“Because I’m proud to be like them,” she answered.
“So am I.” Lucas jumped to his feet. “But I don’t want to mirror them. I just want to be regarded as Lucas Blade, not Tommy Blade’s son.”
“What if Mr. Abelman pulls the offer off the table?” Tessa asked. “Then we have nothing.”
It was a valid question and the reality of it frightened Lucas as much as it intrigued him. “I think we should see what another label has to offer. Why are we bound to Falcon? Because our families have been signed with them forever?”
“He’s right,” Mason agreed, much to Lucas’ surprise. “We’re not obligated to Falcon. There are a half dozen major labels we can sign with.”
“That’s exactly what I mean!” Lucas exclaimed. Finally, one of them got it. “Our entire lives have been planned since we were kids. Me and Tessa had to go to college before we could embark on a career in music. Then we were supposed to sign a contract with Falcon Records and do our first tour opening for Immortal Angel. We’re adults. We can make our own decisions.”
“Do you really feel that way?” Tessa’s brows furrowed over her dark eyes, making them more expressive. “You sound like you resent our parents when they’re only trying to help us.”
“I know that. I get it. They’re passing on their wisdom and their decades of experience. I know that we’re lucky to have so much valuable advice from them. I’m grateful for it. I love them for it. But don’t you think that it’s too damn easy sometimes?”
“I don’t think it’s easy,” Mason said. “I’ve been on tour, performing in a different city every night. Some tours have lasted almost a year. They’re rough. It’s going to be all work when we’re out on our own, trying to prove ourselves to a new set of fans.”
Lucas tugged on the roots of his hair. His head spun in a million different directions and his stomach felt as if he swallowed a brick. Everything he’s done in his life has been leading up to this moment. It couldn’t have come fast enough. This decision would change their lives, and it was too important to rush into. He just wished he would have questioned it sooner.
Tessa rubbed his arm. “Stop stressing out. This is a lot of pressure, and I know it’s getting to you. We’ll figure it out.”
Lucas looked at his sister, comforted by her reassuring words. He couldn’t understand how siblings didn’t get along. Yeah, she’d been a big pain in the ass when she was 13. But, by the time she turned 17 she had become the woman she is today – smart, sassy, remarkably sane and reassuring, and ready to take on the world. “I just don’t want to conform to any kind of mold, and I have a bad feeling that Mr. Abelman is going to try to manipulate us into doing a lot of things we don’t want to do,” he continued. “I know the man has experience and some great suggestions, but the decisions have to be ours. It’s our band. Our music. Our image.”
“But it’s his money on the line,” Tessa pointed out. “Not to mention the trust issue. Whoever signs us stands to make a lot of money. I don’t want to get ripped off. I trust Mr. Abelman.”
She had some valid points, but it didn’t change the fact that Ron Abelman looked at Prodigy and saw Immortal Angel. More specifically, looked at him and saw Tommy Blade.
Mason tapped his foot on the floor while the tips of his fingers strummed on the side table, breaking the quiet in the room. “I have a suggestion. What if we started our own label? I’ve never worked for anyone. I’ve never been attached to a label. My dad has always been my agent and my manager. And your papi has always managed Prodigy. I know it sounds a little crazy since none of us know how to run a business, but our parents do. And they know all the right people.”
It was as if a fog lifted and revealed exactly what Lucas was struggling to see. The future of the band had never been more clearer. Why should they make millions of dollars for someone else? They didn’t need to share their wealth. They could reap all the profits.
“You’re really quiet, Lucas,” Mason said, cautiously. “Is that good or bad?”
“It’s fucking awesome!” Lucas exclaimed. “Why didn’t we think about this before? The answer was right in front of us. Why should we make some corporation rich? We don’t need them. We have our own money!”
Tessa ran to Mason and wrapped her arms around him. “What a fantastic idea! We’re gonna have our own label! We can call it Blade-Garcia-Wilder Records. BGW for short.”
Mason smiled and nodded at her. “I like it.”
“BGW Records.” Lucas nodded as he listened to the name of their new company as he said it aloud for the first time. It sounded right.
