Page 76 of The Keeper


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Billie

Nikki and Sven are on a Zoom call with me and our agent, and they are, to put it mildly, totally psyched about this deal.

I, however, feel totally overwhelmed. I ask a few questions, and we plan for Monday. But when our agent gets off the call, I say, “Guys, is this, maybe, going a little too fast?”

“No way,” they say in unison.

“Billie, we know you struggle with this, but we did the work on the film, and it all turned out fine, right? It sounds good. We got a fat paycheck for it. This is an amazing next step. This is happening. We’re really making this happen.” Nikki’s face is bright and open. She’s truly excited, and I feel like a total schmuck for trying to ruin it for her.

“It’s just…I have a job I like here. And they need me here. I can’t be gone for like six months. They won’t hold the job for me.”

“Billie, you don’t need to work your crappy nonprofit job when you’re making tons of bank doing music,” Sven says.

“It’s a really good deal, Billie,” Nikki echoes. “Don’t worry about the job.”

“It’s not a crappy job,” I argue. “I like it. And I want to continue to do it. I love those kids.”

“Ohmygod.” Nikki scoffs at me and throws up her hands. “Then come back and volunteer every once in a while.”

“And Cal…” I add.

“Cal is a grown-ass man who travels a ton for his own job,” Sven says.

Every argument I make is met with a rational response, but finally, Sven puts an end to it. He says, “Look, Nik and I talked. We knew you’d freak out. And so we talked.”

I feel my eyebrows meet as I frown. “And what was this talk you had?”

Nikki says, “We love you, Billie. You’re the best drummer we’ve ever met. But you’re not the only drummer out there.”

My face opens back up in surprise. “Oh.”

Sven faces off at me with crossed arms. “We don’t want to, but if you truly cannot see yourself going all in with us on this project, we can find another drummer.”

“My brother would be so pissed,” I say.

“Your brother has nothing to do with this deal,” Sven snaps back.

“My brother got us the gig that got us this deal. He didn’t do it for you two. He did it for me.”

“And he also works in show business. He knows how this works. Lineups change all the time. And Nik and I want this. Only this. Your priorities are all over the place.”

I take a second, breathing, to steady myself and my thoughts. Everything is going so fast. They’re not wrong to give me an ultimatum. They know how long I dragged my feet on their requests to connect the band through my family. They know I’ll hold them back.

I’m not even mad about it.

“We’ve been working hard, and we are ready,” Nikki says. “You are ready. You are talented and we want you there with us.”

I take a deep breath. “If I go down this rabbit hole, my life will change into something really different. I’m not sure I’m ready for that life, you know?”

“Well, think about it and call us tomorrow,” Sven says.

“Okay.” This is the end of the indecision highway for me.I have to decide.“Okay. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

I get off the call and try to call Calum, but as it has since he walked out of the arena earlier, it goes straight to voice mail. I try my brother, and he picks up immediately.

“Hey, sis. How’s the hottest drummer LA has ever seen?”

I smile at his enthusiasm but then sigh due to the conflict raging within me. If anyone would get this, he would.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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