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The last time he made the comment, I told him I donated a whole bunch of money to that cancer charity, not just to him and Georgina, in an effort to make him feel less singled out. But, immediately, I could tell the comment had backfired on me. Rather than reassuring him, it only served to make me sound like I was bragging about my wealth. And so, realizing I was only digging a hole for myself, I shut up and let Georgina change the topic. Which she did. To Alessandra. Specifically, to Alessandra’s performance at that coffee house in Boston the other day. And that’s what she’s still talking about, a solid ten minutes later.
“You should have seen Ally’s face when Reed told her he wanted to sign her to his label!” Georgina gushes. “She was so excited, I thought she was going to pass out!”
Georgina’s father looks at me, his face impassive. “Add that to the list of generous things you’ve done for my family.”
“Oh, it wasn’t charity, Mr. Ricci,” I say. I pause, hoping he’ll correct me regarding his name this time. But yet again, he doesn’t. Which annoys me to no end. I mean, I get it. This is his home, and Georgina’s his beloved daughter, so, he’s clearly exerting his alpha status in this pack. But, come on, this man is only seventeen years older than me, and he’s been letting me call him “Mr. Ricci” all fucking night? I continue, “I was genuinely blown away by Alessandra. Specifically, by a song she performed called ‘Blindsided.’ To be clear, I’ve only offered to produce and release that one song, as a single. I told Alessandra, if the single goes well, we’ll talk about what comes next, if anything.”
“Daddy, trust me, this is such a huge deal. Every student at Berklee—every aspiring artist in the world!—would sell their soul to have a single released by River Records!”
“Very kind of you, Reed.”
Did the dude not hear a word I just said? Forcing myself not to scowl, I say, “It wasn’t charity. Alessandra earned her spot. I listened to a demo of hers a while back, and the improvement and growth between then and now was staggering. With the right mentoring and guidance, I think Alessandra will do great things. If I didn’t wholeheartedly believe that, I wouldn’t have signed her. Not even for one song.”
“It’s true,” Georgina says. “Reed’s name and reputation are too valuable to him, not to mention his investment of time and money, to throw it away on anyone he doesn’t believe in wholeheartedly. He says that all the time.”
“It’s the truth.”
“A while back, Reed told me he makes it a rule never to take on young artists who need to be coaxed out of their shell. ‘Ponies who need to be led out of the barn,’ is what he called them. And look at him now, talking about mentoring Alessandra, and breaking his rule, because she’s just that good.”
Georgina’s father shoots me a look like he can see right through me, and I can’t help flashing him a look that concedes, Okay, okay, maybe Georgina is being a bit naïve here. In truth, Alessandra’s performance at the coffee house was amazing. Honestly, I was blown away by her growth, and thrilled with how brilliantly she’d implemented every one of my suggestions. But does Georgina truly think I would have given Alessandra this shot, and committed to investing my valuable time and money and mentorship, if it weren’t for my all-encompassing love for her? Really?
Mr. Ricci smiles at me, ever so subtly, letting me know he saw the white flag I offered, the concession I made, and he appreciated it. Maybe even respected it. He peels his gaze off me and smiles warmly at his clueless daughter, who’s still babbling about Alessandra’s amazing performance.
Finally, when Georgina stops rambling, Mr. Ricci says, “That’s wonderful, honey. I’m so proud of Alessandra. But, as great as she performed, I’m sure part of Reed’s motivation to sign her was knowing how much it would mean to you.”
“No, Daddy. Stop. Reed doesn’t compromise his business judgment. Ever. Not for anyone. Not even me.” She looks at me with little hearts in her eyes. “Not even for someone he loves.”
Mr. Ricci’s eyebrows ride up. “Oh, you two are in love, are you?”
“We are,” Georgina says.
“We are,” I confirm. I feel myself blush, but I press on. “In fact, as I’ve told Georgina, she’s the great love of my life.”
Mr. Ricci looks shocked.
“And I feel the same way about Reed,” Georgina says, her chest heaving. “I met his mom in New York, and she welcomed me into the Rivers family with open arms. And now, Reed is meeting you, and I want you to welcome him into the Ricci family, the same way.”
