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“They didn’t tell you, did they?”
His question makes my blood freeze. What did I miss that was so important that Adam, who has been out of the loop for years, knows and I don’t?
“Being mysterious doesn’t help. What the hell is going on?” I put my beer on the table and turn to give him my full attention.
Adam shakes his head and rubs his hand across his face as if he doesn’t believe what is happening, making my stomach tremble. I came out tonight feeling something was out of sync, but I realize that his insistence wasn’t about a situation that concerns him. It concerns me.
“I signed a non-disclosure agreement. I can’t tell you much. They’ll sue me if they find out I tipped you the details.”
“Why did you call me here tonight if you can’t say anything? Why make that phone call at all?” My question comes out harsher than I intended.
“Do you remember last year when we were discussing whether it was correct for antitrust to stick its nose into the merger of two publishers creating a single publishing giant?” he asks, referring to a heated conversation we had some time ago.
I wrinkle my forehead and nod. “I don’t understand what that has to do with the record company…” The words die in my throat when I realize what he is telling me. “Are you talking about a merger? With what other label?”
If nobody knows anything about this in the industry, they have worked hard to keep it quiet. That kind of news can’t go unnoticed in the music scene when one of the major labels in the country is involved.
Adam shrugs and makes the gesture of sewing his lips.
“With who?” I ask in vain because I know he can’t add anything else.
“It doesn’t matter. The right question is, what’s the first thing you do when it happens?” The smirk on his face is almost comical. I would laugh if it weren’t for the fact that my stomach is tightened in the grip of excitement.
“You renegotiate all the contracts.”
Adam smiles as he sips from his glass, and a feeling of relief spreads in my stomach.
“Do you understand how serious the situation is? They didn’t even tell me.” I shake my head and sip my beer.
“I’m glad I don’t have to deal with them anymore, and I’m no longer under contract for any new albums. I just had to renegotiate the masters for the old ones, and it was exhausting.”
“At least they called you to do it.”
Adam shrugs and shakes his head. I see him hesitating for several moments before deciding to talk. “They’re still in the beginning stages. The merger isn’t public, but they’re starting to move in that direction. They’re assholes for not telling you right away, but you knew that already. They’ll be forced to disclose it publicly. They have to if they want to legalize the contracts with the name of the new company they’re forming.”
He’s right, but it burns me up that they’re making me look like a fool, the newbie who doesn’t know how to play with the grown-ups. I lean back in my chair and watch people dancing downstairs. My brain runs through a thousand possible scenarios and doesn’t even notice Adam leave. When I finally glance at the sofa next to me, I find it empty and wonder if I imagined the whole conversation.
***
“What big news do you have? You seemed hysterical this morning on the phone, then you disappeared all day and left me hanging like an idiot trying to figure out what the hell is going on.” Emily scolds me as soon as I walk through the conference room door. It’s eight o’clock in the evening, and everyone is already at home, but she stayed here waiting for me.
Despite our argument, and though we haven’t seen each other since yesterday, she put aside her anger and remained professional. I’m the idiot for not having the courage to apologize to her. I feel guilty about that, and about arriving late tonight without considering her plans for the evening. For a moment, it occurs to me that maybe she has dinner plans with a sugar daddy, and my guilt fades, clouded by an irrational desire to punch a man I don’t even know. Then the awkwardness returns because it doesn’t condone how I compared her to a prostitute.
I squash these emotions in my chest for now and try to be professional, handing her the document it took me an entire day to get my hands on, asking for favors from many people.
Emily looks at it for a few seconds, widens her eyes, and then snaps them on my face. “A merger? And no one knew anything about it?” she asks incredulously.
“Wedidn’t know anything about it. Others have already been contacted.”
“Son of a bitch,” she murmurs as she looks back at the paper.
“I’ve scheduled an emergency meeting for tomorrow with them,” I tell her, and she looks back at me, surprised.
“How did you do that? It usually takes weeks to set up a meeting.”
“I just dropped the magic word ‘merger,’ and it opened up an availability in their crammed calendars.” I wink at her, and she smiles. I like it when I manage to elicit one of those huge smiles that brighten her face. It makes my stressful day a little more enjoyable.
“Even if it’s not yet finalized? There’s a pre-agreement here, but the new name and corporate form have yet to be registered.”
