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Music being Leo’s favourite subject, not to mention his greatest gift, loosened those tight knots of nervousness as he relayed to Kris the story of his musical evolution and how he and Kai sculpted their melodies, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.
As he spoke, he hoped that he captivated Kris, the smile widening as he nodded with every word. Leo reached the crescendo of his narrative, and Kris was not only listening to him buthearinghim. The two of them seemed to connect instantly despite Leo’s initial nervousness.
“I haven’t seen as much passion as this since the 80s, you know?” said Kris. “Not since… ah, it doesn’t matter.” Kris waved his own words away as a distant memory seemed to bring a glassiness to his eyes.
“You must have seen it all, though, eh? I’m probably gonna sound like a stalker now, but I’ve been following your work for years. Loads of the stuff you’ve produced has influenced me so much,” said Leo.
Kris nodded. “I’m gonna take that as a big compliment coming from you, lad. I’ve seen your talent.”
Did he feel bad about initially dismissing Leo? Daisy had said Kris had been walking past her whilst she was showing some of the other runners Leo and Kai’s TikTok, and that he’d seemed to not really pay too much attention. But the rest was history and why he was sitting here now. He didn’t let it bother him.
They chatted for a long while, Kris relaying his story to Leo of how Wrap’d started in the bedroom of a basement flat in Kensal Rise, all the way to the present day. It took a while for Kris to switch to business mode, looking suddenly conscious of the time they’d spent getting to know one another.
“So, let me tell you, it’s not like the old days in the music industry anymore. No sirree. There’s not nearly the amount of money kicking around that there used to be. You see, recently, we’ve realised that if you want to still make a healthy profit in this business, you’ve got to surround yourself with people who are popular in other areas-”
“Like TikTok,” interrupted Leo.
“Like TikTok, exactly. Most importantly, you have to act quickly. You, my friend, are ‘popular people’. Followers love your style, so we need to act now and start working together asap. Let’s be brutally honest here, lad, popularity doesn’t last forever, especially in this day and age. Attention spans are a lot shorter, for one thing. We need to build on what you do, and I can help you do that. I believe I’ve got the right team to take you up to the next level, and the next level is…well, you won’t be living on Pot Noodles anymore, put it that way. Do they still make Pot Noodles?”
Leo scrunched his face. “Yeah. Hang on, how did you know I lived on Pot Noodles?”
“Lucky guess.” Kris paused. “Oh, you’re serious?”
Leo shrugged his shoulders. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Kris burst out laughing. “You’re funny, lad. We’re going to get on just great, you and me.”
Leo laughed along with Kris despite the confusion, much to Kris’s further amusement.
Kris moved the conversation on, drawing out an immediate strategy, the various stages that would happen next. It all seemed pretty logical and easy for Leo to follow.
“Right, then,” said Kris. He threw down his pen, sliding his security pass from his lanyard and headed for the door, beckoning for Leo to follow. “I’ll introduce you to the big boss. We can chat about getting some stuff laid down, then we’ll arrange another meeting for thebothof you this time. We’ll really get things rocking after that. I like you, Leo, you’re a good lad and your head’s definitely in the right place.”
He went in mid-height with the handshake this time and Leo comfortably nailed it, homing in on his grip with precision and confidence.
“Come on, let’s go and see Will,” said Kris.
“Will Vasker?” Vasker was another legend that Leo couldn’t believe he was getting the chance to rub shoulders with. Despite his office being seconds away from where they were standing, the anticipation that he felt made time seem to stand still.
Kris tapped the door loudly and swung it open to reveal Will sitting behind his desk, his head buried in a laptop. Even before he was introduced, Will knew who Leo was and welcomed him warmly into the self-described ‘Wrap’d family’. Then he apologised to Leo, telling him that he was snowed under at the moment with a mound of paperwork, signing new contracts and the like, but offered to walk him to reception and see him out with Kris. Leo felt on top of the world being escorted from the building (in the best way possible) by two heavyweight British music legends.
As they all walked through reception to the main door, a man sat disinterestedly flicking throughMusic Weekin the same place Leo sat, his leg balancing on his knee. From the length of his toned legs, he was tall. He wore a pair of smart jeans, just tight enough to showcase the toned muscles in his thighs, all complimented by a black shirt, with a warm-looking black overcoat nestled onto his lap.
Almost too lost on him, Leo almost missed what Kris said. “What, sorry?”
Kris smiled, also flicking the man reading the magazine a look. “I said we’ll see you soon.”
“Oh, yeah.” Leo offered a nod. “See you in the future. I?—”
“Leo?” A magazine hit the seat, and a hand on his arm turned him around a moment later. The man who had been sitting over by the windowwastall, easily six foot three, but the intensity of his gaze as he searched Leo’s eyes for something was….
“Quint.” Will frowned. “I didn’t realise you were coming here today-”
“Yeah, I… I’m here.”
What the hell? This Quint didn’t even acknowledge the owner of Wrap’d. What was wrong with him?
“Leo?” Quint repeated the name, and the tear that slipped down his cheek had Leo frowning so seriously.
