Proud of my ability to take a really bad idea and convince myself it was brilliant, I gave him a hesitant smile. "Okay but tell him to meet me at the coffee shop in the strip mall around the corner. That way, I can sneak out without Vance seeing me."
He laughed. "Fine. And by the way, I'm sorry you and Karen started off badly. I actually think you two would like each other. She means well, and she's damn good at her job." He paused with a thoughtful smile. "She's got me totally organized."
I shrugged. "Sure, but she still thinks she has a chance with you."
"Yeah." He took a long, noisy breath. "We had a one-night stand when I first got famous, but it was just one night-we both knew that. Then she got the job as my assistant, and on her first day, she reminded me about our hook-up. I didn't even remember her, that's how bad I am. So I warned her that it wasn't going to happen again, and she understood."
"I don't think she still feels that way."
He grunted. "You're right. Things have changed recently. Last month, she asked me if I could ever imagine the two of us getting married. I reminded her that this was not going to happen, and she nearly burst into tears."
"If she's as good an assistant as you say, then she must devote her life to you. Does she deal with your fan mail and social networks, too?"
"Yeah, and my calendar, my shopping, my homes. . ." His head spun around in a little circle, showing how overwhelmed he was by her efforts. He concluded the list with, "My life."
"See? That's a lot of work. No wonder she expects something in return."
"She gets my admiration and my money, but she doesn't get my love. Sorry."
"Hey! Don't apologize to me-this is between you and her. I understand that you can't give her more love, but you do owe her, if she's as good as you say. So maybe you should give her more money. It might help her let go of the need for love."
Alejandro hummed for a second, apparently considering my suggestion. "Good idea. I'll work on it." He stood up. "Anyway, I have to go." He grabbed me and stole one last kiss. Then he put on his sunglasses, flipped up his hoodie, and left.
I watched him walk out to his car. When he got there, a woman who had been standing next to Vance's car shrieked and ran up to him. Leave it to Vance to blow the rocker's cover. The woman jumped a little and pulled out some paper and a pen.