Page 17 of In This Together

With Sofia’s help, Jay made it to a stool, barely acknowledging the others in the room. ‘Lishten.’ He hit play on his cell phone and an electric pop track played into the room.

As he drunkenly wagged his head and pumped the air in time to the tuneless track, Rosalie risked a glance at Sofia, whose jaw was hard set.

‘All right, Jay, let’s get you home and we can talk about this later, yeah?’ Sofia attempted.

‘Ishn’t it great? Shay it. Shay it’s… it’s banging.’

‘We’ll listen to it properly later. Do you want coffee or do you want to go home?’

‘Fucking lishten to it!’

‘No, Jay. Let’s go home.’

‘What isss your problem? Always sho uptight. You used to be fun.’

‘Jay, I don’t have a problem. Let’s just go home, okay?’

‘I don’t want to go home, I want you to lishten.’ He staggered up from the stool, stumbling into Sofia, forcing her back against the open door.

‘And I will. But right now, you’re embarrassing us in front of clients. You need to go home and sober up.’

Jay laughed sardonically as Jimmy grabbed his arm roughly, hoisting it over his shoulder and all but dragging Jay from the studio.

In the silence he left behind, Rosalie asked, ‘Does that happen a lot?’

Sofia lifted her head sharply and snapped, ‘He’s had a boozy lunch. It happens.’

Rosalie watched her best friend’s baby sister follow her drunken husband out of the studio.

6

ANDREA

Paperwork. There was so much paperwork. Andrea still had a say – in fact, a bigger say than ever – in which musicians and songwriters were contracted to the Stellar label, but she had no hands-on role in producing any more. What had once taken 90 per cent of her time had been replaced with management meetings, budgeting and smoothing things out when the proverbial shit hit the fan.

Tonight was Sir Presley John’s remembrance concert and at the current time – 4p.m. – it was looking like there was no end in sight. She had told Hannah they could get ready together at her apartment, but she was starting to think she wouldn’t have time.

She hated to let Hannah down when she was sure her oldest friend could do with a night of glamour away from all the kids, but… ‘Hannah?’ Andrea called from her desk, through the open door of her office.

Hannah had a spring in her step today, which Andrea was sure was down to the thought of dressing up and letting her hair down. She came to a stop on the threshold of Andrea’s office, almost with a bounce.

‘Hannah, I’m so sorry,’ she said, genuinely apologetic.

Hannah interrupted. ‘You’re not going to make it later, are you?’

‘No, I am, I promise. Plus, Tommy Dawson’ – she rolled her eyes then, knowing her friend would understand the reference – ‘is playing part of the main tribute tonight. Despite his flaws and our… history, he and the band were my first breakout and I feel like I should be there, especially when he’s performing on my doorstep.’

She knew as she said the words how shitty they sounded – she couldn’t let down one of her artists but she could let down Hannah. ‘I don’t want to let anybody down,’ she corrected. ‘It’s just that I have to finish then run through my presentation to the board tomorrow.’

‘It’s fine. I get it.’

‘Look, you have a key to my place. There’s a bottle of fizz in the refrigerator that I planned for us to share whilst getting ready. Pour yourself a glass, take whatever you want from my closet and I’ll be there as soon as I can.’

* * *

It was gone five before Andrea even turned to the slides to support her board presentation. Tomorrow morning, she intended to give the board of Stellar her vision for the future. The problem was, she wasn’t even convincing herself with the ideas she had. There was nothing standout or inspirational. She needed something – or someone – new, screaming potential.

Had she lost her touch?She had gotten to this position by being able to spot new talent and though she scoured YouTube and the indie charts, no artist or group was grabbing her. She couldn’t remember the last time a voice had made the hairs on her skin stand on end, given her chill bumps, made her breath hitch or her heart soar.

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