

  They walked back into the conference room together. Archer assisted Lily to her seat and leaned down to murmur in Shelley’s ear. The lawyer nodded.

  “My clients have decided to accept your client’s offer,” she said. When Wingerson’s lawyers all started smiling, she added, “With a few counter-conditions.”

  Their smiles dropped. “What conditions?” Goatee asked.

  “First, the final edited interview must be confirmed and approved by my clients as factual and authentic before it’s published,” Shelley began.

  Wingerson nodded at his attorneys, accepting the term.

  “Second, this will be the only interview conducted by Mr. Wingerson ever agreed to by my clients.”

  Again, Wingerson nodded.

  “And third, Mr. Wingerson will conduct this interview with respect towards my clients.”

  Before his attorneys could say a word, Wingerson said, “I accept.”

  “Excellent. Here are the documents reflecting everything we just discussed,” Shelley said, turning when J.D. returned to the conference room carrying the amended paperwork.

  “But how did you—” Baby Face began.

  “I’m sure you’ll find everything is in order,” Shelley interrupted brusquely. “Take a few minutes to review everything. Until your client’s signature is on these documents, we won’t be moving forward.”

  Archer reached beside him and lightly started rubbing the back of Lily’s neck. She shifted to give him better access, probably not even realizing she was doing so. He felt the tension ease from her the longer he touched her.

  Wingerson watched the two of them as his attorneys reviewed the updated settlement agreement. Both Archer and Lily ignored him.

  The attorneys took their sweet time. Archer figured they were wondering how in the world Shelley had anticipated Wingerson’s request quickly enough that her assistant produced the updated paperwork within seconds of the offer being made. Ultimately they discovered that the exact offer described in their conversation was reflected in the settlement agreement.

  “Everything appears to be in order,” Goatee admitted in a reluctant tone.

  “Fine,” Wingerson said. “Give me a pen.”

  It took a few more minutes for the counter-signatures to be completed and for the notary to perform her tasks. Once copies of the final documents had been made and distributed to the proper parties, the attorneys all rose.

  “You may feel free to use this conference room for your interview, Mr. Wingerson,” Shelley told him.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  As the attorneys filed out and closed the door behind them, Wingerson pulled a mini-recorder and small spiral notebook from his pocket. Archer looked from the recorder to Wingerson.

  “What?” Wingerson said as he reached for one of the law firm’s pens in the center of the table.

  “You seem awfully prepared for this outcome to our meeting,” Archer said.

  “A good writer is always prepared. Besides, I could say the same about you.”

  He had a point. Archer leaned back in his seat, keeping his arm over the back of Lily’s chair. Up until then, she hadn’t said a single word to Wingerson. Archer knew she was dreading this interview.

  Best to get it over with.

  “Ready when you are,” Archer said, deliberately infusing boredom into his voice.

  Wingerson pressed the play button on his recorder. “All right,” he said in his native Alabama drawl. “The story about how the two of you met is well known. Tell me your honest first impressions of each other.”

  Lily turned and looked at Archer. He wondered what she was up to when her lips curved up. She continued looking at him when she gave her answer.

  “Nerdy,” she said. “Stubborn. Driven. Opinionated. Quick with a joke. Fiercely loyal.”

  Archer grinned at her. She had just described herself when she was sixteen.

  “Charming,” he said, making her roll her eyes. “Decent singer. Easy-going but ambitious. In need of a swift kick in the ass.”

  Lily laughed. It took Wingerson a moment to catch on that they were speaking for each other. He seemed uncertain what to make of it.

  “Okay,” he said with a shake of his head. “Let’s talk about the transition from touring to life at home. What’s it like now that the dust is settling and you’re facing the reality of daily life together?”

  Archer and Lily exchanged another smile. “It’s been great,” he said, earning a nod from Lily. “Like we should have done this years ago.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “Because we started as friends,” Archer said, reaching over and tucking a loose curl behind Lily’s ear. “Once you’re friends, especially as close as we’ve always been, it’s hard to gain perspective and see beyond that.”

  The interview continued for twenty more minutes. Most of the questions weren’t heavy-hitting. Wingerson asked about the upcoming songs releasing from Eternal Muse, how the wedding plans were coming along, whether there was any news on Lily’s stalker, and what challenges they had faced on the tour. Archer began to see why Wingerson wasn’t more successful in his chosen career.

  “Lily, your mother recently made some serious insinuations about your eating habits,” Wingerson said. “What do you have to say about that?”

  Archer frowned. Lily had already publicly denied the eating disorder rumors.

  “I don’t have an eating disorder,” Lily answered. “I’m a picky eater and I do get anxiety that manifests in stomach upset, making it difficult to eat sometimes.”

  “Why would your mother tell the world that you’ve had an eating disorder if it’s untrue?”

  “I can’t answer for her. My mother and I have never been close. She doesn’t know me well enough to discuss my eating habits.”

  “Would you say it’s possible that she was coached to say such things for House of Archer?”

  Archer glanced at Lily. If Wingerson published something implying that the House of Archer content was in any way scripted, it would be damaging to the show. If Lily said that Rhonda hadn’t been coached, she was practically saying Rhonda had spo
ken the truth.

  “Rhonda has always spoken her own mind,” Lily replied, “whether or not she has accurate information when she forms her opinions.”

  Archer held back a smile. The response had been spot-on. He marveled over how far she had come since joining him on the tour. She had fielded all of Wingerson’s questions like a seasoned pro.

  “When we were together, I don’t remember you having stomach issues,” Wingerson said. “House of Archer shared a number of scenes that showed otherwise. Would you say you’re more stressed since you and Archer got involved?”

  Archer’s jaw tightened. The question was a direct jab at him. He hated that it wasn’t completely off the mark.

  “My stress is largely job-related,” Lily answered. “And yes, my job has gotten more stressful over the past few months. Archer is the one who helps keep me centered.”

  “Your job working for The Void—Archer’s band—is so stressful that you’re physically ill?”

  Lily’s eyebrows drew together. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’ve got a number of stressors in my life right now.”

  “Sure,” Wingerson said. “We’ve covered most of them. They all seem to have one common factor that wasn’t there when you and I were involved.”

  His gaze moved to Archer. Lily looked between them. Seeing Archer’s expression, she reached over and took his hand.

  “On the contrary,” Lily said, “Dane has been an important part of my life for far longer than I’ve known you. He’s the reason my life is as wonderful as it is. Yes, this has been a stressful few months, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

  Archer wove his fingers through hers. She had deliberately called him Dane in the last statement, something she didn’t typically do in interviews. That had darkened Wingerson’s expression and eased some of Archer’s guilt and anger over the direction of the interview.

  “That was the quote to end your article,” Lily said. “We’re done.”

  “Fine with me.” Wingerson clicked the recorder off and closed his notepad. “You know, Montgomery, if you had just gotten me this interview with Archer back when we first met, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this.”