“Nice to meet you, Chelsi. How can I be of service to you both?”
“Well…there’s been?—”
“Things are a bit out of control here, Anna,” Chelsi adds matter-of-factly. “We have paparazzi camped outside our condo, following me to work. Fans showed up and accosted Kate when she came home. People are calling her office nonstop. We had a few people getintoour building over the weekend. They pounded on our door until security came.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that, ladies. This type of treatment is completely unacceptable, but unfortunately, par for the course with the media and the more extreme fans. The ones who struggle to separate the performer from the person. Fact from fiction.” Anna pauses for a minute, the faint clacking of her keyboard in the background. “It’s why, sometimes, we have to get restraining orders put in place, for the ones who become dangerous and concoct unrealistic fantasies in their heads, believing they’re real.”
Chelsi looks at me, mouthing, “What. The. Actual. Fuck?”
I shrug, not sure what to think about all of this. To my knowledge, Jake hasn’t dealt with any of these types of fans in the past. Or, at least, he hasn’t mentioned it.
“Have you talked to Jake about any of this yet? Or Jason.” There is a slight hint of disgust in her voice at Jason’s name coming out of her mouth.
I clench one fist tight as I hold the phone in my other hand. “Not yet. I didn’t want to burden Jake. He’s got a lot going on.”
“Youneedto tell him. He won’t care how busy he is.You’rehis priority. He’s made that abundantly clear,” Anna informs me confidently. “The spotlight is hard enough on individuals, even more difficult on couples. The two of you have to be in lockstep and share how you’re feeling to come out of this stronger. I’ve seen too many couples fall apart because they weren’t communicating properly. I don’t want that to happen to you.”
There’s something about Anna’s calm tone and directness that hits me like a freight train. Although this scenario might be new for me, she’s seen it time and time again. Probably watched countless couples end their relationships because they couldn’t handle the ramifications of being studied under the microscope. I can’t let that happen to us. Iwon’tlet it happen.
“I’ll call Jake tonight and tell him what’s going on.” I nod, trying to soothe the discomfort growing inside me about how this is so much more than I expected or wanted.
“Good. Let me do some digging into which media outlets are camping outside your condo. I’ll see if I can get them to knock it off. I can’t promise it will take care of all of them, but it should help. I’ll also give Max a call and have him look into some security options for you both. Keeping you safe emotionally and physically is our top priority.”
Chelsi nods in agreement, relief washing over her whole body.
“Thanks, Anna. I appreciate your help.”
“Call me anytime, Kate. Seriously. I may technically work for Jake, but I see the two of you as a package deal. Which means Iwork for you, too. Let me be your bulldog in this situation. It’s what I was born to do.”
After the call ends, Chelsi and I look at each other, unsure what else to say or how to process everything Anna said. The only thing I know for sure is the ride is about to getreallybumpy, and I’m prepared to hold on for dear life.
CHAPTER TWELVE
jake
“Hey,sweetheart. God, I’ve missed seeing your face,” I say after answering Kate’s FaceTime. I lean back on the black leather couch in my home studio, running a hand through my hair as I try to shake off the exhaustion from a long day writing and recording.
“How’s the album coming along?” Kate’s looking fucking gorgeous as she sits on her bed in her condo, wearing an off-the-shoulder college sweatshirt with her hair pulled up in a messy bun.
Fuck. What I wouldn’t give to have her next to me. Although we’ve only been apart for a few days, it feels like an eternity. Every minute away from her is one too many.
I blow out a long burst of air, glancing at the ceiling for a few seconds, attempting to find the words to explain where things stand with the album. How it’s going well and frustratingly at the same time.
“Making progress. Wrote another two songs. We’ll see whether they end up on the final album or not.” After dragging a hand down my face, I stare into Kate’s hazel eyes, wishing I could pull her into my arms. It’s so much easier to be inspiredwhen she’s nearby. “Working on this album is different than my previous ones, so it’s difficult to evaluate the process. There are still a few songs missing, even though I’ve written and recorded demos for more than three dozen.”
“Wow. That seems like a lot. Is it normal?” Kate tilts her head, accentuating her neck and making me want to pepper it with kisses.
“Yes and no. When I write with other songwriters, we usually end up with more than we need. The big difference is any of the songs that don’t make it can be potentially shopped around to other artists. That’s not the case for this one. These songs are too personal for me to consider letting someone else sing them.” A gnawing sensation builds in my stomach, reminding me I need to tell Kate about why this album is so personal. How every song is about her. Aboutus.
I’m not intentionally keeping it a secret. I’ve told her countless times how she’s been the muse for my songwriting since she came back into my life, but I haven’t necessarily expanded upon exactly what that means. I keep waiting for the perfect moment to tell her, and somehow, I’ve kicked the can so far down the road that she has no idea, even though I’m halfway done with the album.
Cracking my knuckles, I choose to be vague about the contents of the album once again. “I’m really proud of what I’ve written. We’ll have to see the label’s thoughts once I’m done.” Every muscle in my body tenses, thinking about how much control my label has over what I release. There’s nothing worse than a bunch of suits claiming to know what songs will have commercial success when they don’t know your fans or care about the artist you’re trying to become. It’s all about the money for them. Nothing else.
My muscles continue to tighten, knowing they shouldn’t have this much influence over creative decisions in my career. Notat the level I’m at. Jason has assured me my next contract will give me more ownership, thanks to my recent Entertainer of the Year win, sellout concerts, and consistent number ones. I’m supposedly in a stronger negotiating position than ever before, but that doesn’t fucking help me now. Minus the surprise song I played at the CMAs, I’ve always done what they’ve asked when it comes to my music. I don’t know whether I can promise the same level of obedience with this album.
Kate’s voice snaps me back to reality. “I’m glad to hear you’re making progress. Happy to reward you when I see you.” A seductive smirk flirts across her mouth.
Fuck. I want to kiss those lips. Touch her skin. Being apart from her eats away at me. How are we going to handle years of this distance?
