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“Oh, I’m so sorry, I was trying my best to be respectful, but I’m so confused as to why you’re throwing arguments my way as if I wasn’t capable of thinking through these problems myself?” I questioned, sitting back down in my lounge chair. “When I acquired this company and rebranded it into Blue Guitar Records, I had always made one thing clear for any artist that we sign: they have total control over their music. No longer will I help propagate the culture of the music industry that involves manipulation, especially of younger artists,” I firmly declared, not allowing any room for arguments.
Thalia was in awe of my words, and I gave her a slight smile.
“I was recently reminded on my tour that the main purpose of artists creating their music was so they could speak and connect with anyone who listened. When I was starting out, that's what I aspired to do, and somewhere along the way, I lost sight of that,” I elaborated, still maintaining my fierce and serious facade. I needed to be taken seriously. I wasn’t the little kid they signed anymore. I was the owner of this freakin’ company. “But I had something very special happen to me during my shows that made me remember my core principles, and that applies to what I wanted to do with this album. I want to release it so people can relate and connect to my songs, and maybe I could help improve their lives even for just three minutes.”
The room hummed in stunned silence as my words continued to overwhelm their shallow reasons. Everyone who tried to stop me from doing my decision slowly lowered their heads. Everyone was starting to understand my perspective… all except one.
“This is absolutely ludicrous!” Kurt’s voice completely burst throughout the entire room. “What's this sentimental shit you’re spewing, Damian? Don’t you remember thatthisthing–” he then pointed out around the room, effectively pointing out the purpose of everyone for this company. “This entire company is a business, and the purpose of a business is to make money, not try to be some beacon of hope for people. We’re just here to sell!” Kurt explained, well, shouted out his point, and he definitely had some support in the room.
I sighed, kind of growing tired of Kurt’s opposition every single time I held a meeting that was out of the norm.
“Alright, then how about if the album fails commercially, I will pay the difference so that the company breaks even?” At its root, what I said was a question, but I meant it more as a challenge. “If we’re so concerned with the money that you think we’re gonna lose, Mr. Harvey, then what if I just make sure we don’t lose it?”
Kurt was absolutely dumbfounded. “I – Well – Then I would –”
“Because that was your entire point, right?” I interrupted him before he could say anything more. “I can make sure that won’t happen, and it wouldn’t even be a problem,” I declared, leaning back against my chair. “Also, thanks for not believing in my next album, Mr. Harvey. Your feedback is very revealing, if I say so myself.” I couldn’t help it anymore. I just wanted to taunt him over and over again. It was hard to work with someone who didn’t believe in you, after all.
And with that, the entire room was completely and fully silent. The disapproving faces had disappeared, and I knew my work was done. I stood up, walked over to Sadie, and whispered to her, “Have we set up?”
Sadie looked at me and nodded, smiling satisfactorily. Man, my request was literally last minute, and she was ready for me in just a few hours. I was lucky to have an employee who just seemed to work magic with everything she touched. Without another word, I walked out of the meeting room, and I heard people mumble as they started to disperse. However, I could hear footsteps quickly following from behind me, and I knew she had a lot to say, but it had to wait until the studio.
As I relaxed in the couches of the cool and quiet studio, Thalia closed the door behind us and she had the most confused look on his beautiful face.
“Okay, now what in the hell was that move? I knew I shouldn’t have gone home last night. God, you’re so unpredictable. I mean, who would ever be so ballsy enough to pull such a stunt?” She went on and on and on and on, but I just couldn’t help but smile at her. She was nagging at me like we were an old married couple, and I should be annoyed, but I was mostly entertained.
“Hey, can Adriana watch Luna again tonight?” I asked, interrupting her bewildered questions and not answering a single one.
Thalia’s eyebrows only furrowed more. If she wasn’t confused to high heavens then, she was definitely even more so after that question. “...I suppose so. You’re not gonna surprise release another album, are you?”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that, I swear,” I replied, holding my hand up to show my pledge. My mischievous smile was absolutely giving it away because Thalia’s concerns seemed to just grow deeper. “I just want to take you to this very special place tonight, alright?”
The tiniest shrivel of relief etched on her face, but she was still very much suspicious of me. “I know I shouldn’t fall for your little tricks, but damn, you got me curious.”
Hook… line… and –
I felt so happy being back in my favorite spot in LA. There was this little dive bar in Silver Lake where I performed my very first gig, and I had Sadie book it out for the night for a surprise one-night-only acoustic show with just songs from the surprise album. Surprises here, surprise there, and I had another surprise up my sleeve.
Backstage… well, it wasn’t really much of a backstage. It was quite literally a medium-sized broom closet redesigned as a small area for performers to prepare in. I chuckled because over the years, they actually painted it green in cheeky reference to the green rooms of larger stadiums. It still had the warmest recess lighting that barely had enough light for me to see anything. On one side, there were two foldable chairs that I could use to relax, and a foldable table that had some mints and bottles of water. It wasn’t the best, but it should be enough for an intimate gig like this one.
“Okay, you areofficiallycrazy, Damian,” Thalia announced as she squeezed herself inside ‘backstage’. “Did you see how many people are in line outside? There’s no way in hell that this dive bar can accommodate all of your fans!”
I was tuning my iconic blue guitar when she told me about the situation.
“I had Hector and the rest of the security make sure nothing bad happens outside,” I assured her. “And I also had Sadie set up a decent-sized projector for people who couldn't get in. Everything’s going to be fine, Thalia, I promise.”
Thalia pursed her lips, obviously worried about my well–being. Again, I knew the risks of doing a small intimate gig like this at my status, but I needed to start doing what felt true to me.
“You sure have been full of surprises recently, haven't you?” Her voice was finally calming down, coming out like a soft whisper.
It was then that I realized how cramped we were, but cozy felt like a better word for it. It almost reminded me of that one risky thing we did on the tour bus, but I tried so hard to not think about that night. It wasn’t the time. So, instead, what I did was pull her body toward me gently, greeting her with a cheeky smile.
“I learned from the best,” I replied, earning a rightful light smack on my arms. “What?” I chuckled, still teasing her.
“I guess we’re both prone to surprises, huh?” Thalia admitted, leaning her head against my chest as I wrapped my arms around her.
After a while, I pulled away a little to look her directly into her honey-colored eyes. They were even more vibrant and striking within the warm lighting.
“Oh, you have no idea,” I agreed, leaning in and kissing her passionately. There wasn’t any lust involved in the kiss. It was just me wanting to tell her how much she meant to me, and how much I was thankful to have her in my life. “I want you to listen and enjoy the show, alright?” I asked of her as I pulled away, and she simply nodded, her face flushed from the kiss.
