Ten digits were written across it. Glory took it gingerly. “I’ll be damned.”
A movie star had just given her his phone number.
Or one of his phone numbers.
“Handle that with care, peaches,” Sherrie said sounding sincere. “We’ll see you here tomorrow for the breakfast shift. Say about seven-thirty? I’ll open up and we’ll do a little more training in the morning. You can follow me around for a bit. You’ll get the hang of it. I know you will. ”
Gory didn’twantto get the hang of it. But she would have to.
“Thanks, Sherrie,” she said humbly.
She carefully folded that napkin and put it in her pocket, where it all but pulsed.
She wasn’t sure what, if anything, she intended to do about it. She’d at least made a good impression on one person. Doubtless Franco Francone was just passing through to work onThe Rushand wouldn’t mind having someone to do while he was here.
“And you’ll play at the open mic right after the chamber of commerce reception tonight? Eden’s going to let Annelise stay for a few songs. She loves music. And she thinks you hung the moon.”
This was lovely to hear, too. Truthfully, all she really wanted was to be loved for what she did best, for her best self. “Definitely. Annelise is a sweetheart. Yes. I’ll be there.”
Sherrie slid her chair back and headed toward the kitchen, and Glenn got up almost reflexively to follow his wife. It was touching, the way he always warmly tracked her with his eyes, as if she was magnetic north.Thatwas the proverbial match made in heaven.
She wondered what her mother’s life would have been like if Hank Greenleaf hadn’t driven off an overpass.
Glory steeled her nerves. The timing was hardly perfect but it was now or never.
“Wait... Glenn, can I ask you about something?”
He turned in surprise, then settled back into his chair and arched his brows in a question.
She crossed her fingers in her lap for luck. She took a deep breath.
“Out with it, kiddo.”
“I was wondering if I could open for The Baby Owls. Maybe play a thirty-minute set or so.”
He froze. He appeared to be speechless.
Then he gave his head a little shake, as if he was re-tuning his hearing. “Just to be clear, Glory. You’ve been on the job one day—one hardly very distinguished day, I might add—and you’re asking me for afavor?”
She hesitated. Then she nodded. Because, well, what else could she do?
He was apparently so astonished by this that the astonishment looped around past outrage and landed on amusement. “You’ve got brass ones, kiddo.”
But they both already knew this.
“When I’m famous, Glenn, I’ll return triumphantly and bring tons of business to the Misty Cat. I’ll film my documentary here. I’ll record my legendary live album here.”
He gave a short laugh. He fell into a moment of what looked like mulling. Then he sighed hugely.
“Have to tell you, I actually think it’s a great idea. I’d flat out say no to anyone else, but you’re damn great at what you do and I think more people should have a chance to hear you. The crowd won’t be huge but they can funnel word out to their friends if you make an impact. And there’s no reasonIcan think of that we can’t kick things off earlier, say, give you about thirty, forty-five minutes. But I’ll need to text their manager and get his go-ahead, since you’ll basically be taking advantage of The Baby Owls’ audience. I might have mentioned that he’s kind of a tool, or whatever word you young ones are using to describe insufferable jerks these days.”
Glory’s heart was doing a happy, hopeful, staccato beat. “Doucheworks. Orprick.”
“I’ll try both of those out next chance I get, but not to his face. He keeps sending me lists of things the band wants available when they get here. Organic this and gluten-free that. And Scotch. Apparently those pretentious owlets drink Glenlivet. They’re from Oregon, for God’s sake. They were probably bottle-fed on craft beer. They’ll get what they get.”
Glenn would probably get them at least the Glenlivet, Glory thought. No amount of bluster could disguise the fact that he was a pretty nice guy.
The Misty Cat’s business did not depend on whatever bands happened to cycle through here. Though they did do a rather brisk business in beer sales on band nights, and the publicity didn’t hurt at all, and Glenn liked money as much as the next guy.