Page 23 of Legendary Rock Star
“Maybe.” She sucked on her bottom lip and stared at me. Then she crossed her arms and asked, “Have you read contracts before?”
I narrowed my gaze and said, “Yes.”
She took my hand and started towards the conference room she had just vacated as she said, “Then come with me.”
I skidded to a stop. Those rooms were wired. I pointed to a camera and asked, “Where?”
She put her phone in her pocket again and held my hand as she said, “I need you to give me some advice, and to explain what things mean.”
The hair on my body stood on end. No one needed to hear this. I nodded and said, “Okay, go get your music and afternoon schedule. In half an hour, everyone’s going to grab lunch. We can find a corner to sit.”
“Perfect,” she said, and kissed my cheek.
At least she hadn’t told me to get lost today. My heart lifted in my chest.
Practice went faster than I’d expected. The musicians learned the new arrangements I’d drawn up and commented that I’d made the entire show more fun for them with the way I’d retuned the old hits.
A happy band behind me meant they’d try harder.
The music had their energy in it.
Then I rushed to the cafeteria and grabbed a plastic tray.
I found a metal table near the docking station that was more private, and waved at Maggie when she walked in like a breath of fresh air. She came over to me and I jumped up from my seat. I took her tray from her and set it on the table and then she hugged me.
I didn’t deserve happiness, but Maggie made my muscles go hard and my insides turn mushy. I waited for her to sit and then tried to ignore how wound up I was. I asked casually, “How was hair and makeup?”
She shook her head and picked up her spoon to try her soup as she said, “Wanda hates me.”
I snorted. She’d dressed my girl so unnaturally there was no excuse.
“Well, that was obvious when you wore that outfit on stage,” I told her. “What are you wearing tonight?”
She finished her spoonful and curled her nose like she’d hated the taste and put her spoon down quickly.
“Pants,” she said.
I pushed toward her an energy bar I’d taken from the buffet and said, “Well, if that’s all then I’ll definitely record the episode.”
She sighed like she wanted the energy bar, but put it back on my tray. She picked up her apple as she said, “And a simple top. Form-fitting, but no corset.” She took a bite and grabbed her phone. She opened it and handed it to me. Once she finished her bite of apple, she said, “So, can I trust you to read the contract you say is mine and tell me if it’s fair?”
I let her eat her apple and said, “Sure.” She ate like she was starving. Part of the meeting must have been about her diet while on set and my body tensed. I should have been able to protect her. However, I kept quiet and read the contract. Mark hadn’t done anything strange. I said, “This all seems standard. Fifteen per cent is the norm.”
“I suppose if it’s a hoax he wouldn’t go out of the ordinary with promises,” she said. She put the core of her apple on the plate and peeled her banana. Then she added, “But I don’t trust any of this. I refuse to lose my chance that I earned here.”
So this was it. We could have an album that bound her and me forever. I thought she would be thankful. I said, “We are both getting what we wanted here.”
She closed her phone.
Did she doubt me this much? I took out my phone, with the same email and contract that I had already signed, and said, “It’s the same as my contract. I can show you mine if you want. And I can sign without you, as you already signed releases.”
She pressed her hand to her cheek and shook her head while she looked at the e-signature. She said, “Just like that, I’m a ghost who’s not credited on your comeback Christmas album. Guess it’s fitting.”
She put her phone on the table and I took her hands and stared into her pretty blue eyes. and said, “You’ll never be forgotten in my life, Maggie. I’ve never been like this, with anyone.”
She pressed her forehead on mine and neither of us moved. I didn’t want to break the connection, but she pulled away and took a piece of me with her. She asked, “Why don’t you set up a meeting with Mark for me once I win the show?”
I swallowed my pride, as she was asking me to hold off on an opportunity too. I could push this album out regardless, but her contract would ensure she was given credit and paid fairly. I said with confidence, “Mark has already read the show’s contract. They have no claim to anything we did before coming to camp. If we recorded anything now, they’d get a cut. But I’ll do as you want and set up a meeting. I’d prefer if we worked together on this.”
