What She Needs - Lacey Alexander [141]
“Brenna, come in,” he said with what she thought was a rather devious smile. “And close the door.”
Carl Jenkins was exactly the kind of man people commonly referred to by his last name. Smart and calculating, no nonsense, all business—more the kind of guy you’d expect to work at one of the majors than a small indie label. That said, Blue Night had grown fast the last few years, in no small thanks to him. Sporting slicked-back hair and rather beady eyes, he was also the kind of guy you never felt completely comfortable with, and Brenna still didn’t, even after three years as his administrative assistant.
After pushing the door shut, she eased into the chair across from him, wondering exactly what the big news was. “Kelly said you wanted to see me. There’s some sort of big announcement afoot?”
Her boss’s gaze widened as he chuckled lightly. Clearly, he was surprised but not startled to hear his employees suspected something was up. “An announcement? Sort of, dependent upon this conversation. But first, a secret. And I know I can trust you to keep a secret—right, Brenna? Especially when it’s in your best interest professionally.”
“Of course,” she said, hoping he didn’t see her nervous swallow. Brenna hated secrets. Professional, personal—either way, she just didn’t like them. She’d gotten divorced over a secret, after all—a secret affair. But it sounded as if she was about to have one dropped on her anyway.
“I’ve watched you grow in this business the last few years, Brenna. You’re a quick learner, smart, responsible, and people like you. Plus, you’re nice. In a city like L.A., you don’t always find a lot of nice, and that makes you a commodity.”
She was a commodity? When had that happened? But no matter—maybe this meant she was getting a raise. Maybe a secret raise no one else was getting? A secret like that she could probably keep. “Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. I’ve really loved learning about the music business since coming to work here.”
“You may not realize this, Brenna, but you probably know the ins and outs of this company better than most people in this office. I hear you on the phone with everyone from our artists to our distributors, and you know what you’re doing. To a degree that I think it’s a sin to keep you in your current position.”
At this, Brenna blinked. This wasn’t just a raise?
“I want to groom you to be Blue Night’s next A&R rep,” Jenkins said—and she struggled not to let her jaw drop.
He wanted to give her—little Brenna Cayton from Centerville, Ohio—the most coveted position at the label? Most of the people who worked there, from the mailroom guy on up, had taken jobs at Blue Night with the aspiration of someday advancing to the glamorous post of artist and repertoire representative, scouting for and signing new talent. She, on the other hand, had not. She’d simply needed a job, gone on an interview. She found it fulfilling enough just to work at a cool record label. But to be that cool label’s A&R person—wow, talk about a head rush.
Then it hit her. “Is Damon leaving? Going to one of the majors?”
Damon Andros was Blue Night Records to the industry—and the paparazzi. His heart-stopping sex appeal combined with his rock star persona to make him deliciously photo-worthy, especially when out partying with rock bands or on the arm of the latest female pop sensation. He was also Blue Night’s sole A&R rep—so successful and well-known in the biz that there was no need for anyone else. Brenna attributed the label’s accomplishments just as much to Damon Andros as she did to Jenkins.
Whose smile stayed in place but stiffened. “That’s where the secret comes in.”
“Oh?” Brenna held her breath, waiting.
“It’s like this,” her boss said, tilting his head. “Despite Damon’s obvious success, over time he’s started to . . . become a liability. If you don’t believe me, just ask Kelly—she takes the calls from the reporters, fields