When I Look to the Sky Read Free Page A

approached about it.”
    “ No,” he said, and added no more.
    “ Well, good luck this evening,” she said. “Miss Carlee, enjoy the evening.”
    “ Thank you,” she said sweetly as Andy took her hand in his.
     
    As they approached their seats, Carlee heard a familiar voice. “Roddy!” she said excitedly as he lifted her off the floor, into his arms. His partner Vince was right there with a big smile waiting his turn, followed by Andy’s sound engineer, Marco D’Mario. The three men passed Carlee among them.
    “ Stop,” Angel scolded, “You are gonna wrinkle her…”
    But Carlee interrupted with a giggle and said, “I don’t care!” Their good friends were there to support him, and Andy was glad. Carlee was over-the-moon…
    Andy got Angel and Carlee settled and stood talking with Roddy and Vince when he spotted Dave Marsh, a promoter that he ’d worked with in the past. Roddy and Andy walked to greet him.
    “ Dave, good to see you,” Andy said.
    “ You too. I was just thinking about you; I actually have a note on my desk to call you. I have a new talent that I’d like you to meet. She’s working on her second album. Her style is different, and I thought you might be interested in producing, or at least hearing her and giving some input. She’ll be here in a few minutes, my date for the evening,” he added.
    And y looked up and saw a blonde approaching.
    “ There she is now,” Dave said.
    Roddy saw her, but it wasn ’t her looks that he was noticing, it was the way her eyes zeroed in on Andy, like a hunter with a prize catch locked in her sights. He looked at Andy and saw the ‘I’m not fazed’ look on his face.
    “ Adaleigh Pensant, Andy Stevens, and this is Roddy Beamer. Andy is the producer I told you about,” Dave said.
    “ Ms. Pensant,” Andy nodded and reached to shake her hand, but Adaleigh had something else in mind, and leaned in to hug him.
    “ Well, Andy Stevens, it’s nice to meet you,” she purred and Roddy flinched. She reached in her bag and handed Andy a card. “My contact info,” she continued.
    “Adaleigh, it’s nice to meet you.” He talked to her a moment and finally said, “I’ll have Marco call you to get a tape so I can have a listen.”
    Andy turned to where Carlee sat, “Dave, you need to come meet my date,” Andy said, looking away from Adaleigh, there was something about her that made him uncomfortable, something he wasn’t sure he liked.
    “Carlee, this is Mr. Marsh,” he said. “Dave, this is my daughter, Carlee.”
    Andy looked up and saw Adaleigh making her way toward them.
    “Well, who is the pretty thing?” she asked in a sugar-drippy voice when she joined them.
    “ Andy’s daughter, Carlee,” Dave replied.
    “ Daughter? Oh, you mean step-daughter,” she said, and Andy shot her a look that let her know he wasn’t happy with her comment.
    “ Daughter,” he said sharply. 
    Dave took Adaleigh’s hand and pulled her toward their seats. “Carlee, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Good to see you, Andy.”
    “ I’ll look forward to hearing from you,” Adaleigh called back over her shoulder.
    Andy turned away and sat down beside Carlee. Roddy and Angel were both watching him, saw the set jaw, and knew he was not happy with the exchange.
    He slipped an arm around Carlee as the lights flickered to give the sign that the show was about to begin.
    “ Papa?” she whispered.
    “ Yeah, baby?”
    “ What’s a step-daughter?”
    Angel held her breath waiting to see how he would answer her question.
    “It’s when you have another father, the one you were born with, and me,” he replied and hoped it was enough.
    Carlee pondered his words a moment and finally said, “I can just have two fathers, right? Because I don’t think I like ‘step’.”
    “ Me neither,” he whispered and squeezed her as the music began.
     
    Dave Marsh let Adaleigh slip into her seat and took the seat beside her. “What the hell were you thinking just now?