Songbird Read Online Free PDF Page A

be
stupid enough to do that.”
    I tapped my fingers on the table and
considered. I didn’t want anyone dragging my skeletons out of the
closet. If I accepted that could very well happen and managing
Nicholas’s moodiness would be the least of my problems. Could I
keep that under wraps and still manage to control Nicholas? I felt
my shoulders tense already in regret of the decision I hadn’t
spoken out loud. “All right. I’ll babysit.”

Ezra’s schedule looped in my head as I pulled
into the garage. In an hour, the roadie bus and equipment truck
would be pulling out, but I wanted to lay some ground rules before
we went underway. Besides, I needed to introduce myself, since I
was in charge of this tour now.
    I had spent the last week going over business
information with Ezra. There had been no point in staying at
Bluejay when there had been so much information to collect before
the tour started. Ezra had insisted on paying me for that week as
well, since I was technically working for the band.
    The tour band would be busing with Nicholas
and we left in two hours. The opening act flew into Seattle and
would be traveling separately from Nicholas. Apparently the
all-girl band had concerns about Nicholas’s…manners.
    I had protested driving from Nashville to
Seattle but Ezra had overruled. There was no better way to get
accustomed to someone’s presence than a twenty some hour road trip
across have the USA. He wanted the guys to get used to my being
here. In other words, he wanted Nicholas to wrap his head around
the idea I was tour manager.
    The buses were beautiful machines. The tour
logo was screened onto both sides with a website to check for a
city near you for dates and times. Overall, it was clever
marketing.
    When I stepped out of the VW Eos, I knew I
had the attention of everyone loading in. I resisted wiping my
sweating palms on my skirt or smoothing a hand over my hair.
Unhurriedly, I pulled the business phablet Ezra had given me, from
the abyss of my purse and scrolled through names. I knew who I was
looking for, but the act would help the men watching settle.
    “Can I help you?” One of the roadie’s
ventured.
    “I’m looking for Jimmy.” I sent the roadie a
smile. Jimmy was the production manager and would see that the
stage traveled, setup, and broke down correctly. I had the names of
our drivers as well—technically I was anal enough I had everyone
that would be on this tour—and I would be looking for them
next.
    “Jimmy’s over there.” He jerked his chin
towards the man at the front of the bus with a clipboard.
    “Thanks.” I reviewed the man as I approached.
He was in his mid-forties at a guess, too many beers on his time
off, silvering in his hair and wrinkles that spoke of wind burn and
time outdoors.
    “Jimmy?”
    He grunted at me, gave me a glance and went
back to his clipboard.
    Rudeness was something I wouldn’t tolerate. I
didn’t give a fuck who you were. I tapped his papers harder than
necessary. “Can I have your attention, please?”
    “I ain’t got time for you girl.”
    “I’m Bianca Sheridan, the Tour Manager. If
you want to stay on as production manager I suggest you make the
time.”
    His eyes lifted again and really looked me
over. I dressed to impress this morning and the classic lines of my
pencil suit flattered. As an added bonus the jacket lines hide my
Beretta very nicely. Topping it all off, the careless curls in my
hair added a touch of girlie. I didn’t wear makeup as a rule so the
only thing to decorate my face besides the classic glasses was the
lip gloss to prevent dryness.
    “I don’t know what Ezra’a thinking—”
    “Ezra’s thoughts are his own. You should ask
him if you’re really concerned about it. What is more vital at the
moment is that I am the Tour Manager and this production as a whole
is my responsibility.” I pressed my lips into a thin, unhappy line.
“This is frightfully small compared to what I’m used to but I
assure you,