“I never said—”
Laz continued speaking. “Hard-working people like them will normally check in. When they do, I’ll be here waiting.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a new business card that he had created after he left Universe. He placed it on the receptionist’s desk and slid it to her. “Here’s my contact information. It would be great if you could reach out to Chantel Woodley. She and I have history.”
He had gone to bat for the talented singer when she got out of Peaceful Acres. He would leave out the fact that he also saw her the time she fainted off the stage on the day of her mother Fatima’s funeral.
“If you’re that close to Mrs. Woodley, why don’t you—” The sassy woman stopped her query, and then firmed up a smile on her face.
Laz cocked his head while giving her a smile that Bradley Kyson would endorse. “I like an inquisitive woman with impeccable manners like yourself. Makes doing business a pleasure.”
The receptionist did smile, and even looked like she took a much-needed deep breath before she continued talking. “Thank you for your information. I wish I could do more for you. Again, it won’t help you to wait here.”
“It also won’t hurt unless you look away from me.” He winked at her and sauntered to the couch where he sat right in the middle.
This receptionist didn’t understand Laz’s dilemma. He had no options. No job. No backup plan. He needed this to work. He needed a break.
An hour-long wait turned to two, then three, and before Laz knew it, the receptionist, who had gone to lunch and received packages from couriers throughout the day, now packed up her belongings. She would be kicking him out soon. Damn if she thought he would give up so easily.
It looked like she started to address him when another delivery man came through the front door. At that moment, Laz went to the men’s room. He could wait it out in there, or at least stay there until he came up with a game plan.
The standard bathroom facility had an “L” shape, which he took advantage of while he thought about his next steps. He walked over to the other side away from the door and paced.
“Come on, man. Think.” He muttered to himself without caring if anyone else had been in the place. “Being Mr. Nice Guy will only get you so far.”
No one stood in front of the urinals, and although he didn’t look under each and every stall door, he didn’t notice any closed doors.
“If I stay here until they close, it’s not like Chantel or Truman will show up.” His pacing slowed the more he talked to himself. “I can’t give up.”
He leaned against the wall covered in white tile. He closed his eyes and thought about his choices. A fleeting thought crossed his mind that he shouldn’t have quit his job at Universe. A glorified babysitter had to be better than being broke.
Laz shook his head. No way could he do that and be able to look at himself in the mirror.
He heard the main bathroom door open. His heart pounded as he slipped in the last stall and eased the door closed.
“I’ll check in here,” Laz heard a voice say from the door.
Apparently, the guards had the task of sweeping the office at the end of the day. Laz braced to be caught when he heard the opening of a popular rap song coming through a cell phone.
“Hey, babe.” The gruff voice softened a bit. “Yeah, I’m on my way home now.”
Laz heard the door opening again before silence filled the spacious bathroom. He exhaled but didn’t bother leaving the sanctuary of the stall just yet. If nothing else, maybe he could leave a handwritten note for Chantel and Truman.
A note? No, he had to do more than that. He had to find talent. He wouldn’t be able to do that from the bathroom, even one at Charisma Music.
Still in the bathroom stall, Laz pressed his back against the tile wall again and leaned his head back. “Come on. You’ve been in tighter spots than this before. You can turn this around.”
Laz’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He retrieved it and started to ignore the call when he noticed his sister’s name across the screen.
“Hey, Stinky.” Laz smirked.
“You know I hate it when you call me that.”
He could almost see his baby sister with her septum piercing and lip ring sneering. “Why do you think I do it?” He kept his voice low while he spoke to Marissa.
“Okay. Either you’re in a meeting or you’re with a bad date and trying to get out of it.” Marissa chuckled. “Why are you whispering?”
“It’s a little of both of what you said. I’m somewhere where I’m trying to get a meeting, but it’s turning out like a bad date.” Laz had to face facts. He would need to leave soon and try to get through to Chantel the proper way.
“Speaking of bad dates, hold on.”
“Wait. You’re not on one right now, are you?”
“It’s cool. It’s a first date. We just met and she’s really ditzy.” Marissa laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she had one of those fidget things spinning around on her finger when I get back out there.”
“Only the best and the brightest for you, right?” Laz chuckled, but tried keeping his voice down.
“Of course. Now, back on you. Did I hear that you’re coming down the east coast?”
Laz never suspected that Marissa would have talked to their father. “For work.”
“Coming to D.C.? I would love to see you. Plus you’re chick bait.” This time Marissa laughed.
“You are definitely Dad’s kid.” He shook his head.
“Ooh, low blow.”
“Truth hurts.” He loosened his necktie. No use looking neat and presentable when he had no one to appreciate it. “I’m actually in Virginia.”
“Northern Virginia?”
Laz hesitated before he answered. “Virginia Beach.” Before she could complain, because he had already heard her huffing, Laz explained himself just like he had to with their father. “I’m looking for a singer or group or, hell, both.”
“Have you tried looking in a mirror?” Marissa asked.
“Now you really sound like Dad.” Laz rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.
“And now I think I really hate you.”
Before Laz could make a witty response, she placed him on hold. One thing he and his sister had in common had to be their love of music. While she had him on hold, a cool jazzy song played through his earpiece. He could listen to this for a while.
When it seemed like he had heard the full song and another one, he realized that his sister might have forgotten about him.
“Look at who needs the fidget spinner.” He snickered and disconnected the call, at least, he thought he did.
Laz continued hearing music and singing. He looked at his phone’s screen to make sure he had properly disconnected the call. When he found it blank, he pressed the phone against his ear again.
When he heard an echo, he realized that the beautiful music came from inside the bathroom, but it didn’t sound like it had been pumped through a sound system. No, someone with an amazing voice sang, and damn if it didn’t sound like Destiny Starr.
He stepped closer to the corner to get a better listen. The person, who he hoped had been female, sang an old-school Gladys Knight song like she had written it herself. He crept closer to the sound but made sure to keep his identity hidden.
As he listened to how she caressed and massaged each lyric, each note, Laz got swept away. The singer managed to make each note an actual being with limbs, eyes, a soul. He felt surrounded, but he enjoyed the sensation. He liked being captured this way.
The magnetism he felt from listening to Destiny Starr sing came through like a lover in person. At one point, he even closed his eyes and leaned his head back to take in the melodic sounds.
Talent like this, a voice like hers, needed to be heard by more than just him in a men’s room. Wait. Wh
at would a woman be doing in the men’s bathroom?
When that thought hit him, Laz needed to find out the reason. Even if the voice belonged to a man, it still sounded wonderful.
As he rounded the corner, he got face-to-face with a woman. Even in her gray, oversized coveralls, she looked amazing…and familiar. Her almond-shaped brown eyes sucked him in, and her plump bottom lip had him imagining things he shouldn’t have with a stranger.
It hit him right away why she seemed familiar. He stared into those same eyes last night when he went into that karaoke dive bar. Laz spotted this beauty across the room. As soon as their gazes connected, he couldn’t stop staring. He had that same feeling now.
After a beat, she screamed, which snapped him out of his fantasy.
Laz held up his hand to calm her down. He didn’t need someone else claiming he did something inappropriate. “Easy. I was just using the bathroom.”
“The guards said no one was in here.” She clutched the handle of the mop she carried in both hands like she would use it as a weapon if needed.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He took a step forward, which made her take three steps back. “Was that you singing just a second ago?”
She dropped her gaze to the floor and shook her head. “Nope. I was playing music on my phone.” She pulled a phone from her pocket to show him. “Sorry for the noise.”
“I don’t believe that. There were changes to the song that really showed some great artistry. That definitely wasn’t a song recording. That was you.” He pointed to her. “Are you Destiny Starr?”
When he asked the question, her eyes widened and she made a hasty retreat. “I’ll come back here later.”
No way could Laz let this woman go. “Wait.” He went after her, but made sure not to touch her. “You are her, right? You sent a demo to Universe.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking—”
Laz managed to block her from leaving. “I heard it. I’ve been listening to it every day since I was able to get my hands on it. You have an incredible voice.”
“Please step aside.” She wrung her hands around the handle.
Laz placed his hand to his chest. “My name is Laz. Laz Kyson.” He extended his hand to her. When she didn’t move but kept her stare on his eyes, he lowered it and continued. “I’m in the music business, and I’m looking for artists to represent. I would love to talk to you about representing you and where you see yourself in the music industry.” He patted his pocket. “I have a business card.”
The woman laughed. “I’ve heard that line before. Usually, though, the guy wants to take me back to his place to talk.” She shook her head. “No thank you. Now if you’ll move out of—”
“I’m not like those guys. I’m only interested in representing artists who—”
“I’m at work.” She held her hand up. “I clean toilets and scrub floors.”
Laz peered down to the floor but stopped when he noticed an open textbook on the counter. Between the multiple lines of text, he noticed the graphs and mathematical equations. He hadn’t been so far removed from his college experience to forget about this course.
“And you’re in college.” He plucked his finger against the pages. “Statistics, right?”
She said nothing.
“I did really well in that class.” He nodded. “If you want, I can—”
“I don’t need to—”
This time he stopped her. “Dream? You don’t think you deserve to dream?”
That same bottom lip he admired before now trembled like she wanted to say something, maybe agree with him.
“What’s your name?” He wanted to know so much about this mysterious woman. “Please tell me it’s not really Destiny Starr.”
What did she look like under that bulky garment?
Damn, he couldn’t think about things like that. For one, it would show on his face. He didn’t want this woman thinking he wanted her for something lascivious. Laz had to show her he could be a professional, even in the middle of the men’s room.
“Avery, are you done in there already?” The men’s bathroom door swung open and an older African-American man stepped inside.
He did a stutter step when he spotted Laz with the woman he now knew to be Avery. Good name. Better than Destiny.
The man glared at Laz before looking at Avery and standing in front of her like a protective bulldog. “Who are you?”
“I was in a stall down there when I heard the most beautiful—”
“I forgot to make sure no one was in here first before I started.” Avery took the man’s hand and dragged him to the door. “We’ll get out of your way.”
“And I’ll take care of cleaning this room.” The older gentleman shrugged out of Avery’s grasp and kept his glare on Laz before turning to Avery. “You can go down to the offices on the other end of the floor. I’ll get up with you later.”
“Yes, sir.” Avery didn’t even look at Laz as she started to leave the bathroom.
“Wait.” Laz closed her hefty book and picked it up. “You forgot this.” He held it up to her, but the man standing in between the two of them snatched it from Laz’s hand.
Instead of handing Avery the book, he clasped it close to his barrel-size chest. “I’ll make sure she gets this.”
Avery scurried out of the bathroom.
The man, who had stood protectively in front of her, continued studying Laz even as he backed out of the room. “I’ll stand outside and wait until you leave before I come back in here.”
This other janitor made it obvious that he wouldn’t be leaving Laz alone with Avery. Laz released a long sigh. He had finally encountered a beautiful, magical voice, but he couldn’t get near the woman to ask her anything, and she seemed too scared to even acknowledge her magnificent gift.
“Don’t bother. I’m just finishing up.” Laz washed his hands, but kept his stare on the gentleman behind him.
After Laz dried his hands, he walked out of the bathroom and headed toward the front doors. He didn’t even know the janitor had followed him until he turned around to see if he could spot the young woman again.
“You have a good evening.” The man pulled the door closed and made sure it had been locked in every way possible.
Then he turned and went back to work.
“Damn.” Laz could wait in his rental car all night until the woman came out to go home.
His luck, the other janitor would be there with her. He would keep her away from him. Plus he didn’t want to come off as creepy or worse, a stalker. Searching for talent had been his primary focus.
Sleep. He needed rest to recharge his mind. He would go back to the hotel and get something to eat. Then he would start fresh again in the morning. This woman could be his ticket to getting back in the music business. If Chantel wouldn’t take a meeting with him, Laz could always take her to Section Eight.
Now he had to meet Miss Avery and figure out how to get her alone…for work, of course.
Chapter 5
Avery didn’t need to wait very long before the lecture came. At least Clinton hadn’t heard the stranger call her by another name, one she hadn’t used in a couple years. Here she thought no one at Universe had even listened to her demo. This guy admitted to mainlining her songs for a while. The idea of him loving her music shot a tingling sensation through her body.
“You have to be careful, especially around here.” Clinton spoke to Avery while she dumped someone else’s garbage.
“I know.” She put a new, clear bag in the trash receptacle and placed it under the desk. “I asked the guard before I went inside.”
“You always call from the door. Sometimes guards get lazy. You don’t need to be that way.” He wagged his finger at her.
Avery didn’t need to vacuum the carpet, but she welcomed the noise to get her father to stop
talking to her like a child. “It was all a big misunderstanding.”
“Did he also misunderstand that you would want to be a singer?” Clinton planted his meaty fist on his hip.
Avery had hoped her father hadn’t heard Laz asking about her singing voice. Seeing the man in the first place surprised her. When she realized that he had been the same man from Songbirds, her heart had pounded hard enough that it had shook her body.
He looked even better up close. Just as she imagined, as she had fantasized, he had sparkling blue eyes. His sleek nose pointed down to a full set of extremely kissable lips. When he picked up her textbook to hand it to her, Avery couldn’t help but notice his large hand. To top it all off, he had stubble across his face that made him look even sexier, and he wore the hell out of a suit. In a fleeting moment, right when she first spotted him in the bathroom, she wondered what he looked like under his clothes.
Avery also pondered the idea that he could be serious about being in the music industry. Back when she actively tried to get into the music business, most of the men she had encountered seemed interested in her until discussions turned to business. As long as they could ogle her and try to put their hands on her, they seemed interested.
The man tonight, Laz Kyson, he hadn’t touched her. He seemed to go out of his way not to put a finger on her although it did frighten her when he blocked her path to leave the bathroom. Had her father not come into the bathroom when he did, Avery would have either told Laz her name and her dreams, or kicked him squarely between his legs to escape.
“Avery, I’m talking to you. Did he ask you about—”
To avoid the discussion right now, Avery started the vacuum and slowly cleaned the office floor. If she couldn’t admit to a stranger what she really wanted in life, how could she tell her father?
“You think you’re cute.” Clinton spoke loud enough for that to be heard over the vacuum cleaner’s whirring sounds.
Avery tapped her ear. “Can’t hear you!”
Love Like Crazy Page 6
