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“I’m sorry I didn’t give you this opportunity sooner,” I try to explain, but she silences me with a slight kiss.
“Evan. Don’t feel guilty. These two years by your side have helped me to understand what it really means to do this work. No school teaches you what I’ve learned by working with you.” She smiles and puts her hands on my chest while I sneak my fingers under the light fabric of her shirt and enjoy the feeling of her perfect skin.
“I know it’s something you don’t like to talk about, and the last time we discussed it, we argued…but you know that with this job, there’s also a salary adjustment, right? I mean, will you let me know if you need help paying off your debt?” This is one of my biggest concerns.
I’ve never had to worry about not making it to the end of the month, and I’m terrified at the thought of Emily having to go without something in order to pay her bills. I know she won’t accept money from me, but I don’t want her to feel so desperate that she goes back to that website and sells herself.
“Evan. Don’t worry about me. I’ll never date sugar daddies again for money. I’ve learned my lesson, and if I just can’t make it, I’ll let you know, okay?”
Her sweet but firm tone calms me down. I kiss her and get lost in her perfume.
“Excuse me for interrupting.” Faith’s shy voice comes from the open door.
I turn to her and notice Adam Jefferson behind her with a smug smile on his face. That man has a way of appearing like a ghost from the past at the most unexpected times.
“Mr. Jefferson would like to talk to you,” she adds when I approach her.
“Thank you, Faith,” I smile as I beckon Adam to come in and sit on one of the sofas.
“So you’ve finally found yourself a woman. I thought you’d die single.” He winks at Emily, smiling, amused.
“I’ll let you two reminisce about the old days,” she announces and walks to the door.
“No, I came here about business. You work here too, right? Stay, please,” he says without waiting for an answer. “I have a friend who needs your help.”
He sits on the couch, and I pick up the papers he hands me before taking a seat next to Emily across from him.
“This is one of the old musicians under contract with me at the beginning of my career. He’s retired, but with the merger, he has to renegotiate the masters’ contract. His manager retired long ago and his lawyer doesn’t deal with these negotiations, so he asked me to refer him to someone who can help him.”
My heart sinks into my chest. The mere thought of being in a room with Anthony Flores again makes me nauseous.
“Considering how things have gone recently, I’m not the right person for this negotiation.” I know everyone’s aware of my mess. I’m sure they don’t gossip about anything else in this industry. The vultures are always circling and already thinking about how to feast on my carcass.
Adam smiles, and from the corner of my eye, I notice Emily studying me, worried. The apprehension of the past few months resurfaces, putting pressure on our relationship, and I don’t want to jeopardize something so new and precious between us.
“I’m sure you’re the right person for this job. With your anger, you’ll destroy them. Or have you lost your balls?” His smug smile makes me want to slap him.
Adam has always been someone who doesn’t wait for you to learn how to swim before pushing you into the shark tank. It’s why he has so few friends and people tend to avoid him.
“I doubt I can help your friend. In fact, it would probably just make things worse if I show up there. I’d end up with a crappy contract, and I don’t think he’d be happy.”
I’m so tense that Emily puts her hand on my knee and squeezes. I’m sure she’s worried I’ll fall back into the black hole I found myself in with the other negotiations. And I’m not sure I can reassure her it won’t happen.
Adam gets up from the couch, dismissing my worries with a wave of his hand and his usual lazy smile. “Then don’t make another mess,” he adds, walking away from the conference room and greeting Faith as he walks out the front door.
I look at Emily, her eyes wide. The pleading look on my face is obvious enough to alarm her.
“Don’t even think about it. I’m not ready to negotiate with Anthony Flores yet. That man will eat me alive as soon as I set foot in his office.”
“I know…it was just an idea,” I whisper as I lean back into the couch and rub a hand over my face.
I came here this morning finally happy to be able to move on. We have something good in our hands for the record company, Emily is back, and my friends have basically forgiven me. Now, two hours later, I’m falling back into a spiral of anxiety just thinking about Anthony Flores.
I knew I’d have to face him again. It’s inevitable when you work in the same industry, but I never imagined arguing with him again around a negotiation table. All the happiness I dared to feel about the small progress I’ve made is erased in a five-minute meeting with an old friend. I don’t know if I’ll be able to survive yet another encounter with that man.
We’ve been locked up in the conference room for at least two hours discussing the details of Emma’s arrival and how to record her album. The Jailbirds, Damian in particular, will produce it. I’m afraid she might have a panic attack, given how she reacted to the news that the Jailbirds wanted to sign her. I hope she doesn’t run away the first week when she finds out Damian is a tyrant when it comes to work, and his rockstar charm wears off.
I glance at the open door and see Evan talking animatedly on the phone, gripping his hair. The worry that twists my stomach almost hurts. He’s been trying to deal with that contract for days, but the idea of having another confrontation with Anthony makes him anxious. I’ve only been back two days, and I’m already worried all the time.
