Page 33 of Four Dates and A Forever
Owen looked at Rhett as if he were relationship inept. Hell, maybe he was.
“Showing up. And I don’t mean popping your head in, but being present. Every night, no matter what my day has been, we meet on the patio and share a cup of tea and watch the sun set and share the best and worst parts of our day. Every morning I cook her breakfast in bed. My job is to make sure she knows that I’m there for her and that she’s loved.”
“And the mornings you can’t be there?”
Owen shrugged. “Don’t know. There hasn’t been one.”
Easy advice from someone who lived and worked in the same building and shared a bed with his fiancée. Try romancing someone when the days of the week blend together and every morning is a different city, different bed. A different life from anyone in his family. The guys on the road got it, but unless you lived it, it was hard to relate. The closest anyone in his family came to understanding the obstacles was Clay—and the guy, weeks after meeting the love of his life, had announced his retirement. Rhett wasn’t anywhere near ready to retire. He was just getting started and, if things went his way, he’d have another few decades of living the dream.
Earlier, Elsie had been able to relate, but from the other person’s perspective and it sounded rough. Lonely.
“Shouldn’t you be at home working?” Owen asked. “Or do your overly insured hands need a little time out?”
“That was my thought,” Gage said, taking a seat next to Rhett. “How’s it going?”
Rhett sighed. “It’s not. Tell me you have better news.”
“I heard back from Brax Steven,” Gage said, and Rhett’s heart thumped loudly.
Brax Steven was one of the top producers in the world. He’d started out as a club DJ in Europe and transitioned over to music producer.
Last year, Brax had reached out to Rhett, asking if he wanted to do a collaboration. It was the first time Rhett had stepped out as a solo artist and the song had been a commercial sensation, launching him into the next stratosphere. It also helped Subtle Warfare gain a larger fanbase, but it was the catalyst for Rhett going solo for an album.
Working with Brax again would be incredible. It got Rhett thinking that maybe that’s what he needed, to partner with a creative person on another collaboration. He already had the rough idea for their single and he knew that working with Brax would make it a hit. So he’d gone to his label with the idea. They’d loved it.
Now it was up to his agent, Gage, to make it happen. Rhett knew it took some finagling and negotiating, not to mention some scheduling conflicts and outstanding commitments, but Rhett had faith in his brother’s ability.
If it could happen, Gage would make it happen. And based on his brother’s giddy expression, he’d worked his magic and now Rhett needed to get his ass in gear.
“He’s in?” Rhett asked, but he already knew the answer and, man, it took everything he had to stay seated. It was as if a surge of energy shot through him.
“Oh, he’s in. Not only is he pumped about working with you again, he brought up producing the entire album.”
Rhett felt a grin form. This was the best news he’d had in weeks. “The entire album?” Rhett had been hoping he’d produce a single song, two tops. But the whole album? “This shit is really going to happen, isn’t it?”
Ten years ago, Rhett had lost his father to cancer. Disillusioned and angry at the world, he’d decided to channel all his energy into music. He’d said goodbye to the days of jamming with his buddies and got serious about making a go at having a professional career as a musician. He also made a go out of making his dad proud.
He’d known the next step was to start playing his own music and stop covering other people’s. And that meant learning how to really write a hit song. His dad had given a lot of acts their start playing during open mic night at Stout, so Rhett called in some favors and started gigging and working with some of the older guys who’d been around the block a time or two. Then he went about hand-selecting a new band.
It took a few years, but Rhett finally wrote his first hit, earning the band an American Music Award and putting Subtle Warfare on the map. From there their popularity grew, and before long their band was a household name.
Now Rhett was looking to write an album that strayed from the band’s solid mainstream sound and add a little rock and R&B vibes to the music. Subtle Warfare’s next album would have to outshine their previous one, but Rhett’s solo album would have to show growth and a level of mastery that proved he was there to stay. And all of that came down to the quality of the music—a task that, for once, fell squarely on Rhett’s shoulders.
“His schedule is as crazy as yours, so he barely has a small slice of time.”
A bad feeling settled in Rhett’s chest. With only a handful of songs completed, and a guy like Brax on board, the pressure was bigger than ever. “What are we talking?”
“He has a two-week opening.”
Rhett wasn’t a guy who gave in to nerves, if he were he’d never step foot on the stage. But right then his nerves were beading on his forehead. “Jesus, that’s a tight schedule.”
“There’s more,” Gage said. “The hard start date is four weeks.”
“Four weeks? I can’t get enough material in four weeks.”
“You already have two albums’ worth of music,” Gage pointed out. “And they’re good.”
“Not good enough.” Rhett ran a hand down his face. He’d wanted this, but now that it was here he wasn’t sure he could make the cut. “I also need a band.” Since he was going solo, he’d need an entirely new band, who would be on salary as opposed to how it was with Subtle Warfare where they each split royalties and earnings. “I’ve barely started auditioning. I still need a bassist and a drummer.”
