The bodyguard, deciding now would be a good time to earn his keep, moved to act as buffer between Big Percy and me. I sidestepped him, gave him a flirtatious wink.

“I love your music.” I fluttered my eyelids a little. I really was shameless. “You have the fingers of an angel. I’m such a big fan.”

To all outward appearances, I was a groupie in the presence of true musical greatness unable to control my sublime rapture at my “up close and personal” moment with musical royalty. Truth be told, I’d never heard of the man until yesterday when I got the job. The photo of him clipped to the law firm’s paperwork did him more justice than he deserved.

Big Percy brushed the muskrat aside, sidled in closer to me, and shot me a megawatt smile that revealed a shiny gold tooth right up front. “Is that so, pretty lady?”

I smiled. “Oh, yes indeedy. Would you mind?” I slid the summons out of my pocket and thrust it forward, seal side down. “I would just love your autograph.” I eyed the muscle. “You wouldn’t happen to have a pen on you, would you, handsome?” Best to keep him busy. He smiled back, patting at his breast pockets as though trying to put out a small fire.

Big Percy checked for a pen, too, feeling around in his trouser pockets, coming up with one in record time, which surprised the heck out of me. How many autograph requests did he get?

Big Percy leered at me. “Now, where’d you get that sexy smile from?”

I grinned foolishly. Really, I should take to the stage. I was a natural. “It came with the ears.”

Prescott’s eyes clouded over, confusion wrinkling his puggish face. He was back quickly, though. “Everybody knows I got a soft spot for the ladies.” He took a long survey of me. It started high, lingered a bit in the middle, and stopped at my shoe tops. “And I like’em lean, leggy, and caramel colored, just like you.”

He plastered the summons to the bodyguard’s back and prepared to scribble his John Hancock on it. Technically, the minute he took the summons from me, my job was done, but I was having way too much fun.

Big Percy gave me that look. You know the one. “You married?” he asked.

I nodded. “With triplets.” The lie tripped off my tongue as easy as anything. It amazes even me how I can lie with a straight face and not feel the least bit funny about it, at least while working a low-down, dirty blues hack who skipped out on his kids.

“Well, you’d never know it. Your shape held up real good.” He shook his head. “Triplets? Huh. And you looking like that? God almighty. That’s some good genes working there.”