All I hear between the lines of what she actually says is “What makes you so special?” Maybe I’m paranoid, but I’m not a fool. It’s no secret that a lot of people think I got this chance because of my relationship with Rhyson. The thing I hate, the thing I really hate, is that I can’t know for sure whether or not they’re at least a little right. Before I can respond, Luke jumps in.
“Kai’s an exceptional talent.” Luke flashes me a grin across the table littered with wires and notes. “I’d worked with her on my first video for this album, so we knew she could dance. We found out later what a great singer she was. Bringing her on tour and then expanding her role was a no brainer.”
I give him a tiny smile, hoping he knows how grateful I am. He’s a real class act. Every time a reporter or blogger implies that I’m not here on the merit of my talent, he very subtly and convincingly defends me. It didn’t take long for me to understand why he’s in Rhyson’s small circle of friends.
We answer questions about the tour for a few minutes and take a short station break. All I can think about is the breakfast Malcolm promised me after this interview. I’d love to do some sightseeing, but there’s not time. We’re going straight into rehearsals and then it’ll be show time. And then tomorrow the next city, the next show.
“We’re back.” Randy elevates his voice just a little to be heard over the transition package music. “If you’re just tuning in, we have Luke Foster and Kai Pearson. They’re at Barclays tonight, and we’re the only ones with any tickets left. We’ll give a pair away in just a second. First, we want to get into my favorite part of the show.”
He looks right at me, the anticipation evident in his expression.
“Time for No Holds Barred.” Randy leans back in his chair, dragging his adjustable mic on its stand with him. “We’ve seen Luke’s rise over the last couple of years, but you, Kai, appeared out of nowhere. Where did you come from?”
“Georgia.” It slips out before I can think of anything witty to say.
Something sharp embedded in Randy’s laugh grates on my ears and on my nerves.
“I didn’t mean that literally, sweetheart.” He chuckles again, eyes trained on my face. “In just a few months you went from being someone we’d never heard of to the girl we’re all talking about. It’s something thousands dream about, and you did it. Congratulations.”
His words feel more like an accusation than anything, so I just stare back at him, bending my lips into a hard curve while I wait. I know Malcolm wants me sparkling and fun, but Randy doesn’t look like he’s ready to play. Or if he is, it’s hard ball.
Well, two can play that game.
“We’ve loved hearing all about the tour,” Randy continues. “But, Kai, we gotta talk about the elephant in the room.”
“Elephant?” I sweep the small studio with a quick glance before looking back to Randy. “I don’t see any elephant.”
“Oh, he’s here, all right.” Randy looks to Lola. “Right, Lo? You see the elephant, don’tcha?”
For a moment, Lola’s eyes meet mine, and I see kindness or sympathy. Something softer than what’s in Randy’s eyes, but she looks away quickly and nods.
“I see him.”
“His name is Rhyson Gray.” Randy leans forward.
“I don’t think Rhyson would appreciate the comparison.” I manage a smile I hope looks easier than it feels.
“Maybe he’ll come on the show and take me to task for it.” Randy grins. “We’d love that. We’ve asked him more than once, but he’s never come on. Now you’ve heard of our No Holds Barred segment, yeah?”
Everything leading up to this was just small talk. This is what he wanted, and he’s going straight for the jugular. I’m not giving him anything. He’ll have to come and get it, and even then he won’t get much more from me than the blank look I’m giving him right now.
“Everyone knows you were in a very public relationship with Rhyson Gray,” Randy says.
“Actually I was in a very private relationship with Rhyson.” I twist my fingers in my lap beneath the table where no one can see them. “And we had one very public argument.”
“Yes, very public.” Randy glances down at his little stack of notes and then back up again. “The video’s been viewed a helluva lot, but no one knows what the fight was actually about. The audio was kind of muffled.”
Small mercies. I look at him, brows all the way in the air.
Dude, if you have a question, ask. Doesn’t mean I’ll answer.
“Care to shed any light on that for us?” Randy asks in that way that tells me he doesn’t expect me to.
“Rhyson and I are both entertainers.” I run one finger along the ridges of Gram’s necklace at my throat. “We give everything to the people who come to see us perform, but I think we deserve to keep some things private.”
“Can you tell us if you’ve spoken to him?”
What’ll it hurt? Maybe if I give them this worthless bone, it’ll appease Malcolm. And my blackmailer, if they’re listening.
“No, we haven’t spoken.” I move a little in my seat, hoping it looks more like a shift than the squirm it actually is.
“He was on a tour of his own, right, for the last few weeks?” Don, the other host asks.