The Grey Tier by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

become a superstar!”
    Cass lifted her head and gave sharp bark.
    “Even she knows it,” Nick said, pointing to my dog.
    “Okay, okay, already. I’ll be right back. Guitar is in the van.” I headed out the back entrance to the VW. As I slid open the doors to grab my guitar, my cell rang. I looked at the number. Crap. It was Simone. I muted it and took out the guitar. The phone rang again. I gritted my teeth. Guilt washed over me as I stood looking at the number, ignoring it. Damn. Damn. Damn! What if something was really wrong?
    Ugh. I flipped open the phone. “Hello?” I said meekly.
    “Edie . . .” She still didn’t always get my name right. “I need you to come now. I think I’ve taken too many Sudafeds. The lights are so bright and blurring and, oh my God! I’m dying. I know I’m dying.”
    “Okay. Um, well, where’s Brenda?”
    “That stupid bitch went to a party without me. I don’t think I can forgive you for glamming her up. She thinks she’s fucking Katy Perry now.”
    “Right.”
    “So I need you now!”
    “Here’s the thing . . . I’m over at Nick’s.”
    “That dive? Seriously, I don’t get your love of that place. At all.”
    “I know, but Nick has this friend who is a record producer and he’s coming to hear me sing tonight.” I was trying hard to sound hopeful and not pathetic.
    “Oh God, you’re kidding, right? You’re so fucking pathetic. Please. That guy doesn’t know anyone worth anything. Look, you want an audition? I’ll get you one over at Sony.”
    “Really?”
    “Yeah. Sure. Now get your ass over here before I die!”
    I looked back at Nick’s place and then down at Cass who stood there staring at me, and I swear if she were human, she’d have been shaking her head at me. “I know. I know,” I said, gritting my teeth. Simone was right, I was pathetic.
    I walked back into the front entrance, not wanting to face Nick in the kitchen. I caught Jackson staring at me and managed a smile. He waved but I didn’t return it. Ever since Mumbles’ comments earlier, I’d been feeling a bit uncomfortable about the guy.
    I walked quickly over to Candace and turned her around on the bar stool.
    “Oh no, no more lectures. I’m not going to rehab. And after that little show here tonight, I ain’t going nowhere. Even with her here.” She pointed at Becky and glanced at Mumbles who sort of nodded. “Place is entertaining!”
    Mumbles mumbled, “I got a black eye.”
    “Plus, I was sober once and it sucked,” Candace interjected.
    “Right. I don’t want to lecture you,” I replied. “Just tell Nick I had to go. It’s an emergency and I’ll try and be back as soon as I can.”
    “Emergecy?” Mumbles looked at me. “You got black eye?”
    “Gotta go.”
    “Wait, hon,” Becky said, trying to stop me. “Where are you going?”
    “I just have to be somewhere.”
    Yes, I know—it was a crappy thing to do. I really believed Nick this time about the music guy, but I’d also been here long enough to realize his music mogul was likely past his prime, and, frankly, I couldn’t take the chance of losing my job with Simone. Plus, she promised me an audition with Sony!
    I ran out the door and got behind the wheel with Cass staring at me as if I was the devil incarnate. She can chastise like nobody’s business. Only my father does a better job. We sped up La Cienega, then across and over to Wilshire. Hopefully, I could save Simone from her Sudafed overdose and become the next pop sensation.

Chapter Seven
    SO MY RUSH TO SAVE Simone’s life turned out to be a bust, except I became the new owner of a cat. Cass was so not pleased.
    It went like this: I high-tailed it to the diva’s house only to find her in her movie room watching one of the Ocean’s Eleven movies.
    “Hi,” I said, standing awkwardly in the doorway. There were eight rows of plush movie theater-type seats in the screening room. She was in the middle seat of the middle row.
    “Shhh! It’s getting to