Page 61 of Cold Hard Cash

That hadn’t been the answer Jimmy was looking for, and he put his phone away with a sigh. “Right. Sorry. I have no idea what I’m doing here. I thought I’d be bussing tables or something.”

“Hey,” Dario said, trying for a reassuring smile. “I’ve worked here for seven years. Actually started off as a busboy myself until Cold heard me messin’ around on the piano at the end of my shift one night. He didn’t know me from crap, but he could see I had talent, so he offered me a new job.”

“Really?”

“Cold sees potential in people.” Dario shrugged. “Things they didn’t even think they had in them. Diamond in the rough stuff. He’s good at that, looking at people, figuring out how he can use them better.”

“Use them? You mean to exploit them?” Jimmy asked, a frown wrinkling his brow.

“Okay, it’s not like he’s a saint. Far freakin’ from it. He’s Emperor-level scary, no offense. But it’s like…” Dario was thoughtful for a moment before saying, “Okay, you know how your parents always tell you that you can be anything when you grow up? As long as you try real hard?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, let’s say you wanna be an engineer, but you totally suck at math. You would waste your whole life trying to do something that you’re gonna blow nuts at. But Cold sees that you’re super good at, like, I dunno, gardening or whatever. And he has you go become a master landscaper and you totally rule the Green with Swamp Thing.”

“Still not following.”

“Nobody is nobody, and everyone has something to offer.”

“Are you seriously quoting Buckaroo Banzai from that DVD thing right now?”

“Yes! Anyway, it’s true! Everyone does have something to offer, and Cold will find a way to get it. Everything he does is for a reason, and it’s always to benefit himself. But hey, it’s also benefiting you. The best version of you is what will help him the most, and he will nurture that.”

“Okay, so, what’s your point?” Jimmy demanded, getting a little cross and folding his arms over his chest.

“My point is that Cold had you come here for a reason.” Dario held out his hands in apology. “As long as I’ve worked here, you’re the first guy I’ve ever even heard of him dating. Or… whatever it is you’re doing. He definitely didn’t get you a job here to set you up for failure.”

“But he didn’t even know I could sing.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Jimmy thought of his shower serenading and cringed. “Okay, maybe. But Rowena didn’t know until—”

“Look, with that voice? It was gonna come out eventually.” Dario twiddled his fingers across the keys, and a sly smile lit up his face. “Maybe, just maybe, we can cook up a little bit of a surprise for Cold tonight, huh?”

“Yeah?” Jimmy rubbed his hands together and then flashed Dario a set of awkward finger guns. “Let’s freakin’ do this.”

“Easy there, Brisco.” Dario snorted. “Put those things away before you shoot your eye out.”

“Right, sorry.” Jimmy chuckled sheepishly.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

They had roughly six hours to practice before the club opened and another two after that before Jimmy would be due on stage. They ran through the whole set dozens of times, and Jimmy struggled with the unfamiliar Sinatra tune in particular.

As Dario guided him through the set for the millionth time, Jimmy found himself thinking about what they had discussed earlier. The day he’d met Cold and Cold had wrapped his hands around Jimmy’s neck and awakened something deep inside of him that he’d never known was there. He didn’t know if this submissive temperament was the best possible version of himself, but in a way…

It felt like it was.

He hadn’t ever tried so hard to please someone before, pushing his body and his mind beyond what he had ever thought possible. He loved every second of his self-discovery, and Cold always left him aching for more. Most important, Jimmy had never been as happy with anyone as he was with Cold.

Now here he was, only a few hours away from performing in front of a live audience. No one had ever believed in him as much as Cold did, and Jimmy didn’t want to let him down.

The band arrived shortly before opening and Jimmy was thrilled to practice with such talented musicians. They only had enough time for a few quick rehearsals, but he felt much better about his performance. Rowena had returned to catch the last song, the one by Halsey, and she squealed as it ended, jumping up on stage to grab Jimmy and pull him into a hug.

“Oh my God! Roddy’s panties are going to fuckin’ drop!”