“I’m sorry.” Annie automatically put her hand on Sterling’s. It was more of a reaction to calm her, but within seconds, Sterling had intertwined their fingers. Now they were holding hands, and as much as Annie wanted to pull away, she didn’t want to offend her either. “I have a lot going on tomorrow. I also haven’t slept the greatest in days.”

Sterling nodded sympathetically. “How about we watch the rest of the concert tomorrow from the company suite? We can have dinner and a nice conversation. You can meet my dad and a few of the executives. There won’t be pressure to sign with us. It’ll be a good time.” As she spoke, she rubbed her thumb across Annie’s fingers.

Annie hated every second of contact between their joined hands. Maybe it was because she knew Sterling would be her boss if she signed with Top Shelf, or maybe it was because she was attracted to Bristol and not Sterling. Either way, she wanted out of this situation. Sterling’s idea had merit, and agreeing would give her an out for the rest of the evening. “That sounds like a nice plan. I really should go now though.”

Sterling let go of Annie’s hand and grabbed her phone. “I’ll have the driver meet us out front. He can take you back. Come on. I’ll walk you out.”

“Thank you. That’s very nice.” Annie followed her to the front of the bar. It took a solid ten minutes to get to the door because of all the people who stopped Sterling to say hello. She made sure to introduce Annie to every single person. She met two blockbuster movie stars, a top model, a morning talk show personality who used to host a reality show, and tons of musicians, some she recognized and some she didn’t. When they finally made it outside, the limo was there waiting. “Thanks again for tonight. I had a great time.”

“It was my pleasure,” Sterling said.

Before Annie had a chance to react, Sterling pulled her close and kissed her. Annie stumbled back and held her hands up. “Hold on. I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding.”

Sterling held a perfectly manicured hand to her chest as though shocked. Annie wasn’t sure if it was because she got turned down or if she was playing it up.

“I’m sorry. I guess I read you wrong. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. This is entirely my mistake,” Sterling said.

“I’m fine. I just don’t think this is a good idea, especially if you want me to sign with Top Shelf. Let’s keep this professional.” She tried hard to keep the anxiety out of her voice, but Sterling’s move really threw her off.

Sterling nodded. “I understand. Have a good night, Annie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”