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“Looks like that’s our cue,” Connor said. He tipped his chin at Zac. “See you back at the dressing room.”
Zac nodded, but his attention was on Drew, who waited for the others to leave before saying, “We have an issue.”
“Crossfire?” If there was a problem with Fractured, the other three would still be here.
“The label called. They want to bring the album forward by three months.”
“What the hell? We’ve barely even started writing it yet.”
Drew rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s an opening at Abbey Road, and the label wants to schedule you in.”
A slow grin grew on Zac’s face. He’d been wanting to get Crossfire into the famous UK recording studios for a while. Drew’s expression gave him pause, though. “So, what’s the issue?”
“The opening is just before Crossfire’s European tour. You’d have to have the album done and ready to go before then.”
“Shit,” Zac said. “So, we’ll have to write it now while I’m on tour and they’re back in LA.”
“Yep. And there’s more.”
Zac raised his brows in query.
“That duet you were talking about doing for the album. Talia Harrison is available, and she’s keen to be a part of it.”
“Talia? She’s huge in Europe, right? Not as much over here yet.”
“Exactly. She’s big everywhere but the US, so the label’s looking to break her into the market. A duet on the next Crossfire album would be the perfect vehicle for her. And she’s actually got a gap in her schedule the week before your tour. So, if you guys want to take advantage of both of those things, the album will have to be ready to go before you head to the UK.”
Zac scrubbed his hand over his mouth. “Fuck. That’s too good an opportunity to turn down.”
“Itisa good opportunity. That’s why I told the label I’d speak to you rather than just telling them to fuck off. But it won’t be the only opportunity. You really need to consider whether it’s achievable with everything else you’ve got going on right now.”
Zac laced his hands behind his neck and tipped his head back. He stared at the struts holding up the roof and considered the long days and nights ahead of him if he agreed to it. It wouldn’t be easy; but getting to the top never was. He’d already done it once with Fractured. Crossfire deserved the same level of effort from him.
Maybe more.
His right hand found its way to the leather cord around his neck and the dull, scratched V of nylon that hung from it. He traced the outline of the pick, his dad’s words echoing in his head.Right place, right time, Zac.
He met Drew’s gaze. “Yeah. We’ll get it done. I’ll just need to schedule songwriting sessions with the guys at night after the concerts.”
Drew studied him, concern filling his brown eyes. He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “If the fact that Crossfire didn’t win an AMA last month is influencing your decision, it shouldn’t. You know those boys were over the moon just to be nominated.” Zac’s spine pulled tight, but Drew kept going. “You are not solely responsible for Crossfire’s success or failure, Zac. You need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself.”
He shook his head, his eyebrows pulling together. “You know, when Fractured was on hiatus, throwing yourself into Crossfire was understandable. And there’s nothing wrong with still having a side project now that you’re out of hiatus. But being in Fractured alone would be enough work for most people. And no one, least of all, Beau, Devon, and Caleb, expects you to kill yourself trying to get Crossfire to the same level.”
He pinned Zac with his eyes. “Now, I told the label I’d talk to you about bringing the album forward because that’s my job as your manager. But I’m more than happy to push back on it. You can do the Abbey Road thing some other time.”
Zac shook his head. “We can get it done.” Drew opened his mouth, but Zac cut him off before he could say anything else. “We’ll get it done. I’ll take a break after the album’s out.”
The furrows in Drew’s brow smoothed slightly but didn’t disappear completely. “Okay, mate, let’s make sure that happens. The last thing we need is you burning yourself out. You’ve got two bands and a whole heap of fans relying on you to stay in the game as long as possible.”
Zac nodded, rolling his shoulders to release the tension. Long days weren’t anything he couldn’t handle; he’d just need to avoid any distractions for the duration of this tour. He needed to focus on the only important things.
His bands and the music.
ChapterTwo
Cassie tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes as she plucked the strings of the dark purple bass guitar. The simple chord progression vibrated through the air, cutting through the clatter and shouts that were the chaotic soundtrack of load-in for a major arena tour.
She ran her fingers up the fretboard, her gaze catching on the glitter of her engagement ring reflecting the bright stage lighting. Warmth filled her chest, but she didn’t let herself get distracted, adjusting the tuning pegs until she was satisfied that the instrument was ready for Zac to use that night.
