Duchess Read Online Free PDF Page A

stand behind the desk, and suddenly the memory of being in the principal’s office came to mind.
    “Chase,” he corrected her.
    “Excuse me?”
    “It’s just Chase. No ‘Mr.’ necessary.” He grinned, trying to be charming, though he didn’t think it’d work.
    “Okay, Chase,” she said in a brisk manner. “After talking to Amber last week, I’ve put together a list of what you’ll need to make this happen.”
    She gestured to the chair on the other side of her desk, and they both sat down. She pulled out some papers and started to read.
    “You’ll need a venue, more artists, a marketing team, set designers, a host, a backstage manager, and someone to coordinate flights, hotels, and dinners for any artists who need them. You will also need a security detail, and someone to oversee the security for the whole concert.”
    “That’s me,” he piped up.
    “What’s you?” She looked up from her paper.
    “The security person. At least, that’s what Amber told me. So just give me any assignments you have for that part of the concert, and I’ll get out of your hair.”
    “There’s a lot more to it than that. I can’t plan a benefit concert—I have other things to worry about. I’m just getting the information to you, and you and Amber can do it. Of course, Duchess will be the first artist to commit to the concert, so that should help.”
    She pushed the papers toward him and stood up like they were done. She expected him to plan the whole thing, but the thought of planning a benefit concert and talking to people caused him to break out into a cold sweat. Why would anyone want to help him? The answer dropped a heavy rock into his stomach. Pity. The only angle he had was to play the wounded vet card, and it was a card he hated. He stood up and faced her across the desk.
    “Wait—aren’t you going to plan it? I mean, I think that’s what Amber had in mind.”
    This woman had the connections to pull off the concert without him having to become the charity’s poster boy.
    “No, she said you would be able to handle it. Can you handle it, Mr. Chase?” She looked at him doubtfully, and he suddenly had the feeling she found him lacking in ability.
    “Of course I could handle it, but that’s not the point.”
    “Good, then. That’s settled. I’ll just give you this information, and you can be on your way.”
    Chase looked down at the stack of papers she held out. He couldn’t plan a concert—he didn’t know the first thing about it. His hands began to shake slightly and he shoved them into his pockets.
    “Look, I might be able to handle the security part of the concert, but the rest is a little beyond my knowledge.” He rocked back on his heels, suddenly wishing he had never come. “I know Amber was counting on your help, and the building we have our eye on will go to another person if we can’t get the money.” He looked at the floor, mumbling, “Why Amber set all her hopes and dreams on someone like Duchess, I don’t know.”
    “What does that mean?” she asked, her voice full of heat.
    “What does what mean?” He glanced back up.
    “‘Someone like Duchess.’ What did you mean by that?”
    “It doesn’t seem like helping others is her top priority. To be honest, her music is so brainless, I guess thinking is difficult for her.” The words rushed out of his mouth.
    “Excuse me?”
    The tone in her voice set off warning bells in his head, but he didn’t listen to them. “She makes a mockery of America with her jokes about the American Revolution. I have no idea why Amber thought she would want to help wounded veterans. She laughs at the deaths of the soldiers who died so we could be free from her country, all because it would have been better to have fish ’n chips.”
    Katie stared at him, and Chase shifted his weight again.
    “When you put it that way, Mr . Chase, I’m not sure why you’d want Duchess at your concert either. You can probably find plenty of artists with