Stereo by Trevion Burns Read Free Book Online Page A

called.”
    “Why wouldn’t you be?  You’re my girl …” He said the word with a slight hitch that only made sense to the two of them, tightening his football hold around her neck.  “And guys do favors for their girls , right?  Don’t go getting all misty eyed on me.”
    “What happened to the original model you hired?”
    “Irrelevant,” he answered quickly.
    Shaun glared.  She’d spent the better part of the night Googling him and had learned that he was nothing if not a ladies man. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”
    Adam’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but Shaun caught it.
    “You slept with her and then called her ‘Sally’ when her name is actually ‘Sue’--or just plain didn’t call her at all.  Am I right?”
    Adam held her glare.  Had she been Googling him all night?  “Irrelevant,” he whispered.
    Zizo chimed in, skeptically. “And which agency you work for?”
    Shaun and Adam’s heads both snapped over, appearing to have forgotten Zizo had been there at all.  Shaun looked down at their feet and wondered when during their exchange they’d come face to face with each other.  Turning to Zizo, she crossed her arms over her chest.  His disapproval of her was blatant and made her instantly uncomfortable.
    “Uh… Wilhelmina Models,” she announced.
    “And why do I never heard of you?”
    Shaun opened her mouth to lie but was surprised when Adam beat her to the punch. “Is there a problem or what?”
    Her eyes flew to Adam in surprise. The protectiveness in his tone had caught her off guard and the once playful arm he’d had around her shoulder was now holding her a little tighter, closer, as if to shield her.  Shaun found herself staring up into his angry face, his eyes still riveted challengingly to the director, even as someone came up beside her and took her arm.  With hesitation, she looked to the person who was gently tugging her and couldn’t help but smile up at the flamboyant blonde man attempting to pull her away from the fire.  He had kind brown eyes, a platinum faux-hawk and a face full of flawlessly applied make-up.
    “Hey sugar, I’m Max, the hair and make-up artist.  Follow me and we’ll make you beautiful.”
    “Okay…” Shaun said, happy to allow herself to be pulled away by the only smiling face in the vicinity.  As she followed Max to the line of trailers parked along the far ends of the lot she turned back to Adam.  He and Zizo were arguing and she knew it was about her.  Feeling terrified and rejected, she already wished she had just stayed home.
     
    --
     
    Adam’s three band mates looked on from their stools as he and Zizo went head to head.  Shaun was long gone, having been thankfully dragged away by the colorful make-up artist.
    “What’s your problem with Shaun, Zizo?  She’s a professional, she’s contracted at Wilhelmina, she’s beautiful.”
    Jon Baca, The White Keys’ guitarist and Adam’s oldest and dearest friend, looked up—brought to full attention at the sound of Adam using the word “beautiful” to describe any woman, let alone the woman he’d just dragged onto the lot.
    “What more do you want?” Adam held his arms out. “What? Is it just because she’s black?”
    Zach Kernoodle and Yoshi Cho, bass player and drummer, both stood from their folding chairs and inched a little closer to Adam and Zizo, sensing that this interaction probably wasn’t going anyplace good.
    Zizo threw his head back with a cringe. “ Ay , is not because she’s black… is because she come to my set with hair messy, eyes puffy, wearing sweatpants?  Sweatpants!”
    Adam eased back, chewing his gum wildly.  Looking off towards the make-up trailer in distress, he ran a hand down the back of his head. “All right, okay.”  He held his hands out in peace. “Maybe I just overreacted.”
    “Maybe?”  Jon grumbled from behind Adam, throwing his shoulder length, curly brown hair out of his eyes and turning away when his friend