Free This Life: A Novel by Maryann Reid Page B

entertainment duties and put some contemporary disco on for the crowd
to dance to.
    A mustached gentleman
in slacks and blazer followed Tim back to their table. “Ms. Bertrand, hi, I’m
Amanda Brown’s manager. She said she’d be glad to sign an autograph for you.
Just come with me.”
    “I’ve got to go with
her,” Matt informed Brett. Blake heard a firmness in the bodyguard’s voice that
she hadn’t before. “Hold our table for us. We won’t be long.”
    Matt fell into step
behind Blake, who fell into step behind Amanda Brown’s manager. They left Brett
sitting with a stunned expression on his face, and Blake couldn’t help giggling
a little.
    Amanda Brown was
waiting at the door to the dressing room, her face lit by a glowing smile. “Girl,
congratulations on your freedom!” She surprised Blake with a hug.
    “Thank you so much!”
Blake grinned. “And congratulations on your success! From backup singer to
superstar in three years is quite an accomplishment.”
    “Not as much as
surviving everything you’ve been through, and I bet the world doesn’t know half
of that. Who should I write this to?” Someone behind Amanda handed her a pad of
Vault stationery and a fountain pen.
    “My best friend’s name
is Margot Mills, spelled M-A-R-G-O-T.” Blake watched, with a feeling like she
was floating, while Amanda wrote a note in a flowing hand.
    To Blake’s surprise,
Amanda flipped the top sheet of the pad back and wrote on the next page, as
well. Wow, this is turning out to be a long autograph. Margot is going to be
so thrilled! She’ll look like a kid at Christmas!
    Amanda tugged the top
two sheets loose from the pad and handed them to Blake, and surprised her again
with another hug. “I wish I could sneak back out there and have a drink and
talk, but we’ve got to get on the road to our next tour stop. Say hi to your
friend from me next time you see her, though!”
    “I will, and thank you
again!” Blake waved, and Amanda waved back before retreating into the dressing
room again to change clothes. With Matt behind her, Blake weaved her way
through dancers back to the table they shared with Brett.
    Brett was talking on
what looked like an Android smartphone until Blake and Matt sat down at the
table. Then, “Listen, Blake is back, I’ve gotta go,” Brett said, and clicked
the End Call button. He grinned at Blake and asked, “So how is Ms. Brown?”
    “She’s such a sweet
woman!” Blake knew she was gushing, but she couldn’t help herself. “Margot is
right to love her, she’s got a personality as beautiful as her voice.” About to
fold the note Amanda Brown had written to Margot, Blake found herself reading
it.
    “To Margot Mills: One
of my inspirations is a quote from Goethe, which says, ‘Whatever you can do, or
dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.’ I wish
you the boldness to dream big and the power and magic to make your dreams come
true. All my best, Amanda Brown.”
    “All that fits easily
on one page,” Blake murmured. “What in the world did she write on the second
page?” She looked, and found an Amanda Brown autograph of her own.
    “I’m glad we met, Blake
Bertrand. I remember when you were one of the world’s top models. I thought if
your father’s music had a body, it would look just like you. Keep changing the
world one neighborhood at a time, and keep being beautiful. You’re an
inspiration to all your sisters! Best always, Amanda Brown.”
    Blake found herself
trying not to cry. Carefully, she folded the two sheets of paper and slipped
them into an inner pocket of her purse for safety.
    “You okay?” Brett was
leaning in close to see Blake’s eyes, his own gone soft with concern for her.
    “Oh. Yes. She just
wrote such a sweet note to me, that’s all.” Blake smiled, her cheeks feeling
warm again under Brett’s intense gaze. “Do you want dessert?”
    “I do, but not anything
they serve here.” Brett grinned at her, and