Page 74 of Chronicles of a Rockin' Mess

I clear my throat, and they both stop to stare at me. “Fine. I’ll accept sixteen,” I say. I can see Tiffany give me side-eye, but she needs to know that I’m in control of my destiny, not her. Plus, our game plan was always to go for sixteen.

“I was thinking we’d start out at fourteen,” Roger says.

I shake my head. “Roger, we both know that unlike your greenhorns, I am not new around here. I know my way around this business. And frankly, I don’t need this deal. I have a place with Magnolia Tear, and I’m quite happy with them.”

“Lark, no offense to Hank, Joe, and Leo, but they’re winding down their career. You are just starting,” Roger points out.

“Sixteen, Roger, or we are done here,” Tiffany says to him.

“Lark?” Roger turns his attention back to me.

“You heard her, Roger. Sixteen or we have nothing further to discuss,” I reiterate.

Roger sighs and raises his hands together as he holds them against his mouth. He’s contemplating and trying to look like the music mogul he is. I, however, am not willing to cave.

“And I get control of my album. I have no problem working with a producer, but I won’t be told what to sing,” I say to him.

His eyes widen slightly in surprise at my audacity to ask for this. But fuck it, I have absolutely nothing to lose.

“Any other terms?” he asks me with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes. I want to record that duet with Lincoln. I also want to approve all other duets prior to a musician being chosen to sing with me,” I say to him.

“Lark, you know that’s not how this works,” he states dryly.

“Well, Roger, that’s how this works with me. Or it doesn’t work at all.”

Roger pushes his glasses up his nose with one finger as he considers my terms.

“If I agree to these terms, then the contract will be for only one album, contingent on the album’s success, of course,” he declares.

“OK, I can live with that,” I say before Tiffany can answer.

Roger looks to Tiffany. “I think your client and I have reached an agreement.”

“Very good then, Roger. Have your attorneys shoot me a contract, and we will review it,” she says.

Roger stands and walks around the table as he presses a button on his phone. Melodie appears holding a tray with champagne and glasses.

“A toast then?” he asks.

I shrug. I mean, it’s five o’clock somewhere.

We all grab a drink and Roger raises his glass. “To a successful partnership,” he says, emphasizing the last word.

Lincoln

“You did it!” I yell as I fist-pump the air on our way out of the office building. I pick up Lark and twirl her around. “You fucking did it!”

She laughs.

“I almost had to kill you in there,” Tiffany grumbles. “Sixteen…I think we could have gotten seventeen.”

I set Lark down, and she turns to Tiffany. “Honestly, I would have been OK with fifteen,” she admits with a shrug.

“Just…if you want me to go to bat for you, just…let me do it, OK!” Tiffany says.

“Tiffany, I think you are just going to have to get used to the fact that this client,” Lark says pointing to herself, “isn’t the type to take a back seat to her career planning.”

---