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“I have no doubt about that. You’re the devil himself. Nothing kills you.”
He laughs, amused, and leans back in his chair, studying me with his usual cool expression.
“You scare me when you look at me like that. Like you’re trying to figure out how to torture me.”
His mouth curves in a half-amused smile. “Do you always say exactly what you think?”
I shrug and sip my coffee. “My mother taught me to stand up for myself. Saying what I think is my way of making sure that happens.”
“She certainly succeeded.”
“Good.”
“Now, however, I need another of your skills: finding new talent. Do you know how to do it?”
I frown and tilt my head. Does he really think the only thing I can do is make appointments and deliver coffee?
“It’s not like I was Evan’s babysitter in New York. I helped him manage Jail Records, so it was my job to look for new musicians. Even though I rarely had the time because, with a brand-new record company, it’s enough just to juggle all the paperwork,” I admit.
This is one of the biggest regrets of my old job: not getting enough experience in what I really like. Although I’m bragging to Aaron that I’m a natural talent scout, the truth is Evan needed an assistant, and I went along with it. He didn’t even scratch the surface of my potential. But it’s my fault because I begged for more work instead of paying attention to every little nugget of information he shared with me. I should have asked him to do the work himself.
“You need to find someone on social media to sign.”
I wait for an explanation, but this is all he seems to want to say about it as he waits for my response. “Can you be more specific? Like a description of the job they’ll be doing? Maybe I can find them outside of social media.”
Aaron shakes his head and frowns the way he does when he talks about work and the conversation turns from informal to that of boss and employee. “No, I want one of those popular social media stars that everyone goes crazy over. But not too famous, so we can get them under contract before someone else does.”
I’m sure there’s brilliant reasoning behind this, knowing Aaron. But if someone else had used this same logic, I would no doubt think they were idiots.
“Okay. I’m not sure I understand where you’re going with this, but I won’t argue. Can you tell me which show this is for? So at least I’ll know how to spot this rising star.”
He shakes his head, gets up from the desk, and beckons me to follow him. “There’s no show yet. We’ll build it around the person you find. If they’re a cook, we’ll do a cooking show, if they’re a dancer, we’ll put on a musical, or a television series focused on music. I don’t care who they are. I’m interested in taking advantage of the social media following that made this person famous. To draw their audience to our streaming service.”
“Okay…but you want me to find them before they become famous?”
“That’s right, so we get to them first.”
I look at him, puzzled, as we walk quickly through the studio corridors and out to the parking lot.
Aaron glances at me and smiles. “We’re an old broadcasting company, and not very appealing to young talent. When they become famous, there are companies with a much younger audience who offer stellar contracts to potential stars. We can’t compete if they already have millions of followers. But if we approach someone up-and-coming who’s not yet famous, we can get them in contract and promote them on social media.”
This reasoning is simple and ingenious at the same time. It’s true. This is the oldest broadcasting company in the country. And it’s so gigantic that, on one hand, it won’t ever sink, but on the other, it’s too slow to keep up with current market trends. Too slow to compete in an industry that moves faster and faster, an industry that doesn’t wait for you, and when you fall behind, forgets about you.
“Okay, I’ll look for your next rising star. But tell me where we’re going now. Why are we getting in the car?”
“We’re making a quick stop at my house, then we have an appointment,” he explains as he motions for the driver to leave.
When the gates open to the Hollywood Hills, where Aaron’s house is set, my heart skips a beat. I will never get used to the luxury of this mansion. It’s an ultramodern construction made of concrete and glass. Corners, edges, complex shapes that extend for I don’t know how many feet, but that blend in naturally with the landscape of low shrubs and palm trees that accent the property. Despite how modern the home is, the ambiance is warm and welcoming. Every time I come, I’m awed by the breathtaking view from the glass front door. With one glance, you can see the living room, the huge window and pool, and the city in the background.
When I gaze at Aaron’s face reflected in the glass, I see he’s smiling smugly. “Then there is something that can shut you up. If this is the way to keep you quiet, I’ll bring you here more often.”
“Sure, keep gloating over this jewel. Kudos to the architect for integrating a modern design so well with the surrounding environment.”
“Thank you, I designed it.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Of course. I should have known you knew how to do this too.”
Aaron chuckles as we cross the threshold, walk through the white marble entrance, and enter the living room with its modern furniture and light colors. I don’t have time to enjoy it because a movement draws my attention.
