Read Online All Smoke No Fire by Randi Alexander - Free Book Online Page A

especially after the way she’d admitted, drunkenly, that she’d been dumped on Mardi Gras. Was that her only excuse for getting stupid-drunk the night before? No, there was more. Much more.
    “It won’t be long, Dax.” Glancing at the receptionist, she leaned closer to him. “You think you’ll be safe?” She whispered the words.
    He smirked. “I promise, my virtue will be intact, ma’am.”
    She smiled as she wandered past the closed doors of Delroy’s staff to the big office at the end of the hall. “Delroy.”
    The tall, graying man came around his desk with his arms out. “There’s my lady.” They shared a hug and he shut the door. “Sit. Tell me what’s new.” He brought her a bottle of water and relaxed in his office chair.
    They talked about a few things, then she brought up Dax. She’d purposely withheld information about her new “find” from him until this second so he wouldn’t have time to come up with his usual fatherly sermon for her.
    Delroy listened with a blank face, then puffed out a long breath. “Didn’t you learn from the last one?”
    Her lungs froze for a few seconds. She’d known he’d do this, so why was she still so hurt? “Dax is different. He’s a songwriter, and he—”
    “You said all that.” Her manager held up a hand. “But you thought Bradley was different too, didn’t you?” He stood and paced to the side of the desk. “And look at what happened?” Placing his hands on the desk, he looked into her eyes. “You’ve been a recluse for three years, you’ve been working your ass off with no time off, and you haven’t seen your family since I don’t know when.”
    She knew exactly when. Three years ago, she’d brought Bradley with her to Cajun country for three days’ vacation before the two of them headed to New Orleans to play together in a free outdoor concert on Mardi Gras day. He’d met her family, whom he’d charmed like a cobra, then the next day, after the concert, he’d dumped her.
    For months, her family kept asking what had happened, what went wrong, almost accusing Marilou of screwing up the relationship. All she’d wanted to do was crawl back home, into the arms of her family, but she didn’t feel she could go there for solace.
    “You have nothing to say?” Delroy frowned.
    Behind her throbbing eyeballs, her hungover brain kicked into high gear. “Why the hell is my personal business your concern?” She’d spoken the words much too loud, but once they were out, she couldn’t stop. “Your job is to manage my career.” She was shouting now and stood to face him straight on. “Not my personal life.”
    “Damn it, Mari, your personal life affects your career.” He shouted right back at her, rising to his full height, his hands in fists. “Why the hell don’t you see that?”
    “How does not seeing my family affect my singing?” Her voice rose in pitch as she flailed one hand wildly.
    “You have no support, lady.” His words came out loud and clipped. “You think that bringing another one of these puppies home with you to train is a good idea?” He gestured toward where Dax waited in the lobby. “Fuck it. This is number three. First that Owen shit, then Bradley, now Dexter? Or whatever the fuck his name is.” His voice echoed off the ceiling.
    Delroy pointed a finger right in her face. “You’re thinking ‘This one won’t turn on me,’ but they always do.” He shoved a book off his desk and it hit the floor with a bang. “Then you hole up in your little bus and take piddly little gigs across the midwest when you should be performing in arenas.”
    “My choice of music venue has nothing to do with—” She shouted just as loud as he had.
    “Bullshit.” He stormed around the desk, pacing back and forth. “I’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve had to dig you out of your condo and spend hours convincing you to get back on tour again, or get back in the studio, or just get out of the hole you’d buried yourself