Aria:??
Griffin is smiling at his phone screen when a searing sensation runs through his knee. He jolts, pulling himself upright. With a glance at the time, it becomes obvious that he’s overdue for his pain medication. He leaves the phone on the sofa, and as he hobbles across the condo toward his bathroom for his pills, the phone buzzes on the couch.
He plans to get back to it as soon as he downs the pill.
As soon as he’s better, he’ll be able to manage all of this.
He’ll be able to make things right with Aria.
Chapter 38
Aria
Aria waits until the very last moment to sign on for the virtual meeting on Wednesday afternoon. After letting one too many emails from the label sit unanswered, they called a meeting for “updates on the status of the next album.” Aria’s agent assured her that all the executives want is confirmation that she’s working on something that fits the bill and that it will be delivered quickly.
Apparently they’re all spooked by Aria’s silence on the matter.
The screen breaks into four quadrants when Aria enters the chat from her laptop in her studio. In the top left sits Gerald from Worldwide Records. Beside him is Kelsey from PR, and Aria’s agent, Monroe McHenry, is beside her on the bottom left.
“Aria, hello!” Gerald leans in closer to the screen, giving a zoomed-in effect on his thick mustache, the glare of the screen reflected in his glasses.
Aria waves. “Hi, everyone.”
Kelsey waves back professionally. Her hair is pulled back into a bun, black cat-eye glasses in place. Not a kernel of nonsense to be had.
Monroe’s face is framed in thick, curly brown hair, and her steely resolve doesn’t crack on account of a warm welcome. There’s a reason she’s known as a master negotiator in the business.
“Thanks so much for making time for us today,” Gerald says after a brief pause. “I understand you’re busy at work.”
Aria looks back into the camera.
“I can assure you that Aria is hard at work—as she always is—but it’s kind of her to entertain this distraction,” Monroe says. “We’ll keep it brief, of course.”
Aria and Monroe already had a sidebar in preparation for this conversation, and Aria is prepared to share clips of the music she’s been working on—even if the pickings are slim. Monroe had said,“Just give them enough to satisfy them for now. Once you fulfill the obligation for this album, we can renegotiate for the style you’re wanting. That or find another label if Worldwide won’t play ball.”
“I can tell you guys that I’ve been hard at work, and I have some interesting stuff to show you today. I’ve taken a few liberties with the melodies, and I’m excited to share it.”
Aria clicks play on a sample clip she compiled this past week. The tone is moodier than her usual fare, including an unusual smattering of synthesized church bells, but the lyrics are the love song Gerald and his cohorts want.
Kelsey bobs her head enthusiastically, and Monroe keeps her stonewall of a face still.
The short clip ends.
Gerald’s face puckers, and his eyes dart around as if he’s searching for words. “I’m not sure this is what we agreed upon. None of this should be experimental. It should be the same thing we’ve always done.”
“None of it’s a final track,” Monroe says. “We all know how much it can change once it’s produced with beats and effects.”
Aria nods. “This is very raw. And to be fair, you guys were the ones who wanted the meeting, Gerald. It doesn’t sound like what we agreed upon because it’s not ready.”
“It does create concern over what material will be delivered. If you’re having a block of any kind, we’re here to support. You know we have the industry’s best songwriters on hand—and their lips sealed with an airtight NDA—so there’s no need to suffer in silence.”
Aria bites her tongue. The majority of the suffering she’s doing in the studio right now is at the hand of Worldwide Records, the very people strong-arming her into a record she never planned to create. To most people, it would be obvious: Forcing an artist to paint with strict direction doesn’t exactly allow for the work to become their greatest personal expression.
“She doesn’t need, nor does she want hired help,” Monroe says. “Aria, please let me know if I’m speaking out of line.”
Aria nods. “She’s right. I appreciate the sentiment, but the best way I can be supported right now is to not be on the receiving end of near-constant follow-ups. I hardly imagine that you’d do your best work either with your boss breathing down your neck.”
Gerald sighs. “My primary concern is making sure the music is the genre and style agreed upon in the contract. We’ve been flexible and understanding, but we won’t budge on this piece: We want commercial Aria Wilder that fans love. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when it’s already taking us to the top of all the charts.”
