Love Evolution by Michelle Mankin Read Free Book Online

overweight as a kid. I guess it ’ s just left over neurosis …” She trailed off.  If he wanted to point out her idiosyncrasies, turnabout was fair play. She had this irresistible urge to tease him. “ I noticed how you separate everything out on your plate before you eat it. So nothing is touching. What ’ s up with that? ” she fired back.
    Marcus started to deny that he did any such thing, but Dwight chimed in, “ You do, man. Always have. It ’ s creepy. ”
    “ Yeah, ” Avery agreed. “ It all mixes up in your stomach anyway. What ’ s the point? ”
    “ Touch é , ” Marcus conceded.
    Dwight nodded his head. “ You ’ re going to be alright, Avery. Just don ’ t let my brother run roughshod over you. ”
    In the end, Avery reluctantly admitted defeat in the taco eating contest. Dwight won, having completely gorged himself, with Marcus coming in a close second. As the party began to break up, Marcus offered to drop Avery at the hotel. 
    “ No, I ’ ll take him home, ” Trevor interjected. “ We have a lot to discuss. ”
    Marcus was disappointed, but for the first time in a long while he was actually eager to get back in the studio. He called out to Avery as she was walking toward the door, “ Hey, I ’ d like to get started right away on the songwriting. ” Motioning toward the middle aged, well-built man leaning inconspicuously against the doorframe, he asked her, “ Can I send Ray to pick you up tomorrow around 10:30? We could work at the studio in my apartment. ”  
    “ No way! You have a home studio? ”
    Marcus nodded with a cocky grin.
    Dwight added drily, “ My brother is a man obsessed. ”
    “ Ok, tomorrow is fine. I ’ m staying at Sutton Place. ” Avery was just as eager as Marcus to get started, wondering if they could transfer the chemistry they had in the studio to songwriting. But even more than that, she looked forward to spending time with him … alone.
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER 7 
     
    The next morning, Avery was inundated with stacks and stacks of paperwork to sign. Marcus had been very generous. She would have more than enough money to pay back Campanella with $350,000 up front and a percentage of sales from every song she helped co-write on the first album.
    “ Holy Crap! ” she exclaimed and had to sit down while Trevor explained the rest of the terms. Her brain finally came back on line when he started talking about a clause that gave Brutal Strength veto power over any solo work, should she decide to do any in the next two years.
    “ It ’ s not uncommon, ” Trevor assured her. “ It just goes to show you how serious Marcus is about trying to control every detail that might possibly affect the public image of his band. ”
    Of course, Black Cat required her to pee in a cup. Drug testing was standard when so much money was involved. Pending the lab results and the finalization of the paperwork, she realized with chagrin that it would be at least a week before the money actually changed hands.
    Shortly thereafter, a red headed, freckle faced fellow not much older than Avery arrived. He told them his job was to give them a tour of the recording studios and home offices of Black Cat.  First he led them upstairs to a huge corner office to meet the CEO, Mary Timmons. A petite framed, beautiful woman with her short dark hair styled in a shoulder length bob, she wore a smart but severely cut black business suit. Everything about her screamed no- nonsense. She firmly shook Avery ’ s hand, telling her pointedly that she expected big things from her. Avery wasn ’ t positive, but she could have sworn she heard Mary add in a mumble, “ because Marcus thinks guys are so much better. ”
    Out in the corridor, Trevor whispered to Avery, “ She ’ s a bit bossy and intimidating, but other than that Mary ’ s ok. ” Down the hall they entered the significantly smaller office of the Vice President of Public Relations. Beth Tate was an attractive lady with beautiful