Chloe sat up straighter and cleared her throat. “No. I’m not busy. What’s up?”
“Get down here now. And be ready to play your ass off. If you land this gig, it’s going to change your life.”
“What gig? Brian? Hello?” Chloe stared at her phone, her eyes widening when she realized Brian had hung up. There was only a moment’s hesitation before Chloe was on her feet and running to the small closet on the other side of the room. Not bothering to change out of her sweater and leggings, she stepped into a pair of boots and slipped on her coat and scarf. Grabbing her gloves and violin, Chloe flew out the door.
The snow-covered sidewalks made it difficult to move as quickly as she wanted. The sound of her heart pounding drowned out the noises of the city as she made her way to Gilman’s Recording Studio. She had no idea what she was walking into, but the excitement in Brian’s voice was contagious. A half hour later, she pushed open the front door, the bell overhead chiming as she stepped inside. The girl behind the counter smiled.
“Hey, Chloe! Go on back to Brian’s office. He’s expecting you. Good luck.”
Chloe nodded and continued down the hall. She wanted to ask what was going on, but she would have the answer soon enough. Once she reached Brian’s office, she knocked on the door twice and stepped inside. She smiled at Brian then froze in her tracks when her eyes landed on the other occupant of the room. Chloe knew she shouldn’t stare. She knew she should say hello and act natural. Gawking like a star-struck groupie was the absolute worst thing she could do. The problem was, it didn’t matter that Chloe knew all of those things.
The sight of Reid Ryder sitting casually in a chair less than ten feet away had rendered her speechless and partially brain-dead. His light brown, chin-length hair peeked out from under his tight, fitted beanie. The sleeves of his Henley were pushed up to his elbows, revealing brightly colored ink that Chloe knew from photographs continued on to his shoulder. With his loose-fitting jeans and boots, he looked more like an Abercrombie model than a rock star from Memphis, Tennessee.
A throat cleared, the sound causing Chloe’s eyes to snap to Brian. The chastising expression on his face finally pulled Chloe out of her daze. “Brian, hi. I’m sorry if I kept you waiting. The sidewalks by my apartment haven’t been cleared yet, and it took longer than expected.”
Brian nodded, seemingly relieved that she’d regained her composure. “That’s fine. Chloe, I’d like you to meet Reid Ryder. Reid, this is Chloe Bennett, the violinist I told you about this morning.”
Chloe pulled in a deep breath and turned to face Reid. With a sheepish smile, she reached for his extended hand and shook it. “Sorry about that. I was a little caught off guard.”
Reid gave her a reluctant smile and dropped her hand. “No problem.”
“Chloe, have a seat and I’ll tell you what this is about.”
Chloe set her violin case on the floor and took the chair next to Reid, careful not to let her eyes linger on him for a second longer than acceptable. “Okay. Shoot.”
“A few days ago, Valerie Carter, the violinist scheduled to tour with Reid, fell and broke her arm. Tom, Reid’s tour manager, contacted a couple of musicians, but with the tour starting in a little over two weeks, everyone is booked. Tom is a buddy of mine and he called, hoping I could help him out. You were the first person who came to mind. Reid happened to be in New York and decided to stop by to listen to you play.”
“You called me to audition for a spot on Reid Ryder’s tour?” The disbelief in her voice was clear.
“Are you a quick learner?” Reid asked, causing her already fraying nerves to spike. “Because I don’t have time to babysit. There’s no margin for error. You’re going to have to work twice as hard to learn the music and choreography since we have such a limited time frame. But first, I need to hear you play. I’ve listened to your tapes, but I want to hear you live. I need to see you under pressure.”
Chloe tried to not let the impatient, sharp tone of his voice bother her. He was clearly stressed. She couldn’t blow this opportunity. The stakes were too high. “Sure, that’s no problem. I can do it. Do you want me to play now?”
Reid blinked in surprise. “Don’t you need to set up first?”
“Yeah, but it will only take a couple of minutes. Do you have something in particular you want me to play?” Chloe moved to unfasten the clasps on her case and remove her violin. She busied herself with attaching the chin rest, adjusting the pegs, and tightening and rosining her bow to keep her mind from lingering on the situation she’d found herself in. Once she was ready, she turned her attention to Reid.