Simona nodded. “She has an amazing voice. Reminds me of Jill Scott or Gladys Knight—not so much in style, but in the strength of her voice.”
“In other words, like an old-school R & B singer.”
“Exactly,” Simona answered with a smile.
The lights went down, and Sheila hit the stage. Throughout the concert, Donovan stole glances at Simona. She seemed to be enjoying herself, if the way she moved her body in time with the beat was any indication. The last woman he had taken to a concert bugged him the entire time about whether he had backstage passes, and if there were any after-parties. By the time the concert had ended, he was so irritated that he’d taken her home as soon as the last song was over and dropped her off with a “don’t call me, I’ll call you” line and immediately blocked her number from his cell. Since that date a year ago, he had been leery of disclosing his true job and had gone out with only a few women, none of whom held his attention like the one sitting next to him.
Donovan could list a dozen reasons he should tread lightly where Simona was concerned—the possibility of having his heart broken topped the list—but for the first time in his life he felt like a car careening out of control with no brakes. He turned his attention back to the music.
“Wow, she was great,” Simona said when the concert ended. “I’m even more anxious to add her to my collection.”
“Actually, you can purchase one tonight, if you want. They’ll be selling autographed copies in one of the VIP rooms shortly. And before you ask, yes, I’ll have access before they let the general public in. Consider it another perk. Would you like to go?”
“Are there going to be lots of media and cameras?”
“Probably.”
“Then no.”
Donovan angled his head thoughtfully. Her curt reply gave him pause. “Are you camera shy?”
“Something like that,” Simona mumbled. “I can just buy it when I go shopping, or download it.”
A cryptic response. “I promise not to let anyone come near you with a camera. We can still get it now, if you want. We’ll be in and out before they start.” He grasped her hand and started in the direction of the VIP room.
“Donovan, you don’t have to do that. It’s fine. Really.”
He slowed his steps. “Is there something more I need to know other than you just being camera shy?”
“I just like my privacy. Besides, I don’t want crazy photos or anything to negatively impact my job,” she added with a nervous chuckle.
He stared at her for a long moment, not believing one word. She wasn’t telling him something...the slight trembling in her hand said so. Donovan brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back. He wanted to know what had happened, but dropped the subject for now. They were still getting to know each other, and hopefully she would confide in him one day. But for now, he wanted her to trust him. “Like I said, we can be in and out quickly, but if you’re uncomfortable, we can skip it.”
She smiled up at him. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”
Donovan searched her face for the truth and finally nodded. When they reached the VIP room, two security guards were at the door, one he recognized from previous visits.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Donovan Wright. How you doing, man? Long time, no see.”
“How’s it going, Percy?” he said, reaching out to shake the man’s hand. “Dale and Sheila in there yet?”
“Just made it.” He unlocked the door and waved them in. “You and your lady staying for the party?”
“No. I just want to congratulate Sheila. What time are you letting the media in?”
Percy checked his watch. “About fifteen minutes,” he said, and closed the door behind Donovan and Simona.
Donovan grasped Simona’s hand and guided her to the opposite side of the room where a few people stood setting up the CDs. “I want to introduce you to Sheila and her manager, Dale. Then we’ll get your CD and be out in five minutes. How does that sound?”
“It sounds good.” She stopped walking and squeezed his hand. “Thank you for understanding, Donovan.”
Her soft smile and relieved expression tugged on his heart, and he tried to push down the sensation. He made the introductions and Simona purchased a CD, which Sheila gladly signed. As they were leaving, Sheila’s manager asked to speak with him briefly.
“This won’t take long, Simona,” he told her. Donovan took in Simona’s nervous expression and mentally sighed. On the one hand, he’d promised Simona they’d be done quickly. On the other, this was part of his job, and he prided himself on ensuring he was accessible to all RC Productions clients.